The Second Saturday Soiree

As a child I could never understand vegetarians; and thought they were, for the most part, insufferably annoying.

Then of course, I went vegetarian.

This did not happen overnight, but I actually can't remember when or how the transition began for me. What I do know is why. 

I became aware of where meat comes from. This sounds stupid, from animals of course! But most meat consumed in the US dosen't simply come from a cow, it comes from a factory farmed cow. And factory farming entails some of the most hideous abuses to animals. This that one would NEVER do to a pet dog or cat, but to a pig (which are actually smarter than both dogs and cats)... no problem! For instance...

• Breeding sows are kept in tiny gestation crates only two feet wide, so small they cannot even turn around, and are kept in a continuous cycle of pregnancy. 
• Kept in horribly overcrowded conditions chickens often become aggressive attacking other birds. To prevent this they have part of their beaks cut off - without  anesthesia.
• The slaughterhouse itself is often a nightmare for animals. Most animals are shackled upside down by their ankles and killed via electrical stunning, invariably some animals are not killed by the stun and then proceed, fully conscious to the next stage - the scalding tank where the animals are boiled alive. 
• Many animals are born and raised entirely indoors and do not see the daylight until they are shipped to slaughter.
• For more information and sources please go to: http://www.farmsanctuary.org, images of factory farming, http://www.idausa.org, and http://www.factoryfarmmap.org/

However, after a couple years of total vegetarianism, it occurred to me that, as I'm really just protesting the inhumane treatment of animals we consume, it didn't make any since for me to also boycott farms that go the extra mile, and actually treat their animals well. So, for the past half-year or so, I've slowly begun to occasionally cook and eat meat again. Before buying any meat I do thorough research on where it came from; labeling can be mis-leading. Most of the meat from larger commercial farms, even those labeled "organic and free range" are often not actually treated that well...from  United Poultry Concerns website (http://www.upc-online.org) : 

"Birds raised for meat may be sold as 'free-range' if they have government certified access to the outdoors. The door may be open for only five minutes and the farm still qualifies as 'free-range.' "

For this Saturday Soiree I bought both ground beef and buffalo from local family-owned farms. And I was excited! 

Our Menu:

Spinach dip twist with crudités


Tomato and cilantro soup

Fresh butter lettuce salad

Buffalo and beef sliders with goat cheese and arugula on biscuits

J made the dip; composed of mostly greek yogurt, a bit of mayonaise, various herbs and spices, and of course spinach it was very very yummy!

The soup we adapted from the Best Ever Indian Cookbook. It was fun and simple to make, and perfect for a comforting meal in the chilly winter. 

Tomato and Cilantro Soup adapted from the Best Ever Indian Cookbook

• 1 and 1/2 lb tomatos, peeled and chopped plus 1 box Pomi chopped tomatos
• 1/2 T oil
• 4+ scallions, chopped
• a couple cloves garlic, crushed
• salt to taste
• black pepper to taste
• at least 1/4 cup cilantro
• at least 6 cups water/vegetable broth
• 1 T cornstarch

Peel tomatos by boiling for 30 seconds to a minute then remove at let cool until easily handled. Skin should now easily peel off. The roughly chop tomatos. Heat oil in large sauce pan and saute tomatos and scallions until soft. Gradually add the salt, garlic, pepper and cilantro. Pour in water and let simmer over low heat for 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile dissolve cornstarch into a bit of cold water until forms a thick and creamy paste. Add cornstarch to soup and stir over low heat for about 3 more minutes. Enjoy!

As to the sliders, well they were delicious!