{field trip} Lucky Layla Farms - fantastic!

If you have read Amy's post at i am celiac, about our fabulous field trip you have an idea of how in love we are with this artisan dairy that is so close to home. The Lucky Layla Farm is set on around 300 acres of land plopped right in the middle of Plano, Texas. Three generations of passion have gone into making this beautiful farm that boasts some of the best Guernesey and Jersey cows there are. The owner, wife, two kids, father-n-law, and a man named "whiskers" made our late morning adventure into a wonderful memory. We were welcomed from the start, with a tour of every building and a trek out to the pasture where we saw some of the prize cows and a special glimpse of a day-old darling calf.

What I loved about Lucky Layla is that I have now seen where these delicious products are made. I have met the man that tends the cows, toils over their health and the cleanliness of his facility. It is such an empowering feeling to really know where your food has come from. And the product ... well ...it truly speaks for itself. We were treated to some of the yogurt cheese that is as close to heaven as is comes. Thoughts of dipping strawberries, making panna cotta and just secretly eating spoonfuls of this unbelievably delicious cheese haven't left me yet.

As Amy mentioned we are both sold on the raw milk that they sell at their farm store. This milk with the cream that rises to the top is wonderful. My kids thought it was so cool that they were drinking milk that came strait from the cows I saw. We enjoyed skimming the cream off the top and pouring it over strawberries. So great!

Ok so enough, enough. If you live in Dallas you must check it out and search for the Lucky Layla brand in our local markets and specialty stores. And on my next visit to the farm I hope to find out where the name "Lucky Layla" came from.... can't wait!

{thanksgiving favorites} - turkey brine and baste!

The bird, the big bird, the center of the meal. I love cooking a turkey. Taking care of it, nurturing it until done to golden perfection! Ok but a little story first. The first Thanksgiving I ever made I was in Pennsylvania and we lived close to some turkey farms. I thought great I will get a fresh bird. Not knowing how big of a bird to get (and I love Thanksgiving left overs) I think I bought a bird that was close to 28 pounds. Really. It was so big it barely fit into my oven. Well I dressed it rinsed it, prepared it. I basted it and had a large yet beautiful bird. After all of that fiddling with that large bird ... I couldn't eat it. Nope no way. It was bizzare. Everyone else thought it was the moistest bird they had ever had. I guess I let my emotion get away with me and got too attached to that bird.

turkey brine adapted from Martha Stewart

I have never actually brined my turkey but my mother has and it was fabulous. SO that is my plan this year. A brine is a salt solution that will keep your bird moist through the lost roasting process. I went to Martha because she helped me cook that first bird I mentioned above.

7 qts water

1 1/2 cups corse salt

6 bay leaves

2 tbls black peppercorns

1 tsp dried mustard seed

1 bottle dry white wine

2 onions quartered

6 cloves garlic

bunch of fresh thyme

Remove the giblets and wash and pat dry the bird. Bring the water with the herbs to a boil and let cool. add the wine . Soak the bird in a large stock pot or lined trash can for 24 hours and then roast your bird your favorite way. enjoy!

turkey baste by ann west

2 sticks butter melted

1 cup wine

pepper & salt

Baste the turkey with its own juices and this mixture! Have a great bird!

{thanksgiving favorites} - brussel sprouts with pancetta & a simple salad

All the kids fill their plates... each with a little bit of family memories resting on their china. They make their way to the table. Oh that first bite... what do you choose? A little turkey with gravy and some mash on top or stuffing with a little cranberry?

I remember being excited for all the delicious dishes of the Thanksgiving meal. What was great is that I could count on them year after year. Isn't that what makes the Thanksgiving meal so special. That you can count on that good old bird being crisp and slightly salty on the outside and juicy on the inside. You can count on those yummy mash potatoes (like velvet) sliding down to your tummy. The tart cranberries. The herb filled stuffing. The buttery light as air rolls. And the pie ... the last and so perfect.

Ok well - not all Thanksgiving meals turn out so great but for the most part they are divine. These dishes are nurtured by their creator ... Aunt Wilma's rolls, Aunt Lynnies stuffing, Kitty's scalloped oysters, Bev's irresistible bird and pie's. It is the tradition of gathering around a table, feeling special and just being thankful to be there with people you love. Every week I hope to take just a nano bit of that spirit and give it to my family. I really do love Thanksgiving!

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I am not sure I am known for any one item (I might need to work on that) but here are two of my newer additions to the meal, shredded brussels sprouts and a simple salad. The sprouts were adapted from a recipe my good friend Rennee brought to my house one night. A new spin on the not so popular sprout - my kids will eat these. The salad .. well I really can't go a meal without one. This salad is a great way to cut through all the butter and riches of the meal. Perhaps you will try something new this year... then again I say don't mess with a good thing.

enjoy!

Shredded brussels sprouts with pancetta by ann west

1 1/2 lb of brussels sprouts

6 oz pancetta, diced

1 shallot diced fin

1 head radicchio - sliced into slivers

1/4 cup chicken stock - may need a little more

a little butter

salt

pepper

fresh thyme

In your food processor with a slicer attachment, slice the brussels sprouts into a "slaw". Set aside. In a skillet heat olive oil and saute pancetta, drain the pan and set the pancetta aside. In the same skillet saute the shallots and thyme and add to the pancetta. Add just a bit of chickent broth to scape the pan and pour over pancetta mix. Wipe out your skillet add some more olive oil and start to saute your sliced sprouts (if they start to stick to the pan add some broth) {I don't like adding too much because I like this sauteed rather than steamed}. When they begin to get soft add you radicchio and shallot/pancetta mixture. Heat until the radicchio is just wilted. Add a pat of butter and season with salt & pepper. enjoy!

