tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72192894793998105412024-03-13T11:30:08.137-07:00MARKET TO MOUTH ... Follow megrocery shopping responsibly on a budget and managing my purchases from MARKET to kitchen to MOUTH.Louise Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14401130779255847329noreply@blogger.comBlogger251125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7219289479399810541.post-62855118730054318832010-08-23T09:17:00.000-07:002010-08-26T07:17:31.267-07:00Culinary Gardening Series Episode 3<input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/gaaT07BaMLQ?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/gaaT07BaMLQ?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Back in May, I uploaded <a href="http://markettomouth.blogspot.com/2010/05/black-cat-organic-farm-episode-2.html">Episode 1 and 2</a> of the Culinary Gardening Series produced in conjunction with <a href="http://www.bv22.org/">Boulder Valley Media Alliance</a> (Channel 22) and <a href="http://www.findeatdrink.com/Index/Restaurants/Entries/2010/3/22_eric_skokan.html">Eric Skokan</a>, the owner of Black Cat Farm and <a href="http://www.blackcatboulder.com/">Black Cat Farm Table Bistro</a>.<br /><br />Episode 3, as you will see, takes place in Eric's bistro kitchen where he talks us through preparing a bistro meal with produce from his farm.<input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>Louise Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14401130779255847329noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7219289479399810541.post-78489546947510283352010-07-05T10:46:00.000-07:002010-08-23T13:32:24.802-07:00Hello Readers,<br />I'll be on vacation from July 4th.<br />Enjoy my most recent posts or scroll down the right-hand sidebar to "Blog Archive" and peruse posts from previous months and last year.<br />Happy summer!<br />Louise<br /><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>Louise Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14401130779255847329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7219289479399810541.post-7239229773810479872010-07-01T12:50:00.000-07:002010-07-01T16:06:05.567-07:00Roses with Breakfast<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/TCugic24CJI/AAAAAAAACHg/dtsy9f8La8I/s1600/Roses.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 299px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/TCugic24CJI/AAAAAAAACHg/dtsy9f8La8I/s320/Roses.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488657084603435154" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">This morning, on my way to breakfast with friends, I popped into my local Whole Foods Market where I noticed the most glorious bunches of roses.</span><br /><br />The rose colors were so vibrant and splendid; I stopped, pulled my <leo_highlight style="border-bottom: 2px solid rgb(255, 255, 150); background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; cursor: pointer; display: inline; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;" id="leoHighlights_Underline_0" onclick="leoHighlightsHandleClick('leoHighlights_Underline_0')" onmouseover="leoHighlightsHandleMouseOver('leoHighlights_Underline_0')" onmouseout="leoHighlightsHandleMouseOut('leoHighlights_Underline_0')" leohighlights_keywords="iphone" leohighlights_url="http%3A//thebrowserhighlighter.com/leonardo/highlights/keywords?keywords%3Diphone">iphone</leo_highlight> from my bag, took several photos for posterity, and then bought a bunch.<br /><br />Once at my friends, we set the table with our shared bounty, whereupon I was delighted by the likeness of the candy-colored roses I'd brought to the colors in our breakfast spread.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/TCukYmLmmQI/AAAAAAAACH4/78wwPdOZjog/s1600/BrunchFruit4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 257px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/TCukYmLmmQI/AAAAAAAACH4/78wwPdOZjog/s320/BrunchFruit4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488661313354111234" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />There really is nothing more appetizing than fresh, colorful food. Perhaps that's the case because color radiates energy and life, even joy, and certainly beauty.<br /><br />Food that looks beautiful isn't always delicious, but its beauty inspires our desire to taste nevertheless.<br /><br />Many years ago, I became quite intoxicated by the rich hue of Chinese-red roses. I bought a bunch, not for the purpose of beautifying my home, but to eat.<br /><br />I plucked the petals from the buds and tossed them into a large jam pot with water, sugar, and rose water. Well on the way to making rose-petal jelly, my hope was that I'd create a floral jelly rich in color, scent and flavor.<br /><br />Alas, my jelly was a flop, but don't let my failure deter you. I'm <a href="http://joannasfood.blogspot.com/2007/07/rose-petal-jelly.html">linking here to a recipe</a> that is very straightforward and simple. Try it for yourself and see if you can create a batch of rose petal jelly that rivals the beauty of the rose on the stem -- and do let me know how you get on!<br /><br />Rose petals not only make heavenly jelly, but you can also eat the petals. Last summer I plucked velvety, ruby-red petals from buds and used them <a href="http://markettomouth.blogspot.com/2009/08/stuffed-squash-blossoms-strawbs-with.html">as garnish on a dessert plate</a> of wild strawberries, Colorado peaches, yogurt and honey.<br /><br />Steep <a href="http://markettomouth.blogspot.com/2009/09/tea-from-garden.html">lavender and rose petals in hot water with black tea </a>for a delectable cuppa; you can also add rose petals to green salads for interest, color, and as a talking point!<br /><br />And did you know that rose petals ground with a little water into a gelatinous paste, then molded into tiny balls, and then dried, are the original <span style="font-style: italic;">rosary</span> beads?<br /><br />Ah, the versatile rose, so beautiful, you just want to eat them -- and indeed you can, though today, I just gazed at them over breakfast.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" 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</script></span><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>Louise Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14401130779255847329noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7219289479399810541.post-37690662420041637342010-06-29T11:05:00.001-07:002010-07-01T15:37:57.250-07:00Herb & Pesto Polenta with Salmon & Eggs<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/TCo2cs25rjI/AAAAAAAACHY/mD5fHHMW0Q4/s1600/SalmonPolenta+004.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/TCo2cs25rjI/AAAAAAAACHY/mD5fHHMW0Q4/s320/SalmonPolenta+004.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488258962610040370" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://markettomouth.blogspot.com/2010/06/tumeric-chicken-with-purple-spring.html">A couple of weeks ago</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> I mentioned a friend had come to visit and brought with her treats from the northwest where she lives.</span><br /><br />One of those treats was a bottle of marionberry spread, which I wrote about in my post titled <a href="http://markettomouth.blogspot.com/2010/06/marionberry-rhubarb-with-cashewnut.html">Marionberry Rhubarb with CashewNut Cream</a>.<br /><br />Another of the treats was an 8-ounce pack of locally caught, wild king salmon (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinook_salmon">also known as Chinook salmon</a>) which she'd bought direct from the fisherman who'd smoked it with maple and wine.<br /><br />That's one of the advantages of living in the Pacific Northwest: access to just-caught, wild fresh fish, and in particular, Chinook salmon.<br /><br />In the July issue of O Magazine, which <a href="http://markettomouth.blogspot.com/2010/06/what-are-you-eating.html">I mentioned last week</a> because of the 10-page spread on extreme dietary choices, there is a "tip box" on the page featuring a woman who is a pescavore (eats only seafood).<br /><br />The first tip in the box is "Download a <a href="http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/cr_seafoodwatch/sfw_recommendations.aspx">Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch pocket guide</a> for best picks, fish to avoid and good alternatives."<br /><br />I've linked to<a href="http://markettomouth.blogspot.com/2009/07/becoming-seafood-sustainability.html"> that guide, and others like it</a>, many times on this blog. And the reason I've done so is to alert readers to easily-accessible, online resources that can help them make healthy and sustainable seafood choices when grocery shopping.<br /><br />Because I'm posting a meal idea making use of the wild caught Chinook salmon my friend Judi gave me, I went onto Seafood Watch's website to see what they had to say about salmon, and I saw the heading <a href="http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/cr_seafoodwatch/sfw_whatsnew.aspx">Updated West Coast Salmon Recommendations</a>.<br /><br />Seafood Watch is recommending consumers avoid wild caught salmon from California and Oregon due to the declining populations of Chinook salmon in these states.<br /><br />Whereas wild caught salmon from Alaska remains the best choice and good alternatives are wild caught salmon from Washington (which is what Judi gave me) and northern Oregon.<br /><br />Last summer, I took a friend's husband grocery shopping. Bruce is an introvert and he wanted some tips on navigating Whole Foods Market on a budget and without going into overwhelm. It was <a href="http://markettomouth.blogspot.com/2009/07/becoming-seafood-sustainability.html">Bruce who introduced me to Seafood Watch's pocket guide.<br /></a><br />I was very impressed that he made specific seafood choices for his family based on the guide and I decided if he can do it, I can too, and so can you. <a href="http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/cr_seafoodwatch/sfw_recommendations.aspx">Read the guide online</a>, print it out, and keep it on hand when next grocery shopping.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Herb Polenta with Pesto, Salmon & Eggs</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1)</span> To make the polenta base (which is underneath the pesto and salmon in the top pic), pour 1 cup of polenta into a pot with 2 cups water and 2 cups half and half. Gently stir off-and-on for about 30 mins over a low heat.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2) </span>At the last minute, toss your choice of grated cheese and stir until the cheese melts. Taste test, adding salt and pepper if you wish.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3)</span> If you have herbs growing in your garden or window box, pick a handful. I chose parsley, marjoram, and chives, chopped them coarsely, and then tossed them into the cooked polenta.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">4)</span> Now pour the polenta into an oil-lined pan or baking tray and let it set.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">5) </span>Once it has set and is cool, turn polenta onto a plate and spread it with pesto. I had some <a href="http://markettomouth.blogspot.com/2010/06/meatless-monday_21.html">garlic scape pesto</a> left over so I used that.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">To Serve:</span> Break into pieces about 3 ounces or more, depending on the number of people eating, of smoked salmon and spread the bits atop the herb and pesto polenta. I dotted some sliced black olives over the lot, and then garnished the plate with a couple of sliced, hard-boiled eggs.<br /><br />One cup of cooked polenta made the portion in the top pic, which I cut in two, sharing it with a friend with a side salad of <a href="http://markettomouth.blogspot.com/2010/06/garlic-dressed-salad-greens.html">garden-fresh greens</a>.<br /><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>Louise Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14401130779255847329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7219289479399810541.post-31314661886122972232010-06-28T08:25:00.001-07:002010-06-28T15:24:45.457-07:00Meatless Monday<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/TCi-6YMdYlI/AAAAAAAACGw/KrOrtAVKfCI/s1600/StuffedBlossoms.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 250px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/TCi-6YMdYlI/AAAAAAAACGw/KrOrtAVKfCI/s320/StuffedBlossoms.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487846056087347794" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />This morning when I was in the garden, I noticed the pumpkin blossoms blooming (below).</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/TCi_L8bFa2I/AAAAAAAACHI/JT8vesq-gWs/s1600/Backyard+007.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/TCi_L8bFa2I/AAAAAAAACHI/JT8vesq-gWs/s200/Backyard+007.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487846357870144354" border="0" /></a>It was just this past weekend that I commented on a series of pictures of harvested squash and their blossoms posted by my Facebook friend, British actress and author,<a href="http://www.caroldrinkwater.com/"> Carol Drinkwater</a>.<br /><br />Carol and her husband have an olive farm above Nice, in the dry Mediterranean climate of the south of France. There they grow olives--which produce award-winning olive oil--farm bees, and harvest produce from their vegetable garden.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/TCjHFYt_VeI/AAAAAAAACHQ/NW9H1n_klqg/s1600/Backyard+006.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 126px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/TCjHFYt_VeI/AAAAAAAACHQ/NW9H1n_klqg/s200/Backyard+006.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487855041299568098" border="0" /></a>The growing season is obviously longer in the south of France since the pictures Carol posted of the squash from her garden reveal large, ready-to-eat squash, versus the just-budding pumpkin growing in the <a href="http://markettomouth.blogspot.com/2010/05/garden-fresh-lunch.html">Colorado garden I'm care-taking.</a><br /><br />Pumpkins, which are actually a gourd-like squash, produce the same edible yellow flowers as the zucchini, a summer squash.<br /><br />Last August, when house sitting another property, an urban farm with a huge vegetable garden, <a href="http://markettomouth.blogspot.com/2009/08/stuffed-squash-blossoms-strawbs-with.html">I wrote about preparing squash blossoms </a>for a series of garden-to-table vegetarian side dishes.<br /><br />Seeing Carol's pictures this weekend on Facebook, and then noting the pumpkin blossoms in the garden this morning, I thought I'd reprint a variation on my recipe for stuffed squash blossoms for this week's <a href="http://www.meatlessmonday.com/">Meatless Monday</a> all-vegetarian meal idea.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/TCi_LW-CmKI/AAAAAAAACHA/WjSLBT0942w/s1600/Backyard+005.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/TCi_LW-CmKI/AAAAAAAACHA/WjSLBT0942w/s200/Backyard+005.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487846347816212642" border="0" /></a>Lining the platter of cooked blossoms (pic at top) are nasturtium leaves and their flowers.<br /><br />To the left are nasturtiums growing in the garden.<br /><br />Both the <a href="http://herb-gardens.suite101.com/article.cfm/nasturtiums">nasturtium leaves and the flowers are edible</a> and they're easy to grow, even in a window box! (Or find them at your local farmer's market.)<br /><br />The leaves have a delicate peppery flavor, and the flowers look amazing tossed into a simple green salad because of their bright orange, yellowy-red color (pic at very top). <div><br /></div><div>(The pink flowers in the pic just above are not nasturtium flowers.)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Stuffed Squash Blossoms with Nasturtium Leaf Salad</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1)</span> If you have access to a vegetable garden, that's probably the most likely place you'll find squash blossoms (or your local farmer's market). Pick blossoms which are open and healthy looking.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2)</span> In the kitchen, gently cut the stamen out from inside the blossom.