Cookin' in the 'Cuse

The Market is Heating Up

If the stock market was as exciting as the Regional Market these days the economy would be on a definite upswing.  If you want to talk investments and returns in a way that brings immediate satisfaction, then you have to check out the CNY Regional Market as it begins to ramp up for the spring season.  Investing with these local farmers and producers will only bring the best returns.

Just check out these goodies...

The biscotti from the Rock Hill Bakehouse Bakery are not to be missed.  I first sampled some of their lemon pistachio but have now fallen head over heels for their chocolate almond biscotti.  We're talking chunks of dark Belgian chocolate and whole almonds--it is some of the best I've ever had.  Ever.

Oh, and don't forget the bread.  Large, European-style loaves in about a dozen varieties.  Special loaves are available by calling a few days in advance for pick up at the Saturday market.  Rock Hill is pretty well known down in NYC where they sell at the Union Square Greenmarket, among other places.  I'm so glad to welcome there here.

Now if you want to do some baking but want someone else to do some of the prep for you, you might want to check out Organically Hip.

Maria and Angela have been at this for a little while but have recently debuted new packaging that practically jumped out at me.  They produce a range of baking mixes to whip up your own pancakes, cookies, and waffles.  And their oatmeal, granola, and trail mixes come in large bags and smaller single-serving bags that are perfect for travel--I'm loving the coconut raisin granola. 

Organically Hip seems to be all about health and deliciousness--they even offer gluten-free products.  You can pick up some of their home-made vanilla extract (check for the vanilla bean in the bottle) to use in your baking.  And if baking is too much, their par-baked pizza shells are all ready to go--just add toppings and bake.  All this and they try to support local farmers too!

And if you're needing some milk to go along with those cookies...Meg at Wake Robin Farm says the "girls are milking".  Their luscious, Jersey milk is now at the market (as well as the Syracuse Real Food Co-op).  Now I know spring is here!

Top Ten Food & Farm Experiences of 2008: NYC Cheese Tour

You may remember that back in June I had a whirlwind day in Manhattan to check out Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.  I was the lucky assistant to Syracuse's own Nancy Radke who operates the US information office for Parmigiano-Reggiano.  Well, I never got around to posting parts two and three (or however more I thought there were going to be).  So here are some photos with a few shots from Artisanal Cheese, step by step coverage of cutting a wheel of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese--plus a look at the lunch that Lou DiPalo made us after his guys did all the work, and a couple of shots from Murray's Cheese in the West Village.  I can't wait to get back there--especially since Di Palo's has expanded.  Maybe the week after Christmas.

Pastoral Care

Pastoral care is a major component of my work life--assisting people, listening, advising, and otherwise being present in their time of need.  It is really one of the best parts about being a priest.  But since I'm on vacation, I found it rather nice that I could get some of my own needs met by popping into Pastoral Artisan Cheese, Bread and Wine in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood.

This four-year old shop offers a carefully edited selection of cheese, wine, condiments, and specialty food items from around the world and close to home--that is, Chicagoland.  They bake artisanal breads several times a day and offer a delicious array of sandwiches.  The Canard Balsamico--herbed duck confit with cipollini onions, a buttery Brie-like cheese called Fromager D'Affinois, a bit of mustard and lettuce on a baguette--was scrumptious.  If I could have, I would have gotten a bottle of one of their wines--they specialize in small production, sustainable wineries and nearly all of the ones on their shelves were new to me.

But it wasn't just the food that had me feeling good--it was the care and time that co-owner Greg O'Neill gave to us.  Greg was as generous with sharing his knowledge as he was about sharing samples of the many cheeses they sell.  In fact, if I lived in Chicago I would be all over the special classes, workshops and tastings that seems to be a part of Pastoral's presence in the community.  Indeed, a shopowner next door said that Pastoral is a key to a noticable and positive shift in their section of North Broadway.

And if that all that wasn't enough, I was even able to pick up a copy of the premiere issue of Edible Chicago--just one week old.  Armed with some good Wisconsin cheese, a delectable sandwich and an Edible publication I was totally feeling the love. 

NYC Cheese Hunt, Part 1

It used to be that cheese was a relatively simple affair--at least it was in the world I grew up in.  There was mozzarella for pizza, cheddar for mac and cheese, and parmesan--Kraft, in the familiar green canister--for the spaghetti and meatballs.  My life changed, in more ways than one, when I spent the summer of 1996 in Syracuse doing an internship as part of my preparation for ordination to the Episcopal priesthood.  My hosts, who gave me a place to live for the summer, were the Radke family.  It was a dreamy summer filled with conversations about art, religion, and food.

Nancy Radke is known to some as the co-author of the Dinosaur Bar-B-Que cookbook but she is most famous for heading up the American information office for Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.  If there is anything to be known about this amazing cheese Nancy knows it.  She is a gifted communicator and educator and so I spent a summer at her elbow learning how to cook and enjoy Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. 

