Taste test: Fattoria Fresca Jersey Fresh Crushed Tomatoes

Thursday, December 31, 2009

When I was last at the Fair Food Farmstand at Reading Terminal Market, I decided to buy a can and try it out. Let’s face it, most canned tomatoes are crap to middling. But in the spirit of my commitment to local foods, it deserved a chance.

And I’m so glad I did. I ate a spoonful out of the can, and it was delicious. Not merely good, but a great, deep, tomato-ness. Salt and basil are in there (although I couldn’t detect the basil and would prefer to add my own anyway), but otherwise the can says no water, sugar, citric acid, concentrate, puree, or paste. At $3.00 for 28 ounces, it’s not inexpensive, but a can of imported San Marzanos will cost you more than that, and because there’s no water added, what you might call the “usable volume” of the Fattoria Fresca tomatoes is greater than the same size can of something else. Try them—I really don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

November GRID is out

Wednesday, November 04, 2009

The new GRID magazine is hitting the shelves at local coffee-shops, co-ops and businesses near you. Check out the issue for more bicycling articles, how to cook dried beans, just what is a green roof, local fashion designers, community garden, a green event calendar, and much more. Or, read it online HERE.

CSA Report:  Blooming Glen Farm

Wednesday, October 07, 2009

(Click photo to read notes at flick’r regarding names/quantities of share.)

Well look at that—a Long Island Cheese Pumpkin.  Those farmers at Blooming Glen Farm seem to always have a surprise for us!  I have no idea what te future has in store for that pumpkin, but it’ll have to wait, as my kitchen is chock-full of wonderful, vitamin-rich, hearty and delicious root vegetables right now.  Here’s my go-to recipe for celeriac, rutabaga, carrots, parsnips, etc.:

Root Stew with Barley

3 tbs olive oil
2 onions, chopped
8 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup pearled barley
4 cups vegetable stock
4 - 6 cups of scrubbed, but unpeeled* diced root veggies
1/2 - 1 cup of chopped fresh herbs (dill works well, but any one or two will work)

*Except the celeriac. Go ahead and peel those gnarly, dirty bad boys. Most of the nutrients in root vegetables live close to the surface; by peeling them you’ll inadvertently loose the good stuff.

Heat the oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook until softened (about five minutes). Add the garlic and saute for about 30 seconds. Stir in barley and vegetable stock. Bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat to low, skim off any froth, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

Add root veggies.  Cover and simmer 20 to 25 minutes more, or until barley and vegetables are tender. Just before serving, stir in herbs. Salt and pepper to taste

.

So delicious and easy!

CSA Report:  Blooming Glen Farm

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

(Click photo to read notes at flick’r regarding names/quantities of share.)

I’ve been so happy to find my favorite salad green, arugula, at Blooming Glen Farm over the past two weeks.  We’re still picking herbs and flowers, and radishes made a reappearance this week.

That beautiful Cinderella squash and those tomatillos are going to become soups for a family dinner this Sunday night.

Cinderella Pumpkin Soup with Apples and Sage Oil
(From Whole Food Whole Family)
Ingredients
1 leek, sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
about 1/3 of a large Cinderella pumpkin (or other variety), peeled and diced
4 apples, preferably Winesap or another sweet-tart variety, diced
enough vegetable broth or water to barely cover
2 T. maple syrup
1 T. cumin
2 t. coriander
1 t. chili powder
1/2 t. crushed red pepper
1/4 c. chives, minced for garnish
Sage oil:
3 T. olive oil
large handful of sage leaves, stripped from the stem

Directions
1. Heat 1 T. oil in a soup pot and add the leek and garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes, until softened, stirring regularly.
2. Add the squash and apples. Add broth to within an inch of the squash and apples. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes, until the squash is very soft.
3. Stir in the spices and maple syrup and turn off the heat under the soup.
4. Heat the oil at a low temperature in a small pan. Add the sage leaves and infuse them for about 1 minute, until the have released their flavor and scent into the oil. Turn off the heat and allow the sage to continue infusing while the rest of the soup is prepared.
5. Transfer the soup in batches to a blender and process until smooth.
6. Return the soup to the pot and season to taste with salt and pepper.
7. Strain out the leaves from the oil.
8. Serve the soup drizzled with sage oil and sprinkled with chives.

