Hey friends of local food! Sorry I've been AWOL for a month. I've been doing a lot of cool stuff but haven't been writing about it. Honestly, I have been pretty tired, being almost five months pregnant with twin boys! Here's an update:
Yesterday, Chef Christine from the Kitchen Studio gave an AWESOME demo at the North Market Farmers Market and made both panzanella and corn salad. The dishes were simple, super-fresh, and they brought out the best in seasonal flavors. In other words, the samples went really fast! Chef Christine really knew how to draw in both kids and adults, and I realized while watching her demo that I would really enjoy taking one of her classes, maybe the farmer's market class, or the sushi class...
This past Friday 9/3 I worked with our Office of Sustainability at work (I work for Frederick County Government) to put together a brown bag lunch about local food. We had a panel that included Chef Bryan Voltaggio from Volt and Zoe Brittain and Sally Fulmer from the Common Market. These folks talked about how they work with local farmers to get local produce into their establishments, and what they get out of it. It was really a very smart conversation about how to create direct relationships that benefit the farmer, and how it these relationships benefit a local restaurant and grocery store. More than that, the speakers talked about intersecting profit with purpose, and it was a very engaging. We also talked a little about the loss of family farms, and other outlets to access farm products directly, including farmers markets, CSAs, and direct farm sales. One resource we shared was the 2010 farm guide published by the County's Office of Economic Development. Get a copy if you don't have one.
I didn't grow a garden this year- I started a bunch of seedlings in my friend Chad's greenhouse and then got caught up in things like making babies. Chad ended up planting some of my stuff (especially the lettuces) on his farm and got some enjoyment out of them. So I've been shopping a lot at the farmers markets this summer, more than I usually do, because I am determined to eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables while they are in season so that the babies get lots of good nutrition! Right now, I am obsessed with tomatoes and honeycrisp apples and watermelon.
I discovered Spriggs Delight Farm goat cheeses and am totally hooked. I am a cheese lover, and finding out I had a dairy sensitivity last year was a total bummer! But I was happy to discover that I could still eat goat and sheep's milk cheeses, and that has saved me from getting too skinny. I am a big fan of a lot of local goat cheese producers like Caprikorn farms. Each farm has totally different products despite using the same basic ingredient, and that's very exciting. Spriggs has very rustic, old-style cheeses with complex flavors. I tried the Hillside Feta and Torre cheeses yesterday for the first time and was so impressed. The Hillside Feta is smooth, creamy, and goaty without having the metallic tang that can sometimes infiltrate goat milk. It is honestly better than any other feta I have tried. The Torre is an aged, complex cheese with lots of character, despite being mellow- It's solidly in the stinky cheese category, in a good way. And the dairy also makes goat milk fudge- needless to say, I spent all of my farmer's market money there yesterday and then had to walk past the Cortland apples at Lewis Orchard and all of the other market goodies with a blind eye.
Three words: FRESH LOCAL EGGS. With the disgusting conditions revealed on a daily basis at the mega poultry operations in the midwest, I am SO GLAD to be eating local, free range, organic eggs. They also taste better. I got my last batch from Persimmon Pond at the West Frederick Farmers Market from Wendy and they were wonderful.
I hope you are enjoying the harvest season! Corn is coming to an end, but melons and squashes are reigning supreme. Tomatoes will be good until the first frost and then a little later as the green ones ripen. Enjoy apples- the different varieties will phase in and out- right now you have to try Cortland and Honeycrisp. Ooo, and don't forget peaches! And I see all of the summer vegetables are still hanging in there because of all the heat we've had. It's been a hard summer for your local farmers because of the heat and drought. It's a good time to appreciate your local farmer.
Shannon
P.S. Sweet Potatoes.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Derelict in my duties
Friday, August 6, 2010
Tomato Festival August 22
Our friends at Volt are having a Tomato Festival at the Big White Barn in Buckeystown on August 22nd. For $50, you can taste over 40 varieties of heirloom tomatoes and try dishes made by Frederick's own Bryan Voltaggio of Volt Restaurant. Sounds like a fun and fancy way to enjoy local food on a lazy Sunday afternoon! 
