7978_HappyHens

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contents 1x • prr(acCT 1 •

intrt.>dr1cti<111

• about 1he mipt'S 7 • liipril•I(

tne s-pring chichn :.'I nd g;irdcn

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is •

thr CR,: sprin,g ra:ipcs

8t • 11,rmmrr

~, • 1he i mnnw,r chicktil a,,d garden 9S • rhc CAA: summer rcc1pc5 111 • . . ., ... . ,1

rhe aurumn cfoc.kcn :and g.1rden 1o • t ht' egg: autumn rc,1,,;pes

122 •

163 • • i n ter J 6◄

• the wll:11er chicken and gardtn 1 74

19 1 •

• rhc egg: winter recipes

cl,ic-ken and g..irdm index 195 • uc,p~mdn:

200 •

abou t tbe contributors

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preface As a h3ck) ard g.1rdener .scr:uchmgaway ~ 1 grow• int t:Jiblei. and bu,ldin~ up tn) !>df-suffic.·it"nc), l"v4:' been askin~ sbo11ld I or $1,ouldrtt I when it come:!, t() keeping chidcns. I'm hun!;;(y for deli

aou~. t"lh1cal fteC·l'un eggs to ltcd "'>' f.1.nul), ao<I k«n torn fluffy flock 1h:1t will p;urol for garden pests a11d contribute bu<.'ktt•loads of rich c.~hjcken

manure for the ,•eget1blc beds.

Out q ut':'ition1 contmuc to duck awaf in~ide

my head: Arcducl:tn, wonh th<: fu~s? Will they rult: the backyard rooi.t, or arc 1he) c.uy company? \l 1h ich bretds are best and what wtll they

do co mr gardens 1f I give them free reign? Whtie can and can't they eat, and how about predaton;,

patasitel>t w1mer fteez.e.; and summer heat spike)?

And o n ond on ( fu.s..,;, preny much like i)'t."$) an old hen.

Thankfully. in wha1 i.s one of the mos.1cnrcrt.1 ining

Child's pb)': ~ping IS fw, and~ worth the t'.<tril t"ffort. Ht!re Marlowe h.ims n up with Helm a bt.,nd "t-1--~1 who con1en1nlly U1--«f otA ht-< I~ d.i}") r, t~

•utho,:\ ~ ky,ud henho'6C

read,; I've had in a good long while,

author, chef and ba,k)'.ttd-.chicktn fonatic Signe Longford .1nswcrs all , hcsc q uestions ond more, and tell~ how, w uh a tad of know•howt kttping

chickens can bcch,tJ·s r1a)·· And, wnh all of 1hcir .1.dorable anti"-s to cnioy, ju!>t a:s. lun.

Jndud int? tips for keepinl? a flock of bapp}' egg-layers. wh,n happens when fl hen hirs .. hcno• pam,c" and DIV ch1ckc:n doetormg, Signe takc-s U\

through , he year from a bird\-cye point or view and tdls t1II about life at '"Cluckingh:1111 Pnk1..:e,"' bet wb:ln backyard heohouse. She offers advice on which plants tog.row, and how ro pror«c rhcm from the: .., u te-.!t1 walking ~arburators C:\er," a~ 0,,0Sllt CLOCkWl:S.[ F"RO~ TO, l[H M6S Vid:y shn.ggirrg off the cold (DGi tomatoandbl~<hng hca.rt

'ieedlang:s. n f'S&W'tl pot:s. (~). Big Mamma. hanging Ou'I pt"ilth blo-.-.on'l-t ,n my \C)lif1 ganl•n(OG)

lrnidf' (01 • d\ln&e (OG)

well os a plan for the ulrimarc herb ~:1rdcn for hcaJthy hen.... \'('hen <1_tgs~rgrous blue from Amcraocana dlickem or ri.:h chocol.att'•bro\\ n from ~faran!-are as good :1$ onJ) homl"jU'own ~i,tS can be, th-eir A:wour shine, through. Wirh ,;pcct.1cul.u photogra1:>hy hy Donna Griffith, rhi, b0<1k prnvid~ Q\'Cr a hundr~·d se;isonal W3)'S., many comribured by tOJ>chd'i., 10 enjoy the :abondan..:e- nnd versatility of b:id)'titd er.gs.