I learned (but have not mastered) how to cut a wheel of Parmigiano-Reggiano.  I savored slivers of Parmigiano kissed by droplets of 40 year-aged balsamic vinegar.  I enjoyed Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese on nearly everything and learned how to take the rind and dice it up to flavor stock for Italian soups. 

After spending a day running around NYC to purchase Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese for a special breakfast Nancy was hosting during the week of New York's Fancy Food Show, I've come to understand how little know I know about this rather complex cheese. 

In My Tribe

Photo credit:  Gordon M. Grant for The New York Times

The way I talk, most of the time folks think of me as an African American woman from either the San Francisco Bay Area or New York City.  There is some truth in those things but the real deal is that I'm an African American/Shinnecock woman from New York City--Brooklyn and Staten Island specifically.

My paternal grandfather, Harry Baskerville, Sr., grew up on the Shinnecock Reservation on the eastern end of Long Island and tried to infuse as much Shinnecock culture into my brother and me as he could.  Fishing trips and excursions out to the reservation for the Labor Day Weekend Pow Wow were a big deal and they are some of my most cherished memories. 

So to open up today's New York Times dining section to find Shinnecocks profiled above the fold for their oyster farming made me beam with pride.  I don't know anyone profiled in the story but am glad to see that they are able to find markets for what has been a real traditional industry for our tribe.  My grandfather died ten years ago but just as I give my maternal grandfather credit for my love of cooking, I suppose I owe more than I know to "Pop" who instilled in me an appreciation and passion for the care of the land and sea.

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As much as I've moved around, Staten Island remains the place I've lived longer than anywhere else.  I was born there too, though its struggle to embrace racial pluralism has made me prone to hide that fact.  Coincidentally, Staten Island is also known for its oyster farming--it was THE industry for the Island as far back as the 18th century.  But it's the pizza that has been getting press lately. 

Today's "$25 and Under" review is a kind of "local boys make good (pizza)" story about Salvatore Basile and Francis Garcia and their hot spot, Artichoke Basille's Pizza and Brewery.  I've always believed Staten Island to have some of the best pizza in NYC (my cred and fairly refined pizza palate come by way Brooklyn pizzas where I spent the first ten years of my life).  I'm glad the rest of the City is finally catching on. 

To this day, whenever I go home to visit my mother, I pick up a slice at a pizzeria and restaurant called Basile's on Forest Avenue--I'd love to know if there is a connection between the two places.  The world being the way it is--you know, two degrees of separation small--the chances are pretty good.

What I'm Loving...

From left to right.  Click on any photo to enlarge.
Row 1
Sticky bun from Artisan Cafe in Trumansburg.  With a light and airy pastry, these buns are sticky but not cloying.  I went for a bite and ended up eating the whole thing.

Wake Robin Farm Milk.  My milk of choice--creamy, rich, and delicious.  Available on Saturdays at the CNY Regional Market.  Thanks Meg!

Upstate Harvest Granola.  This is a breakfast granola, a snacking granola, an anytime granola.  Just sweet enough--with flax seeds it's healthy too.  A little bit of sea salt balances it out just right.  Available at Nelson Farms and area food co-ops.

Row 2
Evans Farmhouse Creamery Butter.  This is my "gold standard" of butter--it even ranked among the best in the world in a recent issue of Saveur magazine.  Get it at the Syracuse Real Food Co-op.

Smoked trout salad from Fins and Tails Gourmet Seafood shop on Pasta's Stretch Bread.  This is lunch made easy because the good folks at Fins and Tails have already done the work.  Also spotted at Fins and Tails--duck eggs!

Ramps.  I got these from the Finger Lakes Family Farms booth at the CNY Regional Market.  These will be turned into Deb Whiting's Ramp Pesto recipe featured in the Spring issue of Edible Finger Lakes.

Row 3
Hazelnut currant cream scones.  There isn't a scone recipe I won't try.  This is from a package of Bob's Red Mill hazelnut meal.  Sure there's cream but no eggs or butter resulting in a tender, not too sweet, nutty scone.

Golden Pheasant Wine from Pheasant Ridge Vineyards.  This wine is uber local to the Syracuse area from grapes grown in Jamesville.  This wine is a supple mix of grapes, apples and honey--it is yummy.

Stumptown Roasters Coffee.  This is the Nicaragua Los Delirios blend roasted on May 5.  How good is this coffee?  Stumptown is to the Pacific Northwest what Gimme! is to our area--careful, fanatic, serious coffee people.  I carried this bag back from the Ninth Street Espresso stand at Chelsea Market in Manhattan.  By the time my flight touched down back in Syracuse the entire plane was salivating for coffee.

