Enjoy Renee Savary’s Roast Duck from Twin Oaks Farm in Bonifay

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“Good morning, girls,” calls Renee Savary of Twin Oaks Farm in Bonifay, to her flock of clucking hens. “We have visitors today. Be on your best behavior.” The chickens walk along the lush green field, pecking at bright yellow flowers as Renee meanders among them. “I wanted to do a big, big farm with lots of animals,” she says, “but I needed to learn first. So I started with chickens. And now… well, now I really love chickens.”

Renee left her home country of Switzerland for the beaches of Miami twenty years ago (“for the weather, and I’m not kidding!” she says). She recognized that the food supply was nothing like that of her native country and struggled for years to find something similar. She says the day came when she realized that, to eat the way she wanted, she had to grow and raise the food herself. She purchased land in Bonifay, in the state’s Panhandle, in 2008, and immediately began preparing it for USDA Organic certification, which she received in 2009.

A large pasture is dedicated to broiler chickens, laying chickens, and ducks, all of which are fed a soy-free diet. Renee also has a garden filled with traditional rows of vegetables along with tomato plants sprouting from hay bales and an intriguing spiral-shaped planter of herbs. She purposefully plans and plants everything in the plot according to biodynamics – a nature-driven growing principle – and using organic practices.

“I’m kind of a radical when it comes to food,” Renee says with a shrug. “But really, I just want to educate people and help change the way we eat, so we can all live better, healthier lives.”

We wish to thank Field to Feast for Renee Savary’s Roast Duck recipe below and the accompanying information. This wonderful book, describing the growing and preparation of fresh foods from Florida, was copyrighted in 2012 by Pam Brandon, Katie Farmand, and Heather McPherson.

Mattie’s Chicken Salad is printed in Savannah Style cookbook. I am not familiar with Durkee’s dressing but the internet refers to “Durkee’s Famous Sauce.” It is described as a tangy sandwich spread (which has been available for over 100 years). I will replace the “homemade mayonnaise” that is called for with store-bought mayonnaise. This wonderful cookbook is copyrighted 1980, 38 years ago, although this recipe is undoubtedly much older, probably from the era when we were making our own mayonnaise!

We have Earl Coell’s Corn Sticks from Apopka Citizen Police Alumni Association’s Sharing Our Finest Cookbook. Thank you, Sir, for sharing your finest.

Davenport Brunch, from Savannah Style, is a sausage, egg, and cheese combination, that is baked in the oven at a moderately low temperature for 40 minutes or less.

Sandy Bove’s Roasted Potatoes and Blue Cheese recipe comes from Preserving the Big Potato, the lovely publication from the Apopka Historical Society. Thank you, Ma’am, for sharing.

RENEE SAVARY’S ROAST DUCK

TWIN OAKS FARM, BONIFAY

Recipe from Field to Feast

1 cleaned, fresh duck

Coarse sea salt, to taste

1 lemon, zested

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, roughly chopped

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/2 cup dry white wine

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

Rub duck with salt, lemon zest, and olive oil, then cut the skin in a crosshatched pattern without cutting into the meat. This opens the skin to let extra fat drip away and baste the duck.

Place duck breast side down on a rack set inside a roasting pan. Roast for one hour, then turn duck breast side up. Add the onion to bottom of roasting pan and continue roasting until skin is crisp and meat reaches 170 degrees Fahrenheit on an instant-read thermometer, about 45 minutes per pound.

Remove duck from oven, cover with foil and let rest 15 minutes before carving. In the meantime, remove onions and set aside. Pour off all but a few tablespoons of duck fat. (Reserve extra fat for a later use.)

Place roasting pan over two burners on the stove. Add Dijon, wine, and salt and pepper to taste. Whisk to combine and bring to a boil. Simmer for a few minutes until thickened. Serve this sauce along with the duck and onions.

MATTIE’S CHICKEN SALAD

Recipe from Savannah Style, a Cookbook by The Junior League of Savannah, Inc.

8 large chicken breasts

Few celery leaves

1 onion, sliced

Few sprigs parsley

Juice of 1 large lemon

1 cup celery hearts, chopped fine

1 cup homemade mayonnaise

1 tablespoon Durkee’s dressing

1 heaping teaspoon sugar

Salt to taste

Capers and large black olives or green grapes and almonds

Wash chicken breasts and place in heavy soup pot with celery leaves, sliced onion and parsley. Add water to cover and salt. Simmer until well done. Cool and remove meat from bones and cut into small pieces with kitchen scissors. Squeeze juice of a large lemon over cut chicken.

Mix celery, mayonnaise, Durkee’s dressing, sugar and salt. Toss gently with fork. Chill. Serve with capers and large black olives or with green grapes and toasted almonds.

EARL COELL’S CORN STICKS

Recipe from Apopka Citizen Police Alumni Association,

Sharing Our Finest Cookbook

2 cups corn meal

1 cup milk

1 egg

1 tablespoon lard

2 teaspoons salt

Beat all together. Bake in greased corn stick pan at 500 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes:

DAVENPORT BRUNCH

(Sausage, Eggs, Cheese)

Recipe from Savannah Style,

a Cookbook by The Junior League of Savannah, Inc.

3/4 pound sharp cheese

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup sour cream

1 pound hot sausage, cooked and drained

10 eggs

In a 10 x 6 x 2-inch dish, slice half the cheese to cover the bottom. Mix seasonings with sour cream. Pour half of sour cream mixture over cheese. Add crumbled sausage, spreading evenly over sour cream mixture. Break whole eggs on top of sausage. Sliced, hard-cooked eggs may be used, if desired. Spread remaining sour cream mixture and top with remaining grated cheese. Bake at 325 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes. To check for doneness of eggs, test in corner of dish. If eggs are firm, casserole is done.

SANDY BOVE’S ROASTED

POTATOES AND BLUE CHEESE

Recipe from

Apopka Historical Society’s

Preserving the Big Potato –

A Collection of Potato Recipes

12 small Yukon gold potatoes

2-1/8 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

1/8 freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

4 slices applewood-smoked bacon, cooked until crisp and crumbled

1 tablespoon minced chives

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place potatoes in large saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Add 2 teaspoons salt and cook until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain. Cool and slice a small piece from the top and bottom of each potato. Transfer potatoes to a medium bowl. Toss with oil and remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Place potatoes on a baking sheet. With a paring knife, score top of each potato. Top each with equal amounts of blue cheese and bacon. Bake until cheese melts, 5 to 7 minutes. Sprinkle with chives and serve.