July 2010 Archives

Dear Shoppers,

My kitchen, refrigerator and freezer are so full of good stuff that I bought at the farmers’ market that if I were home each evening I would be cooking up something different each night! And I want to let you know how easy it is to do just that. Depending on whether you are new to the kitchen or whether your kitchen is the hub of a busy household — or whether you have been developing your craft over many years of reading cookbooks as you would novels and working your way through them like in Julie & Julia — having a kitchen full of ingredients that can be put together in many different ways is heaven on earth for any cook.

I am working hard to bring to the markets not just samples of the foods you can make from our market recipes but also a working chef who loves cooking enough to cater for others — at the same time that she is also a singer and musician who performs throughout the area. Being a natural performer, I am sure she will be delighted to teach as well as demonstrate, but you can learn on your own too — and you can develop your own instincts in the kitchen with a little practice and patience. For those of you just starting, I would recommend a couple of the food magazines that highlight seasonal recipes — much cheaper than a cookbook and much more focused on home cooking for two to six people.

Two of my favorites are Cooking Light and Eating Well — Cooking Light is especially geared to the novice cook and also the cook with a family to please, while Eating Well includes a wealth of information each month about the latest nutrition updates and also incorporates recipes that include ingredients that you can buy at the farmers’ market — especially the fruits and vegetables.

And while you may end up not using everything you buy, it is a great adventure to buy what looks good at the market even without having a recipe or menu in mind. It sounds scary, I know, but it is the way to go if you want to feel confident from the start about the endeavor.

A week or so ago I served a wonderfully tender and flavorful whole grilled chicken from Heritage Farm and Kitchen with a melange of summer vegetables including sweet onions, colorful peppers, zucchini and yellow squash, all diced and sauteed in olive oil and with a final addition of corn cut from the cob. A dish such as this one brings summer into the house and onto the table with little effort and a minimal commitment of time. Last night it took me 20 minutes to make a sauce from fresh tomatoes, onions and garlic from several farms. In another 25 minutes I made pizzas by combining the sauce with leftover grilled sausage from Simply Sausage and fantastic focaccia from our market baker. And if I can do that these days with my schedule, you can too.

You can also prep our gazpacho and succotash recipes in 45 minutes or less and be ready to eat in an hour. So while I am working on getting us some instructional assistance at the markets, go try this yourself and see what happens! Learn what you need to ask when you do have the opportunity — and learn what you can do on your own to substitute a couple of cooked-from-scratch meals for fast food or grocery-store prepared foods. Anything you make at home from scratch is going to be healthier — fresher, tastier and more wholesome than anything you “outsource.” And you may even discover that it’s more fun! I am counting on that. And so are our vendors.

See you at the market!

Dear Shoppers: Cooking for the family or for gatherings of friends presents challenges unknown once the weather cools down, primarily those involving keeping cool while in the kitchen and keeping the food safe for consumption from refrigerator to fork. But planning ahead can introduce efficiency as well as economy into the summer kitchen.

In summer, when you want to be in and out of the kitchen quickly with minimum fuss, fumes and fervor, not to mention fever, you will benefit from a pantry that is stocked with items you will need over and over again. Marinades and salad dressings will be your first line of defense, and you can whip them up in no time if your arsenal is maintained. Shop for the largest bottles of your favorite oils and vinegars and decant them into smaller bottles that you keep within reach in your kitchen. Have on hand several types of mustard including a good Dijon and a sweet mustard too. Add to that your basic Asian flavoring ingredients such as good-quality soy and hoisin sauces, sesame oil and one of the many spicy oils available. If you do not make your own barbecue sauce to keep in the fridge, keep a big bottle of your favorite brand and also bottles of ketchup and cocktail sauce. And I always have an opened container of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce on hand and some fresh ginger.

For some reason I find that I use thickeners such as cornstarch (for stir-frys), arrowroot and tapioca more in the summer — must be those cobblers and pies that use those up. And I keep a good supply of whole grains for salads and summer soups — quinoa, couscous, bulgur, brown rice, barley, and my favorite, wheat berries. You can pick up some squash, peppers and tomatoes at the market and have a Tex-Mex, Italian or Asian-flavored salad in 20 minutes with the staples mentioned above. And the combinations are endless!