Tomatillo Soup
(From Vegan Diva)
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 large onion, sliced thin
4 jalapeno peppers, sliced in thin rounds (use less for a milder soup)
2 heaping teaspoons ground cumin
1 heaping teaspoon ground coriander
Green Tabasco Sauce to taste
1 pound tomatillos, husked, rinsed, and chopped
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 cups vegetable broth
2 cans chopped green chiles, drained
1 cup water
2 15-oz. cans Cannelli Beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions
1. Heat oil over medium heat in a 10-inch skillet. Add garlic, onion, jalapenos, cumin, and coriander. Cook, stirring often until onions are lightly golden, about 7 – 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in 5- to 6-quart pot, combine tomatillos, sea salt, sugar, vegetable broth, green chilies, Green Tabasco sauce, and water. Heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to low. Stir in the onion mixture and cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Stir in beans and cilantro until beans are heated through.

Served with fresh bread from our local bakery, Bakers on Broad, and a green salad, I think our taste buds and belies will be satisfied!

CSA Report:  Blooming Glen Farm

Thursday, September 17, 2009

(Click photo to read notes at flick’r regarding names/quantities of share.)

The Blooming Glen Farm farmers gifted us with green tomatoes, tomatillos, arugula and butternut squash this week.  More potatoes, onions, peppers, garlic and greens were also waiting for us.  The weather may be cooling down, but we still had fresh herbs to pick, and even managed to put together a wild flower bouquet.

I’m excited to make a batch of Nanny’s (our farmer Tricia’s grandmother) green tomato relish with those tomatoes.  I’ve used this recipe for the last couple years and just love it. The quantities are to produce a big batch for canning (about 10 to 12 pint jars), so adjust as needed.

Nanny’s Green Tomato Relish

Put through chopper (or chop by hand), and drain:
1 peck green tomatoes (roughly 20apple size)
6 large onions
6 green peppers
6 red peppers

Make syrup:
3/4 pint sugar
2 pints vinegar
1 T whole cloves, in cloth or tea ball
1 stick cinnamon
Boil about 20 minutes, until sugar is dissolved, remove cinnamon stick and cloves.

In a big pot, pour syrup over over relish and add:
1 T Salt
1 T celery seed
1 T mustard seed
Boil 15 minutes, then process in boiling water canner for 15 minutes.

It’s always a treat to open a can of this sweet, crunchy and colorful relish in the dark days of winter!

Green Pea and Pecorino Custard

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Green peas have been plentiful this rainy, early summer. Looking for a classy first-course recipe, I adapted the Green Peas and Parmesan Custard from Bittman’s How to Cook Everything Vegetarian to make it bit lighter, but still full of flavor. A good quality pecorino will make all the difference!

Green Pea and Pecorino Custard
serves 6

1 1/2 cups shelled fresh green peas
1 1/2 cups milk or rice milk
1/2 cup grated pecorino
3 local, organic eggs
2 Tbs. chopped fresh mint (from your garden, if you have it)
1/2 tsp. salt

1. Preheat the oven to 300F, and a kettle of water on the stove to boil. Combine the peas, pecorino and milk in a small food processor and pulse until the mixture is primarily smooth.

2. Place the eggs, mint and salt in a medium bowl and whisk until well combined. Slowly add the milk mixture while whisking to blend. Pour the mixture into 6 small ramekins (about 4 ounces each).

3. Place the ramekins in a baking pan and pour in the boiling water to surround the ramekins withing 1/2 inch of the ramekin tops. Bake until the custard is almost completely solid - 45 minutes to one hour. Cool slightly, and garnish with fresh peas and pecorino shavings. Can be served warm, cold, or at room temperature.

