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Posted on March 10th, 2010
Smooth and milky with a upbeat tang, no wonder fresh goat cheese production and consumption has boomed over the last few decades.
Likely there’s a small regional farm in your neck of the woods, say a 70’s homesteader like Susan Sellew’s Rawson Brook Farm near me, who chose her goats for their good looks and wants to keep the farm small despite large demand. (I especially enjoy her milking merry go-round, where 3 goats stand and are milked as they turn.)
Less is more when it comes to enjoying fresh quality goat cheese, and so here are some of many simple ways to enjoy it — marinated, layered with goodies in a torte, warmed in grape leaves or, for our warm weather friends, in an avocado.
Marinated Goat Cheese
(You can buy cheese that’s already spiked with seasonings, but I prefer the flavor when you do it yourself. Here are a few classic ideas, but experiment. Hint: Goat cheese especially enjoys garlic and chives.) This serves about 4 as an appetizer.
With Thyme: Roll 3-1/2 ounces fresh goat cheese gently in about 3/4 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves. Drizzle with about 1 tablespoon olive oil. Marinate in a shallow bowl at room temperature for 1 hour or store in the fridge overnight, turning once or twice. Serve a room temperature with your favorite locally produced bread, crackers or toasted baguette slices. (Alternatively, make into a spread by mixing it all in a bowl with a touch of milk or cream.)
With Cracked Pepper: Use the bottom of a pot to crack 1/2 teaspoon of whole peppercorns (or buy cracked peppercorns) Gently roll 3-1/2 ounces of fresh goat cheese in the peppercorns. Drizzle about 1 tablespoon olive oil. Marinate and serve as above.
With Spices: Toast 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds in a dry pan over medium heat until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Grind in a spice grinder with 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds and 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds. Gently roll the goat cheese in the mixture. Marinate for 2 hours at room temperature or up to 4 days in the fridge. Serve at as above, drizzled with 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkled with chopped cilantro, scallions or chives.
Goat Cheese Pesto Torte
This three level torte is easy to assemble and makes a fun presentation. And, if you have any left from your garden, you can use defrosted pesto and roasted tomatoes. This needs several hours to chill before bringing to room temperature again to serve. Serves about 4-6 as an appetizer.
3-1/2 ounces goat cheese
4 ounces cream cheese
1/3 cup oven roasted or 10 sun-dried tomatoes
3 tablespoons pesto
Lightly oil a flat topped pint container and line with plastic wrap. If you don’t have your own tomatoes: In a small bowl, cover 10 sun-dried tomato halves with boiling water.When they are plumped and soft, about 10 minutes, drain. Chop finely, then spread evenly on the bottom of the container.
In a micro-wave proof container, combine the cheeses. Microwave just until softened, about 45 seconds to 1 minute. With a rubber spatula, drop a dollop of about 1/2 the cheese mixture into the center of the container. Spread over the sun-dried tomatoes, being careful not to smear the sides.
Evenly spread the pesto, drained if liquidy, on top of the cheese mixture. Top the pesto carefully with a layer of the remaining cheese. Wrap with the overhanging plastic and chill until firm, about 2 hours.
Unmold, removing the plastic. Serve at room temperature with locally produced crackers, toasted baguettes or the bread of your choice.
Goat Cheese in Grape Leaves
Grape leaves, jarred in brine, are readily available at gourmet stores and sometimes even in supermarkets. When summer comes, they grow everywhere. Just harvest them, plunge them briefly into boiling water and then in ice.
In a bowl mix 3-1/2 ounces of goat cheese with a squeeze of lemon and fresh herbs to taste. Less is more. Favorites are dill or thyme. I’ve added scallions and garlic as well. If the cheese is very fresh and soft, no need to add milk, but if not, add just a touch.
Take 2 grape leaves and lay them flat, with the underside up, overlapping well at their bases. Repeat with another two grape leaves. Place half the goat cheese mixture in the middle of each. Wrap well. Grill on a grill pan or in a 350 degreen oven, just until the cheese is melty. About 2 minutes each side.