One other thing I always have on hand in rather large quantities is lemons. I use lemons for the iced tea that I drink all day, but also for many salad dressings and marinades. Even in those recipes that may call for vinegar, I use some lemon juice to add a light, fresh, and seasonal lift. I also use lemon juice in the homemade mayonnaise that I make and also have on hand at all times. That and pesto that I make myself and store in the refrigerator in small containers with a film of olive oil on top or in the fridge are two staples well worth learning to make and use in summer as the base for a sauce or a flavoring agent.

Those of you who know how much I like and use fennel will not be surprised that I think that fennel is right up there with onions as a staple in the produce pantry. And believe me, I am working on finding a farmer who will grow it for our markets. It is extremely healthy for you and, as a substitute for part of the onion in any summer recipe, it adds another layer of flavor that will enhance any dish. I call these staples because they both keep well — fennel up to a week in the refrigerator — and they can be on call for any number of recipes that use summer produce.

Well there is your list — and a couple of recipes too for that summer pantry that will make things a lot easier for you in the summer kitchen. I am sure I will think of some others as we move through the season together, and I will pass them along. Even now my husband is yelling “Limes, limes!” He is thinking more of the gin and tonics he likes to make after a hot day working in the yard than any dinner dish, but limes can be used for those salad dressings and marinades too — if you have any left after imbibing.

See you at the market!

Market ingredients in season: Fresh country eggs, sweet onions, jalapeno peppers, garlic, plum or grape tomatoes, Monterey Jack cheese, cilantro and Tommy V’s corn tortillas and salsa.

Summer is the time of year to experiment with a recipe like this — try adding some finely chopped sweet peppers or even summer squash for a heartier brunch dish.

This recipe appeared in the April issue of Cooking Light as part of an article about “Ten Nutrition Myths.” One of the myths the article refuted was the result of bad science that warned us for about 20 years not to eat eggs because they would raise our cholesterol levels. But we now know that the cholesterol in eggs has no effect whatsoever on the body’s cholesterol levels. One large egg contains only 1.5 grams of saturated fat, and eggs are a rich source of 13 vitamins and minerals.

Directions:

Heat two teaspoons canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add one jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced (adjust heat by using more or less of the seeds), ¾ cup thinly sliced green onions, and two minced garlic cloves; sauté three minutes. Add about 2 cups chopped plum tomatoes and ½ teaspoon salt and cook two minutes until thoroughly heated through.

Add six large eggs and cook three minutes or until soft-scrambled, stirring constantly. Sprinkle evenly with 2 ounces Monterey Jack cheese and ¼ cup chopped cilantro.

Serve with warm corn tortillas (use 8 for 4 servings) and lime wedges and Tommy’s salsa of choice for an extra kick.

We regret to inform our Herndon shoppers and supporters that we have pulled out of the Elden Center because of a lack of business. We found it quite a challenge to overcome no visibility, little foot traffic and the restrictive sign ordinances in the Town of Herndon. We appreciated our loyal following, small though it was, and hope that you will visit us at the Reston market where several of the Herndon vendors are also selling.

We also appreciate the offers of assistance, and we hope to work with those who volunteered to create a better atmosphere for the market and also for the small businesses in the center. They are suffering from the same situation, exacerbated by many empty storefronts, that we were, and our long-term goal is to involve them to create a real multicultural market at that site. Herndon would be a great location for a market that highlights the cultural diversity in our area — with food and music and other entertainments.

Thank you again — hope to see you again next year with a market that can be successful and a boon to the shopping center and the community.

Jean

The media coverage of raw milk continues with a story on NPR this week. Says one raw-milk advocate in the story:

Well, I just think it’s so silly. I can go out and get a six pack of beer anywhere and a carton of cigarettes. … Legally, I can feed my children fast food three meals a day. But then to get this incredible, nutrient-dense, fresh local food, the farmer in my state is criminalized for selling that to me.

Did you know that you can be buying raw milk at Smart Markets locations? Here are the details about how to sign up.

This recipe is adapted from the original Silver Palate Cookbook. I call for reducing the oil somewhat as I don’t think it needs any more to provide the taste and texture you want.

• 2 cups fresh basil leaves, washed and patted dry
• 4 garlic cloves, more or less to taste
• 1 cup slightly toasted pine nuts or walnuts
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 3/4 cup best-quality olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Combine the basil, garlic and nuts in a food processor and chop. With the motor running, add the olive oil in a slow, steady stream. Stop the machine, add the cheese and seasonings and pulse until combined.

Mix into freshly cooked, warm pasta to taste and ENJOY!