Radishes and Radish Greens

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

My CSA is filled with radishes right now. While I don’t dislike them, I just never really eat them or know what to do with them. A bit of searching around on the web found numerous recipes for radish greens soup - the greens! Of course! I made the soup below for a quick and easy dinner. I also had green garlic and baby kale, so I made a sort of very chunky “tapenade” for the top of some crusty Metropolitan bread. Radishes, when cooked (especially in butter) take on a milder, buttery flavor. A great accompaniment to the soup, together using the whole radish!

Radish Greens Soup
serves 4

1 Tbs. butter or Earth Balance
1 Tbs. olive oil
3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
1 small yellow onion, diced
3 green onions, chopped
2 bulbs of green garlic, chopped
Greens from 2 bunches of radishes
zest of half a lemon
6 cups of vegetable broth
juice of one lemon
salt and pepper
1 cup local or homemade low-fat yogurt

Heat the butter and oil together in a thick sauce pan over medium heat until the butter melts. Add the potatoes, onions and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until the yellow onions become golden in color and the green onions soften. Add the greens, stirring well. Add the lemon zest and vegetable broth. Raise the heat to medium high and cover the pan. Cook the soup at a low boil until the potatoes soften, about 7 minutes. Remove the heat from the pan. Add the lemon juice, salt and pepper. Blend the soup with an immersion blender, or in two batches in a blender. Return soup to the pan and stir in the yogurt until the soup takes on a creamy consistency. Garnish with sliced fresh radish.

Radish and Baby Kale on Toast

1 Tbs. butter or Earth Balance
1 bulb green garlic, diced
6 small radishes, thinly sliced
2 small handfuls of baby kale
1/4 cup vegetable broth

Heat the butter in a large sauce pan until melted. Add the radishes and garlic, cooking over medium heat until the radish softens. Add the baby kale and the vegetable broth and stir well. When the kale wilts and most of the broth evaporates, remove from the heat. Serve over good buttered toast.

Grid Magazine: The 100% Local Food Issue

Thursday, May 07, 2009

Just 6 months old, Grid Magazine, a free glossy about creating sustainability in Philadelphia, has put out some great thematic issues on energy, bicycling and gardening. The newest issue, hitting the streets or your internet today, is all about local, sustainable food practices. Alongside recipes from restaurant superstars Pumpkin and Tria and Denise Balcavag of http://www.urbanvegan.net, and interviews with Talulah’s Kitchen luminaries and the Lancaster Farm Fresh Cooperative, There’s also a piece about a West Philly High student making a nutritional difference in her community. Add to that a guide to composting, and an expose on the difficulty of finding fresh produce in North Philly, an outline of how to eat local on the cheap and an interview with farm-loving rockers Hoots and Hellmouth, this issue has it all! Pick up a copy at your local business (or ask them to carry it) or read it paper-free online!

Glazed Seitan and Cabbage Stir-Fry

Sunday, March 01, 2009

In my neighborhood, eating fresh and local November through March is a little rough.  This time of year, if I want anything fresh, I have to head 45 minutes south (Reading Terminal Market), north (Allentown Farmers Market) or west (Phoenixville Farmers’ Market).  Anything that is, except cabbage. 

I found a collection of monstrous cabbage heads Bill Seulke’s Produce stand in the Q-Mart today and just couldn’t pass them up.  The one we picked up weighed in at almost eight pounds, and at 33-cents a pound, cost a mere $2.50.  I combined it with a tub of Ray’s Seitan and frozen peppers from my Blooming Glen Farm CSA share for a quick, yummy dinner

Glazed Seitan and Cabbage Stir-Fry
(modified from Vegetarian Times)
Serves 6

Glazed Seitan
3 Tbs. maple syrup
3 Tbs. orange juice
1 Tbs. low-sodium soy sauce
1 Tbs. toasted sesame oil
1 12-oz. pkg. seitan, chopped

Stir-Fry
3/4 cup almonds (halved, whole, slivered, whatever)
1 Tbs. plus 1 tsp. sesame oil
1 1/2 lbs. shredded cabbage (about 4 cups)
3 bell peppers, cut into strips (about 2 cups)
2 Tbs. minced ginger
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (or to taste)
9 Tbs. orange juice
1 1/4 Tbs. arrowroot powder

To make Glazed Seitan:
Combine syrup, juice and soy sauce in small bowl.
Heat oil in nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add seitan, and stir-fry 4 minutes, or until golden. Add maple syrup mixture, and simmer 3 minutes, or until seitan is coated with glaze. Transfer to bowl. Wipe out skillet.

