Summer’s Peaches Dripping with Flavor (Try this Peach Crostini)
By Margaret Gilmour
Mix a few downpours with record heat this summer and our local produce is bursting with flavor. So much sweetness, in fact, that Lisa Kerschner of North Star Orchards in Cochranville says “eating fruit this year is definitely not something to do while driving— talk about distractions!”
Our warm, dry weather helped concentrate the flavors so instead of huge, water-filled fruits, we’re getting smaller peaches, plums, apples and pears with flavors and textures that “may just about blow people’s minds,” Lisa says. Then she adds: “I don’t think I can remember a year when the fruit has been this flavorful. I can’t imagine what that’ll mean for the Asian pears as they come in.”
Peaches, especially, are juicy and sweet, the white-fleshed variety (my favorite) now so fragrant and lush I can hardly wait to get home to eat them—many times biting while leaning over the sink so the juice can trickle from my chin to the stainless steel basin.
Usually ripe fruit only lasts a day in my house. Sometimes, though, I choose not-quite-ripe peaches and place them single-file on the counter to mature so I can savor them throughout the week (I just learned that stacking them in a bowl promotes bruising).
I may slice a peach into a cup of yogurt, or better yet, make peach crostini as a light meal or quick appetizer (see recipe, below). Eight-seven percent water, the stone fruits are a packed with vitamin C, vitamin A and iron.
Lisa sells her peaches (and famous Asian pears) each Saturday at the West Chester Growers Market and at the Phoenixville Farmers’ Market (check the North Star Orchard Web site for other market locations). Stock up now, because this winter you’ll be dreaming of the summer’s mouth-watering, fragrant peaches.
Here’s a quick and easy method for freezing whole peaches:
• use only ripe and ready fruits;
• DO NOT WASH THEM…spread the peaches out on a baking sheet and place in your freezer until they are rock-solid;
• you can use freezer bags to store them for up to six months or more, but if you’re trying to avoid plastic, the peaches will keep just as long or longer in wide-mouth jars made for freezing and canning. You can also reuse your ice cream or milk cartons, though because they are not perfetcly moisture-vapor resistant, this method works for short-term storage only (up to three months).
Check out the 2010 Chester County Buy Fresh Buy Local Food Guide to find your local orchard or farm stand by clicking here:
Peach Crostini (adapted from a NYT recipe)
(Crostini means “little toasts” in Italian)
Grill or toast several slices of ciabatta, (actually, a baguette or any favorite, fresh loaf will do), pile with ricotta, baby arugula and slices of ripe peach.
Variation: Toss peaches and arugula with a simple olive oil vinaigrette kissed with a little seasoning and topped with a pinch of sea salt. If ricotta doesn’t appeal, substitute cottage cheese (drained). Or heck, if you love cheese as much as I do, use whatever type you find in your fridge (I’ve used feta in this recipe too).
Special thanks to local writer/photographer Matt Freeman who generously shared his image of peaches. You can see more of Matt’s work at his upcoming exhibit at the Brush and Palette gallery in Kennett Square, where his giclée prints of fine-arts photo still lifes will be featured from September 3rd through the 22nd. Matt’s images of fruits and other foods are inspired by Chester County’s continuing agricultural tradition. For more info on the exhibit click here.
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Sources: NYT, The National Center for Home Food Preservation
Crunchy Slaw Salad
By Leslie Kedash
This is a fresh take on over-served, over-saturated and generally cringeworthy cole slaw we are all accustomed to passing up at most summer gatherings. Obviously, I’m not a fan of the “go to” summer “healthy” side dish. With this recipe, that has all changed. This is easy to make, has a delightfully crunchy mouth feel and tastes just fabulous. A great substitute for salad, that people will actually eat, and perfect for summer’s hot weather.
So far this cookbook is batting 1,000 albeit on just two recipes, but promises to be a mainstay in the repertoire. The writing makes it easy to incorporate whole foods into your diet. Remember last years lemon cucumber salad? Another very good dish from Heidi.
I hope to find garlic scapes at the Kennett Square Farmers Market today for Garlic Scape Soup. Heidi maintains it’s good cold or hot and she’s turning me into a believer.
