Handmade Gifts: Not Another Fruitcake

Sunday, December 07, 2008

The word “cake” brings to mind something sweet, spongy, and rather delicate. The word “fruit” brings to mind something sweet, juicy, brightly flavored, and nutritious.  So, why is it that when you put the two words together - “fruitcake” - the result is nothing like sweet, spongy, delicate, juicy, brightly flavored, or nutritious? When we’re deciding on food gifts for the season, we studiously avoid fruitcakes, as the last thing anyone needs to give - or receive, for that matter - is another rum-soaked brick of raisins and candied “fruit.” Yet, this year, we’ve decided on an appropriate substitute: the Bolognese bustrengo. 

Someone, someday, will devote an entire cookbook to the Italian tradition of dessert cakes made for the afternoon (accompanied by a glass of wine, preferably) rather than the end of a meal.  The bustrengo should hold a place of honor in that cookbook.  A mixture of apples, dried fruits, and cornmeal, it is the perfect cake for the Fall and Winter.  It is moist, but avoids heaviness of a fruitcake because of breadcrumbs.  In addition, olive oil is the primary fat, so you can feel smug about eating a second piece. 

This version is adapted from Jamie Oliver’s Jamie’s Italy.  I’ve made some alterations to “localize” it:  substituting maple sugar for cane sugar; replacing 1 cup of the milk with 1 cup of buttermilk to maintain the acidity lost from not adding lemon and orange zest; using white spelt flour rather than white flour; using a mixture of various dried fruits rather than sultanas and dried figs.  Obviously, not everything is local, but the cinnamon is a crucial flavor component, and, more importantly, how can I feel smug about eating that second piece without olive oil?

Bustrengo
Adapted from Jamie’s Italy
1 cup cornmeal
1 3/4 cups white spelt flour
2 cups fresh breadcrumbs
1/3 cup maple sugar
1 1/4 cups whole milk
1 cup buttermilk
3 large eggs
3 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup olive oil
7 oz.  dried fruit, chopped
18 oz. apples peeled, cored, and diced
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 and butter a eleven-inch tart pan with a removable bottom.
2.  Mix together the polenta, flour, breadcrumbs, and sugar in a large bowl.  Mix together the milk, eggs, honey, and olive oil in a separate bowl.
3.  Add the wet mixture to the dry, stirring well.  Add the dried fruit, apples, cinnamon, and salt and stir again.
4.  Pour the mixture into the tart pan and bake for 50 minutes. 

Note:  I attempted this in a bundt pan, and it did not cook evenly.  However, anything relatively shallow should be fine.  Try it with some small loaf pans or maybe even muffin tins.  Whatever you use, be sure to butter and flour the interior first. 

Introductions!

Thursday, December 04, 2008

My name is Melanie and I am the newest contributor here at “Farm to Philly.” I have been avidly following this site for the last few months and am incredibly excited to join the team! For my first post I would like to offer an introduction to myself and, more specifically, to my food beliefs.

To precisely describe what I am in terms of what I eat is tricky. Vegetarian is not 100% accurate. I do eat fish (eco-best). Had I a real hankering, I might consider eating meat that comes from a local farm which observes sustainable practices. Locavore might fit. I strongly believe in eating local and thereby supporting local small farms and the local economy. I do not eat 100% local, however. And I do not believe that eating only local is necessary. Supporting free trade and buying organic products that travel to my table in environmentally responsible ways contradicts in no way my food beliefs. The most appropriate nomenclature for me would be, perhaps, ecovore. The environment and my impact on it informs what I eat, how I eat and how I live. That being said, I probably eat 75%-95% local. Thanks to my local food co-op, frequent visits to the farmer’s market and a CSA share, this takes little effort and costs much less than you would imagine.