To make Stir-Fry:
Toast almonds in dry skillet over medium-high heat 3 minutes, or until fragrant. Transfer to bowl. Heat 1 Tbs. sesame oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add cabbage, 2 Tbs. water and cover, until just tender, about 5 minutes. Add bell pepper and stir-fry 2 minutes.
Move vegetables to sides of skillet, and pour remaining 1 tsp. oil in center. Add ginger, garlic and red pepper flakes, and stir-fry 1 minute. Stir in 2 Tbs. water, seitan and almonds. Cover, and cook 2 minutes, or until veggies are tender.
Combine orange juice and arrowroot powder. Stir into vegetable mixture. Bring to a simmer, then remove from heat, and serve.

I served the stir-fry over soba noodles that I covered with a mixture of orange juice, sesame oil and arrowroot, though just about any grain or noodle would work great. While we ate, my boyfriend remarked that chunks of grilled pineapple would make a nice addition, which got us daydreaming about summertime and the gobs of fresh fruits and veggies awaiting us…  amazing how a tiny splash of light, crisp citrus on a pile of fresh, local ingredients can brighten up a murky February day, eh?

For the love of Vrapple

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Every since Sarah Cain (the co-manager of the Fair Food Farmstand) started producing Vrapple, I’ve been wondering what it tastes like.  Sarah said it was really good…but the idea of vegetarian scrapple sort of scared me.  Why?  Because scrapple scares me.  I’ve seen it made and I know what happens.  It’s gross.

But I finally broke down and bought a block of Vrapple, determined to taste it before passing judgment.  According to Sarah, Vrapple has sort of a Thanksgiving stuffing kind of a taste because of all the spices, but it’s basically just seitan mixed with buckwheat and cornmeal (both locally grown and milled) and a few other things.  And it tastes kinda like scrapple.

The other night I made a vegetable pot pie and decided to chop up the Vrapple and throw it in.  I loved it and my husband hated it.  Of course, in my husband’s case, this was not exactly a surprise: no matter what the taste, he hates anything that is a meat substitute simply on principle.

The Vrapple didn’t really stay chunky when mixed into the other vegetables for the pot pie.  Rather, it got very crumbly.  I think it would probably make a really good meat substitute for, say, tacos.  But it made for a really good pot pie filling, and it definitely gets better the second day.  In fact, I will be eating leftovers today for lunch.

Of course, my very favorite thing about Vrapple isn’t the Vrapple itself; it’s the tag lines.  The latest comes just in time for the upcoming season of Lent: It’s tasty to repent; eat Vrapple for Lent!

Tofu Scrambler Redux

Monday, August 04, 2008

I’ve written here before about the wondrous tofu scrambler.  It’s such a lovely, versatile dish, one that belongs in every busy locavore’s repertoire (and what locavore isn’t busy this time of year?), I think a refresher is in order. 

The key to a yummy tofu scrambler is, as one might guess, good tofu.  Locally, I’ve found that Fresh Tofu makes a superior product, and once properly drained and pressed works wonderfully for this meal.  My favorite method of pressing tofu is quick-pressing it; by slicing the block through the center so that it’s “opened” in half, less time is needed for the liquid to drain.  Once the tofu is sliced, I place the two squares on a broiler pan (for easy liquid capture) and top them with a small clean cutting board.  On top of that, goes whatever I have on hand, usually cookbooks and canned goods.

 
Much like stirfry, quiche and fritatta, the scrambler is a meal that can handle any combination of veggies one might have on hand, making it a double-duty dish:  one that both excels in cleaning out the fridge, as well as being a savory any-time meal.  This particular tofu scrambler uses carrots, Swiss chard, summer squash (from my CSA share) and red peppers (preserved last season), along with the standard onion and garlic (also from the CSA). 

