After some deliberation, I have just renewed my 1/2 share of poultry CSA for 2010. Here's my story.

It all started when October came and I had only one Rainbow Ranch Farm chicken left in my freezer, but needed 2 to learn how to cook enchiladas from a friend of mine. I bought two Trader Joe's Natural chickens and was BLOWN AWAY at the visual difference: size, color and fat content especially. The stock we made from those chickens had to be strained for fat several times, unlike our new normal of fat-free stock from the Rainbow Ranch Farms chickens. This stark contrast set me up for the "chicken-off."

We have a few friends who enjoy our breed of food intensity: going local, organic and whole for everything possible. We invited over two like-minded friends, and one friend with only a passing interest in food. We broiled yams and steamed chard from our vegetable CSA, and baked three contestant chickens: 3.5# Rainbow Ranch Farms "100% Buddhist style", 4.5# Mary's air-chilled from Whole Foods, and 6.5# Trader Joe's Natural. Once again, the visual contrast was stark. They were definitely small, medium and large, and you could see the yellow fat in the Trader Joe's chicken. We carved them onto three platters and served everyone "blind", without knowledge of which chicken was which. After some wine, a lot of discussion, and seconds and thirds, the decision was unanimous: the Rainbow Ranch Farms chicken was by far the best. The Trader Joe's Natural chicken was flavorless, although tender and juicy. And the Mary's chicken was a good middle ground.

All this is as you know and expect it to be I'm sure, but what a great affirmation of our belief that local, organic, whole, natural foods are best for health and flavor. Thank you for the part you play in that.*

*"FABULOUS REAL CHICKEN!" By: Jane Holmes (Jul 9)

We just got our first shipment of Rainbow Ranch chicken, and we are in love!

I recently got into the Real Foods movement after reading Nina Planck's book "Real Foods" and then "Nourishing Traditions" by Sally Fallon. They both talk about the many health benefits (not to mention taste benefits) or grassfed, pastured, bug-eating, heritage chicken. We felt fortunate to find Rainbow Ranch not all that far from us (we like to also eat local whenever possible).

We started out roasting our first bird and it was so tasty I have had a hard time trying another recipe! But I did make stock twice and from the chicken meat made chicken salad and also a chicken/mushroom/leek casserole.

The taste of these birds is wonderful -- much richer and a little darker than store-bought, juicy and full of flavor. We are definitely converts to pastured heritage chicken.

To roast, I've been using the recipe from Nourishing Traditions. I put the chicken in a roasting pan with slices of onion and an entire halved garlic head, cut-side down. The chicken is brushed with melted butter (raw butter, in our case) and sea salt and pepper. I put some fresh herbs (usually rosemary) inside the bird. Bake bottom-side up at 375 for 1 hour, then turn over. Brush the top side with butter and sprinkle sea salt & pepper. Usually the bottom side only takes another half hour or so. The butter makes the skin very yummy.

After setting the bird and garlic aside, put the roasting pan on the stove and put in 1/2 c dry white wine. Stir around to loosen the onion. After it boils, add in 2 cups of chicken stock and boil/sitr until it reduces by half. Pour sauce through strainer and serve. This simple sauce is really delicious on the roast chicken.*

*"POULTRY" By: Stephen P. Cutts (Apr 26)

*"REMINDS ME OF HOME" By: Caroline Pape (Mar 31)

(I usually don't write reviews.) I grew up in Europe and my family had a little farm (also with happy chickens running around). When I moved to CA, I was astounded by the Huge supermarket Chickens who tasted like Nothing.

Finally, I found a great source. Yes, the chickens are smaller BECAUSE they did not have a hormone cocktail for breakfast.

I truly enjoy every bite of my chickens. Everybody who has never tried a grass fed chicken: I encourage you to try it. Once you got the taste of a real chicken, you will no longer enjoy the watered down supermarket chickens.

Thank you for being a great provider! *

*"TIPS FOR FREEZING AND A RECIPE" By: Jessica Davis-Stein (Mar 26)

These are wonderfully fresh chickens weighing about 21/2 to 3 lbs.

If you order more than you can immediately use the best way to preserve for later cooking is to rinse each well, inside and out in cold water, pat dry and season with salt - about 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon for each bird, inside the cavity as well as out. You can also rub with slices of lemon before salting if you like. Then freeze them separately in home freezer, not in a deep free. Thaw overnight in refrigerator before cooking. Don't rinse again and additional salt is usually not needed for cooking.

