Farmer's Market Finds

Over the last few weeks I've made some great finds at our market in Norfolk and also a we bit further afield in Litchfield. It is not only great as a farmer to grow your own food but to collaborate with other local farmers/producers.
Here are a few dishes I was inspired to make with my great finds.

Boxed Goodes Sunny Dal with Chicken and Coconut Milk

The clear packaging of Boxed Goodes Sunny Dal shows the beautiful yellow and orange lentils and the aromatic seasonings that include star anise and cardamom pods. Just looking at it you know it will brighten your day. I made this dish when I was going to be working in the evening and wanted to have something ready for hungry farmer and farm kids.

Chop 1 leek or small onion and place in a heavy casserole with about 1 Tbsp ghee. Chop 2 carrots and throw them in. Cook until softened about 5 minutes. Then toss them into your slow cooker. Hypothetically you could just throw everything into the slow cooker at once and turn the thing on and leave for the day. I wasn't actually convinced that was going to work though, so I did it this way.  Then add a touch more ghee and place 4 bone-in chicken thighs in the pan. Give them about 5 minutes each side until they have browned a bit. Into the pot on top of the leeks and carrots. Add a splash of dry sherry to unstick the chicken bits. Then add the entire package of the dal and stir. The package says cook with 4 - 6 cups stock, so I went with 4 cups chicken stock and 1 cup coconut milk. Bring this to a boil and pour into the crock pot. (Again I wasn't taking chances with the slow cooker - we aren't that familiar with one another yet.... also I didn't have all day, I had about 4 hours, so I wanted to know things were off to a good start before I left.) Yum! The thing about dal is that you have some flexibility. It can be soupy or thick - think split pea soup. If it is too thick, add some stock.  If it is too thin? Add some cooked basmati rice or let it cook some more.

MarWin Farm Duck Sausage, Boxed Goodes Sweet Runners and Chard

I was so excited to find this farm at the Litchfield Farm Fresh Market. The sausage was just what I wanted to feed our visiting farmer friends last weekend.
First I soaked and cooked the Sweet Runner Beans according to the package directions ahead of time.
For the dish I slowly cooked a sliced onion in butter until almost carmelized. Then I added the duck sausage and cooked until brown. Then I added the beans (I only used about half and I had cooked the whole package. I put the rest into corn chowder!) and over it all some fresh thyme and chopped swiss chard and chicken stock. Let that cook until the chard is tender and melty. You could throw in some chopped tomatoes as well, etc....

Late Season Strawberry Shortcakes with Rose Geranium and Lemon Balm Biscuits

Imagine my surprise when I stumbled upon strawberries  - in late August! Well yes, there is a variety that is everbearing that planted in the spring produces in the late summer. From March Farm in Bethlehem. They were soo super, uber strawberry. I have to say the flavor was full and intense.

Now, some folks might not be familiar with rose geraniums but they are definitely worth getting to know. These scented geraniums bear little purple flowers - not the big red and orange common geraniums. But what you want is the fragrant leaves. You can grow these easily in pots on your porch or deck in the summer and bring them in before a cold snap. Most garden centers sell scented geraniums.  Anyway, slice your strawberries and sprinkle with a spoonful full of sugar - not that the berries need sweetener but macerating the berries in the sugar brings out their juiciness. Take one or 2 nice geranium leaves and slice or tear them up and toss with the berries. Let them sit a few hours before serving.

For biscuits if you have a favorite recipe great. I think I used this one here from epicurious - Buttermilk Biscuits. Simply add a handful of chopped lemon balm to the flour. A little lemon zest would also be great. When biscuits have cooled enough to handle, slice in half, add a spoonful of berries, a dollop of whipped cream and plop on the top of the biscuit. Very festive and seasonal for a birthday brunch.

Enjoy! What are your favorite farmer's market finds?

Go-To Dinners

Do you find yourself coming home from work wondering what to make for dinner? Or trying to drum up a supper idea in between nap time and school pick up? One good thing about the CSA is that you know you've got veg in the fridge and you've probably got a few staples in the pantry. Often at the farm      we just raid the CSA cold room and improvise a stir-fry, fried rice or pasta. So here are a few of our go to dinner ideas when we're in a pinch for inspiration or short on time.  The recipes below will reflect this week's harvest but substitutions are really what these recipes are all about.

Go-To Stir Fry or Saute

This week we have onions, carrots, peppers, garlic, zucchini and kale - all great for a stir-fry or saute.
Chop the onions and garlic and put them in the pan first. We use coconut oil at our house, so we pop some of that in the pan. Next come the carrots - slice and throw them in. If you want kale in the mix cut it up in small ribbons and throw it in now. Now technically I'd say stir-frying would be quick on relatively high eat and the veg are still going to be pretty crisp. So I'll back up a little bit and say that's not really what I usually do here - although that is fine, if you like it that way.  I'd cover the veg at this point so the carrots and kale steam a bit. Then chop the peppers and add them in, covering again and finally the zucchini, but only when you know everything else is almost done to your liking and you've got about 5 minutes before you are ready to eat. Mushy zucchini is a little sad.

Now you can also throw in some grated ginger and season with tamari, sesame oil or your favorite Asian seasonings. Since I'm talking about quick dinners, I'm happy to admit that a short cut favorite of mine is roasted chile paste - Thai Kitchen, but any other commercial chile paste or stir-fry sauce will do.  

What is your favorite ready made sauce or seasoning that you go when you need a quick little helper? 

So then when the veg are all tender but not mushy, we'd serve with rice and salad.  For our salad we'd toss our greens with Kazu's Japanese Ginger Dressing.

Go-To Fried Rice

Perfect for left over rice. Essentially this is the same as the above recipe but I would cut the veg into smaller pieces. When the veg have just about cooked until tender, stir in the rice and a beaten egg. Stir and cook until the egg has cooked. Add seasonings. Great with sliced fresh chilies, cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice.

Easy Fresh Tomato Sauce for Pasta

In a saute pan pour a glug of olive oil, add chopped onions, red peppers, garlic. Then add chopped fresh tomatoes. Season with fresh basil, red chile flakes or fresh chilies if you are so inclined. This doesn't need a whole lot of cooking - not your slow cook all day tomato sauce. Serve with your favorite pasta. Top with grated parmesan and you're all set.

No-tomato Pasta

Tired of tomatoes yet? Say it isn't so. But really if you need a break try this really simple recipe for greens and pasta. There are several recipes in this genre, but here is one from Epicurious:
Bacon and Swiss Chard Pasta. If you don't want the bacon try this with toasted walnuts! Both versions are delicious.