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Posted on February 4th, 2010
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
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 For the Polenta 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.
Sad news for locavores: The supreme court and food politics on Marion Nestle’s excellent blog. Posted on January 17th, 2010
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. 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 Posted on January 12th, 2010
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. 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 Posted on January 7th, 2010
The Bookloft of Great Barrington, cordially invites you…. Eat locally…Mother Nature would approve! 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
Posted on January 3rd, 2010
The Truffles The Coating 1-Melt the truffle ingredients together in a double boiler or microwave, then whisk to combine thoroughly. Pour into a lightly oiled 8 by 8 pan and chill well. 2-Cut in half or into quarters. Use spatula to remove the squares of chocolate from the pan. (If you have any trouble removing them, run a very hot kitchen cloth over the bottom of the pan and a knife along the edges.) Cut each square into approximately even squares. (Your choice on size, but keep ‘em small.) If the chocolate gets melty while you are working with it, return it to the fridge until firmer. 3-Add half the squares to a bowl with confectioner’s sugar and half to a bowl with cocoa powder. Toss to coat. (They coat best when they’re getting a touch soft, so wait if you need to.) Serve in truffle cups, stacked like tiles or any which way.(For later use, store in fridge. They also freeze great.) Fun variations: Coat with any kind of toasted chopped nuts; shredded coconut (for an upscale mounds bar); a pinch of cinnamon or instant espresso added to the cocoa powder. Try anything; you are only limited by your imagination.
Looking for a virtual local food vacation on a snowy day? Check out Caroline Alexander’s site, Berkshire Food Journal, where she chronicles regional farmers with audio interviews and accompanying photos.
Posted on December 29th, 2009
1 3-pound butternut squash 1. Preheat oven to 400°. Roast whole uncut squash on a baking sheet until it can be pierced easily with a fork, about l hour. 2. While the squash is cooking, in a skillet, cook onion and ginger in the butter, over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the leeks are tender but not brown. 3. When the butternut is cooked, slice in it half lengthwise, then spoon out the fibrous pulp and discard, reserving the seeds, if you wish to toast them later. Discard the skin. Puree the orange flesh in the food processor until smooth, then add to a medium soup pot. 4. For the garnish, remove about 1/3 cup of the puree to glass measuring cup or microwave proof bowl. Mix it with 1/2 cup stock or water, a generous pinch of allspice, and salt to taste, if needed. Reserve. 5. Puree onion mixture in the processor with a some of the milk, as needed, to make it very smooth. Add to the squash with 3/4 cup of the coconut milk and as much of the milk as needed to reach the consistency of a thick bisque. Season with salt and cayenne pepper to taste. (It should have a little kick.) Simmer, but do not boil, for about 10 minutes to marry the flavors. 6. To serve, heat butternut-allspice mixture in the microwave. Ladle the butternut squash into warm bowls. Drizzle the butternut-allspice mixture and then about 1 teaspoon coconut milk over each bowl. Variations: For a lighter and brighter soup, substitute half the milk with stock and eliminate the coconut milk. Note: If you want to keep the seeds, they’re tasty toasted. Remove the seeds from the fun slimy stuff. Rinse and dry. Toast in a tiny bit of oil in a skillet, over medium heat, shaking frequently, until crisp, about 5 minutes. Salt to taste. News Year’s Eve? Why not bring local hard or soft cider, a six pack of Johnny Mash and locally distilled beer or booze to the party? And don’t forget local milk in your eggnog! Posted on December 24th, 2009
My challenge? With guests arriving and meals planned, forage the house for local bounty for a simple but festive breakfast. This French toast, using nutty whole wheat bread, and other household staples — local eggs, maple syrup, apples, cider, milk and regional cranberries — makes it easy. 2-3 servings, easily doubled 1 large egg l. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees with a large plate or small platter inside. 2. Whisk together the eggs and milk in a plate with a lip (or shallow bowl). Pour half of the mixture into a second plate. Soak a slice of bread in each plate, turn. Then repeat with the second two slices of bread until all four slices are well coated. 3. Melt the butter in a skillet large enough for all four pieces over a medium-high heat. (Work in batches if you don’t have a large pan.) When the skillet is hot, use a metal spatula to carefully add the bread. Sprinkle the top of the slices evenly with about half of the sugar and cinnamon. When the first side is well browned and crisp, 2-3 minutes, turn, and cook the other side, sprinkle with the remaining sugar and cinnamon and cook, until it is well browned, crispy, and firm, about 2 minutes more. (If you are working in batches, repeat with the second 2 slices of bread.) 4. Remove the French toast to a platter in the oven, cutting it in half and overlapping it if you wish. 5. Add cider, maple syrup and apples to the skillet. Boil until the liquid is reduced to about half. Remove all but 1-2 tablespoons of the liquid to a small bowl and place in the oven. Add the cranberries and cook shaking the pan, until they are coated with syrup and start to pop, about 1 minute. (Taste one, if it isn’t sweet enough on the outside, add a little more syrup.) 6. Remove French toast from the oven. Pour the maple-apple sauce down the center or around the sides. Sprinkle with the candied cranberries. Dust with confectioner’s sugar, if you like. Looking for good incubators for regional food system solutions? Check out the brief Intervale Center report from the Wallace Foundation site, where you can find lots of other informative studies as well. Then temper your optimism, or at least look at what the big guns are up to with Is Walmart the Future of Local Food? Posted on December 18th, 2009
