Sweet, sweet leather

Thursday, May 29, 2008

There’s a brand new dehydrator sitting in my kitchen - a Nesco American Harvest FD-61WHC Snackmaster Express Food Dehydrator All-In-One Kit with Jerky Gun.  I’ve been dying to try it out, so I bought a very non-local bag of cherries, pitted them, and soaked them in white wine and amaretto overnight, and then dried them.  And they turned out pretty well, I’m happy to say.

It was only this week that I was able to try my hand at drying something locally-grown: the rhubarb compote I made last week. 

The dehydrator came with two fruit leather trays.  I couldn’t quite imagine making my own fruit roll ups, but I assure you that it worked like a charm!  I just spread the compote out over the trays thinly, plugged in the dehydrator, and about ten hours later I had two massive sheets of super fresh-tasting rhubarb fruit leather.

Yes, ten hours.  I’m thinking that I will only use the dehydrator when it is loaded with stuff to dry - otherwise, I feel like I’m using too much energy just to dry a few things.

Still, I’m really excited that making fruit leather is so easy.  I’ll be overrun with strawberries in a few weeks - normally I just freeze bunches of them, but this year I’ll definitely puree a bunch and make fruit leather.

CSA Report:  Blooming Glen Farm

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

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

Hooray for the first share of the season!  Our kitchen seemed happier to have the Blooming Glen Farm smell of fresh greens and spring onions tonight.  I’ve already packed salads for work lunches tomorrow and the strawberries are just about gone.  Though I have nothing special planned for the remaining loot, I’m sure one or two items will show up in our One Local Summer meal this week.  Happy farm season, everyone! 

The Garden of Doom

I’m the only person in my neighborhood who grows anything more than a tomato plant or two (although there is a guy down the street with black walnut trees in his back yard - I’m trying to become close friends with him).  It would be surprising if that didn’t start to change this year - even my mother, who vowed never to keep a garden because of the trauma of growing up on a farm, planted a little mini garden this year to cut down on food costs.  There’s an element of thriftiness in my gardening adventures, but mostly I just like knowing where my food came from and how it was grown, and the ability to eat food minutes from harvest.

There is a small garden at our house, which I endeavor every year to intensively plant using the Square Foot Gardening method.  This year I sort of threw that out the window, and did a combination of Square Foot and row planting.  Is it a good idea? Only time will tell.  Things seem to be going well, but it’s planting is a little behind thanks to all the weird, cool weather we’ve been having lately.  I have to plant a few last minute things tomorrow and Thursday, but I’ll definitely be done by the end of the week.

So what’s growing in my garden this year?  Well, there are the things that come back year after year - rhubarb, a nice strawberry patch, chives, sorrel - and the four varieties of garlic I planted last Fall: Georgian Crystal Purple, German Extra Hardy, German Red, and Musik.  Sadly, my asparagus patch seems to have not gotten a good start and will have to be replanted this year.

I planted lots of herbs: Genovese basil, flat leaf parsley, rosemary, French tarragon, a few varieties of thyme, sage, oregano, cilantro, dill, and mint.  One thing I learned from my fellow Farm to Philly contributors last year is this - don’t rip up the herb garden at the end of the season.  So many FTP-ers continued to harvest herbs well into the Winter months.

There are the Hakurei and Scarlet Queen turnips (pictured above).  With only 38 and 43 days, respectively, to maturity, I should be cooking up a mess of sweet little turnips in only a few more weeks!  I’ll never forget the first time I had “hooker eye” turnips last year - I can barely wait!  I suspect I’ll be harvesting just about the same time as the strawberries ripen.

Here’s the rest of the list:

• Thumbelina carrots
• Tadorna leeks
• Lacinato kale
• Golden Swiss chard
• Flash collards
• Brilliant celeriac
• Bloomsdale Savoy spinach
• Cipollini onions
• Caspian Pink tomato
• Yellow Jelly Bean tomato
• Peas
• Akahana Mame dried beans
• Ichiban eggplant
• Golden beets
• Orion fennel
• Presto watercress
• Sessantina Grossa broccoli raab

Like Allison, I also just purchased two raspberry plants.  I have yet to decide on a permanent home for them.  Then there are the two fig trees I bought last year (there’s a fig growing on one of them), and the single apricot tree that will finally get a mate this year.

Everything that has managed to get planted is doing just fine.  With dragon boat season in full swing, it’s hard to keep up with all the weeding, but I’ll be happy I did when everything is ready to harvest!

