Showing posts with label paddock to plate. Show all posts
Showing posts with label paddock to plate. Show all posts

Thursday, 6 November 2014

SPRING HONEY HARVEST

This afternoon we spent harvesting some wonderful honey from our 2 hives. It was great to see fully capped frames after a disappointing harvest last year. It’s always a great experience although at times a bit stressful .The next harvest will be after Christmas when the chestnuts have finished flowering. Chestnut flowers produce really special honey.

Preparing for the harvest         Our loverly bees
Capped frame         look at what the bees did in 6 weeks!
Dripping with honey        close look at a capped frame
cappings         liquid gold

Tuesday, 17 February 2009

Well Worth the Wait.

Due to the heatwave our annual goose plucking, normally done just before Australia Day had been delayed. Last Thursday evening an enthusiastic team of helpers arrived to experience their food from paddock to plate. The tasks at hand where carried out in a party atmosphere and each helper got a dressed bird, livers and fat to take home and enjoy.




On Sunday, I made some pate and Quentin roasted the goose, with his special stuffing ,teamed with heaps of vegies from the garden add a couple of friends, some nice reds, a pleasant evening on the veranda and you end up with a great evening, goose that melted in your mouth and the wonderful flavour- something that money can’t buy! …and we have another 11 in the freezer so look forward to one a month.
I’ve also made lots of stock from feet , gizzards, herbs and vegies as well as rendered down a years supply of goose fat.


Maybe goose processing is not the most enjoyable task but we make it fun and the rewarding meals are worth it. Nothing better than knowing where and how your food is grown and raised. Cheers to life in the slow lane and sharing the experiences.

Here’s how a helpers Maggie and Bob enjoyed their goose.
“We just wanted to thank you for including us in the Goose Party.Well the cook in me would not let Bob just roast the whole bird.I sectioned it and have the wings, legs, neck casing and neck all in the freezer ready for later dishes I want to prepare.The main part of the bird I roasted slowly with a stuffing of cooked rice flavoured with bay leaves, cooked onion, fresh thyme, fresh sage, pepper, salt, chopped apples and peaches. I glazed the bird with cherry jam for the last 15 minutes.The meat was delicious and melted when cut. We have some to try cold tomorrow with I guess peach cucumber salad.The livers we just made into chopped liver with thyme, onion, salt, black pepper butter and whisky.We rendered down the goose fat and that is in the fridge.

Cheers Maggie

I agree with Maggie the goose was absolutely delicious. We were both surprised with the mildness of the flavour of the bird. We learnt a lot about the processing of the geese and now we are learning heaps about preparation & cooking. The whole experience was very rewarding. Thank you both again.
Ciao, Bob “