So first of all-an apology. We haven't been as "daily" about this daily blog as we would like. We promise to fill in some gaps as we go, but it seems better to only include the highlights and interesting stuff, right?
The Littlest Locavore
On Monday night I created a monster. A little locavore. Well, I didn't create her, and luckily I didn't even have to put her to bed that night. But I did create a local eating fanatic in my best friends daughter "J" in all of about 20 minutes. J is four (almost five-according to her) and started kindergarten last week. When she got to my place, I had a project all ready to go for her. We were going to make pink juice. Now what 4 (almost 5 year old) girl doesn't like that. She was pretty psyched. We put a whole watermelon and one cucumer in the super juicer-and magic-pink juice. Juicing, it turns out can be pretty messy-but kids dig it. J definitely liked making juice and mostly liked the end product too.
After the juicing experiment, I let my sister take J for a walk, while I de-juiced the kitchen, and prepared the 31 year old locavore dinner for her mom and I: a local organic baguette from the Little Bakery, goat cheese and garlic herb cheese curds from Meadow Creek Carm, and a bottle of 4 Chimney's wine. Now, thats how to eat!
Well, when J got back from her walk-she was ready to chow down, and panic started to set in for me. The Kone household doesn't carry any boxed mac & cheese, peanut butter, hot dogs or other traditional kid fare, and with the Locavore Challenge going on-we were pretty much out of anything snackable as well. This didn't seem to matter to my little locavore-because what I did have was homemade chicken and rice soup, whole jersey cow milk and local baguette with local butter and the surprise homemade honey-berry ice-cream (her favorite). J, basically devoured the above menu, and when her mom told her they were all organic-J quickly replied "is it healthy for me-because I like it!"
Mission accomplished. Nourished kid on local organic fare, a happy mom-and a new (albeit short) spokesperson.
FOOD MINUS THE MILEAGE
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Monday, September 13, 2010
Days 9 & 10: Getting into a Groove/Lea K.
These last few days have flown by, and we apologize for not writing more each day. We've all been busy cooking and eating too. In the NOFA-NY office we've sort of fallen into a groove with our monthly challenges and each have a few fall back meals that are getting us through the busy days that we thought we would share.
The Egg "not so Mc" Muffin
-What's better in the morning than the local organic version of the classic American breakfast on the go? I'm not much of a meat eater, but I picked up a pound of Irish style bacon from the farmers' market last weekend, and am now addicted. This slightly "meatier" slab bacon is awesome with a fried egg and a slice of local cheddar cheese on a toasted organic english muffin. The muffin is a semi-cheat item. The muffins are made locally and use all organic ingredients, but the flour is not local. We are very lucky in Rochester to have a few bakers using all local flour though so it can easily be made 100% by switching out the muffin for bread from one of these other bakers.
Honey and Berry Ice-Cream
I needed a go-to dessert item for the month. I'm not big into baked desserts, but am nuts for ice-cream. This 100% local and organic ice-cream was easier to make than you think. Start by tossing a pint of some local berries (I used fall raspberries) into the food processor until pureed. Strain to remove an seeds. Combine pureed raspberries with 1/2 c. of honey, 2 c. of heavy cream and 1 c. of whole milk. Mix well. Turn on your ice-cream machine and pour the mixture in. Mix until thickened-about 25 minutes.
Colconnan
I've been trying my best not to go to the grocery store at all in between my CSA pick-up and market day (both of which are Sunday), and by Thursday this week, the stock was feeling a little low and I was nervous about what the heck I was going to make from bunch of potatoes, a cabbage and what was left in my fridge-an then it hit me I had EXACTLY (and only!) the ingredients for Colcannan or Irish Potato and Cabbage Soup. You really can't get any easier than this. In a large sauce-pan add 2 lbs of chopped potatoes, 2 bunches of chopped scallion whites, and 1 small head of green cabbage chopped. Cover with water , bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer covered for about 20 minutes. When the potatoes are fork tender, drain and return to the pot. Add 1/2 c. of milk, 6 tbs of melted butter and mash until coarse but soft. Season with salt and pepper.
The Egg "not so Mc" Muffin
-What's better in the morning than the local organic version of the classic American breakfast on the go? I'm not much of a meat eater, but I picked up a pound of Irish style bacon from the farmers' market last weekend, and am now addicted. This slightly "meatier" slab bacon is awesome with a fried egg and a slice of local cheddar cheese on a toasted organic english muffin. The muffin is a semi-cheat item. The muffins are made locally and use all organic ingredients, but the flour is not local. We are very lucky in Rochester to have a few bakers using all local flour though so it can easily be made 100% by switching out the muffin for bread from one of these other bakers.
Honey and Berry Ice-Cream
I needed a go-to dessert item for the month. I'm not big into baked desserts, but am nuts for ice-cream. This 100% local and organic ice-cream was easier to make than you think. Start by tossing a pint of some local berries (I used fall raspberries) into the food processor until pureed. Strain to remove an seeds. Combine pureed raspberries with 1/2 c. of honey, 2 c. of heavy cream and 1 c. of whole milk. Mix well. Turn on your ice-cream machine and pour the mixture in. Mix until thickened-about 25 minutes.