Crunchy Slaw Salad
Supernatural Cooking by Heidi Swanson
Creamy vinaigrette
2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
juice of 1 lemon
Fine-grain sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Splash of heavy cream
1 extra-crisp apple, peeled and cored
1 big squeeze of lemon juice
1 small savoy cabbage
1 cup chopped toasted walnuts
To Make the dressing, whisk the apple cider vinegar and lemon juice together in a small bowl, season with a few pinches of salt and a couple grinds of pepper, then gradually whisk in the olive oil followed by the cream. Set aside.
Shred the apple on the large holes of a box grater (or use the grater attachment on a food processor), then put the shreds in a bowl of cold water with a squeeze of lemon; this will keep the apple from browning. Cut the cabbage into quarters and core each section, then cut them into a very fine chiffonade. Just before serving, drain the apples and toss the cabbage, walnuts, and dressing in a large bowl.
Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Serve immediately.
Flower Pot Bread
By Leslie Kedash
I have made many types of bread: french baguettes, challah, cinnamon buns, doughnuts (they were a flop) and finally bread in a bread machine, the Brandywine Book of Food has a recipe I can’t wait to try this weekend.
Bread in a flower pot, how unexpected, how portable… think tailgate.
The rain predicted for this weekend will keep me inside, the perfect time to try this out.
A sure bet for our first outdoor gathering.
Flower Pot Bread
Sweetwater Farm Bed and Breakfast, Innkeepers Farrell
and Sean Kramer
Serves 6
4 cups unbleached bread flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 package dry yeast
2/3 cup lukewarm milk
11/2 cups lukewarm water
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh parsley
1 tablespoon fresh chives
2 teaspoons fresh thyme
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary
1 egg, beaten
6 4-inch terra cotta flower pots, greased
1. Preheat oven to 400°. Sift together the flour and salt. Sprinkle the yeast over the milk. Make a well in the flour and pour in the yeast mixture. Let rest for 15 minutes. Add the water, butter, garlic, and herbs. Knead the dough until smooth and elastic. Cover and let rise 1 hour and 30 minutes or until doubled in size.
2. Punch down the dough and divide among the
6 pots. Cover and let rise 30 minutes.
3. Brush tops with egg. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until golden brown. Turn out on rack to cool.
To serve: Return bread to pots and serve with sweet cream butter and homemade jams.
Photography by Ella Morris
Lemon Blueberry Cake
Leslie Kedash
Ok, this one is a bit involved. Most every ingredient is whipped or fluffed up in some manner. The payoff for a little extra work is a cake that is just plain first rate.
It’s got it all: light and airy, exuberant flavor combination and a nice dose of sugar.
Goes down easy, not too filling, a stupendous package, all in all.
I’ve never added the ground walnuts so can’t vouch for their inclusion.
Blueberry Cake with Lemon Filling
Linda Davis From the cookbook Beyond Parsley
12 servings.
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup ground walnuts
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
Lemon Filling
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
2 cups confectioners sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 egg yolks
Butter 3 8-inch layer cake pans, line with waxed paper and butter again.
In a large bowl, beat eggs until thickened. Beat in sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, until mixture is light and fluffy.
Sift flour and baking powder together. Reserve.
Beat cream, vanilla and salt in a chilled bowl to stiff peaks. (more…)
Linguine with Asparagus & Prosciutto
Leslie Kedash
Spring has arrived, kind of. It’s warmer, light at night and there are gardens to prepare, winter’s aftermath to deal with, and little time to cook
Everyone needs a few recipes in their back pocket that are fast, easy and satisfying. This has minimal prep, and is ready to eat when the pasta is cooked. Asparagus, prosciutto and goat cheese. Yum..
Linguine with Asparagus & Prosciutto
From California Fresh Harvest
1 1/2 pounds fresh asparagus
8 ounces linguini
4 green onions, sliced
2 tablespoons of butter
3/4 cup chicken stock (more…)
Giveaway: Canal House Cooking, Volume N°3 Winter & Spring
To celebrate the arrival of spring, we’re savoring the latest edition of Canal House Cooking: Volume N°3 Winter & Spring. It’s hot off the presses just in time to cook with fresh, seasonal ingredients.
Canal House Cooking is an ode to spring featuring dishes made with newborn artichokes, fresh asparagus, tender carrots and early peas. There are recipes to tempt every appetite: from roast leg of lamb to roasted rhubarb. And the mouthwatering spreads of just-prepared fare are a delectable feast to behold: they get you in the mood for food.
Local cookbook authors Melissa Hamilton and Christopher Hirsheimer are “home cooks writing about home cooking for other home cooks.” Their ingredients can be found at most area markets.