Simple Salad by ann west

butter lettuce

green onion - green parts only sliced vertically and soaked in ice water

pomegranate seeds

canola or grape seed oil

lemon juice

tsp or so of sugar

salt and pepper

This dressing is a personal preference thing. Some like it very tart other a little more sweet so adjust to where your taste prefer.

{thanksgiving favorites} scalloped oysters

Thanksgiving for our family has always been a time for games. Board games, cards, charades, basketball, touch football ... good family friendly games. As a kid I remember playing basketball with my brothers before and after the big meal. Then once I was married my husband and I took on my brothers in a friendly - yet slightly competitive game of 2 on 2. Now that our kids are old enough all are welcome. The best is when my mother joins in. Even at my age I love when my mom joins in the games. And charades couldn't be more funny ... we found that the youngest of the bunch are usually the best at this game. I hope your weekend of memories include some fun family games!

scalloped oysters by kitty (my mom)

We have always served scallop oysters at Thanksgiving. I am not sure who brought this dish to the family traditions but it is a must for me. I think my mother's recipe was adapted from the New York Times Cookbook. It is just the right amount of everything. I guess some people add oysters to their stuffing. If you make this dish you please the oyster-lovers and don't disappoint those who like a more traditional stuffing. Darn it is all so good! So if you like oysters - try this one - it is lovely!

2/3 cup soft bread - white

1 cup cracker crumbs - saltines

1/2 cup butter melted

1 1/2 pt. small oysters drained - reserve the liquor (or the liquid they cam in)

3/4 tsp salt and pepper

2 tsp chopped fresh parsley

1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce

3 tbls heavy whipping cream

Preheat oven to 350 degree. In a food processor blend the bread and the cracker crumbs and add the melted butter and whir. In a cup mix 1 or 2 tbls of the oyster liquor, the cream and the worcestershire sauce together and set aside. In the bottom of a greased baking dish spread 1/2 of the bread mixture. Lay the oysters on top and sprinkle with salt, pepper and parsley. If you have enough make a second layer of oysters. Pour the cream mixture over the oysters and top with the remaining bread/cracker mixture. Bake for 40 - 45 minutes.

{thanksgiving favorites} - cranberry pico

Cranberries are a favorite in our family. Cooked, raw, dried, all types. Cranberry orange relish is an all time favorite of ours and quite the tradition for Thanksgiving. My sister-n-law makes hers with fresh raw cranberries. My family has always cooked them. (I love when they begin to pop when heated). This recipe is neither. This recipe is a seasonal spin on pico de gallo. Sweet, spicy and seasonal. I love it. This is my second attempt and I think I finally got it. I serve it with tortilla chips. It is a fun dip to share. (Can I just say how fortunate I am to have such great sister-n-laws!!! really either side they are the best!)

enjoy!

cranberry pico by ann west

2 cup fresh cranberries

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup orange juice

1/2 cup pecans

1 jalapeno

1 poblano pepper

4 green onions chopped fine

2 pinch cayenne pepper

1 tsp salt

fresh cilantro chopped

Chop cranberries in a food processor or by hand fine and place in a bowl. In a sauce pan heat sugar and orange juice until sugar is dissolved. Pour hot liquid over cranberries. Chop pecans and add to cranberries. Chop peppers until fine and add to cranberries. Add green onion, cayenne, and salt. Mix well and let marinate. Chop cilantro and mix in before serving. Serve with tortilla chips (We like the blue corn type because the color contrast is so pretty!)

{thanksgiving favorites} - chocolate cream pie

This sweet pie plate was the home to many pies made by love. My husband had the most dear grandparents I knew. His grandmother always was giggling, always had a stash of peanuts and gum drops under the coffee table, always made the best chocolate chip zucchini bread and a fabulous pumpkin roll. I now am so very honored to have this beautiful and very sentimental pie plate. And although "grandma" made fabulous pies ... this pie dish was always filled with cookies - oatmeal and peanut butter I remember most. I love those memories of getting to know her, checking out her garden and enjoying her cooking. I feel so fortunate that my kids not only were able to meet their great grandmother but they also were able to know her. Thanks grandma we love you!

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Sometimes after all the dinner is done I am ready for a different taste. I have had cinnamon in the sweet potatoes and nutmeg in the mashed potatoes and the fragrant herbs in the stuffing. I need a new flavor... well not new but always a good ending to me - chocolate. We adore this pie. BUT warning. Let some time pass between the big meal and the pie. This is a rich lovely pie ... and if you are still too full there is always the next day!

chocolate dream cream pie by ann west

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup corn starch

1/2 tsp kosher salt

4 large egg yolks

3 cups whole milk

6 oz semi-sweet or bitter sweet chocolate (I believe in good chocolate!) - melted

2 oz unsweetened

2 tbls unsalted butter - soft

1 tsp vanilla

1 flaky pie crust

Melt your chocolate. I do this in the microwave by placing the chocolate in a bowl and heating at 50% of power for 30 seconds at a time - let sit for a couple of seconds stir and heat again until melted. - stirring after each heating until melted.

Whisk corn starch, salt and yolks in a heavy sauce pan. Add the milk in a slow stream. Brink this mixture to a boil and immediately reduce heat to a simmer and cook until thick. Force the pudding through a fine mesh sieve. Whisk in the melted chocolate, butter and vanilla. Place wrap over the top and let cool until room temp. Once cool spoon into pie shell and chill for at least 3 hours. Serve with soft whipped cream. delecious!