Little Lambs and Chicken Yoga at Kinderhook Farm

Baaaaaaaa. Baaaaaa. Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa. The ewes and lambs were pretty noisy at Kinderhook Farm in Valatie, NY when I visited last Saturday for a tour. Being the sensible, conservative, thoughtful, and mature superhero that I am, I baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa'd right back. It was fun.

These one day old Dorper sheep triplets are just about the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.

It's lambing season and the folks at the farm were busy - long days and nights tending to their animals. Laura, one of the hands and a wonderful guide, told us about the challenges of managing all these newborns. I was impressed with her attentiveness to, and respect for all the animals we met that day. A sense that everything was right and clean and happy and good just permeated the air.

After a day or two the lambs and their moms are moved to the field closest to the lambing shed.

Kinderhook Farm is a special place. Animal Welfare Approved in 2009, it has just been Certified Grassfed by AWA for their sheep and cattle. Better yet, it is the FIRST farm in the United States to be awarded this gold standard for their sheep.  This means that the animals are raised outdoors on pasture their entire lives, eat only grass or forage, and are cultivated and slaughtered according to the highest standards of welfare and care. I felt honored to share their good news so soon after it was announced. Oh, and there were little lambs everywhere doing cute little lamby things. I smiled so much my face hurt.

Freedom Ranger hens grow quickly. Kinderhook raises four rounds of babies to broilers each summer.

We then visited baby Freedom Ranger in the nearby coop, awaiting release to the apple orchards once their enclosures had tarps in place. There were also a couple dozen laying hen chicks - multiple species and colors - still penned and safe until they get a bit bigger. Oh, and fuzzy yellow goslings that move together in a gang, in and out of the enclosure, making high, sweet little honking noises. I prompted two little girls, ages 3 and 5, to mimic the sound, but they were better at baaaaaaaaaaaa-ing.

Above, laying hen chicks. Below, two little girls meet the goslings outside the coop. Inside the babies are protected and warmed with heat lamps early in the growing season.

From there the visitors walked back to fields where the laying hens had their mobile coops, but trust me, there were chickens EVERYWHERE, having dust baths, congregating, running around at top speed because they could, doing chicken yoga, preening, etc. They were, um, BEING CHICKENS, the way chickens were meant to be. Downside was they had a way of setting up nesting sites all over the farm, so Kinderhook wasn't getting the yield they should have from all those birds in terms of egg production, but they were working on it. Laura talked about the possibility of building new coops that would be more inviting to the various species and sizes of birds, all of whom seemed to get along well. We got to pet a couple that she picked up and cradled for us. Soft and friendly.  The "Peace Train" - two buildings on wheels, is moved around the farm to fresh pasture throughout the season.

Feed in the low trough, near the center, supplements the bugs and stuff to keep the birds healthy and well fed.

Chickens like to roll around in the dirt. It feels good. It makes them happy.

We didn't get a chance to visit the piglets - there was some construction at that site so we'll have to do that the next time we go to the farm. And we didn't get across to play with the cows, either, but we understand they, too, were busy calving somewhere in this 1000 acre paradise. Kinderhook Farm has an active Facebook site where you can watch 15-second videos and see all kinds of pics of what's happening almost each and every day. Being an office girl it's really nice to go and watch their dogs work the farm, to see the lambs learning to stand up, and to hear the chickens baaawk as they get released from their coop in the morning, instead of actually working. Much nicer than the sounds of traffic and telephones. Much, much nicer.  And I get to baaaaaaaaaaaaaa back, which feels good, whether I'm doing it because I'm happy or pissed off or just need to amuse myself so I can get through another day. Charming, but visit if you can if you really want to understand about sustainability and where food really comes from and the importance of caring for your land and beasts.

There's a farm store on the property that's open year-round, probably the best place in the area to buy their products, including all parts of the animal, ground meats, whole chickens, sausages, and eggs. Kinderhook also sells to chefs that handle whole animals. It may seem expensive, but the quality is amazing, and you will have the grace of knowing you are part of the solution.

Thanks to everyone at Kinderhook Farm who made us feel so welcome and who took the time out of their busiest season to share their story. It was a beautiful day.

Zena, Goddess of Fire 

Spring in Valatie at Kinderhook Farm

1st Friday and A Fork in the Road -- Food Trucks!!!!

Yeah, I'm into food trucks - having them lined up around a nice little park on 1st Friday with Albany Center Galleries nearby makes for a nice evening out. 

