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Chocolate Chili

Jan 6th, 2013
by sophie.
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I really like this chili recipe! It’s a great winter meal and the flavors are incredible. I like that it’s so easily adaptable to local sources and it’s perfect for using up the foods I put by for the winter. (I really do need an upright freezer!) It’s also an easy and fun recipe to change up a bit each time, based on my mood and what’s on hand.

This time, I swapped out the jalapenos for a poblano pepper and added a bell pepper and swapped out the maple syrup for honey. I left out the beans. Last week, I got chipotle bacon at the farmer’s market and that worked out excellently in this dish.

Sources:

I wasn’t in the mood to bake the corn bread, so I just had corn instead. I really do prefer having my corn in the winter! It seems like there’s so much of it and I take it for granted in the summer, but nothing brings back the bounty of summer like hot buttered corn in January!

This is not a “challenge meal.” For the first time since I became a locavore, I’m not participating in a Dark Days Eat Local Challenge. The regular challenge isn’t running this year (though there is a small group from another region doing their own thing). I will still be eating locally throughout the dark days but actually, finding local food in the winter no longer the challenge it once was. I am lucky to have many nearby farms and farmers markets that go through the winter. Meat and dairy are easy to come by in these parts. And I collected and put by enough veggies and those “ancillary items” you need to make soups, stews, one pot slow-and-low meals (like tomatoes, onions, garlic, and herbs). The challenge remains cooking from scratch while living and working in the 21st century!

I did come across the Pantry Challenge, which is about using what you have before you go out and buy more stuff. I like the idea of using up the things I put by and clearing out the freezer to make space for the new season. Truth be told, I still have a lot of food from last year in there. (Cut me some slack—it’s a chest freezer and I have to empty it out to find anything! It’s not like I haven’t been pining for an upright freezer for like forever.) Since I found this challenge a bit late and it isn’t exactly what I’m looking to achieve, I’ll be doing my own little “use up my stuff” challenge.

In fact, the corn, tomatoes, and poblano pepper I used in tonight’s chili are from my 2011 collection!

Challenge Meal: Beef Short Rib Ragù

Jan 14th, 2012
by sophie.
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I’m a little behind in my Dark Days Eat Local Challenge posts. It’s currently week 8, nearly 9, and my last post was week 5! Still, it’s local almost all the time here—easily 80-90% on a daily basis. Unfortunately, it’s come down to choosing between doing local vs. writing about local lately. Here’s to hoping I can wrestle the schedule monsters going forward.

For week #8 of the 2011-2012 Dark Days Eat Local Challenge, I made a beef short rib ragù. I loosely based my recipe on this recipe, with some local substitutions and a couple of additions. Also, this recipe serves the ribs, while I pull the meat from the bones and return it to the ragù. I served it over homemade fettuccine noodles.

This was my first time using beef from Apple Ridge Farm, a small farm in Ridgefield, CT. They were highly recommended by Jacqueline, the manager at Holbrook Farm, where they carry Apple Ridge beef. The beef was well-deserving of Jacqueline’s praise.

Food sources:

Note: These challenge posts will be recapped with the other Mid-Atlantic region participants every two weeks, over at Not Dabbling In Normal by Emily of Tanglewood Farm.

Challenge Meal: Spaghetti Squash Latkes

Dec 7th, 2011
by sophie.
1 comment

While making Spaghetti Squash Alfredo, I noticed the texture of the spaghetti squash wasn’t unlike grated potatoes and thought perhaps latkes would be an experiment worth pursuing.

My dish was loosely based on this latke recipe.

Truthfully, it wasn’t wonderful. Two eggs were way too much for half a spaghetti squash so I had to add more flour—quite a bit more. Still, that wasn’t what made it unremarkable. I’m convinced latkes need to be potatoes. There’s something about that potato flavor that’s completely missing with spaghetti squash. It wasn’t bad—just not really good.

Even with spaghetti squash, I still prefer sour cream to apple sauce (or cranberry sauce). However. the experiment wasn’t a total loss. I discovered that sour cream and cranberry sauce go remarkably well together.

Sources;

Note: These challenge posts will be recapped with the other Mid-Atlantic region participants every two weeks, beginning December 11, over at Not Dabbling In Normal by Emily of Tanglewood Farm.

5th Annual Dark Days Eat Local Challenge

Nov 27th, 2011
by sophie.
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Laura over at (not so) Urban Hennery is continuing the Dark Days Eat Local Challenge tradition. The rules are to cook one meal each week featuring SOLE (sustainable, organic, local, ethical) ingredients and write about it on your blog. We set our own food zones and exceptions.Weekly recaps by group are posted over at (not so) Urban Hennery or maybe at Not Dabbling in Normal (I’ll have to get back to you on that).

The challenge starts today and is on until Saturday, March 31st, 2012.