These ingredients are easily altered, depending on what’s in season and/or what preserved veggies need to be consumed, making this basic scrambler recipe usable for breakfast, lunch or dinner.  Options are truly endless and some ingredients can even be eliminated (substituting more veggies for the beans, for instance).

Tofu Scrambler
serves six

1 pound Fresh Tofu, drained and pressed
1 1/2 tablespoons cumin
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
4 cloves minced garlic
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped greens (my favorite is Swiss chard)
1 can beans (my favorite is black soy beans)
~1 1/2 cup of chopped veggies
1/3 cup nutritional yeast

Heat oil in skillet over medium-high. Saute onions until softened (about three minutes). Add garlic, saute 2 minutes more, then add spice blend and mix it up for 15 seconds or so. Crumble in tofu and mix very well. Let cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding splashes of water if necessary to keep it from sticking too much. Mix in greens and other vegetables, cover, allowing steam to soften them, about 10 minutes. Mix in nutritional yeast.

I almost always eat tofu scrambler for breakfast, with toast and a sprinkling of hot sauce and fresh herbs if I have any on hand.  By making a big batch once a week, my morning routine is totally streamlined and I’m guaranteed at least one local meal per day.  Some other ways to enjoy your fresh scrambler are:

For breakfast— Huevos rancheros-style, with tortillas, salsa, refried beans and guacamole; inside or on top of a toasted English muffin; with grits, for a comfort food breakfast.
For lunch—in a salad, on top a bed of fresh greens; stuffed into a pita with spouts and tomato slices; with a side of baked sweet potato fries.
For dinner—as a filling for stuffed peppers; in soft tacos with diced tomatoes and shredded lettuce; in burritos with rice, refried beans and salsa.

I hope this summer a scrambler or two finds it’s way into your kitchen.  If you happen upon a particularly yummy ingredient combo, be sure to share!

Easy peasy stir fry

Friday, June 20, 2008

I’m happy to report that the concept of eating local and vegan is difficult can be put to rest with this recipe:

Bok Choy, Snow Pea, Spring Onion and Seitan Stir Fry

  1 package Ray’s Seitan
  1 head bok choy
  1/3 pound snow peas
  4 - 5 spring onions, sliced
  2 tablespoons oil
  1+ teaspoon red pepper flakes (I used about two teaspoons)
  1/2 cup water mixed with 1/2 tablespoon Bragg’s (or replace Bragg’s with soy sauce or tamari, or use 1/2 cup stock)

  Heat one tablespoon of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Using scissors, cut seitan to bite-sized chunks into the pan and stir. Liquid from the seitan will drip into the pan as you cut, which is just fine. Once all the seitan is added, stir and increase heat to medium-high. Brown seitan, stirring every few minutes, until edges crisp, about ten minutes. Set aside.

  Cut the bok choy stems into roughly one-inch pieces; slice leaves into strips and and put aside. Trim or pull the little “hats” of the snow peas. Heat remaining oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add the bok choy stems, snow peas, onions and red pepper flakes and cook, increasing heat to medium-high and stirring occasionally, until the bok choy loses its crunch, about five minutes. Add the bok choy greens and 1/2 cup water and Bagg’s, and mix well. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid evaporates and the stems become very tender, about ten minutes. Add a little more liquid if necessary.

  Add seitan to veggies and mix well, cooking until seitan heats through, about a minute.

Feel free to substitute the veggies with others that you have on hand or that are in season.  Kale, collards, chard, arugula for the bok choy, and carrots, tomatoes and snap peas for the snow peas will all work.  Get crazy.  See what you have in the fridge, calculate the cook time and substitute away!

Something to do with all the greens

Tuesday, June 03, 2008

There are so many varieties of greens at the markets and in our shares these days, I thought I’d share one of my favorite (and most flexible) recipes for a mixed bunch of them. I’ve adapted this from Paula Wolfert’s Mediterranean Greens and Grains.