All Over Albany provided some very nice photos too: 

 http://alloveralbany.com/archive/2015/05/04/fork-in-the-road-1 

The weather was perfect and you couldn't ask for a nicer little park for a food truck gathering. There are plenty of sitting places and people can spread out while sampling the fare.  Someone commented that music was needed and I heartily disagree.  Why ruin a lovely quiet Friday evening with some over loud band?  I'm not into having to scream to my dining companions.

I'm not sure how much I can go on about food truck food. I don't know what the attraction is, but it's got something to do with being outside and having dishes I don't have very often and it brings back feelings of dairy bars at the beach and summer. It is what it is and there didn't seem to be much out of the normal fare of burgers and fries, but there were a few different things to try and I hope in future there will be more. I had chicken spiedies from the Chuck Wagon and tried to get the fabulous looking bacon wrapped mac and cheese balls, but they were gone after the first hour. The chicken spiedies were tasty.  

 I was consoled with an ice cream from Emack & Bolios after the bacon wrapped mac and cheese balls were erased from the menu.  I know...not too shabby. 

 I look forward to drifting downtown on future 1st Fridays to sample a few more food truck delights this summer.

Sunday Suppers at Fin

I love Sundays. I just spent the whole stupid week working like crazy and overdoing the working out early early in the day and worrying and doing yard work and chores and fixing things and paying bills and making lists and eating over the sink and making phone calls to BOA who screwed up again with my billing and they put me on hold forever, as did St. Peters, going to doctors and taking tests and being poked and prodded, then, late into the night, running around protecting the innocent from the forces of evil.

Boys oh boys, do I need something GOOD come Sunday.

So this past weekend I made reservations at Fin - Your Fishmonger, in Guilderland, NY, for Sunday Supper. This was only the second offering of their new once-a-month prix fixe with Executive Chef Gabriel Pollow. Chef put together a creative five courser focused on using sustainable fish, giving up to 12 lucky diners a chance to eat well, try new things, meet one another, relax, and feel special. And we did! We ate well, and we laughed and talked and talked about food with others at the table and sipped our BYO wines and enjoyed the bright afternoon sun streaming in the window for almost three full hours.

Our meal started with cold glasses of strawberry and basil soda - light, refreshing, not too sweet. I'm not big on bubbles but it was truly delicious. Warm garlic and sage scented rolls were passed with dishes of salted herby lemony compound butter. These yeasty rolls were really soft and slightly sweet and practically addictive they were so good.

Chef introduced himself and the meal to come. The first course was Gazpacho, not too spicy (Foodie Friend thought it slightly meh), fresh and cold with some crunch and a bit of finely chopped apple and red onion and not too much salt. Considering it isn't tomato season, this was a bit of an odd beginning in some ways, but it DID taste like the promise of summer in a cup. I loved the lime crema for both the added flavor and presentation.

Next was my favorite dish of the event - Shrimp Ceviche - with homemade blue corn tortillas that were super light and crunchy, even with a bit of liquid in the bottom of the bowl. There was a perfect balance of flavors and textures: shrimp, avocado, and cucumber topped with a bit of olive oil and peppery microgreens. Bright and delightful.

Course three was a Quinoa Salad topped with pan seared grouper. Fin, determining that the original red snapper on the menu wasn't sustainable, substituted the grouper. The keen-wah had a lovely bit of finely chopped veg in there, some shallots and mustard and a bit of olive oil, with a good mound of perfectly cooked crispy string beans on top. This dish was beautiful but Cookie and I somehow didn't care much for the fish. It was a bit metallic tasting, a bit bland, too peppery maybe. I don't generally like grouper, sometimes finding it a bit fishy and a bit greasy, although the sauce did help. This was a generous serving and pretty good, but no "wow" "pow" "zip" "bang" superhero punch to it, if you know what I mean.

Then came a Risotto made with a saffron steelhead salmon stock and vegetables, finished with cream and parmesan. Sorry to say I didn't like it at all. It wasn't served nearly hot enough, I thought it was too salty, and it wasn't creamy like a classic risotto (and actually kinda greasy). OK, also, it was very fishy, and even tasted a bit weird, like plastic or something. No one else at the table really liked this dish very much either. It didn't help at this point we were already quite full and the dish was VERY rich, so we mostly pushed this one aside.

The last course was a wonderful Bizcocho, a dense almond cake with almond cream and berries. Simple and sweet and perfectly considered, it was a great way to wrap up. I wasn't going to eat the whole thing, but I did.

