Happy Week 8, although my posted market basket box is from Week 7!!
The last few weeks have been busy being out of town, swamped with work and getting our newest VT Freshman settled into his dorm. I had the pleasure to give away one of my weeks to a wonderful friend for her b-day...the special people in her life used the bounty for dinner.
This week I want to share an amazing gazpacho with you. I've posted my favorite traditional red gazpacho last year and have fallen head over heels with this new twist. Never has a cold soup excited me so much. It does take a little planning since you need to prep some of it the night before, but it is so worth all your efforts! You truly eat this soup with your sense of sight, taste, smell and I do believe I could enjoy it everyday.
Hope you enjoy - let me hear you opinions please!!
Cheers,
Cheryl
Green Gazpacho
Ingredients:
Approx 2 pounds ripe tomatoes. (any variety) to create tomato water (directions below)
5 mint or basil leaves (depends on your preference in herb)
1/4 cup tequilla (we like to infuse our tequilla with roasted poblano peppers but not mandatory)
2 cucumbers, peeled , seeded and chopped
2 green bell peppers, seeded, cored and chopped
4 tomatillos, seeded and quartered
2 tablespoons white wine, sherry or champagne vinegar (your choice)
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon sugar
Salt and pepper
2-3 avocados
1/2 small bunch chives, rough chopped
1 bunch of cilantro, rough chopped
1 bunch of parsley, rough chopped
1 bunch scallions, trimmed and rough chopped
How To:
Day before – combine tomatoes and tequilla in a blender and puree. Using a large piece of cheesecloth folded in half, line a mesh strainer and then add puree. Tie up the cheesecloth around a wooden spoon and hang over pitcher in fridge overnight. The result will be great tomato flavor without the bulk and color of the fruit. (discard all the solids)
In a large glass bowl combine all the prepared veggies (cukes, peppers, tomatillos) with vinegar, lime juice, sugar and add just about a teaspoon of kosher salt and ½ teaspoon of pepper (ground white is best). Cover with plastic and refrigerate overnight.
Day of -
In blender combine the herbs, marinating vegetables (with their rendered liquid), the tomato water and puree till smooth. Add avocados and blend. Taste for salt and pepper, add more if needed.
Serve: Keep the gazpacho cold till service – for each serving, put about a cup of gazpacho in a bowl and top with a squeeze of fresh lime juice, a cilantro leaf and a few dots of either a basil or lime infused oil (if you don't have flavored oils, a good quality olive oil will do just fine). Option – a dollop of creme fraiche with a couple thin slices of avocado would do nicely.
Stoneybrook Farm - 2011
Stoneybrook Farm
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Thursday, July 21, 2011
The sweeter side of BBQ...Barbacoa
Week 4
We stopped in this morning to pick up our CSA share and took advantage of a couple fresh scones: cherry almond and orange cranberry. To wash it down we tried the Yerbe Matte Peach Iced Tea – subtle peach aroma over a green tea'ish flavor. The market basket is overflowing this week with the most juicy red tomatoes!! In addition we have cabbage, red leaf lettuce, collards, kale, carrots, new potatoes, squash and cukes.
This weekend is a music festival inspired party we started at our home last year, so cooking in bulk to serve the musicians and family is in full swing today. Unfortunately the heat is going to be in triple digits so we're avoiding outdoor grilling...which made us wonder how to have that BBQ feel without making the dining experience any hotter than the temps outside!
We love pork BBQ and I have to admit my husband makes great pulled pork mainly due to the ingredients in his dry rub as well as the wood he uses when smoking the meat. As an alternative we are using one of our other favorites, Pork Barbacoa. This is a juicer and sweeter pulled pork and is easily done in your oven. Dining inside!! We like to serve it on flour tortillas topped with a bit of feta, pickled red onions and cucumbers. This also makes a fantastic topping for an entree salad at dinner! Hope you enjoy it!