This might be the appropriate moment to slip in that I am a graduate student living off of a modest stipend under the shadow of an immodest student loan debt. Eating good quality ingredients and connecting with your local businesses and farmers is not a privilege of the wealthy. My co-op, Mariposa, (which accepts food stamps, as do the majority of area farmer’s markets) allows me to set up a monthly food budget by paying a self-determined amount to my account each month and shopping off of it. The decision to join a CSA (Keystone Farm) was largely a financial one. I do love to eat and I love to cook. Beautiful, local, fresh produce thrills me. The colors, smells, new flavors—I can not get enough. But I, admittedly, would sometimes go overboard at the farmer’s market and spend far too much. Thus a CSA share structured my purchases. At the moment I pay approximately $20 a week to receive one dozen eggs, a local cheese, farm-made granola, and a large assortment of fruits and vegetables from Keystone Farm. This is an organic farm, mind you. I actually share half of this with a friend, as it is really intended for a family (I live alone). So for $10 a week I have more local, organic food than I can sometimes eat. For the winter share (starting December 13th) I will do a half share for, again, approximately $10 a week. Half-dozen eggs, one cheese, one bag granola, fruits and vegetables. I don’t know that there is a better bargain.

I have resided in Philadelphia for the last one and a half years. Philadelphia: The city of brotherly love. The city that loves you back. A city with one of the highest murder and crime rates in the country. A mecca of slow food and its locavore followers? As a matter of fact, yes (to all of the above). A grand, gritty, city, Philadelphia indeed has shown itself to be an ideal place for those who care about food and who want to make a difference through food. Since May I have resided in the eco-haven of Philadelphia, West Philly. Here can be found my farmer’s market, my co-op, as well as many a liberal, green, progressive type. Clark Park, acting as the cornerstone green space of my neighborhood, serves as an interesting intersection of academics, artists, hippies, punks, African-Americans, Eritreans, and more. And it kind of works.

It’s probably about time that I say something that might cast some light onto why I think any of this matters. I vividly recall a conversation with a dear friend in which said friend acknowledged my food beliefs—he does respect, humor and even partake to some extent in them—but made the point that there are greater issues: poverty, abuse, violence, war, whatever. Of course. These are real issues and they are of great importance to me and should be to all. I would be deeply insulted to think that anyone who knows me would ever imagine that I do not care about these things (and this person was not going that far). But my food beliefs (which I do not intend to push onto anyone, though perhaps some might take note of my example) reflect a certain mindset. Approaching food thoughtfully, being aware of where it comes from, informing oneself about production and environmental impact, limiting waste all have greater implications. Everyone has to eat. Changing the way you address your diet affects the way you address the rest of your life and the world. This may sound idealistic, but encouraging people to be thoughtful, aware and informed could really bring about radical change. My thoughtfulness does not end with food, nor does my concern end with the environment.

I doubt I will make such “radical” statements in future posts, but I do believe very strongly in how I choose to live and eat. In the coming months, I intend to share recipes, gush over exciting, local food, and possibly rant about food politics.

p.s. I abhor high-fructose corn syrup.

p.p.s. My West Philly apartment has a great roof space, on which I had my first urban garden this summer! Here’s the current fall view from it:

The gift of quince

Monday, December 01, 2008

The quince is not a very common and recognizable fruit to most Americans.  It’s not really a fruit that you can eat raw (it’s kind of hard and sour), but cooked it’s amazing!  I used quince this year in my cranberry sauce and it was fantastic (even though he won’t admit, even my husband really liked it).

Because the quince is not commonly found in the grocery store, it has a faintly exotic air - making it really perfect for use in holiday food gifts.  And luckily quince is in season right now (the Fair Food Farmstand is carrying them, and I’m sure they’re available elsewhere in the area)!

Below are some great ideas for turning quinces into portable gifts to give at parties!

Quince Paste.  This might be a good gift for someone who bakes.  Many recipes call for quince paste, but you can’t just find the paste anywhere!  Alternatively, quince paste is great served with cheese and crackers - it would be a fantastic gift for the host of a wine and cheese party!

Quince Pound Cake.  Pound cake is the gift that keeps on giving - and the pretty pink/red color the quinces turn when cooked make this a highly festive gift.

