Cookin' in the 'Cuse

Emilee's Tour of the Tech Farm part 2

Editor's Note:  I'd like to offer a massive apology both to Emilee Lawson Hatch and those of you waiting for part 2 of her Tech Farm adventure.  This post was supposed to go up 2 weeks ago.  I thought I posted it and then left the country and had no real internet access--so I'm very sorry for the delay.  Read on to discover Emilee's other interesting foodie finds.  Thanks again Emilee!

Other vendors at the Tech Farm were too tempting not to check out.   Cherrypharm, Inc. - While the cherries aren't local, they are domestic and the juice is produced right there at the Farm.  Carol Langdon, VP of Operations and Finance, indicated that unexpectedly, but due to the natural nutritional benefits of their cherry juice, their products have found a niche with professional athletes and collegiate athletic departments.  It is pretty impressive to be able to say that after starting at the Farm in 2005, they have gone from being a small juice provider, to being on the shelves at Wegmans.   

   

Zugibe Vineyards offers a variety of wines sold by the Zugibe family.  If you have time, I suggest you check out their website and google the story of their family's vineyard.  It is very touching.  One of the three handsome brothers, Brendan Zugibe, informed me that they are most well-known for their Riesling.  In fact, their 2009 Late Harvest Riesling won the John Rose Award for Best Riesling at the Finger Lakes International Wine Competition. Congratulations guys.  

Seneca BioEnergy has developed a grape seed oil, which they expect to have on market this fall.  Their researchers came across this product almost accidentally, as they were developing the oil as a pilot product to potentially use as an alternative biodiesel.  Then they realized that it tasted good!  While you can find other grapeseed oils on the shelves, it is nice to know that this one is manufactured locally from a business that is on the lookout for ways to develop environmentally-conscious energy products.

Top Quality Hay Processors was one of the most surprising vendors at the Farm.  Along with research assistance from Cornell, they produce a hay that has high levels of protein and consistent low moisture levels.  Although their product is primarily sold for animal feed (think rabbits, horses, cattle), they wanted in on the human food action too!  They were offering alfalfa tea, and I was told that smoked potatoes with hay and hay-cured ham are recipes that they've tried and enjoyed.  

Open House at the (very delicious) Technology Farm Part 1

I love the fact that there are so many great food things going on around Central New York that I can hardly keep up--I've had to stop trying.  But lucky for me--and all of us--there are great foodies willing to share their experiences and help us all keep up.  Emilee Lawson Hatch is one such person.  She took time out of her busy life of being a lawyer and an amazing home cook and baker to give us an inside look at the Technology Farm.

On May 5, 2011, I had the opportunity to be a guest at an Open House for the Technology Farm.  What is the Technology Farm, you ask?  A venue for electronics aficionados?  A science museum for kids?  Nope.  The Technology Farm (also known as the "Farm") is funded by Cornell University, with the mission to assist business owners with research and development in the areas of food and agriculture.

Up to this point, my interaction with agricultural business owners has been on a mostly professional and legal basis, as I assist them with their business succession planning, contracts, or general estate planning.  However, I was grateful to attend the Open House, and literally taste some of the amazing ways these savvy folks have put our local agriculture to good use.

I have to start with one of my favorite products developed by some of my favorite people:

Stony Brook Wholeheartedfoods

 

Meet Greg and Kelly from Stony Brook Wholeheartedfoods.  In their immaculate kitchen at the Farm, Greg Woodworth and Kelly Coughlin work with Alaric Strauss (a/k/a "The Roaster") to produce a creative and relatively new culinary delight - squash seed oil!  As a team, they roast various squash seeds and expel the oil to give us a variety of cooking oils.  Currently, their oils include Butternut Squash, Delicata Squash, Pumpkin, Kabocha Squash, and my personal favorite, Acorn Squash.  They are able to produce and store the oil at the Farm and manage their business from their office just down the hall.

Alaric Strauss "The Roaster"

Squash seed oil is considered a finishing oil but can also be used in cooking, which lends itself to many dishes.  Stony Brook even has recipes listed on their website and a very helpful note attached to each bottle that gives ideas on how to use the oil.  At the Open House, some of the culinary offerings included goat cheese crostini with acorn squash seed oil, southwestern winter squash hummus, and rosemary & chive focaccia with butternut squash seed oil.  In addition…drum roll please….chocolate ice cream drizzled with butternut squash seed oil.  Kelly commented that the ice cream with the oil tasted similar to a peanut butter milkshake.  Yes, like the best one I've ever had!  The oil with the ice cream was surprisingly delicate and so flavorful that I could see serving this to a crowd anytime, anywhere.

