« April 2006 | Main | June 2006 »
Finally. The last of the tomatoes are in their pots and the garden is shaping up. I'm not balancing the garden work and the blogging as well this year--hence the infrequent posts. But today is the last day of the Eat Local Challenge and we had a great gathering this past weekend to give thanks for our gardens and to bless the seeds and seedlings.
You can read all about it here on the Eat Local Challenge blog.
I can hardly believe an entire year has gone by since I began Cookin' in the 'Cuse. And what a year it has been! When I think about how this all began I had little idea how much this blog, those who read this blog, and other bloggers across the world would become a part of my life.
Cookin' in the 'Cuse was created out of two basic desires: I wanted an excuse to write on a regular basis to help spur a book proposal I had been nursing for years on food, faith, and holistic living. The other desire was to play a small role in helping Syracuse and Central New York get the credit it deserves for all the wonderful food that is produced here and, perhaps, to invite others to join me in eating more locally, organically, and sustainably.
In my first post I wrote about a visit to my former home of Berkeley, CA and how I had scoured the Berkeley Farmers' Market, Shattuck Avenue haunts, and Napa wineries to pick up some beloved favorite foods--Acme Breads, Frog Hollow Peach Conserves, Robert Sinskey wines, and Cheeseboard scones. Dragging this packed cooler on the plane I thought--this is ridiculous!
A year later, I find that same cooler is being dragged around from place to place--but to much closer and newly beloved haunts such as the Ithaca and Hamilton Farmers' Markets, the CNY Regional Market and area farms. I still love the food from the Bay Area (I'd kill for a ripe pluot) but I don't really hunger for it anymore. The next time I get back there I will surely enjoy the eating adventures but now my hunger is for the great food I can get right here.
Over the past year I have been delighted by those of you who have posted comments, emailed me to let me know of foodie news in the area, and have helped me find a kind of community that makes me feel truly at home here. Thank you. In the year to come I hope that Cookin' in the 'Cuse will continue to be a part of the conversation that supports our farmers and producers, our region, and all the positive things that are happening here. You can look forward to some expanded coverage such as regular guest correspondents writing about food in the Madison county area and posts about my new explorations in Finger Lakes wine country. I really don't know what else the year to come will bring, I just promise that as long as it continues to be fun and worthwhile I will be here to chronicle it.
Look closely. Yes that is what you think it is. Actually, this photo was taken before the snow really began to come down! That's right snow! Just five minutes after it had been hailing. About an hour later the sun was so bright driving back to Syracuse that I had to grab for my sunglasses for all the glare. You gotta love Central New York.
But this is the tip of the iceberg. One of the many things to love about Central New York is the reason I was out in a sudden May snowstorm to begin with--a wine and cheese tasting sponsored by the local Slow Food Convivium held at Circa Restaurant in Cazenovia. I had some last minute change of dinner plans so I was able to hang out for a couple of hours with some wonderfully passionate foodies and farmers and enjoy New York State farmstead cheeses and wines from the Finger Lakes, Long Island and Niagara regions. It was a fun and affordable event that provides me another reason to say--join Slow Food!
Slow Food is all about celebrating good food, food traditions and the pleasure of sharing it with friends--new and old. The Central Leatherstocking Convivium (think local chapter) has held some fantastic events and dinners over the past few years and a new Convivium is beginning in Syracuse--I'll keep you posted.
So you'd think that that would be enough excitment for the day but I still had dinner to prepare. I had chicken marinating since the morning and was looking forward to trying out a recipe from Suzanne Goin. Well let me just say--you have to make this dish! This Saffron Chicken with Parmesan Pudding, spring onions and sugar snap peas was amazing! It was relatively simple to prepare and it would be perfect dinner party fare--or just Sunday dinner fare--the kind you serve if you want to feel as if you having a fancy dinner out. The chicken was incredibly flavorful and we couldn't get enough of the crunchy sugar snap peas that had been sauteed in saffron butter.
This dish represents how we're faring with the Eat Local Challenge--it is a mix. The chicken was not local but was sustainably raised. The spring onions came from a Hudson Valley farm but I picked them out on Saturday at the Union Square Greenmarket in New York City. The parmesan was made with a huge hunk of Parmigiano-Reggiano that I've had in the fridge for a bit but all the dairy products in it came from our good friends at Evans Farmhouse Creamery.