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3)</span> Wash blossom of dirt and little bugs. (You can of course leave the bugs in the blossom; they'll add to the mineral and protein content of this vegetarian dish!) Set blossoms aside.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">4)</span> Into a bowl crumble about a cup or so of cornbread. If you made my <a href="http://markettomouth.blogspot.com/2010/06/rhubarb-with-duckegg-cornbread.html">DuckEgg cornbread</a>, use stale leftovers. Or you could use stale bread crumbs or leftover cooked rice.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">5) </span>To the bowl, add your choice of grated vegetable, such as carrot or zucchini, perhaps some green onion, and some fresh herbs i.e. basil and oregano, or sage and thyme, or parsley and cilantro -- a mix of your favorite herbs.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">6) </span>Add one large or two small eggs to the mix, stirring gently so the stuffing binds. If mixture is sloppy, add more grain or crumbs.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Note:</span> As you can see in the pic at top, my stuffing was too wet and so it oozed out of the blossoms. To avoid this, make sure your stuffing is firm, one large, rather than two small eggs, may be plenty.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">7) </span>You might also like to add your choice of grated cheese, i.e. Parmesan.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">8) </span>Take a small teaspoon of stuffing and place it into the center of each blossom. As you stuff each blossom, curl the end so that the blossom is sealed; now place it on a baking tray and moisten with a little olive oil.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">9)</span> Place baking tray of stuffed blossoms into heated 350-degree oven for about 10-15 mins. Keep and eye on the blossoms, you don't want them to overcook, but you do want the stuffing to set.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">To Serve:</span> Decorate a serving platter with nasturtium leaves and nasturtium flowers. Using an egg spatula, gently arrange the hot, stuffed blossoms in the center of the platter.<br /><br />To a bowl of <a href="http://markettomouth.blogspot.com/2010/06/garlic-dressed-salad-greens.html">Garlic Dressed Salad Greens</a> add a couple handfuls of nasturtium leaves and a handful of the edible flowers, toss, and serve salad alongside your platter of stuffed squash blossoms.<br /><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div></div>Louise Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14401130779255847329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7219289479399810541.post-65259570170085188372010-06-24T11:15:00.000-07:002010-06-24T16:57:23.797-07:00What Are You Eating?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/TCPD_G8soUI/AAAAAAAACGA/UkPjIG59TaE/s1600/PeaGreens+002.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/TCPD_G8soUI/AAAAAAAACGA/UkPjIG59TaE/s320/PeaGreens+002.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486444260031766850" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The July issue of <a href="http://www.oprah.com/omagazine.html">O Magazine</a> features a 10-page spread titled "What Are You Eating." </span><br /><br />Within those 10 pages are the preferred diets of 10 individuals.<br /><br />Ranging from a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fruitarianism">fruitarian</a> to an all-day grazer of junk food, from a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnivore">carnivore</a> who prefers to hunt and kill his own meat to an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omnivore">omnivore</a> with an appetite for just about anything, the diets are extreme.<br /><br />The article is worth reading for the shock factor. Apparently some people eat what they eat quite happily and for valid personal reasons -- like the guy who lives on bread, steak and cereal because nothing else tastes good to him!<br /><br />Whether the 10 (and others like them) are <span style="font-style: italic;">healthy </span>eating what they're eating is highly questionable, but that's another article.<br /><br />When I finished reading "What Are You Eating," I realized Market to Mouth probably looks and reads as though I'm one of those people who are, quote, "making it hard to feel good about eating anymore ... that subset of -<span style="font-style: italic;">arian</span>, -<span style="font-style: italic;">vores</span>, and -i<span style="font-style: italic;">sts</span> who eat not just thoughtfully but righteously."<br /><br />I confess to being very thoughtful about the food I buy, cook and eat (or this past month, the food I pick from the garden to cook and eat). Though hopefully, I'm not righteous about it; I certainly wouldn't want to make readers feel guilty about what they're eating or not eating.<br /><br />Being a thoughtful and conscious consumer of locally grown and produced whole, unprocessed food reaps dividends; the most obvious is the benefit to one's health, and then the benefit to the economic and sustainable health of one's community.<br /><br />For these reasons, I feel very good about consuming and eating thoughtfully and with a conscience.<br /><br />With that in mind, today's thoughtful meal idea comes, once again, from the garden to the table.<br /><br />However, it's not exactly a meal, but rather a delicious side of unusual edibles: snap-pea greens and garlic scapes, both of which I've included in a number of posts in recent weeks.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/TCPQ9Jr4WpI/AAAAAAAACGQ/_5xDKZhh2CY/s1600/PeaGreens+001.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/TCPQ9Jr4WpI/AAAAAAAACGQ/_5xDKZhh2CY/s200/PeaGreens+001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486458520057961106" border="0" /></a>In fact, it was this past Meatless Monday that I posted a recipe for pasta with <a href="http://markettomouth.blogspot.com/2010/06/meatless-monday_21.html">Garlic Scape Pesto</a> garnished with pea greens (pic to left).<br /><br />I still have some of the pesto in the fridge and I've been using it to dress salads, and as a paste on crackers with cheese and olives.<br /><br />Garlic scapes (pic below) have a strong garlic - onion flavor when raw, but gently sauteed or roasted in the oven tossed in a little oil, they're not as pungent.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/TCPUxUHXHuI/AAAAAAAACGo/Ycmdd6ml8UI/s1600/GarlicScapes.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 192px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/TCPUxUHXHuI/AAAAAAAACGo/Ycmdd6ml8UI/s200/GarlicScapes.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486462714745659106" border="0" /></a>The leaves, shoots and flowers of the snap peas are sweet and tender and taste just like raw snap peas.<br /><br />Find scapes and snap-pea greens at your local farmer's market and then toss washed and coarsely chopped scapes into a skillet with butter and saute until just soft.<br /><br />Toss washed snap pea greens over the scapes, gently stir for a minute or until the leaves wilt slightly. Season to taste.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">To Serve:</span> Spoon wilted greens into a serving bowl. Add a dollop of sour cream. Eat as a side with pasta or baked potato and or as accompaniment to fish or poultry.<br /><br /><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>Louise Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14401130779255847329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7219289479399810541.post-83387384754772479972010-06-23T07:06:00.001-07:002010-06-23T12:42:18.097-07:00Marionberry Rhubarb with CashewNut Cream<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/TCIWKs_53MI/AAAAAAAACF4/_nhJHD_2QX8/s1600/RhubarbMarrionberries+002.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 250px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/TCIWKs_53MI/AAAAAAAACF4/_nhJHD_2QX8/s320/RhubarbMarrionberries+002.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485971669224381634" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://markettomouth.blogspot.com/2010/06/tumeric-chicken-with-purple-spring.html">Last Friday</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> I mentioned a friend had arrived for a visit. And with her, she brought a bag of goodies including a jar of Oregon </span><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.gotjam.com/webfront/products/oregon-homemade-jam-products.php?products1=1&page=home">marionberry spread</a><span style="font-weight: bold;">.</span><br /><br />As it turned out, I didn't open the spread while she was here. Instead, this morning I plucked some stems of <a href="http://markettomouth.blogspot.com/2010/06/savory-green-rhubarb-with-goat-cheese.html">green rhubarb from the garden</a>, stewed them, adding the marionberry spread to create a beautiful, ruby-red compote for breakfast.<br /><br />The <a href="http://www.rhubarbinfo.com/rhubarb-varieties.html">green variety of rhubarb</a> stays green upon cooking, in fact, a rather unappetizing green so the addition of the dark burgundy berry spread added desirable color.<br /><br />While at Whole Foods a few days ago, I noticed locally grown, organic red rhubarb in the produce section. At $6.99 lb it was priced high -- a luxury item for most.<br /><br />I haven't compared that price to our local farmer's market, but if you're looking for rhubarb, that might be a more budget-friendly option.<br /><br />The marionberry spread had no added sugar and like the rhubarb it's tart (though the green variety of rhubarb is actually a bit sweeter than the red varietal).<br /><br />Rather than add sugar to my compote, I tossed in chunks of apple for sweetness and topped the lot with cashew nut cream and swirls of honey.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Marionberry Rhubarb with CashewNut Cream</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1) </span>Wash and peel 4 stalks of rhubarb. When I peel the stalks, I just remove the most fibrous sinews. If you remove all the outer fiber from the stalks, there's not much left, so go easy with the peeling.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2)</span> Chop rhubarb into chunks, toss into a pot, and add just enough water to cover the rhubarb.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3)</span> Simmer over low heat for about 10 mins.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">4)</span> Add either a cup of your favorite fresh or frozen summer berries, i.e. blueberries, raspberries, strawberries or a heaped tablespoon of a dark fruit, sugarless spread. Stir the fruit or spread through the rhubarb until it's well blended.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">5)</span> Remove pot from the stove and add chopped chunks of apple.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">CashewNut Cream</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1)</span> Toss a large handful of raw cashew nuts into a blender. Add hot filtered water, just enough to cover the nuts.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2)</span> Blend the nuts and water until creamy. Add more water if you'd prefer a smoother cream.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3)</span> Taste test. If you like the flavor as is, great, and if you'd prefer an enhanced flavor consider adding a dash of vanilla or some cinnamon or a slug of maple syrup.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Note:</span> Simply by adding water and blending, cashew nuts turn incredibly creamy. Other nuts don't blend to the same smooth consistency, but don't let that stop you swapping out cashew nuts for say, pecans or almonds.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">To Serve:</span> Ladle a portion of the fruit compote into a bowl. Top with a heaped spoonful of the cashew nut cream and swirls of honey or maple syrup.<br /><br />If you're eating this for breakfast, as I did, and you'd prefer a heartier start to your day, spoon the fruit compote, nut cream and honey over a bowl of hot oatmeal and finish it with some whole, raw cashews.<br /><br /><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>Louise Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14401130779255847329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7219289479399810541.post-80127098143855061172010-06-21T09:22:00.000-07:002010-06-21T11:14:41.150-07:00Meatless Monday<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/TB-UvKdVfnI/AAAAAAAACFw/Cr5bD4z_YTk/s1600/GarlicScapePestoPics+005.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/TB-UvKdVfnI/AAAAAAAACFw/Cr5bD4z_YTk/s320/GarlicScapePestoPics+005.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485266409142713970" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">One thing that happens when you have access to a garden filled with a selection of spring greens, herbs, and onions is innovation in the kitchen.</span><br /><br />Though the garden I'm tending while house sitting doesn't have basil growing, it does have parsley, spinach (and lots of other leafy greens) plus a selection of onions, including garlic.<br /><br />The garlic, busily forming underground into the bulb we recognize, is also sprouting long green shoots above ground. These green shoots grow into curly tendrils that look quite exotic (see slide show below).<br /><br />And what I discovered via a Facebook friend is that those exotic-looking tendrils are called <a href="http://blog.washingtonpost.com/mighty-appetite/2006/06/my_friend_the_garlic_scape_1.html">garlic scapes</a> and they're delicious cooked or eaten raw in say, a pesto.<br /><br />The scape's flavor is a cross between garlic and the<a href="http://markettomouth.blogspot.com/2010/06/tumeric-chicken-with-purple-spring.html"> purple spring onions</a> I posted about last Friday.<br /><br />Because I find raw garlic highly pungent, when I blended the scapes into the pesto sauce I made yesterday, I added equal portions of both spinach and parsley.<br /><br />Whenever I make traditional pesto with basil, garlic, Parmesan and nuts, I toss in a handful of parsley. The chlorophyll in the parsley helps counteract the heat of the garlic and it balances out the highly aromatic basil.<br /><br />And having made a batch of garlic scape pesto, naturally it lent itself to a <a href="http://www.meatlessmonday.com/">Meatless Monday</a> pasta dish! <br /><br />If you want to try your hand at today's meatless meal, and you don't have garlic scapes in your veggie garden, look for them at your local farmer's market.<br /><br />Follow the slide show and method recipe below to make:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pasta with Garlic Scape Pesto</span><br /><br /><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzj-gmClHcYPqA96S3ofYqbKY83j1YThyau59PlzZc1LDQa6oraCzzA3JQDdoPR-584wcQsVXMsEnntKGmpdA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1)</span> Wash about 4-6 scapes, and a small handful each of spinach and parsley. Drain.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2)</span> Put scapes and greens into a blender with about 3/4 of a cup of olive oil.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3)</span> Pulse until the oil and greens and blended, then add several tablespoons of grated Parmesan and pulse again.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">4)</span> Taste test. Add salt and pepper if you wish, and a splash of lemon or lime juice.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Optional:</span> Rather than salt the pesto, you could add a squirt of anchovy paste or even several anchovy fillets and a bit of the oil from the tin. <br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">5)</span> Boil your choice of pasta. Drain, and then run colander under the hot water tap and flush out starchy water. Return pasta pot the stove, stir for a minute over low heat to dry pasta.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">6)</span> Away from the hot plate, stir pesto through pasta.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">To Serve:</span> Pour pesto pasta into a large serving bowl. Decorate the top with black olives. I garnished the edge of the bowl with <a href="http://markettomouth.blogspot.com/2010/06/garlic-dressed-salad-greens.html">snap-pea greens</a> and the white, edible flowers attached to the greens. <br /><br />With the pasta, I served a large <a href="http://markettomouth.blogspot.com/2010/06/garlic-dressed-salad-greens.html">garden salad</a>, the one I posted last week, though I omitted the garlic from the dressing since the garlic scapes in the pesto was sufficient garlic for one meal.