Stony Brook has taken a CNY product that was previously wasted (squash seeds) and they have transformed it into a wonderfully tasteful product (culinary oil!).  Plus, the remnants of the expelling process are 100% recyclable.  A fun fact for you - the seed waste is pressed into pieces which are sold to local farmers who use it as pig feed.

Stony Brook is devoted to using a batch processing method, to ensure purity and quality, however, I have a feeling that Stony Brook is going to grow quickly.  I found their products back in 2009 when perusing the shelves at Max Market in Rochester.  In a short amount of time, they've made their way to a variety of retail stores, tasting rooms and restaurants.  You can also purchase their products online.

More fun at the Tech Farm in Part 2.

Editor's Note:  Stony Brook's seed oils can also be found at the Mumber's Pantry in "A" Shed at the Saturday CNY Regional Market.

Dey's Market--A dream whose time has come

If you enjoy the funky and urbane atmosphere of Armory Square in downtown Syracuse with all of its independent businesses, great restaurants, and cool apartments, then you can thank Bob Doucette--one of the visionaries beyond this Syracuse gem.  Bob didn't just visualize this downtown district, but working with other imaginative leaders, he put his real estate developer money and moxie behind it to make it happen.

Now its time for Bob to make another of his dreams come true--the opening of a full-time market in downtown focused on providing local and sustainably grown produce, meats, fish, cheese and dairy products, baked goods, pasta, coffee and tea, and other food stuffs.  There will also be a teaching kitchen.  If you've been to Pikes Place market in Seattle or any of the great public markets like Reading Terminal Market in Philly--then you get the idea--just on a smaller scale.  Here's how he puts it:

Our goal is provide fresh food that comes from goods grown or raised within a 100-mile radius whenever possible.  In addition to promoting sustainable living, an important part of our mission is to increase the growth of Central New York’s agricultural economy as well.  We as a community are extraordinarily fortunate to have access to have such high quality food grown close by, and so we must support our local farms by buying their products and opening up new markets to them.  As such, we intend to showcase many quality foods grown or raised locally at the market. 

Dey's Fresh Market is poised to be game-changer for downtown Syracuse.  There are increasingly good options for obtaining the great local foods of our area but none downtown.  Folks who live downtown currently have no place to shop where they can reliably purchase food to make a meal.  I live a block west of downtown and have to get in the car to get milk--that's crazy. 

Dey's Fresh Market will bring the fantastic vendors of our farmers markets to one location all year long.  But to make it happen, Bob is looking for creative and visionary vendors who want to invest in this dream.  If you are interested in selling at the market--or know someone who would be a good fit--contact Armory Development and Management for more information and a tenant application.  Note, if the products is not food related, it will not be permitted for sale at this market.  

Armory Development
108 W. Jefferson Street
Syracuse, NY 13202
Contact: Robert Doucette
Telephone: 422-5381

Green Planet Grocery Opens in Fairmount!

Consider this Grocery News Week.  This is the first of several postings on all the exciting news happening on the grocery store front.

So you know "these times they are a-changin'" when an independent grocery store specializing in healthy, local, and organic opens on the west side of town.  This one caught me off guard but I couldn't be happier about this new addition to the food scene here in Syracuse.

Located on West Genesee Street in Fairmount (across from the Wegmans, Target, etc.at Fairmount Fair and next door to Metro Mattress) Green Planet Grocery opened last Saturday.  A quick run through yielded some pics and the following observations about what is on the shelves:

• Shelf space for Flour City Pasta--now you can get them every day of the week!
• A bulk selection with more flours than I've seen in one place  in a long time (it could go toe to toe with Whole Foods and even the Berkeley Bowl on that front).  There were flours I'd never seen in bulk.  They have panko bread crumbs in bulk--I'm impressed.  As for cereal, they carry Mu Mu Muesli in bulk too.
• Remembrance Farm greens (Trumansburg)

• Other things of note:  A juice bar is on the way and a raw food chef is on deck so I'm imagining delicious juices and smoothies!  Also, lots of parking (which given the area, matters a lot.) 

Their hours are Monday-Saturday, 8am - 10pm and Sundays 10am - 8pm.  Check them out!

The store has a bright and airy feel.

Do you see this bulk aisle?  Those are the flours on the bottom--makes me want to bake like crazy!

Recess Coffee is among several roasters they carry.

There it is--Flour City Pasta--now you can get it when you can't get to the Regional Market--any day of the week!

Love the chalkboard signage.

Green Planet Grocery, 3514 W. Genesee Street., Syracuse NY 13219

This is what's blowing my mind these days...

