Eggs and Milk

If there is anything I have learned since we've been farming its the cycle of boom and bust. Right now, our milk cups runneth over and our egg quota is met at breakfast, lunch and ....well sometimes at dinner too.




John's sister Layne is a lobsterman (pronounced "lobstermin" to blur the gender designation). And she likes to keep a jar of pickled eggs on her boat for long trip out to sea hauling traps. She inspired John to make a batch for long trips across the brassica field dragging discs. This surf and turf brother sister team....all that money their parent's spent on liberal art's educations only to find they have 2 very smart, thoughtful and wise blue collar children conversing over a holiday table about pickled eggs and the politics of working farms and waterfronts in Maine. People will do what it takes to live in Maine (whose population is declining), amongst the trees and the ocean and the mountains, far from rush hour traffic.

Things are still pretty frozen here. At dinner the other night I commenced a moratorium on complaining about the weather. There is absolutely nothing we can do about it but wait, cultivating our patience. For the first time in 13 years we told our crew they would need to hold off on starting. There just isn't enough for them to work on with 2 feet of snow still blanketing some spots of the farm. Normally, the first week of April we are spreading composts and prepping beds. The greenhouse is bursting with seedlings in anticipation but the tractor sits still as the long winter lingers.

With all this "extra" time, we're pickling eggs, drinking milk, making custard, baking quiche and wondering what we might do with the collection of tongues in our freezer. Seems as if we have amassed a few from the livestock that have come and gone at the farm. The bacon and the chops and the roasts seem to move quickly but no brave souls have reached for the tongues. I've heard it can be tasty. I'm waiting for the inspired cook to come along and have a go at it. I'm up for a taste.



We are signing up campers for the summer, preschoolers and homeschoolers for our spring programs. April vacation camp still has some spots. And, there are CSA shares still available. It's hard to believe we'll be harvesting lettuce and peonies for our customers in 2 months. I can hardly wait!

We're still uncertain as to the shelf life of a pickled egg, leaving lots of speculation and fun lunchtime chatter. And, seriously....if you're up for cooking a tongue, I have 4. How funny would it be to do a tongue giveaway? Ha!.....Let's try it! Leave a comment in the comments section if you want one! Beef or pork. (This is what you might call a spontaneous brainstorm)

Blessings on the meal-
Stacy

PS.... I just had to throw some winter flowering in here....there's just not a good picture of a frozen tongue to be had in these parts.