Quince Cheese.  Fruit cheese is a firm jam that is meant to be molded and cut into chunks to eat with meat.  Shockingly, this gift has real longevity - it will last for up to two years!!

Spiced Quince and Brown Butter Cake.  These little mini cakes look tremendously good! No doubt they would be a very welcome gift wherever you go!

Quince Jam.  Any jam or jelly makes a great gift around the holidays, but quince jam makes a statement!  I love the idea of giving away quince jam with some good croissant.

Quince Sambal.  If you’re calling on someone who isn’t down with the sweets, consider handing over some quince sambal.  This is a spicy condiment that’s super easy to make!

If you are feeling particularly motivated and want to offer a homebrew, I did find a recipe for Parsnip and Quince White Wine.  I don’t know how I feel about the parsnips, but I am definitely intrigued!  Of course, you’re supposed to age for one year...so this may be a gift better suited for next year!

It’s Handmade Gifts Challenge Month!

Sunday, November 30, 2008

The holiday season is always full of parties and other events for which we are expected to bring a gift, or we want to bring a little something to the host or hostess just to be polite.  In nearly all cases, I lug along a bottle of wine.  While that sort of thing is almost universally appreciated, most of the time I have a little bit of guilt - I feel like I should have put more thought into my gift, more effort.  When I have a holiday party, I love receiving little gifts of handmade food and things like that - from cookies to canned goods to special vinegars.

In many ways, I feel like - no matter what holiday you do or don’t celebrate in December - this is the time to show your friends and family how much you appreciate them.  Handmade gifts say alot, and it’s my goal this year to make more of an effort deliver handmade gifts wherever I go this season.  And that’s why I’m declaring December Handmade Gifts Challenge Month at Farm to Philly!  I and the other contributors will be posting our favorite ideas for handmade food and beverage gifts made from locally grown foods throughout the month of December.

On a related note, Farm to Philly would love to have a few more writers!  We don’t have many rules around here - there’s a one post per month minimum, and the focus of your post has to be related to seasonal eating and locally grown products in the Philadelphia area (that includes the ‘burbs and South Jersey).  It’s a volunteer gig.  Becoming a contributor is easy - just email me and we’ll get you set up with a log-in and password and all the pertinent information.  The more, the merrier!!

Slow cooker mashed potatoes

Ordinarily I make mashed potatoes the old fashioned way, but this year (since I wasn’t pregnant and could be thankful for the bounty of wine) I decided to prepare just about everything in advance so I could spend as little time in the kitchen as possible on Thanksgiving day. I saw a recipe for slow cooker mashed potatoes on Coconut & Lime that didn’t seem nearly as offensive as the other slow cooker recipes that called for both cream cheese and sour cream. I had all of the ingredients available and almost all were local.

In the end I learned that I much prefer regular mashed potatoes, but if you need the space on the stovetop or you’re cooking for a large group and want to be able to relax and enjoy the party this recipe is a reasonable substitute.

Slow Cooked Garlic Rosemary Mashed Potatoes from Coconut & Lime

Ingredients:
2 1/2 to 3 lb red skin potatoes, quartered (I used white potatoes from Red Earth Farm)
4 cloves garlic, sliced (from Red Earth Farm)
3/4 cup chicken or turkey stock (homemade from chickens from Meadow Run Farm)
1/3 cup sour cream
1/4 cup milk (Natural by Nature)
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon chopped rosemary (my garden)
pepper

Directions:
Place in the slow cooker. Add garlic, broth and rosemary. Stir. Cook and cook on high until potatoes are tender, about 3-4 hours. Pour in milk, butter and sour cream, mash. Serve right away or adjust the setting to low to keep warm until you are ready to serve.

Warm Squash Salad

Friday, November 28, 2008

For reasons even I don’t understand, I have a very, very difficult time simply following a recipe.  It might be an egotistical need to leave my imprint and “improve” it, or it might be that after reading Bill Buford’s description of how the The Babbo Cookbook was “written,” I am slightly skeptical of recipes.  Whatever the reason, I can rarely leave well enough alone.  Unfortunately (especially for my wife), this means mixed results.