Leafy Greens, Garlic, Yogurt, and Red Pepper Swirls

3 C loosely packed mixed greens (in the photo are red mustard greens, arugula, and some leftover lettuces)
handful of mixed greens herbs (I used parsley, dill, and mint)
6 oz yogurt (I used Pequea Valley, so it was already thick; my suggestion is this or Greek/Greek style or already drained regular)
1 small clove garlic, crushed (start with this and let it sit a few hours before you decide to add more)
2 T olive oil
1/4 t dried oregano or a few leaves fresh, minced
generous pinch Aleppo pepper (a sweet paprika w/red pepper flakes will work, too)
pinch herbes de provence (if you have it)
salt to taste

Wash the greens and fresh herbs. Get a large pot of water boiling. Add the toughest greens first to the boiling water to soften them (the mustard went in for about 2 minutes), then the arugula, then the lettuce bits (these for about 30 seconds). Drain. Cool in cold water or, if your hands are diner server tough, plop the hot greens in a dishtowel and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Finely chop them. Also chop the fresh herbs. Mix the herbs, greens, yogurt, and garlic together. Then heat the olive oil and add the oregano, herbes de provence, and pepper and swirl together until fragrant. Mix this with the greens mixture, salt to taste, and refrigerate. I eat this the way it is, or last night I slathered it on some crusty bread.

Enjoy! I highly recommend Paula Wolfert’s cookbooks—many of the spices are available at Bitar’s, or if you visit NYC, at Kalustyan’s.

“Off” season

Friday, April 11, 2008

Although it’s not often, every time I visit the Fair Food Farmstand at the Reading Terminal Market during the winter, I am amazed by the quantity of fresh, local produce.  Apparently, it’s not as “off” season as I thought!  Tons of greens, apples, GIGANTIC sweet potatoes, cranberries, parsnips, herbs and jellies are just a small sampling of what I considered purchasing this week.  After a couple rounds through the stand and some assistance by fabulous volunteers, Sarah and Kelly Ann, I finally settled on some gorgeous greens of the spinach variety, two kinds of apples, gourmet preserves and some soon-to-be-reviewed vegan scrapple, Vrapple.

I’ve been delighting in my stash all week, using apples with breakfast and spinach with dinners (such a nice addition to the freezer veggies I’ve grudgingly been using).  As always seems the case however, simple is best when eating locally, and today I realized that the bulk of my lunch originated from the farm stand.  This salad of spinach and diced apples was crispy, refreshing and, especially with this warm air, a titillating tease to the oodles of fresh Philly goodness just on the horizon.

Want to get giddy with me?  Here are the Farmstand hours and contact info:

White Dog Community’s Fair Food Farmstand

Tuesday through Saturday, 8am – 6pm
Sunday, 9am – 4pm

12th and Arch Streets
Philadelphia, PA 19107
215-627-2029
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

The only thing that would’ve made my salad better are those cranberries I saw.  I picked them up and put them down a couple times before finally deciding to pass.  Too bad, as they would have added a perfect complimentary tart to the apple’s sweet. 

Guess I’ll just have to make another trip to the market

Miso Delight

Wednesday, April 09, 2008

M made a lovely eat-from-the-freezer dish last night.  We’ve been trying to finish everything up, as our Lancaster Farm Fresh one and a half shares will be starting soon! 

This is from the Moosewood Cooks at Home, which we find a useful book for quick eats and very adjustable recipes. 

Miso Sauce

1/3 cup medium to light miso (M used yellow)
1/3 to 1/2 cup water
2 TB rice vinegar
1 tsp fresh grated ginger

Mix miso and 1/3 cup water until smooth.  Add vinegar and ginger, mix well.  Add a little more water if needed to make a saucelike consistency.

None of that (except the water—you must not forget the water, Best Beloved) was local, but M steamed yummy things from the freezer including kale, green beans, red and green peppers, and corn.  I made a grain mix (lentils, brown and mixed rice, job’s tears), and the whole thing was very good.  The sauce is quite sharp, but with frozen veg, zing can add summer zest.

p.s.  this was our first experiment with the ginger that we had (as Mollie Katzen suggested) put in white wine and put in the fridge so it wouldn’t go off before we could get to it—roaring success!