It was a real honor to enjoy such a lovely meal in this humble, neighborly, simple environment. I felt like a part of something, somehow, like family Sunday dinner away from home with new friends. The space was bright and light and and comfortable. I loved the slow, relaxed pace and I left feeling full and happy, ready to take on another night of protecting the innocent and another Monday and another workweek ahead. Chef did a great job. I look forward to returning in the future, but I'll give the rest of you a chance to try it first before I hog another spot.

Dinner was $50/person plus tax and tip.

Zena, Goddess of Fire

Heavenly Tasting: Cheese and Beer at City Beer Hall

Upstairs at the City Beer Hall is a great place to put some tables and chairs so that people can hang out and taste beers and cheese.  The huge windows and the view into the room below add a sense of expansiveness that sets a lovely scene for some great flavors. On a recent non-frozen evening a group of avid tasters tasted to their hearts' content.

We each were given a program for the tasting so we didn't have to take extensive notes. The beers and cheese were these, which I would highly recommend for paired tastings you should do at home:

Grimm Color Field farmhouse ale wth Perail de Brebis

Brouwerij Bavik Petrus Red Ale with Tome Rebelais

Birrificio del Ducato Chrysopolis with Saulnois Reserve

Dirrificio Montegioco Fumigant with Alchese Blauwe

Eventually the assembled plates  of two cheeses were delivered upstairs and the two beers were poured for everyone.

Our hosts from The Cheese Traveler and City Beer Hall each gave some background and we proceeded to share our experiences as we cheerfully explored some of the delights of basic food and drink.

The beers and cheeeses held one surprise after another.

And oh my.  Flavor was the topic, the stuff and the conversation of the evening. Flavor profiles had been carefully analyzed and matched so that the unfolding of complementary complex flavors, although in really just a few bits of food, was mesmerizing through the evening.

The second pairing of two brought the tasting to the four beers and four cheeses, which is a really good amount if one is to get the gist of each without covering up anything, rushing or spacing out.  While truly a tasting and not a meal, it was a great way to satisfy the senses without ending up too full or bored.

There was plenty of time to regale each other over our subjective experiences both at this table and at many others in past years. The time was used to slowly try each tidbit, but also to wait to clear one combination of flavors in order to fully experience the next. The beers and cheese were paired, but there were also little condiments to allow everyone to mix up their own tastes expand the range of what was happening.

The low lighting allowed the darkness from outside to eventually envelop the room and as we savored the strongest and most mind blowing flavors of the evening the room grew quiet and people said their goodbyes.

It was a satisfying way to explore new and traditional flavors and to share insights and opinions with convivial fellow guests.  I hope this tasting series will be ongoing for a long time to come.

Lorre Bob sez check out both the beers and the cheese and if you can taste them together all the better.

There's No Hole in My Doughnut - Nibble, Inc.

I have to say upfront that I have a love-hate relationship with the doughnuts at Nibble, Inc. in Troy. 

I love the shop, which is on the corner of 5th and Broadway, near Finnbar's, where apparently both of the main crew at Nibble did some time. It's tastefully appointed and has a gorgeous view of the street on two sides.  One cannot ask for more while having doughnuts and coffee.  

I LOVE the flavors, which I feel are works of culinary art.  I mean seriously yum. No, I mean you must go and try these extraordinary doughnuts.

They are based on potato flour, and that makes them different from the other doughnuts out there, so try not to go with the expectation that these are going to be just your common doughnut that you've had all your life.  Plus the fillings in their signature doughnuts are superbly crafted, and unlike any of the drek that ends up in most average doughnuts. For these fillings alone you should get yourself to the shop and see what I mean. I had the  local lemon and blackberry cassis signature style just to get started, and my recommendation is that you either go with several people so you can get a good sampling or get a dozen for the office and slice them up so you can get a variety of flavors.

And now to what broke my heart and  makes me want to rave - so I will. The most obvious difficulty is that they're too blinking big to bite. It's like trying to eat one of those 4 inch high hamburger sandwiches. In other words, I ended up wanting to throw them across the room, except they were too delicious. I tried to bite the lemon and it is tough and so I merely dragged it off the doughnut and slapped myself in the face with it while the unbelievably delicious lemon sauce (I can't call it curd) proceeded to run down my face and deposit itself on my shirt. I won't sing the whole litany of problems I had actually ingesting this fascinatingly delicious bit of fried dough. It would be long. Suffice it to say this is not the sort of eating experience I want to have. Do I REALLY have to get out a fork to eat a doughnut?  Especially in a place that just has disposable utensils and no real crockery? A doughnut that requires a plastic fork?  I'm not happy with it.  

When I asked for a re-usable cup one that obviously was fished out of an obscure location and hastily washed was produced.  I was suspicious.

