Tuesday, January 19, 2016
Also called Jerusalem artichoke, the sunchoke is a prolific local wildflower (and staple food for Vermont's native Abenaki people). The tuber-forming plants are in the same family as the sunflower. They grow similarly tall, but, as perennials, creep into expansive clumps that can take over whole swaths of one's yard if left unchecked. But they're easy to grow, nutritious and delicious, and widely available at winter farmers markets.
Though many cooks darken their nutty character with maple, brown sugar or smoke, I like to stoke their subtle, honeyed notes by roasting them with herbs and dried flowers and a touch of maple or honey. Calendula — a common garden annual favored by herbalists for its medicinal qualities — has a bright, peppery flavor somewhere between a dandelion and a marigold, and a summery, floral fragrance.
With temps forecasted to stay in frigid digits for much of this week, any excuse to turn on the oven — and savor the scent of summer — is a good one.
Tags: Sunchokes , roasted vegetables , calendula , recipe , vegetarian , vegan , Image , Web Only
Tuesday, January 12, 2016
My aunt introduced me to this method a couple of years ago. I say "method," because this "recipe" is really just slicking a cut of chicken in mayo and popping it in the broiler. Sound gross? Yes, I know. But under the flame, something magical happens with the meat and the fat, and the result is juicy and rich like none other. And, no, this dish is absolutely not heart-healthy. But it's as tasty as it is bad for you, and for a quickie weeknight meal to please just about anyone at your table, I promise it's a win.
Last week, I pulled out some frozen breasts from Misty Knoll Farms and mixed the mayo with tomato and some Parmesan. In the past I've done this separately with Dijon mustard and lemon, Sriracha and maple syrup instead of tomato (if you opt for maple, cut the measure to 1/4 cup or less). However, it works very well plain and you can add any embellishment you like — maybe a splash of sherry or balsamic vinegar or a generous shake of curry or Korean chile powder (gochugaru), or lime juice and chipotle (with a cilantro garnish?). It's a big, fatty delicious world out there!
I usually serve this with short pasta or some kind of small-grain starch. For extra naughty points (and a one-pot meal!), you can add preboiled starch to the skillet once you've flipped the chicken one time. Stir it around so it picks up some of the sauce, and be sure to stir again each time you turn the chicken.
Tuesday, January 5, 2016
Even as pork lovers decried recent studies linking cured meats to cancer, our food culture seems to be suffering from a bout of bacon fatigue. On December 30, I nodded in agreement when longtime Farmhouse Tap & Grill barman Jeff Baker (now at Farrell Distributing as a beer/cider educator) panned "International Bacon Day" via Twitter: "May I just say...FUCK BACON," he wrote. "Grow up. Be your own person. Find a food that's actually interesting." Baker wasn't alone in his ire. And it's worth noting that the phrase "bacon fatigue" — a term I thought I just made up — was added to Urban Dictionary in May 2013.
So while I'll be the first to cozy up to a tater-tot poutine smothered with bacon gravy, my affection has lately shifted to another porcine preserve. Guanciale is Italian cure made with pig cheeks, and it's a lot like bacon: mostly fat with meaty striations, salty and porky and impossibly rich. And it's super easy to make.
Tags: guanciale , recipe , pork , cured meat , Image , Web Only
Tuesday, December 22, 2015
I mentioned this in a post a few weeks ago, so I won't go into much detail here, but (particularly in winter) I'm a huge advocate of keeping fresh stock on hand or in the freezer. It's so easy to make and such a boon in the kitchen! If making it isn't your thing, you can find some decent ones in the soup aisle at most grocers.
Last week, I threw together a sweet little stew with market kabocha squash (I can't remember the farm), some forgotten pac choy from the crisper and half a rock-hard baguette I had kicking around (reason No. 672 to keep stale bread). And it was the heartiest little 20-minute meal I've made in quite some time. It can also be vegan when made with veggie stock.
Squash bonus points (for another use): Toast the seeds on your stovetop!
Tags: Kabocha squash , soup , stew , bread , vegan , vegetarian , pac choy , recipe , Image , Web Only
Tuesday, December 15, 2015
The litigants settled the case in May 2014. Smugglers' Notch can keep its company name, and spirits licensed before the lawsuit will retain their original branding, according to distillery owner Ron Elliott. But, going forward, any new "dark" spirits (anything that's not clear, basically) must be given a "fanciful or arbitrary name," and that name must be larger than the company name on any labeling.
At the time, Elliott, along with his son and co-owner Jeremy Elliott, had wheat whiskey (some of it distilled on site) aging in barrels. They would have loved to release it "just following the lawsuit," the elder Elliott says, but the spirit needed more age. So they waited ... and waited.
And this fall, the distillery bottled and labeled its Litigation Wheat Whiskey, an amber-hued sipper with notes of brandy, caramel and vanilla, rested three years in charred oak.