To serve. Place on a platter, break open the top with a fork or fork and knife. Serve immediately with toasted baguette slices. (Or veggies to dip.) Optional: When the cheese is almost done, cut up the grape leaves to eat as well with some cheese clinging to it.
Appetizer Variation: As first grape leaf picture above, you can also make small appetizer size packets too, but it’s best to first blanch the leaves to remove their salty brine. Handling the leaves gently so you don’t tear them, just plunge them into lightly simmering water for 30 seconds. Drain and plunge into ice water. Drain and pat dry. Fill small and medium leaves with a dollop of seasoned goat cheese. Wrap to completely enclose the cheese and proceed as above, heating them just until warmed through, about 30 seconds to 1 minute on each side.
Salad of Warm Goat Cheese in an Avocado with Lime Dressing
Not a typical post for this blog, but swell for those of you who live in California or are willing to share a local food with avocados from far afield, this makes a luxurious salad. This is from my first book, One Pot Vegetarian Dishes.
Makes 4 servings
6 sun-dried tomatoes or oven roasted tomatoes from the summer
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1/2 teaspoon crushed hot red peppers
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 ripe Haas avocados
l/4 cup fresh (soft) goat cheese
l small baguette, thinly sliced
8 leaves of green leaf lettuce, washed and dried or a big handful of grated cabbage
l/4 teaspoon salt
4 wedges of lime
1. Preheat oven to 350˚F. In a medium bowl, stir together the tomatoes, lime juice, garlic, cilantro, crushed hot red peppers, and oil. Set aside.
2. With a paring knife, carefully halve both avocados around their pits. Pull them apart, remove the pits, and using a tablespoon, carefully separate the flesh from the skin.
3. Place the 4 avocado halves on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Fill each center with 1 tablespoon of goat cheese. Spread the bread slices over the rest of the baking sheet. Bake until the avocado is warmed through, and the bread is lightly toasted, about 10 minutes.
4. Arrange two lettuce leaves or a quarter of the cabbage on each plate with the warm avocado on top. Lightly salt the avocado and lettuce or cabbage, and then spoon the dressing around each avocado with a little on top. Distribute warm toasts onto each plate, and garnish with a lime wedge. Serve immediately.
Local Food Boost?: Here’s 15 Ways To Be A Locavore!
Posted on March 2nd, 2010
My husband, Tommy, who at times I affectionately call “Mr Potato head,”kindled my passion for potatoes early in our 26 year marriage. Half Irish Catholic, half Irish Protestant, he grew up eating potatoes at every meal. These days, we often roast 5 pounds at a time for the two of us to keep on hand to reheat as a snack or side dish. Here’s the perfect recipe for ‘em: bake whole, wedge, sprinkle with spices, then roast until crispy brown, aromatic and piping hot.
Here, I sprinkled spuds with spices reminiscent of diner breakfast home fries during my Manhattan years. But feel free to experiment with chili powder, cracked pepper, smoked paprika or spices in the curry family, such as cumin and coriander. I have, and you can’t go wrong!
Note: This recipe is a snap even if you figure in the time to bake and cool the potatoes.
4 russet potatoes (or about 2 pounds)
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Kosher or sea salt or to taste
1/2 teaspoon rosemary
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Stab well-scrubbed potatoes with a fork and bake, whole, until cooked, about 50 minutes. (You can do this in a microwave if you must, but make sure you the roast the spiced potatoes wedges in the oven so they’ll crisp.) Cool for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
2. Halve the potatoes lengthwise, then cut each half into 4-5 wedges each, depending on the potato size. Place the wedges, skin side down (like boats), on a large parchment covered baking sheet in a single layer, with a little space between each.
3. Mix all the remaining ingredients, adding 1 teaspoon of salt, crushing the rosemary in your fingers before adding it. Sprinkle evenly over the wedges. Then sprinkle them again with the spices that end up on the parchment, but don’t worry if some are left behind.
4. Bake until until hot, crisp and well browned, about 25 minutes. (Better over than under.) Taste and sprinkle with extra salt if needed. Serve immediately while they still retain their crispness.