Roux the day

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Last week I bought a bunch of very pretty mustard greens from Willing Hands Farm at the Swarthmore Farmer’s Market.  I decided to make creamed mustard greens, something I love but rarely make.  As you can see from the photo, I served it with mashed potatoes and meatloaf (both 95% local).  You can also see that the mustard greens are a little more creamed than I would normally make - that’s because that nice big bunch of greens cooked down to barely two servings and I hate wasting good bechamel!

Speaking of bechamel - or white sauce, it’s come to my attention that very few people know how to make a good, basic bechamel.  My own mother didn’t even know what I was talking about (not to mention that she wrinkled up her nose at the mustard greens).  In the interest of making the world a better place, this is how you make a standard bechamel:

1. Melt 2 Tbsp of butter in a heavy saucepan over low - medium heat.
2. When the butter has just started to foam, add 2 Tbsp. of flour gradually while whisking.  Note: you have just made a classic roux.
3. Slowly pour in 1 cup of milk, continuing to whisk.
4. Throw in a pinch of grated nutmeg
5. Continue to cook (and whisk) until the sauce has thickened, maybe 15 minutes.  Do not let the sauce brown or stick to the bottom of the pan!

Your sauce should not be at all lumpy, but should be a nice thick-ish white sauce.

There is some disagreement about whether or not it is necessary to use scalded milk in the making of bechamel.  I say no - it is easy and effective enough to heat the milk after you combine it with the roux.

So what can you do with bechamel sauce?  It’s not what you can do with it, it’s what can’t you do with it.  If you’re a fan of the creamed spinach at Boston Market, combining bechamel sauce with lightly steamed spinach will give you a nice (better!) approximation of it.  I combined the bechamel I made last week with blanched mustard greens and then threw it in the oven at 350 degrees for 10 minutes to get some fantastic creamed mustard greens.  Bechamel is also the base for cream sauce, Sauce Mornay, and Sauce Aurore.  It’s great served on chicken or with eggs, or served over pasta.

Let the games begin: One Local Summer

Monday, May 26, 2008

The deadline for registration for One Local Summer has now closed.  2008 is going to be an exciting year for the challenge - we have 136 participants!  30 states in the U.S. are represented, plus there are a few Canadians participating this year as well as several people from France and the UK.  Outstanding!

The rules and other important information (please read: some of it is different from last year!):

1. The challenge will begin on Sunday, June 1 and run until Sunday, August 31.  Your challenge: prepare one meal each week using only locally grown ingredients - the exceptions are oil, salt and pepper, and spices.  Please note: the first update/recap of meals will appear on this site on Tuesday, June 10.
2. Each region has one or two regional coordinators.  Participants should have received an email with the name of their regional coordinator.
3. On SUNDAY of every week during the challenge, please email your regional coordinator the URL of any OLS posts on your blog or Flickr account.  Or, if you have neither, email your regional coordinator your update on Sunday. Updates will appear on the Farm to Philly blog every TUESDAY.  If you do not get your update emailed by Sunday, you can post your update in the comments section for your region’s update.
4. If you would like a One Local Summer button for your blog, there are three available here.
5. When you come to the Farm to Philly site, there’s an easy way to find all One Local Summer entries - look in the far left column under ‘Categories’ and click the link that says ‘One Local Summer’.

We at Farm to Philly are very excited to be hosting One Local Summer this year!  And I’m grateful to all the regional coordinators and those that volunteered to be back ups to the regional coordinators - thank you so much!

New garden; Raspberry bush update

I moved a month ago to a house with a partially dirt back yard. If you are familiar with South Philly backyards, you’ll know how unusual this is. The plantable ground practically sold me on the house. It’s small (14’ x 7’), but large enough for some of the plants I’ve been longing to grow. Top of the list: raspberries. If you look back to April 16, I posted when my bareroot plants began to show signs of life. This is the plant now:

And the other finally woke up, too, about a month after this one.
Here’s the garden, Seamus’s favorite lounging spot. (He’s sitting near the dwarf sour cherry tree I bought with the raspberries.)


Most of the plants came from Greensgrow, a wonderland I’m embarassed to say that I learned about just this year. From the mushroom soil to the leaf compost to the flowers to the fresh produce (I bought wonderful asparagus on my last trip), I can’t say enough about the place. Over time, I’m hoping the improve the clay back there with compost from Greensgrow, my own over fall and winter, and worm castings. (The worm bin is temporarily out of commission. More about that in another post.) Among the Greensgrow plant purchases: Sungold, Yellow Pear, Brandywine, Mortgage Lifter, and Patio tomatoes; Yarrow; Stock; Swiss Chard; Sorrel; Catnip (for Seamus as well as for its spikes of purple flowers); Peppermint (in a container b/c I know from experience that mints will take over); Verbena; Bell Peppers; and French Marigolds. I still have plenty of room, but I’m committed to starting all my seeds from the Seed Savers Exchange. (More about that when they begin to do their thing.)

