Sunday, March 30, 2014

WHAT GETS ON MY GOAT…




My goat has a backbone made of steel with Herculean shoulders as broad as a barn door. My goat has to be very strong because I kid you not - a lot gets on my goat. My poor goat has to bear a burdensome load; a load that increases daily, unfortunately.

Ironically, it’s because there appears to be more of its relatives lurking about these days than ever before - and this really gets on my goat!  Many of these goats should be penned up forever, whether they’re wethered or not; some should be wethered! 

Enough said about that – I won’t air my strong opinions - not at this time, anyway!

I’m not a speed hog, nor am I a speed hound. I’m more a greyhound than a grey fox. It’s more likely I’m a silly old goat! 

In case you’re unaware - the grey fox travels faster than the greyhound (by about 4kms an hour; but 4kms make a big difference if a speed gun is pointed at you).

If I had a choice of what speedy animal I’d prefer to be – I’d like to be a black panther. However, a grey panther is more applicable to me these days. The black (or grey) panther’s top speed is 56 kms; I’d never get a ticket.  With practice I could increase my pace a little.  I wouldn’t mind being known as a grey panther. I’d accept that description - it wouldn’t get on my goat.  It sounds more glamorous than a greyhound; or an old grey mare. 

What does get on my goat, however, is being forced to travel behind those folk who crawl along at 30 to 40kms in a 60km zone.  They amble along; their heads turning left to right and back again; usually with their mouths open; not dissimilar to those open-mouthed, head-turning clowns in a sideshow alley stall!

Another thing on my lengthy “what-gets-on-my-goat” list is people who immediately start complaining about rain when we’ve received about three drops of the precious commodity. Their washing won’t get dry is their woeful cry!

If we get no rain they’ll have no water in which to do their washing. D’oh! They’d then really have something to whinge about! 

Up here on the hill where many households depend solely on rainwater to fill their tanks why on earth would anyone want to complain about a measly few drops of moisture?

Why complain about rain when, in fact, we should be grateful hearing it land on our roof? It’s a comforting sound. We never know when we’ll hear it again. In the meanwhile, the precipitation fills or tops up our tanks. It waters our trees and gardens.  I kid you not – grumbling about rain really gets on my goat.

Forget the washing; an extra rinse or two won’t hurt it – it will dry eventually.  I’d rather have wet washing than a dry throat - that would get on my goat!  I hear dehydration isn’t much fun!

However, I must retract what I wrote above where I stated there seemed to be more goats around nowadays. I’ll never call those who get on my goat “goats” again. I shouldn’t insult goats this way.

I sincerely apologise to all you goats out there, hairy, old or otherwise!

My reasons are - goats are highly intelligent animals. Also, they are curious, coordinated and well-balanced animals.

We mountaineers up here on the range should proudly call ourselves “mountain goats”.  I won’t ram this down your throats, though. 

 I’m a slow old goat!  At a measly 19kms to 25kms top speed goats run faster than I can.

 A mountain goat can climb a mountain at 10kms per hour; downhill they speed it up to 30kms. I’m a ninny; not a nanny!  I can’t achieve either!  I doubt I could run that fast when I was younger! I hated running, uphill or down; unless I was being chased by a billy goat, of course!

Potato-Pumpkin-Goat Cheese Gratin: Preheat oven 200C. Lightly oil casserole dish. Use mandoline or very sharp knife; slice 500g Jap or butternut pumpkin and 500g 4 potatoes or kumara into very thin slices; toss slices with 3tbs olive oil. Spread 1/3rd slices in bottom of dish; season; top with 55g goat cheese, scattered evenly in large chunks. Repeat with another 1/3rd of vegetables; season; top with 55g broken-up goat cheese; finish layering with final 1/3rd of slices; season. Pour 1/4c whole milk over slices and cheese; top with freshly-grated parmesan. Bake, covered 30mins; then bake 15mins, uncovered.

Figs, Goat Cheese Pecans & Bacon: Preheat griller. Halve 6 figs; stuff with goat cheese. Press some halved, toasted pecans into the cheese. Wrap each stuff fig half with a bacon slice; secure with toothpicks. Arrange on baking try; grill 5mins or until bacon is evenly brown and crisp and goat cheese bubbly, slightly browned.

