Category Archives: farmer’s markets

farmer's markets, farms, locavore, putting by, recipes

Local Thanksgiving 2013

November 29, 2013 sophie Leave a comment

I love this holiday! Thank you to all my farmers who grow my food year ’round. I am continually impressed with your skills as soil whisperers.

Appetizers

The best part of appetizers is breaking into the goodies I “put by” in season.

Crudité Platter with carrots from Maple Bank Farm, Roxbury, CT, cauliflower from Sport Hill Farm, Easton, CT, sexy broccoli from Waldingfield Farm, Washington, CT, kohlrabi from Stone Gardens Farm, Shelton, CT, bell peppers from Barberry Hill Farm, Madison, CT
Sliced fennel bulbs from Sport Hill Farm
Chilled roasted beets from Riverbank Farm, Roxbury, CT
Tatziki sauce/dip made with cucumbers, garlic, and mint from Sport Hill Farm, yogurt from Arethusa Farm Dairy
Baba Ghanoush, made with eggplant and garlic from Sport Hill Farm. Tahini & lemon juice not local
Spicy Icebox Pickled Carrots following Sherry Brooks-Vinton‘s recipe, made with carrots from Riverbank Farm, garlic from Sport Hill Farm, cayenne peppers from Joel in Newtown, honey from Dave’s in Easton
Pickled salad turnips from Sport Hill Farm
Pickled hot and sweet pepper assortment peppers from Sport Hill Farm
Pickled Jalapeno peppers from Joel in Newtown
Cheese Boards with Camembert and Cry Baby from Arethusa Farm Dairy, Bantam, CT, Goat Feta from Beltane Farm, Pleasant Valley (sheep) cheese from Sankow’s Beaver Brook, Hops Farmstead Cheese from Harpersfield Cheese, NY
Crackers & Breads: Not local

Soup

Chicken Soup (recipe) with bowtie pasta and/or brown rice made from chicken from Stuarts Family Farm, carrots from Maple Bank Farm, parsnips from Fort Hill Farm, celeriac from Riverbank Farm, onions from George Hall Farm, my own parsley. Brown rice and pasta: not local.

Main Course

Roasted Turkey from Quattro Game Farm, Pleasant Valley, NY
Pan Gravy (recipe) from the natural juices of the bird, flour from Wild Hive Farm
Cornbread Stuffing (recipe) with cornbread (recipe) made from flour and corn meal from Wild Hive Farm and Micro Mill, butter and kefir from Smyth’s Trinity Farm, maple syrup from Ragland Farm, Southbury, CT, eggs from Sport Hill Farm. Baking powder, salt, salt, and sunflower oil: not local. Onions from George Hall Farm, Simsbury, CT, thyme from Sport Hill Farm, my own sage and chicken stock
Whole-Berry Cranberry Sauce: Cranberries from Cape Cod, gathered by a friend. Maple syrup from Bluestone Farm. Cinnamon stick: not local
Pan-seared sea scallops over arugula: scallops caught off Long Island, NY (from Quattro Farm Stand), arugula from Sport Hill Farm
Applesauce made from Macintosh, Cortland, and Jonathan apples from Maple Bank Farm
Mashed Potatoes (recipe) made from German Butterball potatoes from Fort Hill Farm, butter from Smyth’s Trinity Farm, sour cream from Arethusa Farm Dairy
Baked Sweet Potatoes from Fort Hill Farm
Roasted butternut squash (recipe) from Sport Hill Farm. Olive oil, fennel seed, cinnamon: not local
Roasted Brussels Sprouts from Sport Hill Farm
Roasted Jerusalem artichokes (sunchokes) from Sport Hill Farm

Beverages

Apple Cider from Lyman Orchards
Egg Nog from Smyth’s Trinity Farm, Enfield, CT
Soda: Assorted flavors from Foxon Park, East Haven, CT. Pellegrino, and Diet Coke not local
Red Wine: Cabernet Franc from Jones Winery, Shelton, CT
Beer: Maple Amber from Chatham Brewing Company, Holiday Ale from Two Roads Brewing Company, Coffeehouse Porter from Berkshire Brewing Company, Naughty Nurse from City SteamBrewery

