Category Archives: Farmers' Market

More from Rooting DC – Canning with Mo Moodie

21 Monday Feb 2011

Posted by in CSA, Farmers' Market, Gardening, Recipe, Side

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

More videos from Rooting DC, sponsored by the DC Food to Fork network.

During the canning session, Mo Moodie from the Arcadia Center for Sustainable Food and Agriculture demystified the art of canning. She assured the nervous group that if you follow safety precautions (such as keeping jars sterlyized, always using new lids, etc.) that there shouldn’t be much of a problem.

This is something I will definitely be trying in the coming months – as soon as I can find some cheap ball jars on eBay or Criagslist. You can find additional videos from my day at Rooting DC at Grown in the City.

Advertisement

Roasted Cauliflower & Purple Potatoes

16 Sunday Jan 2011

Posted by in CSA, Farmers' Market, Recipe, Side, Vegan, Vegetarian

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , ,

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 large head of cauliflower, cored and cut into 1 inch wide florets
  • 1/2 to 3/4 lb. purple potatoes, washed, and cut into 1 inch cubes (do not peel)
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 5-7 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Toss cauliflower, potatoes, oil, garlic, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Spread evenly on a 9X13″ baking dish.
  2. Bake for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown.

Pizza with Roasted Butternut Squash & Bacon

14 Friday Jan 2011

Posted by in CSA, Dinner, Entree, Farmers' Market, Lunch, Meat, Recipe

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , , ,

This is definitely not your standard pizza. This recipe calls for roasted butternut squash, fontina cheese and bacon – a wonderfully, savory combination.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed, and coarsely chopped into cubes
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • 5 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced in half, lengthwise
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 1/4 cup organic, free-range chicken broth
  • 1/4 cup organic bacon, cooked and crumbled
  • 8 oz fontina cheese, shredded
  • 1 Pizza Dough
  • 1 tbsp coarse cornmeal
  • salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Toss the butternut squash, onions and garlic with oil and 1/2 tsp kosher salt. Bake in a shallow dish or on a baking sheet for 20-40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until onions and squash begin to caramelize. Coarsely mash with a fork and add 1/4 cup chicken broth.
  2. Turn oven to 475 degrees F. Roll out the pizza dough on a floured surface. Sprinkle 1 tbsp coarse cornmeal on a non-stick baking sheet or a pizza stone. Carefully place rolled out dough on top of the baking sheet or pizza stone. Bake in oven for 3-5 minutes.
  3. Remove partially cooked pizza crust from oven and evenly spread butternut squash mixture. Top with shredded cheese and bacon.
  4. Bake for 5-10 minutes, until cheese is melted and crust is golden brown.

Pizza with Roasted Sunchokes, Kale & Garlic

10 Monday Jan 2011

Posted by in CSA, Dinner, Entree, Farmers' Market, Lunch, Recipe, Vegetarian

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, ,

Wondering what to do with those CSA sunchokes (also called Jerusalem artichokes)? Try roasting them and throwing them on top of a homemade pizza.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 pound sunchokes, washed well and sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
  • 2 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • 5 cloves garlic
  • 1 large bunch of kale, coarsely chopped, stems removed
  • 1 cup of Pizza Sauce
  • 8 oz mozzarella cheese
  • 1 Pizza Dough
  • 1 tbsp coarse cornmeal
  • salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Toss the sunchokes and garlic cloves with oil and 1/2 tsp kosher salt. Bake in a shallow dish or on a baking sheet for 20-30 minutes, until just tender. (Note: it is very easy to overdo sunchokes. They will turn to mush if cooked for too long, so monitor them closely.)
  2. Meanwhile, saute kale in 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil on medium heat until tender and cooked down. Season with salt and pepper.
  3. Turn oven to 475 degrees F. Roll out the pizza dough on a floured surface. Sprinkle 1 tbsp coarse cornmeal on a non-stick baking sheet or a pizza stone. Carefully place rolled out dough on top of the baking sheet or pizza stone. Bake in oven for 3-5 minutes.
  4. Remove partially cooked pizza crust from oven and evenly spread 3/4 cup to 1 cup sauce over the crust. Top with shredded mozzarella cheese, kale and sunchokes.
  5. Bake for 5-10 minutes, until cheese is melted and crust is golden brown.

Comfort food with a local, upscale twist

10 Monday May 2010

Posted by in Dinner, Farmers' Market, Meat, Menu

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

, ,

Last evening, Greg and I hosted some colleagues for dinner.  I knew our guest of honor was a huge fan of two comfort food staples: meat loaf and macaroni and cheese (I usually make these whenever he comes to visit).  After a stop at the DuPont Circle Farmer’s Market, I was all set to make something comforting, yet special.  The results were worth it and our guests, I believe, felt very special!