First up:  Jennifer Ward's by lines on the Atlantic Monthly Food Channel website.  You know Jen--Fresh Cracked Pepper Jen.  Well, her piece on Coffee in Haiti after the earthquake is getting tweeted all over the blogosphere.  That's our girl! 

I'm finally pulling some decent looking--and great tasting--espresso shots.  But when I'm getting my latte's on the run--the shots pulled at Funk 'N Waffles is blowing my mind.  I checked them out after a commenter sent me there (you see, your comments really do help me out)  Their shots of Gimme!'s Leftist were so spot on, I could taste the nuance of the flavor profile through the steamed milk--genius! 

Local cooking oil!  Have you had some of this butternut squash seed oil--it is fantastic!  It has a smooth and nutty taste that is just perfect for roasting up all of those root vegetables that are still left in the larder.  And there's something about roasting butternut squash in its own oil seems just so right.

I picked up this bottle at Max Market in Pittsford but check out the Syracuse Real Food Co-op to get some closer to home.  Update:  I guess I posted too soon.  The Co-op doesn't carry it but I put a note in the suggestion box so perhaps they will soon.

Based in Geneva, NY and Boston, Stony Brook is all about the deliciousness--you may have also come across their cookies.  Trust me, if you see them, don't pass them up. 

 A cafe destination for your country drive.  Red and White Cafe is in DeRuyter and I plan a more extended post on them because there's lot's to tell.  But for now, let me just say--this place rocks!  This is the real deal--authentic to its community, delicious house-baked breads, doughnuts, and other treats, good coffee, fantastic people--you have got to get there.  More on them soon....  Thanks to Neil Miller for introducing them to me.  Speaking of Neil--have you checked out his blog lately?  Check out his post on our lunch at Circa and dessert at Red and White.

So how about you?  What's blowing YOUR mind these days?

I'll never get tired...

of seeing delicious Central New York-made foods in gourmet stores in New York City.

Located in Park Slope, BKLYN Larder is a beautiful, Slow Food-approved market filled with cheeses, charcuterie, meats (can you say, heritage Berkshire pork belly!) spices, chocolates, dairy products, and prepared foods.  Amidst all of this deliciousness I found yogurt and milled flours bearing the 315 or 607 area codes.  Love that.

This small shop is definitely worth a visit if you find yourself in Brooklyn.  Until then, let's rejoice that we can get some of these great foodstuffs in our own backyard--with perhaps more options on the way.

Gettin' Gimme!

My latest obsession of trying to learn how to make good espresso has led me back to one of my oldest obsessions since moving to Syracuse--getting Gimme! Coffee.  Some of my first posts on this blog back in 2005 were about the brief venture Gimme! made by setting up a booth at the CNY Regional Market and my emails to CEO Kevin Cuddeback to open up a cafe here in the 'Cuse have gone unanswered.  But that's okay now.

Sugar Pearl over in Hawley-Green and Second Story Cafe on Westcott Street both serve Gimme! Coffee and they also sell their freshly roasted beans.  This is good news to me and to anyone who likes the option of enjoying their brewed goodness in the comfort of their pajamas.  I love hanging out in our local cafes but sometimes, you know, there are days.  

And why is this such a big deal to me--especially with beans being roasted and brewed right here in Syracuse and Fayetteville?  Well, when one of the most heralded coffee roasters in the United States is regionally roasted (Trumansburg) and locally available we ought to be celebrating that left, right and center.  Check out the winter issue of Edible Finger Lakes to read about John Gant--the roaster who helped make Gimme! great. 

Truly, if you are into excellent, micro-roasted coffee, the 'Cuse is the place to be.

Note:  The espresso machine in the photo is NOT what I'm trying to pull shots on--this beauty sits in the cupping room at the Gimme! headquarters.

The Least I Can Do

I know exactly how it happened.  I got busy and the beets began to pile up.  They began to pile up on top of the piles of carrots.  They were making it impossible to fit another celery root in the vegetable bin.  I got too busy because...well, that's just how life is too often.  You know how it is.  But I couldn't let my busyness mess up all the good work the farmers had done--good, hard work. 

Six years ago I lamented that our produce CSAs (community supported agriculture farms) are mostly half-year affairs in our area.  Over the past few years, several year-round CSAs have popped up--joining long-standing Blue Heron Farm in providing local produce all year long--but they are still rare for the most part. As I listen to some of my farmer friends collapse with gratitude at the season's end (especially this past difficult growing season) I'm not anxious to make them work any harder than they already do. 