The two cook and write in their red brick studio overlooking a canal in Lambertville, NJ, across the river from New Hope, Pa. Christopher, also a photographer, was executive editor of Saveur and co-authored four cookbooks. Melissa worked at Martha Stewart Living, Cook’s Illustrated and also at Saveur as food editor, and co-founded a restaurant in Lambertville.
Canal House Cooking Volume N°3 Winter & Spring is the third book of seasonal recipe collections. Three volumes are published a year: Summer, Fall & Holiday, and Winter & Spring. You can buy all of them online by clicking here: Canal House Cooking.
Or you can try and win it by entering our delicious contest right now.
Many thanks to Melissa and Christopher for their generous support and contribution. Photography by Christopher Hirsheimer.
Here’s How to Win:
Simply leave a comment on this post. A simple “Hello” will do.
Here’s How to Enter:
Leave your contact information: Name (first name only is fine if that suits you) + a valid e-mail address (which will is not seen by others).
We will contact the winner by email. The contest is open until 7:00 a.m., Wednesday, March 24, 2010. Any entries received after that time will not be accepted.
Winner will be notified on the week of March 29th. Only one entry per person. Multiple entries will be discarded. Contest open only to U.S. residents with a U.S. mailing address. Winner will be selected using Random.org and notified by e-mail.
Almond Biscotti
By Leslie Kedash
Biscotti originated in ancient Rome and was used as a non-perishable foodstuff carried by the Roman Legions on their various conquering, plundering and pillaging expeditions.
Translated, biscotti means “twice-baked”, as the process of making them includes two trips through the oven. The second baking removes all of the moisture from the biscotti, giving it a long shelf-life. With the fall of the Roman Empire, biscotti hibernated until it was resurrected during the Renaissance by a baker in Tuscany who served it for dipping in sweet wines and port.
I’ve never tried them with sweet wine but I know for sure that this recipe produces a cookie which, when dipped in a cup of strong coffee, delivers a sublime gustatory experience.
Almond Biscotti
Mary Beth Clark The Best of Casual Italian Cooking Trattoria
1/2 cup unsalted butter, chilled
1 cup sugar
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature (more…)
Pasta Piñon Verde
By Leslie Kedash
El Farol sits at the end of Canyon Road in Santa Fe, New Mexico and is that town’s oldest restaurant/bar. A small, funky but endearing combination of western and adobe, white walls, vigas and creaky wooden floors.
When out there we often make this our last stop on a night out. Local “color” is there in abundance and there are fine area musicians who play there each weekend. More than once a local has mentioned that in the late 1800s, hangings used to take place across the road where there tree still stands. Seems that folks used to gather at El Farol to drink coffee and such on those occasions.
It’s a bit more civilized today and the restaurant serves Tapas (a collection of small dishes brought out on a platter and eaten as a main course) in the evening before the entertainment begins. The menu is varied and well rendered. This recipe is from El Farol’s Cookbook: El Farol Tapas and Spanish Cuisine. Enjoy, we surely did.
Pasta Piñon Verde
Bow tie pasta with Pine Nuts, Cream, and Poblano Chiles
Makes 8 small plates of pasta as a Tapa
2 quarts of water
Pinch of salt
1 pound farfalle (bow tie) pasta
1/2 yellow onion diced
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
1/8 cup butter
3 tablespoons white wine
1 pint heavy cream
2 poblano chiles, roasted, peeled, and chopped
1 handful of shelled piñons or pine nuts
1/2 cup grated manchego or Parmesan cheese
salt and cracked black pepper to taste
2 tomatoes, diced
Boil 2 quarts of water with a pinch of salt. Cook pasta for about 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente. While pasta is coking, sauté onion and garlic in butter until soft, and then deglaze the pan with the white wine. Add cream, poblano chiles, and piñons to the sauté pan and bring to a boil. Cook on high heat for about 2 minutes. turn off the heat and stir in the cheese. Drain the pasta and, while it is still hot, toss with the cream sauce. Add salt and pepper and serve topped with diced fresh tomatoes.
Honeybee: Lessons from an Accidental Beekeeper
By Cate Hennessey
Honeybee: Lessons from an Accidental Beekeeper, by C. Marina Marchese. Black Dog and Leventhal: 2009. 256 pages.