Looking back, my most successful revisions came when I found an essential flaw in the recipe: what the ingredients and their proportions were attempting could not be achieved with the procedures listed (or vice versa).  In this case, I was working from a recipe found in a Whole Foods circular.  My original incarnation did not work so well because I completely misunderstood what I was trying to do.  On the surface it appeared to be a roast of mixed vegetables.  So, as I saw that vegetables were roasted independently of each other, I saw a mistake.  To my reasoning, a slow roast in one pan would bring out more flavors and allow them to coalesce.  The results, though, were mixed.  The flavors blended, but into an indistinctive blandness rather than a pleasing whole.  Despite this, the combination seemed good enough to try again. 

With my second attempt, I realized that this was really a warm salad.  The flavors should provide contrast and counterpoint rather than blend and complement.  Thus, I decided to prep the ingredients separately, bringing them together only before serving.  Now, the squash and onions, with their variations of sweet, play nicely off the tartness of the dried cranberries.  It makes another fine possibility for squash, in addition this and this.  You could probably add some toasted bread crumbs if you wanted some textural crunch, but I think I am going to stop tinkering at this point. 

Warm Squash Salad

1 Butternut Squash
1 Medium Onion
2 tblsp. Sage Leaves, chopped
1/4 c. Dried Cranberries

1.  Preheat the oven to the 375.  Peel the squash.  Cut in half lengthwise and remove the pulp and seeds.  Cut the squash into bite-size pieces.  Toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, and sage leaves.  Spread on a cookie sheet and roast for 40 minutes or until soft. 
2.  Caramelize the onions.
3.  In a bowl, combine the roasted squash and sage, the onions, and the dried cranberries. 

Serve warm. 
Note: Be sure to thoroughly peel the squash.  I find that, with my peeler, I need to go back over the squash a second time.  You should see the deep orange of the flesh and not the pale white of the skin.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Thanksgiving is here again!  This day is always a little stressful, particularly if you’re cooking.  I chopped and prepped and cooked for eight hours yesterday and another two hours this morning.  There’s still quite a bit left to be done! 

Thanksgiving for those of us in the Northeast part of the country is a no-brainer in terms of eating seasonally.  The first Thanksgiving, fictional or not, was all seasonal and local - and so the foods we associate with Thanksgiving are seasonal for us during this time.  Of course, the majority of people are eating potatoes, cranberry sauce, and turkey from no where near here.  I recently spoke to a reporter about my Thanksgiving menu.  He asked me if there was anything I had sacrificed in order to keep it local.  The answer is no - I’m making exactly what I want, and I didn’t even try to plan a menu featuring locally grown foods.  The Dark Days Challenge allows for 10% non-local ingredients, and I very much doubt the total of non-local ingredients totals even 5%.

The menu:

Bourbon Red Turkey with Juniper Ginger Butter (non-local: ginger)
Apple Cider Gravy
Pumpkin Chestnut Stuffing
Mashed Potatoes with Caramelized Shallots
Sherry Vinegar and Molasses Glazed Carrots
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Hazelnuts and Browned Butter (non-local: hazelnuts)
Cauliflower and Prosciutto Gratin (non-local: prosciutto)
Cranberry Quince Sauce with Pinot Noir (non-local: Pinot Noir)
Cranberry Orange Pavlovas (non-local: orange, sugar, vanilla)
Apple Cake (non-local: sugar and cinnamon)

Well, duty calls: stuffing needs to be made, meringues need to come out of the oven, and shallots need to be caramelized.  Have a Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Farm to Philly!

Thanksgiving-Prep Markets Today

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

If you’re still shopping for groceries for Thanksgiving, the Clark Park and Headhouse Square markets are running until 4pm today.  The Clark Park one looked pretty active this morning!

