A Late Fall Harvest

By chance this past week we found out that the tree farm, opening for the tree part of their season, also had vegetables!!  We could hardly wait the two days until Friday and we weren't disappointed with the weather we were given for a final harvest day of 2011.

At first glance, the cabbage field didn't look like much.  Which is the amazing thing about this plant. 

Just peel back the leaves, cut off the ones that didn't survive the frosts and reveal a perfect cabbage inside. 

And then, off to the turnip field.  Earlier this fall, the turnips were really small, I actually thought they were only grown for their green.  Fortunately I was mistaken and the white bulbs popped out of the ground in hefty sizes and we were able to easily fill a five gallon bucket.

Our home chicken flock was happy to eat the turnip tops that we twisted off in the fields.

Dreamfarm

Last Friday we got our first cheese delivery.  Our two-year old River, quite accustomed to this at our home and a lover of goat cheese, insisted on a taste right away.  I was so happy that he insisted as I also love a good spoonful of fresh chevre.  And so begins our love affair with Dreamfarm!  We began right away figuring out how to feature this amazing local ingrediant.

And as luck would have it, we have 10 more people to cook for this week than last and were in need of more cheese, so off we set to find this lovely cheesery and goat farm.  When we pulled into the driveway my first reaction was, "This is what we moved to Wisconsin for."  On top of a bluff outside of Cross Plains, with oak studded pastures ravineing down, sits the Dreamfarm, along with its goats, sheep, pigs and chickens.  I have never visited a more aptly named farm.

Today was a perfect day to visit.  Clear and crisp, we made the drive along County Road KP; a road I am happy to now be familiar with.  We drove past an expansive marshland and crossed the Ice Age trail on the way to the farm and planned to return to this area to explore.





We hope that you taste more than chevre tucked into each delicate pouch of ravioli this week.  We hope you taste this place.