<br /><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>Louise Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14401130779255847329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7219289479399810541.post-5076896848230759482010-06-18T09:33:00.001-07:002010-06-18T13:44:19.124-07:00Tumeric Chicken with Purple Spring Onion<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/TBukMMiw1pI/AAAAAAAACFY/btedM7V8O9I/s1600/Judi%27sDinner+006.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 192px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/TBukMMiw1pI/AAAAAAAACFY/btedM7V8O9I/s320/Judi%27sDinner+006.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484157500686128786" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />One of the joys of having friends to stay, especially friends who enjoy pottering about in the kitchen, is the likelihood of eating a meal they've prepared.</span><br /><br />And that's just what happened last night, when a friend of mine flew in from out of town for a visit.<br /><br />Judi, who lives in the northwest, arrived with a bag of locally-grown goodies: Seattle's very own organic and fair trade <a href="http://www.theochocolate.com/">Theo Chocolate</a>, wild king salmon, that she'd bought direct from the fisherman who'd smoked it with wine and maple, and <a href="http://www.gotjam.com/webfront/products/oregon-homemade-jam-products.php?products1=1&page=home">Misty Meadows Marionberry Spread</a>.<br /><br />I've never had marionberries. According to Misty Meadow's website, marrionberries are from the Willematte Valley in Oregon, and they're of the "cane berry family" and have a "clear fruity flavor."<br /><br />Apparently, marrionberry pie is an Oregon favorite, as is warming the jam and pouring it over ice cream. I'm excited to smother the jam over a chunk of my <a href="http://markettomouth.blogspot.com/2010/06/rhubarb-with-duckegg-cornbread.html">DuckEgg Cornbread</a>, which I plan to make for our breakfast this weekend.<br /><br />I thought we might have the wild king salmon for dinner. Wrapped in it's cryovac pack, the exquisite color of the salmon, it's obvious succulence, and the wine and maple smoking veritably screamed out to me: eat me now!<br /><br />However, Judi insisted that I keep it for later; she'd picked up some <a href="http://markettomouth.blogspot.com/2010/06/chicken-with-chives-peppers-artichoke.html">"natural" chicken</a> (there's that nebulous labeling again) and had an idea for cooking it up with vegetables from the garden.<br /><br />Of course any ideas she had for cooking dinner were fine with me, since I was thrilled at the prospect of eating a meal prepared by someone other than myself!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/TBugxdaiqhI/AAAAAAAACEw/sLtmNUsH29Q/s1600/Judi%27sDinner+009.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/TBugxdaiqhI/AAAAAAAACEw/sLtmNUsH29Q/s200/Judi%27sDinner+009.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484153742823696914" border="0" /></a>I let her fossick in the veggie garden and after a while she came in with purple spring onions, which once washed, peeled and trimmed are really quite beautiful (pic to left).<br /><br />She'd also collected kale and turnips (both of which are abundant right now and thus they've been appearing in all my blog meals of late), and cilantro and parsley.<br /><br />I was interested to see what Judi would create with ingredients I've been cooking with these last couple of weeks.<br /><br />Here is what I observed, and then ate with gusto:<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Turmeric Chicken with Purple Spring Onion</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1) </span>Wash, peel, trim and cut into pieces one large purple spring onion. (You'll be able to find these at your local farmer's market.)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2) </span>Toss spring onion in a skillet with some oil; saute gently on low until transparent.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3)</span> Add about a teaspoon of turmeric; stir into onion.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">4) </span>Over the turmeric onions lay several boned chicken thighs; stir about so that the meat is well coated with turmeric.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">5) </span>Having washed and coarsely chopped a handful each of parsley and cilantro sprinkle over the chicken (pic at top).<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">6) </span>Squeeze the juice of half a lemon over the lot, place the lid on the skillet and with the heat still on low; allow the chicken to gently cook in its own juices for about 15 or so mins.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/TBu3WYrsjSI/AAAAAAAACFo/_wn_spRR29I/s1600/Judi%27sDinner+003.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/TBu3WYrsjSI/AAAAAAAACFo/_wn_spRR29I/s200/Judi%27sDinner+003.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484178566464441634" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">To Serve:</span> We had our turmeric chicken over a bed of sauteed turnips, turnip greens, kale and carrots (pic to left and below).<br /><br />Judi did what I've doing with the garden greens and simply washed, drained and chopped the vegetables, tossing them into a second skillet with peeled and chopped fresh ginger and olive oil.<br /><br />She then allowed the veggies to wilt over a med-to-low heat, adding a dash of rice wine vinegar at the last minute to bring out the natural flavor of the vegetables.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/TBu2593aIsI/AAAAAAAACFg/lOTFlXxhA10/s1600/Judi%27sDinner+004.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/TBu2593aIsI/AAAAAAAACFg/lOTFlXxhA10/s200/Judi%27sDinner+004.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484178078229471938" border="0" /></a>Because the color of the turmeric chicken was a rich yellow, sitting atop an ample portion of the wilted greens, turnip and carrot, the variegation of colors in the meal was quite spectacular.<br /><br />To finish, Judi sprinkled some chopped, raw almonds over the chicken and this added crunch and texture.<div><br /></div><div>You might prefer to serve your turmeric chicken with the<a href="http://markettomouth.blogspot.com/2010/06/garlic-dressed-salad-greens.html"> Garlic-Dressed Salad Greens</a> I posted recently; this would be a lighter though equally satisfying meal.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FYI:</span> I posted a note on Facebook regarding my lack of success sourcing organic and free-range chicken meat in Boulder County. In response, Edible Front Range directed me to their online <a href="http://www.ediblecommunities.com/frontrange/local-resources/efr-resource-guide-2009.htm">resource page</a>.<br /><br />I checked it out, and indeed, they've put together an extensive list of all that's locally grown, including poultry that's organic, truly free-range and humanely farmed.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.ediblecommunities.com/content/">Edible</a> is published regionally, so check out your local publication for links and connections to the best locally grown produce, meat, dairy, poultry and eggs.<br /><br /><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div></div>Louise Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14401130779255847329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7219289479399810541.post-56720975203954402192010-06-17T07:46:00.001-07:002010-06-24T11:13:51.891-07:00Salmon with Steamed Cucumber & Turnips<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/TBo1lEH8lII/AAAAAAAACDw/ELd22TvNGME/s1600/SalmonInFoil+002.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/TBo1lEH8lII/AAAAAAAACDw/ELd22TvNGME/s320/SalmonInFoil+002.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483754407155504258" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I have this nifty way of cooking fish on top of the stove so that there is minimal fuss and mess and no fishy smell.</span><br /><br />As you may be aware, reading my posts, I do a lot of stove-top cooking, sauteing and steaming meals in an iron skillet.<br /><br />I prefer <a href="http://markettomouth.blogspot.com/2009/09/skillet-meals-with-chicken.html">my cast iron skillet</a> over other fry pans because it's solid and versatile.<br /><br />And since iron skillets are absent plastic handles and heat-sensitive non-stick surfaces, they can go from the top of the stove into the oven with ease.<br /><br />A couple of weeks ago, I posted a recipe for <a href="http://markettomouth.blogspot.com/2010/06/rhubarb-with-duckegg-cornbread.html">DuckEgg Cornbread</a>, which I baked in the oven in a skillet lined with foil.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/TBpL-iTXqdI/AAAAAAAACEA/E1KADXTgKkU/s1600/SalmonInFoil+004.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/TBpL-iTXqdI/AAAAAAAACEA/E1KADXTgKkU/s200/SalmonInFoil+004.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483779034009020882" border="0" /></a>The salmon in today's meal idea is also cooked in foil in a skillet (with lid on), but on top of the stove rather than in the oven.<br /><br />The fish gently steam cooks in its marinade (pic to left), and because it's enclosed in foil, I can toss vegetables around the skillet and they'll cook separately but at the same time (pic below).<br /><br />The beauty of this method is that I can prepare a complete meal (for two) in one pan, without the fish flavor and smells permeating the vegetables, the pan and the kitchen!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/TBpL_NGTuiI/AAAAAAAACEI/Kwgd1bA662c/s1600/SalmonInFoil+016.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/TBpL_NGTuiI/AAAAAAAACEI/Kwgd1bA662c/s200/SalmonInFoil+016.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483779045496961570" border="0" /></a>I chose to make this dish with <a href="http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/SeafoodWatch/web/sfw_factsheet.aspx?gid=17">wild-caught Sockeye salmon</a>, which I'd bought frozen -- two fillets to a pack.<br /><br />The frozen variety is economical, yet the flavor is not always great, so I usually marinade previously frozen fish.<br /><br />For the vegetables, I picked <a href="http://markettomouth.blogspot.com/2010/06/baby-turnip-greens-lacinato-kale.html">turnips and their leafy-green tops from the garden</a>, some organic carrots at the bottom of the fridge, and an organic cucumber I'd picked up on sale at the market.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Salmon with Steamed Cucumber</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">& Turnips</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1)</span> Place your choice of fish on top of a piece of foil (enough to wrap around the fish).<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2)</span> Over the fish drizzle some olive oil, <a href="http://bragg.com/products/bragg-liquid-aminos-soy-alternative.html">Braggs Liquid Aminos</a> or Tamari or Soy Sauce.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3)</span> Add to that a chunk of peeled and chopped ginger root, and the same of garlic or green onions or shallots. And you might like to also add a splash of orange or lemon juice.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">4)</span> Allow the fish to sit in the marinade in the foil for at least 30 mins.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">5)</span> Meanwhile, wash and chop a selection of vegetables. As I mention above, I used baby turnips, and their green tops, carrot, and cucumber.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Note:</span> We think of cucumber as a salad vegetable, but it's wonderful cooked; it turns transparent, soft and juicy, while still maintaining its distinct cucumber flavor.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">6)</span> Now turn the fish over in the foil a few times, coating it with the marinade. Fold the foil over the fish, creating a sealed packet (see pic above), and then place the foil pack in the center of the skillet.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">7)</span> Scatter the chopped veggies around the fish, and if you have any more ginger bits, scatter those over the vegetables; drizzle a couple tablespoons water and oil over the veggies too.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">7) </span>Put a lid on the skillet and turn the stove-top heat to low and allow the fish and veggies to gently steam for about 10-15 mins.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">To Serve:</span> Onto a plate or large bowl, spoon a portion of vegetables. Unwrap the foil, gently lift the fish out with an egg lifter and place it over the veggies. Pour the juice, ginger and garlic bits from the foil over the fish. Garnish with chives or green onions or parsley or dill.<br /><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>Louise Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14401130779255847329noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7219289479399810541.post-60887671540074089222010-06-16T09:01:00.001-07:002010-06-16T19:30:29.666-07:00Garlic Dressed Salad Greens<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/TBj25xAbO7I/AAAAAAAACDo/pggjQXDVtec/s1600/SalmonInFoil+013.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 255px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/TBj25xAbO7I/AAAAAAAACDo/pggjQXDVtec/s320/SalmonInFoil+013.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483404018591677362" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">While </span><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://markettomouth.blogspot.com/2010/06/grow-your-own.html">I have access to a bounty of garden-fresh</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> salad greens, daily, I'm creating different and interesting ways to eat them.</span><br /><br />I used to think the loose salad mix at the market was tasty and good value; at around $6.99 pound, I could buy a big bag and make it last a few days.<br /><br />Once spring arrives, the locally-grown farmer's market loose salad mix offers greater variety, and thus flavor, for similar dollar value.<br /><br />If the garden on the property I'm care-taking wasn't bursting with spring greens, I'd definitely shop my local farmer's market for salad greens.<br /><br />Or I'd consider <a href="http://markettomouth.blogspot.com/2010/06/grow-your-own.html">growing my own</a>!<br /><br />For some, a green salad's yum factor is dependent on the selection and flavor of the leaves. For others, it's the dressing.<br /><br />I like a combination of both interesting greens and tasty dressing. And while I understand the convenience of the myriad of bottled dressings available at the market, there is nothing more delicious than unadulterated home-made vinaigrette.<br /><br />I say unadulterated because if you read the labels on store-bought dressings, such as a simple vinaigrette, you'll note that the list of ingredients includes a whole lot more than oil and vinegar!<br /><br />It's really very easy to make your own vinaigrette, and rather than use kitchen equipment to do so, consider making it directly in the salad bowl.<br /><br />My mother had a wooden salad bowl which she used especially for making her garlic vinaigrette. Over the years that bowl became infused with the scent of olive oil and garlic and the wood, so well oiled, turned from medium brown to a rich, deep brown.<br /><br />You'll note in the slide show below, that I coarsely chopped a clove of garlic on a wooden cutting board first. I then added a pinch of salt and chopped the garlic some more, sliding the flat side of the knife back and forth across the garlic to create a paste, and then chopping some more.<br /><br />Using the knife, I then scooped the garlic paste into my wooden salad bowl.