I will go back because it's like a candle flame for a moth, but I'm taking my stainless steel knife and fork, my own real plate so that I can actually use the knife and fork, and my own mug for the coffee. I like them enough to do that kind of work to eat them.

Get their full menu and more at the site: http://www.nibbleinc.com/ 

Tomo Asian Bistro for a sushi lunch

In the wilds of Slingerlands is just where a casual sushi joint is needed. And to be fair, this really is more of an Asian Bistro than a sushi joint, with an extensive menu ( use the link below to see it on the web site).  I happened to be taking some vacation recently and so I had the time to mosey out to Slingerlands and enjoy a late sushi lunch. The decor uses dark colors and lots of wood and was put together with care to provide a bit of an upscale atmosphere, so it's a lovely place to enjoy a leisurely lunch or dinner.

There are often dishes that we use to judge the qualities of a restaurant, and for Asian restaurants, mine is the age tofu appetizer.  It's just fried tofu, so the chef has the opportunity to make it something special if they wish to do so.  This is the nice presentation with flavorful scallion and bonito garnish at Tomo. A lot of places just toss it on the plate, so the little extras and pleasing arrangement here told me that I was in for a nicely prepared meal.

I had chirashi because I like to see what chefs do with it - there are many different styles because the name basically means "scattered" and conveys the idea that the fish and the rice are not formally shaped. Until recently chirashi was most frequently served to me in a bowl, but now the trend seems to be to put it on a plate.  I like it best as a sushi preparation because it allows me to combine the amount of rice I like with each piece of fish.  And there are always delightful condiments and vegetables or mysterious (to me) things that are new and tasty.

Although the chirashi plate was for the most part delicious, I wasn't happy to see the problematic "white tuna" as one of the fish.  I haven't gotten into the habit about asking whether it will be there or not, so I simply didn't eat it this time and will continue to try to remember to ask first.

Service at Tomo was attentive and friendly. The staff checked in a number of times to check on drinks and how things were going.

There were takeout orders the whole time I was there, indicating to me that Slingerlands has caught on to their closest Asian location and like it enough to drive all the way to the Price Chopper Plaza to pick up their orders.

The full menu and hours are on their website:
http://www.tomoalbany.com

LorreBob sez: go have a nice Asian dinner in the suburbs!

DOING DISHES: Wrapping it Up for the Lettuce Entertain You Series: Salads from Fresh Market

Here is our final entry of the series.  The three other  ones are:

Market Bistro

Whole Foods Albany

Honest Weight Food Coop

We thought we'd find salads at The Cheese Traveller, but by the time we got there for the series, they had decided to stop offering them for lunch.

This is the dish on our trip to The Fresh Market in Latham.

We're still taken aback at the sheer amount of candy that takes up a huge amount of real estate in the store. All that sugar in a store that has a name like Fresh Market makes a little cognitive dissonance for the Goddess and myself.

But they got salad.

In a case of great looking food that makes a hungry Goddess and her Foodie Friend companion want to take home a few delicious dinners are nestled the salads on offer.

Back in our perfessional tasting lab, we employed some of our analytic acumen to these samples.

Aren't they great colors? I think that is a good deal of the fun in salad.

Artichokes, tomatoes, green peppers,  feta, olives and fresh onion - this has a good olive oil dressing and is balanced well between bright flavors and more mild savory ones. The feta was less than optimal - the chef should use a better quality.

  

Broccoli cranberry: although a little on the bland side it has a good balance of cranberries, almonds and broccoli, and everyone likes the crunch. This was everyone's favorite.

Cucumber and onion with tomato.  This was a favorite and will go well with any dish - a light dressing makes it refreshing and fresh veggies make it crunchy and delightful.

Shrimp salad: expensive blah.  This was displayed on a separate stand with some other similar salads and gets a "looks pretty" but there's just not much there in the way of flavor, especially at $11/lb.  

Edamame: an odd combination of feta, cranberries and tasty little soybeans - no one could taste the feta, so we were curious about how it lost all its flavor.  Maybe the beans soaked it up after a few hours in the case.

In the lab we happen to have a small cadre of amateur tasters as well and the above is a summary of all the tasting notes.

All in all we have felt in our tasting across all the salads that the deli chefs should up their game, watch how long the salads stay in the fridge to avoid bland old worn out flavors, and everyone should take part in making sure that the same ingredients aren't used over and over in all the salads.  Mix it up!  Certain ingredients may be zesty for the first day, but change to meh over the succeeding days in the case.  We recommend continual tasting for quality and not letting salads slide into mediocrity or worse.