I’m a little behind with the garden this year, in part because of the actual move, but mostly due to the vast number of bricks I dug out. I’m talking 100+ whole or partial bricks. And I dug down only about 18-24 inches. There also was a layer of coal/charcoal-like stuff at one end. I pitched most of it along with about half the bricks. (Remaining bricks have been useful for “terracing” the containers.) Happily, I didn’t find much construction debris or glass or garbage, and I did find a lot of worms. Still, I mixed in several bags of leaf mulch, mushroom soil, and vermiculite before planting. (I think the space could take about 5 times that, but I am reminding myself to be patient.) Today, I tested the soil pH in several places, and all came in at about 6.5, thank goodness. I might acidify around the raspberries a teeny bit, but 6.5 should be comfortable for everything else.

You’re Going to Eat What?

Saturday, May 24, 2008

While on a recent field to the Wetlands Institute in Stone Harbor, NJ, I took advantage of some down time (i.e., my students were preoccupied with netting wildlife) to harvest some pickleweed (Salicornia europeae variety rubra).  During the field trip, our guide pointed out some of the more interesting and useful plants in the ecosystem – including the fragrant bayberry bush (Myrica pensylvanica), which colonists used to make candles.

It turns out that pickleweed is edible, with a wonderful texture and a briny taste not unlke a brined “pickle” (hence the name, I suppose).  Bringing two handfuls home, I found it a wonderful addition to a mixed green salad. 

The larger point I am trying to make here is something that when I go to the farmer’s market, I am typically looking for local versions of familiar foods – potatoes, tomatoes, carrots, onions.  Yet, how much edible local vegetation is out there?  What possibilities have I ignored through simple ignorance of my ecosystem? 

Lancaster Farm Fresh #3

Friday, May 23, 2008

May 19 CSA share:

1 head buttercrunch or green butterhead lettuce
grown by Goshen View Organics

½ lb salad mix grown by Farmdale Organics

2 heads Romaine lettuce grown by Riverview Organics

1 bunch radishes grown by Farmdale Organics

1 pkg white mushrooms grown by Mother Earth Organics

1 pkg shitake mushrooms grown by Mother Earth Organics

1 pint strawberries
grown by Green Valley or Pleasant View Organics

1 lb rhubarb grown by a neighboring farm to Riverview Organics

Unfortunately, I don’t have a picture of the full share because, well… because we ate it.  Sorry about that!  However, I wanted to include this picture of the very local ingredients we had for Hot & Sour Soup.  From the share we used the shiitake and button mushrooms and the scallions.  That’s local tofu and local bean sprouts, too. 

Hot & Sour Soup
from the original Moosewood Cookbook (adjustments by M and me in parentheses)

1 oz dried black mushrooms (obviously, we had fresh shiitakes and buttons)
8 cups water (local!!!!)
3 Tbs Chinese rice wine or dry sherry (for this we used some of the refrigerated white wine we’ve been storing our ginger in--YUM!)
1/2 cup plus 1 TB cidar vinegar
2 TBs tamari
1 3/4 tsp salt
1 cake (1/4 lb) firm tofu in thin strips
2 TBs cornstarch
2 beaten eggs (local happy eggs)
6 minced scallions (local...not sure how many we put in, but I think it was more than that--I do love my scallions)
1/4 - 1/2 tsp finely ground white pepper (we have black, so that’s what we used)

Chinese sesame oil
extra tamari to taste

(we added:
one pint contanier of mung bean sprouts ((local))
hot sesame oil, at the end, in each bowl)

For the directions, we skipped the first two, because they were for dried mushrooms.  You use two cups of the water to soak the ‘shrooms, but then you add the soaking liquid, so it all evens out.  I’ll just write out what we did:

1. Boil the water with the diced shiitake stems in it (softens them up and flavors the water).
2. Add the thinly sliced mushrooms, the wine/sherry, vinegar, tamari, salt, and tofu strips.  Lower the heat and let simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Mix the corn starch in a bowl with 3/4 cup of the hot soup until smooth, then add to soup.
4. As the soup gently boils, drizzle in the beaten eggs.  (M. and I have found that it’s really important that the soup is boiling when you do this.)
5. Add scallions, bean sprouts, and pepper.  Cook only a few minutes more.
6. Top each serving with a drizzle of sesame oil and a drop or two of hot sesame oil.