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Results of the Blueberry Challenge!
Hey pals! I'm behind! The banner on top of this website says it's still June. I am also a few days later than I wanted to be reporting the results of the blueberry challenge. C'est la vie! I am excited to report we had three entries for the blueberry challenge (four if you count my muffins and the awesome blueberry/peach cobbler that we ate before we remembered to take a picture of it):
- April F's Gingered Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins from her 1000 Pizza Doughs blog, which look totally adorable in this picture. I could seriously eat them up! She was also kind enough to post the recipe! I must say, these put my muffins to shame.
- Chelsea's Blueberry Lime Jam from her blog figs and twigs, with a gorgeous picture that is something of a tease. More please! She also included the recipe, so I can have my wish!
- Omar's Blueberry Buckle, which had so many blueberries that it buckled in the middle.
It's always fun to do a challenge and see what people make! Thanks to the talented cooks who participated in the blueberry challenge- I want to come visit your houses now to thank you in person ;D
Simple tomato salad
We're having my parents over for dinner tonight, and we've decided to make picnic food (but eat it indoors- it's 100 degrees ouside!) Here's what's on the menu:
- Devilled eggs (mom's recipe, but made by me with eggs from Chesapeake's Choice at the West Frederick Farmer's Market)
- Potato salad (great grandmother's recipe, made by mom)
- Baked beans (from a can)
- Fresh fruit salad (with watermelon, peaches, blueberries and blackberries from the farmer's market)
- Ribeye (from the Safeway)
- Tomato salad (with tomatoes from the farmer's market) with basil, olive oil, and Cherry balsamic vinegar from Lebherz Oil and Vinegar Emporium (new place on Market Street-it's Lou's addiction)
Shannon
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Fresh this Week from Summer Creek Farm
Fresh this Week
- Potatoes
- Slicing tomatoes
- Squash
- Cucumber
- Beets
- Basil
- Onion
- and more!
So what happens each week to make your veggies happen? Well our work team arrives at the farm at 8 a.m. At that time nothing is harvested yet for your boxes (except maybe potatoes). On a board in the packing area of our basement is the list for today's box. We start the day picking in the High Tunnels to beat the heat of the day. Tomatoes, greens and berries are picked first. Next we move on to the field crops. Generally 4 people are in our work team on CSA days.
At the same time we are taking restaurant orders for evening delivery. Today we took orders from Cafe Nola, Isabella's and Volt. Additionally we picked an order for the Common Market and MOM's. While the crew is picking, my two young nieces start packing in the packing area (that is why CSA members sometimes see smiley faces on the bags!). They weigh and bag potatoes, tomatoes, etc. When the field crew comes back in (like today with about 200 lbs of squash and zuch!) they start cleaning the produce and methodically placing it in the CSA box so each person's box is similar. We finish by cutting the herbs so they are still fresh. All this packing is in an area that is about 75 degrees so that the produce is not stressed.
We then pull my delivery van under a large awning to keep it cool and load the produce in order of our delivery route. About 3 p.m. (give or take--OK I run late a lot) I leave to deliver to the Frederick drop-off. Then downtown to the restaurants and out to the groceries. Then to Urbana. All the while the produce is in an air-conditioned van. We do the best we can to pick it fresh that day and keep it cool so when you get it it tastes like just out of the field. I hope you enjoy all our hard work.
Thanks for all your support and for the jobs you have helped create for our young work crew.
--Farmer Rick
Photo: Summer Creek CSA box contents, Week 10, 2009
Basil
Originally from central Africa and Southeast Asia, basil has long been cultivated as a culinary and medicinal herb. Traditionally, basil has been used in treatment of headaches, coughs, diarrhea, constipation, warts, worms and kidney malfunctions.
If you have an abundance of basil, try making pesto, which can be used as a spread (it’s great in grilled cheese sandwiches) or a sauce for pasta. To make a basic basil pesto, blend the following in a food processor:
2 cups (packed) fresh basil leaves
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup pine nuts
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper
1/2 cup grated hard cheese (like parmesan or pecorino)
Serve pesto at room temperature (or no more than gently warmed - do not cook). Pesto freezes well for later use. Try adding a thin layer of olive oil on top before freezing, to help maintain the bright green color. If freezing, try adding the cheese after thawing.