Macaroni and Cheese:

The ingredients for my Mac and Cheese

My first stop at the market was Copper Pot Food Company, to see my friend Maude, who was volunteering.  Stefano Frigerio, the chef-owner gave me all the market intel.  When I explained that I wanted to make macaroni and cheese, he handed me the last two boxes of his cavatelli and said “Go there and get milk, then go there and talk to her and ask which cheese they have today that will melt best.  Then come back.”  I did as he said, and when I came back with the dairy, he told me “Here’s what you do.  Don’t bother with butter and flour.  Heat some milk in the microwave with the shreded cheese for about a minute.  Then pour the mixture into a blender and whip it into a cheese sauce to pour over the pasta.”  I had never done this before – I’m a fan of the beschamel type of mac and cheese, which gives a decidedly-rich and heavy end product.  I wanted Stefano’s pasta to be the standout, highlighted by the cheese sauce, so I took his advice.  The resulting mac and cheese was amazing – light, airy, and not oily!

Ingredients:

  • 2 packages cavatelli pasta from Copper Pot Food Company
  • 1 cup organic creamline milk from Clear Spring Creamery
  • 1/2 pound Wallaby cheese from Keswick Creamery
  • 2 oz Claire’s Organic Camembert from Clear Spring Creamery (my own addition!)
  • salt and pepper to taste

For the Topping

  • 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 8-10 fresh young garlic chive shoots, chopped
  • 3 tbsp truffle oil
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

  1. Cook the pasta as directed.  Drain, and place equal amounts in 4 ramekins.
  2. In a microwave safe bowl, heat milk and cheese for about 1 minute on medium heat to soften.
  3. Blend the mixture on high speed in a blender until smooth.
  4. Pour cheese mixture over the pasta in the ramekins.
  5. Bake at 350 until the cheese starts to bubble.
  6. Top with panko mixture and broil until the top is golden brown.
  7. Allow to cool for 3-5 minutes before serving.

Meat Loaf Sandwiches:

This very simple sandwich used local, sustainably raised meat from EcoFriendly Foods, LLC.  I just eye-balled the recipe.

Ingredients:

  • 1 large package ground beef from Ecofriendly Foods, LLC
  • 1 small package ground veal from Ecofriendly Foods, LLC
  • 1 onion, minced fine and drained
  • 1 carrot shredded fine and drained
  • 1 clove garlic, minced fine
  • 1 egg
  • 1 pinch cumin
  • 1 pinch celery salt
  • 1 pinch garlic salt
  • 1 slice fresh whole wheat bread, ground into breadcrumbs.
  • salt and pepper to taste

Sauce:

  • 1 cup ketchup
  • 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons apricot preserves
  • 2 tablespoons white vinegar

Directions:

  1. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients loosely (do not overmix or you will have tough meatloaf)
  2. Line a loaf pan with two peices of fresh bread to absorb the drippings during cooking.
  3. Shape the mixture into a loaf, and place in the loaf pan.
  4. In a saucepan, combine all ingredients for the sauce and cook over low heat until combined.
  5. Top the meatloaf with 1/4 of the sauce and bake at 350 until the loaf is cooked through (depending on the size it will take a different amount of time.  Mine took 50 minutes).
  6. Half way through cooking, top with another 1/4 sauce, reserving 1/2 to serve with the sandwiches (be careful not to cross contaminate!)
  7. Cool the meatloaf for several minutes before cutting.
  8. Serve over thick sliced white bread from the farmer’s market that has been buttered on both sides and grilled in a pannini press.

Salad

I picked lettuce and chives from my garden for an extremely local salad.

The meal was fantastic – the table was set with white tulips and a bottle of wine, and we enjoyed good conversation, good food, and good friendship.  The meal was topped off with homemade Philadelphia-style vanilla bean ice cream, another of our guest’s favorites.  He was tickled pink, and it wasn’t that difficult to pull off!

Lentil Stew with Red Russian Kale, Sweet Potatoes & Sausage

05 Monday Apr 2010

Posted by in Dinner, Entree, Farmers' Market, Lunch, Recipe, Stew

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,

Need a quick and tasty recipe to use up some leftover winter or spring greens? This simple recipe yields a savory and subtly sweet hearty stew. It calls for french lentils, which maintain there shape, color and texture in the cooking process. You can find french lentils at Whole Foods or other grocery stores that have a bulk section.

