August 24, 2010 by Debra.

In celebration of this summer’s abundance of tomatoes, Tracey Miller will be featuring recipes for this versatile fruit on her Wellness blog — a new one every day for the last 10 days of August. The recipes will include using raw tomatoes as well as cooked, with the series starting off with one for Fresh Pasta Sauce, followed by another for Cherry Tomato Chewies. Tips on preserving will also be offered along the way. Make sure to check Tracey’s blog daily to see what’s new!

Many local farmers are offering bulk orders of tomatoes and the option of pick-your-own.  Warren Farm (weekdays 9–6, weekends 9–4) and Brookford Farm (daily except Sunday, 9:30–1 and 2:30–6) are both offering  pick-your-own tomatoes, wilth Brookford Farm also offering special pricing for bulk orders of tomato seconds. Many other farms are also taking bulk orders on tomatoes, such as Stout Oak Farm and Pickpocket Farm, or ask at your local farmers’ market. It’s a perfect time to get canning!

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August 17, 2010 by Debra.

It’s mid-August and, though the days are getting shorter, they’re no less busy with preserving and canning moving into full swing. After last year’s scarcity of tomatoes, we are taking full advantage of their abundant availability to restock our pantry. Once the jars have been set aside to cool, we like to end the day with something simple for supper — pasta with a pesto made from an extra pint of cherry tomatoes, blended in with some fragrant garden basil and a handful of toasted almonds. This pesto may be frozen for later use but enjoy it now for the bright, clean flavor of summer tomatoes at their ripest.

Fresh Tomato Pesto

3/4 to 1 pound (about 2 1/2 cups) cherry or other ripe tomatoes

12 large basil leaves

1 large garlic clove, crushed and peeled

1/3 cup whole almonds, lightly toasted

1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes, or to taste

1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt

1/2 extra virgin cup olive oil

1 pound spaghetti

1/2 cup grated parmesan

1. Rinse cherry tomatoes and pat dry. Rinse basil leaves and pat dry.

2. Using a blender or food processor, add tomatoes, basil, garlic clove, almonds, chili flakes and salt. Blend for a minute or more, until finely pureed. Scrape down bowl and blend again if any large bits remain.

3. With machine running, pour in olive oil in a steady stream, emulsifying puree into a thick pesto. Taste and adjust seasonings. If using within a couple of hours, leave pesto at room temperature. Otherwise, pesto can be refrigerated 2 to 3 days; let it return to room temperature before cooking the pasta.

4. Place pesto in serving bowl. Cook pasta in salted, boiling water until al dente or just done. Drain pasta and add to serving bowl containing pesto. Toss quickly to coat pasta with tomato pesto. Add grated parmesan and toss again. Serve immediately while still warm.

Notes: Adapted from ”Lidia’s Italy” by Lidia Bastianich. This dish originates from Southwest Sicily, where it is known as Pesto Trapanese. For those interested in further exploring other pestos collected from Southern Italy, see the “Mini-Cookbook of Pesto Recipes“.

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July 19, 2010 by Debra.

It’s easy to overlook summer squash and zucchini — they’re abundant, inexpensive, and easy to find this time of the year. They become more special, however, if you only eat them when fresh and in season, and I look forward to their arrival in both our garden and the summer farmers’ markets. We’ve already had them grilled with a minty charmoula sauce, stuffed with savory lamb, and shredded into a duck egg frittata with lots of dill. With the temperatures climbing and the first of our own zephyrs freshly picked, this simple to assemble salad shows off their nutty crunchiness, is easy on the cook, and keeps the heat out of the kitchen. It’s easy to adapt the recipe to what you have on hand or find at that day’s farmers’ market.

Summer Squash & Tomato Salad

6 small summer squash or zucchini, thinly sliced

2 large or 4 small tomatoes, coarsely chopped or cut into wedges

1 shallot or green onion, thinly sliced

red wine vinegar

olive or other salad oil

salt and freshly ground black pepper

fresh herbs (basil, mint, summer savory, dill, and/or chives), chopped or shredded

1. Combine sliced summer squash with diced tomatoes. Season with red wine vinegar, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Tomatoes will release their juices to form part of the dressing.

2. Salad may be served immediately or chilled for several hours. Toss with chopped or shredded herbs right before serving. Serves 4 as side dish.

Serves 4 as side dish. Paired with some simply prepared local whitefish, a squeeze of lemon, and a green salad alongside, made for a light mid-summer supper.

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June 29, 2010 by Debra.

In addition to strawberries and cherries, the blueberries and raspberries have arrived! We’ve received updates on berry picking conditions from Blueberry Bay Farm in Stratham:

Greetings from Blueberry Bay Farm!

 

The warm spring weather has accelerated our berry crop ripening!  So due to the abundance of blueberries and raspberries ripe now, we have decided to open weekdays for picking beginning TOMORROW, Tuesday June 29 (through Friday July 2), from 9AM to 4PM, so that the birds, etc. don’t reduce the crop available to you. On Saturday, July 3 we will, as planned, begin our summer hours: 8AM to 6PM, except Wednesdays & Fridays, to 5PM.   We look forward to seeing you all soon. This should be a great year!!