My local food zone is about 100 miles. For a few ingredients, I may reach beyond the local and tap the regional food shed (the rest of New England and upstate NY). My general rule all the time is if it grows in my food shed, I’ll get it in my food shed. If it doesn’t grow here, I’ll get it from the nearest, most responsible source. My specific exceptions are oils, coffee, chocolate, spices, baking ingredients like baking powder, baking soda, and yeast, and tropical and citrus fruits.

I am really looking forward to this year. After all these years of eating locally all the time, finding the food is not the most challenging aspect. There are far more winter farmers markets and open farm stands than there used to be. (I like to think it’s thanks to us!) My biggest challenge is time. My favorite winter meals require hours of slow and low cooking. When that can’t happen, I default to frittatas. In the end, local is local!

After all these years, it is still fun and interesting. I like learning from other folks and their ideas help me avoid repetitive food syndrome. I’m excited about the new people. As people give this a try, they realize that putting together one local meal a week is supremely achievable.

Good luck to all the participants!

If you’re still thinking about it, you have until December 4 to join!

Zucchini Fritters

Jul 11th, 2011
by sophie.
2 comments

Patti (my CSA farmer) is on a zucchini roll lately. She made zucchini brownies (which I heard were fabulous) and went on to share this link to Zucchini Five Ways.

Now is the time to ferret out the zucchini recipes since it’s just the beginning of what’s looking like a long and prosperous zucchini season. Here’s a recipe for zucchini fritters to the collection.

This recipe is based liberally on another one from a kindred spirit.

  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • pepper to taste
  • 1/4 cup chopped scallions
  • 1 cup corn meal
  • 8 basil leaves, cut into chiffonade
  • 2 cups shredded zucchini

Beat the eggs, then mix all of the remaining ingredients together with the eggs. Drop in quarter-cupfuls onto a medium hot greased griddle or skillet and cook until browned.

Top with sour cream or a yogurt dip. I “Greeked” some yogurt and dolloped it as-is. Nice. Different.

Sources:

I’m also sharing this for the Weekend Blog Carnival at Hartke Is Online.

Fried Squash Blossoms

Jul 6th, 2011
by sophie.
2 comments

It was a fairly unexciting food week with most of the greens getting sautéed with garlic scapes and olive oil and stored away for the dark days.

However, I did make fried squash blossoms and that’s something you don’t see every day.

Before

.

After

I made a batter using:

  • one egg (Woodbury Laid)
  • 2 Tbsp of milk (Stone Wall Dairy)
  • enough of corn meal (Wild Hive Farm and Micro Mill) to make it dippable
  • a pinch of salt

I dipped the flowers (Maple Bank Farm) into the batter and fried them in a pan with olive oil and butter (Ronnybrook Farm Dairy).

If you’ve never had this fun treat, you owe to yourself to try it at least once.

Bone broth Stracciatella

Jul 1st, 2011
by sophie.
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Bone broth is making a come-back. It used to be quite ordinary but with inexpensive and convenient broths and stocks available in cans and boxes, few take the time to make this delicious, nutritious food. And that’s a shame because you could be getting chondroitin, glucosamine, and collagen for free! The boxed and canned broths aren’t made from bones, so they don’t have the same nutrient profile. It turns out that bone broth also helps you lose cellulite!

I first started hearing about bone broth this past winter and went for it with a passion.  As soon as my bone collection (in the freezer) reaches critical mass, I’m making bone broth.

To raise awareness and encourage people to consume this helthful yet forgotten food, CheeseSlave is hosting a Bone Broth Challenge for the month of July. Earn points, get healthy, win prizes! (How lucky am I that I just made a big pot of it this week!)

So, I hereby kick off Bone Broth Month with this dish: Stracciatella, an Italian egg drop soup.

There are a number of recipes out there; I used Giada‘s, mostly (without the basil).

Sources:

Great idea, CheeseSlave!

Stracciatella

More local Red Fife wheat trials

Jun 26th, 2011
by sophie.
4 comments

As I mentioned, Lisa gave me some heirloom Connecticut Red Fife wheat for trials (from Curtis Eck near Kent, CT).I am hardly a baker and Lisa might have gotten more professional results asking Kaela.

Still, I am an eater and a darn good one at that. So far, I’ve tried a pie crust and made little tarts and a quiche and was really happy with how those came out.

While researching Red Fife, I came upon these biscuits. They look delicious and even better, the recipe is incredibly simple.So, I made them:

They were really good! Next time, I’ll use a little more salt, a little more butter and less milk. I used half Red Fife and half Soft White Winter Wheat from Wild Hive.

Okay, so all of that’s fine and well, but the real test for wheat is macaroni (or if you prefer, pasta). So, I made some of that too. This time, I used 100% Red Fife. The dough handled well (for not being durum semolina).

