Stand Fast Farm Beef Heart Stuffed with Barley Pearls

During my interview with Stand Fast Farms, Tim heard how I loved barley stuffed hearts and included two in a bag of different cuts to sample. The package I used revealed a well cleaned and trimmed heart that unfurled, the excess strands within the chambers had been removed and made preparing the organ so much quicker.

I washed it gently, but thoroughly with salt water and patted it dry. It was then laid flat, chambers facing up, in an 11 x 9 pan.

In a large pan I cooked sliced leeks in 2 tbls bacon fat and crisps. Then in a medium sauce pot I added this to the bottom of the pot and pureed it smooth, adding a fist full of fresh dill as I smoothed it down. I then added 2 tbls of barley flour to thicken, and slowly beat in water to create a gravy.

In another pan I started 1 1/2 cups of barley pearls in three cups of water. Brought it to a boil and then turned it down low, covered and allowed to cook until all of the water was absorbed. I then blended the gravy in to the barley and poured it over the heart. It was then baked for 15 minutes at 400*.

I sliced it and served it with hearts of romaine and cucumbers with homemade ranch dressing made with herbs from our hanging garden.

Susie Cuke's Pickles

Think of the dishes and sweets and specialties that are unique to your family. Have you ever created that dish using a recipe that's been passed down over the generations?  Have you ever considered recreating it every day to sell? That's just what Mike Gzyl and his father do. Every day, after work, they create Bread & Butter and Garlic Dill pickles and relishes.

They use old-world recipes from Poland that have been tweaked for the modern palate and canning techniques; recipes that have been passed down through their family for four generations.

Susie Cuke's Pickles makes both pickles and relish, and perhaps with the success of these two more pickled products will follow? I sure hope so!

The Bread & Butter were very sweet. Sweeter than store bought, but not excessively cloying or artificially sweet. 

The Garlic Dill are thick slabs of bitter saltiness. Both varieties have a nice bite that falls somewhere between crunchiness and softness.

Draudt's Farm Market & Greenhouse, another multi-generational business, currently supplies the cucumbers.

They are available for purchase from 8 am to 1pm at both the Elmwood-Bidwell and Hamburg Farmer's Markets every Saturday until the end of the season. There is a possibility for growth into a year round product, a secondary supplier for fall and winter is being looked into.

I sampled mine right out of the jar at first. The juice is so nice. I'm already coming up with some ideas of adding it to an ice-cold Japanese pickled fish dish when we work through all of the garlic and pickles. 

Then I created toast points slathered with fromage blanc, slow braised beef rib meat and finely chopped pickles. Made my eyes cross it was so good!

I encourage you to pick up a handful of jars while they are still available!