Barclay Daranyi of Indian Ridge Farm & Bakery digs into the soil

17 Feb Barclay Daranyi of Indian Ridge Farm & Bakery digs into the soil

[click "Play" button to hear Susan's conversation with Barclay]

Barclay Daranyi and husband Tony are now the proud owners/operators of the of popular CSA farm, Indian Ridge, in Norwood, Colorado – and regular contributors to Telluride Inside…and Out with recipes and words of wisdom about sustainable food practices.

This week, Barclay is digging in the soil, where her roots, literal and metaphorical, lie.

Barclay grew up on Caretaker Farm, started by her parents in 1969 and now one of the oldest organic farms in Massachusetts. Barclay's parents,Sam and Elizabeth Smith, are retired, but still live on the farm as part of the arrangement with the conservation trust, established to ensure the place remains  a working farm, affordable to future generations of farmers. Caretaker is now being worked by Don Zasada and Bridget Spann.

"Properly managed, grazing animals can actually reverse desertification and greatly increase the soil's ability to hold CO2.
Living soil holds the key to the future and our survival on this planet."

To hear more from Barclay on the subject, including the role meat plays in the Big Picture, click the "play" button to hear her podcast.

Barclay also recommends the following websites to enhance your knowledge on the subjects: www.holisticmanagement.org (Allan Savory) and
www.mycorrhizae.com (Mike Amaranthus)

This week's recipe from Barclay's file:

Recipe Pot Roast with winter root vegetables
(Bon Apetit, Feb 08)

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
2 teaspoons Hungarian sweet paprika
2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon (packed) golden brown sugar
1 4-pound boneless grass-fed beef chuck roast, James Ranch or Indian Ridge,
6 ounces slab bacon, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices, then into 1×1/2-inch rectangles
2 cups dry red wine
1/2 cup low-salt chicken broth
2 large onions, thinly sliced
12 small shallots, peeled
12 garlic cloves, peeled
3 bay leaves
4 large carrots (about 1 pound), peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 medium parsnips (about 12 ounces), peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 small celery root, peeled, cut into 1-inch cubes

preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix first 6 ingredients in small bowl. Rub spice blend all over beef.

Cook bacon in heavy large ovenproof pot over medium heat until browned and lightly crisp. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons drippings from pot. Increase heat to medium-high. Add beef and cook until browned on all sides, about 12 minutes total. Transfer beef to plate. Add red wine to pot; bring to boil, scraping up browned bits. Boil until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 5 minutes. Add broth and bacon. Place beef atop bacon. Scatter onions, shallots, garlic, and bay leaves around beef.

Cover pot, transfer to oven, and roast 1 hour. Turn beef over; stir onions. Cover and roast 1 hour longer, adding water by 1/4 cupfuls if dry. Transfer beef to plate. Add carrots, parsnips, and celery to pot; stir to coat. Place beef atop vegetables, cover, and roast until beef and vegetables are tender, about 45 minutes longer. Transfer beef to platter. Spoon off fat from surface of sauce. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over beef and serve.