To top it off, we paired this dish with a bottle of the very rare and very delicious 2005 Pheasant Ridge Traminette wine. There were only about 20 cases of this wine made this year due to the weather this winter. I was told back in January that this was going to be a special bottling and it really is. This wine is made from the Traminette grape--a member of the family of grapes that produce Gewurtztraminer. It is very different from the 2002 vintage--a bit cloudy in the glass, fragrant with fruit--pineapple and melon that carries through on the palate. This wine was made for drinking with food and it was absolutely perfect with the saffron chicken and parmesan pudding--I mean PERFECT. Check out the Pheasant Ridge website and place an order before they run out. This is a Central New York exclusive worth seeking.
Saffron Chicken with Parmesan Pudding, Spring Onions and Sugar Snap Peas as adapted from Sunday Suppers at Lucques by Suzanne Goin
Note: Marinate the chicken the night before or the morning of serving. You can make the pudding ahead of time and refrigerate it covered. Bring it to room temperature about an hour before serving, rewarming it in a 400 degree oven 15 to 20 minutes uncovered, until it is hot and begins to brown slightly around the edges. For tonight's meal, I made the pudding first and prepared the chicken and vegetables while the pudding baked in the over--the timing was perfect.
Toast the saffron in a small pan over medium heat until it just dries and becomes brittle. Pound the saffron to a fine powder in a mortar. Dab a tablespoon of the softened butter into the saffron powder, using the butter to scoop up about half of the powder. Set aside.
Stir 4 tablespoons olive oil into the mortar, scraping carefully with a rubber spatula to incorporate all of the saffron powder.
Toss the chicken breasts gently with the saffron oil, 2 teaspoons thyme, the parsley and the lemon zest, coating the chicken well. Marinate in the refrigerator at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
Heat a large saute pan over high heat for two minutes. Season the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Swirl in 1 tablespoon olive oil and wait a minute. Place the chicken, skin side down, in the pan (you might have to work in batches). Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until the skin is crispy and golden brown. Turn the breasts over, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook them a few more minutes, until just cooked through and springy to the touch. Transfer the chicken to a rack to rest.
Return the pan to the stove over medium heat for a minute. Add the remaining two tablespoons butter, and when it foams, add the sliced spring onions, sugar snap peas, 1/2 teaspoon salt, a pinch of pepper, and the remaining teaspoon thyme. Cook over medium heat 2 to 3 minutes, stirring until the onions are translucent. Add the saffron butter and one tablespoon of water. Swirl the pan, and when the liquid comes to a simmer, toss in the onion tops. Immediately remove from the pan from the heat and taste for seasoning.
Arrange the chicken on a large platter and spoon the vegetables over it. Serve with hot Parmesan Pudding.
Parmesan Pudding
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Heat a medium pot over medium heat for 1 minute. Add the butter, and when it foams, whisk in the flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, and cook for about 5 minutes, being careful not to let the flour burn. Slowly pour in the milk and cream, whisking constantly to incorporate it. The butter and flour will sieze up and get pasty first. Continue whisking vigorously as you add the liquid, and the mixture will become smooth. Cook a few more minutes, until warm to the touch. Remove the pan from the heat.
Whisk the egg and egg yolk together in a small bowl. Slowly drizzle the eggs into the cream mixture, whisking continuously until combined. Stir in the cheese, and seaon with a heaping 1/2 teaspoon salt. Pour the mixture into an 8x6-inch (or equivalent) baking dish, and cover tightly with foil. Place the baking dish in a roasting pan, and add hot water tot he pan until it comes halfway up the outside of the custard dish. Place the pan in the oven and bake about 1 hour, until the pudding is just set.
So where have I been? Let's see, a corporate retreat lodge in the Adirondacks from Sunday until yesterday and in Chicago for a 24 hour meeting. I'm so glad to be home I can hardly stand it. I didn't have much access, to the internet so not much blogging--but I'm looking forward to more regular posting.
This crazy month--commencement, travel, meetings, visits, etc., has meant not too much time in the garden. In between the rain drops over the weekend, I did manage to get some transplants from Early Morning Farm down in Ithaca. They have a new website which you can check out here. This is the farm from which I buy many of my organic veggies--meaning those I'm not growing myself. Their produce ranks incredibly high in quality and Anton and Laurie are just great folks. If you are in the Ithaca area do check them out.
So far, the garlic is coming along, the Swiss chard, collards, onions, and lettuces are in and I've sowed a row with spinach, red russian kale, and romaine lettuce. After a post-meeting visit to Evans Farmhouse Creamery tomorrow, I plan to finish my garden work by potting up the squash and putting the tomatoes, rosemary, basil, and parsley in their containers. My other seedlings are coming along but I'm not sure they'll actually go in the ground. I'm about a month behind on those so we'll see.
