2 dozen hard boiled and peeled quail eggs (makes 1 pint jar)
3/4 C. vinegar (we like equal parts white wine and apple cider)
1 tsp. pickling spice (minced onion, dill, mustard seeds)
1 tsp. kosher salt
optional additions: cajun seasoning, spicy chiles (fresh or dried), yellow mustard (my favorite)

• bring vinegar, salt and spices to a boil
• meanwhile pack eggs into a clean and sterile jar
• pour boiling liquid over eggs and top with a clean lid and band
• cool on the counter for an hour+
• place these in the fridge and they will be good for several weeks!

 4-8 quail (in this recipe, I use 2 per person, although usually one is enough, but I want the leftovers!!)
2 Tb. olive oil or butter
1 white onion, diced 
kosher salt
a pinch each of cayenne and nutmeg
2-3 Tb all purpose flour
12 oz. broth (I used turkey)
4 oz. heavy cream

• ​sprinkle quail liberally with salt on all sides
• place quail in a roaster or dutch oven with onions and olive oil and spices over medium high heat (375*)
• add lid and "bake" for 30 minutes until quail is cooked through and onions have caramelized
• remove quail to a side plate
• in roaster, add flour and stir until it soaks up all the oil
• pour in cold broth and cream, stir well until it comes to a simmer and thickens (simmer at least 1 minute)
• at this point, I pureed the gravy with an immersion blender, it is optional but makes a velvety and delicious sauce
• place quail back in to the pan with the sauce and cover
• cook for another 30+ minutes 
• meanwhile prepare your sides (we ate it with basmati rice & vegetables- see additional recipe below for the leftovers)

LEFTOVER QUAIL "Rice-Not-Roni" 

leftover quail, remove meat from bones 
leftover rice
leftover gravy from recipe above

• stir together leftover gravy with rice and any remaining quail meat
• refrigerate or freeze for later
• reheat and enjoy these especially comforting leftovers  :) 

PAN GRILLED QUAIL
So easy and so delicious! It's my new favorite 20 minute weeknight recipe :) 

I use a weighted cast iron grill pan, that I preheat well over medium low heat to simulate a grill, but you could just as easily grill these too or even put them in a plain old cast iron pan, but I do recommend weighting them with a bacon weight (or a clean brick if that's what you have)

I season the quail with my favorite multipurpose rub (premix, makes enough for several meals):
1 Tb. sea salt
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. sweet paprika
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. lemon pepper seasoning
1 tsp. coriander
1 tsp. dried oregano 

​I really like to sprinkle the quail with a little bit of white vinegar, this step is optional but I really like the flavor and it helps the seasoning stick to the birds better. Just don't let it sit on the quail (have you ever made ceviche? same concept) 

Place the birds side down in the hot pan and place the weight on top. Pan should be hot enough to be sizzling, but still on medium low heat. let cook for about 8-10 minutes. remove weight and turn birds to the other side. you should have a nice grill marks and caramelized skin. place weight back on top and cook for about 8-10 minutes on second side. when time is up, turn off heat. I like to leave the weight in place but let it sit for about 5 minutes to "rest" so that when you serve them they are juicier. 

shown in picture with a simple saute of kale, onions, bell peppers and cherry tomatoes with goat cheese (and fresh baked bread, not shown)

Thanks to one of our repeat customers for sharing this picture! This is what her 90# half pig share looked like (she chose ham, bratwurst, bacon, and pork chops) 

1 Rabbit, quartered
1 onion, diced
​1 c. rabbit broth (or chicken broth)
a mild oil such as canola or vegetable
1/2 c. sliced almonds
2 c. green beans, whole or chopped
3 Tb. butter
1/4 c. all purpose flour
2 Tb. heavy cream
basmati rice to serve

in a saute pan, over medium heat, gently cook almonds while stirring frequently until they are fragrant and starting to color at the edges. pour them out onto a side plate and keep pan over medium heat. season (salt and pepper) and brown rabbit quarters. remove pan from heat and place rabbit quarters into pressure cooker with diced onion and broth. cook for 35 minutes at 10 lbs.

While it is cooking, start rice and get saute pan hot again, searing green beans with salt and a touch of oil. turn heat off and let beans rest.

When rabbit is done, remove from cooker and let cool until able to handle. meanwhile, pour beans out into serving dish and heat pan a final time, this time add butter and melt. when all melted add flour and whisk. when roux is bubbly, pour in the cream and whisk again. add 1 c. of broth from the pressure cooker and whisk until gravy is smooth and simmering before turning off heat.

to finish, seperate meat from rabbit bones, putting meat with beans, gravy, almonds and rice into serving dishes. cheers!

The days are longer, and there are chicks every where. Our broilers are flying off the shelf and new baby pigs are on the way. The Silver Fox rabbits are chillin in the sun. The quail are almost to egg laying age. And we are going to start filling our thanksgiving turkey harvesting class there are only 5 slots, that will fill fast! To top it all off, it's the first day of spring and they are talking about snow forecasts! Ugh... Anyways the sun is breaking, chickens are crowing and I'm off to do morning chores.

We had a wonderful white christmas day, and now two days later its a crusty icy hillside where the chores did not stop. I remember reading about thinking where your water is located and where you house your animals. well sad to say i thought about a lot as i was carrying two five gallon buckets of water down the slippery cold hillside to the other side of the property to the piggies and chickens. On the plus side I'm posting for the first time on our new website that my amazing wife surprised me with on christmas morning. so next is just learning how to use a blog and a keyboard, plus pics. so i'll do my best but don't get your hopes up I'm not the best with words I'm just a guy that likes food so much I try to make it the best i can from the planting the seed to hand raising happy friendly animals!