chercat: juillet 2017

The Time I Met Dr. Pol at the Las Vegas Superzoo Trade Show

One of the perks of my job is meeting all kinds of interesting people - and sometimes some famous people too! That was the case this week when I headed to Las Vegas to attend SuperZoo 2017, which is the country's largest trade show for pet retailers. I was attending the show at the invitation of Byron Parker - you may not recognize his name, but he invented Happy Hen Treats back in the day (yup, seriously!) - and the folks at Red River Commodities. They have a great new line of chicken scratch grains and mixed grain/seed/nut/insect treats coming out and I was honored to be asked to help man their booth and be their on-site 'chicken expert' for the various industry buyers who would be stopping by.I have to say that I had an amazing time at the show. Much as I was so happy to get back home late last night, and I'm exhausted from standing and chit-chatting for eight hours a day three days in a row and then socializing each evening, it was an awesome experience. Although the show was very much focused on dogs, and to a less extent cats, chickens were pretty well-represented by such companies as Happy Hen Treats, Red River Commodities, Chicken Guard, Manna Pro, Tractor Supply Company, and Thomas Labs. And it was really neat to hear so much excitement about backyard chickens from the non-chicken crowd that was there for the 'traditional' pet products.I enjoyed reconnecting with friends I have worked with for years, as well as meeting some of them in person for the first time! And the highlight of Tuesday was meeting (The Incredible!) Dr. Pol and his wife! What an incredibly (see what I did there?) nice, down-to-earth couple! Dr. Pol and I chatted a bit about chickens and the difficulty of finding a vet qualified to treat a backyard flock (and no, your friendly Facebook page admin, myself included, is SO not the person to look to for medical advice), and then we chatted a bit about ducks. He seems to be just as fond of his as I am of mine.So anyway, the week flew by. It was a whirlwind of chatting with buyers, retail store owners, and other industry movers and shakers, followed by some really amazing dinners at such restaurants as Gallagher's, Veranda, Nine Fine Irishmen and Ocean 1 Bar & Grille. While others opted for the surf & turf, since I eat way too much lobster already here in Maine, I passed, but made sure to save room for dessert! I think I had creme brulee every night! One reader commented that I looked like a duck out of water last week! I do admit that amid the hustle and bustle of the Strip, it was hard to remember that I used to work on Wall Street and was very much used to all the bright lights, noise, people, and commotion - but it was a huge change for me. And it was nice to get back to our farm! (Although I did enjoy the chance to dress up a bit and get out of my normal plaid shirts, Muck Boots and jeans!)Of course, I arrived home with my carry-on jam-packed with dog and chicken treat samples which made the girls and Bella and Winston very happy! So while it was against trade show regulations to snap photos of any of the booths or products since many aren't even on the market yet, I hope you enjoy this peek at my week in Las Vegas!

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Sweet Potato Sausage Frittata with Farm Fresh Eggs

I love making frittatas for dinner in the summer because, unlike a quiche, a frittata doesn't have a crust, so it's super fast and easy to toss some garden veggies and leftover meat in with a dozen eggs and some cheese and throw it in the oven. Oh, and did I mention that this recipe requires a DOZEN eggs? It's the perfect way to use up eggs when your girls are in high gear in the egg production department.

I grow sage, onions and sweet potatoes in my garden and love to use them in this delicious frittata. Equally good for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner, frittatas are a wonderful way to use up some of your extra eggs.

Sweet Potato Sausage Frittata

4 Tablespoons olive oil1/2 sweet onion, sliced thin2 sausages, with the casings removed, and crumbled (I like to use Italian sweet sausage)1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into thin roundsHandful of fresh sage leaves, julienned, with a few whole leaves reserved for garnishOne dozen eggs½ cup heavy cream1 cup shredded cheese of your choice ( I like to usea nice mild cheese like Gouda, Gruyere or Fontina)Sea saltFresh cracked black pepper
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Toss the sweet potato rounds with 2 Tablespoons of olive oil and arrange the slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast for 15-20 minutes, turning the slices halfway through. When the slices are fork-soft and starting to brown, remove the baking sheet from the oven and drain any excess oil.
Melt the remaining 2 Tablespoons of olive oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onions and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and caramelized, about 30 minutes. Remove onions from pan and add the sausage pieces to the same pan. Cook, breaking up the large pieces, until the sausage is cooked thoroughly and lightly browned. Drain and set aside.
Reduce the oven heat to 350 degrees. Place the roasted potatoes, onions and half the cheese in the skillet with the sausage and top with the sage leaves. Whisk the cream and eggs together, season with salt and pepper, then pour the egg mixture over the top of the mixture in the skillet.
Bake for 25-30 minutes until the egg is puffed and set. Sprinkle the top with cheese. Let sit, or return to the oven briefly, until the cheese is melted. Slice into wedges and serve warm or at room temperature with a garnish of fresh sage leaves.

Further Reading:https://www.incredibleegg.org/cooking-school/egg-cookery/make-a-frittata/http://allrecipes.com/recipes/1564/breakfast-and-brunch/eggs/frittata/?page=2

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Take a Peek at our Week - July 16th - 22nd

This week was a good week, albeit a hot one, at least by Maine standards. The temperatures got close to 90 degrees with higher humidity than we're used to up here. But the three- day heat wave, which featured lots of chilled watermelon, frozen treats and pool time for the ducks, is over and the temperatures are back to their normal 70s-80s by day and 50s-60s by night. The Littles are growing so fast. They'll be three weeks old on Monday, and we're enjoying loads of vegetables from the garden. Enjoy this peek at our week!