Massey Discussion Forums > Massey Talk > Massey mens' food!
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RE:Massey mens' food!

Joe,

Just thinking of those roast potatoes that you are about to start - I went out and took shots of what was a very, very common type of potato digger in my youth.  We actually called them Potato Spinners because they quite literally spun them out of the ground.

Many manufacturers made them and one of the foremost was Blackstone whose machinery products were for a long period of time marketed exclusively by Massey-Harris for them.  We had one at home just like this and as a very young lad I can remember being sat on the MH 12-20 after it had been set in the row and told to steer it to the other end of the field -- we would commonly have about thirty pickers - school kids on half term holidays in October.

Times moved on, my Dad bought a new Ferguson TE 20 and this took over the annual role of pulling the spinner.  I remember one quite wet autumn when on exiting the row at the end of the field I didn't quite turn sharp enough and I dropped one wheel of the tractor over the ditch edge.  STUCK.  My Dad came calmly up and asked "field not big enough?"  What a flattener!!!

Now Malcolm and I have never seen this type of potato digger in N America.  Did you have them over there?

Before the days of tractors they would be drawn by a couple of horses.  The great thing about them was that you could dig potatoes in quite wet conditions which woud not be possible with today's enormous harvesters.  They were quite simple - the share ran under the row of potatoes loosening them, then the primary spinner spun the soil, potatoes and haulm out to one side and the seconday kicker caught the haulm and spun that further out of the way to leave the potatoes in relatively clean condition for hand picking.  The pickers put the potaoes in large baskets which a two or three man gang would then come along and tip into a trailer pulled in our case by our MH 25 or a Challenger for hauling to the clamp.

Joe - the time it's taken me to write this the spuds should be nearly ready - make sure they are nice and crispy on the outside - use a 220F oven.

John
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RE:Massey mens' food!

Finally!! Back on after some technical difficulties I am back on.

Drew, I have no proof of the Bowl and Batter because these were made from frozen batter I bought from a school bennifit for new band costumes, but I guess I did get caught on camera enjoying one of the freshly Diesel / Hydraulic Oil soaked cookies wile wearing my well made authentic hand made by Sandy Miller Apron I got a couple days ago for my birthday.

Joe
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RE:Massey mens' food!

Well played Joe!  You are certainly deserving of that apron!

RE:Massey mens' food!

Joe,
So a diesel flavouring gives you a buzz!!!

In my previous note I said roast the potatoes at 220F  In fact it should read 220 degress C.  Bit of a difference.  Apologies ffor that but I try to remember to put things in your units - on this occasion I flipped.

With all this culinary success will you now be opening a restaurant along with your tractor museum??

John

RE:Massey mens' food!

Joe,

You have been busy whilst I have been away for another three wet days at The East of England Agricultural Show, just catching up now with the latest MCA posts including your latest kitchen activities and must say I am very impressed with both the cookies and your apron, congratulations on notching up another year too. Hope you have a few culinary samples in mind for tasting at Baraboo, guess with this heat in the Mid West berries are ripening fast.

Malcolm.

RE:Massey mens' food!

Joe,

I expect you are busy thinking, testing and perfecting the menu for Baraboo.  Malcolm has high expectations of you and the gang - I don't want any complaints when he gets back!!!!

 Well here the lousy wet weather continues so my wife took to the stove this afternoon and had another bread bake with Malcolm's Spelt wheat flour. All hand made - no mechanical aids I might add.  Here's the results - 4 yummie smelling loaves made of 100% Spelt down to 50% Spelt with white flour.  All experimental and I start evaluating them tomorrow at breakfast - each slice to be laced with some salted butter!

John 
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RE:Massey mens' food!

How is the bread sampling going John??  I know a local baker who mixes 50 / 50 spelt and white flour. Hope you have some good butter and marmalade on the table to go with your morning coffee.

Malcolm.

RE:Massey mens' food!

Malcolm,

The bread is proving to be marvellous again - so much so that we will need another bake soon!  Beats all this supermarket crap soft cardboard like stuff any day.

Have been having it, as I said, with copious fresh salted butter and home made blackcurrant jam.

Your local man has the right idea making some on 50:50 basis spelt to white flour.  That gives it quite a unique and moist texture and flavour we find.  The 100% spelt makes a very firm bread -  rustic peasant style.  Very filling for a day on a Challenger on a cold day!!

Trust Joe is hard at it again??

john

RE:Massey mens' food!

Joe,

Well the time has come for you and Gary to prove your worths on this culinary front.  The bird from the east is now as I write in the sky flying west en route for Baraboo via Texas.  So I hope you have all necessary preparations in hand for a great feast on touchdown.  He will need sizeable portions of bread and roast potatoes to be followed by super ripe old fashioned variety strawberrieswith some taste (modern varieties no use as bred for transport and not taste) and of course that celebrated double JERSEY cream.  Please do make sure you return the bird eastwards full of glowing contentment from good MASSEY food!!!!!

Strawberries and Jersey cream must be the ultimate Massey food with the rich red of strawberries and the smotth creamy yellow Jersey cream.

Good luck to you all at Baraboo!!!!!!!!!! and I look forward to the tales..............

John

RE:Massey mens' food!

Well Joe and Gary,

Can I ask how the strawberries and cream were at Baraboo???

John