You can keep yo’ mama’s chicken soup--this is my cozy-make-everything-all-better-happiness hot soup.  Hmmmmm…

p.s. next week, I’ll try to snap a photo of the farm share before the wild animals devour it!

Clark Park Market Report, 17 May

Monday, May 19, 2008

The Clark Park Farmers’ Market continues to be excitingly springy.  I bought four pints of strawberries, a pound of rhubarb, a bag of baby spinach, and two bunches of purple kale.  Other available produce included basil plants, dandelion greens, rainbow chard, and scallions, plus some remaining storage crops and the usual selections of meats, dairy, and baked goods.  I think I saw a new-for-the-season stall just north of the Betty’s Tasty Buttons stand, but I didn’t catch their name--anyone else know who they were?

Rhubarb compote

I have a couple of rhubarb plants in my garden.  I never know quite what to do with the harvest.  Sure, I like a good strawberry rhubarb pie as much as the next person, but I always wish I knew what else to use it for.  Earlier this week there was a pork tenderloin staring at me from my fridge - after a little bit of research I discovered that rhubarb compote would make a good sauce for a nice fennel seed crusted tenderloin.  Sold!

Making fruit compote is super simple, no matter what fruit you use.  But making rhubarb compote is ridiculously easy: cut up about two pounds of rhubarb, combine it with a little over a cup of sugar and 1/3 cup of water, and bring it to a boil.  Stir until the sugar dissolves, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook it down for 20 minutes.  Give it a stir every now and then.  The rhubarb sort of falls apart and you’ve got yourself a nice compote.

It was tasty with the tenderloin (served with a nice side of sauted locally-grown Lacinato kale and garlic), but I’m also thinking I might try to make fruit leather with it in my new dehydrator.  I’m not sure how that will work, but it’s worth a try!  It also has me thinking that I could freeze some of it and use it to mix in with applesauce.  It can be spooned over ice cream or cake, too, or maybe even used as a cake filling.  I might even can a bit of it to have on hand later in the season.

Dinner for one

Saturday, May 17, 2008

I think the main reason why the universe gave me a family for which I am responsible, is so that I stay in line. 

I have once again proven that, if left to my own devices, I surely would subsist strictly on a diet of red wine, peanut butter, salsa, crackers, refried beans and the internet.  Behold, my dinner:

This is what happens when I eat alone.  Having no responsibilities to feed my only son a nutritious dinner, nor to remind my boyfriend how lucky he is to have a partner who cooks fabulous meals, clearly means one thing to me:  LAZINESS.  I won’t let this deter me, however, for I have actually convinced myself that this meal was a good choice, not an irresponsible one. Readers of this site will be with me I know, once I point out that this meal is comprised almost completely of local ingredients.

Aw yeah, just what I need:  reinforcement by way of rationalization to continue with this ridiculousness.

The wine is Chaddsford Winery’s 2006 Pinot Noir 25th Vintage.  It’s said to be a “light, delicate red with a mouth-filling combination of fruit and earthiness,” and I must whole-heartedly agree.  At about $15 a bottle, it’s my favorite, stand-by local red wine.  And that adorable little jar is filled with a sweet and sassy Rosemary Rosé herb jelly from Little Isobel.  The texture was a bit more watery than I’m used to, but the flavor was absolutely refreshing.  The unique labels and little sprig of Overbook Farm-grown rosemary suspended in the jelly really makes this product a local gem.  The crackers are not local and not remarkable.  They simply served as a vehicle to get the jelly to my mouth, and to cleanse my delicate and sophisticated palate in between sips of wine.  Ahem.

I’m thinking of using this dinner-for-one theme during One Local Summer.  But first, I suppose I’ll have to get rid of that family.

Opening Day at Swarthmore Farmers Market

Today was opening day for the Swarthmore Farmer’s Market, located in the parking lot in front of the Swarthmore coop.  Even in the full swing of the season, the Swarthmore market is never very big - maybe a dozen vendors, about half of them selling trinkets, dog treats, or prepared foods.  The opening day was a little smaller than normal.

Forrest Acres Farm was there with a nice selection of meats, cheese, dairy products, and baked and canned goods.  Willing Hands Farm was selling some lovely looking mustard greens (which I purchased), radishes, and green onions.  Sadly, that was about it for fresh produce and meats.  Maybe this early in the season there isn’t too much produce on hand to sell?

