Spring 2009

 In the Meadows Town area of Marshall, a herd of Black Angus graze on 100 picturesque acres of pasture around a classic white farm house.  This farm is where Carolyn Bradley grew up and where, today, she and her husband Mike operate Farm House Beef. They are working to produce grass fed beef--and to keep the family farm alive.  

They’ve chosen to continue to use the land for agriculture to preserve its beauty, and to preserve agricultural heritage.  “I saw total sustainability here,” Carolyn remembers. She hopes that Farm House Beef will provide a successful model of local food production. Farm House Beef is certified Appalachian Grown through a program of the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project, a nonprofit that works to expand local food markets that will preserve our agricultural heritage, give everyone access to fresh, healthy food, and keep our farmers farming.

“This country’s got to maintain farms,” Carolyn says. “I understand that there will be growth, but we can’t make all our land into developments. Homefolks like me who move away really learn to appreciate Madison County. You can get the suburban experience in lots of places;  our farmland here is special.”

In addition to encouraging others to grow their own food, Carolyn—a fitness teacher for 30 years—hopes Farm House Beef will encourage healthier eating. “I wanted to use the family farm to in a way that would help people,” she explains. Grass fed beef is lower in fat, and higher in nutrients and omega 3 fats than conventional beef.

Adding to the health benefits, no antibiotics or hormones are used on Farm House Beef, and the Bradleys never spray.  The cattle spend their entire lives on the farm grazing. “People don’t have to worry about eating our meat,” says Carolyn. “They know exactly who produced it and how.”

Farm House Beef is available from the farm website, www.FarmHouseBeef.com, at Good Stuff in downtown Marshall, and at Gosset Grocey in Leicester.  Carolyn and Mike also vend at the Madison County Farmers and Artisans Market every other week. (Visit www.FarmHouseBeef.com and contact them for exact dates.)

Selling at farmers markets is one of Carolyn’s favorite ways to do business. “Grass fed beef takes a lot of commitment. After you work for two years to raise an animal, it’s nice to be able to sell the meat to someone face to face,” she says. “And what’s best is when you see those customers again when they come back for more.”

Grassfed meats should be cooked differently from conventional meats. Try these tips, and Carolyn’s recipes:

Tips

• Cook grassfed meat slowly.
• Do not overcook. 
• Sear steaks on each side, then lower the heat to finish cooking.
• Marinate.

Baked Meatballs

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon seasoning such as cayenne pepper, oregano, or your favorite mix
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup egg white

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place the ground beef in a large bowl and mix all the dry ingredients and garlic into the ground beef.
Place the egg white mixture in a small bowl.   Dampen your hands with the egg white mixture.

Using your hands, form the meat into balls.  This helps form the meat balls and make them hold their shape.
Place the formed meat balls on a foil lined baking pan  1/2 inch apart.

Bake for 15 minutes.

Prime Rib with Herbs

Ingredients:
For the roast
7 or 8 pound prime rib roast, trimmed
2 bay leaves1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon salt
3 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon chopped thyme
1 teaspoon chopped rosemary
1 tablespoon olive oil
For the jus
2 cups beef broth
1 sprig rosemary
1 sprig thyme
1 clove minced garlic

Break bay leaves into fine pieces. Pound bay, pepper, salt, garlic, thyme, and rosemary, into a smooth paste with a mortar and pestle. Stir in oil. Rub paste all over roast. Set a rack in a roasting pan, and place the roast on the rack. Marinate, covered and chilled, for eight to 24 hours.

Remove roast from refrigerator and let stand at room temperature 1 hour prior to cooking. Preheat oven to 450˚F. Roast beef in middle of oven 20 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350˚F and roast beef until a thermometer inserted into center of meat registers 120˚F, about 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours more. Transfer beef to a large platter and let stand, uncovered, 25 minutes. (Meat will continue to cook, reaching about 130˚F for medium-rare.)

To make the jus, skim fat from pan juices. Add beef broth to the pan along with rosemary, thyme, and garlic. Deglaze pan by simmering on top of stove over moderate heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits. Transfer to a small saucepan and add any juices that have collected on platter. Gently simmer 10 minutes. Skim fat and season jus with salt and pepper. Cut slices from roast and serve with jus.