To roast: Rub bird with olive oil and season with pepper and crushed garlic to taste. Fill cavity of bird with fresh herbs if available, I use a generous handful of rosemary stalks that I pull out and discard after cooking. Lightly oil roasting pan and scatter sliced potatoes, carrots, turnips, or any root vegetable along with several unpeeled garlic cloves. Place chicken on rack and set rack in place over vegetables. Lightly cover with paper or foil and allow to rest on counter for on hour before cooking (this brings bird to room temperature for more even cooking). Roast uncovered in preheated oven (350 degrees or 300 if convection roasting) for approximately 1 hour twenty minutes, until leg joint moves freely and juices run clear if skin of thigh is pierced with a fork.*

*"THE BEST THANKSGIVING TURKEY EVER!" By: Tara O. Lutz (Mar 16)

We served your Turkey to over fifteen people for Thanksgiving, and throughout the dinner everyone commented on how it was the most delicious turkey they ever had. Thanks for making our holiday so special! Tara*

*"THE BEST TURKEYS AND WONDERFUL FRIENDLY SERVICE" By: Emily N Mould (Mar 14)

I have ordered my heritage turkey for Thanksgiving from the family at Rainbow Ranch for the past two years. In most other respects, I don't eat much meat, but since this farm's poultry meets my standards for meats I will eat, I splurge on our heritage turkey - and it is worth every penny and more!

The turkey is most delicious and every single interaction I've had with Xenia and family has been friendly, upbeat, and warm. I have recommended them to everyone I know that looks to feed their families with healthy, sustainable poultry.

Much love and peace to you this year!*

*"GREAT POULTRY - AAA++" By: Jilly (Mar 13)

Thank you for your wonderful poultry and customer service. My family and I really enjoying the CSA and co-op poultry. We can't wait to adopt our thanksgiving turkey.

I wanted to share a recipe with you all. Place a rainbow farm whole frozen chicken into a counter top convection oven, add 2 cups water + 1 can of cream of mushroom soup, place bird breasts down + turn it on to 250 c for 1 hour. Then flip the bird over on breasts, cooked it again on 250 c for 1 hour. When done turn temp. on 250 c flip the bird over again so it is breast up, drain the soup from glass oven + brown the chicken for 15 minutes while I made the gravy from the soup. Hint: the dog loves the chicken feet! MMMNNN excellent. My convection oven only goes to 250 c. Thnxx*

*"FANTASTIC BIRD AND SERVICE!" By: Holly Christiansen (Jan 6)

Not only was this the best turkey I have EVER tasted, but the service was superb.

I have eaten at world class restaurants from London to LA, managed restaurants, and been lucky to have known some great chef's who have had me to dinner so when I say this was the best bird ever I believe I can speak with authority. Thank you Rainbow Ranch Farms for making this a memorable Thanksgiving!*

*"GREAT TURKEY" By: Dave James (Dec 18)

Great turkey, delivered on time, and good customer service. Very happy with them.*

*"TOTALLY AWSOME BIRDS AAA++" By: June (Dec 12)

My husband and I grew up on heritage, free range, natural turkeys, chickens and game birds, and I am letting you all know, here they are, old fashioned, naturally grown, delicious gourmet poultry.

I have owned a restaurant, I enjoy cooking, I have been cooking for large families since I was a teenager and this delightful poultry truley brings back Americas true food.

Luv-You-Guys! From June*

*"OMG!!!" By: Jack (Dec 4)

This is my second turkey I''ve gotten from Rainbow Ranch and it was just as awesome as the first so I guess it's no fluke. You grow some great birds there!!!*

*"YOUR APPRECIATED!!!!" By: Adriana Bell (Nov 20)

Our coop in Apple Valley every year gets the best free range eggs on the planet!!

No compromise they are truly "free range" To make a point I will only eat Xenia's eggs raw in a smoothie or ole fashion Rocky Balboa way!!! I know she tends to her birds with the utmost care and her feed is beyond the best!

Our coop also carries her poultry as needed and enjoys the variety she gives our group!

We love you Xenia and you too Dennis-looking forward to spring and those fabulous eggs.

Love always, The Bell Family Bountiful Harvest Co-Op founders*

*"DELICIOUS BIRDS!" By: Gloria Putnam (Sep 16)

I have been a Rainbow Ranch CSA member for a little over a year and really enjoy cooking these birds.