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Garlic Dressed Salad Greens</span><br /><br /><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyzYzMCWZ2wBqvbIClK0wh53nuqZGjJrd3KbKldonD1Mk_SxcPHyeQQHmMW4qNPoEVIh1yAgocrC36WHYn2_w' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1)</span> Wash and drain (or run through a salad spinner) a selection of your favorite salad greens. In the pic at top, you'll see that I chose tender young spinach, red lettuce, red beet leaves, iceberg lettuce, and <a href="http://markettomouth.blogspot.com/2010/05/lamb-with-baby-turnips-pea-greens.html">sweet snap-pea greens</a>.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2)</span> On a chopping board, chop a clove of garlic coarsely, as I describe above. Place the garlic paste in a wooden bowl and pour in 2-3 tablespoons of a good quality virgin olive oil, and a tablespoon of good quality balsamic vinegar.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3)</span> With the back of a wooden spoon, work the garlic into the oil and vinegar.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">4) </span>Taste test. Given that a pinch or two of salt went over garlic to create the paste, additional salt is probably not necessary, but you might find it needs some ground black pepper, or a splash of lemon juice. You could add a drop of honey or a pinch of sugar which will tone down the tartness of the lemon and or vinegar.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">5)</span> Toss in your selection of greens and gently toss with wooden salad utensils.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">6) </span> Once tossed, I added some lavender-colored <a href="http://cc-calendula.blogspot.com/2006/06/using-chive-flowers_03.html">chive flowers</a> and the white flowers from the sugar snap-pea greens.<br /><br />Edible flowers are such pretty garnishes in a green salad plus they add flavor.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">To Serve:</span> Spoon salad onto white plates; the white showcases the color of the salad so beautifully. Make sure some of the edible flowers are visible on top since this adds interest and eye-appeal.<input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>Louise Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14401130779255847329noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7219289479399810541.post-64796243882052412492010-06-14T09:54:00.000-07:002010-06-15T13:41:41.770-07:00Meatless Monday<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/TBZ7e3y_aVI/AAAAAAAACCo/f5iYqOuuXA0/s1600/MeatlessFlatBread6-14-10+003.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 233px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/TBZ7e3y_aVI/AAAAAAAACCo/f5iYqOuuXA0/s320/MeatlessFlatBread6-14-10+003.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482705366674270546" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">My favorite flatbread at the moment is</span><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.foodforlife.com/sprouted-grain-difference.html#Ezekiel-4-9"> Ezekiel's</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> sprouted grain tortillas. And this <a href="http://www.meatlessmonday.com/">Meatless Monday</a> I used them to create a sensational, vegetarian meal-in-a-sandwich.</span><br /><br />I like the sprouted grain flat-bread because it's moist and chewy and full of chunky bits of sprouted grain, literally! Plus, it's not made from processed flour.<br /><br />Though not gluten-free, the whole grains (including wheat) in the bread are sprouted prior to being made into dough, and it is this process that makes the gluten in the grains more digestible.<br /><br />So with sprouted flatbread on hand, and lots of <a href="http://markettomouth.blogspot.com/2010/06/grow-your-own.html">tender kale leaves in the garden</a>, and fresh herbs, i.e. parsley, mint, flowering chives, I decided to combine mostly raw ingredients for this meal, bar, what I consider this sandwich's piece d' resistance: warm, caramelized onions.<br /><br />Follow the slide show below, and the method recipe below that to make:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Herb Cheese, Kale & Caramelized Onion Flatbread</span><br /><br /><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dw_OgZc18OhZxIDGDoRIMZcyYVGJv7L-nLhGeMQMNC8h0OGKX9TWPhBJUN7H_wCMZVn3iBgVHaMp666Fi1-nA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1)</span> Wash and drain a handful of fresh herbs such as parsley, mint and chives, or parsley, basil and chives or parsley, sage and chives.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2) </span>Place patted-dry herbs into a large cup and chop coarsely with kitchen scissors until.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3)</span> Toss chopped herbs into a bowl; add a heaped spoonful of one of, or a combination of, cream cheese, goat cheese ricotta cheese or any soft, white cheese.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">4) </span>Peel and chop and chunk of cucumber and add that to the bowl, plus a quarter of a soft avocado.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">5)</span> Using a fork, gently mash the ingredients together, maybe add a squeeze of lemon juice, salt and pepper -- test taste to determine whether you want to add the juice and seasoning.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">6)</span> Spread the creamy mix onto one side of a piece of flatbread.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">7)</span> Now peel and slice an onion, adding it to a pan with a chunk of butter and about a teaspoon of brown sugar.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">8)</span> Stir over low heat so that the butter and sugar coat the sliced onion. Put the lid on the pan, and allow the onion to soften -- about 5-7 mins. At the last minute add about a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar; stir it in well. The vinegar will offset the sweetness of the onion while also adding a golden color.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">9) </span>Tear several kale leaves into pieces, and place into a bowl. Pour about a tablespoon of your choice of oil over the kale (I used walnut oil)-- just enough to coat the leaves. Add a pinch of salt, and now work the oil and the salt into the kale with your fingers so that the leaves soften. Add a dash of vinegar or lemon juice.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">To Serve:</span> Layer the kale over the creamy filling on the flatbread, and then top with lots of caramelized onion. Place a second piece of flatbread on top and then using a sharp knife slice the sandwich in four, placing the triangles decoratively on a serving plate.<br /><br />You'll note in the pic at top that I added a couple pieces of sliced tomato for color, though you could add sliced bell peppers, chunks of raw carrot or any number of colorful vegetables. For a decorative garnish, and for fun and interest, I used the flowering chive buds, plus some stem.<input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>Louise Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14401130779255847329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7219289479399810541.post-13710360478363871392010-06-10T12:20:00.001-07:002010-06-11T08:54:10.721-07:00Poached Chicken with Raw Kale Salad<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/TBFAhGoq23I/AAAAAAAACCA/VrPd0OTlhZo/s1600/ChickenKaleSalad+001.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/TBFAhGoq23I/AAAAAAAACCA/VrPd0OTlhZo/s320/ChickenKaleSalad+001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481233158947658610" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />One of my friends teased me about the garden-to-table posts appearing on Market to Mouth this month.</span><br /><br />I think my days <a href="http://markettomouth.blogspot.com/2010/06/grow-your-own.html">care-taking a property </a>with vegetable garden, fruit trees, chicken and ducks is sounding almost too ideal to some.<br /><br />Pottering about the garden this morning, taking pictures of kale, beet leaves, and celery; later taking pics in the kitchen of the meal I'd prepared with those vegetables, while in-between working on the computer, I was aware that right now, I'm living my ideal life.<br /><br />These past two years I've significantly downsized, putting my household effects in storage, renting a small cottage in <a href="http://www.chautauqua.com/">Chautauqua Park</a> during the winter and house-sitting over the summer.<br /><br />A simplified life really does have advantages, especially during these uncertain times. Maybe you've noticed, but it does feel as though the only certainty is change these days, and when one's life is uncluttered, it's much easier to ride the waves of change.<br /><br />And so I'm enjoying my simple life, especially the garden-to-table lifestyle of preparing meals straight from the backyard.<br /><br />Though today's meal idea does include chicken, in fact, the leftover Maverick Farm chicken breasts from the pack I bought and used in yesterday's <a href="http://markettomouth.blogspot.com/2010/06/chicken-with-chives-peppers-artichoke.html">Chicken with Chives, Peppers, Artichoke and Avocado.</a><br /><br />Where yesterday I did a gentle pan fry with the ingredients on hand, today I poached the chicken on a bed of celery and to go with it, I prepared a raw kale salad. To prepare this meal, follow the slide show and method recipe below.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Poached Chicken with Raw Kale Salad</span><br /><br /><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dycyybP7KdLxoDU4_VtI3m4uEq4XK_5dsaX_Y6EUD8fwJwl4SKh-lCc-Mu-_PhK_vIaU2LWhXz33xjGySR8Nw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1)</span> I picked several celery stalks from the garden along with some beet leaves and baby kale leaves. The first slide is celery and the second is red-beet leaves.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2)</span> Find these vegetables and greens at your local farmer's market or <a href="http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/">Whole Foods</a> market or any <a href="http://www.vitamincottage.com/">natural grocers</a>.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3) </span>Wash, drain and cut the celery into small pieces. Toss into a skillet.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">4)</span> Lay chicken breasts atop the chopped celery, and then some parsley atop the chicken, as well as some sliced lemon.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">5)</span> Add about a cup of white wine, or a combination of water and the juice of half a lemon to the skillet.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">6)</span> Place the lid on the skillet and cook on a low heat for about 15 mins or until the chicken is just done.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">7)</span> Using a spatula, remove the chicken breasts from the skillet and place them on a plate.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">8)</span> Pour the contents of the skillet, the celery, parsley and liquid, into a blender. Blend until smooth. And then pour the celery sauce through a strainer onto the plate around the chicken (pic at top).<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Note: </span>For a richer sauce, add roasted cashew nuts to the blender (they'll turn the sauce quite creamy). Straining the sauce is optional.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Raw Kale Salad</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1)</span> Place baby kale leaves into a salad bowl. Pour your choice of either olive, walnut or hazelnut oil over the greens -- just enough oil to coat the leaves.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2)</span> Add a couple pinches of salt. If you have a gourmet salt on hand, like <a href="http://www.saltworks.us/salt_info/si_gourmet_reference.asp">Himalayan or French Sea Salt or Grey Salt,</a> use that. Massage the salt and oil into the leaves with your fingers, this will soften the kale, though baby kale leave are very tender so they don't need a lot of massaging.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3)</span> Add a splash of balsamic vinegar or the juice of half a lemon, and gently work that into the salad.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">To Serve:</span> You can either bring the poached chicken breasts to the table on a platter, as in the picture at the top, with the accompanying kale salad in a bowl, or you can slice the breast and spread it around a plate lined with some of the sauce, with a portion of salad to the side.<br /><br />In the slide show, you'll see that I sliced the breast and topped the pieces with a red-current jelly, though you could use a red-chili jelly or a fruit chutney atop the chicken.<br /><br /><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>Louise Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14401130779255847329noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7219289479399810541.post-25254814904923569552010-06-08T13:29:00.001-07:002010-06-17T07:43:33.875-07:00Chicken with Flowering Chives<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/TA6oVZYU_xI/AAAAAAAACBo/2aWn85N8m1c/s1600/SpinachPudding+003.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/TA6oVZYU_xI/AAAAAAAACBo/2aWn85N8m1c/s320/SpinachPudding+003.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480502882100117266" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />I've taken to calling my charges, the eleven egg-laying chickens I'm care-taking, "Girls."</span><br /><br />It's surprisingly easy to feel fond of chickens. Each morning when I let the girls out of their coop into the yard (pic below), they gather about me clucking as though I'm their new best friend!<br /><br />Obviously it's food they're after; not my friendship. But they are in fact quite comfortable in close proximity to me, so long as I don't behave in an aggressive manner.<br /><br />Tracy, whose property I'm house sitting, told me that because she eats chicken, she thought it important to have the experience of butchering one of her own.<br /><br />So with the help of a friend, she did just that. I didn't ask details; I didn't want them. Though I do think it's admirable that she butchered one of her own.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/TA6okfzrvwI/AAAAAAAACBw/TSxWtDVXoi4/s1600/Tracy%27sYard+004.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/TA6okfzrvwI/AAAAAAAACBw/TSxWtDVXoi4/s200/Tracy%27sYard+004.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480503141523504898" border="0" /></a>We're alienated from the process of growing and butchering meat, pork and poultry for our personal consumption and I don't think that's a good thing.<br /><br />We'd probably eat a lot less of it if we had to kill the animal or the bird ourselves.<br /><br />Back in <a href="http://markettomouth.blogspot.com/2010/01/marinated-top-sirloin-steak.html">January I posted an entry for a minimal-meat meal</a> idea and linked to Julie Powell's new book, her follow up to the best selling, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Julie-Julia-Recipes-Apartment-Kitchen/dp/031610969X">Julie and Julia</a>.<br /><br />I did so because her new book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cleaving-Story-Marriage-Meat-Obsession/dp/0316003360">Cleaving: A Story of Marriage, Meat and Obsession</a>, is both a challenging but eye-opening read about butchering (and other stuff, like the breakdown of her marriage).<br /><br />Because I pursued further reading on the environmental and health woes of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Factory_farming">factory farming</a> animals, I'm more conscious of the meat and poultry I buy at the grocery store now, checking it for the <a href="http://www.animalwelfareapproved.org/about/">Animal Welfare Approved stamp </a>or the <a href="http://www.certifiedhumane.org/">Certified Humane stamp</a>.<br /><br />However, in all honesty, I'm still not having any luck finding chicken labeled with either of those stamps.<br /><br />I bought <a href="http://www.maverickranch.com/maverick_products/free_range_chicken.cfm">Maverick Farm</a> chicken breasts at Vitamin Cottage this past weekend and though the label says "All Natural" labels can be deceiving.<br /><br />According to the <a href="http://www.wspa-usa.org/pages/2482_humane_food_labels.cfm">Eat Humane</a> site, in addition to the AWA and Certified Humane labels, "pasture raised" or "USDA Organic" are good options for poultry; "All Natural" doesn't rate a mention.