Beyond Tater Tots?
Donna Miner, at Chicopee High School, where I tested many recipes for my Massachusetts Farm to School Cookbook, came up with a version of this recipe to answer the question: How do we cut down on processed French fries? The wedges, which are made with real potatoes and no fat, provided a sane answer that the kids adore, and so I included them in my book.
Film Farm Feast
For those that live in Berkshire County, there’s Farm Film Feast next week. For those that don’t, check out the listings, as it’s likely these films will come your way or you can rent them. Included are a dozen documentary films about our food: Who produces it, how it reaches us, and how it affects our health, our environment, and our local and global communities.
Sad News
Terry Maloney of West County Hard Cider in Colrain, Massachusetts has died in a freak cider processing accident. Terry and his wife Judith helped revive quality hard cider making in this country. I first met them years ago when I was director of Berkshire Grown and was touring members farms. Colrain was remote, but West County was worth the journey. I was taken with Terry’s profound knowledge and later with both the Maloney’s good cheer and generosity when they donated endless bottles to fundraisers to support local farms. Terry will be sorely missed and our hearts go out to Judith.
Posted on February 23rd, 2010
Seasonal shrimp anyone? Most of us are used to frozen or defrosted rather than fresh shrimp, so these Maine babies with their softer texture and slightly sweet flavor are a winter gift.
Look for regional shrimp near you. (See below for more.) Here, I found them at the supermarket and at Rubiner’s in Great Barrington, where they are available for about another month. You can buy them whole for a shrimp boil, or as they are used in this recipe — peeled and ready to cook. They lend themselves beautifully to the light and subtle dumplings here.
Shu mai, savory dumplings of fish, chicken or veggies, spiked with Asian seasonings and bundled in thin dumpling wrappers, have been a foundation recipe in my repertoire since my early 20’s. Once I even held a dumpling party for close friends. Guests made their own dumplings from a selection of fillings, then I steamed ‘em all up to enjoy with a wok full of veggies and plenty of beer. Makes 25-30, serving 2-3 for dinner with vegetables or a salad, or many more for appetizers.
Shu Mai
1 lb shrimp
1/2 cup finely grated cabbage
1 scallion, white and green, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon coarsely grated ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
l teaspoon rice wine vinegar
Generous pinch cayenne pepper
Generous pinch sugar
¼ sea or kosher salt, or to taste
1 carrot, diced, optional
25-30 dumpling wrappers, round or square with the corner cut off
Sauce
1/2 cup lemon or lime juice
¼ cup sugar
2 tablespoons fish sauce
Generous pinch cayenne
l. Puree about 3/4 of the shrimp in the food processor until smooth. Remove with a spatula to a medium bowl. Add the rest of the shrimp and pulse to chop. Add to the bowl. Add the rest of the filling ingredients to the shrimp.
2. Lay out about 10 dumpling wrappers at a time. Put about a tablespoon of the filling in the center of each. Bring the wrapper up on four sides to form a loose four lobed cloverleaf, then press each round lobe firmly toward the filling to form an open cupcake-like dumpling with the filling exposed at the top. Lift and pat on the counter to create a base. Repeat with the remaining filling. (Don’t worry, they don’t have to look perfect, just press around the sides so they won’t fall apart.) If you like, put a diced carrot piece or more on the top of each dumpling.
3. Arrange the dumplings about 1/2 inch apart in concentric circles on an oiled or cabbage leaf lined steamer. Steam the dumplings over 1-2 inches of boiling water for 8-10 minutes or until just done through. (Taste one.)
4. While the Shu Mai are cooking, combine the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. When they are finished, take them off of the heat for a minute or two. Drizzle each with a little sauce. Serve immediately.
Americans Adore Shrimp
The vast majority of shrimp consumed in the United States is imported from Asia and South America and is industrially farm raised. Farm-raised U.S. shrimp is an accepted eco-friendly choice, though it can be a challenge to find. Regional wild shrimp are available from the southeast Atlantic coast and the Gulf of Mexico, Maine pink shrimp are sold in the winter, and trap-caught spot prawns are found on the West Coast.
