Hungry for a perfectly cooked steak, without the price tag from an expensive restaurant? We’ve outlined the best type of steak to use, the equipment you’ll need and the exact steps we use to prep and cook steaks for our family. PS. This information is designed to be used in conjunction with our How to […]
Lambs and hoggets are both young sheep. Much of the ‘lamb’ found on supermarket and butcher’s shelves is in fact hogget meat, with customers being none the wiser! (source) When thinking about their meat, there are three main differences between lambs and hoggets. 1. Age difference: Lambs are sheep up to around 12 – […]
Very few can resist the taste of a succulent lamb roast. But let’s face it, sometimes the very thought of cooking a roast sounds like so . much . effort! That’s why we love this recipe. For the cook, it’s appealing because: The lamb roast is flavoured with just 6 ingredients (that you likely have […]
The flavours in this meal take me back nearly three decades (gulp – that makes me sound so old!). My love of Mexican food blossumed in my mid teens, when I was working in north-west NSW picking table grapes and packing rockmelons. I stayed with a beautiful, God-honouring family, who regularly shared their dinner table […]
Nowadays, a visit to the deli section promises a smorgasbord for the eyes (and stomach). Long glass counters proudly boast a wide range of culinary delicacies – cured and fermented meats, cheeses, antipasto ingredients, salads and more. With your shopping list firmly in hand, you carefully peruse the meats. Pork, beef, lamb, chicken, turkey, fish, […]
Soup is the perfect meal to serve on a wintery day. And in our house, we eat soup at least once a week because it’s such an easy meal to prepare, and it’s a sure-fire way to fill hungry tummies. One of the soups we used to make frequently is the good old Pea and […]
Winter has set in quickly this year, and so our menu has changed rather abruptly from BBQed meat and salads to comforting, cook-all-day type of stews. While it’s easy to reach for the same old stew recipe, occasionally it’s satisfying to try something new. And even more when the ‘new’ can be added to the […]
Our Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) for 2018 was a huge success. Here is what our CSA members found most beneficial about the program… Being able to have high quality organic meat delivered to my work address on a regular basis. This has reduced my time at the supermarket and has given me piece of mind […]
Which parent wouldn’t love a high-protein quick snack or lunch right in time for the school holidays? We certainly would! And while it’s not possible to come and show you each just how simple they are to prepare, we can share the recipe with you, and wait expectantly for big grins from your whole family! […]
Sausages and onion are one of my favourite combinations …. and throw in the bonus of minimal prep and washing up, and I’m all in!! Do you have a cabbage hiding in the bottom of your fridge that would just love to be transformed into a tasty meal? And what about that bag of frozen […]
The very limited rains we’ve had over the past 6 months have put a strain on many things … the feed supply for our cattle and sheep, the sub-soil moisture levels, our established trees, and our rainwater tanks. But we’ve recently been battling with something even more problematic than any of these. An influx of […]
Have you ever thought about the fact that some areas are known more by their namesake recipe or food than for their actual location? Take Quiche Lorraine, Beef Burgundy, Peking Duck, or Mongolian Lamb for example. Or how about Dijon Mustard, Belgian Waffles and Turkish Delight? By including the location, a certain air of significance […]
It’s admission time. Do you have a bag (or two) of lamb neck chops lurking in the bottom of your freezer? Anyone? Yep – we do too! Have you ever wondered why most people tend to use every other cut in their freezers, and leave these little meaty morsels til last? There are at least […]
Have you ever invited friends to come for a meal, and didn’t have time to prepare something fancy? Or have you been asked to ‘bring a plate’ to a pot-luck, and then had no idea what to cook? Perhaps you were on a meal roster for someone in need, only to discover they had food […]
It’s now mid May, and in a typical year, most farmers in our region would be winding up their seeding regimes. Most seeds would have germinated on residual soil moisture, and the growth accelerated by autumn rains. Usually the weary farmers (and their families) would be looking forward to a break after an intense few […]
The presence of flavour enhances our eating satisfaction no end. (We’ve discussed this on our blog here). On the other hand, the absence of flavour in a meal can be disappointing. As home cooks, how then, can we guarantee the meals we prepare are brimming with natural flavours? You can be forgiven for assuming that […]
Life at Border Park is never dull …. especially in Autumn when the ewes are lambing! Not only do the ewes need extra mineral supplementation and the fox population controlled, there is the issue of abandoned or orphaned lambs. The task of raising poddy lambs this year has been the sole responsibility of our eldest […]