The city of Swarthmore does expect most of their standard vendors to return this year.  I’ll be looking forward to more vendors!

Swarthmore Farmer’s Market is open Saturdays, 10-2.

Cheese review: Patches of Star Diary Queso Blanc

Friday, May 16, 2008

Last weekend at the Headhouse Square market, I could not resist picking up a package of this Tomato Basil Queso Blanc.  I’ve never heard of Patches of Star Dairy before.  As it turns out, Patches of Star Dairy has been around for quite some time - and now they produce thousands of gallons of organic raw goat milk every year.  The dairy only produces queso blanc, a cheese that is essentially fresh curds.

I make fromage blanc at home, but I’ve never had it made from goat milk.  The Patches of Star cheese is delicious - it’s nice and crumbly with a great taste.  It would make a stellar cheese to crumble over a salad.

Lancaster Farm Fresh #2

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

This is our second farmshare from Lancaster Farm Fresh, and below is the list Amy Crystle sent us to say what’s in it and who grew it:

1 lb Bloomsdale Spinach grown by Organic Willow Acres

1 pint strawberries grown by Green Valley Organics

2 bunches red radishes grown by Misty Meadow Acres

1 head Romaine lettuce grown by Riverview Organics

1 bunch scallions grown by Farmdale Organics

1 8oz pkg Cremini mushrooms grown by Mother Earth Organics

1 6oz pkg Portabella mushrooms grown by Mother Earth Organics

2 heads butterhead lettuce grown by Goshen View Organics

Of course, this is a two-box week, so double that!  M washed, steamed, and froze one pound of spinach.  It’s strange to feel that we’re just emerging from winter eating, and here we are, freezing food for next February. 

Spinach was one of the foods I thought we could stand more of in the freezer next year, so we’ll put up both pounds of it.  We still have fresh spinach from last week’s share, so we get to eat it, too!  The strawberries were AMAZING, and I ate them after a dinner of New Jersey asparagus and salad from the box.  The zing of the radishes was still on my tongue, and it mixed in beautiful and interesting ways with the sweet tartness of the strawbs.

Ahoy!  The season begins!

A quick jaunt through Headhouse Square

Monday, May 12, 2008

Over the weekend I accidentally ended up at the Headhouse Square farmer’s market with two friends.  For a Spring market, the selection wasn’t bad at all!  Some rhubarb, tons of salad greens of all varieties, bok choy, radishes, spinach...and herb and vegetable plants.  Tons of them!  So if you’re looking for herb plants, head over next weekend - I picked up some super healthy-looking parsley, dill, rosemary, and tarragon from one of the vendors.  Yoder Heirlooms, in particular, had gorgeous looking produce. 

Aside from produce, the market had at least two vendors of locally made bread, as well as cakes and quick breads, jam, honey, artisan sausage and pepperoni, and cheese.  I saw a sign for boneless duck, and noticed two other meat vendors.  There were lots of great eggs available, too.

The real star, though, was asparagus.  Quite a few vendors had really gorgeous asparagus, and from what I’ve been hearing the asparagus crop is stellar this year and extra early.  Last night I made asparagus risotto with the bunch I picked up yesterday at Headhouse Square market - it was delicious!

I really like asparagus, and am always disappointed by the crappy, tasteless commercially grown stuff available in the Winter, so my plan is to buy at least a dozen bunches or so while it’s in season and preserve it for later...in a few different ways.

My favorite method is freezing - it’s the preservation method that saves the most nutrients.  Trim the asparagus ends, sort by thickness, and blanch them in boiling water - 2 minutes for thin spears, 3 minutes for medium, and 5 minutes for thick ones.  And then give them an ice bath, let them dry, and freeze them.  They can be frozen for eight or nine months.

Asparagus can also be canned in a pressure canner.  The texture does suffer a bit, so I usually don’t can them.  However, I do like the look of nice, canned asparagus spears.  Blanch them for about three minutes after you’ve trimmed the ends, and pack them into canning jars while the asparagus is still hot.  Add 1/2 to 1 tsp of salt and boiling water, leaving about 1 inch of headspace.  Close up your jars and process at 10 pounds of pressure for 25-30 minutes.

I also plan on making some asparagus ravioli for a rainy day. 
Freshly made ravioli freezes nicely - just don’t make huge and overstuff ravioli.  Arrange them on a layer of wax paper on a cookie sheet covered in corn meal, freeze them, and then pack them into freezer bags.  They can go right from the freezer into some boiling water when you’re ready to cook them.