Cheers,
Cheryl
Pork Barbacoa
Ingredients:
2 lbs. boneless pork shoulder (typically called butt) (you can multiply up based on the lbs of meat)
1 12 oz. can Dr. Pepper
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 large vidalia onion sliced
3 chipoltes (canned)
4 garlic cloves smashed
1/4 c. water
Sweet Baby Rays BBQ if desired
How To:
Put sliced onions, brown sugar, Dr Pepper, garlic and water in heavy duty roasting pan, covered, and cook for 4 hours. Check for tenderness and if it is "fork" tender its done! If not, go for another hour.
Drain liquid, strain and SAVE it for the sauce!! (put in a container overnight in the fridge so you can skim off any fat that rises/solidifies on the top)
Shred meat with 2 forks when cooled enough to work with easily. Put in Ziplock bags for storage in the fridge till ready to use.
Barbacoa Enchilada Sauce
Drained cooking liquid from above pork cooking - strained (set overnight in fridge to allow grease to solidify and then remove it)
Put the liquid in a saucepan and reduce by 1/2.
THEN add:
1 cup Dr. Pepper
2-3 chipoltes (I used canned)
Bring to simmer and reduce by 1/2....if you want a thicker sauce feel free to add some Sweet Baby Rays till you get the thickness you desire.
We stopped in this morning to pick up our CSA share and took advantage of a couple fresh scones: cherry almond and orange cranberry. To wash it down we tried the Yerbe Matte Peach Iced Tea – subtle peach aroma over a green tea'ish flavor. The market basket is overflowing this week with the most juicy red tomatoes!! In addition we have cabbage, red leaf lettuce, collards, kale, carrots, new potatoes, squash and cukes.
This weekend is a music festival inspired party we started at our home last year, so cooking in bulk to serve the musicians and family is in full swing today. Unfortunately the heat is going to be in triple digits so we're avoiding outdoor grilling...which made us wonder how to have that BBQ feel without making the dining experience any hotter than the temps outside!
We love pork BBQ and I have to admit my husband makes great pulled pork mainly due to the ingredients in his dry rub as well as the wood he uses when smoking the meat. As an alternative we are using one of our other favorites, Pork Barbacoa. This is a juicer and sweeter pulled pork and is easily done in your oven. Dining inside!! We like to serve it on flour tortillas topped with a bit of feta, pickled red onions and cucumbers. This also makes a fantastic topping for an entree salad at dinner! Hope you enjoy it!
Cheers,
Cheryl
Pork Barbacoa
Ingredients:
2 lbs. boneless pork shoulder (typically called butt) (you can multiply up based on the lbs of meat)
1 12 oz. can Dr. Pepper
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 large vidalia onion sliced
3 chipoltes (canned)
4 garlic cloves smashed
1/4 c. water
Sweet Baby Rays BBQ if desired
How To:
Put sliced onions, brown sugar, Dr Pepper, garlic and water in heavy duty roasting pan, covered, and cook for 4 hours. Check for tenderness and if it is "fork" tender its done! If not, go for another hour.
Drain liquid, strain and SAVE it for the sauce!! (put in a container overnight in the fridge so you can skim off any fat that rises/solidifies on the top)
Shred meat with 2 forks when cooled enough to work with easily. Put in Ziplock bags for storage in the fridge till ready to use.
Barbacoa Enchilada Sauce
Drained cooking liquid from above pork cooking - strained (set overnight in fridge to allow grease to solidify and then remove it)
Put the liquid in a saucepan and reduce by 1/2.
THEN add:
1 cup Dr. Pepper
2-3 chipoltes (I used canned)
Bring to simmer and reduce by 1/2....if you want a thicker sauce feel free to add some Sweet Baby Rays till you get the thickness you desire.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Fried Green, and not so green Tomatoes!
Market Basket items this week:
Cucumbers, carrots, cabbage, collard greens, kale, lettuce, tomatoes, new potatoes and yellow squash. In addition the blackberries coming out of the farm were amazingly plump and sweet, so picked up some along with sweet corn.