Sustainable Fish?
The Monterey Bay Aquarium is an excellent resource for more information about eco-friendly fish consumption. Their Web site provides downloadable, pocket-sized, regional lists (as well as a list for seafood used in sushi), a searchable database, recommendations on what to buy, and more information about your favorite seafood items. Once you have the hang of what’s local, you can instantly find out what’s sustainable by using FishPhone, The Blue Ocean Institute’s sustainable seafood text messaging service. Just text 30644 with the message FISH and the name of the fish in question, and they’ll text back an assessment and better alternatives to fish that have significant environmental concerns.
Posted on February 19th, 2010
Moist, sweet and laced with tart cranberries, these staved off my winter blues by perfuming the house with their spices. They’re a relative of pumpkin bread, but with the locavore edge — local butternut, eggs, butter, apple and regional cranberries — all widely available during the cold months. (I even threw in some local whole wheat flour from my grain CSA!) Savor these for a rustic dessert, buffet brunch, after school treat or book group fare with tea.
Note: Don’t be put off by roasting the squash, but if it seems daunting, see the “Tips on Butternut” below.
Makes 1 8 X 8 inch square.
1 2 pound (or more) butternut squash
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup melted butter (or vegetable oil)
3 large eggs
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon, ginger and allspice
(OR 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 apple, unpeeled, chopped
1-1/2 cups cranberries, fresh or frozen
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roast the whole unpeeled squash on a baking sheet until quite soft, 45 to 1 an hour. Slit lengthwise; remove seeds, stringy bits, and skin, then discard. You can save the seeds, if you like. Just rinse, dry and toast in a dry pan until crispy. Serve salted. Puree the orange flesh in a food processor. (If you cooked a larger squash, measure out 2 cups for the recipe and enjoy the rest for dinner.)
2. Mix the sugar and butter in a large bowl. Add the squash and eggs, stirring well until thoroughly combined. Reserve.
3. Whisk together the flours, spices, baking soda, baking powder and salt in another bowl.
4. Add the dry mixture to the wet squash mixture and stir JUST until thoroughly combined. Mix in the apples and cranberries very briefly just to combine. (You can chop the apple in the food processor, if you like.)
5. Pour the batter into a lightly oiled and floured 8 X 8 baking pan. Sprinkle the top with sugar. Bake until a thin knife or skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean, 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes. Remove from pan, cool, then cut into squares to serve.
Tips on Butternut Squash:
For this recipe, you’ll roast the butternut whole, which I much prefer to peeling it, both for its flavor and ease of preparation. But it can take up to 1 hour to cook. So, if you’re short on time, roast it the day before. (If you can’t, peel, seed and steam it, then puree to make 2 cups.)
The truth is, I’m always looking for good things to do with roasted butternut. It’s a staple that I like to keep around, a winter schmoo that’s a tasty for soups or a seasoned side. My favorite is Easy Orange Mashers: Just mix the warm pureed flesh with a seasonings to taste: a touch of cayenne, salt, butter and ginger juice, made by generously grating unpeeled fresh ginger, then squeezing it through your hands or a cheesecloth.
So, while you’re roasting the butternut for this recipe,why not throw a buddy squash in the oven to serve later in the week?
School Lunch Anyone?
I first made a variation of this recipe for a gaggle of school lunch ladies, while demonstrating how to insinuate farm foods into their winter menus. They were dubious, but gobbled the results, as did the kids. Now, it’s served to students across the state, the only dessert in my Farm to School Cookbook, which is free on-line and pushes farm purchases of local produce. A tiny but tasty step forward.
Food News
From Pioneer Valley, an article on Kids, Gardens & Michelle Obama in the Fast Food Culture.
Photographer Peter Manzel’s fascinating look at the way the world eats through pictures of what families around the world consume in a week’s time.
Ever since organic standards have been federally mandated, agribusiness has been pushing for looser rules, while many small farmers have adhered to better standards all along. These new pasture rules for organic dairies level the playing field at bit, a wise move.
