“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

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!

Tortilla Espanola

Sunday, March 23, 2008

I picked up my first purchase through the Meadow Run Farm buying club last Tuesday night, and I have been an omelet making machine since.

Bu this is my first attempt at a Spanish staple, the tortilla espanola. There are 3 main ingredients, and all I realized 1) that I had all 3 in the fridge, and 2) I’d procured them locally. (Excellent news! a good meal and a blog entry!) The eggs of many beige-brown hues were part of my Meadow Run order (the meats to be blogged about in due course), and the potatoes and bermuda onion were from Rineer Family Farms from the Fitler Sq. Saturday market.

Look how yellow it is—you’d think I’d added saffron. Amazing yolks in these eggs. 

Tofu Challenge:  Lemon Pepper Pasta

Friday, February 29, 2008

I think that this Lemon Pepper Baked Tofu is my favorite Fresh Tofu variety.  The flavor is light and crisp with a little bite, and like all of Fresh Tofu’s baked varieties, the texture is sublimely dense.

The subtleties of this lemon and pepper tofu can get lost in some dishes, so I usually eat it as simply as possible.  Diced into tiny cubes, it’s perfect for a lightly dressed salad, where the taste can shine.  For dinner, they blend perfectly in lemon pepper pasta.

I use a pretty basic and quick recipe; the ingredients are simple and it’s easy to time everything to finish up at once.  That, combined with a barely one-dollar-per-serving price, this dish could easily find it’s way into your weekly menu plan.

Lemon Pepper Tofu and Pasta
serves 6

1 package (7.5 oz) Fresh Tofu’s Lemon Pepper Tofu
1 lb. angel hair pasta
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 lemons
1/3 cup chopped parsley
2 teaspoons plus a dash black pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Lemon zest for garnish
Parsley for garnish

Cut lemon pepper tofu into 1/4” cubes.  Heat tablespoon of oil in a frying pan, add tofu and sprinkle with a dash of pepper.  Allow to brown over medium/high heat, tossing often.  Right before removing from heat, squeeze juice of 1/2 lemon into pan, toss and cook for 30 to 60 seconds.  Keep warm.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for three to five minutes, or until done; drain.

In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup olive oil, juice of one lemon, parsley and black pepper; stir well.  Toss with pasta. 

Serve pasta with tofu cubes on top, garnish with parsley and lemon zest, pepper and salt to taste.  Serve hot or cold.

Many lemon pepper pasta recipes call for basil rather than parsley, which I plan on trying this summer when the basil comes in from our CSA or garden.  I’d also love to try this tofu over VeganYumYum’s spicy lemon pepper fettuccine or with this lemon pepper cous-cous.  Any non-local veggies you find in lemon pepper recipes could easily be replaced with seasonal ones.  Except of course for the lemon.  Maybe Nicole’s Tuscarora Organic Growers Co-op will come through with some lemony citrus for us?

And now, all this light and airy lemon pepper herb talk has got me jonesing for spring something fierce.  Drool!

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Tofu Challenge: Baked Tofu Sandwich

Monday, February 18, 2008

Looks like we’re all singing the same song here at Farm To Philly, as I too was recently hit with a nasty cold.  Working outside of the home and doing the mom thing while miserably sick means my kitchen (and gym!) get a break.  For meals, quick and easy have been my MO, with a little bit of spice to alleviate the sinuses.  I’ve had lots of soups and sandwiches, including this yummy creation of Fresh Tofu’s baked tofu, Blooming Glen onion, spinach, roasted red peppers, homemade hot pepper spread, hummus and refried beans:

Because this tofu is already seasoned and processed, there’s no reason to press, drain or marinade.  Each package comes with four mini blocks, each of which I simply sliced “open” and heated in a non-oiled pan.  I also grilled the bread, complet from Bakers on Broad, using a light coating of olive oil.  There was no method to the rest of the ingredients—I just scavenged the refrigerator.  I’m pretty sure you already guessed that, though. The result was a filling and flavorful meal that, most importantly, didn’t require too much strain on my foggy brain.