My grandparents and great grandparents were farmers and bee keepers so I brought in a blueberry picker that they used for John at Stoneybrook to try for harvesting. Sometimes the simplest tools work the best! Can't wait to see how it went when I pick up next week's goodies.
This week the tomatoes were new, still a bit firm and not fully ruby red so the best application was to turn them into Fried Green Tomatoes...even though they weren't actually green! Sometimes before the local tomatoes hit the farmstands, farmer's markets and even the supermarkets you can use the hothouse ones for frying, mainly because they are firm and not necessarily juicy enough for salads or sandwich use.
One of my favorite ingredients is House-Autry Seafood flour....it has just the right amount of seasoning with that hint of Old Bay! Here is their web address: http://www.house-autry.com/ so you can find a store near you. I try to be traditional in preparation, but this flour adds a bit of a twist. In addition I do not like to muck up the flavor and texture of the tomato with a thick coating so you will find this recipe very minimal.
Easy Fried Tomato Slices:
Ingredients:
4 to 6 green tomatoes
House-Autry Seafood Flour
bacon grease or vegetable oil/butter mix
How To:
Slice the tomatoes into 1/4 - 1/2-inch slices. Put about ¾ cup of the seafood flour on a plate then dust both sides of the tomato well. Fry in medium high grease or oil about 3 minutes or until golden. Gently turn and fry the other side.
Serve with mayo spiced with a bit of Old Bay seasoning and Tobasco on top as a great side dish to any dinner or even breakfast!
ENJOY!
Cheryl
Cucumbers, carrots, cabbage, collard greens, kale, lettuce, tomatoes, new potatoes and yellow squash. In addition the blackberries coming out of the farm were amazingly plump and sweet, so picked up some along with sweet corn.
My grandparents and great grandparents were farmers and bee keepers so I brought in a blueberry picker that they used for John at Stoneybrook to try for harvesting. Sometimes the simplest tools work the best! Can't wait to see how it went when I pick up next week's goodies.
This week the tomatoes were new, still a bit firm and not fully ruby red so the best application was to turn them into Fried Green Tomatoes...even though they weren't actually green! Sometimes before the local tomatoes hit the farmstands, farmer's markets and even the supermarkets you can use the hothouse ones for frying, mainly because they are firm and not necessarily juicy enough for salads or sandwich use.
One of my favorite ingredients is House-Autry Seafood flour....it has just the right amount of seasoning with that hint of Old Bay! Here is their web address: http://www.house-autry.com/ so you can find a store near you. I try to be traditional in preparation, but this flour adds a bit of a twist. In addition I do not like to muck up the flavor and texture of the tomato with a thick coating so you will find this recipe very minimal.
Easy Fried Tomato Slices:
Ingredients:
4 to 6 green tomatoes
House-Autry Seafood Flour
bacon grease or vegetable oil/butter mix
How To:
Slice the tomatoes into 1/4 - 1/2-inch slices. Put about ¾ cup of the seafood flour on a plate then dust both sides of the tomato well. Fry in medium high grease or oil about 3 minutes or until golden. Gently turn and fry the other side.
Serve with mayo spiced with a bit of Old Bay seasoning and Tobasco on top as a great side dish to any dinner or even breakfast!
ENJOY!
Cheryl
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Everyday Collards!
Welcome to week 2!
This weeks market basket provided us with: collards, kale, cukes, carrots and red leaf lettuce. In addition I picked up a watermelon, cantaloupe and some sweet white corn - and of course a small mixed berry pie (like I could resist that!). During the year collards are almost a staple for us - especially in the posted best mac n cheese ever from last year - what's in them - yep, collards!
My family and friends all have twists on making collards and what I've discovered is that making delicious greens is a bit like making risotto. A core group of ingredients and patience is all it takes. I'll share how we go about making them and feel free to ask questions or share your own recipes!
Collards
Ingredients:
1/4 lb bacon cut into small pieces
Olive Oil
1/8 cup Cider Vinegar
1/8 cup chicken broth
Water
White Wine or Beer (not kidding!)
