Pick up your Meat Share:
Friday (9/5) and later, self service
The sows have been soaking up summer in the cool woods at Archway.
Dear Shareholders:
August blew by in a blur of veggies, gatherings, & projects and September is now upon us. The morning nip in the air and cool nights are a welcome reprieve from the sweltering and muggy heat we’ve received the past few weeks. The pigs and piglets are definitely enjoying the cooler weather and with six new litters of pigs welcomed this month, things have been lively here at the farm.
As always we have been busy keeping the store stocked with all our staples including Hot Italian and Bratwurst links. Bacon remains a hot commodity, so kudos to you shareholders who have opted into including it in your shares! Speaking of exclusive items, we wanted to give our CSA members first access to our Thanksgiving Turkey order form which is now live on the website. Our Hogwash Farm turkeys will be available frozen for in-store pick up the week before Thanksgiving and they can be reserved in a wide range of sizes (however supplies are limited). I know it seems like a ways off but boy do the holidays sneak up on us all! We will be opening turkey orders to the public in a couple of weeks so you can be the first to get yours reserved. Not to mention we still have custom cut or whole chickens available in our online order form.
Wishing you all the best September in New England has to offer!
– Maggie (for Mark, Wyatt, Dima, Leo, & Alona)
Special Items in This Months Shares
(depending on size and meats you selected)
Chicken Breakfast Sausage: Same recipe as our signature breakfast blend but with chicken! Form it into patties or crumble it into hash, gravy or frittata. No matter what you choose, it’ll elevate your breakfast.
Sirloin and Top Round Steaks: These cuts also go by minute steak or cube steak if its been mechanically tenderized which you can also do at home with a meat mallet. They can be seared, broiled and grilled to perfection or alternatively, pounded flat and chicken fried or braised in gravy. If you received a bottom round steak this month, consider marinating it before cooking. The aim with these cuts if using a hot and fast cooking method is to aim for medium rare. Don’t forget to rest grilling steaks for 30 minutes before cooking and 5 to 10 after.
Marinated Pork Kabob: We know some would prefer to season their own cubes of meat themselves, but to fuel our own creative pursuits and offer something new (and hopefully delicious) we have taken the liberty of seasoning these kabobs ahead of time for your enjoyment and ease of meal prep. We hope you enjoy these sweet and savory cubes cut primarily from pork loin. The key to cooking these is to not overcook. Use a quick and hot cooking method and avoid direct flames.
Recipe of the Month
Steak Salad with Parsley Dressing
I’m already mourning the end of grilling season but it isn’t time to pack it away just yet. Last night I served my family marinated flank steak with grilled corn on the cob and a caprese salad finished off with fresh cut peaches over Walpole Creamery fresh peach flavor ice cream. It was the epitome of summer. This parsley sauce recipe has been the primary condiment in my fridge all season. Its been so easy to whip up and it tastes good on everything from eggs to fish. Its also a great alternative to chimichurri or used as a salad dressing. If you aren’t up for a culinary project, Ken’s chunky blue cheese will probably do the trick too.
Its time to embrace the abundance and freshness of this time of year! Overdose on cucumbers, tomatoes and zucchini! Trick yourself into eating your vegetables by sprinkling meat on top!
Ingredients
For The Salad
- 2 Archway Farm steaks (rested for 30 minutes at room temp)
- salt and pepper
- 6 – 8 cups of lettuce (some variety of texture would be ideal but romaine, loose leaf or butterhead)
- 1 pint of halved cherry tomatoes with a pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup sliced cucumber
- 1 thinly sliced bell pepper
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
- 1 ear of cooked corn (optional) with the kernels cut from the core
- 1 grilled zucchini (optional) oiled with a pinch of s&p
- optional blue cheese crumbles
For The Parsley Dressing (I recommend making this first) recipe adapted from the Washington Food Co-op blog
- 1 1/2 cups packed parsley
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
- 2 anchovy fillets
- ¼ cup chopped chives or scallions
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- the zest of 1 lemon
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- ½ cup toasted walnuts
- 1 cup of olive oil, or preferred salad oil, more for desired consistency
Steps to make it
- Combine all dressing ingredients in a food processor except for the oil. Give a few quick chops and then turn on, drizzling in olive oil. Stop after 15 seconds and scrape sides of processor.
- Turn on food processor and finish adding oil. Chop until ingredients have reached a fine size. I like my parsley sauce on the thicker side, however for salad dressing, additional oil may need to be added to reach a looser consistency.
- Salt and pepper to taste.
- Rub steak with a light drizzle of oil to coat and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper
- Cook on grill or cast iron skillet until medium rare ~130 – 140 F degrees. For a primer on grilling the perfect steaks see July’s filet mignon recipe.
- This is also a good time to grill additional salad veggies such as corn or zucchini.
- Remove steak and let rest.
- Put together your fresh salad ingredients. I like to build an individual salad for each person for even topping distribution.
- Add grilled veggies and cheese crumbles if using.
- Thinly slice steak across the grain and divide into bite size pieces. Distribute among salads belonging to those most deserving. Avoid putting hot meat or veggies on the lettuce, as it will wilt the tender leaves.
- Dress and serve.
Enjoy!