On the ranch, we are right in the heat of calving. Which means labor & delivery every day! Most of the ladies (cows and heifers, that is), have the calf on their own and we just show up to weigh, tag and make sure the calf is healthy. Occasionally we have to assist in pulling a calf.

One of the questions I’ve been asked lately is about the use of antibiotics with our animals. Beef cattle must be healthy and well-cared for in order to produce great, quality meat. And one of the ways that we keep our animals healthy on our ranch is by using antibiotics.

We don’t just use antibiotics to use them. On our ranch, we have a herd health program where our cattle get regular medical care, including checkups, that starts with vaccinations to prevent disease (much like a well-child checkup for our son). But sometimes animals get sick, just like we do and it’s necessary to treat them. So we give antibiotics if an animal is injured or to fight a bacterial infection. This is the most common and prevalent use of antibiotics in livestock.

Under the care of our veterinarian, we closely follow the label and dosing instructions which are approved by the FDA. Any antibiotic given to a food animal has a specified withdrawal time which is the amount of time from the last shot until it is out of their system. We work closely with our veterinarian and under the guidelines of the FDA to give that animal an antibiotic where we follow the label and dosing instructions. The maximum length is 28 days – so the FDA assures us that is no antibiotic residue in our meat as well as the USDA randomly inspects meat to make sure it is safe.

As a fourth generation cattle rancher working with our veterinarian, it is a law that we follow this withdrawal time and we take that very seriously, which means doing the right thing by closely monitoring the care we give our animals. I want to continue to earn the respect and trust we have with our meat buyers and beef eaters and we want healthy animals to provide healthy, safe and nutritious beef.

This beef-girl doesn’t always eat beef. Who doesn’t love bacon!? To make this quiche, and any pie for that matter, I always turn to the Pioneer Woman’s Perfect Pie Crust. To. Die. For. Plus, it makes two large crusts, or three regular sized ones to save to use later.

{ Bacon Spinach Artichoke Quiche }

Ingredients

Perfect Pie Crust

• 1-1/2 cup Crisco (vegetable Shortening)
• 3 cups All-purpose Flour
• 1 whole Egg
• 5 Tablespoons Cold Water
• 1 Tablespoon White Vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Salt

Quiche ingredients

• 3/4 pounds Thick Cut, Peppered Bacon
• 1 whole Large (or 2 Medium) Onions, Very Thinly Sliced
• 1 can (14 Oz.) Quartered Artichoke Hearts
• ½ cup frozen spinach (or 1 cup fresh)
• 7 whole Eggs
• 1-1/2 cup Heavy Cream
• 2 cups Grated Swiss Cheese
• Salt And Pepper, to taste

Directions

1. First, make the pie crust. In a large bowl, with a pastry cutter, gradually work the Crisco into the flour for about 3 or 4 minutes until it resembles a coarse meal. In a small bowl, beat an egg with a fork and then pour it into the flour/shortening mixture. Add 5 tablespoons of cold water, 1 tablespoon of white vinegar and 1 teaspoon of salt. Stir together gently until all of the ingredients are incorporated.
2. Separate the dough in half. ***Note: Separating it into thirds will result in three thin crusts. For this deep dish quiche or if you prefer a more substantial crust, separate it in half.*** Form 2 evenly sized balls of dough and place one into a large Ziploc bag. Using a rolling pin, slightly flatten dough (about ½ inch thick) to make rolling easier later. Seal the bags and place in the freezer until you need them. (If you will be using it immediately it’s still a good idea to put in the freezer for about 15 to 20 minutes to chill.)
3. On a floured surface roll the dough, starting at the center and working your way out. (Sprinkle some flour over top of the dough if it’s a bit too moist.) If the dough is sticking to the countertop use a metal spatula and carefully scrape it up and flip it over and continue rolling until it’s about ½ inch larger in diameter than your pie pan.
4. With a spatula, lift the dough carefully from the surface of the counter into the pie pan. Gently press the dough against the corner of a deep dish pie pan or tart pan. Go around the pie pan pinching and tucking the dough to make a clean edge

5. Meanwhile – let’s prepare the quiche! Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
6. In a skillet, fry bacon until crisp. Crumble and set aside. Pour out excess grease but don’t clean the pan.

7. Add onions and cook for a few minutes. Add spinach and artichokes and cook for a few more minutes. Salt mixture to taste (I decided not to use any additional salt because the bacon is salty enough for me. Your preference). Remove from heat and allow to cool for about 20 minutes.
8. In a large bowl, beat eggs with cream. Add grated cheese, salt and pepper, and set aside.
9. With a slotted spoon, add spinach/artichoke mixture into egg/cream mixture. Stir together. Add bacon and stir.
10. Pour into pie crust and press to submerge ingredients. Cover loosely with foil, place on a baking sheet, and bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour. Bake for slightly longer if quiche is overly jiggly, but a little jiggly is good. Use a fork or toothpick and just make sure it comes out clean.
11. Remove from oven and allow to set for ten minutes before serving.

CommonGround is a farmer-driven, volunteer program created to clear up misconceptions and enhance the trust and awareness among urban consumers for today’s agriculture. CommonGround serves as a partnership between the nation’s soybean and corn checkoffs. To learn more about CommonGround, visit www.findourcommonground.com, and learn more about the farm women involved in CommonGround Nebraska at www.CommonGroundNebraska.com.