Cookin' in the 'Cuse

Oh no. We can't have any of THIS

I guess I've had it easy up to now.  When I grew vegetables over at Dorset Harvest Farm I had a huge spread of a garden--ten rows of vegetables and herbs.  Way too much food for my family alone but plenty to give away.  While I learned to deal with slugs and cabbage worms, it was rare that I had to mess with pests of the flying and crawling variety.  As for animals, I was decidedly blessed.  Deer were known to mow down the bulbs in the houses across the street from me but never found their way to the veritable buffet I had growing behind our house.  The worst thing I encountered was a squirrel nibbling at a strawberry or two--and then, only rarely.

Now I live west of downtown.  With the Syracuse "skyline" visible from my porch it makes my last house feel like the suburbs.  To add to the urban vibe, there is a warehouse behind our home that hasn't been kept up as it should.  And therein lives my unwanted neighbors. 

I see them peering out from the large door that gives them a perfect view of my raised bed--furry, roly poly, what--woodchucks?  They're a bit on the small side for that--or maybe they're just waiting to plump themselves up on my vegetables!

Well, I'm not having it.  We will have to figure out a way to peaceably coexist.  I'm working hard to tend my newly constructed raised bed of lettuces, radishes, spinach, tomatoes, and soon--garlic and I intend to eat the fruits of my labors.  One of us will have to forage a little harder for dinner tonight so the furballs next door are on notice--It will not be me!

Now I'm off to send Harrison out to find a suitably attractive and effective enclosure for the raised bed.  I've never subscribed to the "good fences make good neighbors" maxim but in this case I'm reconsidering.  Sigh.

Twix and his sidekick Thumper

Nothing clears out the city grit like a trip to a farm.  Yesterday I traded potholes for cowpies with a visit to Creekside Meadows Farm in Tully.  Harrison and I walked among a small herd of cows, watched the chickens and ducks run around, and played with these two guys--Twix and Thumper--just a couple of months old.  I'll post more photos from the farm soon but couldn't resist posting this adorable pic.  For more information about Creekside Meadows Farm check out their website.

NYC Eats

Okay, consider this a photo deluge of some great food to be found in New York City--it is by no means comprehensive--just deliciously memorable.  Actually, for all the great food the Big Apple has to offer, it can be awfully difficult to figure out where to eat--especially if you want to eat fresh food in season without breaking the bank.  So if you're considering a trip downstate this summer, check out these eats. 

Get Fresh Table and Market, Brooklyn

The New York Times is one of my guides to good food and that's how I got the tip about the fairly new Get Fresh in Park Slope, Brooklyn.  This brightly painted, homey restaurant does the locally-sourced, seasonal menu and contains a pantry shop at front to take some tasty vittles back home.  I took my Mom there for lunch back in May and enjoyed a simple pasta dish loaded with cauliflower, black-eyed peas and house-made cheese while my Mom went the breakfast sandwich route--both were great. 

Cabrito, Greenwich Village, Manhattan

Now this is the kind of fresh Mex I'm talking about.  Just over a year old, Cabrito in the West Village brings the heat.  Michael Welch and his wife Zoe Becker--the team behind Edible Finger Lakes--turned me on to this place.  Michael had met the chef the week before and we were drawn there by the prospect of eating Finger Lakes-sourced pork.  Alas, we were too busy chowing down on Lengua y Tomatillo Tacos (that's braised cow tongue), short ribs and house-made chorizo and missed the local pork.  Butif you go, do like we did--order up a bunch of food, share liberally, and then walk to the corner and grab some gelato--hmm, hmm, hmm!

House-made Chorizo Taco

Lengua y Tomatillo Taco (braised tongue)

Shrimp and Tamarind Ceviche

More food and EFL Publisher Michael Welch in action after the jump...