 

*And remember this important hint: For especially red raspberries and later for black raspberries and blackberries, come early in the morning for best picking, as we usually pick out early.

And from Warren Farm in Barrington:

Pick Your Own Raspberry Season Has Begun

 

Raspberries are early this year and ready for picking now.   The early varieties have a very good berry set and they are ripening up quickly. The picking is good to very good in our early varieties and improving every day. We are in for some great weather this week and if we get an unusually large crowd we may have to close the beds for ripening. Both beds are ready now with three varieties at this point. Our hours are 7am -6pm Monday thru Thursday and 7am – 4pm Friday thru Sunday. Raspberries are $3 per pint. We also have very good picking on sugar snap peas and snow peas.

If you’re looking for a new way to feature fresh-picked berries, I highly recommend “Warm Cornmeal Shortcake with Farm Stand Berries” via Local Harvest. No need for tinkering, it came out deliciously perfect on the first try. Those ends of the cake they instruct you to slice off before serving? A cook’s treat while the cake is still warm from the oven and no one’s looking.

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June 11, 2010 by Debra.

CSA/CSF shares are starting to arrive, garlic scapes are appearing at the farmers’ markets, and along with them questions about what to do with new and unfamiliar ingredients. As a starting point, it’s always worth asking the producer themselves what they like to do a particular fruit, vegetable, meat or fish. Many of them also offer online collections of recipes, often gathered from their own customers or CSAs/CSFs. This collective bank of knowledge serves as a great resource when cooking seasonally, and gathered here are just a few of the ones by local producers:

• Eastman’s Fish: Recipes recommended by customers and CSF members for a variety of locally-caught fish.

• Farmer Dave’s: Recipes from their CSA and staff, plus a colorful produce guide of identifying photos.

• Field to Fork Farm: A recipe for pork shoulder that promises to make you weak in the knees, accompanied by a short list of recommended cookbooks.

• Heron Pond Farm:  Recipes from family and friends, including those from their wedding pasta bar!

• Meadow’s Mirth Farm:  Recipes featuring Jean’s Beans along with those for summer & winter squash.

• New Roots Farm:  Cooking tips for pasture-raised meats, including their own heritage pork.

• Sugarmomma’s Maple Farm:  Recipes for maple syrup-based treats.

• Willow Pond Community Farm:  Recipes gathered by their CSA, including many for garlic scapes (in photo).

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May 14, 2010 by Debra.

When cooking seasonally from local ingredients, one sometimes finds oneself with odd amounts of ingredients on hand. Our asparagus patch is producing slowly — what to do with only 3 stalks? Learning to make pizza at home is one of the ways to use what’s available. The asparagus combined with garlic scape pesto from the freezer, a leftover batch of homemade mozzarella, and a sprinkling of chopped green onions from the garden made for a delightful spring-time treat.

For pizza dough, I’m partial to Sam Sifton’s recipe from the New York Times. It helps to have some experience working with a very wet or “slack” dough. However, once you’re familiar with how this recipe works, it’s surprisingly quick and easy. Most importantly, it can be made ahead of time and stores well in the refrigerator for use later in the week.

Pizza Dough

1½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1½ cups unbleached bread flour, plus more for dusting

¾ teaspoon active dry yeast

2¼ teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt

1½ cups cool water

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1. The morning or ideally the day before cooking, prepare the dough. Using a hand whisk, combine the flours, yeast and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer. Switch to a wooden spoon and stir in the water and olive oil until a rough dough forms. Set the bowl on the mixer and, using the paddle attachment, mix on low speed for 1 minute. Increase the speed to high and beat for 4 to 6 minutes, until it becomes a wet and vaguely menacing mass. (If it forms into a ball, lower the mixer speed to medium-high. If not, stop the mixer to scrape down the sides once.)

2. Scrape and pour the dough onto a heavily floured work surface. Keeping your fingers, the countertop and the dough well floured, fold one dough end over the other so that half the floured underside covers the rest of the dough. Let rest for 10 minutes. [The dough gains structure once it is out of the bowl and is being handled during steps 2 and 3.]

3. Cut the dough into 2 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a smooth ball. Place each ball on a well-oiled plate, generously dust with flour and loosely cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise until it is at least doubled in size, about 3 hours.

4. Punch the dough balls down, shape into rounds and place each in a quart-size freezer bag. Refrigerate dough between 1 and 24 hours [or up to a week]. Makes 2 balls.

Notes: I sometimes substitute up to ½ cup of whole-wheat pastry flour for all-purpose flour. If I’m making the dough ahead of time, I store the dough undivided in a covered container, directly in the fridge (before letting it rise at end of step 3). The dough will keep up to a week in the fridge. I then take it out, divide and form into balls, and let it rise for 3 hours before using it. The pizza is baked on a pizza stone in an oven set at 550° or at its highest temperature. Further instruction, more pizza recipes and a how-to video may be found online.

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April 30, 2010 by Debra.