My first memory of honey comes from my father. Saturday mornings, he liked to spoon the golden sweet onto buttered toast and then fold the toast in half. Before bringing it to his mouth, he murmured, “The food of the gods!”
I agreed with him and ate my toast exactly the same way. I still do.
The other constant about honey in my life has been that it comes from the grocery store in a squeezable plastic container – sometimes bear-shaped, sometimes vase-shaped. It’s found in the aisle with the peanut butter and jelly, and then, once purchased, sits in the pantry with baking supplies.
C. Marina Marchese’s Honeybee: Lessons from an Accidental Beekeeper has made me whisk that honey from the pantry and examine it – as well as the honeybees that produced it — in a whole new light.
At first blush, the book may seem like it belongs on the city-person-turned-agricultural-pioneer bookshelf. Certainly, Marchese chronicles the first year of her journey from bee neophyte to beekeeper extraordinaire. (She eventually leaves her “real world” job as a designer to begin her own bee business, Red Bee.)
But the book’s center is not Marchese at all. Rather, it focuses on the creatures that provide her livelihood. As a result, the pages delve into the intricacies of the honeybee — its anatomy, sociology, lifecycle, and vital role in agriculture. In short, the honeybees make fruit and vegetable production possible; without the honeybee, our food supply would collapse.
If the importance of the honeybee to agriculture isn’t impressive enough, Marchese details the role of honey, beeswax, and the honeybee in history, covering countries as (more…)
Bring in the New Year with Fish House Punch
By Leslie Kedash
As a child, it seemed like my parents had a lot of books. We moved more often than I would have liked, but in each new home, a special place was found to house that ever growing collection. I remember being fascinated by the leather binding, gilt titles and eventually, the type design on each cover.
Today’s recipe comes from that collection via a book called Here’s How, a cookbook of mixed drinks published in 1941. The book always intrigued me, more for its wood cover, metal hinges and leather binding than the illicit concoctions listed inside.
While the book has recipes for hundreds of cocktails, many long since faded away, one that caught my eye is Fish House Punch. With a name like that, some digging was in order. The date of origin of this potent brew is debated but here are two versions extracted from Wikipedia:
This most venerable of American flowing bowls is held to have been first concocted in 1732 at Philadelphia’s fishing club, the Schuylkill Fishing Company also known as the ‘Fish House.’ The Fish House was an august gentleman’s society devoted to escaping domestic tribulation, but also to cigars, whiskey and the occasional fishing foray upon the Chesapeake or the Restigouche River in Nova Scotia.
Another version states that it was created in 1848 by Shippen Willing of Philadelphia, to celebrate the momentous occasion of women being allowed into the premises of the ‘Fish House” for the first time in order to enliven the annual Christmas Party. It was supposed to be just something to please the ladies’ palate but get them livelier than is their usual wont.
The drink even has its own poem:
Fish House Punch
There’s a little place just out of town,
Where, if you go to lunch,
They’ll make you forget your mother-in-law
With a drink called Fish-House Punch.
The Cook (1885)
submitted by a descendant of Shipping Willing
A decent batch consists of:
30 limes, cut in half and squeezed, such pulp as gets through is fine
15 lemons, treat as above
This constitutes a “part” for measuring the rest of the ingredients:
1 part dark rum
2 parts light rum… Use a reasonable quality, these are friends you will be poisoning so treat them well
1 part brandy
1 part brown sugar
1 part water, in the form of a block of ice
Put sugar into a suitable container that has a tight lid. Gently work the citrus into the sugar until wetted out and then add the rest of the ingredients.
Ease the ice into the container gently as we do not want to waste any of this precious stuff! Gently “bail” the mix over the ice, cap it and repeat this every couple of hours until time to serve it.
This is the most important part: do the preparation and mixing early in the morning the day of the party and mix the ingredients every few hours to “mellow” them together into what will be a most refreshing punch. It is most proper to sample the batch each time it is mixed, to monitor the manner in which the materials are melding together.
Wishing you all a Happy New Year.
Winter Harvest Still Available
By Margaret Gilmour
I’m not crazy about the super-cold weather.
Fireplaces, mittens and warm boots help me get through the colder months (along with hot cider).
And there’s another guaranteed pick-me-up: A visit to one of the winter markets, where you can bundle up and fill your sack with local goods all season long.
Last year I bought a plentiful supply of carrots and potatoes from the Phoenixville Winter Market, along with Birchrun Blue Cheese (absolutely one of my favorites). The root vegetables remained fresh up until the last frost (the blue cheese, though—lasted about a week. Too good to save).