Full of piss and vinegar.  Well, vinegar, anyway.

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

One of the things that I have always thought the Philadelphia area was missing in terms of locally grown food is basics - things like oil, vinegar, molasses, stuff like that.  Imagine my surprise when I saw half gallons of apple cider vinegar for sale at the Fair Food Farmstand in Reading Terminal Market!  The cider comes from Green Meadow Farm in Gap, PA and is selling for $3.50 per half gallon.  Sarah Cain, the manager of the Farmstand, tells me that the vinegar will last indefinitely and does not need to be refrigerated.

Interestingly, it seems as if making vinegar is not all that hard.  Apple cider vinegar starts with apples, shockingly enough.  The full instructions can be found here.

I’ve already had the need to use the cider vinegar - in the cranberry sauce I made the other day.  It was delicious!  And now I’m imagining all the other ways in which I’ll be able to use it.  The salad dressing alone makes it worth it!

Broccoli and Cabbage for Thanksgiving

Monday, November 24, 2008

Although we keep the turkey, stuffing, and roasted veggies pretty consistent from Thanksgiving to Thanksgiving, we like to vary the green vegetable dishes.  This year may see a version of a broccoli-garlic salad from the New York Times.  Pictured above is the test version I made yesterday, with local broccoli, red cabbage, daikon, carrot, and garlic.  (I used about 2/3 of a large head of broccoli and half a medium-sized head of cabbage.) I think it came out pretty well, with a little extra vinegar and salt to make up for the additional volume from the cabbage.

Turkey Day Challenge: Cranberry Quince Pinot Noir Sauce

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Thanksgiving at my house is sort of like a miniature West Side Story, except instead of the Jets and the Sharks it’s the Canned Cranberry Jelly Lovers and the Real Cranberry Sauce Lovers.  Now granted, it’s not like we’re all dancing around my dining room and getting into choreographed knife fights over dessert...but if accidentally-on-purpose forgot to buy a can of cranberry jelly, well, it might well devolve into something like that.  My husband won’t eat it unless you can read the date imprint in the jelly from the can...and I won’t eat it unless it’s homemade.

In some ways, this is a good thing.  I don’t have to worry about catering to someone else’s tastes....because I’m the only one eating the cranberry sauce.  I can make whatever the hell I want.  Last year it was honey and spice cranberry sauce and the year before it was the bourbon cranberry sauce.  Both good, but variety is the spice of life!

So this year it’s cranberry quince Pinot Noir sauce.  It’s both sweet and tart, and very very delicious!

2 cups apple juice
1 cup Pinot Noir
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
6 cloves
1 teaspoon peppercorns
2 quinces, peeled, cored, and cut into small cubes
12 oz fresh cranberries

Bring the apple juice, wine, and spices to a boil in a large saucepan.  Add sugar, stirring until dissolved.  Add quince and simmer for 20 minutes.

Add cranberries and simmer for an additional seven minutes.  Toss the cloves out, and remove fruit from liquid.

Boil the liquid until it’s thick and syrupy.  You may need to add more wine at this point to get the volume of syrup you need.

Combine syrup and fruit; serve.  Or, in my case, can it.  It makes 2.5 pints of sauce.

The quinces, cranberries, and cider vinegar are all local.

I can’t wait to unveil my latest cranberry sauce variety on Thursday.  If I can convince anyone to at least try it, I may get some converts to homemade cranberry sauce this year!  Or I may find myself alone in the kitchen singing “When you’re a Jet you’re a Jet to the end....” Either way, this is great sauce!

Cool! Persimmons! (Now what??)

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Last week 2 persimmons were in my Highland Orchards fall share. Neato! But then I thought, what do I do with these things that salutes their uniqueness among fruits? Often when this happens, I think about it so long that whatever wonderful item it was goes to Compostland before I get around to the “right” thing. I did remember that The Savory Way (Deborah Madison) had a persimmon bar recipe, but then tonight I found a gorgeous looking cake/bread by following my yarn habit to a blog that just happened to stray from woollens into persimmon territory. It’s a James Beard recipe adapted by David Lebovitz and available on his blog.