When I make my run to the farmers' markets tomorrow I will be very surprised if I find much in the way of local produce. But I've been delighted by how much is already available-- at the market, in the supermarkets, and on the plates of area restaurants.
Most of the local produce available consists of young salad greens--BC Restaurant got their first delivery from Tierra Farms (Skaneateles) today. But places like Circa in Cazenovia have continued to serve up locally produced kale, Hakurei turnips (featured as a "must have" in the New York Times "T" Living magazine on Sunday) and ramps.
Ramps (shown above) are those garlicky, pungent, wild leeks that are found in the northeast for a short period of time. You can have them served to you at Circa or pick some up at the Syracuse Real Food Co-op--while supplies last! For a quick and easy way to prepare ramps scroll down.
A quick perusal of the local P and C supermarket revealed some locally grown shallots from nearby Fulton, NY as well as prominently featured brews from Sacketts Harbor Ale and Brewery Ommegang.
Finally, (for now) if you haven't already checked out The Good Life in Central New York, do a get a copy. The premiere issue is on newstands now. There was a nice article on Brian Shore, now of Arad Evans Inn, as well as a section on food and other things made in Central New York. It is a beautifully produced magazine and when I first took a look at it I couldn't help but exclaim--"Hey, I'd really want to live here!". Lucky for me, I do.
Preparing Ramps
This preparation comes from Suzanne Goin and her excellent cookbook, Sunday Suppers at Lucques.
Wrap the the green tops together loosely in tinfoil and carefully lower the bulb ends into salted boiling water, leaning them against the side of the pot and keeping the tinfoil-wrapped leaves protected from the water. Cook a few minutes or so, until the bulbs are tender. Carefully remove the ramps from the water, then unwrap the foil and dip the leaves in the boiling water for only a few seconds. This ensures tender, full cooked bulbs and bright green leaves. You can then saute them in some butter and serve them up or brush with olive oil and cook on the grill.
On my first day back home during this Eat Local Challenge month I decided to check out the Central New York Regional Market here in Syracuse. The rain wasn't going to stop me. The unpacking and cleaning wasn't going to stop me. I was determined. Not willing to brave both rain and crowds I waited until about 11:00 am and then made my way to Wendy Gornick's stand for some chicken.
No chicken. What? That's right, no chicken. The rain came down and I tried not to pout and protest. Chickens are seasonal; remember? At least the pasture-fed, free range, sustainably raised chickens are. Wendy Gornick is the heart and soul of Sweet Grass Farm. Unless I go down to Ithaca to buy from Peter McDonald or manage to pick up a bird from Cobblestone Valley*, I rely on Wendy. But she won't have any spring chickens until this coming Saturday--forget the crowds--best to get there EARLY.
Thank goodness I discovered my chicken situation early in the day. I still had enough time to run back home and pull a McDonalds Farm chicken from the freezer. Still local... good. But then this recipe beckoned: Chicken with Black Pepper Maple Sauce. With the exception of the salt and pepper I could do this with local ingredients--I even had some chicken stock in the freezer. So what if the maple syrup tasted of winter? Around these parts with bundles of fresh green produce still a month off, eating locally may not always sync up with the season. That's alright. When I'm still eating freshly picked tomatoes in October I won't complain.
Chicken with Black Pepper Maple Sauce (adapted from Gourmet Magazine)
Special Equipment: kitchen shears; 2 (10-inch) heavy skillets (one well-seasoned cast-iron or heavy nonstick); a 10 inch round of parchment paper; 5-6 pounds of weights such as 3 (28-oz) cans of tomatoes--I've also used actual dumbells--whatever works.
Cut out backbone from chicken with kitchen shears and discard. Pat chicken dry, then spread flat, skin side up, on a cutting board. Cut a 1/2 inch slit on each side of chicken in center of triangle of skin between thighs and breast (near drumstick) then tuck bottom knob of each drumstick through slit. Tuck wing tips under breast. This will result in a flattened bird. Sprinkle chicken all over with salt and pepper.
Heat 3 tablespoons butter in a 10-inch cast-iron or heavy nonstick skillet over medium heat until foam subsides. Add chicken, skin side down, and arrange larger rosemary sprigs over chicken. Cover with parchment round and second skillet, then top with weights. Cook chicken until skin is browned, about 15 minutes. Remove and reserve weights, top skillet, parchment, and rosemary, then carefully loosen chicken from skillet with a spatula--I use a spatula and tongs to help lift the bird. Turn chicken over and re-place rosemary sprigs, then re-cover with parchment, skillet, and weights. Cook until chicken is just cooked through, 15-20 minutes more.