Green Beans with Goat Cheese & Pine Nuts: Heat heavy pan over med-low heat; pour in some olive oil; add trimmed green beans; cook covered; stir every couple of minutes until almost tender and lightly-browned. Add chopped garlic to taste; cook 2mins. Season; add goat cheese and pine nuts (55g pine nuts per 450g beans); stir gently to distribute; cook a couple of minutes to lightly toast the nuts.

Rolled Goat Cheese Omelette: Chop 6 mint springs. Mash 6 small goat cheeses coarsely with fork; add mint, 2tbs olive oil, salt and pepper. Beat 10 eggs; season. Heat 2tbs peanut oil in pan; pour in beaten eggs; cook until set; turn omelette halfway through cooking. Slide onto a plate; garnish with the goat cheese. Tightly roll; cut into thick slices; serve immediately with rocket salad.

PS: I've begun writing my tale about Klaus, the German backpacker I mentioned in my previous post.  Once completed, I shall post my story about Klaus. He was another special young person I've had the good fortune to have met.

22 comments:

  1. Having relied on tank water, and gone through far too many droughts I never, ever complain about rain. It makes everything smell better, and is a magical elixir of life.
    Mind you, I will complain about the way people drive in the rain. There are obviously a lot of people out there whose cars are made of sugar. If it rains they HAVE to speed up so they can get home before their cars melt. And, by the same token, if they drive up the tail-pipe of the car in front - it will get wet and they won't. Sigh.

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  2. 'I’d rather have wet washing than a dry throat! I hear dehydration isn’t much fun!' Love it!

    And as for goats, I like goats. I am one. Well, a Capricorn actually. And I am a true goat by nature. Strong (unless there's a man about), curious (extremely), coordinated (normally), well-balanced (sometimes), stubborn (as hell) ... and most importantly ... not hairy, :)

    Oh,the Green Beans with Goat Cheese & Pine Nuts looks delicious!

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  3. Hey there EC. I never complain about rain, either. I'm glad I'm not the only one. :)

    As for people...well, what you can say? Their stupidity sometimes has no boundaries. Too often this is the case...

    Thanks for coming by. :)

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  4. G'Day Wendy...nice to see you.

    My ex, too, is a Goat...as in a Capricorn; he isn't hairy either, other than on his head, and he does now sport a trimmed beard.

    I hope all is well with you over there across the Ditch! :)

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  5. There's not much that gets on my goat, I'm an easy going type, things just slide off or pass me by. One thing that does get my goat is people who board buses so heavily perfumed I have to hold a hanky to my nose for the rest of the trip to filter my air. At the other end of the air argument are those who don't bother with perfume, but neither do they bother with washing! Not themselves or their clothes. On occasion I've actually got off a bus and waited for the next one because I prefer to breathe without a sinus headache or an asthma attack.

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  6. See...you do have somethings that get on your goat, River! lol

    We all do...I'm sure none of us are let off the hook as far as that is concerned.

    Nice to see you...

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  7. I've always loved Goats. I never had one, but there is something very lovable about the way they look and how they behave....I think it would be lovely to have a Goat as a pet....(I could be wrong, of course....lol)

    It's funny, here in the states---at least where I grew up, we would say, "What gets my Goat".....Isn't it interesting how these kinds of things can be different from region to region and country to country, too!

    We need RAIN so badly here in California, I would be thrilled to see a real downpour---but, I'll take a few drops, too!

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  8. Hi there Naomi...we say "What gets my goat", too...as well as "what gets on my goat".

    I'm with you...I think goats are cute, too.

    We had a wonderful lot of rain here last week. It was needed, that's for sure. I love the rain!

    Thanks for coming by, Naomi. :)

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  9. Have to say that I DO complain about rain when it has been going on for ages, although I change my tune on the rare occasions there is a drought. I think my distaste for rainy skies is because of having spent much of my youth in Ireland and the Northern Germany which can be awfully grey for weeks on end!