This year we have more options to buy fresh, local food and artisan goods. Especially in December, when it feels good to spread Holiday cheer as you shop, and by chance, bump into a neighbor or two.
Here’s where to go:
Lancaster Farm Fresh’s 4 Season Harvest Program:
Inverbrook Farm is now a drop-off site for Lancaster Farm Fresh’s, 4- Season Harvest Program.
Lancaster farm Fresh is a local farmer-run, organic growers cooperative serving all of Eastern Pennsylvania, New York City, and most of the tri-state area to connect the farmer and the customer.
The drop-off begins Tuesday, November 17th and continues each Tuesday at least through Christmas. After that, it all depends on the weather: snow problems or very, very cold temperatures can mess up the delivery.
There’s no limit to how many 4-Season Harvest members can join.
Sign up through Lancaster Farm Fresh. Preorder online before pick up. Also, at Inverbrook are fresh eggs, frozen chickens and, as long as they continue to grow—delicious greens.
Pick up: Tuesdays, from 8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. from the farm.
(Food and Artists)
Next Market dates: December, 12 & 19, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Check out their calendar for a list of vendors: Click here
Phoenixville Winter Markets
2nd & 4th Saturdays, January through April:
10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Bridge St. & Taylor Alley
Behind Family Dollar, Phoenixville, PA
Plenty of goods available:
3rd Saturday of every month from December through April.
Next Market date: December 19, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Corner of Church and Chestnut Streets
Coconut Chocolate Pudding
By Leslie Kedash
I’ve been meaning to make this recipe for some time now. The start of “comfort food” season has pushed me into action.
It’s not complicated and once the ingredients are gathered and measured out, it’s a piece of cake to make.
It looks to be a recipe that would respond well to a little experimentation, like substituting milk and peppermint extract for the coconut milk or adding some Coco Lopez to highlight the coconut flavor.
As Cole Porter said, “Experiment.”
Recipe from 101 Cookbooks
1 14-ounce can of coconut milk, divided
3 tablespoons sugar
scant 1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/4 cup arrowroot powder, sifted
1 teaspoon raz el hanout spice blend or curry powder
3 tablespoons alkalized dutch-cocoa powder, sifted
1 3.5-ounce semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup coconut flakes, toasted in a dry skillet
Shake the can of coconut milk vigorously for a few seconds. In a heavy saucepan bring 1 1/4 cups of coconut milk, sugar, and the salt to a simmer over low heat.
While that is heating, in a seperate bowl whisk together the remaining coconut milk, arrowroot powder, spice blend (or curry powder), and cocoa powder. It should look like a chocolate frosting.
When the coconut milk and sugar mixture has started simmering take about 1/4 cup of it and whisk it little by little into the arrowroot mixture, creating a slurry. Turn down the heat to the very lowest setting. Now drizzle the arrowroot slurry mixture into the simmering pan of coconut milk whisking vigorously all the while. Keep whisking until the pudding comes back up barely to a simmer and thickens up a bit, about a minute.
Remove the saucepan from the heat, continue whisking while it is cooling for about a minute. Now whisk in the chocolate and vanilla. keep stirring until the pudding is smooth. Place in the refrigerator to chill thoroughly. To prevent a skin from forming press plastic wrap up against the surface of the pudding. Serve dusted with the coconut flakes and a tiny pinch of spices (or curry powder).
Apple Cider Sauce
By Leslie Kedash
When I get a new cookbook, it’s hard for me to shelve it before trying a few recipes.
Usually I thumb through all the pages several times, admire the photographs and read a few of the ingredients before choosing a recipe. But since I had seen Roger Morris’ new book The Brandywine Book of Food, before it was published, and worked on the design, by the time I finally got my own copy, I knew exactly what I’d cook first.
This Apple Cider Sauce is by Chef Bryan Sikora at Talula’s Table. I chose it because it fit the season and I am always on the look out for ways to add flavor to Sunday night supper. It was delicious, and I will definitely make it again.
Apple Cider Sauce
Talula’s Table, Chef Bryan Sikora
1 tablespoon butter
1 small diced apple
1 small diced onion
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 cups fresh apple cider
2 cups rich chicken stock
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup Calvados apple brandy
1. In the bottom of a two-quart saucepan heat a little butter and sauté the apple and onion until soft. Season with salt and pepper, and add the remaining ingredients.
