March 12, 2010 by Debra.

With sugaring season upon us, it seems the perfect time to get out the cast iron skillet and fry up some flapjacks. Serve them up with some sauteed apples, warm maple syrup and a side of smoky bacon as a way of celebrating!

Maple Griddle Cakes

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon maple syrup

2 eggs

1½ cups milk (plus ½ cup to thin batter)

2 tablespoons butter, melted (optional)

Butter or cooking oil for frying

1. Mix the dry ingredients together.

2. In separate bowl, beat the eggs into 1½ cups of milk, then stir in melted butter (if using). Gently stir this mixture into dry ingredients, mixing only enough to moisten flour; batter will be lumpy. Add more milk to thin batter, if desired.

3. Heat skillet or griddle over medium-low heat; skillet is ready when a few drops of water skids across surface before evaporating. Add a little butter; when butter foam subsides, ladle batter onto the skillet.

4. Flip pancake when bubbles appear in center of pancakes and bottoms are browned, 2 to 4 minutes. Cook until second side is browned, a few more minutes. Adjust heat as necessary to keep pancakes from burning.

5. Serve immediately or hold on an ovenproof plate in a 200°F oven for up to 15 minutes. Serve with warm maple syrup. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Notes:

- Buttermilk or yogurt may be substituted for the milk. If using either, reduce the baking powder to 1-1/2 teaspoons, and add 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda.

- Do not add too much butter or oil to skillet, just enough to film the bottom.

- Batter can be prepared the night before and may be preferable, especially if using whole grain flours.

- Adapted from How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman.

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March 5, 2010 by Debra.

Our next Winter Farmers’ Market will be at Exeter on March 13th. That leaves a gap between area markets, however, there’s still local food available if you know where to look. Some possible sources include farm stands or shops that continue to be open during the winter, though sometimes on a reduced schedule:

- Brookford Farm: farm store open daily year-round, 24 hours

- Heron Pond Farm: farm stand open on weekends between winter farmers markets

- Riverslea Farm: farm shop open daily year-round, 8 to 6, and by appointment

- Lasting Legacy Farm: farm store winter hours Fridays 10 to 6, and by appointment

If you have a craving for something specific, check the list of vendors participating in our Winter Farmers’ Markets. Chances are they may have food available between markets, and can be contacted directly. Tip: Please call ahead for availability and visiting times.

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March 5, 2010 by Debra.

I grew up in was what was then considered an average-sized family of six, with parents from even larger families. They remembered living through the Depression and, in our household, food was not something that was ever wasted. Recently, my sister told me of a friend remarking on the fact that my sister’s family ate “leftovers,” implying that leftovers weren’t “fresh” and therefore somehow not “food.” I’m not certain where this belief came from or how it’s become common thinking but, intentional leftovers are a cook’s best strategy when eating locally on a daily basis.

In her previous book, The Tenth Muse: My Life in Food, Judith Jones describes what she did with the leftovers the week after a dinner party in a section called “The Nine Lives of a Leg of Lamb”. Her new book expands on this notion and, in addition to its focus on the idea of cooking for oneself, is equally useful for those interested in the forgotten art of how to cook for more than one meal at a time.

The legendary editor of some of the world’s greatest cooks, Judith Jones, talks about

THE PLEASURES OF COOKING FOR ONE

RiverRun Bookstore, 20 Congress Street, Portsmouth

Monday, March 8th at 7 p.m.

www.riverrunbookstore.com

We’re thrilled to be hosting legendary editor Judith Jones.  She has edited some of the world’s greatest cooks, including Julia Child and James Beard, and is the author of The Tenth Muse: My Life in Food. Her new book, The Pleasures of Cooking for One, is a book as passionate as it is practical.



Here, in convincing fashion, Judith Jones demonstrates that cooking for yourself presents unparalleled possibilities for both pleasure and experimentation: you can utilize whatever ingredients appeal, using farmers’ markets and specialty shops to enrich your palate and improve your health; you can feel free to fail, since a meal for one doesn’t have to be perfect; and you can use leftovers to innovate—in the course of a week, the remains of beef bourguignon might be reimagined as a ragù, pork tenderloin may become a stir-fry, a cup or two of wild rice produces both a refreshing pilaf and a rich pancake, and red snapper can be reinvented as a summery salad. It’s a fulfilling and immensely economical process, one perfectly suited for our times—although, as Jones points out, cooking for one also means we can occasionally indulge ourselves in a favorite treat.



