We got more good news last week from Racey’s doctor: she has been recovering well from her surgery now more than 2 weeks ago and the doctor said she was cleared for some hiking and camping in the woods. We had a family vacation planned for this past week and we were not sure if Racey could come. What a treat to all go and enjoy the cool water of the lake and the endless treasures to be found in the woods.
One of the many challenges of the last few weeks has been the emotional dissonance between what we are learning about Racey’s health/body and what she feels. We only know the cancer is there because of some testing, and now we only know that they have removed it all because of more testing. The emotional ping-pong match of knowing and forgetting and then remembering is like swimming against the tide; it feels just like swimming but the shore would indicate that progress is slower than you would expect.
The pace of time in the woods is a welcome change. No phones ring, no emails come in. When the sun goes down, it gets dark and we rely on the calming flicker of the fire to put us to sleep. I am grateful for the time and reflection that the woods offers. Next we have the work of choosing a treatment path forward: surgery or frequent monitoring. Thank you to all the many voices who continue to reach out and send love and support. Racey has appreciated hearing and learning of the many different experiences of our friends and community. Thank you.
I believe the magic of a BLT is how it tastes like summer. Fresh tomatoes, mayo, bacon, cucumber slices this time around on toast was our tester meal for a new batch of bacon this week. With the storage freezer back online I was able to bring home our next batch of pork from the processor. We now have our full array of pork back in stock including the Best of Pork Box.
We had previously been having our bacon made down in the Hudson Valley at Mountain Products Smokehouse. I had sought them out because they made a truly no-nitrate bacon. They have since changed ownership and I have had a difficult time working with them since then. So this time around we had our bacon processed with our regular pork processor. They make an excellent bacon, it is very consistent and much easier on me to manage the logistics. However they only offer regular bacon using sodium nitrate, or “nitrate-free” bacon using celery powder.
I have lots to say about the use of nitrates and some of the deceptive labeling that happens in processed foods these days. I have a blog post about the chemistry of nitrates and why we use them in our food, if you’re interested. The short story is that we use nitrates to prevent the growth of the bacterium Clostridium Botulinum which produces a neurotoxin that can kill you. So nitrates have an important job. If you are not going to use nitrates you have to take some significant precautions to ensure the food is safe. Unfortunately the USDA allows for labels to say “no-nitrate” when food processors use celery salt/powder in place of sodium nitrate. In my opinion, this is blatant deception since sodium nitrate is chemically present in the celery powder, which is why it is added to prevent botulism.
I know food choices can be overwhelming. I also take pride in curating a selection of food and meat that you can trust. Please let me know your thoughts and/or taste preferences on bacon. I want to know how important is the No-Nitrate to you and your family? Try out our new Pork Bacon to taste this excellent recipe made with salt, cane sugar and maple syrup.
Lastly I will leave you with a picture of the cattle grazing around our house. We have had so much fun with “cow TV” where we can watch them out any window in our house.
Reber Rock Farm Blog 