Although I prepare Fresh Tofu’s baked tofu fairly often, this was the first time I added it to a sandwich—something I’ll definitely do again.  The texture is perfectly dense, and the flavor very mild with just a hint of sesame, making it a perfect addition to just about any meal.  I absolutely recommend also using it as salad topper; cut into tiny cubes and crisped in a dry frying pan, they provide a fantastic protein punch with great texture and taste.  It’s also great in stirfries, either sliced into strips or cubed.

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Home fries!

Monday, January 28, 2008

This eclectic collection of Blooming Glen Farm potatoes served fabulously as a yummy breakfast treat on a chilly weekend morning.

So often, I get a little panicky at the thought of actually using my preserved food. I’m pretty sure I get this trait from my dad. He recently admitted to buying canned tomatoes from the market. An appalling revelation due to the fact that a quick look in his pantry reveals oh, approximately four hundred quarts of garden tomatoes he jarred this summer.

I know. I don’t understand it, either. I mean, I get it, I know what he’s thinking—because I’m thinking the same thing—but, it’s still completely illogical. I see Nicole mentions the guilt of using frozen veggies in a previous Farm to Philly post. That’s encouraging, because surely we’re not the only ones… right?

Anyway, somehow I managed to let it all go, and use some potatoes I’ve been hoarding from last season’s CSA shares. I even broke out some frozen peppers and greens, too!

Home fries
Serves 4

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 sliced onion
2 cups julienned peppers (use your preferred combination of mild-to-spicy; bell, poblano, jalapeño, et. al.)
1 packed cup sliced or torn-up greens (kale, spinach, collards)
3 cloves chopped garlic
1 tablespoon paprika
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 cups potatoes, sliced or cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and saute until soft. Add peppers and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add paprika and cook for 1 minute. Add potatoes and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook until almost cooked through. Remove cover and continue cooking for 5 to 10 minutes until golden brown.

These are great sprinkled with some fresh chopped herbs right before serving, I just didn’t have any on hand.

Note too, especially as we find ourselves merely days before Farm to Philly’s exciting and sure-to-be-thrilling Tofu Challenge Month, that these ‘taters are great served with tofu scrambler. Either side-by-side on a plate, or as companions inside a yummy breakfast burrito

Did You Do It?

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Way back in September of last year(!), I wrote a post about drying your own sweet corn, an age-old method of preserving the summer’s harvest in a manner that didn’t take up nearly as much space (or require any fancy equipment) as canning or freezing.  It was something my grandmother had told me about, a story you can read here if you’d like to learn more about food traditions in my Pennsylvania Dutch farming family. 

Now the question is, did you do it?  Did you dry your own corn?  I hope the answer is “yes”, because I have a delightful dish to share that features that crunchy dried corn.  The resulting chewy-but-not-soft texture is very unique and compliments the rather nutty flavor nicely. 

OLD-FASHIONED CREAMY (dried) CORN

2 c. dried sweet corn
2 1/4 c. fat free milk
1 1/2 c. heavy cream
2 t. sugar
2 T. butter
dash of cayenne pepper
freshly ground nutmeg
generous pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 or 4 strips of cooked (soy) bacon, crumbled
1/4 t. dried marjoram


Place corn in a large heavy saucepan and stir in milk and heavy cream.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.

When ready to use, stir in the sugar, butter, cayenne, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 35-40 minutes until the liquid is absorbed.  Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.  Place in warmed serving dish and top with crumbled bacon and marjoram.  Serve immediately.

Spiced blueberry pancakes

Wednesday, January 02, 2008

Over the holiday break, my son had a friend who, last time he was over, I promised blueberry pancakes for breakfast. The blueberries I had on hand were of the preserved Delaware Valley College grown organic sort.  Lucky us!