2. Over medium-high heat allow the liquid to simmer and reduce by a third. Let the liquid cool, and then blend in a blender or with a hand blender.
3. Strain through a fine sieve and season.
To Serve: Drizzle over roasted pork or chicken.
The Brandywine Book of Food is available at Talulah’s Table.
Vegetable Soup’s On
By Leslie Kedash
I think soup weather is defined by rainy days and chilly evenings, and we’ve recently had our fair share of that. A good soup is one you can make on a moment’s notice, (or a few moments, anyway)…and this one is quick and tasty.
I tried this recipe this week and liked it enough to share. It contains plenty of good winter vegetables.
Two steps (two recipes combined, actually) and it’s on the table, served with salad and bread.
The recipes come from The Barefoot Contessa Family Style.
Roasted Winter Vegetables
The high temperature carmelizes the outside and leaves the inside tender and moist. This is a very flexible recipe; you can add any root vegetable you have in the house to this mélange.
1 pound carrots, peeled
1 pound parsnips, peeled
1 large sweet potato, peeled
1 small butternut squash (about 2 pounds), peeled and seeded
3 tablespoons good olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees
Cut the carrots, parsnips, sweet potato, and butternut squash in 1 to 1 and a quarter inch cubes. They’ll shrink while baking, so don’t cut them too small.
Place all the cut vegetables in a single layer on two sheet pans. Drizzle them with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toss well. Bake for 25 to 25 minutes, until all the vegetables are tender, turning once with a metal spatula.
Sprinkle with parsley, season to taste, and serve hot. (or in this case, use them in the following recipe)
Roasted Vegetable Soup
This is very versatile—you can also throw in last night’s mashed potatoes and even the tossed green salad from lunch. It adds wonderful flavor and goodness. A great way to get vegetables into your kids without their knowing it.
6 to 8 cups chicken stock
1 recipe Roasted Winter Vegetables
Kosher salt and pepper
For Serving: Croutons and quality olive oil
In a large saucepan, heat 6 cups of the chicken stock. In two batches, coarsely puree the roasted vegetables and the chicken stock in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pour the soup back into the pot and season to taste. Thin with more chicken stock and reheat. The soup should be thick but not like a vegetable puree, so add more chicken stock and/or water until it is the consistencey you like.
Serve with the croutons and a drizzle of olive oil.
Time to Harvest Your Basil
By Margaret Gilmour
I still want to make more pesto this season, and I never tire of tomato, basil and cheese sandwiches (tossing in avocado, sprouts or cucumber when within reach).
Yet, according to my well-read, slightly tattered book, Tips for the Lazy Gardener, by Linda Tilgner, we need to harvest our sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum) before evening temperatures get much below 50 degrees because the flavor of its leaves taste better if they are dried or frozen before the cool weather hits.
So this week I’ll head out just after the morning dew, the best time to harvest basil—when the essential oils are said to be at their peak. Then I’ll pluck my three healthy plants from by herb garden and give the other herbs some room to grow.
In Tilgner’s book she suggests using any basil blossoms that escaped cutting for vinegar. She writes: “In fact, herb vinegars are a convenient way to use herbs you’re too lazy to dry or freeze, and make wonderful gifts.”
Tilgner dries her basil by spreading out washed and pat-dry leaves on a screen or paper and placing in a cool, dark, room.
Then there’s Paul Feenan, a farmer from out West who shared his method on a food blog: (I like this idea because it seems quick and easy and won’t take up counter space.)
“At Barnyard Gardens we have had good luck drying our extra basil by simply putting it in a large paper shopping bag in a dry but not too hot of a spot (not too much in a bag at once). We fold the top of the bag shut, and once a day (or so) we open it up and give the bag a shake and rustle the basil about. The dried basil has an intense fresh flavor for our pasta dishes in the winter.”
Whether or not you freeze or dry basil, there’s still debate over which method retains the herb’s flavor best. I may try both.
To freeze, wash the leaves, blot them dry and set them into a freezer bag or small plastic container before committing the basil to the freezer.
Then there’s the ice-cube tray method, where the other half of my harvest will end up: In a food processor blend basil leaves with just enough olive oil so that it covers the leaves (adding more oil for thinner consistency), and place the mixture in an ice cube tray and freeze. This is a great way to prepare pesto or other pastes during the winter months.