Throughout, Jones is both our instructor and our mentor, suggesting basic recipes—such as tomato sauce, preserved lemons, pesto, and homemade stock—that all cooks should have on hand; teaching us how to improvise using an ingenious strategy of building meals through the week; and supplying us with a lifetime’s worth of tips and shortcuts. From Child’s advice for buying fresh meat to Beard’s challenge to beginning crêpe-makers and Lidia Bastianich’s tips for cooking perfectly sauced pasta, Jones’s book presents a wealth of acquired knowledge from our finest cooks. 

For more information about this event >

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February 25, 2010 by Debra.

One of the easiest ways to begin eating locally and reacquaint yourself with the flavor of real food is with delicious farm-fresh eggs. Direct from the farm, you can actually taste the freshness. Production of eggs fluctuates with the seasons, and availability is again increasing with the approach of spring. Some of the vendors to be on the lookout for fresh eggs at the Winter Farmers’ Market include:

- Brookford Farm

- Field to Fork Farm

- General Butler Farm

- Harrison’s Poultry

- Hickory Nut Farm

- Jesta Farm

- Philip Nugent

- Sugermamma’s Maple Farm

- Touching Earth

- Yellow House Farm

Storage tips

To maintain freshness, bring them home quickly or keep them in a cooler in the car in warm weather. Refrigerate eggs immediately once you’re home. They will age more during one day at room temperature than a week refrigerated. Leave eggs in their carton; the carton helps to prevent moisture loss and absorption of refrigerator odors.

Note: Remember to save your egg cartons — many farmers recycle/reuse them, just ask!

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December 21, 2009 by Debra.

Playing with the idea of surf and turf, the saline ocean brightness of seafood combines well with the earthy sweetness of root vegetables. Here’s another way to enjoy the sparkling fresh cod that has been available at the Winter Farmers’ Market — it’s local, it’s seasonal, and it’s begging to be put together for dinner.

Roast Cod with Potatoes

- 1 to 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

- 6 to 8 potatoes, peeled, sliced in half and cut into 1/4 inch half-moons

- A couple of tablespoons cooking oil, fat or butter

- 1 pound cod fillet (or other local white fish, such as haddock or monkfish), rubbed lightly with cooking oil

1. Heat oil with garlic in a large skillet until garlic is softened and starting to brown. Remove garlic, and save for making garlic mayonnaise. Alternatively, spread it on a piece of crusty bread and eat while making rest of dinner. Add potatoes to pan, tossing occasionally, and cook until browned around the edges. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Transfer potatoes to an oiled or buttered baking dish. Lay cod fillet on top of bed of potatoes. Season with salt and pepper. If desired, dress with chopped tomatoes, a coating of pesto, or a sprinkling of breadcrumbs.

3. Roast in a 400°F oven until fish is done, about 15 to 20 minutes. Cooking time will depend on thickness of fish. Serving suggestions include a salad, some sauteed winter greens, and a garlicky mayonnaise made with some whole grain mustard mixed in.

Serves 2 generously.

Stripped-down version: For a one-pan meal, cook the potatoes in an ovenproof skillet. Leave cooked potatoes in skillet, lay fish directly on top, and place skillet in oven to finish cooking.

Low-fat version: May boil or steam potatoes instead.

Dress-up options: Toss cooked potatoes with chopped herbs, such as parsley or green onions, before adding fish. For the fish, I usually make a topping of diced tomatoes mixed with chopped garlic and basil. For this winter version, I used some roasted cherry tomatoes that I’d preserved in olive oil.

Dinner rerun: Leftovers were cooked up as a fish hash —  pan-fry everything together, crack a couple of eggs on top, cover skillet and cook until eggs are done to your liking. Other ideas for leftovers: use as the base for a chowder, or add to a jar of canned tomatoes for a fish stew.

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December 18, 2009 by Debra.

The vegetables to be found at the Winter Farmers’ Markets encompass a range of flavors appealingly different than those of summer. Many of these vegetables really come into their own once the weather turns, becoming sweeter and more complex with colder temperatures. Roasting them is a simple way to take advantage of these characteristics and explore the incredible variety available this season.

Roasted Root Vegetables

- 4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch round slices

- 1 small celery root (also known as celeriac), peeled, quartered, and cut into ½-inch slices

- 4 medium parsnips, peeled and cut into ½-inch round slices

- Cooking oil

- Salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven at 400°F.