I only recently figured out that if I can and freeze all the bounty that I get from June-October, I not only get to feast all year long on local produce but I effectively get a year-long CSA program.  So one night a couple of weeks ago, I worked long into the wee hours scrubbing, sterilizing jars, and canning countless beets.  I did it because I didn't want all those beets to go to waste.  I did it because the thought of adding chunks of deep purple summer flavor to my winter meals just makes me happy.  And I did it because I can think of no better way to say "thank you" to the folks who grew those beets than to eat and enjoy every one of them.  It is, afterall, the least I can do.

Ideas for your Weekend

So let's say you're up trying to figure out what do this beautiful weekend and you haven't yet begun to fight the crowds at the Regional Market.  Maybe you're sitting down to your first cup of locally-roasted coffee and know there's a lot to do but want to figure out how to squeeze in some foodie fun before Monday. 

Too often I find, the "problem" with living here in Syracuse is that there are too many possibilities.  There are way more than I can keep track of.  Over the last two weeks or so, I've bopped around a few of my favorite haunts in the Finger Lakes and so I offer a bit of inspiration for making the most of your weekend.

Go to Geneva, NY and check out Normal Bread..

These beautiful loaves are the new darlings of the Finger Lakes.  Pick up several loaves--they freeze well.  Normal Bread will be closed for vacation beginning June 3 so this is the perfect weekend to visit.  Heads up--they take cash and checks only--its a small, artisanal, one-man shop and worth the drive from the 'Cuse.

Drive a few minutes down the West side of Seneca Lake and check out Billsboro Winery...

Go to find out what winemaker Vinny Aliperti menas by "extreme winemaking" and then taste some.  I couldn't leave with out a bottle of their Pinot Noir and their Apres Vidal Blanc ice wine.

Feeling peckish?  Skirt over to Cayuga Lake and get lunch and a wine tasting at Simply Red Bistro.

Nestled among the Sheldrake Point vineyards, treat yourself to Samantha Izzo's creative menu using the best the Finger Lakes has to offer.  Taste some Sheldrake Point wines on the way out and get some of their delicious Riesling Reserve.

You're so close--you can't pass by Cayuga Lake Creamery...

Cayuga Lake Creamery has the most incredilbe selection of hard pack ice cream and that's what I went for.  But if you have kids in tow--or are a kid at heart, like my husband--you can't go wrong with their soft serve cones.

From this point, it is so easy to keep cruising down Route 89 towards Ithaca.  So swing right around the end of the lake and as you come back north towards Syracuse, you can make a brief stop in the cute town of Aurora and run into Bet the Farm.

This is your chance to pick up wine, cheeses, crackers and other food stuffs from around the Finger Lakes, because let's face it:  even if you wanted to, there's no time to stop at every one in one weekend.  You need a good couple of weeks to get that job done.  So Nancy at Bet the Farm has wine that you can't often find at the larger wine shops here in Syracuse--plus she's making her own wine too.  Her Bet the Farm Traminette is my latest pick for a good, easy, summer white.

From Aurora you can saunter up to Auburn and and take Route 5 on home.  If you leave for your day trip now, you might make it back in time to hit the Riesling tasting at the Savvy Wine Cellar in Camillus--that ends at 5pm when they run out or close, whichever comes first--so you need to get going!  Have a great day!

The Savvy Wine Cellar--Guess Where?

There are wine shops that I love to frequent.  They are staffed with knowledgeable and passionate salespeople, the vibe is like a party with your newest best friends, and the aesthetics are both welcoming and sophisticated.  Usually, getting to these favorite shops entails a drive down to Soho, Greenwich Village or a flight to Berkeley. 

This shop, however, is just 15 minutes from downtown...in Camillus.  Don't let the suburban location fool you--The Savvy Wine Cellar is smart and urbane.  How like Central New York, to put a wine shop like this in a location you'd least expect.  But after only about seven weeks of business, their twice-weekly wine tastings have drawn repeat customers who are welcomed by name.  Good luck finding a spot at the tasting counter--you might have to browse the shelves for a few minutes waiting your turn--as if that were a bad thing.

I was only there for a brief visit today--long enough to taste some intriguing new (to me) wines and snap some photos.  I'll have to return to take a better look at what's on hand.  But here are a few things to note:

• Love the dedicated row of New York wines--a nice selection they hope to expand. 
• The atmosphere is festive and open.  This isn't the place to go to be intimidated and overwhelmed.
• Wine Tastings take place Thursdays from 5:00 to 8:00 PM and Saturdays from 1:00 to 5:00 PM.
• Check out their website for specials as Riesling Month draws to a close.
• Staffer Neil Miller blogs on Finger Lakes wines at Stressing the Vine.

The Savvy Wine Cellar
5316 W. Genesee Street, Camillus NY 13031 (just past Dunkin Donuts when coming from Syracuse)
Phone: (315) 399-5133