The beginning of February starts with preparations for our annual shearing day. This year we are excited to begin our five hour journey to Amish country. Our quest is to pick up a Amish handcrafted family table. A family table is designed to accommodate a growing family, once common to most rural homes. It has several leafs you can add and benches that can be stacked when the extra space is needed. The family table will be constructed of solid oak and will extend to sixteen feet. Our guests for shearing day will be able to enjoy a meal of lamb stew, homemade biscuits, and desserts. It will be wonderful to all be seated at the same table.We hold a treasure chest of found memories of shopping at the local Amish tack store and traveling down the dirt roads slowly behind a buggy or two. This was an area that we lived for seven years. Living among the Amish offered us the opportunity to visit the local wood shops that reside at individual Amish farms. The Amish carpenters display the craftsmanship from the days of old, when a piece of handcrafted furniture was like signing your name to a painting. There is a sustainable accomplishment in their work as it is constructed with solid materials and with the strength to endure future generations. Somehow, between the two distinct worlds their becomes a blur when friendships are established.
C.A. Bresin
Shepherds Pie
Ingredients:
2 pounds organic potatoes, such as russet, peeled and cubed
2 tablespoons Daisy sour cream or softened cream cheese
1 large egg yolk
1/2 cup cream, for a lighter version substitute vegetable or chicken broth
Season with salt, freshly ground black pepper, garlic and a dash of cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 -2 pounds ground beef or ground lamb
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas, a couple of handfuls or a bag of organic frozen vegetables
1 onion, chopped
2 tablespoons grass fed organic butter
2 tablespoons Daisey organic all-purpose flour
1 cup beef stock or broth
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Directions:
Boil potatoes in salted water until tender, about 12 minutes. Drain potatoes and pour them into a bowl. Combine sour cream, egg yolk and cream. Add the cream mixture into potatoes and beat with electric mixer until potatoes are almost smooth.
Preheat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add oil to hot pan with beef or lamb. Season meat with salt, pepper, garlic, and cayenne pepper to taste. Brown and crumble meat for 3 or 4 minutes. If you are using lamb and the pan is fatty, spoon away some of the drippings. Add chopped carrots, onions to the meat or frozen vegetables. Cook veggies with meat 5 minutes on moderate heat setting, stirring frequently. In a second small skillet over medium heat melt butter. Whisk butter and flour into the broth. Thicken gravy 1 minute. Add gravy to meat and vegetables. Stir in peas.
Preheat broiler to high. Fill a rectangular Pyrex casserole with meat and vegetable mixture. Spoon potatoes over meat evenly.
Top potatoes with paprika and broil 6 to 8 inches from the heat until potatoes are evenly browned. Top casserole dish with chopped parsley and serve.
C.A. Bresin (Welcome to My World) www.risenshinefarm.com