1 bunch of cleaned collards (stem removed and cut into long thin strips, chiffonade style)
1 medium yellow or sweet onion chopped
Coarse Ground Pepper
Salt (do not add till all is said and done!)
How to:
Assemble all your ingredients and prep them as described above.
In a stockpot over med-high heat add a couple teaspoons olive oil and the bacon. Sweat the bacon till tender, not crispy. Add the onions, pepper and saute till tender. Add the collards and start simmering over medium heat.
Add cider vinegar and chicken stock, cover (with lid tilted to allow some steam to escape) and simmer till liquid is almost absorbed. Never let the greens get dry during the cooking process so monitor closely. Similar to Risotto you will now start adding some wine or beer then water allowing time for the liquid to be absorbed and the greens to get tender. Rule of thumb on the amount of liquid at a time - 1/8-1/4 cup. Stir often and after about 1/2 hour start testing for taste and tenderness of the greens. Once you are satisfied - if they need salt add some sparingly.
Last night we served our collards with Rosemary Cornmeal Muffins, zuchini with a mushroom/sage oil and veal medallions.
Would love to try some of your family favorites!
Enjoy,
Cheryl
This weeks market basket provided us with: collards, kale, cukes, carrots and red leaf lettuce. In addition I picked up a watermelon, cantaloupe and some sweet white corn - and of course a small mixed berry pie (like I could resist that!). During the year collards are almost a staple for us - especially in the posted best mac n cheese ever from last year - what's in them - yep, collards!
My family and friends all have twists on making collards and what I've discovered is that making delicious greens is a bit like making risotto. A core group of ingredients and patience is all it takes. I'll share how we go about making them and feel free to ask questions or share your own recipes!
Collards
Ingredients:
1/4 lb bacon cut into small pieces
Olive Oil
1/8 cup Cider Vinegar
1/8 cup chicken broth
Water
White Wine or Beer (not kidding!)
1 bunch of cleaned collards (stem removed and cut into long thin strips, chiffonade style)
1 medium yellow or sweet onion chopped
Coarse Ground Pepper
Salt (do not add till all is said and done!)
How to:
Assemble all your ingredients and prep them as described above.
In a stockpot over med-high heat add a couple teaspoons olive oil and the bacon. Sweat the bacon till tender, not crispy. Add the onions, pepper and saute till tender. Add the collards and start simmering over medium heat.
Add cider vinegar and chicken stock, cover (with lid tilted to allow some steam to escape) and simmer till liquid is almost absorbed. Never let the greens get dry during the cooking process so monitor closely. Similar to Risotto you will now start adding some wine or beer then water allowing time for the liquid to be absorbed and the greens to get tender. Rule of thumb on the amount of liquid at a time - 1/8-1/4 cup. Stir often and after about 1/2 hour start testing for taste and tenderness of the greens. Once you are satisfied - if they need salt add some sparingly.
Last night we served our collards with Rosemary Cornmeal Muffins, zuchini with a mushroom/sage oil and veal medallions.
Would love to try some of your family favorites!
Enjoy,
Cheryl
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Hello Followers - and Welcome back!!
Week 1 is under way and we just picked up our first Market Basket of the season. This week included: kale, collards, cucumbers, carrots, red leaf lettuce, spring onions, scallions and onions. From the market we also picked up fresh blueberries and wine berries (tender small raspberry'ish fruit).
Since last year the market has undergone some nice changes inside - new shelving to hold a great new stock of jams/spiced fruit/relish...etc. Coffee, fresh baked breads/cookies/pies, a wonderful selection of honey, natural lotions/soaps, Yerba Mate tea (loose and in bags), organic meats, dairy products and always a selection of hanging plants. This year they have some really cool furniture out front - so comfy! The stone patios are done and the outdoor seating just beckons you to grab some goodies and "sit a spell".
For the blog this year we would really like to have some of your family favorite recipes that we can share with our reading public...let me know if you are willing to participate!!
