Monday 28 January 2013

Slow Food
We at Bøjden Cottage are a member of Slow Food. Slow Food is an ironic way of saying 'No' to fast food. Slow Food means living an unhurried life, beginning at the table.
The Slow Food movement was founded by the food activist Carlo Petrini in the small northern Italian town of Bra in 1986. Its initial aim was to support and defend good food, gastronomic pleasure and a slow pace of life. It then broadened its sights to embrace the quality of life and the survival of the imperiled planet we live on.
Slow Food protects places of historic, artistic or social value that form part of our food heritage and is committed to protecting traditional and sustainable quality foods, primary ingredients, conserving methods of cultivation and processing and defending the biodiversity of cultivated and wild varieties.

For us, it means that the ingredients in our meals are home made, ecological and locally sourced.
Throughout the summer we cook jams and jelly's of the fruit that grows in my garden. Locally grown vegetables are bought from farm shops and we are lucky to have Carsten as our neighbour, he sells the most delicious meat you could wish for. From his own Hereford cows that graze on large fields just around the corner.
All our bread and cakes are home baked and our desserts might be home made ice cream, or an old fashioned pudding. The breakfast table features three different kinds of bread, so if you want to try them all, it will be a slow breakfast, As we intend to. Some of last years guests sat at the breakfast table until 12.00.
One of the special evening meals we serve, is a gypsy style stew. With Hereford meat, of course. If you are not able to visit us this summer, you can try to make it at home.  Start early, as it needs ca. 4 hrs. You will need:

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 pounds beef shank, cubed
1 tablespoon shortening butter or oil
4 onions, chopped
1 pound potatoes, peeled and diced
2 cups of beef stock or broth
1 cup robust red wine
a few stems each of thyme, tarragon and parsley
peel of one organic orange
1 whole onion stuck with 4 cloves
2 fresh, or dried bay leaves
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons tomato puree
1/4 cup chopped and pitted green olives
1/4 cup chopped and pitted black olives
salt and pepper

In a large heavy casserole heat the oil over medium-high heat. Then brown the meat on all sides, preferably in batches. Remove the meat, set aside and keep it warm.
In the same casserole, melt the shortening over medium-high heat, then cook the chopped onions and potatoes until golden, about 8 minutes, stirring frequently and adding small amounts of water to scrape the brown bits of the bottom of the casserole if necessary. Return the meat to the casserole, pour in the beef broth and the wine, add the herbs, orange peel and the clove-studded onion, bay leaves, garlic, tomato puree and chopped olives. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to low, as low as possible, and simmer for ca. 4 hrs. Uncovered if you want a thick sauce, or covered with both a piece of baking paper and a lid to keep all the flavours inside.
Remove and discard the orange peel, the herb stems and the whole onion and serve immediately.

You can order Carstens Hereford meat at www.seiring.dk




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