French Lentils

INGREDIENTS

  • 4 links organic turkey or chicken chorizo or andouille sausage, sliced thin
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 4-5 garlic cloves*, minced
  • 1 large onion*, chopped
  • 3 small to medium sweet potatoes*, peeled and diced into small 1/4″ cubes
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 cup french lentils, picked over
  • 5 cups organic chicken or vegetable broth
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 large bunch red russian kale*, stems and center ribs discarded and leaves sliced thin
  • 2 tablespoon balsamic or red-wine vinegar

DIRECTIONS

  1. In a stock pot brown sausage over moderate heat and transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. If there is more than 1 teaspoon fat in pan pour off excess; if there is less, add enough oil to measure 1 tbsp. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened.
  2. Add sweet potatoes, bay leaves, lentils, water, broth, and sausage and simmer, covered, 30 minutes. Add kale and simmer, uncovered, until tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in vinegar and salt and pepper to taste.

Farmers’ Market Purchase

21 Sunday Mar 2010

Posted by in Farmers' Market

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , , , ,

I visited my favorite farm stand at the Dupont Circle FRESHFARM Market today – Next Step Produce. Because I already had quite a bit from my last Star Hollow Farm CSA harvest box, I only got a few items:

Curly Kale

Mustard Greens

Gold Rush Apples

Mesculin Greens

Ono O’ahu

22 Monday Feb 2010

Posted by in Farmers' Market, Food System, Restaurant

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , ,

Aloha from Ono (delicious) O’ahu

My husband and I just got back from a trip to Hawaii. Since we only had 6 days, we decided to stay in O’ahu for the entire length of our trip. We had the opportunity to explore many of the flavors and sights of the island. We stayed on the North Shore of the island in the town of Waialua with my husband’s brother and his fiancee and traveled throughout. As a food systems planner, I was quite interested in the local food system and sustainability policies of the island. Both Slow Food O’ahu and LEAF HAWAII: Solving hunger and poverty one farm at a time provided a nice overview of the local food and sustainability scene and historical context for the social, economic and environmental opportunities and problems Hawaiians face today. Below is a brief overview of our discoveries. For a map of restaurants recommended by Slow Food O’ahu, click here. Also, check out Edible Communities Hawaii Islands for additional information about the food system and a list of farmers’ markets in O’ahu.

NORTH SHORE

On the North Shore of Hawaii, we stopped at the Kahuku Land Farms stand to try some fresh, local pineapple, coconut, tangerines, and small bananas:

WAIMEA VALLEY

In our visit to Waimea Valley, we learned about pre-contact Hawaii’s land division system. The ancient land division system created wedged-shaped, self-sufficient units of land, called ahupua’a, which extended from the mountains to the sea and therefore provided all the basic necessities: food, shelter, cloth and medicine.

As LEAF HAWAII explains, “Each ahupua’a contained the resources the human community needed, from fish and salt, to fertile land for farming taro or sweet potato, to koa and other trees growing in upslope areas. Villagers from the coast traded fish for other foods or for wood to build canoes and houses. In this way, the community maintained a sustainable lifestyle. Through sharing resources and constantly working within the rhythms of their natural environment, Hawaiians enjoyed abundance and a quality lifestyle with leisure time for recreation during the harvest season of the year.”

Unfortunately, this land division system is no longer practiced, and Hawaiians face a range of social, environmental, and economic challenges, such as poverty, health disparities, air and water pollution, and obesity. Organizations, such as LEAF HAWAII, are working to restore more self-sufficient and sustainable ways of life. According to a recent report, Island of Hawaii Whole System Project, “Hawai’i is one of the nation’s most fertile places. Yet only 15 percent of all food sold on the island is grown locally.”

The pictures below are of a community garden plot for children in Waimea Valley:

Sweet potato (‘uala) is one of the primary, local foods of Hawaii. Below is a picture of one of several sweet potato species:

After walking around Waimea Valley, we couldn’t resist getting a snack. Here’s a picture of our Ono (delicious) Acai Berry Sorbet, topped with ginger granola, strawberries and pineapple.

DIAMOND HEAD

This is an interesting take on the ice cream truck:

DOLE FOODS

We had no idea how many varieties of pineapples exist. Smooth Cayenne is the predominant variety in Hawaii. So the next time you buy a Dole Pineapple, that’s a Smooth Cayenne.

WAIKIKI, HONOLULU

Our friends John and Greg insisted we visit Eggs’n Things, a very popular all-day breakfast place in Waikiki, a neighborhood of Honolulu. We ordered an omelet and Hawaiian pancakes. The omelet was good, but nothing special. For anyone thinking about visiting this restaurant, we recommend splitting the Hawaiian pancakes, and forgoing anything else on the menu. The pancakes were light and fluffy and came topped with chopped pineapple, coconut, macadamia nuts, and whipped cream. This is definitely a sweet dish, but delicious. Try it sprinkled with a little coconut syrup. Ono!

