Friday, December 19, 2008

YAK TRACKS: A Yak Christmas 2008 Video

HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM ALL OF US AT VERMONT YAK COMPANY!

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

YAK TRACKS: Yak + Rabbit = Soup



Yak and Rabbit Soup

Created by Patricia Teague, Champlain College 2008 Holiday Dinner.

Ingredients:

3 Tbs Olive Oil
2# Yak Sausage
2 ea. Leeks cleaned and thinly sliced white & pale green parts
1 Gallon beef stock
1 cup dry Red Wine
1 Carrot sliced into disks
2 Parsnip sliced into disks
2 15 oz. cans white beans
1 Tbs minced garlic
4 sprigs fresh Thyme
1 Bay Leaf
1 tsp. Kosher Salt
1 tsp. Crushed Black Pepper

2 ea. Rabbits
Separate the leg/thigh bones and get as much meat as you can from the breast. Dice the breast meat and add to soup at the same time as the yak. In a separate pot boil the legs in water or chicken stock for 1 hour until tender. Meanwhile make soup.

Place olive oil in soup pot and heat.
Add the Yak and Rabbit Meat and brown for 5 minutes.
Add the sliced Leeks cook until soft 3-5 min.
Add all the rest of ingredients in order.
Shred the Rabbit legs and add to soup
Simmer for at least ½ hour.

Sunday, December 14, 2008

YAK TRACKS: "Yak Frost Nipping At Your Nose, or at least, your TONGUE" - HAPPY HOLIDAYS 2008!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS 2008 TO ALL YAK LOVERS NEAR AND FAR!



The entire Vermont Yak Company team gathered for our first annual holiday party on Friday night.

On the menu?

Yak, of course. With a Dave H special local salad of greens, and Susan's outstanding berry cobbler dessert, and Boyden Valley River Bend Red wine (our new favorite here at the Williams place) and fresh pressed apple cider for all.

As an appetizer, sweet italian yak sausage, semi-slow cooked on the outdoor gas grill to semi-blackened perfection (yak, Cajun style).

The main course? Kate's braised yak ribs - here's a close-up.



And Dave delivered on his promise to serve up yak tongue.

Outstanding - sweet, delicate, and delectable - especially with horseradish sauce.



Our first Vermont Yak Company season has been full of so many blessings, big and little. Perhaps the most exciting has been getting to know our neighbors better, as we work together to re-invent a 20 acre piece of Vermont's working landscape with a most amazing four-legged species.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL, and WE LOOK FORWARD TO 2009!

YAK TRACKS: YAKKING about YAKS in Winter



Winter has come to Steadfast Farm.

Gone are the leisurely summer and fall days - chasing yaks around green pastures.

We are hunkering down for a long winter.

The hay bales are all up, the water pipes are all winterized, the bubbler is in the trough, and the yaks are happy to have it cold.

The rhythm of our winter days is a bit different - our work is more solitary. Susan is up early to feed and water the 4 leggeds most mornings, and the Williams team handle most of the afternoon feedings, with Dave helping out.

First we get the water trough filling, and then shred the hay bales - enough for two big feeder fulls and some loose hay along the fence - and ensure that everyone gets some of the good energy in that summer cut grass.

This video gives you a glimpse of Steadfast Farm in the snow.

Kudos to our youngest VYC member - 6 year old Theron Williams - for his steady shot camera work with Jet Black in the corral/barn sliding door munching.

Friday, December 5, 2008

YAK TRACKS: Yakking About Yak Chili!




NOTE: Thanks to Champlain College student Joe Dimeck for this humdinger of a recipe. We're pleased and honored to hear that Champlain College is featuring our sweet Italian sausage as part of their end-of-semester" dinner party comprised of largely local ingredients from farmers all over Vermont.

Joe's Simple Chili

1 can of light red kidney beans
1 can of dark red kidney beans
1 can of white kidney beans
2 medium-sized cans of tomato sauce
3lbs of meat (1lb yak, 1lb veal, 1lb elk works nicely if you can get the elk, but be creative with the meat).
2 boxes of Shelby's Chili mix (1 box per 2lbs)
1 jalapeno (more if you like heat)
half an onion diced

Step 1: Brown the meat. Add sea salt if you like.
Step 2: Cut onion and jalapeno. Open cans of beans and drain the liquid.
Step 3: After meat finishes browning, drain the fat.
Step 4: Pour the beans, tomato sauce, Shelby's chili mix, and meat into a pot.
Step 5: Slow cook on a medium heat, stirring occasionally for as short as a half hour and as long as you want
Step 6: Enjoy.