After harvest, I went back to the kitchen because I was on lunch duty. It was really hot out again today, so I couldn't really fathom the idea of eating hot food. Hence, I made a cold carrot soup. I am really pleased with how it turned out. I sauteed two large onions in about 4 tablespoons of olive oil and a tablespoon of butter. I also added two medium cloves of garlic, salt and pepper. Simultaneously, I sliced and boiled about 7 extra large carrots until they were soft. Since I was in a rush, I gave the cooked carrots a cold water rinse and blended everything together with some cold water and ice. Finally, I added some fresh mint and basil I picked from the farm and a squeeze of half a lemon. It seemed like an original idea, but I found a similar recipe on the BBC. The same thing happened last week when I made egg rolls wrapped in collard greens--someone else had already done it, all the way down to the almond butter and chili flake dipping sauce.
Finally, I ended my work day by helping to move some chickens. They are going to be slaughtered on Sunday, so they needed to move from their coop to the barn so that the mobile processing truck can get easy access to them. It is harder to catch chickens than you might think! These meat birds don't move too quickly, but they sure do struggle if you try to pick them up. It was a rough job because of the heat, the weight of the birds, and the stench.
As a side-note, I have to say that I am not a fan of this breed of chicken. They are a commercial variety (I think Cornish-Rock hens) that is bred for maximum meat production. It only takes about 10 weeks for them to be plump enough to eat. These birds are so fat their legs can barely support them, and they only walk for a few steps at a time. I didn't expect that moving these particular chickens would be so gross-they spend most of their day laying around in their own feces.
To be honest, I was a bit sad to see how selective breeding could create a bird that can't even enjoy the good treatment they are getting on this farm. I mean, the whole idea is that the chickens are supposed to fertilize the hops and do a bit of pest control. But instead, they don't venture anywhere near the hops and just loiter around the food and the coop in a big, smelly cluster. In contrast, the egg-producing birds I fed the other day are graceful, active, and friendly little creatures. They take full advantage of the good treatment they get! Needless to say, I was pleased to hear that Brian is not going to get this variety of chickens next year. However, I can guarantee you that 95% of the chicken you've ever eaten was either this breed or a similar one. And most of them are not given free range access to an organic seed farm with high-quality feed and the right to keep their beaks.
After work, we went out to dinner for Patrick's birthday. It was a surprise, and I think Colleen managed to pull it off without him having any idea of what was going on! The dinner was excellent, the company was even better, and I enjoyed leaving the farm for a little bit. I have to say, Colleen and Patrick have been really great with involving me during my time here. If I WWOOF again in the future, I really hope I find hosts who are this nice and thoughtful.
Let's end with a picture of some of the Celtic artwork that's all over the farm:
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