Sources: Purdue University (basil facts) and Food Network (pesto recipe, modified)
Recipe Feature
Panzanella
This rustic tomato and bread salad is an excellent way to use leftover artisan bread from the farmer's market (or your oven), and tomatoes and basil. For the recipe, including a photo, cruise over to Frederick Foodie's blog.
Recipe: Christine Van Bloem
Link of the Week - Buy Local Challenge
Buy Local Challenge Week (July 17-25, 2010) encourages everyone to eat at least one local item per day for the week. You've probably been doing this without trying! For the rest of this week, consider trying the challenge. If you're already eating mostly local foods at home, try visiting one of the restaurants Farmer Rick mentioned above for some tasty, locally grown treats cooked by someone else!
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
News from Truffle King
Greetings Chocolate Lovers:
As I mentioned at the beginning of the month, there were things going on behind the scenes that had not been finalized. You may have noticed my recent absences at the Farmer’s Markets. I will be locating in August to Alexandria, VA. To help organize and pack for the move, I will no longer be at any of the Farmer’s Markets for the rest of July and there will be no production in August.
I’ll try and keep the Clustered Spires Pastry Shop on 285 Montevue Lane, Frederick stocked for the remainder of the month, but once inventory is gone, there will be no further production. Google directions are on my web site listed above. Clustered Spires is not far from the West Frederick Farmer’s Market on Baughman’s Lane, so you might stop there on your way home and pick up your truffles. They are open Tuesday-Saturday 11am-6pm.
A special thanks to all my favorite customers for your inputs, patronage and mutual enjoyment of my truffles over the months and years. Once relocated and up and running again, I will send out an email, and perhaps we can do business again through the mail, or by some other method.
Monthly flavors for JULY:
DARK (58.5% Cacao)Semi-Sweet Chocolate & Heavy Cream Ganache enrobed in Semi-Sweet Chocolate
DARK/BLUEBERRY (58.5% Cacao)Semi-Sweet Chocolate, Heavy Cream, and Organic Blueberries enrobed in Semi-Sweet Chocolate
WHITE CHOCOLATE/COCONUT (35% Cacao Butter)Sweet White Chocolate, Heavy Cream, Organic Coconut Ganache enrobed in Sweet Milk Chocolate
MIXEDEqual mixes of all three flavors in boxes of 6 or 12
Yours for good chocolate,
Timothy Miller, Chocolatier
Imperial Chocolate Company
Frederick, MD
301 788-5278
artco@mindspring.com
TruffleKing.com
Friday, July 16, 2010
Buy Local Challenge Week July 17-25!!!
From the press release:
Start Today!
Pledge to Eat Local during Buy Local Challenge Week, July 17-25, 2010
Every pledge counts! We invite you to take the pledge again this year and join the thousands across Maryland supporting Maryland's family farms during Buy Local Challenge Week, July 17-25, 2010.
Register your pledge now at http://www.buy-local-challenge.com/. Your pledge to "eat at least one item from a local farm every day during Buy Local Challenge Week" immediately puts your $'s to work in your neighborhood, ensuring that farms survive for future generations. Plus you're doing your part to maintain a cleaner, greener planet and provide safe, nutritious food for you and your family. If you have already registered your pledge - take the next step: starting today make your first purchase at a local farm, farm stand, farmers' market or winery; stock up at a grocer that offers genuine local products; or treat yourself to a meal at a restaurant that serves local farm food. Discover the bounty of Maryland's farms, and we hope you'll decide to shop local year round!
Need help finding Local? Visit http://www.buy-local-challenge.com/ for statewide directories to locate farm fresh products, meats, wines and more. Share your favorite Buy Local experience with your friends. The Buy Local Challenge website also hosts the BLC Online Community. This site allows you to upload information about BLC events, submit your photos, tips or recipes, to chat, or generally interact with other users in Maryland and around the nation.
