Devonshire Goat Hotpot

Easter holidays saw my cooking numbers swell to 9, thats only 2 more but it seemed to make it feel that I was feeding the 5000. This year our Agriculture student from ESA Angers is a male which is great that we don't have a teenage french girl on a faddy diet but it means that I have an extra big lad to feed, that's not too keen on anything green.
Easter Saturday using my giant creuset I piled in goat chops then layered sliced onions and sliced potatoes, seasoning each layer with salt & pepper. Then just boiling water half way up the pan and I cooked it around 17o degrees for about two & half hours taking the lid off towards the end to crisp the top layer of potatoes.
We had it with green cabbage and peas (a veg that french boys will eat) but next time I shall pickle some crunchy red cabbage.
Not difficult recipe, but it shows how versatile goat can be and if you are worried about calories it is a low fat version of a traditional favourite. Although I cooked for lots a great version would be individual hotpots with a couple of dinky goat chops per person.

Food festivals & Goat chops

Mortonhampstead Food festival has restored my faith in Festivals. After the foot & mouth outbreak in 2001 our newly diversified business was involved in Exmoor food Festival, a week of farm walks, food tasting and special events culminating in a food market in Porlock village hall. Tables were £10 and we sold out of produce. The tiny village hall was packed with excited foodies that wanted to supported us desperate farmers. Now there is a food festival every week during the summer, mostly run by event companies that charge £100's for a table and after the customers have paid to get in they buy a beer, a burger and very little else. After attending a few such events last year with great optimism I came away feeling that the only one making a profit was the event company. So a big well done to Mortonhampstead that got the atmosphere just right, like the old days when festivals were a novelty, we have come home with a decent return and most of all the encouragement that customers are championing local produce and it is worth our while producing quality.
Taking along some goat recipes we quickly sold out of mince & diced. Not having any recipes for chops meant they were slower to go so .....

Mediteranean Braised Goat chops
Goat chops to feed the family
large glass of red wine
Seasoning
rosemary
handful of Smoked garlic cloves peeled

Chuck everything in a heavy based casserole pan, or in roasting tin covered with tinfoil.
Cooked 200 degreesC for 30 minutes
Serve with rice, green salad & crusty bread.

Next weekend is Totnes Good food Sunday which thanks to the dedication of Ray is another event that just gets better & better. This time I planning on selling out of chops first!

A spicy mutton curry, with lamb mutton!

So travelling in India last year we ate a lot of mutton curry, some times the mutton was goat and sometimes it was sheep. The indians were pretty evasive if you tried to find out which, trying always to give the answer that they thought you wanted. Some of it was dreadful and some of it was excellant. The most dreadful meal had to be a chicken curry served up by the owner of a massive integrated poultry and feed mill enterprise after which I avoided anything other than vegetables & mutton. The plus point was I managed to not get ill, i think living on a farm must make me immune to most diseases. As we are selling sheep mutton & goat this month here is a recipe that can be used for both.... I love using dred Apricots in cooking i am sure they must be healthy! Indian Spiced Mutton with Apricots Ingredients serves 4-6 4 tbsp sunflower oil 2 onions, finely chopped 4 garlic cloves, crushed 2 ½ cm (1 inch) piece of fresh ginger, grated 1 tsp ground cinnamon,1 tsp ground cardamom 1 tsp ground cumin,1 tsp chilli powder 1 1/2 tsp garam masala or curry powder 2 tbsp tomato puree 1 kg (2 lb) cubed Higher Fingle organic mutton 200 g (7 oz) dried apricots 1 tsp red or white wine vinegar 1 tsp honey, salt, black pepper Cooking instructions Preheat the oven to 160C (325F) Gas 3. Heat the oil in a large, heavy casserole over medium heat. Add the onion and fry until golden, 10 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, cumin, chilli,garam masala and tomato puree, and fry, stirring, until fragrant, 1 minute. Add the mutton with the flour, stirring until it is thoroughly coatedwith the spiced mixture, then cook gently until lightly browned, 10-15 minutes. Add water just to cover and bring a simmer. Cover and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes. Stir in the apricots, honey and vinegar and cook for a further 30 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot and accompanied by creamy yoghurt and steamed rice.

Meatballs & the Future is Goat

So "The Future is goat" and its already 23rd January and we are awaiting the goat first TV appearance, been selling goat at Totnes Good Food Sunday and we have just taken our first order for an exciting restaurant that wants to cook goat Spanish style.
So now is the time to catch up with goat recipes. In honour of Dora's recent 9th birthday we cooked Goat meatballs with spaghetti and plenty of sprinkly cheese. As usual chaos reigned and as I was making cakes at the time, Elsa made the meatballs. Slight mishearing (not paying attention) meant she tipped all the spice mixture in. After a bit of scraping the extra off they were delicious, spicy but delicious!

500g Prime kid goat mince
6 organic dried apricots - finely chopped
1tsp Ras-El-Hanout spice blend (or make your own mix with Cumin cinnamon, pepper, ginger coriander) adjust spice to suit families taste!
Salt to season

Mix all the above together then roll in meatballs using floured hands. Place in baking tin and roast in oven at 180 degreesC for about 15 minutes

Meanwhile Chop and Fry an onion until soft, Add tin of chopped tomatoes 1/2 tsp sugar and season to taste. Heat through then tip over the meat balls cook until meat is cooked through and sauce thickens.

Serve with pasta, couscous rice or mash potatoes.

I reckon with out the help and the cupcakes, an easy quick family meal. And if you can't get goat you could easily substitute lamb (we sell that to you know!

Marvelous Muffins

Finally I've finished my Nuffield report and following the great interest in my Apple cake I am going to try and get some recipes down that we cook at home. Mostly using our own produce (because after all we need the sales and money!) I cook in a fairly random way, guessing quantities and timings, mostly successful but always with passion and a love of great ingredients. Cooking is not a hobby, it is what I do to feed and nurture my 5 hungry children as well as fuel the hungry farmer. I am hoping that I get some feedback and ideas what to cook next, it will be fun!

Starting simply here is another way to use up windfalls!

Easy Apple Muffins

(makes 12 muffins)

250g (9oz) Self raising flour

1tsp baking powder

100g(4oz) light brown sugar

1 Organic duck egg

175ml (6floz) milk

75ml vegetable oil

1 large peel and chopped apple (cooking or dessert)

1 tsp cinnamon

1. Line muffin tin with paper cases
2. Measure all ingredients in bowl and beat well (I use my mixer which is ideal) Spoon into muffin cases, don't worry if the mixture is lumpy.
3. Cook in preheated oven at 180 degree C for 20 -25 minutes until risen and cooked through.