Dessert

Apple Crumb Pie (recipe) made from Northern Spy apples from Maple Bank Farm, flour from Wild Hive Farm and Micro Mill, butter from Smyth’s Trinity Farm. Lemon, sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon: not local
Pumpkin Pie (recipe) made from Kuri squash from Maple Bank Farm, eggs from Sport Hill Farm, flour from Wild Hive Farm and Micro Mill, butter and heavy cream from Smyth’s Trinity Farm, maple syrup from Ragland Farm, Southbury, CT, spices, not local
Fresh Whipped Cream made from heavy cream from Smyth’s Trinity Farm. Vanilla and sugar: not local. Big time cheat using this very handy gizmo!
Ice Cream, assorted flavors from Arethusa Farm Dairy
Lemon Sorbet: Homemade from non-local ingredients
Mixed Nuts and Pistachio nuts: Not local
Fresh Fruit Basket: Mostly not local
Roasted Chestnuts: Not local
Coffee, Tea: Not local

We have much to be grateful for.

farmer's markets, farms, locavore, recipes, Slow Food

Local St. Paddy’s

March 17, 2013 sophie Leave a comment

While I know that real Irish people (in Ireland) don’t eat corned beef, I have these culinary adventures on my list and today seemed like the right day to make my As-Local-As-It-Could-Be Reuben Sandwich.

The corned beef began as a brisket from Eagle Wood Farms. I followed Alton Brown’s recipe for corning, except instead of his spice list from faraway places, I got a pre-made mix of faraway spices from Penzey’s in Norwalk. I added salt and potassium nitrate (yes), not local. I brined it for 10 days, turning it every morning and evening. I cooked it with:

carrot from Riverbank Farm
onion from Holbrook Farm
celeriac (about a quarter, to approximate 1 celery stalk) from Fort Hill Farm

The sauerkraut began as cabbage from Sport Hill Farm, fermented per Sandor Katz‘s instructions. This would have been a great entry in the Westport Market’s cabbage contest, but there wasn’t enough time for the fermentation. It’s been fermenting for several weeks now. This is not my first attempt, but it is my first attempt that worked!

I made the rye bread following Martha Stewart’s recipe (mostly).

bread flour – red hard spring wheat from Wild Hive
rye flour from Wild Hive
honey from Swords and Plowshares
butter from Smyth’s Trinity Farm
yeast and salt: not local. I didn’t use caraway seeds.

Color me delightfully surprised when the loaf really did “tip out” of the loaf pan!

The Swiss cheese is Cry Baby from Arethusa Farm Dairy. (Thank you, Lisa from New Morning! I owe you big time.)

The dressing. Sigh. Should it be Thousand Island or Russian? What constitutes an authentic recipe of either? Here’s what I made:

yogurt (strained) from Arethusa Farm Dairy
plum tomatoes, roasted, frozen, thawed, puréed, and strained. Originally from March Farms
zucchini pickles I made, chopped finely into a relish. Zucchini originally from Sport Hill Farm

Served with a dill pickle, fermented right here. Original cucumbers from Daffodil Hill Growers.

And that’s my sandwich. I hope you had a happy St. Paddy’s Day!

Connecticut, farmer's markets, farms, locavore

Cabbage Forage

January 19, 2013 sophie Leave a comment

In honor of the Westport Farmers Market‘s Cabbage Recipe contest, I adapted this Crock Pot Cabbage and Pork Soup recipe with a cabbage head from Sport Hill Farm.

I changed it up to keep it local and also used a Dutch oven instead of a crock pot.

Food Sources:

1 pound of pork ribs from Grayledge Farm (now back to Ox Hollow)
5 smallish carrots from Sport Hill Farm
1/2 celeriac, cubed, from Riverbank Farm
3 small purple potatoes from Fort Hill Farm
3 small Bermuda onions from Holbrook Farm
1 head of cabbage, chopped, from Sport Hill Farm
3 Tablespoons of honey from Woodbury Sugar Shed
1/3 dried cayenne pepper, from my garden
2 cups chicken bone broth, made from Stone Gardens Farm chicken
2 cups roasted San Marzano tomatoes, from Sport Hill Farm
1 cup water
1 tsp salt
fresh-ground pepper
1/2 tsp caraway seeds

I cooked it in the oven in a covered Dutch oven for one hour at 325ºF and six more hours at 200ºF.

The sweet and heat give it a unique flavor depth, but you can still taste the individual ingredients. Even if I don’t win the contest, I still win because this is a healthy soup made from excellent ingredients from exceptional farms.

farmer's markets, farms, locavore, organic, putting by

Local Thanksgiving 2012

November 24, 2012 sophie Leave a comment

A happy tradition of a Thanksgiving of local food continues at my house…

Appetizers

A number of these items were put by in season to be enjoyed now.