Having had 17 poddy lambs this year has made me sort of like a Mum. This is what I’ve noticed about my babies (well, lambs!): Before you have your own, you think that lambs all look the same. But once you have your own pet lambs, you realise they’re all individuals. Pepper’s tail has two kinks; […]
We Aussies love our meat. In fact, we’re amongst the top consumers of meat in the world. Meat undoubtedly holds a central position in the diets of many Australians. But have you ever thought that what state or region you live in may influence what meat type you prefer, purchase and eat? Figures released in […]
Border Park Organics produces Certified Organic grain, beef, sheep and wool. The farm became certified organic in 1996 and continues to be certified organic with NASAA (NCO 5442). All livestock sold via our website are 100% Certified Organic when they leave the farm. They are slaughtered, quartered and chilled by Loxton Abattoir and transported by […]
Worldwide, the organics industry is booming. In Australia, there is 15% growth reported year on year. More Aussies than ever have purchased at least one certified organic product in the past year. It’s reasonable to expect this strong trend will continue well into the future. After all, products labelled ‘organic’ seem to offer a win-win scenario: attractive […]
How often have you enjoyed a lamb roast, and then found yourself with a small amount of leftover meat that isn’t quite enough to make another meal? And who says leftovers can’t be re-purposed into a fancy, but simple meal? We’ve got a brilliant idea to share with you that may just cause you to […]
Most of the time we enjoy our high-end steaks seasoned very simply with salt and pepper. But occasionally we get creative and spruce them up (and besides – garlic makes everything taste great!) This recipe took perhaps an extra 10 minutes to prepare, but the result was sensational! You really do need to try it. […]
Summer nights call for light, refreshing meals that are simple to prepare, and that don’t heat up the kitchen. If these are your criteria also, we’ve got a stunningly tasty recipe for you to try! This Thai inspired stir-fry features a gorgeous array of multi-coloured vegies that exemplify the beautiful colours of creation. And who […]
Need inspiration for lunch or an afternoon snack? Yes please! These Vietnamese Rice Paper Rolls are a fun way to eat fresh salad ingredients, and cleverly use up small amounts of leftover meat. But there’s another reason why we love these rolls. They are sooo versatile. Don’t wait to make them because you think you […]
There are so many advantages to farming – setting your own work hours, having a variety of daily tasks that use every skill you’ve ever gained, being able to work alongside your spouse and children, and purposely improving the condition of the soil and often your family’s health. However, as with any occupation, there are […]
Thinking of what to prepare for lunches without resorting to sandwiches can be challenging. Or at least it is for our family. And of all the meals in this house, lunchtime somehow seems to roll around the fastest of all 🙂 I’ve participated in enough forums to know that many Mums whose families are following […]
I’ve recently been contemplating how the weather dictates how we cook and what we eat … particularly meals eaten during hot weather. They’re somewhat ironic, don’t you think? Even though there’s more daylight hours in summer, we tend to want to spend less time in the kitchen preparing meals. Is this because we’d rather be […]
As children, Josh and I both grew up on farms in western NSW with beef and dairy cattle. Being farm kids, we helped muster and draft the cattle, watched the home butchering process with great interest, and helped our mothers clean out our gigantic chest freezers and bag up the meat. Fresh meat from the […]
Weather-wise, this is such a blissful time of year. The mornings and evenings are cool, but there’s enough warmth in the sun to encourage outdoor activities (and soak up the vitamin D!). So in order to take full advantage of this spring weather, we’re continuing to eat the occasional curry and stew. After all, there will […]
No one buys ingredients to prepare a meal hoping it will be mediocre. That would be dumb, and a waste of money. It’s obvious that we expect to have an enjoyable meal experience when we cook for ourselves and our family. Whether it’s chocolate or chops, macadamias or mince, we all plan, shop and cook […]
As the weather warms up, we’re definitely moving towards serving more salads. But to be truthful, once our supply of fresh greens is exhausted, it can often be some time before we get into town to replenish them. This is where this ‘salad’ comes in. It’s so versatile – the ingredients can easily be subbed, […]
Frenched lamb cutlets are somewhat of a gourmet and infrequent offering in our house (even though we raise hundreds of sheep!). If you’re not familiar with them, cutlets are taken from a rack of lamb, and have the extra fat and meat trimmed away so the rib bone is exposed. This makes for a very […]
This is a post we wrote in March 2016, and have re-published it on account of the birth of 102’s 12th calf 🙂 We’ve got a confession to make…. It probably breaks all the traditions of being a cattle farmer. You run cattle because you love them all… equally… But, we DO have a favourite, […]