Colconnan
I've been trying my best not to go to the grocery store at all in between my CSA pick-up and market day (both of which are Sunday), and by Thursday this week, the stock was feeling a little low and I was nervous about what the heck I was going to make from bunch of potatoes, a cabbage and what was left in my fridge-an then it hit me I had EXACTLY (and only!) the ingredients for Colcannan or Irish Potato and Cabbage Soup. You really can't get any easier than this. In a large sauce-pan add 2 lbs of chopped potatoes, 2 bunches of chopped scallion whites, and 1 small head of green cabbage chopped. Cover with water , bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer covered for about 20 minutes. When the potatoes are fork tender, drain and return to the pot. Add 1/2 c. of milk, 6 tbs of melted butter and mash until coarse but soft. Season with salt and pepper.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Locavore Day 8 /KateM.
Wednesday 9/8/2010
Breakfast: Corn muffin and kefir
Lunch: Leftover greens & beans
Dinner: Organic chorizo on a homemade bun with local kimchi (made by Small World Bakery with local organic veggies from Mud Creek Farm).
Corn Muffins
(adapted from Joy of Cooking, 2006. pg. 632)
Preheat oven to 425.
Grease a muffin tin and place in the oven until piping hot!
Whisk together in a bowl:
1.25 cup local corn meal
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2.5 tsp. baking powder
1 Tbs. granulated maple sugar (or more if you want a sweeter muffin)
3/4 tsp. salt
Mix in:
2 beaten eggs
1 cup milk
2-3 Tbs. melted butter or oil
Combine quickly. Add batter to hot muffin pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes until lightly brown on top.
Breakfast: Corn muffin and kefir
Lunch: Leftover greens & beans
Dinner: Organic chorizo on a homemade bun with local kimchi (made by Small World Bakery with local organic veggies from Mud Creek Farm).
Corn Muffins
(adapted from Joy of Cooking, 2006. pg. 632)
Preheat oven to 425.
Grease a muffin tin and place in the oven until piping hot!
Whisk together in a bowl:
1.25 cup local corn meal
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2.5 tsp. baking powder
1 Tbs. granulated maple sugar (or more if you want a sweeter muffin)
3/4 tsp. salt
Mix in:
2 beaten eggs
1 cup milk
2-3 Tbs. melted butter or oil
Combine quickly. Add batter to hot muffin pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes until lightly brown on top.
Locavore Day 7 /KateM.
Tuesday 9/7/2010
Breakfast: Today we had delicious corn muffins for breakfast that I made last night. We enjoyed them with a little local butter and maple sugar.
Lunch: Taco salad (kale sliced thinly, leftover grilled chicken, black beans, plain yogurt, tomatillo salsa, heirloom tomatoes, cilantro, red onion, and cheddar cheese)
Dinner: Greens and Beans with Chorizo! Yum.
Greens & Beans
(adapted from Deborah Madison's Local Flavors: Cooking and Eating from America's Farmers' Markets, 2002., pg. 105)
1 cup leftover white beans (Cayuga Pure Organic) with a cup of cooking liquid (or water)
1 large onion (East Hill Farms), chopped finely
1 bunch of red or black kale (Porter Farms), chopped bite size
1 head savoy cabbage (Porter Farms), chopped bite size
2 big garlic cloves (Fraiser Garlic Farm), minced
2 Tbs. sunflower oil (Stolor Organics)
Wash greens. Warm the oil in a skillet and saute the onions until browning. Add the greens and garlic and 2 tsp. salt. Add the beans and 1 cup cooking liquid and continue to cook until greens are tender. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve with chorizo or with toast.
Locavore Day 6 /KateM.
Monday 9/6/2010
Breakfast: Toast with local butter and strawberry freezer jam (organic strawberries from Fellenz Family Farm).
Lunch: Yummy sandwich with leftover grilled chicken, white bean "hummus", kale, and tomato.
Dinner: Leftover chicken and roasted tomatoes.
White Bean "Hummus" (adapted from Joy of Cooking, 2006. pg. 73)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup local sunflower oil
3 cups white beans, cooked
Saute the garlic in a little of the olive oil.
Add the beans and garlic to a food processor or blender and puree. Add white bean cooking water (or plain water) as needed to thin to right consistency. Add more sunflower oil, salt and pepper to taste (I like mine salty!).
Locavore Day 5 /KateM.
Sunday 9/5/2010
Today was a crazy locavore day. We woke and had delicious backyard scrambled eggs and coffee (my one necessary local exception).
Then after running a few errands (including a visit to another farmers market) we settled in for a day of locavoring.
For lunch we had leftover stuffed green peppers, which were even better after sitting in the fridge for a couple of days.
We cooked up a storm and prepared food to put away for the winter. Here is what my husband, Zach, and I were up to:
Corn: Blanched and froze 24 ears of organic corn from Clearview Organic Farm
Tomatoes: Slow roasted and froze oodles of tomatoes.