2. Toss cut vegetables, using hands, with enough cooking oil to thoroughly coat vegetables lightly.

3. Spread out on a low-sided baking sheet or pan. Pan should be large enough to hold the vegetables in a single layer.

4. Roast about 20 minutes, stirring or turning pieces 2 or 3 times to cook evenly. Vegetables should be tender and browned when done.

5. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Makes 4 servings.

Variations: This recipe offers an introduction to the basics of roasting vegetables. You may vary the combination of root vegetables, including rutabagas, turnips, kohlrabi, or potatoes. To prepare, cut the vegetables into roughly the same size and shape to ensure even cooking. Vegetables may also be tossed with fresh or dried herbs before roasting.

Improvisation: My last batch was made up of 4 different varieties of potatoes (Desiree, Nicola, Carola, and fingerlings) cut into large chunks, a couple of onions peeled and quartered, and some pork sausages (casing lightly pricked) tossed in with oil, rosemary and thyme. Cook at a slightly higher temperature of 425°F and for a longer time of 30 to 40 minutes, or until done, for an easy one pan meal.

Notes: Roasting vegetables isn’t limited to root vegetables, most any vegetable may be prepared this way. “The Art of Simple Food” by Alice Waters, from which this recipe is adapted, offers many tips on roasting vegetables in general.  ”The Roasted Vegetable” by Andrea Chesman contains a useful roasting chart, giving times and temperatures for specific vegetables.

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December 13, 2009 by Debra.

Several people have asked me about preparing bok choy, one of the many seasonal greens to be found at the Winter Farmers’ Market. Braised with local cod also purchased at the market, this dish is a welcome break from heavy Holiday fare. The amount of liquid added will determine how soupy the final dish is — I like just enough to create a pool of broth around the greens and serving of fish.

Braised Cod with Bok Choy 

1 onion, chopped coarsely

1 clove garlic, minced or thinly sliced

1 to 2 tablespoons cooking oil or butter

2 large, or 4 to 6 small heads bok choy

1/2 to 1 cup white wine, stock or water

1 lb. cod fillet (or other white-fleshed fish, such as haddock), with a light coating of cooking oil

1. Prepare bok choy: cut across widthwise at 1 to 2 inch intervals. Discard root end and rinse to clean, leaving damp.

2. In saute pan, cook onion with oil or butter over medium heat until translucent. Stir in garlic, continuing to cook briefly.

3. Add bok choy and wilt slightly. Add enough liquid (white wine, stock or water) to cover bottom of pan, about 1/2 to 1 cup. Bring to simmer.

4. Place cod fillet on top of bok choy, season with salt and pepper. Cover pan and gently simmer until done, 5 to 10 minutes, depending on thickness of fish. The bok choy will be tender but with a little tooth left in the stalk pieces. Adjust seasonings.

May be served on its own, over crusty bread toasted and rubbed with garlic, or with celeriac and potatoes coarsely mashed together. If you’re feeling fancy, garnish with minced parsley or cilantro, or chopped scallions, and finish with a drizzle of chili oil. Makes 2 servings.

Notes: Other greens may be used in place of the bok choy, including mustard greens, chard, kale, Napa or Savoy cabbage. Sliced mushrooms and/or chopped scallions also work well with this dish, sauteed along with the onion.

Variation: Native shrimp is back in season! Substitute 1/2 to 1 pound peeled native shrimp in place of the cod. After bringing the bok choy mixture to a simmer, stir in shrimp. Continue to simmer without covering pan, occasionally stirring until shrimp is just cooked. Serve with a fragrant rice such as basmati or jasmine, simply steamed. The pale pink of the shrimp against the color of the bok choy is especially appealing when it’s seasonally bleak outside.

Leftovers: Combine any remaining fish and bok choy with celeriac-potato mash, and fry up to make fish hash. Serve with a poached or fried egg on top. We’ve yet to have leftovers when shrimp is in the house.

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December 10, 2009 by Debra.

A quick round up of the Winter Farmers’ Markets in the Seacoast area for the rest of December:

• Saturday, December 12 - Seacoast Eat Local Market at Exeter High School

• Sunday, December 13 - Newburyport at Tannery Marketplace

• Saturday, December 19 - Seacoast Eat Local Market at Wentworth Greenhouses, Rollinsford

• Saturday, December 19 - Newmarket at the Stone Church

• Sunday, December 20 - Newburyport at Tannery Marketplace

Newburyport Farmers’ Market: Every Sunday through December 20, 10 am–1 pm at the Tannery Marketplace.

