Lettuce Eat Local: Y? or Y not?
Amanda Miller
Columnist
Lettuce Eat Local
“Why?” you might ask. To which I could respond, “Why? Y!” It’s not often the question gives its own answer, but in this obviously made-up conversational scenario, the homophones work well enough. The why is that it is time for Y, the penultimate letter of the alphabet; and there is a clear winner to claim today’s topic: yogurt.
If by chance you again ask, “Why?”, there are in fact several layers of reasons yogurt is the answer. Perhaps most plain to see is that in a dairy farm family like ours, it just makes sense.
Good yogurt is based on only two ingredients: milk and yogurt culture. Sure, flavor it in a thousand and one ways, but don’t make the yogurt part itself some sort of concoction. There are apparently not as many labeling regulations as would seem helpful in this instance, and commercial yogurts can get their texture from additions like modified food starch, cornstarch, guar gum, and other thickening agents instead of the culturing process. I’m not going to jump on the bandwagon of vilifying those ingredients, but clearly they are not natural components of yogurt.
We give quite a few tours of the dairy throughout the year to various groups and demographics, and sometimes I make brown-sugar-vanilla yogurt for our guests. It’s fun to watch the kids’ faces when they try it: some are shocked, clearly more used to very mild, tang-less yogurt; and some are shocked, in appreciative awe that something made from those stinky cows’ milk is so good. (A generous hand with the brown sugar doesn’t hurt.)
Greek yogurt is enjoying its heyday in American culture (pun intended) currently, thanks to its higher protein content. While it is definitely found in Greece, and all over the Mediterranean, greek yogurt is actually just regular yogurt that has been drained to remove some of the lactose-y liquid, called whey. It’s fundamentally the same thing, just thicker because it’s concentrated, and consequently with more protein and fat, and fewer carbs, per serving. Or, it should be the same thing, but again commercially it’s cheaper and easier to just thicken it with additives and change the nutrition content some other whey (I mean, way).
I actually love most storebought yogurts that I’ve tried, and I’d rather people eat whatever’s in the grocery store than not eat yogurt at all. But I have a limitless supply of milk available, and making yogurt provides its own yogurt culture to use the next time, so that’s all I need for endless yogurt. I used to make it in my largest four-gallon pot, and while I have come to realize that just because I can doesn’t mean I should, I still make yogurt two gallons at a time — which is the perfect amount for our family. Once I strain it, and get some to friends, we are left with about a gallon.
Even though when I say “our family,” I do mostly mean baby Ki and me. Brian and Benson partake sometimes, whereas Kiah and I happily eat yogurt every day. For being all of 21 pounds, that little girl can put down the yogurt when she wants to (and throw it down on the floor, or up in her hair, the other times). I sometimes flavor it for her, but I have been slightly surprised and quite pleased that she has a bit of a sour tooth, loving the plain yogurt in all its tangy glory. She dips anything in it, including her whole hand; guzzles down the little “lassis” I make her of just milk and yogurt; and crunches on frozen plain yogurt popsicles.
I know it’s a stage that won’t last, and soon ketchup will be her food group of choice like her brother (that’s when I ask, “Why?!”). But until then, it’s plain yogurt for me and her, and brown-sugar vanilla for the others.
Muffin-Tin Yogurt Tarts
I just taught a yogurt-making class, and so all sorts of yogurty things were on my brain anyway — then my mom asked for a fun party snack to do with some college girls, and I gave her this idea too. She always makes homemade yogurt too, so we’ve both been giving these treats our own spins: the toppings get to be whatever you want! Letting everyone make their own adds to the fun.
Prep tips: getting fruit of different colors and textures makes for a more beautiful, tasty tart — but sometimes simple is also as good as anything.
about 12 ounces tart or pie pastry dough, unbaked
1 quart homemade/plain yogurt, sweetened with plenty of brown sugar and Mexican vanilla
1-2 cups fresh fruit, sliced thinly
local honey
zest of 2 limes or clementines, rubbed with 2 tablespoons sugar
other toppings: toasted nuts, chopped pecans, shredded coconut, etc.
