Comfort Food

Filipino Pork Adobo ready for slow cooking all day

Winter is here and that means hunkering down at the farm to deal with the tribulations that bitter cold weather presents--a third meal for the animals throughout the day, maintaining access to fresh water and eventually, kidding season. While it's true that I eat very well throughout the spring, summer and fall, winter is when I turn to those stick-to-your-ribs meals that can power me through a walk around the farm after an ice storm, high winds and heavy snows to look for downed branches on fencing and to brave sub-zero wind chills as 40 knots of Arctic blast blows across the top of the hill.

Lamb Liver with onion gravy over mashed turnips & cauliflower

Yesterday when I was loading up a batch of dog treats into the dehydrator, the aroma of liver prompted me to break out a package of lamb liver for myself and cook up a batch of liver & onions.

Fried Catfish, sweet potato medallions & spinach salad.

It may be winter, but that hasn't kept my dad & brother from fishing and there is nothing more I enjoy than locally caught fish. I still have a stash of sweet potatoes from Garner's Produce and until just a few days ago, there was still spinach in the garden.

I've had several requests to include recipes for the meals I post on this blog, so here you go. And yes...I'm still working on that cookbook!


Filipino Pork Adobo
3 lbs fresh pork
2 heads garlic, cloves husked and left whole
3 bay leaves
1 cup soy sauce
1 cup Filipino sugar cane vinegar
1/2 cup honey
Fresh ground black pepper to taste
Load it all in a crock pot and forget about it for 8 hours. Enjoy! 


Lamb Liver with onion gravy over mashed turnips & cauliflower
1 lb Lamb liver (I also use goat and veal liver)
1 large onion
2 tablespoons lard

1/4 cup arrowroot powder
1 cup stock (I use veal stock)
2 cups turnips 
2 cups cauliflower
1/4 cup cream (I've also used coconut cream to make this...awesome)
4 tablespoons butter
Season to taste
Melt 1 tablespoon lard in a heavy skillet and caramelize onions. Remove from skillet and set aside. 
Dredge liver (cut into four serving portions) in arrowroot powder. Melt remaining lard in skillet and cook liver on medium heat until cooked through. Return onions to pan with liver and add stock. Cook until bubbly and thickened. Serve over mashed turnips & cauliflower.
Steam turnips and cauliflower until very soft. Either in a food processor, with and electric mixer or by hand, mash the cooked vegetables with butter and cream. Season to taste. 


Fried Catfish & sweet potato medallions
2 whole small catfish or catfish fillets
1/4 cup arrowroot powder
1 cup beer (I've used champagne, too). Whatever you use, it should be carbonated.
1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1/4 cup lard or coconut oil
1 sweet potato cut into medallions approximately 1/4 inch thick.
Coarse sea salt
Heat the oil in a heavy skillet and cook sweet potato medallions until they are cooked through soft and starting to brown. Remove from hot oil and blot on paper towel while cooking fish.
Just prior to cooking, mix beer, arrowroot powder and seasonings. Dip fish in batter and cook in hot fat until cooked through and crispy on the outside.