Our rhubarb is in its third year and, barely into the season, it’s making up for lost time by coming on fast and furious. With the return of the Portsmouth Farmers’ Market this weekend, I expect rhubarb will be one of its welcome features. Thanks to Cowgirl Goods for the tip and, without further ado, we offer you:

Roasted Rhubarb

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Thickly slice 2 pounds of rhubarb and put it into a deep oven-proof pot.

3. Mix in 1/2 cup sugar, and 1/2 cup red or white wine.

4. Split open 1 vanilla bean and add it to the rhubarb.

5. Roast the rhubarb (uncovered) until very tender, about 30 minutes.

— Serve hot or cold. Makes 2 to 3 cups.

Note: Adapted from Canal House Cooking, Vol. 3. They recommend spooning it over thick yogurt, ice cream, pound cake, or on its own. I’m off to test milks for cheesemaking with fellow Cheese Chick, Lenore, and imagine it’ll also make a fine accompaniment to a nice scoop of fresh, homemade ricotta.

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March 25, 2010 by Debra.

Having access to really fresh, local eggs means being able to enjoy certain dishes without the worry or concern that might accompany using industrially-produced eggs. This pasta recipe is similar to Pasta Carbonara, which traditionally calls for pancetta (similar to unsmoked bacon). Red onion takes the place of the pancetta, letting the delicate flavors of Spring eggs emerge. Duck eggs can also be used, making this dish an especially lush treat.

Pasta with Farm-Fresh Eggs

½ cup olive oil

1 large red onion, diced into ¼-inch pieces

1 cup white wine

4 farm-fresh chicken eggs or 3 to 4 duck eggs

1 tablespoon cream (optional)

1 cup freshly grated Pecorino cheese

1 pound bucatini or perciatelli (or other long pasta)

¼ cup flat-leaf parsley, cut into fine shreds

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Grated Pecorino cheese for serving

1. In a large frying pan (14 inches), heat olive oil over medium heat. Add red onion and cook until soft and starting to brown, 7 to 9 minutes. Add white wine, bring to a quick boil, then remove pan from heat.

2. In separate bowl, beat eggs. Mix grated Pecorino and cream (if using) in with beaten eggs.

3. Cook pasta in salted water until al dente. Drain pasta, reserving a cup of pasta water.

4. Add cooked pasta to pan with onions. Place over medium heat, add eggs and cheese mixture to the pasta, and gently mix. Thin sauce with reserved pasta water if necessary. Watch carefully, the eggs should begin to cook but not scramble. After a minute or so, the mixture will become creamy. Remove pan from heat and toss with parsley, salt and generous amounts of black pepper.

Serve immediately, with additional grated cheese. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Note: Recipe adapted from Holiday Food by Mario Batali. Adjust number of eggs to own liking. The original recipe calls for topping each serving with a fresh egg yolk, which is cooked by the residual heat of the pasta once it’s stirred in. Local fresh eggs are now available at the Winter Farmers’ Market from several vendors. Duck eggs may also be found at the farmers’ market through Yellow House Farm.

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March 16, 2010 by Debra.

Some foods in particular lend themselves to cooking with others — making pasta is one, canning’s another, and now sausage joins the list. A recent adult ed class in Kittery had a group of us soon churning out links a plenty amidst much understandably sophomoric humor. The surprise winner of the evening’s tasting was the chicken sausage. 

Chicken & Sun-Dried Tomato Sausage

5 pounds chicken meat, with skin, coarsely ground (1/4 inch plate)

12 ounces minced onion

7 ounces sun dried tomatoes

2 tablespoons coriander seeds, ground

2 tablespoons dried rosemary, ground

2 tablespoons dried oregano, crushed

1 tablespoon celery seed

1 tablespoon dried thyme

1 tablespoon kosher salt

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl until well blended. Stuff into hog casings for links, or shape into patties. Patties or links may be cooked by browning in a skillet. Will keep refrigerated for 3 days, or frozen for 2 months.

Tips:

- Keep ingredients cold, especially meat, and work with it while still cold, particularly when grinding.

- The original recipe calls for chicken thighs. Since locally sourced chicken tends to come whole, use both white and dark meat. When grinding chicken meat for sausage, including the skin improves the texture as well as flavor.

- Let sausage sit for 24 hours before cooking to allow flavors to develop and meld, and the texture to set.

- Casing can be found through local butchers or through mail/online order. Please leave a comment if you know of casing from local sources.

Sausage Club

Lucas, the teacher of the class, learned his way around ground meat from a workshop he took with John “Popper” Medlin, of Popper’s Kitchen. If stuffing casing isn’t your thing, fresh sausage, as well as other porky delicacies, can be ordered directly through Popper’s Sausage Club — place your order via email by the 3rd Wednesday of the month, with pick-up at various locations. This month the last day to order is Wednesday, March 24th, pick-up is scheduled for Saturday, March 27th, at the Winter Farmers’ Market in Rollinsford. He’ll have your order ready at Kellie Brook Farm’s booth.

*Special thanks to Chrissy for her photos!

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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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