I’d like to welcome another farm to the FarmieMarket Family!  Stefanie and Joshua Rockwood got to work farming their land, now known as West Wind Acres, in 2006.  The farm is located in West Charlton,  NY.  Together, Stefanie and Josh raise rotationally grazed grassfed beef, pork, chicken and eggs.  They are also getting their free-range turkey operation up and running.

The Rockwoods believe in rotational grazing, an agricultural best management practice that promotes the animal and soil health simultaneously.  The duo employs rotational paddocks and mobile fencing to rotate their animals over the land, preventing the waste of any feed (grass) that is grown and recycling nutrients into the soil.

Cattle are moved to a piece of fresh grass daily.  The Rockwoods raise Highland Cattle, a breed that is known to be hardy in harsh northern climates and also regarded for its lean, low-cholesterol meat.

Pigs are also fed on green pasture.  Additionally, pigs are fed all-natural ingredients like whole corn, apples, and whole cows’ milk.  The pigs’ all-natural diet, coupled with the space, fresh air, and sun they are exposed to gives their meat a flavor that far superior to pork from a supermarket or butcher.

Chickens raised as broilers are raised in the Rockwood’s custom broiler chicken coop.  Their meat chickens live in this portable shelter which is moved to fresh grass everyday.  It is designed to provide protection for the birds from predators, including chicken hawks, weasels, and more.  This shelter gives the chickens enough protection to survive in the elements, while also providing chickens the ability to eat natural nutrients from the land instead of being closed off from the outdoors.

Additionally, chickens raised as egg-laying hens live in custom built mobile chicken.  These coops allow the Rockwoods to move their hens to new grass, bugs, and other tasty morsels every day, ensuring that they get a well rounded diet, plenty of fresh air, and sunshine so that they can provide you with the best eggs that you have ever tasted.

The Rockwoods are farmers who take raising quality food using natural practices very seriously. They come to FarmieMarket in hopes to connect with more customers in the Capital Region that care about the quality of the food they consume.  Welcome them by purchasing their pork and chicken on FarmieMarket’s Turning Point Market in Saratoga County!

Farmie Salsa Fresca

Ingredients:

-  2 large heirloom tomatoes from Eight Mile Creek Farm or 9 Miles East Farm, diced

- 1/4 cup cilantro from Eight Mile Creek Farm, chopped

- 3 Shallots from Green Spiral Herbs, finely chopped

- 4 cloves of Spicy Red Killarney Garlic from Purple Gunder Farm, minced

- 2 Purple scallions from Purple Gunder Farm, chopped (include 1/2 the greens from top)

- 2 ears of sweet corn from Wilson Farms, lightly boiled then cut off the cob

- 1 cup of hot peppers from 9 Miles East Farm or Hanley Family Farm, chopped

- Juice of 1/2 lime

Mix it all up into a bowl, cover and chill for 1-2 days before serving.

Makes about 4-5 cups.

Shop for ingredients at www.farmiemarket.com

One of my favorite summertime treats is pizza on the grill.  At the height of summer, there are lots of great ingredients to flesh out a smoky gourmet style pizza with ease.  For this one, I pulled together a number of ultra-local ingredients:

- 1 Heirloom tomato from the garden (tomatoes are also available from Eight Mile Creek Farm in all markets and 9 Miles East Farm in Saratoga County);

- 1/4 Cup of fresh basil from the garden (also available from Eight Mile Creek Farm, Raven Crest Botanicals, and Green Spiral Herbs);

- 1 Patty pan squash generously given to me from Randy Grippin at  Mountain Winds Farm (also available from Eight Mile Creek Farm);

- Focaccia bread from my good friends, Brit and Nick — the All Good Bakers (stop in and see them at 160A Quail Street in Albany); and

- Olive oil from Dancing Ewe Farm (available online in all markets).

Additionally, I threw in a little garlic salt for extra flavor, 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, and a few tablespoons of balsamic vinegar.

To get started, gather your ingredients and start your grill to preheat for about 10 minutes while you prep your other items.

Slice your tomato and patty pan latitudinal and thin– about 1/8” to 1/4” (watch your digits cutting the patty pan, they can be hard to handle with their irregular shape).  Place the tomato and squash slices in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, then toss to marinade.  Let this sit, tossing periodically to circulate the marinade.

Next, brush a little olive oil over both sides of your focaccia bread.  Once the grill gets to about 450-500F, place the focaccia on the rack for 1-2 minutes on each side (just until the black lines from the grill grate begin to char in there).

Then, pull off the focaccia and layer the marinated tomato and patty pan onto the dough.  Arrange your fresh basil leaves on top.  Next, sprinkle on your parmesan.  Lastly, dash a hint of garlic salt all around the edge of the pizza for an extra flavorful crust.

I return the pizza to the grill on a pan to prevent the bottom from burning because my the top rack on my grill is not big enough to fit the whole pizza to keep it off the flame.  Either use a pan, or just place your pizza on the top rack.  Let it cook for about 5 minutes at approximately 500F, or until the patty pan is heated to your liking.

Remove, slice and serve.  Easy enough for a pizza novice and delicious enough to impress a pizza savant!