Lamb updates

Ballad's twins, black ram and white ewe.  They are a week old. 

Not sure which ram this is, as we've got several really nicely
put together ram lambs this year.  He'd be 3 weeks old here.
Really showing the influence of Llwygy X1 - many thanks
to Jo Binns of Great Llwygy Farm.

Last lamb of the season, a nice big ewe lamb from Marisol.
She is gorgeous - very blue, with long, slender upright ears.
 

Dilute French Angora babies - a color comparison

2 opal French Angora kits - both born 4-22.  Look how different their
color looks, even though they have the same father, and their mothers
are closely related.  The one on the left has a wide tan ban, and the one
 on the left has very little tan, just a ticking.

The "bluer" opal doe.  Sire: Montours Blue Skies
Dam: Somerhill Fargo. 
There is a cream doe, and a REW buck and doe in the litter too.

This is the "tanner" opal, with her blue sister
Sire:  Montours Blue Skies    Dam: Somerhill Tidbit
There are 2 cream bucks and a blue tort doe in the litter, too.

White Rabbit Enchiladas

10 soft taco shells
2 cups cooked, shredded rabbit
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
3 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup sour cream
1 (4 oz) can diced green chillies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9x13 pan

Mix chicken and 1 cup cheese.  Roll up in tortillas and place in pan.
In a sauce pan, melt butter, stir in flour and cook 1 minute.  Add broth and whisk until smooth.  Heat over medium heat until thick and bubbly. 
Stir in sour cream and chilies.  Do not bring to boil, you don't want curdled sour cream.
Pour over enchiladas and top with remaining cheese.
Bake 22 min and then under high broil for 3 min to brown the cheese.

Breakfast Lamb Casserole

½ cup sliced onion
2 tablespoons margarine or butter
¼ cup diced green pepper
1/8 cup sliced pimiento
1 pound ground lamb 
1 bay leaf, pulverized
1 teaspoon seasoned pepper
¼ teaspoon thyme
pinch ground marjoram
½ teaspoon black pepper
¾ teaspoon salt
1 pound fresh or frozen hash browns
4-6 eggs
½ cup grated Cheddar cheese

In a small frying pan, sauté diced onion in 1 tablespoon margerine or butter until soft. Remove with a slotted spoon and place in a large mixing bowl.

Melt remaining 1 tablespoon margarine or butter in frying pan and sauté diced green pepper. Remove green pepper with slotted spoon and set aside in small bowl. Add pimiento to sautéed green pepper.

Mix ground lamb, pulverized bay leaf, seasoned pepper, thyme, ground marjoram, black pepper and salt. Form lamb mixture into 8-10 2-inch diameter patties. In large frying pan, cook lamb patties over medium heat until brown and firm. Remove patties and set aside on paper towels. 

Drain frying pan of drippings; wipe clean with paper towel. In cleaned pan, fry hash browns with sautéed green peppers and pimientos. When hash browns are almost done, place patties on top of hash browns. Gently break eggs on top of lamb patties and hash browns, taking care not to break yokes. Cover and allow eggs to cook. For firm egg whites and runny yokes, dot the egg whites with butter or margarine and place the uncovered pan under the broiler. Add grated cheese, sprinkle over entire mixture shortly before eggs are done and cover or replace under broiler until cheese is melted.

Ilse's Trips

Ilse's triplets, now 2.5 weeks old.  They are thriving!

These are the ones from my Easter basket photo - they'd

never fit in it now!

 

Look out world!

Rabbit in pasta with pesto

1# rabbit strips
2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1/2 tsp. paprika
1 T olive oil
8 oz. pasta such as macaroni, cellentani
1 cup chicken broth
Arugula Pesto

Preheat oven to 400°. Sprinkle rabbit with salt, pepper, and paprika. Heat oil in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet , place rabbit in skillet; reduce heat to medium, and cook, turning occasionally, until rabbit is lightly browned and just cooked through. Transfer rabbit to a plate; discard drippings.
Prepare pasta according to package directions. Toss with chicken broth and 3 Tbsp. arugula pesto. Add pasta mixture to skillet and add rabbit. Bake covered at 400° for 25 to 30 minutes. Dollop with additional arugula pesto.

Arugala Pesto:  Process 2 cups firmly packed arugula, 1/2 cup firmly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley, 1/2 cup olive oil, 2 garlic cloves, 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, 2 Tbsp. water, 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper in a food processor until smooth. Refrigerate up to 1 week.

April 5th babies

Born early in the AM when it was 19 degrees, a set of twins, one
of each sex, to Somerhill Ilaria.  Her twin sister, Ilse, had the first
lambs this year, a set of triplets. 

Somerhill Larue, with her seconds old baby girl.  She just got up
to see what on earth that flappy thing is that just came out of her.
In a couple of minutes, she will push once, and baby sister #2
will drop out.  At this point of the morning, its about 50 degrees
and they will dry and warm in the morning sunshine

Potosi Elsie with her newborn daughter.  Sadly, the twin ram
lamb had died in utero, but the ewe lamb is quite healthy.

April 4th babies

Somerhill Hill Bess babies by Xcel.  One of each sex.

Stuffed Grape Leaves

3 lbs. ground lamb
¼ cup Greek olive oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped fine
2 medium onions, chopped fine
1 28-oz can of plum tomatoes
1 pinch marjoram
1 pinch cumin
salt and pepper (to taste)
4 Tablespoons of butter
1 cup raw rice
2 cups chicken stock
2 Tablespoons pignoli nuts
2 Tablespoons raisins
1¼ teaspoons coriander seeds, crushed
2 Tablespoons parsley, chopped
1 jar of grape leaves (available from major grocers)

Heat the olive oil in a casserole and add the garlic. When the garlic begins to sizzle, remove it and add all but 2 tablespoons of the chopped onions. Sauté them for 5-8 minutes. Add the tomatoes and their juice, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook slowly for at least an hour. Season with the cumin, marjoram, and salt and pepper to taste.

Sauté the remaining 2 tablespoons of chopped onions in a saucepan in 1 tablespoon of the butter. When the onion is soft and clear, add the rice and stir. Add the chicken stock and cover the rice with a buttered lid (wax paper works well). Cook in a preheated 350° oven for about 20 minutes. Stir 3 tablespoons of butter into the hot rice, let it melt, then cool.

Turn the rice into a large bowl, add the meat, pignoli nuts, raisins, coriander, parsley, 1 teaspoon (or to taste) of pepper and salt. Mix ingredients well.

Wash the grape leaves under very cold water and spread them on the counter. Put about one tablespoon of the meat mixture in the center of each leaf. Fold the leaf and pin together with a toothpick.

Place the rolled grape leaves in a deep baking pan and cover them with sauce. Add additional layers and more sauce as needed. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and cook for about an hour and a half in a preheated 350° oven. If the sauce dries too much, add a little water.

 

Somerhill Colorado

Well, while we're standing around, waiting for someone to lamb, here is a photo of Colorado, my junior Satin Angora chestnut doe.  She is out of Ginger Hill by Silverado, so carries chinchilla.  I think she is quite nice, and has great sheen and density. 

Shivaree's twins - ram & ewe

Monday AM drama

These are China's twins - big ram and little ewe (standing).  Somehow little sis had crawled through a hole and was under the barn floor.  Chuck had to tear up several boards in order to get her out.   Luckily, mama China took her back.   The hole is now filled!