This beautiful collection of recipes, rcmini'i'• ceoce,; and SUK'-" ,1dvice will impire and ddiKht

wirh us many rcflccnons on rhe joys :.rnd deep sarisfuc..-rinn of addinA happ)' hms and fre,;h cv;~ to out everyday life.

-Cnrol Popc-,A,;soci:ue Editor

Copyrtghwd Mawrial

Copyrtght.ed Mat.enal

infrodue tion

) ' M

father had a weakness fo r strays, so I

wild. St:I) ed; others wtre e,-3~er to he:11and head

rabbits, ha mster$, fish and a funk)•·smellin.g '$tnl)' tomcat named Wall)' Walnut:,, a long with the d uel~ and chic.-hns. It all ~ccmcd pc-dccdy normal tome.

110 ... td :ill rhe onirnals, but it was the uJl ique

for home. He had a soft spot for the rciecccd and

L'el.luonsbip ,vc humans can h,wc wuh cillckcns

grew up with a n evcr--ch,mging menagerie

chat wa"l:td anc.l waned al!o chc:y came: and went.

Somt, mo broken or dependcm to go h:lc:k to th e

unw.mtcd, the maligned, tht' m;mgy, the motley

.1nd e,•en the nefarious; rac«..oon.'), !tkunks, ,rows. a caim:rn he musr h:n•c ,;muru;lcd back with u~

from Florida. e,·cn a lonel)' S<1uirrtl inonkty he

spom·d m the mall. And. o( course, chcrc were all the w,ual .!.u-;pccu: canaries, hudgic~, dog~.

tHOw· My gilrden, ClfU 2009 8C (1h.it's 8efcwe Chickens~ I ended up Lf~•ng ,n my lush backyard meadow for fresh eggs and foathcre<I h,('nds. o,,osn(, CLOCIC"WI S( fROM TOP L(FT; Mi~ Vittty ,)twj ""'(OG); red pot,to H""K'IOlffl fSlJ; ~ i n tt"f'ld,il (SL) Cindy loo. a re-;cued S.!~IP r.iq

Copyrighwd Mawrial

Copyrtghwd Mawrtal

going out on a Jbnb The whole time I've ha,d m)' ladles I've been o n edge I feel like .,,.efe living on borrowul time You see, 1n my town. keeping i few loVE-ly backyard hens goes against a mumopal bylaw that was wnt1tn Into thie- books In 1981. Thi! group Toronlo Chickens. spearheaded by my good friend-0.=ir Len~ {yes. that's het nomde ~ - hterally!} has bttn wOl'f.:i-ng tuetessly lO

,i..."

hove the byl•w sm,;lc down, but of the time of wrmng there has still been no cha~.

In eve,y corne, of lhe world. from small villages to cosmopolitan North American and Eu,opean metropolises. folks a,e pernwnOO to keep, few OOckyato chlcktes. but n<X her~ Not yet. So. 1n being so public. I am really go1n.g out 0 ,1 a limb. but I do it gtlldly. in the hope- that rt brings change It's E-xhausting llvf'lg a life of crime! ,har left the mo,;t IJc;ting m:.1rk on me. I nc,•cr

~tol)IX'<l wanring c.-hickl'tl'> .again: through collc..~e, o(fice work :rnd yc:1rs of :tp:1runcn1 li,·ing, ir W3) o ur o( tht question. but I l<J11g~d for 3 00c.'k of Jll)' own. I wt1s 1'1.11 urb,rnite. s,uing in front o{

perennials and sclf-sowmgannu.1b rnmbl1ng om of (:ontrol-my own littlt' Engl1~h co1tagc: g3rdc:n right in 1he hc:m o( ,he i;il).