You can keep this in the refrigerator for up to two weeks by filming the top with a layer of olive oil. You can also freeze in individual servings and keep in a ziplock bag by filling an ice-cube tray with the mixture and freezing till solid, then popping the cubes into the bag.

Julia says, “Certainly the easiest way to make mayonnaise is in the food processor, where in 2 or 3 minutes you have 2 or 3 cups. Regardless of method, the best mayonnaise is made from the freshest and best ingredients, since nothing can disguise a cheap-tasting oil, a harsh vinegar or a fake lemon.” I would add to that that nothing can substitute for fresh farm eggs either — who knew mayonnaise is supposed to be yellow!

For about 2 and 1/4 cups:

• 1 whole egg
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 or more teaspoons strong prepared mustard
• ½ teaspoon or more salt
• 1 tablespoon or more fresh lemon juice or wine vinegar
• 2 cups best quality light olive oil or salad oil — all one kind or a combination (I use half * Bertolli olive oil and half canola oil)
• Pepper to taste

Using the metal blade, process the egg, yolks, mustard and salt for thirty seconds. Add lemon juice and process another 30 seconds. Finally, in a very thin stream, pour in the oil very slowly until the emulsion forms. You can add the rest ever so slightly faster.

When oil is completely added, stop machine and check for flavor and consistency. Add the pepper to taste. You can add more lemon juice or vinegar for flavor and a few drops of water to lighten the mixture if it seems too stiff. Pulse several times to incorporate the new ingredients.

Dear Shoppers: If you were able to read the last remembrances of my family — the grandparents who cooked — then maybe you are ready for the next generation and how it influenced me and my siblings to enjoy cooking and sharing with an extended family that has always gravitated to the kitchen in any home we happened to grace.

My mother, whom everyone called Sis all her life because her brothers called her that, was the mainstay cook in our home. That meant cooking dinner every night and most often serving meat as the main dish with a starch and a green or yellow vegetable. Unlike my larger family in Harrisonburg, Va., where both my parents grew up, we did not have bread at every meal, and she mixed rice and other starches in with the potatoes. In Harrisonburg there seemed to be potatoes at every opportunity! I am sure my grandmothers slipped them into the breakfast pancakes and the pie crusts too. I have no idea where that originated!

My father was the adventurous cook who, when he went to the grocery store with a list, came home with few if any of the items on it. Instead he would buy what looked good — and this was not easy in the ’50s and early ’60s, even in Atlanta where we lived at the time, as the grocery stores were just beginning to carry fresh veggies. I don’t remember ever having broccoli or cauliflower or much of anything green and fresh other than lettuce and cabbage and green beans on occasion from Kroger’s — only from my grandfather’s garden when we visited Harrisonburg in the summer. But if there was anything new or rare or fresh, meaning not canned or frozen, then Daddy would pick it up and bring it home and my mother would ask, “Now Paul, what are you going to do with that?”

He usually had no idea at the time he bought it, but he would start going through the cookbooks, certainly The Joy of Cooking but also some other books he picked up along the way, and he would find a recipe that used what he had bought. He also fished and hunted occasionally with friends who would go down to the Gulf to fish or to south Georgia to hunt, and I did “taste” quail (which does NOT taste like chicken) and venison (too rich for me) as a child. And I nearly flew into an ecstatic fit when I ate pompano and red snapper for the first time.

I have mentioned before Daddy’s Famous Spaghetti Sauce, a recipe that he concocted from a cookbook that he bought at a restaurant in NYC. Every boyfriend of mine or my sisters who ever came to dinner was served that spaghetti. I eventually served it to my husband shortly after we met at UNC in Chapel Hill for the first dinner I ever cooked for him. I still have Daddy’s handwritten copy of the recipe that he sent me for that occasion, which is nearly illegible from all the tomato spills on it — it will move on to the family scrapbook one of these days, but I am not ready to part with it yet.

So between Sis, who really came into her own in the kitchen as we moved out of the house one by one, and my father, who used cooking as a creative outlet and as an opportunity to teach, I came away with a love of cooking if not a love of all the things we cooked. But that was so much more than many of my friends at that time inherited; those were the years when “convenience” began to creep into the cooking lexicon and when ingredients began to come in cans and other packaging. And as my generation moved into their own kitchens and began to work outside the home, it seemed so easy to eat well with all of those products instead of just eating the food. And look where that landed us!