I tossed the fettuccine noodles with broccoli sautéed in olive oil with garlic scapes. The taste and texture were spot on—hearty but without that cardboard whole wheat taste. It tasted like macaroni!

Sources

  • Red Fife wheat from Curtis Eck near Kent, CT
  • eggs, broccoli, and garlic scapes from Sport Hill Farm
  • olive oil from Italy (from my grove—I know, I still owe you that post)

Definitely something to do again.

Okay Lisa, the local Red Fife wheat passed all of my tests. Where can I get more?

 

Eat Local CT Challenge Week 3

Jun 23rd, 2011
by sophie.
2 comments

For Sport Hill Farm’s Eat Local CT Challenge, I made a broccoli quiche and…

Broccoli lettuce soup!

The pie crust had a great flavor—my new flour mix is a winning combo. The soup was interesting and tasted mostly like coconut.

Sources

pie shell

  • Red Fife flour from Curtis Eck (HT Lisa) and Soft White Winter Wheat flour from Wild Hive
  • butter from Ronnybrook

quiche

soup

CSA Week 3 Wrap Up

Or, where did all of that food go?

The broccoli rabe (or rapini, if you prefer) was the first to go! Here it is, going down for the wilt with the garlic scapes, sauteed in olive oil.

Patti gave me a great idea for lettuce: chicken salad wraps. Here’s my chicken salad (chicken from Stone Gardens Farm) wrapped in Patti’s Red Butterhead lettuce.

And of course, there was the escarole and bean soup (along with the soup on a crostini).

Arethusa Farm Dairy

Crock-pot rotisserie chicken and salad

Jun 13th, 2011
by sophie.
1 comment

I made a crock-pot rotisserie chicken for Patti Popp’s Eat Local CT Challenge along with a salad with a (sort of) Thousand Island dressing.

I happened upon a recipe for crock-pot rotisserie chicken at one of Kimberly Hartke’s blog carnivals. Obviously I spend too much time with Engineers because I thought there was a new kind of crock-pot on the market, like with an actual rotating rod. It turned out to be a recipe for cooking chicken in an ordinary crock-pot that tastes just like rotisserie chicken. Still, I like rotisserie chicken, I have a crock-pot, and I had a chicken.

It turns out that there are a quarter of a million (literally) other crock-pot rotisserie chicken recipes. (Google it.) Most of the recipes are quite similar, with variations on the spice mix (or shall we say flavor profile of the dry rub).

A popular technique is to raise the chicken off of the bottom of the pot. Most recommend making several balls out of aluminum foil on which to rest the chicken, but a few suggested using potatoes. I went with the potato idea since you can eat them. I mostly followed the recipe from Real Food, Allergy Free, but borrowed here and there from some of the others.

I made a rub of

  • 3 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp Cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp thyme
  • 1 tsp pepper (multicolored)
  • 4 minced scallions
  • 1 Tbsp minced spring garlic

I rubbed some olive oil all over the chicken, then worked the “dry” rub into the skin.

I used some leeks cut lengthwise along with the potatoes for the elevation medium.

The chicken went breast down onto the potatoes and I put on the lid. (No water or other fluids—everyone was fairly adamant about that.) I let it go for 4 hours on high and another 2 on low.

It was excellent! I mean really good! The meat was literally falling off the bone (like nearly everyone said it would). Even the breast meat (not my favorite part) was moist and tender. Seriously. I could see making this every week.

Told you the meat was falling off the bone! I didn't think of that as I was removing it from the crock-pot.

Sources:

  • chicken: Center Brook Farm, (Jesse Miller) New Milford, CT (New Milford farmers market)
  • leeks: Mountain View Farm (New Milford farmers market)
  • spring garlic and green onions: Holbrook Farm
  • Cayenne pepper: Cherry Grove, Newtown, CT, dried here
  • thyme: mine
  • potatoes, salt, pepper, paprika, and olive oil from away (although the olive oil is from my own grove, but more about that in another post!)

With a refrigerator full of heirloom lettuce, you almost have to have a salad too.

I tried to do a local Thousand Island dressing. (Operative word is tried.) I substituted yogurt for the mayo and strained it to make it almost Greek style. While there’s ketchup in the fridge, it’s there for other people. Instead, I used some of the roasted plum tomatoes from the freezer. I put the defrosted tomatoes through the food mill, then strained the liquid. I mixed it into the yogurt and added two chopped hard-cooked eggs and two chopped dill pickle spears and some of the pickle juice. I added some red wine vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper. It needs something more, but I don’t know what. I suspect that the problem is simply that yogurt is not mayo. Still, it wasn’t horrible—just missing something.

Really thick dressing...perhaps I drained off too much liquid...

Sources:

I love local food challenges that happen during the growing season!

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