When I get a young bird, I roast it on a spit in my BBQ and the skin is crispy goodness. I cook the stew hens on the stove all day and then make great stock for soups, and use the chicken for the world's best chicken salad sandwiches. I add a little bit of mayo, dried cranberries, chopped walnuts, and celery. I'm salivating just thinking about it. I store the stock in small re-usable containers in the freezer, so whenever I need a pint of stock I can just defrost one. The stock is so good sometimes I just drink a cup of it plain out of a coffee mug. I also order a turkey every year. Last year my turkey was 29 lbs! Wow! But it was so good that my husband and I ate the whole thing without having to freeze any of it! Happy birds make for delicious meals.

Thank you so much!*

*"GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE AND A TERRIFIC PRODUCT" By: Susan Garlinghouse (Jul 21)

We were looking for (real) free-range chicken from a sustainable, humane local source and wow, did we find it!

The communication of when we could expect our order to be harvested, shipped and arrive (which it did right on time, practically to the minute) was much appreciated, since we ordered during very hot weather and perishable deliveries require a trip home during lunch hour to get everything inside and into the freezer. The birds were well packed in vacuum bags and beautifully processed. I made coq au vin and it was incredible---tender, moist and actually tasted like chicken, not the mushy, tasteless meat that passes for poultry in the grocery store.

I will definitely be ordering more chicken from Xenia in the near future, as well as our Thanksgiving and Christmas turkeys. A great find and well worth the fair price.*

*"VERY HELPFUL" By: Neil (Jun 27)

I just started a CSA with Rainbow Ranch Farms and Xenia has been very helpful and wonderful. The prices seemed high at first, but considering that her poultry is truly pastured (no grains) and free range, humanely and sustainably raised, tastes great, and Xenia is available to talk to, the prices become much more reasonable.

I am happy to pay for her poultry instead of the poultry with mysterious histories at the store. She talked with me about the proper way to cook pastured chicken, which also helped me to look for the right kind of recipes on my own. Whole or half chickens braised in a saute pan for 40 minutes turned out perfect (moist, just-right firm texture, and yummy)! The chickens are small by store standards, but the right size for me and my family--and easier to cook in my pans. The chickens arrive very cold, vacuum-packed, and ready to cook, freeze whole, or for me to cut in pieces. I have a small freezer in which to store the chickens for later use in the year.*

*"YUMMY, HEALTHY, FRIENDLY, HELPFUL, AFFORDABLE" By: LilyT (May 30)

I highly recommend the delicious birds from Rainbow Ranch.

My family was searching for a healthful way to eat meat that would be supportive of our health and avoid harming the environment.

We wanted to avoid added manmade chemicals, added hormones, and soy products at all points in the food chain. Not only that, but we wanted the food to taste GOOD. Xenia at Rainbow Ranch is a lovely person and caring rancher who with great thoughtfulness and hard work produces this terrific product.

I think her style of food is productive and healthful for both people and the environment; I am impressed that she thinks proactively about all inputs to her farm system; I admire the sincere and enormous amount of work that goes into all this. I happily eat the chickens.*

*"VERY LUCKY - SPOILED BIRDS!" By: Mary Erstad (May 2)

With TLC! what a clean and humane operation! I witnessed first hand the wonderful care and feeding of these rare and endangered birds.

They get lottsa room to roam, shade, water and freshly grown greens. What a life. The eggs are delicious too. I had the pleasure of enjoying the freshness of a rich raw turkey egg and a double yoked Blue Araucana EGG! For all you rawists it was a delight. The yokes are amazing.

Gobble gobble*

*"NOW THAT'S SOME TASTY BIRD FOOD"

yum yum and yum! thank you for the good eats... expect o be hearing from again me real soon, Rainbow Ranchers!*

*"FREEE RANGE POULTRY, THEY KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING!." By: Jilly (Apr 19

I am a long time csa member of rainbow farms, they really know how to grow an old fashioned chicken.

I have done comparison tests, and you know, there is a strong and very distinctive difference between a commercial broiler and a Rainbow heritage chicken. The flavor is deep and rich, the texture of their chickens are much more firm. I have allergies to G.M.O and G.E foods, and since I have been cooking up Rainbows chickens for my family, I have noticed a remarkable improvement to my poultry tolerance.

Thank you Rainbow Farm for providing such a wonderful product! Jilly*

"Doing It Natures Way"