For the weekend of June 14

We’re smokin’…the good stuff. Bacon (picture above), Pork, Beef and Chicken Sausages, Hot Dogs, Jerky and a variety of smoked cured meets. Stay tuned for our ever changing line of smoked goodies from the smokehouse and just out…Spicy Sicilian, Pastrami, Summer Sausage and Canadian Bacon!

We had a great time at our Summer Staff Pig Roast! Seen here is the guest of honor peeking out from Uncie Ro’s wood fired pizza oven which he brought for us to use at our event.

• Cuts and cooking style
• Pastured farming verses conventional industrial production
• And more!

Class will be approximately 2 hours long and will be $150 per person.
You will leave with a new world open to you and something to stick your fork into.
We’re still working out the details. More information to follow in upcoming newsletters and our web site.
Limited spots available. Call or stop by the Shop to reserve your spot as space is limited.
Start Time: 6:00 p.m.
Date: January 23, 2012
End Time: 8:00 p.m.

We will be offering a Sage Sausage ideal for your stuffing or dressing. If you plan on using this, substitute tarragon with sage, even in the brine. Crabapple jelly can be hard to find. You can make your own apple jelly like we do or use store bought apple jelly which is just as yummy. We use Calvados (which is apple brandy). Go see Tom at 41st Ave. Liquors to help you out.(2155 41st Ave, Capitola (831) 475-5117)

Brine

• 1 gallon/4 liters water
• 1 cup/225 grams kosher salt
• 1/2 cup/125 grams sugar
• 1 bunch fresh tarragon (about 1 ounce/25 grams)
•  1 bunch fresh parsley (about 1 ounce/25 grams
• 2 bay leaves 1 head garlic, halved horizontally
• 1 onion, sliced
• 3 tablespoons/30 grams black peppercorns, lightly crushed with the bottom side of a saute pan
• 2 lemons, halved

Determine how much brine you’ll need for your turkey.

• place turkey in container which will hold brine and bird.
• add 1 gallon of water at a time until water thoroughly covers turkey. This is the number of gallons of brine you will need to make.
• Remove turkey from water and add all of the brine ingredients in proportion to how many gallons of brine you need to make. Give the lemons a good squeeze as you add them. Do not add the tarragon and parsley at this time. Place container over high heat and bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the salt and sugar. Remove from the heat, add the tarragon and parsley then allow to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate the brine until it is chilled. If it is cold enough, put the brine outside over night to cool.
• Add the turkey to the brine. Weight it down with a plate or other object to keep it completely submerged and place in the refrigerator. Brine a 10 to 15 pound turkey for 24 hours. Brine a turkey over 15 pounds for 24 to 36 hours.
• Remove turkey from brine and rinse well and pat dry. Let rest uncovered in the refrigerator for 18 to 24 hours.
• Resting allows the salt within the meat to disperse more evenly.

adapted from the brine recipe in “Charcuterie, the Craft of Salting, Smoking and Curing” by Michael Ruhlman & Brian Polcyn.

Roast Turkey with Bacon, Tarragon and Applejack Gravy
* substitute Tarragon with Sage if you plan to use our Sage Sausage for stuffing/dressing
Turkey

• 1 10-ounce jar crabapple jelly
• 3/4 cup plus 6 tablespoons (2 1/4 sticks) butter
• 1/3 cup frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed
• 4 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
• 12 ounces mushrooms, quartered
• 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 large carrot, coarsely chopped
• 1 22- to 24-pound turkey, neck cut into 4 pieces
• 10 cups (about) canned low-salt chicken broth

Gravy

• 1/4 cup all purpose flour (or other starch for gluten free)
• 3 cups (about) canned low-salt chicken broth
• 8 bacon slices, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
• 1/4 cup applejack or other apple brandy (optional… but highly recommended!)

For Turkey: Stir jelly, 1/2 cup butter, apple juice concentrate and 2 tablespoons tarragon in small saucepan over medium heat until butter and jelly melt. Remove glaze from heat. (can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature and re-whisk before using.)

Set rack at lowest position in oven and preheat to 375 F. Place small rack in center of large roasting pan. Melt 1/4 cup butter in heavy large skillet over medium high heat. Add mushrooms, onion and carrot; saute until dark brown, about 12 minutes. Sprinkle vegetable and turkey neck pieces around rack in pan.

Stir remaining 6 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons tarragon in heavy small saucepan until butter melts. Rinse turkey inside and out, pat dry with paper towels. (if brined and dried, omit this step). Place turkey on rack in pan. Starting at neck end, slide hand between skin and breast meat to loosen skin. Brush 3 tablespoons tarragon butter over breast meat under skin. If stuffing turkey, spoon stuffing loosely into main cavity. Brush remaining tarragon butter over outside of turkey. Sprinkle turkey with salt and pepper. Tuck wingtips under turkey; tie legs together to hold shape.

Roast turkey 45 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 F; add 1 cup broth to pan. Cover turkey loosely with foil. Roast until thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 180 F (this is what the recipe called for in 1998, we take ours up to 165 F. Test when the juices run clear), adding 1 cup broth and basting with pan juices every 1/2 hour and brushing with 1/3 cup glaze twice during last 2 hours, about 4 1/4 hours longer if unstuffed or 4 3/4 hours if stuffed.

Transfer turkey to platter. Tent with foil; let stand for 1/2 hour. Reserve pan juices.

For Gravy: Mix 1/2 cup glaze and flour in small bowl to blend. Strain pan juices into large measuring cup, pressing on solids; spoon off fat. Add enough broth to measure 6 cups.

Saute bacon in heavy large saucepan over medium heat until crisp. Pour off fat. Add broth mixture to saucepan and bring to boil. Whisk in glaze-flour mixture and tarragon, then applejack. Simmer until thickened to sauce, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

recipe from November 1998 Bon Appetit

A fine selection of Rustichella d’abruzzo pastas-

• Calamarata
• Strozzapretti
• Fusillicol Bucca
• Fregola Sarda
• Orecchiette
• Bucatini
• Orzo

Katz fine Olive Oil and Vinegar-

• Organic Rock Hill Ranch EVO
• Gravenstein Apple Cider Vinegar
• Late Harvest Zinfandel Vinegar
• Late Harvest Viognier-Honey Vinegar
• Sparkling Wine /aka Champagne Vinegar
• Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc Vinegar

Katz Olive Oil and Vinegars

Palo Alto Fire Fighter Pepper Sauce-

Pepper Sauce

Santa Cruz Mountain Honey & Mugolio Pine Syrup-

Mugolio Pine Syrup & Honey

 Rancho Gordo Specialty Beans and Posole-

• Midnight Black Beans
• Christmas Lima Beans
• Rio Zape Beans
• Tepary Beans
• Flageolet Beans
• Sangre de Toro Beans
• Yellow Eye Beans
• Cargamanto Cranberry Beans
• Vallarta Beans
• Prepared Hominy White Corn Posole

Rancho Gordo Beans and Posole

Umani Paste-

Umani Paste

 house made condiments

Spicy Mustard-

Horseradish-

House Made Curried Raisins-

house made curried raisins

Candied Kumquats-

Candied Kumquats

From The Kitchen

Duck Fat-

Ragu-

Lard-

Joe loves his beef

Joe is one of our happy butchers at the shop.

We are working on the recipe, its not ready yet but its coming soon.

Rikki and her buddies waiting for bacon jam