I am more grateful than ever now to have memories of real food cooked in the kitchens we lived in and visited all our lives pretty much from “scratch” — and often I bring something home from the market not knowing what I am going to make with it until I too am inspired just as Daddy was.

That’s the way to cook and that’s the way to eat — the food comes first, then the dish. May you remember this as you wander the market this week and get creative on your own. And we will be happy to supply a recipe or two so you have an answer to the inevitable question: “What are you going to do with that?”

See you at the market!

Dear Shopper: I listened today to an interview with journalist Michael Pollan that aired recently on the public radio show The Splendid Table. In the interview, Pollan talked about the issue of making healthy food affordable for all — or at least a larger segment of the population. He addressed the elitism of the “buy fresh, local and organic” movement by reminding us that many movements in this country which ultimately benefited the entire country were begun by people with time and money to spare. And while I did not agree with his analogy to the suffragette movement, I do believe that those of us who understand the long-term benefits for everyone of returning to locally produced food are raising awareness and creating demand. That demand will in turn lead to more people having access to locally produced food.

Pollan also contends that the cheap food in this country is part of a “false economy” in which the average person does not pay the real cost of food — which should include the health and environmental damage done to ourselves and our planet. The false economy also does not include the subsidies that we all pay to the growers of that cheap, unhealthy food. That reminded me of the letter that Sen. McCain and friends wrote to our Secretary of Agriculture in support of those subsidies and against any tax dollars going to support small farmers.

If we really want to be part of the movement, we all need to do more than just pledge to eat better, buy local and support our local farmers and food purveyors. We need to get involved in the issue in other ways too. Smart Markets is working right now to put together a policy forum to take place in early fall for the purpose of developing some legislative initiatives for our own Virginia state senators and delegates to take to their respective agriculture committees in Richmond next January. We will need help to plan and host such an event, and then we will need help to write up what we would like our representatives to introduce. If you would like to work with us over the next few months, please let me know by replying to this newsletter.

State Senator Chap Peterson told me that the Ag Committee never hears from the farmers because they have not organized. But it can hear from those of us who support the farmers and their access to farmers’ markets — and we can use the farmers’ market network around the state to lobby for the initiatives that we deem important and the bills that we hope to write. I am reaching out to the farmers now and others who work on these issues, and we will have lots of things to talk about at the forum.

We are also looking to host a dinner at the Reston market for the primary purpose of inviting Senator McCain and friends to actually meet some of those “part-time, urban elitist farmers” who sell at our markets. I realize, of course, that they probably will not grace us with their presence; but we can still make our point and maybe draw even more attention to their position on the Know Your Farmer Program. I am guessing that there are local farmers in just about every state in the Union who would be insulted by the tone of the letter and angered by the implication of losing the piddling sum of USDA assistance monies they now receive.

This is the kind of consciousness-raising that can lead to that wider spectrum of people becoming involved in the movement that Michael Pollan referenced. Every movement needs a rallying point — the letter is a great one — and we are in the midst of a perfect storm of social, economic and political forces in this area that can be used to demonstrate that this is an issue which affects us all. If all that comes of it is more attention being paid to the issue, that is good enough for me. How about you?

• 6 cups crusty, country-style bread, torn into rough chunks (about one loaf)
• About 1/3 cup olive oil plus 2 Tbsp for drizzling
• 4 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks, or 1–2 pints cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• 2 small, firm pickling cucumbers (or one Asian or European), diced or thickly sliced
• About ½ lb green beans, steamed or blanched until bright green, cut into one-inch pieces
• 1 bell pepper, any color, diced large
• 1 small red or other sweet onion, thinly sliced
• 3 Tbsp chopped parsley
• 1 Tbsp fresh thyme
• 3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Toss bread cubes in the 1/3 cup of olive oil and bake or broil till lightly browned with darker edges, for about 2 minutes under the broiler or for 15–20 minutes in a 375-degree oven.

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients, season with the red wine vinegar and add the still-warm bread cubes. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil.

You may also add tuna, olives, cheese, potato cubes, additional beans such as cannellini or chickpeas, or any other summer vegetable that you like.

Serves 6–8

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 cup low-fat buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• 2 large egg yolks
• 3 large egg whites
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 and 1/2 cups blackberries, blueberries or raspberries
• cooking spray
• powdered sugar for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine flour, 2/3 cup sugar, salt and nutmeg in a large bowl. Whisk buttermilk, lemon rind, lemon juice, melted butter and egg yolks together and add to dry ingredients, whisking till smooth.