Or, (I may even try this) apparently you can freeze a whole basil leaf in water in an ice-cube tray, then pop it out when you’re ready to use it–the water will melt and leave you with an aromatic, bright green leaf ideal for sauces (and reminiscent of summertime).
Nice. (more…)
Essential Eating Sprouted Baking
By Margaret Gilmour
Unlike Leslie, I am not much of a baker.
And, honestly, in my house I prep, clean up and take over only when the menu is comprised of all things green.
So when a friend of mine, knowing I require cookbooks with inviting photographs to trigger any desire for meal preparation, left Janie Quinn’s Essential Eating, Sprouted Baking at my house, I opened the pages just to admire its pictures.
But I ended up reading the entire introduction.
The author, Janie Quinn, explains how she discovered the health benefits of eating sprouted wheat years ago. Interested in creating high-quality sprouted flours with only the finest grains, she teamed up with a manufacturer and a milling engineer, to produce Essential Eating Spouted Whole Grain Flours.
This endeavor spiraled into a successful family of green companies, including Essential Eating Lifestyle and Cooking School, Essential Eating Sprouted Foods and Essential Environments. (more…)
OLS | From The Garden
By Leslie Kedash
This past weekend was unusually busy for our family and, late Sunday afternoon, I checked the vegetable garden to see what dinner options were available.
I picked a few zucchini, pinched off some basil leaves and gathered a few eggs from the hens, all just enough to make this simple pasta dish.
Perfect for a stormy summer night, this stove-top recipe is convenient to have when the power goes out…. which it did this past Sunday evening. Photo by candlelight.
What’s in Season (Veggies)
By Margaret Gilmour
So what’s a cool and damp, cloud-covered start to summer mean for Chester County’s crops?
For status on the fields, I called H.G. Haskell, owner of SIW Vegetables (a.k.a. Stepped in What) on Rt. 100 in Chadds Ford.
It has been over 24 years that Haskell has been tending his crops and selling produce at his farm stand, where his harvest is spread out over wagons sheltered by shade trees.
“Boo-hoo, Boo-hoo,” is Haskell’s official report, adding “everything has been delayed by two weeks.”
Usually by this time of year SIW is producing a wide selection of farm-fresh vegetables, their specialty being heirloom tomatoes. In fact, last year they grew over 100 varieties of heirloom tomatoes, and 20 different types of cherry tomatoes.
With little sun, anyone ready to gather ripening tomatoes, or corn, for that matter, will need to remain patient. I know, I’ve been looming over my own tomatoes, and wondering when the little green sprouts will fatten up and get juicy. (more…)
OLS | Lemon Cucumbers
By Leslie Kedash
I’m just slightly addicted to cookbooks and cooking blogs. I recently came across a recipe that called for lemon cucumbers and the quest was on.
I must say that the lemon cucumber has quite a bit going for it: a pretty yellow color, shape (round, the size of a baseball) and taste (sweet and mild). It lacks much of the chemical that makes other cucumbers bitter and hard to digest.
I found them this past Friday at the Kennett Farmers’ Market. I came, I saw, I cooked.
Food Festivities Celebrating Buy Fresh Buy Local
By Margaret Gilmour
Along with the new Chester County Buy Fresh Buy Local “food-ability” guide, comes a string of events that’ll help you carry on an endless summer while celebrating our local food system.
July’s happenings include a feast of live music, cooking demos and recipes, and tips for preserving and freezing the season’s bounty. There are also discussions on the new movie, Food, Inc., and games for kids of all sizes, including a community game of chess.
See you there.
OLS | Ice Cream
By Leslie Kedash
Summer and ice cream go together like a wink and a smile. My daughter and I picked raspberries last week at Highland Farms and as we walked by the refrigerated cases, I spotted real, whole milk from Natural By Nature in a glass bottle, heavy cream on the top, just like when I was a kid. I could just taste homemade vanilla ice cream.
In the past few years I have made everything from cheesecake ice cream (a frequent request at our house) to black pepper ice cream (not so well received). Good vanilla ice cream is always a welcome, and short lived addition to our freezer. Ice cream and raspberries…life is sweet.
Thomas Keller has a wonderful recipe for vanilla ice cream in his cookbook Bouchon.
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups milk
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 vanilla bean, split
10 large egg yolks
Combine the cream, milk, and 7 tablespoons of sugar in a larger nonreactive saucepan. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean and add them to the pan, along with the pod. Bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove the pan from the heat, cover, and let the flavors infuse for 30 minutes.