<br /><br />Eat Humane also <a href="http://www.wspa-usa.org/pages/2846_grocery_store_rankings.cfm">rates grocery stores </a>according to how animal-welfare friendly their meat and poultry is. Not surprisingly, <a href="http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/products/meat.php">Whole Foods</a> ranks highest, though I have found <a href="http://www.vitamincottage.com/">Vitamin Cottage</a> to have a good range of buffalo, pork, and eggs labeled with the Certified Humane Stamp.<br /><br />If searching for humanely-farmed poultry items at the store leaves you feeling frustrated, and if you have the yard space and the inclination, I came across a great resource, <a href="http://home.centurytel.net/thecitychicken/">The City Chicken</a>, a colorful site created to inspire budding chicken-keepers to take the plunge!<br /><br />And despite that I could only find "All Natural"chicken, I did make a rather yummy meal with the breast.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Chicken with Flowering Chives</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1)</span> Slice chicken breast into chunks. Toss into a hot skillet lined with olive oil.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2) </span>Into the skillet toss chunks of red and yellow <a href="http://markettomouth.blogspot.com/2009/02/buy-organic-and-safe-non-organic.html">organic bell peppers</a>, and pieces of bottled or tinned artichoke hearts.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">4)</span> If you have any spinach or kale or broccoli, you might like to toss in some green stuff too.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">5)</span> And If you have an opened bottle of white wine, add half a cup, turn heat down, and then put the lid on the skillet and cook for about 5-7 mins. or until chicken is cooked through.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">6)</span> To finish the dish, pour in a couple tablespoons of cream, and stir through to create a creamy white wine sauce. Add seasoning and test taste.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Note: </span>If you don't have wine, use a splash of water and a squeeze of lemon juice. Or simply put the lid on the skillet and turn the hot plate to low, allowing the chicken and veggies to cook in their own juices -- though if you do this, finish the dish with a splash of balsamic vinegar or lemon juice to taste.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">To Serve:</span> You might light to serve the chicken over pasta or rice, especially if you have white wine and cream sauce to mop up. On the other hand, you could eat it as is, decorating the edge of the plate with chunks of avocado, and sprinkling the lot with chopped chives or parsley.<br /><br />To garnish, I added <a href="http://www.gardeners.com/Edible-Flowers/8078,default,pg.html">edible chive flowers</a> from the garden; they look so beautiful atop this dish and they're strong garlic-flavor is a delicious accompaniment to any chicken dish.<br /><br />If you don't have access to flowering chives, you could also garnish this dish with black or green olives or even capers.<br /><br /><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>Louise Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14401130779255847329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7219289479399810541.post-42713133358900542762010-06-07T11:03:00.000-07:002010-06-11T09:24:49.234-07:00Meatless Monday<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/TA1Dvx1WuxI/AAAAAAAACBg/giavzAidWWY/s1600/SpinachPudding+002.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/TA1Dvx1WuxI/AAAAAAAACBg/giavzAidWWY/s320/SpinachPudding+002.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480110809689799442" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />There's a funny cartoon on </span><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.meatlessmonday.com/">Meatless Monday's</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> homepage: Two hogs are noshing, snout to snout, and one says to the other, "TGIM."</span><br /><br />In support of Meatless Monday, at the beginning of each week I post one meal idea that's vegetarian -- though MM promotes one whole day completely meat-free (that's <span style="font-style: italic;">three</span> meals, and snacks).<br /><br />The goal of this sterling program is to bring to people's awareness both the <a href="http://www.meatlessmonday.com/why-meatless/">personal and environmental health</a> benefits of consuming less animal protein: beef, buffalo, pork, chicken, turkey etc. etc.<br /><br />As one of the "<a href="http://www.meatlessmonday.com/bloggers-on-board/">bloggers on board</a>," I look forward to Monday's because it means a creative time in the kitchen coming up with a simple, nutritious, delicious, and budget-friendly vegetarian meal so that you, my readers, can easily recreate it at home without too much fuss.<br /><br />This Monday, I have additional incentive; I have two French friends coming to an early supper. One of the women has a French cooking summer camp for children, <a href="http://www.thelanguageoffood.com/">The Language of Food</a>. Because of Marie Pierre's love of food and cooking, it was fun and pleasurable for me to put my best foot forward in the kitchen today.<br /><br />And with a <a href="http://markettomouth.blogspot.com/2010/06/grow-your-own.html">backyard full of spring greens</a>, plus chicken and duck eggs in the fridge, my vegetarian meal idea was inspired by organic ingredients from the yard. <div><br /></div><div>Follow the slide show below, and my method recipe below that, for steps on how to make ...</div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Spinach & Cheese, Raisin Bread Terrine<br /></b><br /><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dz_YBs_1VmcwB6r4RxNgMR9KSNw5BtLOlstkOgezkZdo-MdbHkfZOrS4fz6CEfNaKQYQmxmrH7RyQ4zWq8diw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><div><br /></div><div><b><br /></b><span style="font-weight: bold; ">1)</span> Line a small baking tin with buttered foil. You could also use the butter paper, buttery side up -- that's if you save the paper your butter is wrapped in.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold; ">2)</span> Place your choice of sliced stale bread pieces over the foil. I used sprouted grain, Ezekiel Raisin Bread. If you don't use raisin bread, you could toss single raisins in over the bread.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold; ">3)</span> Wash and<a href="http://markettomouth.blogspot.com/2009/12/tips-for-making-most-of-winter-greens.html"> wilt a small bunch of spinach</a>, then drain it of any excess water.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold; ">4)</span> Take small chunks of the wilted, drained spinach and dot it around the bread, in between the spinach, dot pieces of either goats cheese, cream cheese, or your favorite cheese.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold; ">5) </span>Into a blender break 3 large eggs. I used one duck egg, and because I had whites leftover from the <a href="http://markettomouth.blogspot.com/2010/05/garden-fresh-lunch.html">egg-yolk mayonnaise</a> I made last week, I added 3 chicken-egg whites to the duck egg.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold; ">6) </span>Pour one cup milk or half and half over the eggs (or a nut, grain or soy milk); add salt and pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg. Run the blender.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold; ">7)</span> Pour half the contents of the blender over the bread, spinach and cheese, and now repeat the process: layer of bread, raisins, spinach, cheese, and then pour the remainder of the egg mixture over the lot.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold; ">8)</span> Dot the top of the terrine with dobs of butter and place the baking tin in a 350-degree oven for about 30-40 mins.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; ">To Serve:</span> As you can see in the slide show or the pic at the top, I sliced the terrine into wedges and placed them into large serving bowls. I added a chunk of goat cheese to the side, into which I stuck several walnuts and a piece of parsley. I chopped fresh chives over the terrine and garnished it with edible chive flowers.<br /><br />For a more substantial meal, slice larger chunks of terrine and serve with a bountiful spring salad.</div></div>Louise Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14401130779255847329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7219289479399810541.post-39084875589090765202010-06-04T09:09:00.000-07:002010-06-04T11:23:48.669-07:00Grow Your Own<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/TAkwXUVe6hI/AAAAAAAACBI/bOimnpGqzWk/s1600/Tracy%27sYard+005.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/TAkwXUVe6hI/AAAAAAAACBI/bOimnpGqzWk/s320/Tracy%27sYard+005.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478963598826859026" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />As you're probably aware, if you've read my posts this past week, I'm house-sitting a property just shy of an acre.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/TAkyI5xrxUI/AAAAAAAACBQ/lL2bHb_CWW4/s1600/Tracy%27sYard+001.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/TAkyI5xrxUI/AAAAAAAACBQ/lL2bHb_CWW4/s200/Tracy%27sYard+001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478965550202471746" border="0" /></a>This involves care-taking a large yard with vegetable garden, young fruit trees, and chicken coop with 11 laying hens, 2 laying ducks, and one bossy black gander.<br /><br />The advantage to my situation is having access to free-range organic eggs and young spring greens, which I've been incorporating into <a href="http://markettomouth.blogspot.com/2010_06_01_archive.html">the meals I've been blogging about</a> lately.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/TAkl1IBg2EI/AAAAAAAACA4/7_zwWaR4PTU/s1600/GardenLunch+005.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/TAkl1IBg2EI/AAAAAAAACA4/7_zwWaR4PTU/s320/GardenLunch+005.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478952016290043970" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><br />The additional benefit is the savings on my food bill. When you grow your own, or have access to a garden, as I do, your grocery bill is substantially less.<br /><br />I think I spent around $40 at Whole Foods last weekend on fish, poultry and <a href="http://markettomouth.blogspot.com/2010/03/animal-welfare-approved-meat.html">ground buffalo</a>, organic apples, pears, a bunch of <a href="http://markettomouth.blogspot.com/2010/02/organic-or-conventional.html">organic carrots, a pack of organic baby bell peppers</a>, a loaf of <a href="http://www.foodforlife.com/">sprouted Ezekiel bread</a> and my favorite snack food, <a href="http://markettomouth.blogspot.com/2009/09/boulder-canyon-natural-foods.html">Boulder Canyon potato chips</a>, plus a couple other small items.<br /><br />It was <a href="http://markettomouth.blogspot.com/2009/05/eat-food-not-too-much-and-mostly-plants.html">May last year</a> that I integrated into my posts information I heard <a href="http://www.michaelpollan.com/">Micheal Pollan</a>, the food activist, share on local radio on the topic of eating a mostly plant-based diet, and when possible, plants you've grown.<br /><br />I''ll reprint here three things he made a point of stressing on air:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1. </span><span style="font-style: italic;">Most of what we're eating today is not food.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2.</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Eat food, mostly plants, and not too much.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3.</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">If you invest $60 in growing your own veggie garden, in the first year, you'll reap $200 worth of produce.</span><br /><br />Embracing a backyard-to-table lifestyle means I'm most aware of point number three, that is the budgetary advantage to growing your own.<br /><br />However, lots of people do not have a yard (I don't when I'm not care-taking others'). Yet the absence of one's very own backyard is no longer a barrier to planting, nurturing and harvesting organic vegetables.<br /><br />For instance, community gardens rent small plots of earth where it's simply a matter of turning up, tilling the soil, planting, tending, watering, and harvesting your own. Check the American <a href="http://www.communitygarden.org/">Community Gardening Association</a> to locate a community garden in your neighborhood.<br /><br />Or what about this: consider sharing your green thumb with a local farmer or vegetable gardener in exchange for fresh produce.<br /><br />If you're in a big city, and thinking there's no way you'd ever have access to growing your own produce, check out the <a href="http://www.urbanfarming.org/">Urban Farming Program</a>. Spear-headed by former singer and songwriter, <a href="http://www.urbanfarming.org/bio/Taja_Sevelle.html">Taja Sevelle</a>, one of my favorites within the program is <a href="http://www.urbanfarming.org/programs/#foodchain">Edible Walls, a vertical farming project</a> -- I mean how creative is that, growing produce in planters attached to the sides of buildings!<br /><br />Maybe you don't have a backyard, but perhaps you do have a bit of front lawn and a flower bed. There's a local movement where I live called <a href="http://www.communityrootsboulder.com/">Boulder Community Roots</a> which supports the conversion of lawns into vegetable gardens.<br /><br />And if you live out in California, the <a href="http://www.californiareport.org/archive/R905221630/c">latest trend</a> is <a href="http://www.ethicurean.com/2009/07/16/caff-gleaning/">urban foraging</a>. Maybe you won't get to till the earth, plant, nurture the crop as it grows, but foraging will give you the benefit of collecting surplus harvest from backyards, farms and businesses.<br /><br />Check out these websites: <a href="http://neighborhoodfruit.com/">NeighborhoodFruit</a> and <a href="http://veggietrader.com/">VeggieTrader</a> and <a href="http://www.fallenfruit.org/">FallenFruit</a> and consider implementing a similar program in your community.<br /><br />Happy harvesting!<br /><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>Louise Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14401130779255847329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7219289479399810541.post-77920830459662556692010-06-03T13:10:00.000-07:002010-06-26T18:09:05.246-07:00Rhubarb with DuckEgg Cornbread<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/TAgWdVwtFqI/AAAAAAAACAw/OZ4v1ooCaxY/s1600/RhubarbCornbread.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/TAgWdVwtFqI/AAAAAAAACAw/OZ4v1ooCaxY/s320/RhubarbCornbread.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478653640009651874" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://markettomouth.blogspot.com/2010/06/savory-green-rhubarb-with-goat-cheese.html">Earlier this week</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> I wrote about the unusual delights of green rhubarb as a savory compote to meats, poultry and fish. </span><br /><br />With plenty of rhubarb in the garden, I stewed another batch of the fibrous green vegetable and wondered what I might do with it this time.<br /><br />This month, in addition to care-taking a large yard with vegetable garden, and a dozen young fruit trees, I'm also feeding, watering and daily collecting eggs from 11 laying hens and 2 laying ducks.<br /><br />The duck eggs are mounting in the fridge because I haven't eaten them, and the families who drop by to collect eggs prefer the chicken eggs over their richer cousins.<br /><br />Perhaps you've <a href="http://www.newagrarian.com/2008/07/01/cooking-with-duck-eggs/">eaten or cooked</a> with <a href="http://www.newagrarian.com/2008/07/01/cooking-with-duck-eggs/">duck eggs</a> and noted that they have a strong flavor, bright orange-yellow yolks that are higher in fat than chicken eggs, and thick protein-rich whites.<br /><br />We had two, <a href="http://www.newagrarian.com/category/ducks/">Khaki Campbell ducks</a> in our backyard when I was growing up. My mother loved that they ate the snails and grubs in her garden and she loved to use their eggs primarily for baking, in particular rich and buttery dried-fruit and nut cakes.