Some of the best recipes are born out of desperation. This is one, created when I had to come up with yet another wrap for my book, Wrap it Up, now out of print. But here it is — a warm wrap reborn with melty local cheese, apples, shallots and regional cranberries. Serve as a unique cheese coarse or light meal, sliced in half on the bias, propped up at an angle, eaten solo, or nestled in a winter salad of shredded cabbage and carrots. All apples work well in this wrap. And these days, local and regionally produced mold-ripened cheeses, such as something in the brie and camembert family, are plentiful. I found about 10 different varieties easily at my local cheese shop, but farm stands and gourmet markets stock them as well. Makes 4, but recipe is easily doubled or halved l large apple, skin on, small dice 1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. In a medium bowl combine the apple, shallots, cranberries, vinegar, brown sugar, ginger and hot chili pepper flakes. Let sit for 15-30 minutes to marry the flavors, stirring occasionally to prevent browning. 2. Heat the tortillas or mountain bread, one at a time, in a large hot cast iron skillet or directly over a gas flame, turning frequently, just until pliable for about 10-30 seconds each. 3. Lay out the tortillas on the counter. Scatter 3 pieces of cheese in the center of each. Top each with 1/4 of the apple chutney. Fold in the sides and wrap. (At this point you can make them about an hour before cooking.) 4. Lightly oil a baking sheet and place in the oven for 5 minutes. Carefully add the wraps, seam side down, and bake until crisp on one side. Turn and bake until the second side is crisp, about l0 minutes total. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Serve hot or warm, cut in half on the bias with a serrated knife.
Winter goodies? In the northeast this is the time of year we mourn the loss of anything that springs from mother earth. But there’s still plenty to choose from. So don’t forget maple syrup, eggs, milk, cheese, sustainable raised meat of all kinds (usually frozen), sustainably raised or caught fish, winter squashes, root veggies and more…. Posted on December 14th, 2009
The parsnip adds a touch of earthy sweetness to the traditional flavor, and underestimated fresh apple sauce is always heaven sent. I use thick sour cream from Hudson Valley that is shockingly rich, but just a touch is all that’s needed. Potato pancakes are best served hot from the skillet by a grandmother who runs back and forth to the table, but they may be kept warm in the oven, then served at once. Makes about 24 4-6 apples 1. Quarter the apples. Simmer, with just a splash of water, covered, stirring ocassionally, until they are very soft. Put through a food mill. If you don’t have a mill,peel and core them before you simmer, then puree in a food processor or with a masher. Add lemon juice to taste and sugar, if needed. Set aside. 2. Grate* the potatoes into a colander. Let sit. After they have turned a brownish-pink, about 15 minutes, rinse them thoroughly. Press down in the colander to remove any excess water. Lay potatoes in one layer on a kitchen cloth. Roll and squeeze out any remaining liquid. Repeat if still wet. 3. Combine the potatoes with the onion, eggs, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. 4. Coat the bottom of a large skillet, preferably non-stick, generously with vegetable oil until hot but not smoking. Carefully spoon about 1/8 cup (2 tablespoons) of the batter into the pan. If you like, spread each a little thinner with a fork. 5. Cook over medium heat, until crispy brown, turn carefully with a spatula, then brown the other side, about 6 minutes total. Work in batches, adding oil to the pan if needed. 6. Serve immediately or remove to a newspaper on a large baking sheet, held in a 200 degree oven. Accompany with a bowl of sour cream and apple sauce. Or, using two spoons (or a finger and a spoon), top each with a little bit of apple sauce and sour cream. *Of course you can use a food processor, but when you grate them by hand they’re better. They just are, but watch those knuckles. Interested in local food? Check out the NYC Sustainable Food Charter, which sets forth the values and principles essential to a just, vibrant, and sustainable food system, and to spur the creation of such a food system for all New Yorkers. Even if you don’t live in NYC, it’s a great model….. |
Also by Amy CotlerThe Farm to School Cookbook
USDA approved school-tested local food recipes and a supplement for educators. Complete book on-line |
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Copyright © 2010 Amy Cotler The Locavore Way - All Rights Reserved |
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These are extraordinary in their simplicity — fresh local cream mingles with the best chocolate you can find. I used Belgium Callabuat chocolate with cream from Highlawn Farm, where the vista is classic New England and Jersey cows bat their long lashes. I couldn’t find local butter, but the vanilla is aged in wooden barrels at Baldwin’s right here in West Stockbridge. And so, local meets global in this last gasp of holiday decadence. Makes about 40 or so small square truffles, but I doubled ‘em
On a snowy day, this soup reflects my locavore’s craving for the Caribbean — coconut with a touch of fiery ginger and cayenne pepper party with butternut’s sweet silky texture. The Berkshires produces fabulous butternut squash, and happily the local stuff is still around. Roasting it whole makes it effortless to peel. Use local onions and milk if you can. Makes 4-6 servings
You don’t have to be Jewish to enjoy these honeys, which use local apples, parsnips, onions, sour cream and potatoes, if you can find them. (I had trouble, but don’t get me started.)