Tuesday, December 27, 2011

A Step Back In Time Hearth Cooking Event

Eggs don't get fresher than this!





Narragansett Turkeys











sugar cone





Justin




chicken on string


















The table set for dinner.















On a recent Saturday night with the temperatures hovering at 30 degrees we visited Coggeshall Farm in Bristol RI for an evening of Hearth cooking and history.We arrived about 3pm and visited with the animals,Sheep,Cows (dairy and beef) chickens,turkeys.We were entertained by one of the farm managers with stories of chicken culture and how they interact.Very comical and informative.We then went on to harvest eggs from a barn full of hay,you walked into the mounds of hay looking for fresh eggs for dinner.Then on to the garden to dig some turnips,and pick up some fallen brush for the fire.We then proceed down to the root cellar where there are barrels and boxes filled with dirt or sand with root vegetables layered in them.We collected carrots and beets.There was also a barrel of brine with hams from a hog butchering class held a few weeks before.They also had slabs of bacon curing in the main room upstairs where we cooked the meal.This building has no power and this whole evening was lighted by 3 or 4 homemade tallow candles. We cooked a chicken on a string.(the chicken was from the farm)boiled root vegetables,Johnnie Cakes on a griddle,a marlborough pie in the dutch oven.We were entertained with vast amounts of history by the two interpreters,Justin Squizzero and Stacy Booth. Everything from the use of forks and knives,you use the fork to stab food and the knife to move the food to your mouth,a challenge indeed,to washing dishes in the dining room after dinner in a barrel with homemade lye soap.We learned about sugar cones and the process involved in Making them and how to use them.This was a truly authentic experience and I highly recommend you make a visit to this small intimate but very informative museum.



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