<br /><br />So standing in front of the open fridge today, looking at the duck eggs and the stewed rhubarb, it occurred to me that I could bake something with a couple of those eggs -- something that I could have eat with the stewed green rhubarb.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Rhubarb with DuckEgg Cornbread</span><br /><br /><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwE7L0zBYIzBVnH2A6jt2QdyOAjQzs7ijdmgB-_607klN6q0QxhoypsoicCoNpSqZyj2a676WwzTvACgRi8Xw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br />Watch the slide show above and then follow my method steps to prepare this delicious dessert.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1)</span> Wash two fresh duck eggs of any dirt and debris.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2)</span> Pour 2 cups of cornmeal into a bowl; add 1 cup milk or buttermilk or half and half or whipping cream (depending on how rich you want your cornbread to be).<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3)</span> To sweeten the cornbread, I added 1 tablespoon of orange marmalade and 2 tablespoons of raspberry jam. I had open bottles in the fridge and decided the chunky jams would make for subtle, fruit sweeteners.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">4)</span> Melt 4 ounces of butter and pour over the above ingredients.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">5) </span>Add 1 tablespoon of baking powder to the bowl.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">6)</span> Break the duck eggs into the batter and stir well.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">7)</span> Line an iron skillet with oiled tin foil and then pour the cornbread batter into the skillet.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">8)</span> Put the cornbread into a 450-degree oven for 20 mins or until it's golden brown.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">To Serve:</span> Slice pieces of warm cornbread and place in bowls. Top with spoonfuls of stewed rhubarb and a dob of leftover fruit jam, which you might prefer to mix through the stewed rhubarb first. Pour half and half, whipping cream or spoon yogurt, sour cream or ice cream to the side of the cornbread.<br /><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>Louise Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14401130779255847329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7219289479399810541.post-13299758545682820022010-06-02T12:25:00.000-07:002010-06-03T07:26:24.541-07:00Baby Turnip Greens & Lacinato Kale<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/TAa3JvmAw_I/AAAAAAAACAo/FaVioQDo-IY/s1600/TurnipGreens%26kale+002.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 183px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/TAa3JvmAw_I/AAAAAAAACAo/FaVioQDo-IY/s320/TurnipGreens%26kale+002.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478267374765392882" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />While <a href="http://markettomouth.blogspot.com/2010/05/garden-fresh-lunch.html">I have access to a veggie garden</a> bursting with a selection of young tender greens, I'm making the most of it, daily preparing meals from the backyard bounty.</span><br /><br />A friend commented on <a href="http://markettomouth.blogspot.com/2010/06/savory-green-rhubarb-with-goat-cheese.html">yesterday's post</a> asking me if the green rhubarb I'd prepared from the garden tasted different from red rhubarb. My response was that it's a bit sweeter, or shall we say, <span style="font-style: italic;">less tart</span> than the red variety.<br /><br />You wouldn't expect the green rhubarb to be slightly sweeter than the red variety since it's natural to assume green is unripe and thus tart -- however, that's not the case with rhubarb.<br /><br />Just as it's a mistake to assume green rhubarb is more tart than red, it's also erroneous to assume that baby turnips are unripe because they're not yet large and bulbous, and that baby kale will be lacking in flavor because the leaves are delicate.<br /><br /><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxVyBrmDISqdS-PK593HkdTG4y6sEcXp7VhYChNpc6Av0IqSdJ5ibqgxJ8dMWZxIYKdgiEk4QlYYp0rKeK42g' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br />As you'll note in the slide show above, baby turnips are about the size of radishes and their leaves are soft and smallish, as are the leaves of baby, purple lacinato kale.<br /><br />What I've noticed eating spring greens from the garden, whether lettuce, spinach, kale, turnip greens, or snap pea greens, is that they're all slightly sweet, tender, and less fibrous than mature greens.<br /><br />This time last week, I posted a dish made by <a href="http://markettomouth.blogspot.com/2010/05/black-cat-organic-farm-episode-2.html">local farmer, chef and bistro owner, Eric Skokan</a>. Titled, <a href="http://markettomouth.blogspot.com/2010/05/lamb-with-baby-turnips-pea-greens.html">Lamb with Baby Turnips and Pea Greens</a>, I described the method Eric used to cook the dish, and then I also had the opportunity to sit down and eat the meal.<br /><br />Eric had pan sauteed the baby turnips on high until they browned. He then added a handful of turnip greens and wilted them quickly. Applying this rapid cooking method meant the baby turnips were par-cooked, as were the greens.<br /><br />I decided to cook the tiny turnips, their greens, and the baby lacinato kale I'd picked, longer than a rapid saute, since the toughness of the par-cooked turnips wasn't pleasant.<br /><br />You can follow my method in the steps below or in the slide show above.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Baby Turnip Greens & Lacinato Kale</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1) </span>Wash a handful of baby lacinato kale leaves and the same of turnip greens.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2) </span>Cut the baby turnips from the stalks, leaving maybe an inch of stalk in place. Cut each baby turnip either in half or quarters.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3)</span> Trim the woody stalks from all the leaves. You might even peel the leaves off some of the tougher stalks.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">4)</span> Now chop half an onion into chunks, and a red bell pepper or a carrot.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">5)</span> Toss the onion, pepper and or carrot into a oil-lined skillet and saute over medium heat.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">6) </span>Toss the halved (or quartered) turnips into the skillet and stir.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">7)</span> Now add the kale and turnip greens and stir the veggies until the leaves begin to wilt.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">8) </span>Add a splash of water (maybe quarter of a cup) and put the lid on the skillet. Cook the vegetables on med to low for about 5-7 mins.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">9) </span>Test the turnips for tenderness; cook longer if they need it, and season to taste.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/TAa2vJMbrgI/AAAAAAAACAY/1Vf5rEIAoKY/s1600/TurnipGreens%26kale+001.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 151px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/TAa2vJMbrgI/AAAAAAAACAY/1Vf5rEIAoKY/s200/TurnipGreens%26kale+001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478266917780958722" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">To Serve:</span> At the top is a picture of the platted vegetables without meat. I decorated the edge of the plate with the turnips, and dotted rock salt over the middle pile of greens.<br /><br />To the left is a version of the dish, with chunks of organic buffalo and rice meatloaf at the edge of the plate. I topped the meat with spoonfuls of a sweet tomato relish since it complimented the slight bitter-sweet flavor of the greens.<br /><br /><br /><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>Louise Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14401130779255847329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7219289479399810541.post-28943310329994252072010-06-01T09:28:00.000-07:002010-06-03T07:28:07.560-07:00Savory Green Rhubarb with Goat Cheese<input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyBjU6dTLT9DjyOSr3k8IgPQic0mkIM4H5FNISdO_nSaUlxDqBoIZavJBEk8bLykMLDTHygP7AGtAZm1HjxpQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">A savory, onion scent is wafting through the kitchen as I type. I have green rhubarb on the stove simmering with celery, ginger, apple and onion.</span><br /><br />We think of <a href="http://www.rhubarbinfo.com/rhubarb-growing.html">rhubarb, which is available early spring</a>, in conjunction with sweet summer fruits like strawberries. Yet because it is sour, it's well suited as a stewed savory side to meats, poultry and fish.<br /><br />Prior to today, I'd not eaten rhubarb as a savory dish, but because a <a href="http://www.rhubarbinfo.com/rhubarb-varieties.html#TOC6">green variety</a> of the celery-like <a href="http://www.rhubarbinfo.com/rhubarb-background.html#TOC3">vegetable</a> is growing large at the bottom of the garden <a href="http://markettomouth.blogspot.com/2010/05/garden-fresh-lunch.html">on the property I'm care-taking</a> this month, I thought, why not!<br /><br />Why not stew it with complimentary vegetables like celery and onion, plus some ginger and apple -- all of which seemed to me as though they'd be delicious with the tart-tasting stalks.<br /><br />I was right! The vegetables I chose to stew with the rhubarb stalks created a tart though slightly sweet compote that didn't need seasoning.<br /><br />However, because the consistency of the compote, after 10 minutes of cooking, was creamy, I felt some additional creaminess in the form of a spoonful of goats cheese, would add just the right note of flavor and texture to finish the stewed vegetables.<br /><br />If you'd like to try your hand at preparing savory rhubarb, follow the slide show above and my method recipe below.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Savory Green Rhubarb with Goat Cheese</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1)</span> Wash a couple stalks of green or red rhubarb. Remove some of the outer fibrous strings, and cut the stalks into pieces.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2)</span> Repeat this process with a couple of celery stalks.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3)</span> Cut half an onion and half an apple into chunks.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">4)</span> Slice off a small piece of ginger root, peel, and chop into tiny bits.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">5)</span> Put all of the above ingredients into a saucepan with half a cup of water. Simmer on low for about 10 mins or until the vegetables have cooked to a soft, compote consistency.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">6)</span> Set aside and allow compote to cool.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">7)</span> Add about a tablespoon of either goat cheese or cream cheese or sour cream to the vegetable compote and stir till the cheese or cream has blended in.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">8)</span> Taste test. You might find it needs a little zing; if so add some lemon zest or salt and pepper.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/TAVPF_SmFBI/AAAAAAAACAQ/ChRT58kFWjg/s1600/GreenRhubarbChicken+002.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/TAVPF_SmFBI/AAAAAAAACAQ/ChRT58kFWjg/s200/GreenRhubarbChicken+002.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477871486073443346" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">To Serve:</span> Spoon a portion of the rhubarb compote into a bowl and top with slices of roasted rosemary chicken, or a fillet of poached fish -- such as the <a href="http://markettomouth.blogspot.com/2010/05/garden-fresh-lunch.html">mahi mahi I featured last week</a>.<br /><br />I topped my sliced, leftover roasted rosemary chicken pieces with toasted walnuts, and to the side, I spooned some tomato chutney (shown in the slide show above). Instead of chutney, you might prefer to add a spoonful of fresh tomato salsa.<br /><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>Louise Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14401130779255847329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7219289479399810541.post-12872576947747901952010-05-28T14:37:00.001-07:002010-06-03T07:16:03.065-07:00Garden-Fresh Lunch<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/TAA6ATDKb6I/AAAAAAAAB_4/juPhhVe2vbk/s1600/GardenLunch+015.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/TAA6ATDKb6I/AAAAAAAAB_4/juPhhVe2vbk/s200/GardenLunch+015.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476440923670474658" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/TAA4zjL1t7I/AAAAAAAAB_o/3CqUA3_kQ50/s1600/GardenLunch+012.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/TAA4zjL1t7I/AAAAAAAAB_o/3CqUA3_kQ50/s200/GardenLunch+012.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476439605151905714" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/TAA5hOlyIPI/AAAAAAAAB_w/duT6qfeXB8k/s1600/GardenLunch+001.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 168px; height: 200px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/TAA5hOlyIPI/AAAAAAAAB_w/duT6qfeXB8k/s200/GardenLunch+001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476440389897560306" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Market to Mouth's theme this week has been meals made from just-picked garden-fresh produce.</span><br /><br />On <a href="http://markettomouth.blogspot.com/2010/05/meatless-monday_24.html">Monday</a>, I featured spaghetti squash infused with chervil, served with sides of wild arugula and yellow rapini flowers, and leeks poached with pear.<br /><br />I bought the produce for the Meatless Monday dish from the farmer's market stand of <a href="http://markettomouth.blogspot.com/2010/05/black-cat-organic-farm-episode-2.html">Eric Skokan, farmer, chef, and bistro owner</a>.<br /><br />Wednesday, I observed Eric at the <a href="http://www.blackcatboulder.com/">Black Cat Farm Table Bistro</a> preparing <a href="http://markettomouth.blogspot.com/2010/05/lamb-with-baby-turnips-pea-greens.html">Lamb with Baby Turnips and Pea Greens</a> using produce from his organic farm. This was a dish he intended including on that evening's daily-changing menu.<br /><br />Yesterday, I prepared a lunch for myself and two friends with just-picked salad greens (pics above) and we ate lunch (pics below) under the shade of a beautiful maple tree in the backyard of a home I'll be care-taking for the next month.<br /><br />Tracy, the home owner, is a member of the group, <a href="http://www.hipbagel.net/">Boulder Culinary Gardeners</a>, as is chef, Eric Skokan. BCG members are an egalitarian lot, sharing their wisdom with other local farmers and gardeners striving for organic, healthy and sustainable gardens.<br /><br />I don't have a garden, but I love the opportunity to care for the gardens of others, especially when I can pick, prepare and eat directly from their backyards!<br /><br />This summer, for the second summer in a row, I have the good fortune of caring for the properties, vegetable gardens, and egg-laying hens of two BCG members -- Tracy and Barbara.<br /><br /><a href="http://markettomouth.blogspot.com/2009_08_01_archive.html">Follow this link</a> to see posts featuring Barbara's urban farm, where I was last August, watering, picking, cooking and eating extraordinary produce and fresh eggs, and where I'll be again this August.<div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/TAA63pbUhjI/AAAAAAAACAI/cVHWC9MzjJY/s1600/GardenLunch+011.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/TAA63pbUhjI/AAAAAAAACAI/cVHWC9MzjJY/s200/GardenLunch+011.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476441874570184242" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/TAA4Q-EzmNI/AAAAAAAAB_Y/dAdW-_JaTSI/s1600/GardenLunch+002.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 198px; height: 200px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/TAA4Q-EzmNI/AAAAAAAAB_Y/dAdW-_JaTSI/s200/GardenLunch+002.