LOCAL BREWS

A trip to Hawaii wouldn’t be complete without a sample of some of the local beers. We sampled Kona Fire Island and Longboard, Kaua’i Golden Ale, and Primo Lager. All were quite tasty, but our favorites were Kona Fire Island and Longboard.

CHINATOWN, HONOLULU

Rex and I found the cutest BYOB restaurant in Chinatown, Little Village Noodle House. We would recommend the Mu Shu Roll and Panfried Turnover with parsley and turnip filling. We ordered the Seafood w/ Mixed Vegetable Fried Noodle, but found the dish too salty and had too much cornstarch in it.

Mu Shu Roll

Panfried Turnover with Turnip and Parsely

Seafood w/ Mixed Vegetables Fried Noodle

HALEIWA, NORTH SHORE

Haleiwa is a fabulous little surfer town on the North Shore of the island, and home to the only Patagonia in all of Hawaii. We tried several restaurants in Haleiwa, but our favorites included Haliewa Eats Thai and Banzai Sushi Bar. We recommend the Panang Curry with Tofu and Pineapple Curry with Tofu over brown rice at Haliewa Eats Thai. Both were delicious! We recommend the special Ahi roll with soy paper wrap – yum!

Carrot & Potato Chili

31 Sunday Jan 2010

Posted by in Dinner, Farmers' Market, Lunch, Recipe, Stew, Vegan, Vegetarian

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , , ,

Need a delicious chili to use up a random variety  of root vegetables and tubers? Then this recipe is for you. This chili combines potatoes, sweet potatoes and carrots with green chilies, pinto beans and spices. Serve with shredded cheddar cheese, crushed tortilla chips, sour cream, and cornbread. (* Indicates vegetables purchased from Star Hollow Farm’s online farmers’ market.)

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 large onion*, chopped
  • 5 cloves of garlic*, minced
  • 1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 1/2 tbsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 large sweet potato*, diced into 1/4″ cubes
  • 4 small-medium potatoes* (try using a mixture of different varieties, such as gold, white and purple – for more information about potatoes, click here)
  • 5 medium carrots*, diced
  • 1 28 oz can organic diced tomatoes (such as Muir Glen fire roasted)
  • 2 1/2 cups organic, free-range chicken broth or vegetable broth
  • 1 4 oz can diced green chilies
  • 1 14 oz can organic pinto beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup organic cilantro, chopped

DIRECTIONS

  • Saute chopped onion and garlic in 1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil over medium-high heat in a large stockpot. Saute until golden (about 10 minutes). Add oregano through salt. Stir and cook for another 3 minutes.
  • Add sweet potato through green chilies.
  • Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes.  Add pinto beans and brown sugar. Cook an addition 20-40 minutes or until the carrots, sweet potatoes and potatoes are tender.
  • Stir in cilantro and remove from heat.
  • Serve with shredded cheddar cheese, tortilla chips, sour cream and cornbread.

Sweet Potato Bread with Dried Cranberries & Walnuts

30 Saturday Jan 2010

Posted by in Breakfast, Dessert, Farmers' Market, Recipe, Vegetarian

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

This recipe calls for applesauce and canola oil, creating an exceptionally moist bread. Serve with coffee and tea for a morning snack, or as a light dessert for lunch. The sweet potatoes used in this recipe are organic and come from Next Step Produce, and the free-range eggs from Waterview Foods, both purchased from the Dupont Circle Freshfarm Market.

INGREDIENTS

  • 3 1/2 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour, organic
  • 3 cups sugar, organic
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon, organic
  • 1 tsp ground nutmeg, organic
  • 1 tsp ground cloves, organic
  • 1/2 cup organic canola oil (such as Spectrum Naturals)
  • 1/2 cup all-natural, applesauce
  • 2 cups mashed sweet potato (about 3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cooked in a pressure cooker until tender and soft, and then mashed with a fork or other tool), organic
  • 4 free-range, organic eggs
  • 1 cup dried cranberries
  • 1 cup pecans, roughly chopped, organic
  • 1-2 tbsp turbinado sugar, organic

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat oven at 350 degrees F.
  2. Combine flour through cloves in a large bowl. Stir well and set aside.
  3. In a separate bowl, combine oil through eggs. Whisk until eggs are fully incorporated into the other ingredients.
  4. Mix wet and dry ingredients together (be careful not to over stir). Then fold in dried cranberries and pecans.
  5. Pour mixture into 2 bread pans coated with cooking spray. Bake for 30 minutes, then sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Bake for an additional 30-45 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the middle of each bread pan comes out clean.