Heirloom Meals: Savoring Yesterday's Traditions Today

Wednesday June 30, 2010

Heirloom Meals Radio:
We are Live! at Heirloom Meals Radio


Today in the studio we had with us Teresa Tavares who was born in the Azores (more specifically, the island of Terceira) which is an archipelago located nearly half way between the U.S. and Portugal. If Teresa taught us one thing about Portugese food it's that you can never have too much sea salt in your pantry and onions and garlic for that matter too! What made her interview truly unique for us was how much she had to say about the use of veggies and meats in traditional dishes more than seafood which we had believed to be more of a culinary staple. Listen in and let your mouth water as Teresa describes the heirloom Al Cathra clay pot, her special steak recipe, family-famous rice pudding and much much more.


Carole Murko 20100630 1300.mp3http://www.box.net//static/flash/mp3player_player.swf?playlistURL=http://www.box.net/index.php?rm=box_v2_mp3_player_shared%26_playlist%26shared_name=upfv4t62yq%26node=f_459750962

Tuesday June 29, 2010

Life at Boulderwood:
All our Chickens in a Row

We've got all of our chickens in a row at Boulderwood this morning! 
Most days you can spot them taking dirt baths under the porch, competing for cracked corn, eyeing the forbidden gardens and chasing each other around. Along with the endless barn yard entertainment they also provide us the most delicious eggs. Recently, we were anxiously waiting to see if the pile of eggs one of our hens was sitting on for days were going to hatch or not but to no avail. 


In the background of this particular picture you can see where Jim has left off trying to literally straighten out the old ice house.  Presently it is the shelter for both the chickens and the horses but has experienced some serious sinkage over the last couple of years.  So far, Jim, with the help of his son Matt, successfully raised the left side 6 inches!  One more inch would make it perfect but we didn't want to push our luck trying to lift the building again with the tractor. Great job guys!

Monday June 28, 2010

Ms Murky Mondays:
A True Farm-to-Table dinner

Who walks and talks country living better than the Berkshires anyway?!

Today the Heirloom Meals office printer has seen a lot of action as we are designing, printing and crafting the invitations for the Berkshire Grown fundraiser dinner that will be hosted on Boulderwood Farm at the end of August.  Several days ago we received some exciting news that the current editor-in-chief of Country Living magazine, Sarah Gray Miller, agreed to come and be the featured guest for our event.  Our hope is that by sharing with Sarah how BG influences the local economy, lifestyles, food and environment Country Living might support our cause by creating a How-To for other interested individuals and organizations who would like to start similar movements in their communities. We think an online database where people could find their local CSAs and farmers markets would be spectacular too.



For the party we are hoping to have a true farm-to-table dinner out in the pasture with a full spread of heirloom meals from our archives that lend themselves to the in season produce available to us. We are even asking attending guests to send in heirloom recipes for us as we might feature them on the menu as well! In the next few weeks we will start honing in on the final menu probably around the same time that we will be cooking and photographing recipes for our HM website which we will no doubt be sharing with you!

Happy Murky Monday!

P.S. Don't forget to check us out and show your support for Heirloom Meals at http://kck.st/cJw7ty where we are raising money for said website.  Donate a $1 or $10 or $25 or more! Thanks!

Friday June 25, 2010

Carole’s Concoctions:
Concocting a Healthy Side Dish

On our way home from the CSA our bags were brimming with colorful, fresh produce including beets, zucchini, cherries, spinach and amazing salad greens. Using our best concocting skills, the idea is to include these foods in every meal you enjoy throughout the day and week. Creative simplicity is the name of the game here.

A favorite for the beets is to roast them with olive oil, rosemary, salt and pepper and serve them over salad greens with goat cheese.  Olive oil and balsamic vinegar for a light, summery dressing.

When thinking of zucchini, grandma knew it best.  Sauteed with onions and whatever herbs are on hand, zucchini is the perfect side dish to the whatever you got going on the grill.

The perfect partner for the farm fresh morning eggs would undoubtedly be the spinach that scrambles in oh so nicely. If you happen to have a little provolone cheese- even better!

Last, but certainly not least, fresh, organic cherries are best left on their own in a little bowl on the counter. No fumbling through the fridge or digging through cabinets is necessary to find that perfect afternoon snack anymore.

Happy Friday!

Thursday June 24, 2010

Heirloom Breeds & Seeds:
Farmer Val Thursdays

A farm is inspiration. A farm is faith. A farm is tedium, excitement, and waiting all bound into the simplest of ideas with the most complex follow through: you'll grow food for people to eat, but who is going to buy it, and when? When and where will you plant it, water it, and harvest it? Where will you store it until they buy it? How will they get it: a farmer's market, a CSA, a grocery store, a restaurant, a hotel?

Melons, squash, kale, turnips, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, corn, or okra don't require you to believe that they will grow to maturity in order to be pollinated and bear fruit. The threads that bind a farmer to sanity are strengthened by it. To put sweat and money and gas and water into an idea takes a certain kind of person with a high level of stability.





Farmers buy retail, sell wholesale, and pay shipping both ways. It's hard to see their point of view. To see beyond the $4 bunch of kale or the $6 half pound of baby greens, but try to see it like a farm girl. This is our life and our work. Come to the farmer's market to buy what's grown now. Cook it and eat it and be happy. That's the simple idea we put our backs into.

thou mayest...timshel

Wednesday June 23, 2010

Heirloom Meals Radio:
Lauren Cucinotta

You won't get pie-eyed listening to Lauren Cucinotta share with host, Carole Murko, how she created an annual pie contest/event in Brooklyn's Prospect Park. Lauren's vision is for her "Pie in the Park" contest to become a national event that fosters community through the baking, eating and sharing of pie - pie memories, pie secrets, pie everything! So inspired by the popularity of her event and the constant flow of pie recipes coming her way, Lauren will be self-publishing her first book. And, yes, it's called Pie in the Park!! You can find Laura on twitter and tumblr or google Pie in the Park.


And for our listeners and followers please share your pie memories, recipes or tips - we know you have one!!

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