At Chile Acres we have a daily reminder of the importance of Earth Day.  After all, that is what Earth Day is partly about–remembering and contemplating and renewing our committment to Mother Earth.  We have “Tara”.  Tara was born a year ago on Earth Day.  She is a Medicine Hat Pinto which is quite special.  This means she is wearing a bonnet or hat that is a darker spot on her head that includes her ears.  This was of importance to some of the Indigenous Peoples of the Great Plains.  In addition she is “wearing” symbolic markings of the 4 elements.  Her eyes are blue like water, she has black pigment or scorched markings for fire, her hair is white like clouds and that reminds us of air, and small islands of palamino markings are here and there like earth on the ocean. 

Her mother is from the Sulpher Springs  protected herd of mustangs found on the Colorado Plateau.  Her father was a mustang too.  She is highly intelligent and remains aloof but friendly even after being imprinted at birth.  Horses each have personalities and she is exceptional!

So, as another Earth Day goes by we celebrate by spending time with our little Tara and remembering how connected and dependent we are to our Earth Mother. We reflect on our farm projects and how to do them smarter using less resources that are non-renewable and never using anything that contains harmful chemicals. We use herbal remedies as much as possible for ourselves and for any gardening and animal situations that arise.

 Happy Birthday Tara!  This carrot is for you:)

Posted: April 28th, 2008 under Chile Acres, Horses, riding lessons.
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Ingredients:

8 oz Plain Barn Goddess Fromage Goat Cheese

2 cloves garlic chopped finely

1 large eggplant thinly sliced

1 fresh Chile Acres Natural Egg

1/2 cup of Bread or cracker crumbs

1/2 cup of olive or veggie oil

salt and pepper

2 tbls of good spicy mustard

2tbls of chopped fresh dill

1/4 cup yogurt

Procedure:

 Blend salt, pepper, cheese, and garlic together

beat egg in a small bowl

Dip eggplant in egg and then roll in cracker/bread crumbs

heat oil

gently fry eggplant slices until golden brown and set on a papertowel to drain

repeat until you have a plate full of golden brown eggplant slices

when still hot place a spoonful of the cheese mixture on each slice of eggplant and fold it over

mix mustard, dill, yogurt and salt and pepper together and place on top of each folded Eggplant Delight as a tasty garnish

Now enjoy an elegant yet simple summer fare!  Squash may be substituted for eggplant.

Posted: April 28th, 2008 under Barn Goddess Goat Cheese Products, Recipes, eggs.
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If you live on a ranch and have great cool evenings with lots of light like we do right now dinner is later than usual and time gets short for cooking and planning meals.  Bubbles and all of her friends need lots of grooming these days and we are almost ready to kid and foal!

Sometime we just want something quick to go with a nice salad.  Give this a try!

Ingredients:

 Flat bread of your choice or pre-made pizza dough

olive oil

italian herbs

2 cloves garlic (Tonopah Rob’s fresh green garlic is awesome)

several ripe tomatoes washed and cubed

1 small onion washed and chopped

4 oz of plain or feta Barn Goddess Goat Cheese

Procedure:

Brush bread with olive oil

Mix all of the produce in a blender or food processor to make a sauce

Spread your sauce on the bread and top with goat cheese

(optional:  throw on your favorite olives, pineapple, peppers, etc…)

Broil until the cheese is golden brown.  Enjoy it on your porch or patio since we know this desert is going to heat up soon!

Posted: April 21st, 2008 under Uncategorized.
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Our friend Sharon called and said her neighbor had found a kitten in the dirt road that still had it’s umbilical cord attached.  She asked what she could do.  I immediately suggested goat milk.  I have raised all kinds of species of orphans with goat milk.  Well, the kittie came to school with Sharon and then home with me the next day.  I rubbed all the kitties together and distracted Momo with a can of tuna.  She accepted this little red kitten tiger with out comment! His eyes opened yesterday at one week and one day old and he doesn’t seem to notice that he is different.  Now, if people could only adopt this attitude!

Posted: April 15th, 2008 under Bubbles the Goat and Friends, cats.
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Ingredients:

3 Chile Acres Natural Eggs (Brown or Blue will do)

1 bulb Green Garlic (Tonopah Rob has the best) chopped finely

2 oz plain Barn Goddess Goat Cheese Fromage

Sea salt to taste

enough oil to coat frying pan

Procedure:

Mix goat cheese, salt, and chopped green garlicWhip eggs by hand

heat pan and oil

pour whipped eggs into hot oil

When eggs are just about set and solid drop cheese mixture onto 1/2 of eggs

Fold over with a spatula and cook at low temp for 1 minute more

Remove from heat

Enjoy a delicious breakfast or quick supper!

Note: Bubbles wants you to know that Barn Goddess Goat Cheese is lower in fat and cholesterol than cow cheese!  She also says that Goats Rule!

Posted: April 14th, 2008 under Barn Goddess Goat Cheese Products, Bubbles the Goat and Friends, Recipes, eggs.
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Our exchange student, Aurelie Gautier, taught us this wonderful recipe that is quick and a French Classic (she will be a classic too–beauty classic):

 Ingredients:

6 fresh tomatoes cut in halves

One 4oz container of Barn Goddess French Fromage Goat Cheese

1/2 cup bread crumbs

olive oil

Procedure:

Place tomatoes on a greased cookie sheet and press bread crumbs on each 1/2

Top each stuffed tomato with a tablespoon of goat cheese

drizzle each with olive oil

Place under broiler until golden brown and bubbly

Enjoy with a nice glass of red wine!  Happy Easter!!

Posted: April 7th, 2008 under Recipes.
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Wes Brown has been training horses for as long as he can remember.  He works tirelessy to bring out the best in each horse using kindness, humor and lots of patient training.  The horses respond well to him and come running when he whistles and brandishes horse cookies.  This is Red on her graduation day out at Mission Ranch in Bensen, Arizona, where Wes runs a large cattle ranch.  Red is small and had a hard time chasing cattle but gave Wes her all!  Now she is home and teaching little kids to ride and enjoying all of the carrots and attention.  Dulce will come home next week.

If you are interested in contacting Wes to help you with a horse just e-mail us or leave a comment and we will gladly give you his number.

Posted: April 7th, 2008 under Horses, riding lessons.
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Ingredients:

20z plain Barn Goddess Feta Cheese Crumbles

1 bag Tonopah Rob’s mixed salad greens

2 colorful shredded carrots from Tonopah Rob

1/2 cup orange juice

1/2 cup rice vinegar

1/2 cup olive oil

2 chopped chiles with seeds and stems removed

salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:

put all ingredients except for salad mix, goat cheese and carrots into a blender and blend on high for 1 minute.

Add goat cheese to mixture.  Set aside vinagrette for an hour or so for the ingredients to fully ripen to taste.

Pour vinagrette over the greens and carrots and enjoy a light and spicy salad.  Bubbles suggests that a summer mead would be excellent (never set a beer or mead next to a goat–after all it is grain based!).

Posted: April 7th, 2008 under Barn Goddess Goat Cheese Products, Bubbles the Goat and Friends, Recipes.
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