I pbnc«I my vq;~ics in rid)' row:.. p:iths o ( <1ld

her computer until late inco the night looking at

brides rd found se1. in betwten; volUJHeer ochina• cc-1, monarda, gooscncx:k lo0'5C$ttifc and mornmg

pi<.1 un.'.', of c..-c>0p<;, ..-xoric breed~. hen\, rouster'-1,

glor)' addt'd colour and emicc:d pollina10r-i a nd

impossibl)' sweer .ln(I Ruff)' bab) chkks- um,

hummingbird-:, At ,he heighc of summer~ I could hide my~lf fro m che world behind rall. tan~lt"<I 1:nasse!I of pinks.. whfrcs. reds. purples an<! greens . •• and then rhe chickC'ns came.

My t:hicken hx:ll ion had h<..-rn re-aching a ere• scendo. I was genill& framic; the cta\ing) wtre bad. So when rhc I.as, impcd1mcm, a sck.k-in-thc• mud hoyh-1t'nd,got the heck out of my way, I did it. I w('nt ,n '-<'.arch or my rim flock and brough, humt• re)cuc:d t'X•h:1u c-r y hens, or ex•har\: two goofy Leghorn~ and a Rhode lslaod Red. One of

your basic c hicken porn.

I read

1111d

learned. dreomed. ond pbnned foe

the day I'd bring my chickens homt ro roost.

Unril then, I i:ould alway,; gard en, and I did. Oh, i1 was a lush Jl.:ll'dtn! Soft. cool areas of grab For lying on~ cd~cd by wide swaths o f wild, call

My a(fect,on fo, ~ of au fec1th~t\ got'\ .....~. v.~ ~'My childhood wi\ 1'Khi>1 for \:Hp •'lg hens, •nd I an'c

-,,~,ne llte w11hout 11'1)' lad1e~ now. either

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HA,, 'I' H I.N S & fl U H I C 4S

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as in Keller. The other was her suppon. and they

love th:tt old ada~e, but woukt like to add a sprinkling of sarisfoction and a dosh of sclf•suffic1cncy.

~ruck 1ogcrher. so \he hec11mc Anmc ~ulli\'an,

That ,;rufl"s d:.mm c;ury!

the ltf;h<>m$ was blind, so t named her Htlen,.

11atch! 11le rc:d? Ginger.

Every se:tS-On rhc hens ccru,:h me something new about chicken .kcc.-ping. gordcning, com ru·omi~ing ~,nd cniof1t1g the: momtnt amidst tht

imix-rm:rncm..-c oi li(e. And \pc.1king ol impcrm.1neoce. while he didn't live ro >ee it, I know F:uhet would have felr nghc at home in my ~arden, my coop .ind mr k itchen, complete with my o wn ftath<:n:J mrnagtne of :.tta}", The way I ,cc it, hen-kttping i, a natural

extensioo o( the ki,cheo :rnd g11rden: it's II syinbiouc rclanon.ship .1.s old as agriculrurc between human, hen and planr,;. In the peak o( :,ummcr

whc:n my ladies arc: laying well and che g:uden i:. in major prodm..-rion mode, Jwill pop oursidc nl)' back door. collect a coupJe of eggs-sometimes snll warm from the hen-then visit the garden tu ..Ct' wha1\ ripe: and rt"ad}. l',·c m,ult' l.'.e>mplc:t<" me-al.s from 6,e-minure •marker trips- imo the Jtardcn. fcclini:t terribly ple3scd wirh myself and

grinning: likt- an 1dior the whole nmt. lt"s been said in :1 number of Wa)·S by a many folk thmushout rinw: "hunt,"Cr i> the bc)t MJUCt'.• J

About This 8oolt ... and Me

I a m a hen keeper, gordencr and profes,ional

cook. I'm not a n ,w1an vc1ett11cuian and I'm nor a horriculturist. And I don'r lih to uc;e the word "chei"; L prder to Ct')er,•e that tille for folks who he;,1d up commercial kitchens. but yes.

