First off, I’ve got to tell you that my father-in-law had to sell off 75% of his herd last weekend in Texas because of the drought. Being on bottom land, he had more water than most of the other ranchers, also grass. Now the months of excessive heat and drought have brought family farmers to their knees.
Joe was a dairyman for decades. Family farms couldn’t compete with conglomerates and he couldn’t handle the herd alone so sold off the cows and started a cattle ranch on 600 acres. Now he’s left with one bull and 21 others.
When the government gives money to farms it doesn’t go to small family farms. When the milk and cheese people show gorgeous country farms, that’s not where our milk and cheese are coming from.
My husband was raised on meat and potatoes. And milk (that’s another story). So I decided to make a delectable vegetarian meal. Homemade falafel on homemade grilled fry bread with tahini sauce, arugula and tomatoes.
It was a disaster on every level. Basically, my husband was really tired from work so I decided to “grill” the fry bread indoors. They came out like bricks and took over my main burner.
I got the other burner up to temp for the falafel and the first batch turned out OK and I put it in the oven. The second failed miserably, sitting in cool oil and falling apart. The falafel were really tasty, as was the tahini sauce. This recipe needs a re-do by me because everything was tasty, it was my heat, or lack thereof, that created havoc. And I can always buy pita bread and keep the best burner on.
I just wanted my husband to know what it would be like without beef. Cheers, Dee
Cooking with Dee 
Ugh (cattle selloff) – my neighbor’s cattle were bellowing incessantly last night; I’m going to check on them this AM.
I take the easy way out & buy falafel mix, but I’m the only one in the house who’ll eat it – your loss, boys!