Oh, hey there!

It’s been a good long time since I’ve posted anything here –I’ve been swamped all this summer with two new gardens, a booth at a local farmer’s market, and getting ready for a crazy (though temporary) relocation.  The flat is full of boxes & general chaos, but slow progress is occuring.  I have lots to write about, but still not a lot of free time; I’m hoping that despite the packing mayhem that I will have more time as winter sets in to get some writing done.

In the meantime, I just wanted to share that I have some really satisfying obsessions which have kept me hopping (intellectually speaking) over the past year or so.  First, I must thank my lovely friend B. for pointing me at the whole River Cottage series of television programs.  The man behind all the RC goodness is Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, who left the city to become a smallholder in Dorset, in the UK.  He started with a small veg patch and a few chickens and pigs, and now he has a wonderfully robust 37+ acre small farm, a cooking school, several eateries, and lots of books and videos.  I’ll need to write another post about just how much I’d like him to take over the entire planet, but in the meantime: do your best to check him out; he’s great.

I have a few other current heroes:  Fergus Henderson and his lovely colleagues at St. John are both inspiring and helpful when it comes to the tastiest oddbits of the pig and other beasties.  One day soon I’ll write a post, replete with glorious pictures, of a roast half pig’s head based on his recipe.

Brian Polcyn is another amazing guy –he’s a chef, teacher, and one of America’s experts on charcuterie.  I’d give my eye teeth to take his class on charcuterie, but it’s in Michegan, and I’m in Vermont.

Jim the butcher.  A lovely guy over in Moreton-in-Marsh,  Gloucestershire, he didn’t bat an eyelash when a crazy Vermont girl called him about pig’s heads.  He was full of useful information which he shared happily, and he said anytime I had any sort of pig questions, that I’m welcome to call him.  I love humans 🙂

I may be coming into a whole slew (maybe a dozen) organic Tamworth pig’s heads, tails, feet, organs, and maybe caul fat if I’m lucky.  I’m so hopeful, and getting really excited about making headcheese, which is known as brawn in the UK, sylte in my native Denmark, and fromage de tet by the French.

Please do send happy pig vibes my way!  Here’s a picture of some beautiful Tamworth piglets:

More soon, honest.