I always try to keep my posts positive, but today's one of those days. My examiner articles are to be professional and journalist like; here I get to say it like I feels it. I just need to clear the cyber air a bit about militant vegans: I've never seen/read anything like it!
I, stupidly, did some snooping around today on some other examiner articles and, much to my dismay, kept winding up on vegan examiner spots. Now, I was a vegetarian/vegan for several years. My reasons are my own for doing it, but I will say I was very devoted to it. I was misguided, however, into thinking that that was where real food was found. Real food is what has been eaten on this planet for millennia: that includes animal foods, sorry, but it does. I now know animal foods are important to eat and I know they're what the body needs, because my first daughter was born with telltale signs of deficiency: rotting teeth, missing teeth, allergies, asthma, eczema, a narrow face, a too small palate, colic...shall I go on? I think I made my point.
Unfortunately, I didn't find this out until after my third child was almost one. I did go back to eating meat, but there's so much I have learned through the Weston A. Price Foundation that I wish I knew before I had to see physical evidence of lack of nutrition.
While I was a vegan, though, I don't remember screaming (or cyber screaming) at anyone about my beliefs. If asked I gave my reasons for my choices, but I didn't try to convert anyone. I did try to convert my now husband into a non-hunter, but I cook the meat he brings home now; so you can see how aggressive I was about things.
It's sad to see so many people fighting over this issue, and, honestly, I see most of the belligerence coming from the vegan camp. I can respect their views to not want to eat "anything with a face": I get it, I was there once. What I can not stomach is the complete denial of a way of living that has been going on for as long as humans have farmed: Can the vegan mentality not at least give some credence to the fact that animals on pasture feed the earth and the animals feed us? That not all land is perfect for farming vegetation and can be used to feed animals which can then feed us? Even if they turn away from the eating of the animal for belief's sake, can they not see the logic in a sane and ecologically sound system, for Pete's sake?
I read a whole long article on Mother Jones magazine online about different opinions from different informed writers. Out of four, only one was in favor of what I just wrote: Joel Salatin, who is a pioneer farmer of Polyface Farm. His comments were amazingly coherent, and I actually got some insight from them. The rest were in favor of a completely, or at least mostly, vegetarian/vegan planet.
What shocked me the most were the comments: 90% percent were cyber screaming at Joel Salatin. The audience couldn't even give some air time to his farming views. Even if they disagreed with his eating views, how do your eyes not open when hearing about his farming practices? I mean, this is what we have lost...our history of farming is born again in this man, and people still don't get it. They are still screaming the same facts they spew at factory farmers...they just don't get it.
I'm just sad that's all. But mostly I just needed to get it out. I didn't post any comments back to the screamers, but it did affect me enough to write about it.
I write because I hope to share, to enlighten, to inspire others to a healthier way of eating; one that tastes great, is great for you, and great for the planet. If you choose not to read, I promise I won't look you up and cyber scream you a new one.
Friday, October 22, 2010
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Slow roasted venison: amazing!
I recently made a slow cooked 31/2 pound venison roast; it was roasted with a raisin/orange juice sauce that gave it a wonderfully sweet taste. There is enough of the raisin concoction to use as a condiment served with the meal, as well.
It cooked in the oven for over 4 hours, but, wow, was it worth the wait! I've had venison roasts often over the years, but rarely used them because I wasn't sure how to cook them; plus, some of my escapades with the cut were chewy and dry: Figured it out!!
The recipe is from a fantastic book by Shannon Hayes, called "The Grassfed Gourmet Cookbook": Love this book! If you cook grass fed meats, I suggest you pick up a copy; every recipe seems better than the next.
As usual, I support grass fed (pastured) meats because of the incredible nutritional value; the support to local and small farmers; and the environmentally sound and more humane approach. Funny, but I just commented on an article written by a vegan who was bashing the organic poultry and meat farmers. The commercial organic farmers are guilty of all the crimes he suggested, but I brought up the need to let his readers know about pastured animals for the reasons I mentioned above.
Hope you try the recipe and the grass fed meats! Here's the recipe:
For the raisin sauce:
2 T unsalted butter
1 sm. onion, finely diced
1 apple, peeled, cored, and diced
2 c. raisins
1/3 c honey
2 c fresh orange juice
1/4 c fresh lemon juice
2 T orange zest
For the roast:
Oregano-Salt Rub
1 t dried rosemary
2 T dried oregano
2 t coarse salt
1 t freshly ground black pepper
1 venison raost, about 3 pounds
4 slices thick-cut bacon (also grass fed if possible)
Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
To make the raisin sauce: Heat the butter in a medium-size saucepan. Add the onion and apple, and saute over medium heat until soft. Add the raisins, and saute 1 minute longer. Stir in the honey and the orange and lemon juices. Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat to simmer. Cook until the sauce is reduced by one-third. Add the zest, and simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes longer.