Posted on February 11th, 2010
 Pair oysters, long considered an aphrodisiac, with the sexy chocolate truffles on this blog for Valentine’s day. Or, for a playful winter feast, invite over a few fellow oyster lovers — only the most passionate. Shuck, giggle and slurp oysters from their shells, with your reserve nestled in bowl of snow. Long live live food!
Serve oysters with a choice of toppings — lemon wedges (my favorite), cocktail sauce (ketchup, horseradish and lemon juice) and a mignonnette, which is a vinegar-shallot combo. Here, I drummed up a locavore’s apple mignonnette, a New England riff on the classic. Be sure to accompany it all plenty of sliced baguettes with sweet butter and your favorite bubbly, such as a regional sparkling hard cider. A good time guaranteed. This recipe is for at least 2 dozen oysters, if you use the mignonette on each. (We each easily ate 12 each.)
1/4 cup apple cider (not too sweet)
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2-3 tablespoons finely diced apple (I used Northern Spy)
1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot
Pinches ground black pepper, or more to taste (I used 1/8 teaspoon)
2 teaspoons chopped parsley, optional
2 dozen of your favorite oysters or more, well rinsed
1. Mix all the ingredients but the oysters in a small bowl.
2. Shuck the oysters. It’s not difficult, but be patient. Think of the shucking as part of the fun. Set them in a bowl of snow if you have it on hand, crushed ice if you don’t or eat as you shuck.
3. Top each with a little of the mignonnette or another topping or eat straight. Eat immediately.
Where did I find my oysters?
We’re lucky to have some of the best oysters in the world in the Northeast, and you can pick them up almost anywhere. I especially favor those from Wellfleet, which are as local as I can get in the landlocked Berkshires, but it’s fun to taste varieties and compare. For my party, I ordered Wellfleets, but they weren’t around, and so we shucked fabulous Maine Beausoleil, Winter Points, Norumbega , as well as Novia Scotias, which were small and especially glorious.
Shockingly, the oysters in my local supermarket were from California. But any good fish market should stock regional oysters. For our little Berkshire party, I ordered an assortment from Rubiner’s in Great Barrington. Each Monday, they email a list of available fish and seafood. You respond by Wednesday and pick up your order Friday. The price is high, but so is the quality, and the staff knowledgeable. I bought an excellent assortment that was well labeled. Regional oysters are also available at Guido’s.
Locavore Bites
Eliot Coleman’s perspective on the power of the small farm.
Watch Yes Men stick it to Archer Daniels Midland
Posted on February 4th, 2010
 Back to basics this week: Two local ingredients in a mug — Warm Highlawn Farm milk with Ioka Valley Farm maple syrup to taste. Very soul satisfying.
Plenty of upcoming book events and signings, including one tonight (Friday) at the library in West Stockbridge, Massachusetts at 7 pm. If you come by, be sure to introduce yourself.
Posted on January 26th, 2010
 Here in New England where it’s been gray or white, white white, my breezy old kitchen seems to shake in the winter wind, and the supply of local fare is dwindling. So it’s time to winter forage, throw a log on the fire, crank up the Billie Holiday, and cook up a warming mushroom stew.
In this case, winter foraging means driving over to Blue Moon Shrooms, which is tucked back from the road just outside Housatonic off the river. Caroline Alexander’s Berkshire Food Journal has a photo interview with owner Leslie Taft that’s well worth viewing. The pictures below are also hers.
Although the polenta was foraged too, it can be made from any coarsely ground corn. For this recipe, I used freshly ground flint corn, which was divinely corny, and purchased at a new grain CSA, Pioneer Valley Heritage Grains. It’s a cool concept, which I’ll talk more about later, as you may be interested in signing up for next year’s shares.
This is an extremely versatile recipe: Enjoy the stew without the polenta with thickly sliced and toasted peasant bread. Add more stock to make a soup or even throw it over noodles. Serve the stew as is with soft polenta or let the polenta harden, then slice, oil and grill it. Makes 2-3 main course servings, but easily doubled or tripled.