What child doesn’t enjoy meatballs, Mexican food or a meal oozing with melted cheese? (That would be a resounding ‘we do’ in this house 🙂 ) While this looks like a long list of herbs and spices, there is absolutely no chopping required! The end result is worth the extra 5 minutes collecting and measuring […]
The majority of the population in first-world countries don’t consume organ meats or offal (also known as variety meats or pluck). In fact, most can’t even stomach the thought. But if you’re in this camp, we urge you to keep an open mind. Organ meats, in their most inclusive form, can refer to everything from […]
Congratulations …. you’ve managed to stash away a few left over sausages from a previous meal! But it’s unlikely that a handful of sausages are going to fill up your tribe. And what’s more, there will probably be riots if some family members miss out (not that we know anything about this!) 🙂 This soup […]
We’re obviously passionate about organic farming and food, and are really encouraged when we’re approached by others who are interested in learning more. While there is a rise in the interest in organics, there is also a lot of mis-information out there. That’s why we were excited when Chloe, a Year 12 student, recently contacted […]
We were recently blessed by a visit from my sister and her family. As we live in different states, the cousins don’t often get a lot of time to play together. It was such a blast to have them here. There wasn’t a dull moment: bike rides, the construction of cubby houses, daring moves performed […]
In the health world there is a movement that has steadily been growing over the past few years. It’s gaining new converts each day. And it’s all centred around a thick liquid that is revered for its life-giving properties. We are, of course, referring to bone broth (or stock). Why bother using bones (and why […]
We’ve got a suspicion that bone broth (or stock) recipes would have to be one of the most widely posted of all time. Though there are literally hundreds of thousands of recipes for this ‘old-come-new’ liquid gold to be found online, we’ve continued to notice something interesting. While the making of your own bone broth […]
The sun rises slowly, almost reluctantly, to reveal another clear, crisp morning. Low-lying grasses are intricately adorned in white, which will gradually give way to a familiar green. The fire has died down overnight, and needs re-stoking …. And so begins most winter mornings here at ‘Border Park’. It is during these cooler days that […]
You’re probably familiar with Apricot Chicken or even Beef with Orange, but have you ever tried lamb paired with roasted quinces? Lamb and quince, when drizzled with honey, wine and spices, is simply heavenly. Truly. A few years ago when my dear Mum was staying with us, we were given some quinces. With our preserving […]
You know those mornings when you don’t feel like eggs (again), but you need something more filling than cereal or a slice of toast. When you need a nourishing breakfast, but don’t have much in the fridge? Well this simple breakfast mince hits the spot (and is the breakfast of choice for our eldest son). […]
Mince has got to be the most economical, convenient and versatile way to add meat into our diet. It’s easy for kids to eat, can be spruced up for guests and can be cooked in a jiffy. No wonder it’s a staple in kitchens around the world 1. We Aussies love mince. Not only does […]
The other night it was 6pm and no plans had been made for dinner (again). There was a steady stream of little people making ‘hungry’ statements. We needed a meal on the table, and quickly! Thankfully there was some beef mince in the fridge, but we had precious little in the way of vegies ☺ […]
Being Mexican Aussies, we have a soft spot for anything that brings the Australian and Mexican food culture together ☺. So when we discovered this recipe, we were cheering! What child (Mexican or not) doesn’t enjoy food served in a tortilla, with the excuse to forget the cutlery? And what parent doesn’t enjoy supplying simple, […]
When it comes to meat, colour does not necessarily mean quality. Really? But isn’t colour our best indication of deliciousness? Let’s look at the different factors involved in giving meat it’s colour so we get an accurate picture. First impressions certainly count. And what’s more, these thoughts are often long-lasting and subconscious. With regards to […]
In our family, the mention of liver mostly elicits responses such as … “I’m not really hungry tonight”, or “I’ll just have salad, thanks”. Because they’re such a power-house of nutrients, we’re working hard to change our tastebuds and come up with clever ways to make liver—and all organ meats—edible (and at a stretch, yummy!). […]
We’re doing our best to embrace simple here. Although farm life is often hectic, and there are many mouths to feed, we’ve discovered it’s often the simple meals that are enjoyed the most. So it’s no surprise that this ‘recipe’ is on high-rotation. It oozes simplicity. Simple ingredients. Simple prep. Simple cleanup. All the while […]
When we were growing up, the options for mince were beef, beef or beef. And so it’s no surprise that beef is our ‘go-to’ version of mince! But since raising our own livestock, we’ve realised the value in choosing different types of red meat (even minced) – both for flavour variation and the different nutritional […]