Row 4
Early rhubarb from Blackbrook Farm in Seneca Falls.  These are from Kendra and Paul who are known for their amazing greens--including those spicy wasabi greens.  You can buy their seedlings at the Syracuse Real Food Co-op--watch for the sale on May 24--but this rhubarb is going into an apple pie.

Teriyaki Pork Spareribs from Oink and Gobble Farm.  I've been eating spareribs nearly every week since I've found these at the Finger Lakes Family Farm stand at the Regional Market.  These are marinated in some of that Soy Vey Teriyaki sauces and broiled on a rack in the oven at 350 degrees until tender.  A glass of Billsboro Riesling to wash it down makes me a happy camper.

Sunlight, Chase and my tripod.  I just love this shot because it represents play time for me.  A little time learning how to manipulate light and shutter speeds, a tripod to keep the camera steady--and my buddy Chase who is happy to follow the sunlight all around the house.

Archive Alert:  On this date in 2007 I exposed my fridge for all the world to see.

Oh for the want of garlic

It is a sad day when my homegrown and farmers' market garlic is gone.  That day was Friday.  It is ironic, really.  Just as seeds are being sown, garden plots laid out, raised beds installed, my storage garlic withers by the day--shrinking, disappearing, rotting.  Thankfully, a new crop is springing forth here at Dorset Harvest Farm but the reality is that I won't be able to enjoy it for a few months.  So I dream of garlic scapes and I plot my venture to harvest wild ramps.  I tear through jars of last year's tomatoes seeking the bits of garlic and the taste of summer that seem more fitting for our weather of late.  I am oh so grateful to have these food sources to draw upon.

Meanwhile, the rising cost of food is making headlines every day.  People are rioting in various parts of the world because of the increases.  Just so you know (and if you read this blog regularly than I hardly need say it):  when i say that Americans need to pay more for their food, this isn't what I meant.  The price of all foods are rising--wheat, corn, organics across the board.  Blame it on corn and biofuels or blame it on the rising cost of petrol.  Costs are going up but not for the reasons that will make food production healthier for the consumer, more fair for the farmer or more good for the earth. 

Today is Earth Day.  There will be many ways to mark the day and you may have already decided how you will spend the time.  We know, though, that every day is Earth Day.  So here are a few suggestions for learning, growing, and making a difference:

• Plant some seeds.  Even if you don't have a backyard for gardening--a few seeds in a pot can make a difference.  Get a taste of self-sufficiency.
• Clear out the freezer.  Did you forget about the blueberries and strawberries way in the back there?  What about the tomatoes, greens, and broth in the containers at the bottom?  Begin to make room for the harvest to come.
• Keep learning:  Farmer Jamie Edelstein of Wyllie Fox Farm will be speaking at Skaneateles High School on Wednesday Night at 7:00 pm.  The topic:  What is Organic?  Get a taste of what Jamie thinks on this video clip.
• Remember the pleasures of the table.  We know this is a crazy time of year.  Slow down, set the table, and enjoy good conversation with family and friends. 
• Sign up for your CSA Share.  It isn't too late.
• Give thanks for this incredible planet we call home.  Treat it tenderly. 

Get Your Share

Never mind the snow that is falling right now--this is the time to secure your organic produce for the summer and fall.  If you haven't already gotten your share in a Community Supported Agriculture program, now is the time sign up.  The Syracuse area has more options than ever and there is sure to be a farm subscription program that meets your needs and budget.

Now, you might be asking the question, "Why should I bother with a CSA when I can just shop the farmers' market?"  Fair enough, I've asked that question myself.  If you are already committed to shopping the markets each week then you know how wonderful it is to have a personal relationship with the person who grows your food.  You already know that you can count on getting organic, local, produce that will taste great because it is so incredibly fresh.  And you have already figured out that the farmers at the market can introduce you to new fruits and vegetables and broaden your culinary experience.

Specific information about each farm's CSA program after the jump.

Okay--You gotta see this

Check out this link.  It's a spoof but it makes me think about why we need truth in labeling on our food.

Hat tip to Bob Carlton.

Archive Alert:  On this date in 2006 I was analyzing the Supermarket Shelf.

Common Thread Community Farm

It was a sad day when the news was released that Green Rabbit Farm in Madison County was packing it in.  But good news abounds--Common Thread Community Farm is up and running on Green Rabbit's former site.  Common Thread is currently taking orders for CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) shares and even plans on having pick up sites in Syracuse.  Folks closer to Hamilton will have the option of picking up shares on the farm and there is even a Pick Your Own program to harvest seasonal crops--how cool is that?   They also plan to be regulars at the Hamilton Farmers' Market. 

To get more information about signing up for a CSA share and to learn more about Common Thread and farmers Chris and Amy (and Ellie their Border Collie) check out their website here.  And be sure to give them a warm welcome to Central New York--we are so glad they are here!

Archive Alert:  On this date in 2006 I was undergoing an Oxtail Conversion.