For the Stew
4 dried shiitake mushrooms or 1-1/2 tablespoons dried mushroom powder
3⁄4 lb shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, sliced
About 1/4 cup oven or sun dried tomatoes, (optional)
1/2 cup chopped leeks
2-1/2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or more, to taste
2-1/2 tablespoons flour
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock (or combined water and stock)
About 2 tablespoons dry sherry or Madeira
Salt to taste, if needed
Freshly ground pepper taste
About 3 tablespoons coarsely grated hard Parmesan-style cheese, preferably local
Chopped parsley leaves, optional
For the Polenta
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal, preferably coarse
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock (or combined water and stock)
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tablespoon butter (optional)
1/4-1/3 cup coarsely grated hard Parmesan-style cheese, preferably local
1. Soak the dried mushrooms in hot water to cover. When they are soft, drain, rinse and chop the mushrooms. Reserve the strained soaking liquid and the mushrooms together. If you are using mushroom powder, soak it in about 1/4 cup water and reserve. If you are using the optional oven dried tomatoes, soak in hot water until soft, Drain and slice thinly. Reserve.
2. Cook the mushrooms and leeks in the butter, in a medium non-stick pot or skillet over medium low heat, stirring frequently, until the leeks are wilted but not brown, about 3 minutes. Add the thyme and flour. Reduce heat to very low, and cook, stirring constantly, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon, for about 2-3 minutes to cook the flour.
3. Turn the heat to medium. Pour in the stock, whisking as you pour. Add the Madeira or dry sherry, dried or powdered mushrooms and their liquid, the tomatoes, if you are using them. (If you aren’t using homemade or low-sodium stock, substitute 1/4 cup of it with water to hold down the salt.) Simmer on a low heat for about 20 minutes, or until the texture of a thick soup. Season with salt, if needed, and freshly ground pepper to taste. Add an extra splash more of Madiera or sherry if you like.
4. Cook the polenta while the stew is simmering. Add 2 cups stock and one 1 cup of water, the garlic and the cornmeal to a small non-stick pot. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to low and cook, whisking occasionally it begins to thicken. When the cornmeal starts to pull away from the sides of the pot, about 10 minutes, taste and add salt and pepper to taste, if needed. (If not serving immediately, hold in a double boiler, stirring frequently to prevent lumps and adding water if necessary.) Before serving, stir in the butter, if you are using it, and cheese to taste.
5. To serve. Add the polenta to the bottom of a warm shallow bowl. Make a hole in the middle, then add the stew to it. Sprinkle with the reserved cheese and parsley, if you are using it. Serve immediately.
Update: The mushroom grower in this piece, Leslie Taft of Blue Moon Shrooms, is going out of business. Happily, she looks forward to moving to Maine, but it is tragic that the steep competition from the agri-business has lost us both local mushroom growers. This is the common story for small farmers: Leslie had more customers than she knew what to do with, but couldn’t really charge a fair price for her mushrooms and still stay competitive. And so we lose another farm.
More sad news for locavores: The supreme court and food politics on Marion Nestle’s excellent blog.
Posted on January 17th, 2010
 You’re going to like this juicy bird, which will perfume your kitchen with ginger and anise and arrive well-browned with hoisin glaze. It was born of loss.
My neighbor, Ruth, has spoiled me for eggs. After lifting them, still warm from their nests, then poaching them ten minutes later, all other eggs pale. But the supply on her small flock falls in the cold months, which sent me looking for other options to jazz up my winter foraging.
Fortunately, Ruth raised meat chickens this year and now I’m the beneficiary. Hers were fed on whatever they could find around the yard during the warm months, along with grain raised up county, so they’re local all the way. Even if you like convenient rotisserie chicken, and I do, the clean flavor of local chicken leaves it in the dust and is worth the extra expense. And you can eat them with a clear conscience. (For more about chickens and a touch of local food news see below.) Serves 4 or 5
4 pound chicken
l/3 cup hoisin sauce
l/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons flavorless oil
2 tablespoons coarsely grated ginger
l/2 teaspoon anise seeds
1 garlic bulb, cut in half
sesame seeds, optional
1 large bunch scallions, optional
l. Wash and dry the chicken. In a bowl large enough to hold the chicken, combine the soy sauce, hoisin, oil, ginger and anise seeds.
2. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the mixture inside the chicken cavity. Truss with a string, or at least tie the legs together. Add the chicken to the bowl and turn it a few times to coat. Marinate 3 hours to overnight.
3. Preheat oven to 450°F. Stuff the garlic inside the chicken. Place it on a rack in a roasting pan filled with about 1⁄2 inch of water. Reserve the marinade for basting.
4. Roast for 15 minutes. Baste with the reserved marinade, then turn on one side. Reduce heat to 350 degrees, and roast for another 15 minutes. Baste again, and turn on other side. (You can stick a wooden spoon inside the cavity to turn it.) Roast for another 15 minutes. Cover the top with foil if skin starts to get too dark. Turn upright, baste again, and continue cooking for another 45 minutes, until the juices run clear when the thigh is pricked with a knife or the thigh is 175-180 degrees. Note that when you baste, don’t leave the door open too long, as it lowers the temperature radically. So baste and turn it quickly, or take the bird out of the oven and close the door, then baste and turn it before returning it.
5. Present whole, if you wish, then serve Carve or cut with poultry shears. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and garnish with grilled scallions, if you are using them. (To grill the optional scallions first remove their root endS. Toss the whole scallions with a touch of oil and salt. Grill using grill pan, outdoor grill or broil, turning once until soft, a bit browned and very wilted.)
Where to find it Regionally raised chickens that are not battery bred, but raised on small sustainable farms, can be hard to come by, but keep trying. Try co-ops, farms and stands, extension agents, winter farmers market and ask around. Local farm advocacy groups often post farm sources on-line. In the Berkshires, try Berkshire Grown. Local chickens are generally frozen this time of year. Don’t be put off, a local frozen chicken is still extraordinary.
The Price of Local Chicken We are used to cheap chickens that are raised in ways too grotesque to review in a recipe blog. But farming fresh chickens in a humane manner on wholesome food on a small unsubsidized farm is not cheap. Ruth bought her chickens from a hatchery in Pennsylvania through the US Postal Service, as there were no local sources. Twenty five chicks cost her only $65, but feeding them well is expensive, even on local grain that is not organic, because meat birds eat about 2 pounds of feed each week. and it takes about 10 weeks to raise a 4 pound bird. Chick to table, my 4 pound bird cost Ruth $14.00, which is exactly what she sold it for. My advice? If you want to eat clean meat, eat less of it!
What Kind of Bird? Ruth is new at raising chickens. She has a full time job and does it because she’s committed to eating local food, but also because she has an affinity for birds, something I’ll never understand. “They allow me to enter a completely different world and participate in it, a mix of wildness and domestication,” she told me while her parrot Boodle sat on her shoulder.
For a meat bird, Ruth wanted to raise The Delaware, a breed developed before factory birds. But they were sold out, so she went for the Kosher King,which are gray and white with bright yellow feet. They’re not the classic Tyson “cornish” hybrid, which apparently don’t care about moving around. But, these meat birds eat mostly grains and rejected other food like apples, which Ruth’s egg birds devour. Next year she’ll try The Delaware, who are more likely to enjoy food, grass and grubs, which will add to their flavor, Ruth says.
Hannaford Supermarket Helps Promote Local Dairy Farmers
State Agriculture officials joins farmers and Hannaford supermarkets to launch program to plromote local dairy farms. The program will help New England dairy producers brand their goods with a “Keep Local Farms” logo as a way to notify consumers that the product is locally produced.
Posted on January 12th, 2010
 Wake up winter! Now’s the time for fermented foods with their heady smell and stand-up-and-shout flavor. Good for the gut and dense with accessible nutrients, foods like sauerkraut and the kim chi here, extend the season when the ground is unyielding.
