Rosemary's Blog

April Blog Post

An inside look at Mattituck's very own goat farm.

Ty Llwyd Farms

When I was a kid, I hated the winter, January in particular. Maybe it was because my budget-minded mother never raised the heat above 62 degrees; or because all of my strongest memories are of standing at the school bus stop in my school uniform, shivering.  I was always cold, and the days were dark and long. Now, however, as an adult, I see January for all the treasures it brings. Namely, the calm after the storm of the holiday season, a time to catch up on reading, cooking, and rest. I don't mind the cold ( this year however has been an exception) because I can stay indoors all day, curled up on the couch with a book and not feel guilty that I'm not out and about.

One of my favorite things to do this time of year is visit the local farms that are open year round, and to gather my ingredients and cook a meal from fresh, locally grown produce, something I can only watch as others do all summer long. It is a joy for me to peruse my cookbooks, select a recipe, and use my roasting pot. All the winter root vegetables are a medley of caremelized color.

This week I visited David and Elizabeth Wines at Ty Llwyd (pronounced tee clewed, and meaning "brown house" ) Farms. They are a real piece of our community's history, and their farm has been around since 1870, when David's great great great uncle built the house and started the farm. I love when Liz invites me to join her in collecting and sorting the eggs from the chickens. For her, it's all in a day's work. For me, it's an adventure. We chat about family, chickens, and business. This level of interaction is something that I find so rewarding about my work, not to mention the benefit of knowing where my food comes from and the satisfaction  of supporting a shared ideal.  I learn something new every time I visit. 

From there, I take my bounty home and begin the equally satisfying task of preparing a meal or two. I try whenever I can to make extra food on my days off  so I have meals for during the week.  One of my new favorite recipes is a  Kale salad - massaged with salt (my other love) and dressed with a good olive oil, cider vinegar, currants, apples, and of course, cheese! (see below). In this case, Italy's luscious, creamy, tart gorgonzola. (Add the Dolce version if you prefer a sweeter taste). Either way, it's a delight. With the mild temperatures this winter this cold salad has been a win win. Perhaps next year I can return to some hot, steaming stews.

Rosemary's favorite Kale and Currant Salad:

( adapted from Feeding The Whole Family, by Cynthia Lair)

Prep time: 15 mins

• 1 bunch kale
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 cup diced red onion
• 1/3 cup currants
• 3/4 cup diced apple (about 1/2 of an apple)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons unfiltered apple cider vinegar
• 1/3 Gorgonzola, crumbled

Destem Kale by pulling leaves away from the stems. Wash leaves. Spin or pat dry. Stach leaves, roll up, and cut into thin ribbons. Put Kale in large mixing bowl. Add salt, and massage it into the kale with your hands for 2 minutes.

Stir onion, currants, and apple into kale. Dress with oil and vinegar. Taste for salt and vinegar, adding more if necessary. When at desired flavor, toss in cheese. This salad will keep for several days and still be great!

VCS Goes to Consider Bardwell Farms

During December, Rosemary took a trip to one of our main suppliers.