Snails and Zombie Pancakes

It's been raining here, a little.  Okay, an inch and a half in one day.  I'm walking home from the bus and there on the sidewalk is a snail.  Then another one.  I put them both in my pocket meaning to drop them into the terrarium at home and see what happens.  I get home, look through the mail, get cleaned up, make dinner, forget about the snails...

The next day I'm at work, reach into my coat pocket, and...they're still there!  I wash them off and put them in a plastic container I recently pupated a female orange sulphur in, adding some worm compst and kale leaves because they were immediately handy.  The snails came to life within minutes and started exploring.  Later, I brought them home and set up a terrarium of dirt, most, a stick, a rock, and buttercrisp lettuce to snack on.  This was on Wednesday.  Today, they laid two clutches of eggs while we were at the FM.  If kept warm and moist, babies in two weeks?

Speaking of clutches of eggs, we're about ready to order our chicks.  The coop is half built.  School is almost out.  The order and supplies are lined up on-line.  I will keep you posted when I click the order button and they arrive.  Don't forget about our cookbook Kickstarter, at this link.

Meanwhile, I'm finding more and more strawberries with slug bites.  The ones we saved went into pancakes yesterday to celebrate my daughter's preschool graduation.  She loves to make faces with them.  Daddy even got a zombie pancake!

Now to make scape goat (with lamb this time, a half-recipe), herb dipping oil, bread, and home fries.  I love planning meals around the FM and my front yard!  So much cilantro...and still mushrooms from what we dried in October.  I think some soup is in order too.

Gluten-Free

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Scape Goat

Taste of Greece

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2 lbs. young goat or lamb shanks, cut up 

1/2 cup garlic scapes, chopped to 1/2” lengths

1/2 cup fresh stemmed and chopped “Hot and Spicy” or 

     Greek oregano

1/4 cup fresh stemmed and chopped lemon thyme

1 tbs. grape seed or olive oil

2 cups of peeled carrots cut diagonally, 1/2” thick

3 potatoes with skin, scrubbed and sliced 1/2” thick

1 cup chopped celery or celeriac

1 large onion, roughly chopped

1/2 tsp. each salt and white pepper

3 tbs. tomato paste

1 cup dry red wine

Preheat oven to 350ºF.  Stem herbs by pulling leaves downward, discarding any discolored or dead leaves.  Trim excess fat from meat.  Heat oil in large stainless steel pan or Dutch oven on medium-high.  Brown meat but do not cook through, about 3 minutes per side.  Set meat aside and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Add carrots, potatoes, celery/celeriac, onion, and tomato paste and stir well.  Cook about five minutes, or until onions soften.  Add garlic scapes and cook 2-3 minutes more.  Return meat to pan, pour in wine, and spread herbs over all.  Heat to simmering.  Cover pan with tight-fitting lid or foil and finish cooking in oven until meat is tender and falling off bone, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.  Serves 4.