    LOVELY looking recipes! Thank you Lee!

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  10. Hi Jenny...In the words of Australian poet, Dorothea Mackellar's poem - "My Country" - herein lies the difference, I guess. Her poem explains the soul of Australia, probably more than any other poem ever has. Mackellar was on 19 when she wrote this well-known and revered poem. She was in England at the time and was feeling homesick for Australia.

    My Country

    The love of field and coppice,
    Of green and shaded lanes.
    Of ordered woods and gardens
    Is running in your veins,
    Strong love of grey-blue distance
    Brown streams and soft dim skies
    I know but cannot share it,
    My love is otherwise.

    I love a sunburnt country,
    A land of sweeping plains,
    Of ragged mountain ranges,
    Of droughts and flooding rains.
    I love her far horizons,
    I love her jewel-sea,
    Her beauty and her terror -
    The wide brown land for me!

    A stark white ring-barked forest
    All tragic to the moon,
    The sapphire-misted mountains,
    The hot gold hush of noon.
    Green tangle of the brushes,
    Where lithe lianas coil,
    And orchids deck the tree-tops
    And ferns the warm dark soil.

    Core of my heart, my country!
    Her pitiless blue sky,
    When sick at heart, around us,
    We see the cattle die -
    But then the grey clouds gather,
    And we can bless again
    The drumming of an army,
    The steady, soaking rain.

    Core of my heart, my country!
    Land of the Rainbow Gold,
    For flood and fire and famine,
    She pays us back threefold -
    Over the thirsty paddocks,
    Watch, after many days,
    The filmy veil of greenness
    That thickens as we gaze.

    An opal-hearted country,
    A wilful, lavish land -
    All you who have not loved her,
    You will not understand -
    Though earth holds many splendours,
    Wherever I may die,
    I know to what brown country
    My homing thoughts will fly."

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  11. Oh the blessed rain - especially when it's been dry. I'm glad you welcome it.

    And I don't like the slow movers in the fast lane either, yet I see it all the time. That gets my goat, too. :)

    I'm salivating over those recipes!

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  12. It sounds like you are in need of a prime mover with a kangaroo pusher. By the way, goat meant is DELICIOUS!

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  13. I do, Lynn...I do.

    We don't have slow or fast lanes up here where I live. So if someone is just dawdling along in front of you in the same lane it becomes even more annoying because there's not a "spare" lane in which to pass...only the other lane carrying traffic going the other way...if you understand what I'm trying to describe. On the highways/motorways, of course, it's different.

    And I agree. slow drivers in the fast lanes are damn annoying, too.

    You're going to have to try the recipes now! :)

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  14. Now, that's a good idea, Jerry!

    I've tried many things, but I've never eaten goat meat. I have eaten roo meat, though.

    Nice to see you, Jerry.

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  15. Whatever floats your goat, I guess. Although I have to agree with you about the whingers regarding the rain. Rain or not...I did my washing last week. It dried...eventually and in the meantime, the grass grew, the trees stopped dropping and all the allergens were dampened down. Wonderful!

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  16. Your week sounds very similar to mine, Robyn!

    Thanks for dropping by. :)

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  17. What gets my goat is miserable people moaning and grumbling about nothing. I canny be doing with such folks. Why can people nit just be happy like me all the time?

    By the way do you have a goatee beard like Jerry?

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  18. Hahahahahaha, Adulamite! I have no idea why people aren't like you...you who never ever have a whinge about anything! You complain? Never!

    And, yes, I do have goatee...depends on what time of the day, though! I had mine first...Jerry copied me! ;)

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  19. I love goats. And goat cheese. I don't think goats mind us saying "gets my goat." They probably have a few giggles over it -- and other human quirks. A lot of the same stuff that gets your goat gets mine as well. I think that some people would just wither up and die if they had nothing to complain about. And the insane antics of other drivers... Oh, dear.:)

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  20. Hey there Serena...there's a certain quirkiness about goats. I like them too, and I like goat cheese as well.

    As for people...well, that's something else again! lol

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  21. You really have a goat? Or is it a figure of speech?

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  22. What do you reckon, RK? ;)

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