Everyday Life
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Remember those baby pigs we got in the Spring? Not so baby anymore! And Opal’s happy for that because now she can take a ride while we feed and water them. They don’t mind too much, but when they do, she finds out by getting bucked off and into a mud puddle!
This month, we harvested 100 chickens, 300 lbs of potatoes, a few cucumbers (the cucumber beetles are enjoying them more than we are), loads of trumpet squash, long beans, summer herbs and peppers by the basketful, and the first 20 lbs of blackberries. Mid-summer is a wild, hot race to get the harvest in, keep the weeds down, and maintain balance in all areas of life with the sun is at its peak. We welcome the challenge, and we are grateful to share the bounty with you!
The wild storm this weekend was celebrated by the plants, the animals, and the guests around the table! Between courses (see the menu here), everyone was on the decks and in the prairie beaming with the rainbows. Our dining porch is open-air until the Kansas weather rolls in - that’s when we close the glass French doors, pull the sliding cedar walls shut, and let the Elements take over while you sip and dine, watch and listen, and feel it all around you.
A surprise flush of shiitakes, the early flowering of thyme, and Big Red’s shoulder (one of our beloved Berkalitsa pigs) inspired our first Spring menu in May. It was a delight to open the gate and welcome you all back to the land. Every weekend is a new menu and the season has just begun!
Opening weekend at the restaurant is exhilarating - Spring is so bright! Harvesting ingredients hours before dinner is served is a such a blessing, and we know that you can feel it when you dine with us. Rhubarb compote served with a hyssop lemon pastry and kefir ice cream, and chicken pelmeni with snow peas and asparagus were 2 of the offerings on this weekend’s menu.
Dubois and Sal are our friends and our protectors. Their paddock rotates alongside our poultry flocks because they need the most protection. The goats and pigs can fend for themselves! They’re all cuddles and smiles until a sky predator soars above, an owl makes a call from a distant tree, or the coyotes start singing their song. This is when they instinctively fall into duty, barking with a specific message: over this line you shall not cross.
The chickens, turkeys and ducks heed their warning, taking cover until the threat has passed. We are proud of them and grateful for their love and dedication.
“We have eaten here over 50 times and we’ve never had the same thing twice”, said one of our favorite guests last year. Dedication to his craft and honor for the complete cycle of life has inspired Chef Brian to create a new menu each week for the last 4 years. Every seed becomes a plant, every young animal grows to maturity. Living things are harvested by our hands and come together new, each ingredient shining on your plate, to become a part of you.
When you reserve your space at the table, you don’t know what’s on the menu - thank you for trusting us. Are you curious for what’s come before? Follow this calendar back in time. You’ll have access to every menu we’ve ever served.
Breeding pigs is not as easy as they say. If you don’t time the gestation just right (3 months, 3 weeks, 3 days), then those babies may be met with a terrible fate. We learned that the hard way, and so. we’re grateful to skilled farmers that produce extra piglets for us to buy! These little ones are a new cross for us: Berkshire / Duroc. They are hardy, excellent foragers, friendly and adaptable. At harvest, we expect a dark red, well-marbled meat that is tender and flavorful.
An early Spring wedding menu is full of bright greens & salty preserves, rich bone stock & pork belly, and finishes with pluots on pound cake. Thanks to our contributing farmers: Moon on the Meadow (kale), Stone and Sparrow (spelt flour), Jasper Hill (Alpha Tolmen cheese). And congratulations to the newlyweds, Abby + Denton!
Have you ever seen a day-old baby chick eating grass? 100 little Kosher Kings arrived just yesterday! We've raised many breeds of broiler chickens and this heritage breed is by far our favorite. Kosher Kings are hardy, highly instinctual, prefer pasture forage to grain, and their meat is rich and succulent. When we serve these birds at the restaurant, we often hear “I haven’t had chicken like that since I was a little kid on my Grandma’s farm”. We consider this a very high compliment! We are so happy to give these special birds a happy, natural life from egg to plate.