Green Peppers: Sliced and froze a gallon bag of peppers
Bread: baked a delicious loaf of bread and made some hot dog and hamburger buns
Kefir: Set out milk with culture for kefir
Yogurt: Made homemade yogurt
Cream Cheese: Set out milk for homemade cream cheese
Chicken: Grilled a whole chicken (Honeyhill Organic Farm) on the grill
White beans: cooked dry white beans, froze some, put some in the fridge, and made a white bean "hummus" with the rest (Cayuga Pure Organic).
Black beans: cooked dry black beans and divided them between the freezer and fridge (Cayuga Pure Organic).
Crackers: I made my first batch of crackers from scratch! The local organic whole wheat flour was from Small World Bakery
Tomatillo Enchillada Sauce: made a batch and froze in ice cube containers
Tomatillo Salsa: Made a batch to eat immediately!
Fry Bread: Made some for dinner
Dinner! We were so exhausted.. and hungry! But this was one of the most scrumptious dinners yet!
Fry Bread Grilled Chicken & Black Bean Tacos
These tacos are delicious!
We made fry bread (usually we made them on the grill, which is also delicious) and topped it with grilled chicken, black beans, chopped heirloom tomatoes, cilantro, red onion, tomatillo salsa, and plain yogurt. You should really try this!
Fry Bread
(adapted from Foods of the Americas: Native Recipes and Traditions by Fernando and Marlene Divina and the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, 2004).
1.5 cups whole-wheat or white all-purpose flour
1/2 Tbs. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cups warm water (more if dough is too dry)
local oil for frying (not needed if making on the grill)
In a bowl, combine the dry ingredients and make a well. Add the warm water and mix the flour into the water. Gently knead the dough into a ball and form it into a log about 3 in. in diameter. cover with a clean cloth and let sit 10 minutes. Divide into 4 equal pieces and roll into patties, about 1/4 inch thick. Fry these in HOT oil for 2-3 minutes per side or grill over medium-high for 2-3 minutes per side. Top with your favorite taco ingredients and enjoy!
Locavore Day 4 /KateM.
Ahhh.. Saturday! Finally time to properly stock my locavorganic supplies.
After some quick scrambled eggs, I headed out to explore another farmers' market and a little general store where I heard I could purchase some of Flour City Pasta's emmer pasta, made from Thor Oeschner's (Oechsner Farms) emmer.
Success! At the market, I picked up:
local organic Macintosh apples and organic popcorn from Circle B Organic Farm.
granulated maple sugar and maple candies from Sugarbush Hollow (certified naturally grown)
I purchased 4 packages of emmer pasta to last me through the month of locavore month.
At Lori's Natural Foods I purchased certified organic shitake and oyster mushrooms from Flour City Mushrooms, local organic cilantro, kefir culture, bread yeast, and some finger lakes local cheese.
I munched on cheese curds and apples for lunch.
Home in time to meet my husband for a long hike in the woods with the dog.
For dinner we were tired and in a rush, so we tried the new emmer pasta with some tomato glut sauce I had made last fall from our garden and had frozen, and made a kale salad.
Another delicious locavore day....
Tomato Glut Sauce (adapted from Joan Gussow's book: This Organic Life, 1996)
Preheat oven to 400
Put into a large roasting pan:
6 lbs quartered tomatoes
1.5 cups chopped carrots
1.5 cups chopped onions
10 cloves of garlic
6 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
1.5 Tbs. of each: fresh basil and oregano
1.5 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. pepper
Roast for 45 minutes or until vegetables are soft and fully cooked. Blend some of the veggies, but leave nice chucky pieces. Freeze in family-sized portions.
After some quick scrambled eggs, I headed out to explore another farmers' market and a little general store where I heard I could purchase some of Flour City Pasta's emmer pasta, made from Thor Oeschner's (Oechsner Farms) emmer.
Success! At the market, I picked up:
local organic Macintosh apples and organic popcorn from Circle B Organic Farm.
granulated maple sugar and maple candies from Sugarbush Hollow (certified naturally grown)
I purchased 4 packages of emmer pasta to last me through the month of locavore month.
At Lori's Natural Foods I purchased certified organic shitake and oyster mushrooms from Flour City Mushrooms, local organic cilantro, kefir culture, bread yeast, and some finger lakes local cheese.
I munched on cheese curds and apples for lunch.
Home in time to meet my husband for a long hike in the woods with the dog.
For dinner we were tired and in a rush, so we tried the new emmer pasta with some tomato glut sauce I had made last fall from our garden and had frozen, and made a kale salad.
Another delicious locavore day....
Tomato Glut Sauce (adapted from Joan Gussow's book: This Organic Life, 1996)
Preheat oven to 400
Put into a large roasting pan:
6 lbs quartered tomatoes
1.5 cups chopped carrots
1.5 cups chopped onions
10 cloves of garlic
6 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
1.5 Tbs. of each: fresh basil and oregano
1.5 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. pepper
Roast for 45 minutes or until vegetables are soft and fully cooked. Blend some of the veggies, but leave nice chucky pieces. Freeze in family-sized portions.
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