Using a potato masher, squash half of the fruit to blend it with the liquid. Remove 3/4 cup of the sauce ot use for basting the roast. Reserve the rest to serve alongside the cooked meat.
Rub the Oregano-Salt Rub into the meat. Lay the strips of bacon on top of the roast, blanketing it as completely as possible. Set the meat on a rack in a roasting pan. roast for 30 minutes at 250 degrees, basting at least twice with the raisin sauce. Turn the heat down to 170 degrees, insert a meat thermometer, and cook until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 130-135 degrees, about 3-4 hours. Baste every 30 minutes with the raisin sauce.
Remove the roast from the oven, and tent loosely with foil. Allow the meat to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before carving. Spoon any pan juices on top of the sliced venson adn bacon, and pass the reserved raisin sauce seperately.
Enjoy!
It cooked in the oven for over 4 hours, but, wow, was it worth the wait! I've had venison roasts often over the years, but rarely used them because I wasn't sure how to cook them; plus, some of my escapades with the cut were chewy and dry: Figured it out!!
The recipe is from a fantastic book by Shannon Hayes, called "The Grassfed Gourmet Cookbook": Love this book! If you cook grass fed meats, I suggest you pick up a copy; every recipe seems better than the next.
As usual, I support grass fed (pastured) meats because of the incredible nutritional value; the support to local and small farmers; and the environmentally sound and more humane approach. Funny, but I just commented on an article written by a vegan who was bashing the organic poultry and meat farmers. The commercial organic farmers are guilty of all the crimes he suggested, but I brought up the need to let his readers know about pastured animals for the reasons I mentioned above.
Hope you try the recipe and the grass fed meats! Here's the recipe:
For the raisin sauce:
2 T unsalted butter
1 sm. onion, finely diced
1 apple, peeled, cored, and diced
2 c. raisins
1/3 c honey
2 c fresh orange juice
1/4 c fresh lemon juice
2 T orange zest
For the roast:
Oregano-Salt Rub
1 t dried rosemary
2 T dried oregano
2 t coarse salt
1 t freshly ground black pepper
1 venison raost, about 3 pounds
4 slices thick-cut bacon (also grass fed if possible)
Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
To make the raisin sauce: Heat the butter in a medium-size saucepan. Add the onion and apple, and saute over medium heat until soft. Add the raisins, and saute 1 minute longer. Stir in the honey and the orange and lemon juices. Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat to simmer. Cook until the sauce is reduced by one-third. Add the zest, and simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes longer.
Using a potato masher, squash half of the fruit to blend it with the liquid. Remove 3/4 cup of the sauce ot use for basting the roast. Reserve the rest to serve alongside the cooked meat.
Rub the Oregano-Salt Rub into the meat. Lay the strips of bacon on top of the roast, blanketing it as completely as possible. Set the meat on a rack in a roasting pan. roast for 30 minutes at 250 degrees, basting at least twice with the raisin sauce. Turn the heat down to 170 degrees, insert a meat thermometer, and cook until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 130-135 degrees, about 3-4 hours. Baste every 30 minutes with the raisin sauce.
Remove the roast from the oven, and tent loosely with foil. Allow the meat to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before carving. Spoon any pan juices on top of the sliced venson adn bacon, and pass the reserved raisin sauce seperately.
Enjoy!
Friday, October 8, 2010
Colbert Report on Raw Milk: great parody with some truth!
The Colbert Report on raw milk is well done! It makes a joke out of a raw milk raid recently in California. My guess, however, is that no one doing the parody actually knows about raw milk's true benefits. It's possible that the jokes about the possiblity of illness from raw milk was used to balance out the piece; I would have preferred if they asked the FDA to show them documentation of those illnesses that they claim is the reason for protecting the public from this health food.
It is a positive thing, though, to see a parody done on the topic. This is definitely a testament to the fact that the issue of raw milk and the FDA harrassment is making people pay attention. There was also an article this month in Time magazine.
I have said it before, and I am not alone in this thought, but this is a real issue of our freedom. Food freedom is our right, and protecting that right starts with voting! It also involves making healthy choices, and supporting small farmers. Now, I think I'll down a large glass of cold grass fed raw milk---and draw the shades before I do so.
It is a positive thing, though, to see a parody done on the topic. This is definitely a testament to the fact that the issue of raw milk and the FDA harrassment is making people pay attention. There was also an article this month in Time magazine.
I have said it before, and I am not alone in this thought, but this is a real issue of our freedom. Food freedom is our right, and protecting that right starts with voting! It also involves making healthy choices, and supporting small farmers. Now, I think I'll down a large glass of cold grass fed raw milk---and draw the shades before I do so.
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