During the spring and summer weeks, I usually make it to The Market at DelVal College once every week or two to stock up on locally-grown fruits and veggies.  Although some of what I purchase on these trips supplements my CSA produce for meals, I mostly go with a mission to find foods that I will preserve.  Berries and peppers are ridiculously easy to freeze, so often I’ll search for them first.

Choosing foods that are easy to put up makes the weekly chore of preservation simple and fast.  Of course, simple and fast means that my chances of burning out halfway through the season are lessened.  I like the efficiency of this system

The blueberries I used for the boys’ pancakes were purchased in June, on sale for $2.99 for two pints.  Taking them out of the freezer, I remembered just what a fabulous idea it was to stock up on six pints of these organic, locally-grown dark blue lovelies.  They were absolutely divine, literally bursting with flavor inside the piping-hot pancakes.

Spiced Blueberry Pancakes
Serves 4 (eight pancakes)

1 1/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons canola or safflower oil (plus some for pan)
1/3 cup water
1 cup plain rice or soy milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons real maple syrup (plus some for serving)
1/2 - 3/4 cup blueberries (plus some for serving)

Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl.  Reserving the berries, add all other remaining ingredients in a separate bowl.  Add to the wet mixture to the dry mixture, taking care to not overmix.  Let batter sit for ten minutes.  Stir in berries.  Using a ladle, pour scoops of batter into a preheated, well oiled pan or skillet.  When the pancakes start to bubble (about three or four minutes, depending on their size), flip and fry the other side for a minute or two.  Stack pancakes and top with all natural maple syrup and whole blueberries.

In my kitchen, making pancakes is reserved for the less-scheduled and less-rushed weekend mornings.  I usually double or triple the recipe however, so we can eat homemade pancakes during the next couple school/work days.  You know, that way we at least have the illusion of calm and leisurely mornings.  Enjoy!

Fresh Tofu Scrambler

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Every good vegetarian has a recipe for a tofu scramble tucked in her or his apron. It’s probably one of the very first dishes a new vegetarian learns to prepare, and puts to rest any misgivings one has about not liking tofu. My first introduction was about 17 years ago in a dinner lovingly prepared by mom using a Fantastic Foods mix and served on English muffins. A meal that is now one of my all-time comfort foods.

It’s one of those perfect, reliable eats - a dependable friend during meal planning. Always there for you, like lasagna or a stir fry, willing to use up any veggies you need to move out of the crisper; always a complete source of nutrition and whole foods; always willing to be brunch (with toast), dinner (in a tortilla), a snack or anything in between; and, thanks to Fresh Tofu, always ready to show of its local flavor.

One of my favorite discoveries during One Local Summer, Fresh Tofu has been supplying the east coast with organic tofu since 1984 and is distributed throughout New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. I purchase mine at a local natural food store (Plumsteadville Natural Foods), though Whole Foods carries it as well. It truly is a superior product, living up to its name and consistently giving great texture and taste to my favorite bean curd recipes. If the gourmet mecca that is Horizon’s uses Fresh Tofu, you can safely bank on it awesomeness. Besides, anyone with a flying block of tofu for a logo has got to pretty much rock, right?

Although creating and perfecting a great tofu scramble recipe is one of those must-experience kitchen intimacies, everyone needs a place to start. Vegan cookbook author extraordinaire, Isa Chandra Moskowitz’s, version is a great place to do so and provides the base for my recipe below. Her spice combination is so colorful and the flavor can’t be beat. If you’re not vegan or vegetarian, that shouldn’t stop you from honing your scramble skills. In fact, one of my favorite versions is a cilantro-heavy one made by an omnivore friend.

