Rib-Eyes from the Grill

In the Riemer house Rib-eye steaks are a favorite! They are so full of flavor and so versatile.  Here are a couple of my favorite summer Rib-eye recipe's from the grill.

Rib-Eye Steak with Tomato-Basil Relish

Ingredients

• 
  
• 4 boned beef rib-eye steaks (1 1/2 in. thick, 12 to 16 oz. each; see notes)
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound firm-ripe tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1 or 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• Salt and fresh-cracked pepper

1. Preparation 
2. 1. Trim excess surface fat from steaks. Rinse steaks and pat dry; set in a single layer on a plate. In a small bowl, mix half the vinegar and half the olive oil. Rub mixture all over steaks to coat. Let stand for at least 15 minutes, or cover and chill up to 4 hours.
3. 2. Meanwhile, rinse, core, and coarsely chop tomatoes. In a bowl, mix tomatoes, basil, garlic, and remaining balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Add salt to taste.
4. 3. Lay steaks on an oiled barbecue grill over a solid bed of hot coals or high heat on a gas grill (you can hold your hand at grill level only 2 to 3 seconds); close lid on gas grill. Cook steaks, turning once, until browned on both sides and done to your liking in center of thickest part (cut to test), 10 to 13 minutes for medium-rare.
5. 4. Transfer steaks to plates. Let rest in a warm place for 3 to 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste and garnish with tomato-basil relish.

Sunset 
SEPTEMBER 2004

Grilled Steak with Avocado and Red Onion Salad

Ingredients

• 2 Rib-eye steaks (1 1/2 lbs. total)
• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper, divided
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sweet smoked Spanish paprika
• 2 ripe avocados, sliced*
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
• 1/2 cup cilantro sprigs
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1/2 small jalapeno chile, seeded and very thinly sliced
• Warm flour tortillas

1. Preparation 
2. 1. Heat grill to medium (350° to 450°). Brush steaks with 2 tbsp. oil and season with 1 tsp. each salt and pepper and the paprika. Grill steaks until done the way you like, turning once, 10 to 12 minutes total for medium-rare; transfer to a cutting board and let rest a few minutes.
3. 2. Toss avocados in a large bowl with onion, cilantro, remaining 2 tbsp. oil, the lime juice, jalapeño, and remaining 1/2 tsp. each salt and pepper. Slice steaks across the grain and serve with salad and tortillas.

Adeena Sussman, Sunset 
MAY 2012

*I realize that Avocados are definitely not local to WI, but this is one super-food I make an exception for in my commitment to buy my food locally.

Riemer Family Farm is a Multi-Generational, Sustainable beef farm in South Central WI

Women Farmers-Soil Sisters

One thing that I (Jen) have come to appreciate about our community here in South Central Wisconsin are the passionate, creative and motivated women who are making this area better in so many ways!  I am attaching a two links for events that I am going to take part in.  These are organized by and focused on women farmers.

http://soilsisterswi.org/

Many of the "soil sisters" are friends of mine and I am proud to be a part of this community of women through the "Green County Women in Sustainable Agriculture" group. I will be helping out at the Sugar River Emu Farm.  I was not ready to be on the tour this year due to having a newborn.


Please join in and celebrate local agriculture on August 5 by visiting small family farms as part of a tour led by Wisconsin women committed to a healthy, fresh future for our children.


One more organization doing great things for women in agriculture is the Women, Food and Agriculture Network (WFAN). There are hosting events through their Women Caring for the Land program.


http://womencaringfortheland.org/wisconsin/

Join in, learn and celebrate women farmers.

Riemer Family Farm is a multi-generational sustainable farm in South Centeral Wisconsin

More Water Please! Drought & Cattle

Our main job on the farm over the last two months has been to keep the animals watered and shaded.  Everything else is just details!  The drought has been very hard on our pasture land and the heat has not helped either.  Hereford cattle are thankfully very hardy and have fared okay in the heat and drought.  We run about 1/4 mile of hoses to their tank to keep them well watered and they receive shade from some large trees in the pasture.

Many pastures and crops around us have been completely killed by the conditions.  Some recent rain has saved our crops from total loss.  The rain also has revived our pasture just enough to not need to feed them valuable hay quite yet.  We need our hay for winter feed!  All in all it's been quite stressful.  My father-in-law whom we farm with has said "who needs gambling when you can farm?"

Riemer Family Farm is a sustainable multi-generational family farm in south central Wisconsin

Poultry on Pasture

Here are a couple pictures of our meat birds on pasture.  We have them in a 164 foot electric netting with a portable shelter that we moved every day last year.  The way we are raising them now is called a "day range" model of pastured poultry.  They come out during the day and spend the night in their shelter to stay protected from predators.  I like this model a lot better because it makes chore time easier and gives the chickens space to roam and keeps them cleaner!  They can nibble on the grass, but prefer their feed. Last year when we kept them in the portable shelter all the time, we had to move them 3 times a day the last two weeks of their lives.

The worst predator we have seen this summer has been the 100 plus heat for days on end.  We lost a few birds to heat exhaustion, but have been doing everything we can to keep them alive.  We have even had a sprinkler in their pen.  They are not fond of water, but it does keep things cooler when we run the sprinkler on mist setting. We also need to make sure they always have fresh water and shade.

We will butcher these chickens in about a week.  Nothing compares to the taste of pastured poultry!

Riemer Family Farm is a sustainable multi-generational family farm in south central Wisconsin

Nobody can resist a cute chick!

 Here are just a couple pictures of our baby chicks.  They are now just over a week old and doing quite well.  We brood them in the garage in old cow water tanks with pine chips for bedding and heat lamps.  The important things to watch when raising chicks from a day old is to keep them the right temperature and give them lots of fresh water and food.

The chicks we are holding (and resting on the giant baby belly) are laying hens and will lay their first eggs at about 20 weeks.  The little yellow chicks in the brooder could be your dinner in just 8 weeks.  They will all move outside at week 4.

Peonies in bloom and Rhubarb Strawberry Crisp

Our Memorial Peonies are in full bloom almost a full month early.  Most everything is early this year, I love all the early bloomers but don't love mowing the lawn so much already! I do wish we still had the wonderful smell of lilacs outside our front door.  I guess you can't have it all though!

We harvested some rhubarb this morning and have this wonderful Strawberry Rhubarb Crunch in the oven.  It uses less sugar than most recipes, but still tastes fantastic with fresh fruits.  We had to buy the strawberries, but it looks like we should have our own in a matter of a couple weeks! Enjoy the recipe!

Six new calves and counting!

These two bull calves are not twins, but brothers. The mamma belongs to the calf on the right, but is being an attentive surrogate as the other calves mother eats. The calf on the left is only hours old and both are doing great.

I am amazed at the ease that a Hereford cow gives birth. Don't get me wrong...I'm sure it's hard work, but in my current state (8 mos pregnant) I can not help but admire the mamas in the pasture. We are getting a new calf of two almost every day.  There really are very few things in this world cutter than a baby calf.