He has many wonderful recipes on this blog for quince (another one of those “special” fruits!) and other fruits and veg, plus a simple Jam Tart that could dispatch a couple cups of homemade jam or preserves you’ve been “saving” for no particular occasion.

Putting the garden to bed

Sunday, November 16, 2008

I’m trying something I did last year which worked pretty well for keeping the container perennials over the winter. I push them together and pile the leaves and stems and even the rootballs of annuals over the top to make a wind barrier. Over the next week, I’ll collect more leaves and things and arrange them around the container bases as insulation.Then we’ll see if the coneflowers and verbena come back.
Another tactic has been to put a container in a container rather than disturb the plant’s roots twice by taking out the one it’s in, putting it into a bigger, more insulated container for winter, and then digging it out again in the spring. I’ll be burying this in leaves, too.
At the lower edge of this photo are some helleborus plants (Lenten Roses) swaddled in leaves. I’ve been piling them around my new this season raspberry bushes as well.
Last, but not least, the compost “silo” (yard is too small for a “pile") for the rest of the leaves and the vegetable scraps. Apart from a squirrel or two diving in, it’s working pretty well. It’s in a corner that doesn’t work for in-ground planting, so I hope to keep it going all next year.

Talkin’ Turkey

Friday, November 14, 2008

Since everyone is in the Turkey Day mood, I thought that I’d pass along an interesting press release that was brought to my attention (thanks Anne Harnish!) The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy did a taste test of several different heritage turkeys against the standard Butterball. Do I need to tell you who came in last? Click turkey comparison to view. (PS: This is a download of a Word doc).

Also, I just found out (once again, thanks Anne!) that The Lancaster Farm Fresh CSA is now accepting applications for the 2009 growing season. We haven’t even started winter yet (I’m still seeing a couple of sorry looking tomatoes!), but isn’t it nice to know that you’ll have fresh veggies waiting when May comes around? The link to that is: http://www.lancasterfarmfresh.com/community_supported_agriculture_csa/. And yes, they do have Philly pick-up.

Where is your thanksgiving turkey coming from this year?

Thursday, November 13, 2008

In a previous post, Nicole mentioned that Fair Food Farmstand is taking orders for local, humanely-raised turkeys for out Thanksgiving meals.  If you’re anything like me, and finding that this holiday has snuck up on you a bit, then you’ll be happy to hear that the Farmstand has extended their ordering deadline.  Whew!

Naturally-Raised Turkeys $2.99/LB
(Hormone & antibiotic-free, free-range)
Available weight ranges: 10-15 Lbs, 16-21 Lbs, 22-27 Lbs, 25-30 Lbs
Green Meadow Farm, Gap, PA
Ordering Deadline: Noon, Nov. 19th

Organic Turkeys $4.50/LB
(Certified Organic, raised on pasture)
Available weight ranges: 12-15Lbs, 15-19 Lbs
Spring Water Farm, Gap, PA
Ordering Deadline: Noon, Nov. 19th

“Bourbon Red” Turkeys $6.50/LB
(Heritage breed, hormone & antibiotic-free, raised on pasture)
Available weight ranges: 7-10Lbs, 11-14 Lbs
Griggstown Quail Farm, Griggstown, NJ
Ordering Deadline: Noon, Nov.16th

Pick up for orders will be at the Fair Food Farmstand in Reading Terminal Market on Wednesday, Nov. 26nd from 9AM – 6PM.  You can place your turkey order at the Farmstand, or online at www.whitedogcommunityenterprises.com. Email with questions or concerns.

Although I personally won’t be consuming turkey at our annual Veg*n Thanksgiving Feast (we’ll roll with Ray’s Seitan), I’m sure many are happy to know that the Fair Food Farmstand is providing such a great opportunity to purchase Thanksgiving turkeys raised by local family farmers.  Happy meal planning!