Divide pie crust dough into 12 portions. Roll/pat into muffin tins, making sure to come up the sides. Chill; then bake at 375° for 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Let cool, then remove to cooling racks to cool fully.
Just before serving, dollop some yogurt into each tart shell. Decorate with fruit, drizzle with honey, and sprinkle with just a bit of sugared zest and other toppings. Savor each bite.
“Gall”den Age of Beef?
Sometimes when I surf the internet for column ideas, I uncover a nugget of information about agriculture that makes me feel as lucky as the blind sow that found the acorn while randomly rooting around in the forest.
For this column, my blindly rooting around on the web uncovered this aggie news nugget — perhaps the Beef Industry is entering it’s “Gall”den Age.
What’s that, you ask? Well, it’s the fact that gallstones found in beef carcasses during processing can be worth as much as the entire rest of the critter.
How can that be true? Well, according to the news item I read, the answer is that some Chinese believe in traditional medicines more than they believe in modern medicine — and they’ll willingly pay dearly for them. In fact, the article said the Chinese spend $60-billion annually on traditional medicines.
It turns out that ground up beef gallstones is one of the traditional medicines the Chinese prize the most. Get this — the article said ground up beef gallstones can fetch up to $5,800 an ounce. That’s significantly more than the current price of an ounce of gold, which less than $3,000 an ounce.
Chinese and some other Asians believe that gallstones can cure a lengthy list of human maladies. At the top of that list in high blood pressure, heart disease, and strokes. It reported China’s government and state media encouraged gallstone use as a source of national pride, especially during the recent Covid-19 pandemic.
One theory that has emerged about the current extraordinary prices for gallstones is that their appeal has transcended their primary use in traditional Asian medicine. Gallstones have become a form of currency, it seems. The Chinese economy is in a bad state, and wealthy Chinese have been buying gallstones and storing them like they would gold, according to Australian broker cited in the article. Or, some folks may re-export the stones and park the cash in offshore accounts to circumvent China’s stringent currency laws.
But, this new beef bonanza does have a downside. That downside is that most cattle don’t have gallstones. And, unless harvested and handled correctly, beef gallstones can mold or otherwise lose quality.
The article cited Brazilian or Australian slaughterhouses are where most gallstones are harvested. It didn’t mention that it happens in the U.S., but I’d bet it does. The story said Australia’s entire annual harvest of gallstones is around 200 kilograms. It takes 30,000 head of cattle to yield one kilo of gallstones.
So, clearly to me, the big opportunity for the beef industry is to use science to either produce a strain of cattle that produces more gallstones, or alternately, find a feedstuff that makes current breeds of cattle produce more gallstones.
I’m kidding, sort of. Anything that can double the value of a beef carcass can’t be summarily dismissed. Perhaps in the future, we’ll see new breeds of cattle such as Angalls, Wangalls and Simmengalls. I read the U.S. is entering its Golden Age. So, why not beef’s “Gall”den Age?
***
While I’m on the subject of weird stuff from animals, I might as well discuss another item I read about recently.
When I wuz reading my most recent issue of National Geographic magazine, I came across a picture of a huge screen wire cage filled to blackness with tens of thousands of blackflies.
It wuz part of a research project in Europe to find what it called “a new sustainable source of protein for animal feed.”
The object of the research wuz pretty simple. The researchers hoped they could economically raise, kill, dry, and grind up blackflies for cattle feed.
The researchers didn’t say they hoped the high-protein dried flies could also be eaten by humans, but I’d bet a pretty penny that it wuz also a goal.
My suggestion for sustainable bovine protein is better grasses and grains. Just skip the dried flies.
***
From northeast Oklahoma, I heard about a couple of young farmers, both with kindergarten-age children, who agreed to spend a Saturday caring for their children, while their wives went shopping in Tulsa.
The dad’s told their wives in advance they’d take the kids to the zoo in Tulsa, while the women shopped.
The kids mothers then more or less coached their children about the wide assortment of animals they’d see at the zoo.
The big day came and the women took an SUV to Tulsa and the men loaded the children up in a two-seater pickup truck.