Assorted Cheeses: Pleasant Cow and Pleasant Sun from Sankow’s Beaver Brook, Cry Baby and Rotundo from Arethusa, Cheddar from the Adirondack Cheese Company.
Crudites: carrots from Riverbank Farm, fennel, kolrabi, and cauliflower from Sport Hill Farm, “sexy” broccoli from Waldingfield Farm, celery from Stone Gardens Farm, arugula from Fort Hill Farm, cucumbers and bell peppers: not local.
Tatziki Dip. Yogurt from Arethusa Farm Dairy with cucumbers, garlic, and mint from Sport Hill Farm (because it was a bumper year for cucumbers and they are shredded in my freezer, ready to go!)
Chilled Roasted Beets from Riverbank Farm
Salad turnips from Sport Hill Farm, pickled with vinegar and spices
Hot Cherry Peppers from Sport Hill Farm, pickled with vinegar
Jalapeno peppers from my own garden, pickled with vinegar and spices
Cukes from Daffodil Hill Growers, pickled in a crock by fermentation
Quiche: mushrooms from Quattro Game Farm, spinach from Fort Hill Farm, Cry Baby cheese and heavy cream from Arethusa, eggs from Sport Hill Farm, flour from Wild Hive, butter from Smith’s Trinity Farm. Seemingly French, but quite seasonal and local. C’est bon!
Crackers & Bread. Not local

Soup

Chicken soup with bowtie pasta or brown rice. Chicken from Sankow’s Beaver Brook, onions and carrots from Newtown Cedar Hill Farm, celeriac from Riverbank Farm, and leeks and garlic from Sport Hill Farm. Parsnips, pasta and rice: not local.

Main Course

Roasted Turkey, fresh and free-range from Quattro Game Farm
Pan Gravy from the natural juices of the bird, flour from Wild Hive
Cornbread Stuffing. Butter and heavy cream from Smyth’s Trinity Farm, onions from Newtown Cedar Hill Farm, my own sage, and chicken stock from the aforementioned soup. Cornbread made from wheat flour and corn meal from Wild Hive, maple syrup from Woodbury Sugar Shed, eggs from Sport Hill Farm, kefir and butter from Smyth’s Trinity Farm. Baking powder, salt: not local
Whole-Berry Cranberry Sauce. Maple syrup from Woodbury Sugar Shed, apple cider from Lyman Orchards. Cranberries and cinnamon stick: not local
Applesauce made from Cortlands from Maple Bank Farm and Macouns from High Hill Orchards.
Mashed Potatoes made from potatoes from Sport Hill Farm, butter from Smith’s Trinity Farm, and sour cream from Hudson Valley Fresh, Poughkeepsie, NY
Baked Sweet Potatoes from Maple Bank Farm
Roasted Butternut Squash. Acorn and butternut squash from Sport Hill Farm. Olive oil and cinnamon: not local
Steamed Broccoli & Cauliflower. Broccoli from Waldingfield Farm, cauliflower from Sport Hill Farm

Dessert

Apple Pie: Northern Spy apples from Maple Bank Farm, pastry flour from Wild Hive, butter from Smyth’s Trinity Farm. Sugar and other spices: not local
Pumpkin Pie: pumpkin from Colton Corner Farm, eggs from Greyledge Farm, pastry flour from Wild Hive, butter and heavy cream from Smyth’s Trinity Farm, maple syrup from Woodbury Sugar Shed, spices: not local.
Fresh Whipped Cream: Heavy cream from Smyth’s Trinity Farm, vanilla and sugar: not local. (Very easy with this gizmo—no affiliation.)
Assorted Ice Cream Ferris Acres Creamery: Campfire, Black Raspberry, and Vanilla
Roasted pumpkin seeds: from the aforementioned pumpkin
Fresh Fruit Basket: Not local
Mixed Nuts, Pistachio nuts, and Roasted Chestnuts: not local. (It was not a good year forlocal chestnuts)

Beverages

Apple Cider: Lyman Orchards
Egg Nog: Smith’s Trinity Farm
Soda: Assorted flavors from Foxon Park. Pellegrino: not local
Wine: Gewurztraminer from Priam Vineyards. (According to Chef Zakarian, this is the wine to have with turkey. While it was nice, I’m going back to Cab Franc next year!)
Beer: Local Harvest Ale and Lake Trout Stout from Sebago Brewing Company (brought live from Maine!), (203) India Pale Ale from Stony Creek Beer, a seasonal assortment from Sam Adams (regional, not local)

Thanks to all of my farmers—I hope your holiday was as fabulous as mine. Thank you to my family for your help and a great day.

Late Bloomers Farm

Category Archives: farmer’s markets

Local Thanksgiving 2013

Appetizers

Soup

Main Course

Beverages

Dessert

Local St. Paddy’s

Cabbage Forage

Local Thanksgiving 2012

Appetizers

Soup

Main Course

Dessert

Beverages

Planting, harvesting, and sharing information about local food