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476439011074742482" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/TAA6mFQZZVI/AAAAAAAACAA/_95qNPNz-2A/s1600/GardenLunch+004.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 128px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/TAA6mFQZZVI/AAAAAAAACAA/_95qNPNz-2A/s200/GardenLunch+004.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476441572802913618" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />But back to yesterday -- as you can see in the top pictures, Tracy has a wonderful selection of lettuces in her garden.<br /><br />For lunch, I picked wild arugula, spinach, <a href="http://www.thompson-morgan.com/seeds1/product/482/1.html">Bordeaux spinach</a>, butter lettuce, purple-leafed lettuce, and <a href="http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf70094885.tip.html">chives with flower blossoms</a> intact.<br /><br />All the leaves were young and delicate and so I simply washed them, putting them through the salad spinner, and then I served them plain on a platter with a few of the yellow rapini flowers leftover from the<a href="http://markettomouth.blogspot.com/2010/05/meatless-monday_24.html"> bag of greens I bought last weekend</a> at Eric's Black Cat Farm stand.<br /><br />Simplicity is the key when you have access to tender, baby salad greens.<br /><br />I served the platter with sides of oils, vinegar, and lime wedges. (On hand, I had olive and walnut oil, though hazelnut and avocado oil would be suitable accompaniments too.) That way my guests could choose whether they wanted to add additional flavor to their salad greens.<br /><br />With the platter of garden-fresh salad greens, I also served a variation on traditional <a href="http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/waldorf_salad/">Waldorf Salad</a> using ingredients I had on hand:<br /><ul><li>half a chicken breast,</li><li>some celery,</li><li>bottled artichoke hearts in olive oil,<br /></li><li>apple,</li><li>walnuts,<br /></li><li>chives,</li><li>and I bound the salad with a dob of sour cream and lemon juice.</li></ul>The other platter is something I made up, again with ingredients on hand. I poached a fillet of mahi mahi on a bed of leeks and celery and some leftover chervil from my purchase last weekend at Eric's farm stand.<br /><br />Poaching the fish in a pan (lid on) with half a cup of water and the juice of one lemon, meant it was infused with the delicate anise-flavor of the chervil, and the leeks and celery.<br /><br />With the heat on low, the fish cooked in less than 10 mins, after which I let it sit to cool (lid off). Meanwhile I prepared an avocado, oil mayonnaise:</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Avocado Mayonnaise</b><br /><ul><li>3 eggs yolks</li><li>1 and half cups of grapeseed oil or a mix of grapeseed and olive oil</li><li>one clove garlic<br /></li><li>half an avocado</li><li>juice of half a lemon and or a splash of balsamic vinegar</li><li>salt and pepper to taste</li></ul>In a blender, whiz the yolks, garlic, lemon and or vinegar, salt and pepper. Very slowly, drizzle in the oil, bit by bit, so that the yolks and oil emulsify or thicken. </div><div><br /></div><div>The key is <i>patience</i> when making oil mayonnaise. It's too easy to pour the oil quickly,which can cause the mayonnaise to break or fail to thicken. </div><div><br /></div><div>Finally, add the avocado, and then a splash of water -- this will give the mayonnaise pouring consistency.<br /><br />As you can see in the pic above, I served the sliced mahi mahi on a platter with the poached vegetables under the fish. I then poured the avocado mayonnaise over the fish, topping it with the lavender-colored chive blossoms, and lastly, I decorated the edge of the plate with red and green Bordeaux spinach leaves.<br /><br />The two friends, who shared the above lunch with me, were happy to volunteer that it was a sumptuous but simple feast!<br /><br />If you're hankering for something other than a barbecue this long weekend, try your hand at the above outdoor-lunch menu. If you don't have a veggie garden, it might mean shopping at your local farmer's market for interesting, just-picked salad greens, but the end result is definitely worth it.<br /><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div></div>Louise Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14401130779255847329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7219289479399810541.post-47899265757406062812010-05-26T08:35:00.000-07:002010-06-03T07:18:59.494-07:00Organic Lamb with Baby Turnips & Pea Greens<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/S_1EqxoEnKI/AAAAAAAAB_A/3RtgWb6pSGU/s1600/BlacKCatKitchen+003.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475608223618997410" style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 240px; cursor: pointer; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/S_1EqxoEnKI/AAAAAAAAB_A/3RtgWb6pSGU/s320/BlacKCatKitchen+003.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Last </span><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://markettomouth.blogspot.com/2010/05/meatless-monday_24.html">Monday</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> I mentioned that I'd be </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">at </span><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.blackcatboulder.com/">Black Cat Farm Table Bistro</a> <span style="font-weight: bold;">hosting an upcoming episode of the <a href="http://markettomouth.blogspot.com/2010/05/black-cat-organic-farm-episode-2.html">Culinary Gardening</a> series</span>.<br /><br />With camera gear crammed into his kitchen, we filmed <a href="http://www.findeatdrink.com/Index/Restaurants/Entries/2010/3/22_eric_skokan.html">Eric Skokan</a>, the farm and bistro owner, preparing a dish from his daily-changing menu, one that featured vegetables and greens he'd harvested from the farm that day.<br /><br />I also took pictures, in between asking lots of questions. I began by asking where the lamb for the dish came from. You see, Eric is now grazing lambs for his bistro on his farm.<br /><br />However, the lamb he used for this dish came from another local organic farmer.<br /><br />The cut he used for the meal is steaks from the lamb leg. He prepared them by browning the steaks on one side in a small skillet lined with oil, and sealing the other side before popping the skillet into a medium oven for about 15 minutes (rare to medium-rare).<br /><br />I was a bit dubious about cooking lamb steaks like this, since in Australia we might use the eye fillet or the eye of the loin (like a beef tenderloin) for the cooking method Eric employed.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/S_1E7lWHy4I/AAAAAAAAB_I/P3NqMElm1fM/s1600/BlacKCatKitchen+009.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475608512380259202" style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 150px; cursor: pointer; height: 200px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/S_1E7lWHy4I/AAAAAAAAB_I/P3NqMElm1fM/s200/BlacKCatKitchen+009.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>To accompany the lamb, Eric prepared just-picked baby turnips, with green tops intact, and sugar snap-pea greens with flowers still intact.<br /><br />Using grapeseed oil for sauteing --<a href="http://www.photographictherapy.com/2009/02/14/the-benefits-of-cooking-with-organic-grapeseed-oil/"> it can withstand high heat</a> and is mild in flavor -- he added half a teaspoon of chopped garlic to the pan, and some peeled and cubed potato.<br /><br />While the potato cooked, he chopped the leafy tops from the tiny turnip bulbs, leaving an inch of sweet stems in place.<br /><br />When sauteed, the turnip stems release their sugars and brown up beautifully, as do the bulbs (pic below).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/S_1EDy7eNNI/AAAAAAAAB-w/6DHqDeyRcB8/s1600/BlacKCatKitchen+015.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 186px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/S_1EDy7eNNI/AAAAAAAAB-w/6DHqDeyRcB8/s200/BlacKCatKitchen+015.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475607553953903826" border="0" /></a>As the cubed potato browned, he tossed in a handful of the snap-pea greens and a pinch of kosher salt. Some of the raw pea greens were kept in reserve to garnish the plate (pic above).<br /><br />Eric uses either kosher salt in his cooking or sometimes sel gris or <a href="http://www.saltworks.us/salt_info/si_gourmet_reference.asp">grey salt</a>, an unrefined, moist sea salt that's harvested from the Brittany region of France's Atlantic coast.<br /><br />It's considered a gourmet salt and has a price tag to match, but it's a treat, so consider having it on hand for special-occasion cooking.<br /><br />Into a second saute pan, he added a handful of turnip leaves to the browning bulbs (pic below) along with another pinch of kosher salt, plus a few shreds of grated lemon rind.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/S_1EDQVLiKI/AAAAAAAAB-o/KWjT1O528os/s1600/BlacKCatKitchen+017.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 186px; height: 200px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/S_1EDQVLiKI/AAAAAAAAB-o/KWjT1O528os/s200/BlacKCatKitchen+017.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475607544666491042" border="0" /></a>He squeezed the juice from half a lemon over both the pans of sauteing veggies because, just as I've mentioned many times in posts on Market to Mouth, lemon zest and or lemon juice enhances the natural flavor of fresh produce.<br /><br />The <span style="font-style: italic;">zing factor</span> of lemon also cuts through oil and fat, which will dominate a dish without the addition of citrus or the tart kick of a splash of vinegar.<br /><br />Pulling the lamb leg steaks from the oven, Eric let them sit for about 10 minutes. This allows for the juices, which have settled during cooking in the rarest area, to radiate throughout the steaks.<br /><br />Before platting the lamb, he spooned some lamb <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Au_jus">au jus</a>, a lamb stock reduction, to which he'd added mustard, onto the plate. The thinly sliced lamb went over the sauce, and then Eric loosely scattered the browned turnips and potatoes and the greens around the meat, garnishing the dish with spindly, raw pea greens and white pea flowers.<br /><br />To add piquancy, he topped the lot with additional shreds of lemon rind, which would register on the palate as a sharp, fresh bite.<br /><br />When I asked whether he might swap out the lemon for orange zest and or juice, Eric responded that orange is a more distinct flavor and he therefore uses it with warmer, pungent spices.<br /><br />He had me taste another au jus on the stove, one that was infused with <a href="http://www.theepicentre.com/Spices/cardamom.html">cardamom pods</a>, proposing that this was a sauce more suited to the addition of orange due to its pungent, aromatic quality -- I agreed.<br /><br />As you can see in the pic at the top, the "scatter" presentation technique showcases the beauty of the individual vegetables --I especially love the effect of the raw pea greens framing the plate.<br /><br />Eric's presentation style is a trick I'll employ; after all, why wouldn't you want to show off farm-fresh, simply prepared vegetables in such a tantalizing, au naturel fashion.<br /><br />Oh, and the lamb steaks, they were incredibly tender!<br /><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>Louise Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14401130779255847329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7219289479399810541.post-67717316542432907482010-05-24T08:43:00.001-07:002010-05-24T10:36:27.977-07:00Meatless Monday<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/S_qfp77Y5xI/AAAAAAAAB-Q/4OVhji3jNcI/s1600/BlacKCatGreens+004.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 307px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/S_qfp77Y5xI/AAAAAAAAB-Q/4OVhji3jNcI/s320/BlacKCatGreens+004.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474863839832499986" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Last week I uploaded <a href="http://markettomouth.blogspot.com/2010/05/black-cat-organic-farm-episode-2.html">episodes 1 and 2</a> in the Culinary Gardening series I'm hosting.</span><br /><br />Filmed in collaboration with Boulder Valley <a href="http://www.bv22.org/">Channel 22</a> and <a href="http://www.findeatdrink.com/Index/Restaurants/Entries/2010/3/22_eric_skokan.html">Eric Skokan,</a> the owner of Black Cat Farm, this past Saturday I visited the Black Cat's stand at our local <a href="http://www.boulderfarmers.org/">farmer's market</a>.<br /><br />I wanted to purchase some of the delicate greens Eric talks about in <a href="http://markettomouth.blogspot.com/2010/05/black-cat-organic-farm-episode-2.html">episode two</a> and prepare them for a Meatless Monday meal.<br /><br />That's Eric in the pic below, at the farm's market stand, bagging handfuls of arugula.<br /><br />I bought some of his wild arugula, which is in the tub next to the one Eric is handling.<br /><br />The wild variety has a peppery kick, whereas the broad-leaf arugula is slightly nutty and mild in flavor.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/S_qfPs0kmWI/AAAAAAAAB-A/nZtIuHyFPSY/s1600/EricFarmMkt5.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/S_qfPs0kmWI/AAAAAAAAB-A/nZtIuHyFPSY/s200/EricFarmMkt5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474863389100775778" border="0" /></a>In addition to wild arugula, I chose <a href="http://www.theepicentre.com/Spices/chervil.html">chervil</a>, for its anise flavor, <a href="http://www.thompson-morgan.com/seeds1/product/482/1.html">Bordeaux spinach</a>, a hybrid red spinach, <a href="http://www.gardenguides.com/2988-tatsoi-seeds-bulbs.html">Tatsoi</a>, a varietal of Chinese cabbage, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapini">rapini flowers</a> -- they're the delicate yellow flowers arranged at the edge of the plate in the pic above.<br /><br />Without a doubt, Eric had the most unusual varieties of greens at the market.<br /><br />In past years, I've visited a Hmong family's stand especially for their unusual Asian greens; however, Eric's greens are now surpassing their selection in interest and flavor.<br /><br />I paid $5 for just over a pound of green, red, and yellow spring leafy-greens and flowers and once home, I washed and drained my purchases, allowing them to dry before I stored them in paper-towel lined Tupperware bowls.<br /><br />Because the flavors of each of my purchases is distinct, for today's meatless Monday dish, I chose to use the wild arugula for its peppery wow-factor, the rapini flowers for their beauty as a garnish, and the chervil to add anise flavor to bland, spaghetti squash.<br /><br />I chose not to cook the greens at this meal, knowing that cooking would compromise their flavor, texture and color. Instead, I simply stirred chopped chervil into the cooked spaghetti squash, and used the arugula and rapini flowers as a side garnish to the squash.<br /><br />Because spaghetti squash and chervil are subtle flavors, as an additional side, I poached leeks and pear, an equally subtle and delicate combination, and one that I knew would compliment, rather than compete with the center vegetable.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Chervil Spaghetti Squash with Poached Leek & Pears & Wild Arugula</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1) </span>Cut a spaghetti squash into pieces. Gently simmer for about 20 mins or until the flesh begins to come away from the skin in spaghetti-like strands.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2)</span> Using a fork, scrape the squash from the skin into a pan. Top with some grated Romano or Parmesan, and a dob of butter. Gently heat, stirring until the cheese melts.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3)</span> Meanwhile, slice and wash of grit, half a leek. Wash and chop a pear, one of the hard-flesh varieties. Pop the leeks and the pear into a saucepan with a little water and gently simmer with the lid on for about 10 mins.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">4)</span> Roughly chop a handful of fresh chervil and stir into the spaghetti squash. Season to taste.