Tofu Scrambler
serves 4

1 pound organic Fresh Tofu, drained and pressed well
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium chopped onion
1 cup mushrooms, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chopped kale (or other dark, leafy green)
1/2 cup chopped peppers, carrots, and/or any other veggie in the fridge
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
hot sauce to taste

spice blend:
3 teaspoons cumin
1 1/2 teaspoon thyme
2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon tumeric
1 teaspoon salt

Heat oil in skillet over medium-high. Saute onions 3 minutes, until softened. Add mushrooms, saute 5 minutes more. Add garlic, saute 2 minutes more. Add spice blend and mix it up for 15 seconds or so. Crumble in tofu and mix well. Let cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding splashes of water if necessary to keep it from sticking too much.

Mix in kale and other vegetables, cover for five minutes, allowing steam to soften them. Stir in hot sauce to taste. Mix in nutritional yeast.

Serve with toast (Bakers on Broad Complet bread was used above) and fruit for breakfast, or in tortillas with guacamole and salsa for dinner.

Although this is my standard recipe, it’s really more of an outline. I can’t say I’ve actually ever made the same scrambler twice. Everyone seems to find their own special ingredient, whether it be a spice or veggie or secret sauce, so don’t be afraid to experiment!

Savory Smashed Sweet Potatoes

Friday, November 23, 2007

Local vegan for Thanksgiving:  so good!  That’s because I’ve been hoarding sweet potatoes and shallots from my CSA share since September. 

I found that the most efficient way to deal with the abundance of produce each week was to preserve whatever preserved easiest, so more often than not, each week’s potatoes and onions were put in the dark.  My stockpile of sweet potatoes and shallots finally met the light of day on Thanksgiving morning as Jason and I created a smash for our vegan dinner with friends later that night.

While pulling the recipe together, my only objective was to stear clear of the traditional sugary and sticky sweet potato recipes.  One of the most valuable lessons eating locally has taught me, is that simply is the very best way to cook and enjoy vegetables.  Local food just tastes better; there’s little reason to doctor it up with loads of other ingredients.  Think I’m overstating?  Do a test of your own.  A bite of local sweet potato vs. a bite of store-bought sweet potato.  No contest.  Be sure to note the incredible color difference while you’re at it, too!

Additionally, always considering a local vegan diet when preparing meals, things like marshmallows and white sugar don’t please either side.  In avoiding a lot of ingredients, shallots and thyme seemed like a great way to impart a bit of simple savory loveliness into our dish.

Savory Smashed Sweet Potatoes
Serves 8

4 pounds of sweet potatoes, scrubbed, unpeeled and quartered (Blooming Glen Farm CSA crop share - 5 miles)
1/4 pound of shallots, chopped (Blooming Glen)
1 tablespoon dried thyme, crushed (Blooming Glen)
1 tablespoon olive oil (not local)
1 tablespoon kosher salt (not local)
1/2 cup soy milk (from Westsoy - 91 miles)
1/4 cup vegan buttery spread (from Earth Balance - 117 miles)

Add sweet potatoes to boiling stockpot and cook for 15 minutes or until tender.  While the potatoes are cooking, heat oil in a pan over medium heat.  Add shallots and thyme to the oil and cook five minutes or until soft and fragrant.  Drain potatoes, score skins (so they don’t get caught in your masher) and smash.  Stir in two-thirds of the shallot mixture, soy milk and Earth Balance.  Serve with shallots and thyme mixture sprinkled on top.

On top of being delicious, the simple ingredients mean super quick preparation.  We had this in a serving dish and packed up in under 30 minutes.  Maybe I should have started this post with “Local vegan for Thanksgiving:  so good, so fast and so easy!”

Go Green for Thanksgiving

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

A chilly Sunday evening calls for some nice warm comfort food. So last night we tried the Ray’s seitan that I picked up at the Fair Food Farmstand. I made a seitan strogonoff from Nava Atlas’ Vegetarian Express. It was really tasty and, as promised, was on the table in thirty minutes. I was able to make it pretty quickly while the real star of the table was in the oven: Chard & Kale Gratin. The recipe is based on one in Deborah Madison’s cookbook called Local Flavors, which is a beautiful and thoughtful ode to the diversity of food sold at farmers markets. (This would make a lovely holiday gift for any aspiring locavore!)

