October 2, 2006
Dear Customer -
It's been another very busy year at Touchstone Farm. This is our second year of artificial insemination using the top Clun Forest rams from the UK. We're extremely pleased with the lambs we raised this year and last. The flock continues to grow, and we're now receiving orders for breeding stock from around the country. Demand for Clun Forest breeding stock is so high that we're now taking orders for delivery in 2008. As a result, our supply of meat lambs remains limited.
However,
the good news for lamb customers is that some of
that breeding stock has been sold to shepherds right
here in Rappahannock County, VA. These shepherds
are committed to raising sheep right. That means certified humane, all
natural, grass-fed lambs just like we raise here on Touchstone Farm. I'm hopeful that with
a couple of newer farms in our network, in the
coming years we'll have more lamb available to you -
and available over a longer and extended fall season.
The popularity of grassfed meats, but also perhaps more importantly, locally-sourced food has been growing rapidly over the past few years. This year, with higher gas prices, more and more people are questioning the need to ship food halfway around the world when it can be found fresher and of better quality right next door. We're lucky to have several food writers concerned with these issues as our customers. If you'd like to know more about the availability of locally produced food in the Mid-Atlantic, please contact Renee Brooks Catacolos at reneecatacalos@verizon.net and she'll be sure to add you to her excellent local food e-mail list.
If you’ve already placed your order for lamb this year and received a confirmation e-mail, you're all set, and we thank you for your promptness. If you haven’t yet ordered for this year, I urge you to do so soon, as we only have 20 lambs left. For those of you who would like to place the same order each year, I would suggest that when filling out the order form this year you put a request in for a "standing order" in the custom box in the order form. That way we can automatically reserve a lamb for you each year and keep your order up-to-date, so you needn't worry about us being sold out before you had a chance to place your order.
The quickest way to
order is to
click here
to be taken to directly to our lamb order
page and place your order using our on-line form.
We'll coordinate a pick-up or delivery time that is convenient
for you. All lamb orders are COD. Our
prices
once again, are $7.50 a pound for a ˝ lamb
(approximately 20-25 lbs of meat) or $6.50 a pound for a
whole lamb (approximate 40-50 lbs of meat).
In addition to our lamb, we still have plenty of 2-ply sports weight yarn available. It's spun from our wool, and it is beautiful. Our yarn is sold in specialty knitting stores for $11.95 a skein, but we can offer it to our customers directly at $8.95 a skein. Please e-mail us at: wool@touchstonefarm.org if you’d like some yarn.
This year's recipe is a newer one that I've tried only once. I liked it a lot, so I thought I'd send it on to my customers as well. I know a lot of you are are not keen on using the organ meats that come with your order. That's understandable, but lamb liver and kidneys are mainstays of country cuisine in many parts of Europe. This recipe for lamb's liver comes from Ireland, and is perfect for a chilly November weekend dinner when you have time to enjoy some Irish whiskey as well. This is a heavier dish that goes well with a crusty white bread (good for sopping up the gravy), and some winter root vegetables like turnips or parsnips. I've included a recipe for glazed turnips which I use often in the winter. Since this is an Irish recipe, a pint or two of Guinness is the best way to wash it all down. Follow it with some Irish Whiskey as a nightcap and you're sure to sleep well.
Enjoy your Lamb!
Yours,
Alan Zuschlag
Lamb's Liver with Whiskey and Cream - serves 4 people
2 lobes (about 1 lb) of lambs liver (note: our lamb orders with liver fit this perfectly) with membranes removed 2 cups milk Salt 8 tbsp. butter 1 large yellow onion, peeled and finely chopped 1 tbsp. Irish Whiskey (Jameson is the best) 1/2 cup heavy cream 1 tbsp. whole-grain mustard (Dijon works) Freshly ground black pepper 1 tbsp. chopped fresh garlic chives Slice liver crosswise into 1/4 inch thick slices and put in a single layer into a shallow dish. Pour milk over liver and sprinkle with 1/2 tbsp. salt. Cover with plastic wrap and leave in the refrigerator overnight.Transfer liver to a colander and gently rinse the milk away and drain. Lay liver slices in a single layer on a sheet tray and pat both sides dry. Melt half the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring often, until soft and just beginning to brown (12-14 minutes, i.e., enough time to start your first pint of Guinness). Transfer the onions to a bowl. Working in 3 batches, melt the remaining butter in the skillet and quickly sear the liver until golden brown on both sides (about 1 1/2 minute per batch). Transfer liver to plate when done. Make sure you've not had more than one pint of Guinness for the next step. Stand back and very carefully deglaze the skillet with the whiskey for a minute or so (careful, it may flame). Add cream and mustard to the mixture, and whisk to remove any bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook until the sauce has thickened slightly (a minute or two). Add the liver and onions to the skillet (with any juices that have accumulated). Cook until liver is heated through (about two minutes or so). Season with salt and pepper to taste and garnish with garlic chives. Glazed Turnips - serves 4 people 2 lbs small to medium turnips 2 tbsp. butter 1 tbsp. sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 tbsp. chopped fresh garlic chives Peel turnips then halve horizontally and quarter halves. Arrange turnips in 1 layer in a large skillet and add enough water (about 1 1/2 cups) to reach halfway up the turnips. Add butter, sugar, and salt, and boil covered over moderately high heat. Stir occasionally (takes about 10 minutes). Boil turnips uncovered another 8 minutes, stirring occasionally until water has evaporated. Sauté turnips over moderately high heat, stirring, until golden brown (about 5 minutes more). Add 3 tbsp. water and stir to coat turnips with a glaze.