My Home Town

The Flatiron Building, Empire State Building and Chyrsler Building

Growing up in NYC I really do think of it as just my hometown.  It was a wonderful place to grow up--even in the recession ridden 1970s and the go-go 80s.  The thing is, with all of my moving around, I've now lived in Syracuse longer than anywhere else, except New York City.  So when people ask me where I'm from, I'm beginning to say, "Syracuse' instead of, "I live in Syracuse, but I'm from New York City". 

I'm in NYC now and expect that the next couple of days will be my last time here for a little while.  I've been back home (meaning, Mom's house) just about every couple of weeks for the past month and a half--it's been great!  The thing is, every time I return, I find more and more of the City that I know and love, gone.  Yeah, things change. 

But the one thing that hasn't changed is all the incredible food that is being served up in restaurants, snack bars, and cafes across the city.  And the kicker is, much of what New York City considers local actually comes from up here.  Just try shopping the Union Square Greenmarket and see how many vendors are from the Finger Lakes.  Or ask a sustainable/local food restaurant where it's meat or produce comes from, and sometimes the answer is Ovid or Binghamton.  I take an immense amount of satisfaction (and glee) in knowing that the food that is highly sought after by chefs and foodies in Manhattan is the same stuff we can get at one of the many farmers' markets in our area on any given day.  It is nice to know that folks downstate our supporting our local economy in this way.

Later in the week I'll post about some of the meals I've enjoyed over the past couple of months in Manhattan and Brooklyn.  But really, I look forward to coming home to the "Cuse too and to getting back in the kitchen and in front of the stove.

Dinner at Blue Hill at Stone Barns Center

Talk about being lucky in food!  I went to Stone Barns Center to check out how its developed since my first visit three years ago.  This time, my plan was simple:  visit the gift shop, walk around the grounds, maybe grab a nibble from the Cafe.  But on a late Friday afternoon my friend Steph and I rolled up to find the gift shop open (check) and the Cafe closed (bummer).  But it was a pleasant evening and after walking around the property a bit and peering through the closed doors at the Cafe we decided to get a drink at the bar of Blue Hill at Stone Barns.  After all, why not make the best of a not-so-bad situation?

We sat down and asked for some nibbles and the bartender brought out a 3-course prix fixe menu--sweet!  Just like my first visit, Dan Barber was in the kitchen but this time, I'd actually get to eat the food that came out of it.  Three years ago I spied Barber in the kitchen and begged his assistants for an interview (like 3 minutes worth) but it was not to be.  Ever since, it has been fun to watch him take the reigns as the Alice Waters of my generation--a thoughtful, literary, passionate, sustainable agriculture-locavore chef. 

Blue Hill has been a media darling--both the one at Stone Barns, and the original restaurant in Manhattan (also known as "date night central" for the Obamas).  I can't speak for the operation downtown but there is no doubt in my mind that Blue Hill earns every good word that gets written about it.

Let me note a few highlights and then let the photos speak for themselves.  But trust me, they hardly do justice to this exquisitely elegant meal at the bar.

• No reservation, no problem.  Dinner at the bar is one of the best (and more affordable) ways to eat at a high profile restaurant--this is how I was introduced to the Union Square Cafe years ago.
• Dinner at the Blue Hill at Stone Barns bar offers two choices per course.  Steph and I ordered both sets and were then able to sample everything.
• Kudos to the well-trained bar staff who could speak about the food, its origins, and how to grow some of the ingredients at home.
• Eating at the bar didn't mean skimping on any of the restaurant niceties:  an amuse bouche, careful and attentive service, elegant presentations.
• Don't forget to enjoy the bar--the Purple Basil Mojito and Elderflower Sparkling Wine Spritzer were super-refreshing on a hot night.
• Cooking in season means making the most of what's available--Peas were the star of our meal--check it out:

Amuse Bouche:  Pea Burgers with Chamomille Spritzer

First Course:  Mesclun Salad with Farm Fresh Egg

That's right--egg!