Newmarket Farmers’ Market: Saturdays, December 19, January 16, February 20, March 20, 9 am–1 pm in the Stone Church.

Northwood Farmers’ Market: Finished for the season, visit the website for information for next year.

Rye Farmers’ Market: Resumes after the holidays. Saturdays, January 16, February 20, March 20, 11 am–2 pm in the Rye Junior High School*, 501 Washington Road, Rye. *Please note change in location.

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November 22, 2009 by Debra.

To brine or not to brine? To cook at high heat or low heat? To help you decide, ”A Thanksgiving turkey worth its salt” tests different brining as well as cooking techniques, and comes down in favor of dry brining:

The best-browned bird was the one we had brined. It was very moist — both in the breast meat and in the thigh. And the flavor was good, not salty but well-seasoned throughout. However, it didn’t have the best texture — it was slightly spongy.

The high-temperature experiment was not as successful. Far from solving the problem of doneness between dark and white meat, this magnified it. The flavor was fine, and the skin was brown and crisp. But the breast meat had started to dry out, while the dark meat was underdone — rubbery rare-poultry texture and pink juice in the hip joint.

 

But the bird that was exciting was the one we had “Judy-ed.” This one had been cured in salt and was firm, meaty and smoothly dense. Though it was a bit too salty, the underlying flavor of the turkey was amazingly deep and full.

 

Suddenly, my Thanksgiving menu plans took a turn. The “Judy-ed” bird, though it needed refinement to tone down the salt and crisp and brown the skin, was the clear Smackdown winner.

 

To further refine the salt-cured turkey, we cooked it again, this time reducing the salt, allowing only 1 tablespoon for every 5 pounds of bird. To improve the browning, we started roasting the bird at 425 degrees for 30 minutes instead of 375 degrees. And we brushed half of the bird with melted butter before it went into the oven to see what effect that had on browning and flavor…

Last year I avoided the question altogether by braising my Narragansett turkey. The results were as described by Mark Bittman — delicious and succulent, however it wasn’t roast turkey. I haven’t yet decided what I’ll be doing this year. What method do you use to cook your locally raised turkey?

Note: This description of the “butcher’s method” of carving should help those who are either new to the art of carving or just want to avoid public embarrassment. The task usually falls on my husband and he swears by it.

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November 20, 2009 by Debra.

This is the time of year I find myself taking more food from storage than putting away. A well-stocked pantry and root cellar provides a sense of security knowing that we’ll have local food to eat throughout the winter. This is especially important for those times we’re snowed in or can’t get to the farmers’ market. However, if you’re accustomed to shopping on a weekly or daily basis, planning and storing food for the winter can be a daunting task. The amounts of food some suggest can seem enough to feed a proverbial army.

Both MOFGA’s fact sheet, Storing Garden Vegetables, and article, Root Cellars: Safe and Secure from the Corporate Food Train, are good places to start. “Root Cellars” suggests the following quantities for a family of four:

Quantities and Varieties

 

Perhaps the biggest question regarding root-cellaring is how much food you’ll need… I recommend starting small – perhaps with a second refrigerator in the garage or basement. If your family is more adventurous and eager to commit to eating the way our great, great grandparents did, you might start with these quantities for a family of four:

 

Apples: 5 bushels

Carrots: 40 to 60 pounds

Cabbage: green, 20 heads; red, 10 heads

Beets: 20 pounds

Celeriac: (celery root, use instead of celery) 10 to 20 heads

Leeks: 40 plants

Potatoes: 100 pounds or more

Jerusalem artichoke: 10 pounds

Onions: 40 pounds

Garlic: 10 to 20 pounds

Winter radish: 10

Parsnip: 20 pounds

Squash: 40 ‘Delicata’ and 30 pounds butternut

Pumpkin: 5 to 10

Turnip and rutabaga: 10 or more

For my family of two, I started by dividing these quantities in half. I usually skip the few vegetables we either seldom eat or have difficulty finding, and increase the ones we favor. The first time I used this list, I discovered that the amounts of carrots, garlic and onions were not enough to take me through to the next season. These are what I think of as the seasoning vegetables, the ones I reach for on almost a daily basis. To adjust for this, I simply doubled the amounts for these vegetables. In practical terms, we tend to have more potatoes, carrots, onions and garlic, and less Jerusalem artichokes and winter radishes. And I always overbuy on winter squashes, one of my weaknesses.

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