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">To Serve:</span> Spoon a portion of the spaghetti squash into a large bowl. Garnish with a sprig of chervil. To the side, add a spoonful of poached leek and pears. To the other side, line the squash with arugula topped with rapini flowers, drizzle with an oil such as avocado, almond or walnut oil, and squeeze some fresh lemon juice over the raw greens.<br /><br />Tomorrow, I'll be at Eric's, Black Cat Farm Table Bistro hosting the culinary gardening series from his kitchen, while he prepares several dishes with some of his spring harvest.<br /><br />This week I'll blog about those dishes, and the tips and tricks Eric employs as Boulder's only authentic, organic farm-to-table chef.<br /><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>Louise Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14401130779255847329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7219289479399810541.post-80693682600290379102010-05-19T08:24:00.000-07:002010-05-19T18:54:27.903-07:00Black Cat Organic Farm Episode 2<input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><object width="400" height="300"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=11730860&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1"><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=11730860&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="300"></embed></object><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/11730860">Culinary Gardens - Black Cat Organic Farms - Part 2</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user1796767">BVMA</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.</p><p><a href="http://markettomouth.blogspot.com/2010/05/black-cat-farm.html">Yesterday</a>, I featured Episode 1 of the Culinary Gardening series produced in conjunction with <a href="http://www.bv22.org/">Boulder Valley Media Alliance</a> (Channel 22), and <a href="http://www.findeatdrink.com/Index/Restaurants/Entries/2010/3/22_eric_skokan.html">Eric Skokan</a>, the owner of Black Cat Farm and <a href="http://www.blackcatboulder.com/">Black Cat Farm Table Bistro</a>.<br /></p><p>Today, Episode 2 is available for viewing (above).<br /></p><p> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/S_QYpGIWosI/AAAAAAAAB9w/aOFjfxIMJHc/s1600/BlackCatFarm+011.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/S_QYpGIWosI/AAAAAAAAB9w/aOFjfxIMJHc/s200/BlackCatFarm+011.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473026541461349058" border="0" /></a>Filmed again on Black Cat Farm, we followed Eric into his <a href="http://www.motherearthnews.com/Modern-Homesteading/1980-07-01/How-To-Build-Root-Cellar.aspx">root cellar</a>, a dugout with stairs leading 6 feet down into a small, damp room that maintains a temperature of around 40-degrees Fahrenheit.</p><p>The dug out, which reminded me of a very snug wine cellar, is a recent addition to the farm. Built in the fall of 2009, it has yet to stand the test of a hot, dry Colorado summer.</p><p>It did do its job over a very long and cold winter, successfully storing and maintaining around 10,000 pounds of vegetables!<br /></p>Most of the veggies stored appeared on the Black Cat Bistro's fall and winter menus, but at the time of filming, about 600 pounds of root vegetables were still in the<br />cellar.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/S_QbZxC2xdI/AAAAAAAAB94/Pzeo4w-Zk50/s1600/BlackCatFarm+010.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/S_QbZxC2xdI/AAAAAAAAB94/Pzeo4w-Zk50/s200/BlackCatFarm+010.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473029576637990354" border="0" /></a>As you can see in the pic to left, and in the video above, tubs of gnarly parsnips line the side of the cellar, as do turnips, and parsley root, a conical-shaped veggie that tastes like carrot and has a green-leaf top like flat-leaf parsley.<br /><br />Eric cooks and purees parsley root, using it as a bed for meat dishes, with the green tips as a parsley salad accompaniment.<br /><br />Next to the root cellar is a <a href="http://westsidegardener.com/howto/hoophouse.html">hoop-house</a>, a temporary hot-house that can be moved. Should there be an infestation of disease, on an organic farm like Black Cat, the structure can be relocated, leaving the disease behind.<br /><br />Starting afresh on a clean patch of earth means chemicals are not necessary, the use of which would render the growing process of hot-house vegetables non-organic. A temporary hoop- house, versus a fixed, greenhouse structure, is one of the conscious choices Eric makes as an organic, farm to table chef.<br /><br />Unlike the damp, near-freezing temperature of the cellar, the hoop-house was steamy warm and filled with the gentle aroma of moist dirt, and in that dirt there were lots of veggies starters and more young salad greens.<br /><br />Eric's intention with the farm is to make sure his bistro menu showcases the myriad of produce grown on the farm, with a fun selection of seasonal vegetables appearing on plate as cooked, pureed, and or roasted in combination with raw, crunchy, leafy salads -- something I tried to achieve with <a href="http://markettomouth.blogspot.com/2010/05/meatless-monday_17.html">my last Meatless Monday post</a>.<br /><br />Because the Black Cat Bistro menu is truly seasonal, the challenge on the Farm is to plant variety so that say, carrots aren't <span style="font-style: italic;">the</span> signature vegetable over winter, and red lettuce isn't <span style="font-style: italic;">the </span>summer salad ingredient.<br /><br />To counteract the potential for a repetitious menu, Eric grows around 200 varieties of vegetables and fruits on 10 acres! And one of his personal favorites is asparagus.<br /><br />We end Episode 2 up close and personal with several spears just starting to appear above ground. Eric shared details of a dish he intends preparing with asparagus and local morel mushrooms.<br /><br />Episode 3, which I'll upload in the next few weeks, begins with a discussion over the now fully-grown asparagus and a sampling of both green and white varietals. I was absolutely blown away by the tenderness and sweetness of the raw spears, but more on that in episode 3!<br /><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>Louise Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14401130779255847329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7219289479399810541.post-73123216757324856052010-05-18T14:15:00.000-07:002010-05-19T18:53:03.942-07:00Black Cat Organic Farm<input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><br /><br /><object width="400" height="300"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=11729901&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1"><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=11729901&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="300"></embed></object><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/11729901">Culinary Gardens, Black Cat Organic Farms Part 1</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user1796767">BVMA</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.</p><p style="font-weight: bold;">About a month ago, I began working on a Culinary Gardening video series in collaboration with Boulder Valley Media Alliance (<a href="http://www.bv22.org/">Channel 22</a>) and local chef, <a href="http://www.findeatdrink.com/Index/Restaurants/Entries/2010/3/22_eric_skokan.html">Eric Skokan</a>, the owner of <a href="http://www.blackcatboulder.com/">Black Cat Farm Table Bistro</a>.</p><p>Eric's situation is unique: he owns and operates a neighborhood-style bistro, he grows much of the organic produce for his bistro on Black Cat Farm (10 acres he leases from the county), plus, he sells his produce at <a href="http://www.boulderfarmers.org/">Boulder Farmer's Market</a>.</p><p>Just one of these ventures is enough to keep the average person extremely busy, which Eric is, however despite this, he also considers himself extremely lucky because he has a life where he's able to immerse himself in his passions: cooking <span style="font-style: italic;">and</span> gardening.</p><p>We began shooting the series on Black Cat Farm at the end of March, in between several sizable spring snow storms.<br /></p><p>At that time, farm interns were harvesting winter produce that had been planted the previous June. Varietals grown from seeds that Eric sources via <a href="http://boulderculinarygardeners.org/">Boulder Culinary Gardener's</a> seed exchange program, and from <a href="http://www.fedcoseeds.com/">FEDCO</a>, a seed coop in Maine, and that are suited to Colorado's climate.<br /></p><p>The soft-leafed greens that interns were harvesting for the Bistro's daily-changing spring menu had not only survived Colorado's winter, they had, to my surprise, thrived under an insulating blanket of snow!<br /></p><p>I had the chance to nibble on some winter spinach, hazelnut-like mache (also known as <a href="http://www.recipetips.com/glossary-term/t--35716/lambs-lettuce.asp">lamb's lettuce</a>), anise-tasting <a href="http://www.theepicentre.com/Spices/chervil.html">chervil</a>, <a href="http://www.recipetips.com/glossary-term/t--35051/parsley-root.asp">parsley root leaves</a>, and turnip greens.<br /></p><p>We'll be observing Eric in the kitchen preparing these greens as accompaniments to several Black Cat Bistro signature dishes in future episodes!<br /></p><p>Working in the kitchen with amazing organic produce pulled from the earth within hours of being prepared and eaten is the reason, I gathered, that Eric dedicates himself to operating an authentic, <a href="http://www.farmtotableonline.org/about/">farm to table</a> restaurant.<br /></p><p>Do check back this week for more; I'll be uploading the second episode in the series, which includes footage of Eric's amazing root cellar, a dug out in the ground next to his hoop-house--a temporary hot-house--plus some footage and discussion on growing asparagus.</p><p>Meanwhile, learn more about Eric, the Black Cat Farm, and the bistro, by watching the 9-minute video above. Enjoy!<br /></p><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>Louise Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14401130779255847329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7219289479399810541.post-25812824632217895512010-05-17T07:03:00.001-07:002010-05-17T10:21:31.288-07:00Meatless Monday<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/S_FNDmMXgXI/AAAAAAAAB8w/nna3xRYBgVg/s1600/PolentaSproutedGrains+004.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/S_FNDmMXgXI/AAAAAAAAB8w/nna3xRYBgVg/s320/PolentaSproutedGrains+004.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472239746419229042" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Food is like fashion: trends come and go.</span><br /><br />One of the trends that has been around awhile is the penchant for stylish restaurants to serve par-cooked vegetables.<br /><br />Now some vegetables are suited to being served and eaten hot and partially raw, like radishes, which we often think of as a cold, salad veggie.<br /><br />For the meatless dish (above), I char-grilled <a href="http://voices.washingtonpost.com/mighty-appetite/2007/04/post_1.html">Easter egg radishes</a> so that they were piping hot on the outside, but still crunchy and firm and not as hot on the inside.<br /><br />Asparagus is another vegetable that does not need to be boiled till it's limp and tasteless.<br /><br />You may recall the dish I posted last Meatless Monday: <a href="http://markettomouth.blogspot.com/2010/05/meatless-monday_10.html">Grilled Asparagus atop Fried Bread with Tomato Salad</a>.<br /><br />My preference these days is to grill asparagus spears in a skillet, just as I grilled the radishes. This cooking technique ensures the color of the vegetable isn't compromised, the flavor remains intact, as does firmness, texture and crunch.<br /><br />One vegetable that<span style="font-style: italic;"> </span>does not lend itself to the par-cooked method is eggplant.<br /><br />Much to my chagrin, I was served trendy, almost raw eggplant as an appetizer at an Italian restaurant late last week. Given that it's fairly neutral in flavor with a sponge-like texture, eating par-cooked eggplant is akin to eating a dirty kitchen sponge -- not nice!<br /><br />Eggplant needs to be cooked well in order for it to be palatable and in order that the naturally occurring <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solanine">toxin solamine (or solanine)</a>, present in high quantities in eggplant and the other nightshade, potato, is destroyed.<br /><br />If you're a <a href="http://markettomouth.blogspot.com/2010/04/meatless-monday_12.html">raw foodist</a>, it really is important to understand that cooking certain foods was a crucial step in human evolution; cooking eliminates the danger of ingesting naturally occurring toxins and it makes some foods easier to digest.<br /><br />Solamine won't kill you, but like any toxin, it's not something you want to consume often. So cook your potatoes and eggplant!<br /><br />Today's Meatless Monday meal is a combination of cooked, par-cooked and raw, which made for an unusual and interesting combination of the following:<br /><ul><li>hot, soft food(polenta)</li><li>hot, crunchy food (radishes), and </li><li>cold, crunchy food (sprouted beans).<br /></li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">Squash Polenta with Grilled Radishes and Sprouted Beans</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1) </span>Into a pot pour a cup of polenta and 3 cups of water. Bring to the boil.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2)</span> Peel, core and chop a small acorn squash into chunks.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3) </span>Add squash to polenta and once the pot is boiling, turn heat to low. Stir contents often.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">4) </span>Cook polenta and squash for about 30 mins. At the 20-min mark, add half a cup of your favorite firm cheese. Continue stirring until the cheese melts, the squash is soft and the polenta mix solid but not too solid. Taste test for seasoning, add salt and pepper to your liking.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Note:</span> If you prefer your polenta soft, add more liquid, i.e. water, stock or even half and half if you want to enrich the flavor.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">5)</span> Set cooked polenta aside, now wash a bunch of radishes, either plain radishes or the colorful Easter egg radishes I used, and then cut the radishes in half lengthwise.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">6) </span>Heat a skillet lined with a spoonful of olive oil, drop the radishes into the skillet and stir them about on high until the skins are charred and hot, and the insides are still firm.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/S_F4VbQsfgI/AAAAAAAAB9I/7f0MQ2LAyII/s1600/friendsSpring10+001.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 165px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_yI2ocgxzmLo/S_F4VbQsfgI/AAAAAAAAB9I/7f0MQ2LAyII/s320/friendsSpring10+001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472287331722231298" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> To Serve:</span> Spoon a portion of steaming hot polenta onto a plate, decorate the edges with the char-grilled radishes and top the lot with a sprinkling of raw, sprouted beans, lentils and peas.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.wildhealthfood.com/video-how-to-sprout-beans.htm">You can sprout your own bean / lentil mix</a> (follow this link and watch a New Zealand couple with heavy accents show you how to sprout at home).<br /><br />Or you can buy sprouts at your local organic market or farmer's market. I bought a small pack at Whole Foods Market for about $3.<br /><br />"Sprouting" is soaking a seed until it germinates. Rich in protein, vitamins and minerals and live enzymes, sprouts are an easy-to-digest raw food, they're also delicious, with an almost peppery flavor, and they're crunchy.<br /><br />Sprouts are the perfect accompaniment to spring salads, and hot dishes in need of texture, color, added flavor and crunch.<br /><br /><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>Louise Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14401130779255847329noreply@blogger.com0