Preparing fermented vegetables is easy, and you can invent your own variations over time. Just make sure to keep the food immersed below the liquid, where it will continue to ripen eternally, albeit much more slowly in the fridge or in a cold cellar. The art is to savor it while its taste and texture still suits you. Enjoy your kim chi; it’s worked for millions of Koreans, who use it as a staple with just about anything, especially rice and grilled meats.
This simple kim chi recipe was adapted by Dawn Story from the classic Wild Fermentation, by Sandor Ellix Katz. Use red chilies if you want more color. Makes 1 quart
Kosher or sea salt
1 pound cabbage, preferably napa
1 small daikon radish
1-2 carrots
4 hot chilies, seeded and chopped, or to taste
2 leeks, scallions, shallots, sliced, or 1 onion, diced
4-6 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons coarsely grated ginger
Toasted sesame seeds, optional
1. Mix a brine of 4 cups water and 4 tablepsoons salt. Stir to dissolve salt.
2. Coarsely chop cabbage, slice radish and carrots, and let the vegetables soak in the brine. Cover with a plate or other weight to keep them submerged until soft, a few hours or overnight.
3. Half the chilies lengthwise. Remove and discard the seeds. Mince the flesh. (Use gloves or wash hands carefully.) Combine with the shallots, scallions or onions with the garlic and ginger.
4. Drain brine from the vegetables and reserve it. Taste the vegetables for saltiness, adding more salt if necessary or rinsing if too salty.
5. Combine the vegetables with the spicy mixture. Pack them tightly into a clean glass quart jar, then press them down completely beneath the brine. If the brine doesn’t rise up above the vegetables, add a little of the reserved brine to submerge them. To stop them from floating up, weigh them down with a smaller jar or a zip-lock bag filled with water. Cover the jar with a light dishcloth.
6. Ferment the kim chi in your kitchen or another warm place. Check it everyday, pushing the weight down in order to keep the veggies beneath the brine. Taste it every few days. When it is ripe (you like it), move to the refrigerator or a cold basement. (Ripening will take from a few days to a week, depending on how hot your kitchen is and how you like your kim chi.) Sprinkle with sesame seeds before serving if you like.
A cure for garden lust
Those seed catalogs can produce the strongest longings. But many of us lack the time, energy, land or company for a garden. Yard sharing is a relatively new idea that’s gaining momentum. Pool your energy and build yardsharing groups on your own, or with a leg up from hyperlocavore founder Liz McLellan, (and members) on her site to grow food together with neighbors, friends, community members of all ages.
Posted on January 7th, 2010
The Bookloft of Great Barrington, cordially invites you….
Eat locally…Mother Nature would approve!
Local author and culinary guru Amy Cotler will be at The Bookloft, Saturday, January 23rd at 2 PM, speaking and signing copies of her latest book, The Locavore Way: Discover and Enjoy the Pleasures of Locally Grown Food. Please join us for a scrumptious event!
It’s easier than ever to eat food grown close to home, with great benefits to the health of your family, your local community, and the environment. And of course it tastes fantastic! In her new book, Amy gives you all the information you need to become a satisfied locavore, addressing how and where to find local foods, how to eat locally on a tight budget, what questions to ask at the farmers market, and how to grow your own food in small spaces. She offers insider shopping tips, simple guides to preparing what’s in season, ideas for bringing out the best flavors in farm-fresh foods, and strategies to make your harvest last. You’ll discover that eating locally is as simple as it is delicious.
A longtime advocate of local eating, Amy Cotler is the founding director of Berkshire Grown, a food initiative that has received international recognition as a model for local food advocacy. She now consults, teaches, and lectures on food and farm-to-table issues. She worked as the web food forum host for The New York Times, and her food articles have been published in numerous periodicals, including Fine Cooking, Kitchen Garden, Cook’s, Family Fun, Self, Gastronomique, Orion and The Berkshire Eagle. She’s taught at the Institute for Culinary Education and The Culinary Institute of America and now lives in the Berkshires.
Our Price: $12.95
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Also by Amy Cotler
The Farm to School Cookbook
USDA approved school-tested local food recipes and a supplement for educators. Complete book on-line
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