Place a metal bowl that will hold the finished mixture over an ice bath. Reheat the cream mixture until warm.
Meanwhile, whisk the yolks with the remaining 7 tablespoons sugar in a medium bowl until the mixture thickens and lightens in color. Whisking constantly, gradually pour about one-third of the hot cream mixture into the yolks to temper them. return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, for about 10 minutes, or until the custard has thickened and coats the back of the spoon. (Run your finger through the custard on the spoon: The line you make should remain.)
Pour the custard into the metal bowl and stir occasionally until it has cooled.
Strain the cooled custard into a bowl or other container and refrigerate, covered, for at least a few hours, preferably overnight. Overnight chilling results in the best flavor and creamiest texture.
Transfer the custard to an ice cream machine and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Remove the ice cream while its texture is “soft serve”; transfer to a chilled container and place in the freezer to harden.
Just Out: Chester County Buy Fresh, Buy Local Food Guide
By Margaret Gilmour
FACT (Taken from the guide)
Did You Know?
If You Spend $10 a Week on Local Foods You Can Build Your Local Economy
If each household in Chester County spent $10 per week on local food and farm-based Chester County products, it would mean over $91 million dollars a year would be generated and available for local reinvestment in businesses and communities.
Ironically, just as I was searching for local farm stands near my home, I came across the new Buy Fresh, Buy Local Chester County food guide, just published and ready to help all of us find local food close by.
There, on page five, over 28 farm stands are listed, along with six farm stores, which are shops (usually in barns, or barn-like structures) where the goods are usually produced on the farm where they’re sold.
Of course Chester County farmers’ markets are listed too, along with area CSAs.
There is even a list of retail outlets that sell locally made items, and a few spotlights on regional farmers, growers and farm-to-table restaurants.
The local food guide points to many reasons we should buy local, seasonal fare that is not only healthier for us, but is also environmentally responsible, reducing the energy required for transporting food from its origin to where it is consumed. And, as we know, buying from Chester County businesses, or those nearby, strengthens our local economy.
Replacing an older 2002 version, the “feed-ability” guide is a collaboration of partnerships with FoodRoutes Network, which is the national, nonprofit organization that launched Buy Fresh Buy Local (BFBL), and other BFBL chapters including Chester County BFBL. Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA) coordinates the ten Pennsylvania chapters.
I picked my copy up at the BVA, and there are plenty more available at libraries, county parks and the Government Services Center in West Goshen. Or, download this printable PDF:
OLS | On The Grill
By Leslie Kedash
This week at the Kennett Farmers Market, I was in search of lamb chops from Country Meadows which had been consumed with great alacrity a few weeks ago. Alas, they were not available, but I did find some nice looking pork sausage, which would make for a great al fresco holiday breakfast. While living in New England, my family had often gathered with friends for an “Ethan Allen” breakfast, cooked entirely on the outdoor grill.
After our move to Chester County, the meal was renamed a “Valley Forge” breakfast (whatever works). The kids would play out back while our parents cooked and consumed Bloody Marys which, on reflection, were most likely an attempt to counter the effects of their antics the night before.
With that package of sausage bringing back so many childhood memories, I decided to revive the tradition (sans hangover) and a sumptuous Sunday breakfast was conjured up on the grill with sausage from Country Meadows, scrambled eggs from the hens, toasted french bread from Big Sky, roasted new potatoes from the garden and strawberries from Highland Orchards.
On a whim, I had picked up a bag of fava beans (Vicia fava) from Inverbrook Farm and while rather tedious to shell (twice…), I thought they were great, although the family was more circumspect. Inverbrook has instructions for preparation on their blog. Also steamed these beautiful variegated beans, look pretty, taste great.
Local food, childhood memories- a perfect meal to close a holiday weekend.
OLS | Rhubarb
By Leslie Kedash
For this weekend’s OLS, we visited Highland Orchards in West Chester. In observance of our goal of food shopping without an agenda, we arrived to find it was the final weekend of “pick your own” rhubarb (Rheum rhabarbarum).
I first encountered rhubarb in a pie (as you might expect) on a visit to New England as a child. Since then, I had essentially ignored the crimson stalks in the supermarket. But now, here it was, the whole plant–with giant, mildly poisonous leaves and tart, tender, screaming red stalks. (more…)