About 6 p.m. they all got together in Claremore (the home of Will Rogers Downs horse track) to eat together at a nice restaurant.
As the kids excitedly unloaded and ran to their mothers, one of the mothers asked her son, “So, did you enjoy seeing all the animals at the zoo?”
The kid spit out in reply, “It was great, Mommy. And, Daddy liked it too, especially when one a nice horsey paid 30 to 1.”
***
This column is another milestone for longevity. With it’s publication, I’ve now completed 51 years of columns. That’s 2,652 columns. That’s a lot of words and a lot of wear and tear on my ancient fingers, which will have been in operation for 82 years on January 30.
***
Words of wisdom for the week: “Now that gambling is legal, everyone should have a go at farming or ranching.” Have a good ‘un.
Corn Cakes
I had planned on sharing a recipe for floating or ‘swimming’ biscuits. But I’ve backed out of that one for a bit. I wanted to do an old family recipe, well; actually, it’s an old family recipe re-constructed by myself. Grandma Richardson, made corn cakes after ‘many’ Sunday dinners. If there were mashed potatoes served and corn you could bet that evening we were having corn cakes. My mom, Betty, always said she didn’t have the knack for making them, and not to ask her how to successfully make the family favorite. So; the job fell on me to present a recipe for Grandma Lucy’s corn cakes.
Special, you betcha’, it was what I would refer to as one of my grandmother’s signature dishes. It continued to be one of my dad, Jerry’s favorite foods, and now it’s one of my husband, ErvIn’s all time picks. In fact, the restaurant in downtown Reed’s Spring makes a version of this recipe about once a month. Ervin just happened to be there last week when they were the breakfast special! He loved coming home and telling me what he had for breakfast! Yes, he rubbed it in quite a bit!
Many of you may have grown up with potato cakes, but they probably didn’t have corn in them. And, they were served as a side dish, normally, not for breakfast. When I did research on this old-fashioned delight I found many put things like green onions in the cakes, not corn. Any way you stack them, they are certainly yummy. I’ve even see folks prepare them with sour cream and salsa on top. Personally; I don’t need all the extra, they fly just fine solo.
This chilly weekend brought me frustration, big time. Like many I have so many projects to work towards, that I just didn’t know where to start. It gets to the place where I am overwhelmed, and I just drink coffee and stew. Finally; I dove in, and sewing and ironing became the focus of the day. I also got cafe curtains re-hung in the family dining area. During the early holidays I inquired to see what the local cleaners/laundry would charge to do the 8 panels for me. I choked on the response when Ervin told me $40-45. per panel. You do the math, I could have purchased new ones! Obviously I did them myself. Tomorrow after a business trip to Harrison, I can wrap up the sewing, (found something I missed) and get things put away.
I’m working on a Valentine Dinner for February 15th, in our home. It’s going to be a seafood dinner, I’m working on the table scape right now and planning a meal that doesn’t require me to work all day in the kitchen. I’ve even told our guests to dress up, the men have to at least wear a button down shirt. Probably the hardest thing for me to plan is the appetizer. This could be a time for a nice apertif and the simplicity of fruit and cheese. I’m actually looking at 2-3 small desserts to serve with coffee at the meal’s conclusion. Crepes are one possible choice along with lemon bars and something
‘chocolate’. Again; I’m aiming at things I can make before the dinner, and they have no last minute prepping. I’ll let you know if I pin down an appetizer. I’ll figure it out, I just need to research a ‘little’ bit more.
Enjoy making a batch of Grandma Lucy’s corn cakes. They may become a favorite, like they are for my family. My mother’s family came here from Kentucky, so there are many family recipes originating from there. Take time to study the early settlers of your region & family, it can be fascinating.
Corn & Potato Cakes
1 (15oz.) can drained whole kernel corn, or fresh, which is better!