Madison’s recipe uses Bright Lights Swiss Chard and crumbled feta. I used a mixture of Bright Lights and kale because I had both in the garden. I also substituted Hendricks Telford Tomme cheese because I was picking up a few things at the suburban mega-grocery store Hennings when I saw a woman from Hendricks offering samples. I’m a sucker for free cheese! Turns out that Hendricks is now going to be carried at Hennings.  Good stuff.  Anyhoo…the Tomme was great in the gratin. I may make this dish for Thanksgiving because it always elicits rave reviews and it’s nice to have some greens on the table with all the starchy side dishes.

Here’s the recipe:

Deborah Madison’s Chard Gratin
From:  Local Flavors

2 lb. chard (coarsely chopped), including half of the stems (chopped) [I often mix chard and kale]
4 T. butter
1 onion, finely chopped
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 c. fresh bread crumbs
1 garlic clove, minced
3 T. chopped parsley [lots of different herbs are good in this]
1 T. flour
1 c. milk or cream or a mixture of cream and stock
1 c. crumbled fresh goat cheese [or another cheese or your liking]

Melt 2 T. butter in skillet over medium heat.  Add onion and chard stems and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion begins to brown.  Add greens, sprinkle with 1 t. salt, and cook until wilted and tender (less than 10 minutes).

Preheat oven to 400 and lightly oil a 2 qt gratin dish. Melt 1 T. butter in small skillet and add bread crumbs, garlic and herbs. Cook, stirring, for one minute; scrape into bowl and return skillet to heat.

Melt 1 T. butter, stir in flour, then whisk in milk.  Simmer for 5 minutes, season w/ salt, and add to the greens. Add the cheese and season.

Pour into dish and cover with bread crumbs.  Bake until heated through and golden, about 25 minutes. Let settle for a few moments before serving.

Turkey Day Challenge: Forget the Mashed Potatoes!

Thursday, November 08, 2007

Okay, maybe you shouldn’t really forget the mashed potatoes this Thanksgiving since they are awfully good.  But a nice supplement to the “mashed vegetables alongside the turkey” category would be mashed turnips with roasted garlic.  Mild turnips, such as the white Hakurei, are best for those who aren’t huge turnip fans.  If you enjoy their spicy, somewhat bitter taste, opt for a variety such as Scarlet Queen.  Turnip season is in full swing and many varieties are available around the city’s various farmers markets.  These lovelies came from Weavers Way Farm. 

TURNIPS AND ROASTED GARLIC MASH

2 bunches of mild turnips (Hakurei variety works well)
1 large head of garlic
2 T. butter
generous pinches of salt and pepper
fresh chives to garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 F.  Place whole head of garlic, unpeeled, on a baking sheet lined with foil.  Roast garlic in oven for 30 minutes or until very squishy.  Remove from oven and allow to cool.

While garlic is roasting, bring a large pot of salted water up to a boil.  Wash turnips well, trimming off tops and roots.  Cut into 1 inch pieces and boil until tender, about 20 minutes depending on the variety.  Drain off water and allow to sit for five minutes.  Turnips will release more water as they cool.  Drain additional water off and use either a potato masher or an electric mixer to begin mashing up the turnips. 

Cut a half inch off the top of the roasted head of garlic, exposing the cloves inside.  With your hand, squeeze out all the garlic pulp into the turnips.  Add butter and salt and pepper before continuing to mash turnips to the desired consistency.  If turnips appear to be releasing more water after being mashed, drain it off and add more salt if necessary.

Serve immediately with a few snips of fresh garlic chives.  If desired, serve cooked turnip tops along side turnip mash.  To cook turnip tops, simple wash and roughly chop.  Heat olive oil or butter in a skillet and add turnips when hot.  Season with salt and pepper.  Turnip greens are fairly bitter.