Beat egg whites till foamy, then add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar gradually while beating until stiff peaks form. Gently fold egg whites into buttermilk mixture; then fold in berries. Pour batter into prepared pan. Place baking pan in a larger pan and add hot water to a depth of 1 inch. Bake for 35 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched in center.

Sprinkle cake with powdered sugar and serve warm. Delicious and low-fat to boot!

The following are the two easiest ways I know to enjoy peaches for dessert — other than just slicing them up.

Fresh Peach Cake

Cream together: 1 stick of butter (½ cup) and 1 and ¼ cups light brown sugar; add one egg and mix well.

Sift together: 2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda and 1/8 teaspoon salt.

Add the dry ingredients to creamed mixture alternately with 1 cup of buttermilk. Gently blend in 4–5 peaches, diced, and pour into a lightly greased 9x11 inch pan. Then sprinkle with a mixture of ¼ cup sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon and bake at 350 degrees for 30–35 minutes or until tester inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.

Fresh Peach Dessert

Mix one package of lemon-flavored Jello with 1¼ cups of boiling water and stir until Jello is dissolved. Gradually stir in one pint of vanilla ice cream that has been softened in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. Refrigerate until mixture thickens. In the meantime, cut up two cups of fresh peaches into 1-inch dice. When mixture is as thick as whipped cream, fold in peaches and pour into a readymade or homemade graham-cracker pie crust and chill until firm.

This dessert can be made into a low-fat or low-sugar dessert by using sugar-free Jello or low-fat ice cream, and it can be poured into dessert bowls for chilling and serving if you want to avoid the graham-cracker crust.

Adapted from The Victory Garden Cookbook

• 4 to 8 large ripe tomatoes
• 2–4 cucumbers
• 1 large green pepper
• 10–12 scallions, sliced thin or 3/4 cup chopped sweet onion such as Vidalia
• 1–2 cloves of garlic
• Salt
• 1/4 cup good quality red wine vinegar
• 1/3 cup good quality olive oil
• 2–3 cups tomato juice
• 1 and 1/2 cups beef broth or water (optional)
• Hot pepper sauce
• Worcestershire sauce
• Freshly ground pepper

Peel, seed and chop into 1/4-inch dice the tomatoes, cucumber, green pepper and onion. In a mortar, mash garlic and 1 teaspoon salt into a paste. Beat in the vinegar and oil. Combine this dressing with the chopped vegetables and stir in the tomato juice. Add broth or water to thin the mixture if desired. (I rarely add this; I like the undiluted taste of the vegetable salad.) Season with the hot pepper sauce, Worcestershire and salt and pepper to taste. Serves 4–6.

Chill until very cold. Serve with homemade croutons if desired or additional chopped vegetables as a garnish. Serves 4–6. Can be doubled.

For a Chesapeake Bay Gazpacho, add 1/2 lb. fresh-picked crabmeat.

Adapted from the Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook

1 medium-size eggplant, unpeeled, cut into 1/2 inch cubes; sprinkled with 1 tablespoon of coarse salt and allowed to sit in a colander for one hour. Pat dry with paper towels and sauté in batches, if necessary, in a total of 1/2 cup of good olive oil until slightly brown and almost tender. Set aside.

Heat another 1/4 cup of olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven and sauté together for about ten minutes:

• 2 medium yellow onions, finely chopped
• 1 large or two small fennel bulbs, finely chopped
• 1 each green and red pepper, finely chopped
• About two cups finely chopped zucchini or yellow squash or a combination of the two
• 4–6 garlic cloves, finely minced

Add to this mixture one 35-ounce can of Italian tomatoes and 1–2 pounds of fresh, meaty tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped fine; and bring to a simmer over low heat. (If good, meaty tomatoes, like many of the heirloom varieties, are available, substitute another 2 pounds of fresh tomatoes for the canned.)

Add to the simmering mixture:

• 2 tablespoons chili powder or more to taste
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin or more to taste
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ cup finely chopped Italian parsley

and simmer for 30 minutes until the flavors are blended. Then add 2 cups canned black beans and 2 cups of cooked and scraped fresh corn kernels, and the reserved eggplant. Bring back to a simmer and cook for another 15 minutes. Stir well and adjust seasonings. Serves 8–10 as a main course dish or up to 20 as a dip.