24 ounces or 3 cups mashed potatoes
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 large egg, slightly beaten
½ cup shredded cheese
¼ cup finely diced onion, or green onion
½ teaspoon seasoning salt
¼ cup flour
Olive oil or butter for frying
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl., except the oil/butter. (Do not use warm potatoes) You can cook these in a deep fat fryer, but a griddle or large skillet with a little olive oil or butter works just fine. Brush the oil on the griddle and drop by 2-3 tablespoons onto the griddle, cook until fritter is golden brown, then flip.
Chives, green chilies, roasted red peppers, different cheeses can certain be involved into this recipe. You should render 10 – 12 corn cakes, at least, all depending upon the size you make!
In some regions diners top their fritters/corn cakes with honey or sweet jellies, or salsa and sour cream. Enjoy this old-fashioned, soul-warming dish.
Coon Hunting Mules and Labradoodles
I have a confession to make; I hate horses! This is a big step for me to admit my dislike of the beasts, because living here in Kansas and hating horses is akin to living in a retirement home and hating the Wheel of Fortune. I grew up in central Ohio where coon hunting was a popular and noble sport, and an offshoot sport that grew out of coon hunting and was popular for a time was hunting raccoons from the backs of mules. Now I cannot fathom riding a smelly, cantankerous, sweaty old mule in pursuit of a raccoon through briars, brambles, fallen tree limbs, swamps and hidden barbed wire, and in the middle of the night, no less. By night’s end most coon hunters have fallen into the river or swamp at least once, skinned and dressed a couple big greasy coons, and all this after thoroughly enjoying a huge pot of Texas style chili their buddy fixed before the hunt, all making for some rather unique and horrible smells at the end of a good night’s coon hunt. So why on God’s green earth would I want to start the evening as a passenger on the back of a critter that already smells that bad from the get-go?
I can’t imagine a mule would be known for its smooth ride either, so it seems to me Mr. “bobblehead” coon hunter would be shining his head lamp about everywhere but where it was needed. To solve this problem, I’d mount lights on the mule. Ace hardware has clamp-on trailer lights, so hang an old milk crate on the mule to hold the battery, then buy a half-dozen of those lights and get creative. Those big ears have to be good for something, so clamp one on each ear. Myself, I’d clamp the other four to the loose skin under each leg and shine them downward for ground-effect lighting, (but that’s just me.) By the time I got through with my mule, it’d look like a transformer clomping through the woods.
Coonhounds are notorious for getting lost before the nights over, so what if my “coonmule” tosses me off in the middle of a briar patch and lights out on its own? I’m thinkin’ it would be easier to just shoot the thing than try to lasso it or get it to load into a stock trailer after having run loose all night. And I can only imagine what would happen if someone found the thing standing in the middle of the road. Spotting a coonhound in the middle of the road would not seem too strange. But topping a hill on a country road in the middle of nowhere at three A.M. only to spot my coonmule standing in the road in front of you lit up like a four-legged Christmas tree with high beams shooting out from both ears and all four armpits? You’d have to change shorts immediately and I guarantee you’d be in the front pew at church the following Sunday.
So far, I’ve railed pretty badly against the poor mules, but as I search my soul, I have to say their tainted reputation is probably not all their fault. I think the name alone gives them a bum rap. I mean really, what does the word “mule” conjure up for you? It’s right up there with other one-syllable four-letter words like carp, crap, lard, lump, toad & turd. Just because mules are a cross between a male donkey and a female horse, why curse them from birth with a name like mule. After all, dogs are cross bred all the time and given fine exotic names that use parts of each
breed, like Afador, Cockapoo, and my personal favorite, a cross between a Labrador retriever and a Poodle, the Labradoodle. Why not be a little more creative and help lift the mule’s self esteem with a fine and noble name like Donkhorsey or Hordonk…Or maybe not!
Anyway, I know Donkhorseys and Hordonks make great working steeds and excellent pulling teams, but as far as riding them into the woods in the middle of the night as a way of chasing coons and following coon hounds, not so much! The way I see it, riding a mule to follow a coonhound ranks right up there with using a Labradoodle to chase the coon. A nickname my grandmother had for our feet was “shanks horses,” and as far as I’m concerned, shanks horses are the only thing I’ll ride into the woods chasing a coon, thank you very much!
Steve can be contacted by email at [email protected].
