Sandpaper

As the week has progressed, my hands are beginning to feel a lot like sandpaper. I spent the morning attempting to assemble a hog feeder, which Daniel had told me would be like putting together a Lego set. The instructions weren't quite as intuitive as I hoped and it took me almost four hours of trial, error and common sense to wedge a pile of nuts and bolts into the right slots.  

After lunch, Daniel and I measured a new plot of land on the farm and began spreading some decomposing leaves that were blocking the way. As the path cleared, we moved on to haul a heap of horse manure to scatter across the field. It felt amazing to shower after doing that.

Today also marked my turn to prepare dinner. I decided to take a low-risk approach to my first attempt at cooking a meal for three, settling on a double-serving of Alice Waters' Cheese and Pasta Gratin from The Art of Simple Food. I wish I could have made a salad to pair the pasta with, but most of the vegetables on the farm are still a work in progress until the CSA begins in June. I sliced some sourdough, sprinkled some olive oil and broiled that in the oven for a couple minutes to serve with the pasta instead.

One thing currently in surplus, however, are eggs. I'll need to figure out how to incorporate those into meals for next time.

Cheese and Pasta Gratin
(8 Servings)
Melt, in a heavy skillet: 6 tablespoons butter
Add: 6 tablespoons flour
Cook over very low heat, stirring with a whisk for 3 minutes. The roux should bubble gently.
Whisking constantly, add, little by little: 4 cups of milk
Continue whisking until the sauce has the consistency of thick cream.
Add: Sea salt to taste.
Raise the heat to medium, switch to a wooden spoon, and stir continuously until the sauce begins to simmer. Lower the heat and cook, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes.
Turn off the heat under the white sauce and stir in: 12 ounces grated cheese.
Cooke al dente in abundant salted boiling water: 4 1/2 cups short-cut pasta (macaroni, fusilli, penne).
Save a cup of water from the boiled pasta. Drain and combine the pasta with the cheese sauce. Mix until well-coated and pour some pasta water to adjust the thickness of the sauce as needed. Serve right away.

(Recipe from The Art of Simple Food: Notes, Lessons, and Recipes from a Delicious Revolution by Alice Waters)