Today, I made a caffeinated cocktail with it and dubbed it the Litigious Whiskey Grey, so named for the lawsuit and tea that is its main mixer.
Tags: Cocktails , whiskey , smugglers' notch distillery , Earl Grey tea , recipe , Image , Web Only
Tuesday, December 8, 2015
Right now Pete's Greens is harvesting gorgeous baby bok choy. Along with some local shiitakes, a farm egg and a slice of stale bread, this made a delightful, super-quick brunchy soup, but I'm psyched to throw it in a stir-fry later, too.
But about the soup. A soup can only be as good as the stock you make it with. So if you're not in the habit of making stock yourself, I urge you to give it a go.
Do you ever roast a chicken for dinner? Prefer chicken thighs or drumsticks instead? Take the bones, dust them in salt and pepper and throw them in a pot with quartered onions, herbs and a few stalks of celery. Cover with water and let simmer for several (mostly unattended) hours, adding more water occasionally if you feel like you should. You don't even have to peel the onions or de-stem the herbs or chop the celery, since you'll strain everything but the liquid away anyhow.
Tags: Stocks , bok choy , bread soup , poached egg , recipe , Image , Web Only
Tuesday, December 1, 2015
Given that pumpkin is just a squash, you can use winter squash seeds of any kind. And since now is the time for roasting and mashing and souping fall's sweet, long-storing gourds (maybe you have one in your CSA basket this week?), seeds are a bonus snack that will recall childhood or chips, depending on the person. Either way, they're delightful. And I'll take any excuse to stand over the woodstove on a wet December day.
I make mine boiled in saltwater, then toasted on the stovetop with plenty of butter, clean and salty and crunchy. And all you need is seeds, salt and the fat of your choice.
Here's how.
Tags: Squash , Pumpkin Seeds , Recipe , Woodstove cooking , Image , Web Only
Tuesday, November 24, 2015
When the new animal comes in, it means cleaning out the freezer to make room for the fresh meat. More often than not, hunters give packages left over from last season's hunt to friends and neighbors. So, whether or not someone in your household got lucky in the woods this fall, there's always lots of wild meat to go around.
This time of year is also when the late fall oyster mushrooms really blossom. They form massive white columns on the sides of hardwoods, sometimes three or four feet high. In town or along the roads, you can spot them from far away, and it's easy to harvest several pounds while still leaving plenty on the tree.
Wild mushroom foraging is tricky, and if you're not comfortable picking fungus from trees, several local farmers sell oyster mushrooms at farmers markets and co-ops. What's more, most big grocery stores sell them alongside shiitake, maitake and other gourmet fungus. And if you don't have a friend handing out packages of venison, ask your local butcher — Vermont is home to several deer farms, and it's not uncommon to find venison at the meat counter if you keep an eye out for it.
Tags: Venison , steak , oyster mushrooms , recipe , Image , Web Only
Tuesday, November 17, 2015
This recipe adds a touch of garlic and smoke to the rutabaga's subtle, earthy sweetness. It's a rich and roasty soup that's smooth and calming and loaded with flavor. But it's not heavy. I added half a cauliflower because I had it, but it's by no means essential, and it's a cinch to make a vegan version.
Usually bisques are weighted with heavy cream. Since rutabaga will soak up a lot of liquid before it thins to a proper bisque, I used half and half instead. Dairy-free folks could swap coconut milk for a similar effect. And, while most soups are only as good as the stock that grounds them, this one works as well with water as the other base liquid. Salting and roasting the roots first gives the purée ample flavor to withstand dilution.
What's more, the roasted roots, puréed with just a little water or cream, make a lovely mash that would side well with a roast chicken, duck or turkey, since Thanksgiving's coming.
Not sure where to find rutabaga? Mine came from Full Moon Farm, but they vegetable is widely available at winter markets, or at your local market.
Tags: Soups , rutabaga , recipe , cauliflower , bisque , vegan , vegetarian , Image , Web Only
Tuesday, November 10, 2015
The hearts were an easy sell: lean and mild in flavor, steaky — even tender — if handled correctly. But the livers... Mature pigs' livers are big — several pounds each and large enough to overflow a dinner plate. And few people are fans of the organ's iron-soaked tenor and pasty texture. I took home at least a liver and a half myself, resolving to find something tasty to do with them.
Then I made this mousse — with sage and Champlain Valley pears and cider and a few shiitakes from Colchester's AH mushroom — and it was good: porky and a little sweet and just the tiniest bit tangy. So good, in fact, that I'm excited to share it, and make it again. And, now heading into the holiday hors-d'oeuvres gauntlet, I'm guessing I'll have the chance.
Tags: Pork Liver Mousse , shiitakes , recipe , pears , brown butter , Image , Web Only