First Course:  House-made ravioli (stuffed with local cheese) with peas, pancetta, and pea shoots

Berkshire Pork medallions with pork belly, peas, and farro

Roasted Sea Bass with peas and pistachios

Strawberry Sorbet, marshmallow and mint

Flourless Chocolate Cake, coffee ice cream, sea salt

Coffee Service:  coffee poured table side--with sugar, sugar alternatives, and warmed cream

Dinner at Blue Hill at Stone Barns

Dan Barber in the kitchen and Steph and I have a seat at the bar for a three course meal. Life is very, very good. Full story and photos to come!

What are YOU doing this weekend?

I've got some vacation time coming--yay!!!--which means I'll be getting out of town for a few days.  I'm off to bop around the Hudson Valley.  While I"m really looking forward to basking in the beautiful landscape on the banks of that great river and to exploring its culinary hot spots, I'm actually going to miss the 'Cuse.  Especially this weekend.  So if you are sticking around, go check out all the fun stuff I'm going to miss.  And tell me all about it in the comments!

Friday, June 12

University Community Harvest Farmers' Market, 11am - 3pm  Q3 Parking Lot--next to the Quad
I'm so glad to see that Syracuse University and SUNY-ESF and keeping these going.  Vendors include Abdo's Garden Market, Belle Terre Farm, Creekside Meadows Farm, Hafner's and Monarch Farm.  Also committed are Butternut Pottery, Carvel Ice Cream, CSA of CNY, ESF, Ma & Pa's Kettle Corn, Marcy Linsner Jewelry, SpaZend Day Spa, Spud Shack, Sweetrees MapleProducts, Syracuse Soapworks and Watson Greenhouse.

And this won't be the last one.  More markets are scheduled for the Waverly Lot (where it has been held previously) on these dates:  Sept. 11, 18 and 25 and Oct. 2 and 9--mark your calendars!

Saturday, June 12

In addition to the regular goings on at the CNY Regional Market, Cazenovia and Ithaca Farmers' Markets, there will be some new options for getting your produce on:

Greener Bean Farmers' Market.  9am-1pm
This organic market, held in the parking lot of the P&C opens Saturday (this gives Skaneateles an option in addition to the Thursday market).  It features Harvest Home Organics produce and other local farmers and producers. 




Strawberry Picking Opening Day at Cobblestone Valley Farm in Preble.  8am - 4pm.
According to the latest info, strawberry fields aren't forever--they may even be somewhat limited at this point in the season due to farm logistics and weather.  They expect the season to be slower and longer but Saturday will be your chance to get the first pickings.  Keep checking their website for the most up-to-date information.

Have a great weekend and don't forget to drop a comment and let us know how you spent it!

Syracuse First--Think Local. Buy Local. Be Local.

All I can say is, "It's about time!"  I've been waiting a long time to see an organization and campaign dedictad to getting us focused on supporting Syracuse.  I'm convinced that the future strength of our region will rest upon not just local food producers, but thriving and vital independent businesses. 

Come learn more about Syracuse First tomorrow night at Al's Wine and Whiskey Lounge in Armory Square from 6:00 - 8:00 pm.  It is a kind of a launch reception that will feature David Hess, author of Localist Movements in a Global Economy:  Sustainability, Justice and Urban Development in the United States. 

So what is Syracuse First about?  From their FAQ:

Our primary objective is to encourage Syracuse area residents to “Think Local” when they are considering where to make purchases, to “Buy Local” whenever possible and to “Be Local” by supporting businesses that make the Syracuse area unique.

We want to increase market share to independent, locally-owned businesses by increasing awareness about the personal and community benefits of choosing local.

Other goals of the initiative are to provide a platform for local businesses to network and share best practices; devise strategies to help underemployed individuals become more actively engaged in the economy; and advocate public policies that strengthen independent local businesses, promote economic equity, and protect the environment.

Check out their website, come to Al's and meet folks trying to make Syracuse a better place--hope to see you there!