Branding Recipes & the 'Cocaine Tarts'

Branding season is one of my absolute favorite times of year. In our part of the country, it seems to be a travelling circus of good food, great people and a whole lot of work accomplished, starting in April and lasting until July. We calve our cows earlier than most commercial cow/calf producers in our area and are usually one of the very first brandings after our purebred neighbours. Last weekend marked our branding and we had an amazing crew of handy cowboys/girls to make light work of the day. Thanks to everyone that helped out! 

Every branding seems to have their signature dish, be it Bacon & Beans at the Baron's, Taco Salad at the Vredegoor's or Super Potatoes at the Griffith's, that everyone secretly comes to the branding for. As a part of a local producer research group called CARA, I spear-headed an effort to gather some of these favorites from our community at a Ladies Calving Clinic this past winter. It's a fun collection & there is a little bit of everything in there. Download & enjoy... 

Cookin' For Cowfolk: A Compilation of Branding Recipes from the 2015 CARA Ladies Calving Clinic 

My Pumpkin Pie Tarts were a big hit at our branding, with Uncle Bruce calling them the 'Cocaine Tarts'. They were snatched up in a hurry and were way too easy to make. They follow my pumpkin pie recipe I've posted in the past, but was divided into mini-tarts. This way there is no cutting & serving required and the help can grab a tart and go! I cooked the tarts for 24 minutes at 350F. One recipe did about 25 tarts which meant my preserved pumpkin puree went a long way and there is still lots in the freezer to last until this fall's harvest! 

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