Dinner tonight - bacon wrapped pork tenderloin with a spicy plum chutney. The side will be roasted carrots and scallions and a small green salad...can't wait!
Easy Chutney Recipe:
Ingredients:
8 plums, coarsely chopped (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 medium red onion, coarsely chopped (about 6 ounces)
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup dried currants
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 large garlic cloves, sliced paper thin
1 teaspoon mustard seed
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
How to:
Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Let cook, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes, or until reduced by 1/3. Continue cooking, stirring frequently to make sure chutney does not burn, until chutney is syrupy, another 10 minutes.
When chutney is ready, and sanitized jam jars are ready to go. Bring water in the pot jars were sanitized back to a simmer for processing the packed jars.
Remove chutney from heat and fill the sanitized jars, leaving a 1/2-inch headspace. To remove any air bubbles, slide a clean rubber spatula down the side of each jar and press inward on the chutney while rotating the jar; repeat 2 to 3 times for each jar.
Store in dry cool place until ready to use!
Enjoy
Cheryl
Week 1 is under way and we just picked up our first Market Basket of the season. This week included: kale, collards, cucumbers, carrots, red leaf lettuce, spring onions, scallions and onions. From the market we also picked up fresh blueberries and wine berries (tender small raspberry'ish fruit).
Since last year the market has undergone some nice changes inside - new shelving to hold a great new stock of jams/spiced fruit/relish...etc. Coffee, fresh baked breads/cookies/pies, a wonderful selection of honey, natural lotions/soaps, Yerba Mate tea (loose and in bags), organic meats, dairy products and always a selection of hanging plants. This year they have some really cool furniture out front - so comfy! The stone patios are done and the outdoor seating just beckons you to grab some goodies and "sit a spell".
For the blog this year we would really like to have some of your family favorite recipes that we can share with our reading public...let me know if you are willing to participate!!
Dinner tonight - bacon wrapped pork tenderloin with a spicy plum chutney. The side will be roasted carrots and scallions and a small green salad...can't wait!
Easy Chutney Recipe:
Ingredients:
8 plums, coarsely chopped (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 medium red onion, coarsely chopped (about 6 ounces)
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup dried currants
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 large garlic cloves, sliced paper thin
1 teaspoon mustard seed
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
How to:
Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Let cook, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes, or until reduced by 1/3. Continue cooking, stirring frequently to make sure chutney does not burn, until chutney is syrupy, another 10 minutes.
When chutney is ready, and sanitized jam jars are ready to go. Bring water in the pot jars were sanitized back to a simmer for processing the packed jars.
Remove chutney from heat and fill the sanitized jars, leaving a 1/2-inch headspace. To remove any air bubbles, slide a clean rubber spatula down the side of each jar and press inward on the chutney while rotating the jar; repeat 2 to 3 times for each jar.
Store in dry cool place until ready to use!
Enjoy
Cheryl
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Getting ready for 2011 CSA Season!!
Hello All
It has been quite a while since our last post when the 2010 season came to an end. I hope everyone is gearing up for Spring - yes, it will get here sooner or later!! We are anxious to get our first market basket and see that all our friends at Stoneybrook Farm are in full swing planting onion sets and even 100 Apple trees!!!
This year we would really like to see some of your favorite recipes of the season so feel free to contact us directly!
If you haven't joined the Stoneybrook Farm CSA yet - there are still some shares available so contact them at www.stoneybrookfarm.org TODAY!!
Cheers!
Cheryl
It has been quite a while since our last post when the 2010 season came to an end. I hope everyone is gearing up for Spring - yes, it will get here sooner or later!! We are anxious to get our first market basket and see that all our friends at Stoneybrook Farm are in full swing planting onion sets and even 100 Apple trees!!!
This year we would really like to see some of your favorite recipes of the season so feel free to contact us directly!
If you haven't joined the Stoneybrook Farm CSA yet - there are still some shares available so contact them at www.stoneybrookfarm.org TODAY!!
Cheers!
Cheryl
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