10.23.2011

The Fabulous Beekman Boys & Their Recipe For The Eight Minute (Prep) Galette

 What a crazy weekend! It all started Friday night when Christian and I were heading to Atlanta to see Brent and Josh from the Beekman 1802 Farm and the Planet Green show "The Fabulous Beekman Boys". About a third of the way to Atlanta, I realized I had left a space heater on in the house....Eeeek! It would have probably been OK had we just kept on going, but I just couldn't take that chance - not with my precious Baby (our dog) in the house. We turned around and headed back to turn off the heat. Alright! Now let's do this!! I am so excited to get their cookbook "Beekman 1802 Heirloom Cookbook" AND to get to meet the men who have entertained me and educated me about my little mini farm through their show. We get to Atlanta, park and . . . . . . . it. is. all. over. No lights on in the store. No sign of life in OR out of the store. No Josh. No Brent. No cookbook. Needless to say, the ride back home I was a sulky, whiny, crybaby that poor Christian had to listen to complaining the whole hour and a half back to Athens. Even when we got home I STILL couldn't stop complaining....off to bed I went. 

The next morning my friend Ali had asked how it was meeting those fabulous boys. I explained to her the night and she offered to pick me up because she was going and taking her son, Aidan. I kinda felt like I was such a sourpuss last night that I should spend the day making it up to Christian.....BUT I went in and informed him I had another opportunity to maybe meet them and he was all for it. ANYTHING to get 'Debbie Downer' out of the house!

Ali and Aidan picked me up and off we went! I had never been to a crafty fair like this "Country Living" fair, but I am sure it would be interesting. We get there and it is HUGE! After the long hike to where the vendors and the cooking stage is, we head to find seats. There are two empty seats rather close to the front of the stage and I said they should take those seats and I would find one in the back. I find a lonely chair that is waiting for me. . . . . . . People are scurrying about the stage getting everything ready for Josh and Brent. Out they come! Yay! Finally! They come out and entertain for a few minutes, talk about the cookbook, where they found the inspiration for it, etc. Then they are ready to start the cooking demo. Brent then says, "We put a black bag underneath one of the chairs out there. If it is under your chair, please come on up!" I am scanning the crowd waiting to see who has the bag! I feel a tap on my shoulder and someone says "The bag is under YOUR chair". What?!?!?! Yikes! Yippeee! Yay! Eeeek! Whoa! 

I head up to the stage and am so very nervous. They proceed to explain what they will be making. The "Eight Minute Galette". It is a mix between a pie and a tart - or how they explained it "It’s what would result if a pie and a tart had a one night stand on a camping trip". The actual recipe is here.

These are the pictures I took before I was called to participate in the demo:
Brent explaining all the fabulous features of this cookbook.....

Josh explaining that most of the recipes are organized by season and each one will have ingredients that are easily acquired within that season.
Josh just took a picture with his iPhone of the audience:

And here we are!












Here is MY attempt at the "Eight Minute Galette".
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Ingredients you will need:
2 Apples
1 Stick of butter
1 Sprig of Rosemary
1 C All Purpose Flour
Milk - less than 1/2 cup
Some sugar for sprinkling atop the galette before baking

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Prepping.................First I peeled and sliced two apples.....


Then I GRATED a stick of butter. Josh and Brent had just cut up and let warm a bit to room temperature, but I decided to grate - and it worked just fine!


Then chopped some fresh Rosemary:
Dump the butter and flour into a bowl and mash them all together with the fork. You’ll want the butter/flour to be in pea-size chunks. Then add cold milk - you probably won't need very much, less than half a cup, (I used fresh raw goat milk) a little at a time until the dough starts to just stick together in a ball, and it’s done. Don’t it get too wet, or it will stick to the counter when you roll it out, and be tough when baked.




After the dough can be balled up, put some flour on the counter space so that you can roll it out. I forgot that I didn't have a rolling pin, so I opted to use a giant glass jar and it worked just fine! You want to roll it out so that it isn't oblong, but either a square or circle.

After rolling it out, gently pull up one side and fold it over (in half). Then fold again so that it is folded in quarters. Doing this makes for an easy transfer into the pan....





Unfold the dough in your pan .....


Sprinkle with the Rosemary - ON THE BOTTOM - before the apples are piled on.

Then add your apples - they don't have to be arranged in a fancy manner like mine, I was just trying to impress Christian...he knows well that he has a woman that JUST CAN'T cook, and I actually feel confident about this.....
After your apples are in, fold over the edges like this, then sprinkle with a good helping of sugar!




Pop into an oven that is between 350 - 400 degrees (I cooked mine at 375) and bake for 30 minutes or so - I would start keeping a close eye on it after 25 minutes....


And viola!! I did it! Doesn't it look GREAT?!?!?!
I immediately placed mine on a cooling rack, just so the crust wouldn't get soggy - it doesn't say to do this in the recipe, I just did it. 


It turned out DELISH! I am really inpressed with myself and Christian said it was the best thing I have ever made! Thanks Josh and Brent! Now on to bigger and better dishes! I can't wait to experiment with all these new recipes....


10.15.2011

The Animals Get A Check-Up From Dr. Dzimianski And Everyone Is Good!

It has been a while...not too much to report - the summer garden is still spitting out peppers, okra, and cherry tomatoes here and there, the carrots and snow peas are doing well in the fall garden, and the pecans are gonna be ready soon!





All the crew at the acre are doing very well. This morning I had their veterinarian, Dr. Mike Dzimianski come out for a check up and everyone got a clean bill of health! Milly is still improving everyday and hopefully by Spring she will be back to 100%. I am still trying to get the hang of hoof trimming and Dr. Mike was very helpful in watching me and showing me how to get better at it. 

After he left, Baby and I hung out in the field for a few hours and played with all the animals. The sun was bright, the air was cool and dry, and that provided the perfect environment for all the animals to let loose! Baby was having the best time rolling around in the grass, the 'lil babies were exploring and playing on the goat hut, and the sheep were content just being.......sheep.

 Milly must have known that her check-up proved she was steadily improving. She was stuck by my side giving hugs pretty much the entire time I was out there....
 Misty is always wanting a lap to sit on, a pair of shoulders to hang on, and lots of hugs....

 Nice freshly trimmed hooves! I can't wait to get better at this.....
 Misty's wattles!! She is the lone goat out here with wattles. Ellen is in the background here just observing this beautiful October day...


 Slurp Slurp!



 Speckles and Lucky
 Misty.......




 Sisters.....Misty & Milly








 In comes Baby......First she checks out the chickens...and maybe runs a few.......
 ...then it's time to roll around in the sun! Life is good out here!

 Baaaaaaa-baaaaaaa




 Now it is time for RUNNING! and a little more CHASING!!!








 While Misty and Ellen were grazing out in the field with Baby on watch, I had a little "Milly" time.















 Misty and Ellen fighting for the title "Queen of the Goat Hut".....


 Ellen definitely has her mama's (Ellie) smile.......

 Mmmmm-mmmm-mmmm! Oats, rye, seeds, and grain just waiting to get gobbled by the crew!