I hnvc cooked p rofes-.aonolly o;ince 1998. And, for 1ha1 maner, l',c ga,r<lt.-nt!\l J>tofts~ionally but ha\rc alwa~ ~h:arc:d g.1rden. culin2ry nn<l chicken ad,-ice fretl)'- for the love of it.

AJI of ,his co say. Ill)' humble linle book d()(.'S not co111.1m the lafl word on g.ardrning o r cOQk• ingot even on chir..kcn-kecping. h oomatn~ only Ill)' word. J"vc: 101..-ed and Ji,;cd thc.:,,c acrivirit.'$ for most o f 1~1)' yt-arj nud learned a thin~ or three through uial and error. loss and mumph. My goo I wi1h thi~ culleuion of anecdcKt"s, ndvice, rt'ci1,o and reminiscenct'.'S is to enrenain, inspfre, inform :and, with luck, lc;.1d you down the ~rdcn rxith ... all the way ro the 1.'00p and back into the kitchen, with a new or rcntwcd pa-.sion for growing. ra1s•

ing. and cooking your °'' n .1111;u:ing food.

INUOOUCTION

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Copyrtghwd Mawrial

Copyrighted Material

Copyrighwd Mai.rial

about the rec ipes

) ' M

l:uhcr used to ,;.1y rhcrc's nothing new under the ~un. I-le ,lidn't live 10 ~f't" 1iny h;ind•held compuH:rs. which seem prcny d.:im

And, 1hough I should think thio; goe,; without

:,,.,1ying, I will ~a> it :lll)Wa); in fuu, I wtll lx-g ~Ou: please. plcast, please do not use foetOl)'•formcd t."gg!>. fa cn ii y()u only use the odd couple in a cake nu~~ pltasc choose cJgc♦frtt.

I'd like w suggc,;t th:u before making any m:ipe. read j1 all the w:t) thl'OuAh on.ct. Wb)'? l've learned rh,u if you don·r, you mit:Jlt be surprised

new to me, hut then ogain. he most like!)' would

1

h,wc hauled out some morsel of histoty du1t shm1,cJ 1.A."Onardo da Vinci Jud ske1chcd i1 0 111 centuries og,o. My poinr ii. simpl) th:at some o( the reci1:>es in this book arc ;1p,e-old classic prep.u.111011,;.

by an m-struaion down the ro,1d.

r-.-lany I've ndded a pcrsQna l twi,st to, hut

there a,e some: lhat ju,, don·1 oecd tht likes of me fiddling: wi1h rhcm- rhcy :lrt pcdc.-cr as they are- m:11.le with backyard ei:;gs., of cour:Se! As for the size of eggs: when recipes c.:ill for

Abo\'<: all, J hope tfus IXk>k will help to get )'OU cooking ;tnd creating wi1h egg!> seaMln b) garden. se:..s<>n. I hope it will hatch a few 1tew idtas.

1>crhaps? 1 here's no need to order potentially un healthy takeout when an incxpcnsi\'e, dehciou), ~llin~t nutric111-dtn:>1: Jj1mer 1s iu'-t a few

them, tt'\ generally a\sumcd 1.ugc, and that goej for thii. c.:olltcrion 100. H you're ui.ing )rote·

bouv.ln o r other gn1dcd c:~g...,. that's c:ii,y m do.

