Some (more) beautiful things from the farm

At Pasture

In the morning and evening we spend hours watching the sheep and goats eat in various unfenced pastures surrounding the farm. The kids practise head butting, running and elaborate jumps - they are incredible to watch. We return to the farm when the animals have had enough to eat - they just start walking in the direction of the stable when they are finished. We watch the sun evaporate the morning mist and we watch it set behind the Alps in the evening - the pastures are silent except for the singing of birds and baaing of sheep and bleating of goats.

Some of my new friends and activities

Milking. I am going to post this and head over to the stable to try to master milking - I am not a natural - but it supposedly takes a lot of practice.

Ok, can you believe that this creature exists? Lots of them in fact.

They spend most of their time practising head butting each other - head to head or head to bum or head to ribs, this while climbing anything available. It is mesmerizing to watch.

The sheep are milked in batches of 5 and moved from their main pen to a holding pen as the batches are finished and then they are all sent back - but it gets crowded in the holding pen close to the end of milking.

This is Ryan the only make goat. He is very intimidating.

The goats are very nice. We haven't taken them out to pasture yet, so I mostly see them eating like this.

There are lambs too but as incredibly cute as they are, they simply can't compete with the kids (in my opinion).

This kitten is my favourite. He/she has the sweetest trill of a meow.

The cats are always lounging around on top of one another.

They are outdoor cats and allow only a quick single-stroke pet ... nothing more.

Prince Petulio is one of the most noble characters I have ever had the pleasure to acquaint myself with. Like Dago, when he greets me he places his two front paws onto my abdomen and stands staring calmly (searchingly?) into my face with his soulful and utterly heart-breaking eyes. Petulio is old and broken-down looking and has a quiver in his jaw and a sore leg but he jumps up on a hay bale in a flash where he positions himself to reign over the stable.

Dago the dog is trained as a sheep herder and is a wonderful friend too.

The fruit trees are blooming.

It has been 5 days now and I have been learning incredible things about cooking, sheep, wall building, gardening, harvesting wild vegetables, preserving food, all things related to living well off of the land - I haven't had a cheese-making lesson yet (in a few more days) but I have spent a lot of time in the stable with the sheep and goats. We feed and milk them twice a day, and although I have not at all mastered milking, I am trying and I very much enjoy all of the stable tasks. Here are some photos. I have much more to say but I have less free time than I expected.

Here at the farm

Well, I am here on an impossibly beautiful farm in the foothills of the Alps.

I can't write anything about it without gushing. I am in my dream - awake.

My favourite pot

I am crazy about food - especially modest cooking at home. I have been meaning to start documenting my kitchen stories and some favorite meals, but I've been unsure of how to begin.

Today, as my favourite pasta sauce was slowly cooking in the oven I realized that I could just start with that. Cooking sauces is definitely one of my favourite things to do and this sauce is so simple and so delicious that it deserves to be the beginning of something.

The ingredients are: olive oil, fresh basil, crushed garlic, bacon, chili pepper and, of course tomatoes.

There is a bit of prep work:

The basil leaves must be removed from their stems and washed carefully - about a packed cup full.
Peel 3 garlic cloves - ready for crushing (I smash my garlic with a heavy ceramic jar before I peel it - mostly because it's kind of hard core but it also bruises the garlic and makes it easier to peel).
De-seed and chop one chili pepper (I use red chilies that I have bought fresh and hung to dry).
Cut the bacon into squares - approximately 1/2 cup or so.
De-seed one can of tomatoes - I tear the tomatoes in half over a bowl and sweep the seeds out with my hands (save the collected juice - it goes in the sauce too). Then strain the seedy juice through a mesh colander into the pot. I use Aylmer brand whole canned tomatoes (very good value) but in my opinion any canned tomatoes are fine as long as they don't have spices added already - also, I de-seed mine but I've made it with the seeds in too and I'm not 100% sure that I can taste a difference.

My favourite sauce


Once that is ready I take out my favourite pot - a beautiful round Le Creuset (thanks mom) and pour a tablespoon or so of olive oil in and put it on the stove top on medium heat. Add the bacon and when it has cooked for a minute or so (it shouldn't get crispy) turn the heat to simmer, wait a minute and add the basil, chili pepper, garlic (crush it right into the pot) and more olive oil, a couple more tablespoons at least, and at least a half teaspoon of sea salt.
Set the oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit and let the sauce simmer covered on the stove top until the oven is ready. Put the covered pot of sauce in the oven and let it cook for hours - 3 minimum but if you have more time you can turn the heat down to 200 or even 175 and let it cook all day (it smells fantastic while it cooks). Stir occasionally. I often take the lid off for the last half hour to hour to thicken it up.
This cooking slowly in the oven may seem a bit frivolous, but it makes the texture so silky and the taste so full and rich that it is worth it – but alternatively, I suppose you could transfer the sauce from the stove top pot to a slow cooker …

Of course, you should serve this sauce on your favorite pasta topped with grated Parmesan cheese.

I hope that this has made sense – it is the first time I have written a recipe down.

A new line drawing.