Local Farms and Sauteéd Buffalo Liver with Onions and Homemade Cranberry Vinaigrette

Lucky living surrounded by many beautiful farms, my family and I making the farm trips almost each weekend.



We buy many good things from farms:  fresh, local grown fruits and veggies from Shady Brook Farm, artisan cheeses from hormone-free milk, and award winning sweet sausages by Ely Farm. Our favored is incredibly tasty buffalo meat from family-owned Thorpe’s Farm.

Fact:  Bison is a wonderful healthy red meat with all of the flavor and texture of beef. It's rich in protein and high in iron yet is lower in fat, calories and cholesterol than skinless chicken or turkey.



Thorpe’s Farm has a huge open barn with animals. For some reason many local cats like to be there as well.  Mr. Thorpe says that every week they are getting new kittens, and he is not sure where they come from :-)




The recipe adapted from Carina Forum

Homemade Cranberry Vinaigrette is a stunning salad dressing: bright, bold and beautiful. You may also serve it over a bed of mixed greens, apple and red onion slices, and pecans or over any salad of your choice. The vinaigrette may be store, covered, in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Ingredients:

• 1 lbs buffalo liver
• milk (enough to cover the liver)
• 3 Tbsp. flour
• Salt, ground black pepper
• 6 Tbsp. butter
• 1 onion, sliced
• cranberries and chopped parsley for garnish

For cranberry vinaigrette:

• ½ small sweet onion, minced
• 4 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 4-6 Tbsp honey
• 1 cup Canola oil or light olive oil
• 2 cups cranberry, fresh or frozen
• 1 cup water
• 2-3 tbsp poppy seeds (tasted)
• Salt, ground black pepper

Directions:

To make the Cranberry Vinaigrette: In a blender or food processor, combine the cranberries, water and vine vinegar, puree. Over a medium bowl, strain the puree through a fine-mesh strainer, pushing down on the solids. Return the mixture to a blender. Add the remaining ingredients and mix until combined. With the motor running, slowly pour the oil in a slow steady stream through the feed tube. Blend until very smooth. Season with salt and pepper, mix well.

To cook the liver: Wash the liver, slice in 1 inch slices, then lay in shallow pan, cover with cold milk and let set in refrigerator for half hour. Remove liver slices from milk, and place them on paper towel to drain. Then coat the liver slices in a little flour, then season with salt and pepper.

Melt 4 Tbsp. butter in a skillet set a medium heat. Place the liver in the skillet and cook, turning once, until it is brown about 10 minutes. Melt 2 Tbsp. of butter in another skillet and sautee onion slices until browned.

Arrange the onion on individual heated plates, add the liver and add some greens if desire. Pour over vinaigrette (or you can serve it on the side) and garnish with parsley and berries.