But if you're cooking with your Ladies• own. the s.,us may var)' qu11c a bit. While it's fo1rl)' safe to ,wmme that a 'itandard-sizcd hen will la>· brgr egSI,), defined in Nonh Americ~ as about 1 oz {60 R). vinragc sc;1lcs rh:.u you c.1n use to wci1th them .ire all over the mttrnrt for purchJ-.c and r,rc-n)' new ones" irh an okS-(imcy look arc avail-

c.~~ :md

:1

h:mdful of her~ a war. Ye,;,

t.'f.ltS

fo r

dinner. 1-fetk. how ::ibout my Sweet Lin.gooberry Jam Omelette (page ;6)! Why not?

able ar (:i.-m-)uppl)' :.hopi..

\'('hen [ calJ for buner, l rook .1.nd ba.ke with SJhcd; I hkc .-i linfo salt. If you don't, fed free co U\>C umaltt."d.

Wherever and whent::\'Ct possible. J ha,·c u~ct:I org.,nic dairy-and hope you will too!

When I call for .fioc sea soh. I just mean a fi ne gr,1in as opposed 10 coarse. uot fa ncy a.nd C:Xpt"n~ive.

Unless orherwise 1ndicarcd, nour is a ll-purpose.

o,, o s ,u ClO CkWI U f ll.O~ TOI' ref,h ·ll& with a book c,f ht-n> (DGJ; 1hrift '\101~ fo1d-• 'Vint~ tc:wnlt-1-.pc>on st~nd (IX,) ~ ti) In the ,un (DG)

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Copyrighted Mawrial

Copyrightvd Matvrial

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spring THE SPRING CHICKlN ANO GARDEN

14 Tht Ultimate Hen Mcrb Garden

8 A Chic.ken-or T h rcc..-in Every Ga rdt.':11

9 l'a.11 Fences Make Good Neighbours ,o You're Grmmded!-Clii:>ping

,.

17 Spriog Cleaning Lh(' Coop

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Tas.ty or Toxic?

Easter Eggs. NaturaJly •J Yes. I Le.we My Eggs on the Counter .. . AIL Year. Long.

Your Hen's Win~s

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When Your Backyard Is Chicken Scr.:m;h

,4 All·Shc-Can•Ear Salad Bar

TMl £GG: SPR I NG R£CIPlS

16 How rn 3oil an Egg 16 I lard•U.oiling: 1•1y Way 16 Soft-Boilin_g: Merhod 1 26 Soft-Boiling, Mcrhod 2 18 Essential ~g Rocipes Done Pcrroctly . •. M)' Way 18 Scrambled 18 f rit<I JO Coddl«I JI Omtltttc J• Pooched J2 Chint'se Marbled Tea Egg> JS Ch:rngu.1 36 Sweet" Lingonbcrry Jrun O melcnc 39 Mother's Piel.led Eggs ◄ 0 My Devilled Eggs Mt'eru'$ Curried Dfvilled Egst ◄• Ctt:tm)' Shirred Eggs ◄4 wirh Melted Gouda My Kinda Pcrfcc1 ◄l Egg Salad S.1ndwkhes 46 Cl:1Ssic Hollancbise S:.1uce 48 Sm\shine~Yellow I lomcmadc Mayonnai~

49 Oassk Caesar 50 Onnamon•Vanilla l:\a kcd Custard

l' Crtme Anglaise SJ Luscious All-Purpose Pa$rr)' Crc:tm 54 Blank Slate Choux Pttnry 56 Swee, Italian Zabaglione

57 Savoury Fre nc h Sahayon 58 Ancient Sah-Cured Yolks 6 r M.tplc-Chipotlc O nr::ario Pcc::ans 6) Raspberry-Rose Gin Flip 64 O ntario Pecan-Maple C0<.'0nur M:icaroom.

67 .Bon11je Gordon·s Roy.11 kit~ 68 Bonnie Gordon'$ Sug::ar Cookies 69 Swiss Meringue 69 kalian M<:ringuc 7 1 French Meringue 71 Simple Savoury Souffle 74 Ginger Rholxub Crombie With Frt"sh Ginger Fool Chef Christine Cushing"s 76 Easter Tsourcki

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