Make sauce while chicken cooks:
Toast peppercorns in a dry 1-quart heavy sacucepan over moderate heat, shaking pan occasionally, untl fragrant, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a clean cutting board and coarsely crush with a rolling pin. Return peppercorns to a saucepan and bring to a simmer with syrup, 1/2 cup broth, and small rosemary sprig, then reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes.
Transfer chicken to a platter and loosely cover with foil. Add vinegar to skillet and deglaze, boiling and scraping up brown bits with a wooden spoon until liquid is reduced by half. Stir in maple mixture and remaining 1/4 cup broth and boil until slightly syrupy, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to low and swirl in remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Season sauce with salt and pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, discardking solids. Serve chicken with sauce.
* Sweet Grass Farm, McDonald Family Farm and Cobblestone Valley are all excellent local purveyors of chicken, eggs, beef and pork. Check out their websites under Local Food Sources on the left.
Eating locally has been a breeze this week because I've been at an Episcopal conference center in the Litchfield Hills of Connecticut that prides itself on organic, local and seasonal menus. I've feasted on fiddlehead ferns, ramps, locally raised lamb, and chicken as well as some not so local treats I'll write about later.
As wonderful as this was, my real treat was discovering the Harney & Sons Tasting Room in Millerton, New York. I gleefully rejoiced that this tea emporium was just on the New York side of the NY-CT border. So while tea is grown in other parts of the world, I'm still within my Eat Local parameters by purchasing tea that is blended and packaged within state lines.
Its funny, but because of its reputation and beautiful packaging, I had assumed that Harney & Sons was a venerable old tea company from the 19th century. In fact, this young and venerable company was founded in 1983 in Connecticut--that they are in New York is a recent move. Well, in 1983 Lipton and maybe Celestial Seasonings were the only tea bags--and they were bags--in my repertoire. To think what I'd been missing.
Though I had enjoyed Harney & Sons teas in restaurants in recent years I must confess that when I looked in my pantry, there was not a Harney & Sons tea among them. That is, until yesterday.
If you like tea, walking into the Harney and Sons Tasting Room is likely to send you over the edge. Shelves are stacked nearly to the ceiling with large black tins bearing labels such as Elyse's Blend and Yin Hao Jasmine and Supreme Breakfast. They also offer blends that are organic and fair trade. Each day features a different tea on offer to taste and on top of that you get two tastings of your choice all at no charge. My guess is that it would take a couple of months of daily visits to taste everything on the shelves. Once you make your choice, you can purchase as little as two ounces making it easy and affordable to try a variety of blends. Or if you know what you want, tins of different sizes can be purchased in the store.
I actually managed two visits during this week and was able to try a chocolate tea (think Valrhona chocolate on the nose but a subtle chocolate taste on the palate), some jasmine dragon pearls, and two types of breakfast blends--their English Breakfast and the Supreme Breakfast.
Brewing tea properly requires the proper water temperature and steeping time and the folks in the tasting room get it just right. Each tea is put on a separate timer so that it steeps just perfectly. I was even able to get some milk and sugar to go with my tasting of the breakfast teas. As the description had promised, the Supreme Breakfast had a richer and deeper flavor profile which I had predicted would even stand up to a little decadent half and half.
You'd think that being among all the beautiful teas and tea wares (cups, strainers,teapots, cozies, linens and chocolates) would be enough. But no. My visit was topped off when John Harney himself walked through the door. Now I know he is the founder and owner of the company (and the Sons--Mike and Paul--do indeed, help run the company) but John Harney is as welcoming, friendly, and charming as they come. Actually, he's the kind of CEO I'd want to sit down with over a cup of tea because tea, laughter, and good company are among the essentials in life.
The Tasting Room is open everyday and is definitely worth a visit--even if it entails a detour. And if you didn't get your fill in the tasting room, you can have a seat for service in the tea room and enjoy freshly baked scones along with your cup. That is my plan for September when I travel back to northwest Connecticut. In the meantime, I'm all stocked up and plan to enjoy my cup of Supreme Breakfast tea alongside my bowl of local yogurt and granola and start my day.
Harney & Sons, 1 Railroad Plaza, Millerton, New York, 12546. 1-518-789-2121 www.harney.com
Recent Comments