Me, I inspire local eating. OK, between some casework this afternoon I helped my wife a bit. I peeled about 20 tomatoes and de-seeded maybe five. Me, I applaud the effort my wife makes towards our eat local eating. I did just come down and wash a few bowls. I did the really fun job: shove things down the garbage disposal.
Who the hell cans.
There are very good reasons for canning food. Firstly, probably foremost, it allows you to eat local for many months after the market closes. Canning allows you to find fine product, and grab it for when the time is needed. It can save a lot of money. We got an ungodly amount of Michigan tomatoes, a full bushel, for under $17. We will have at least 15 quarts of canned tomatoes. Lastly, canning spares precious freezer space.
Who the hell cans.
Maybe, someone's day would not start quite like my wife's, consulting 43 or so cook books. She was most vexed by the choice of acid. Most recipe's, including Ball, which we would trust the most, call for lemon juice. She found vinegar based recipes.
Who the hell cans.
The cleaning of jars. The sanitizing. Score tomatoes. The boil. The shock. How much ice do you have. Peel. Seed. Pack. Process. Some say 45. Some say 50.
Who the hell cans.
We have barely made a dent in our bushel of tomatoes.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Eat Local Jobs
Well, maybe not eat local postions near Chicago, but eat local jobs nonetheless.
From St. John's e-mail:
From St. John's e-mail:
Now that St. John has reopened following a summer break for refurbishment works, we have a number of vacancies on our restaurant floor and behind our bar. If you one of our website members in the hospitality trade the do visit the news page where full details of current situations vacant can be found.[sic]
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
A Bushel Here, Bushel There
Updates
The family and I remain very busy locavores. I blog and take the glory. My wife does the hard work. I'll be keeping track of our acquisitions over at the Local Beet. My last report was here. I expect to file a new report today at the Beet. The Beet also has its latest feature up, on some truly local food, by Michael Gebert. Gerbert's been on the weed trail as he prepares his next Sky Full of Bacon video. It won't make for as interesting TV, but Cassie Green of Green Grocer and myself are being interviewed for a cable show in Highland Park, IL today.
Driving through Michigan recently, we picked up a 1/2 peck of Red Haven peaches. She, with (the sometimes) able help of younger daughter, peeled all of these, a process involving much pots of water hot and cold. Some went into a recently baked pie. The rest have gone into the freezer for later pies and cobblers.
Chicago to Urbana on a Saturday morning, Interstate, took less than 3 hours. Urbana to Chicago via US 150 and Illinois 1, took most of the next day. 13 ears of sweet corn in Hooperstown; a bushel of crowder peas--actually we do not know exactly what type of beans these are within the family of Southern style fresh beans--from a man selling in his front lawn near Momence helped slow us down.
All four of us did some shelling, but as typical She did more. Most of the beans went into the freezer. We ate some last night. We also ate some of the corn last night; we will probably freeze the rest today.
We could not resist a brimming bushel of Michigan tomatoes for sale at Caputo's in Elmwood Park. I could say "we" expect to can them today or tomorrow but that would be a disservice to the Woman who will do all the work.
Another way to make your summer veg last is to cook them all down into a jammy, spreadish sweet n' sour, condiment, appetizer like thing called caponata. The version She made included eggplants, summer squash, onions, tomatoes, capers and chopped prunes. She did not seal the product, but it should last a good long time in the fridge.
You can track our put-aways here.
The family and I remain very busy locavores. I blog and take the glory. My wife does the hard work. I'll be keeping track of our acquisitions over at the Local Beet. My last report was here. I expect to file a new report today at the Beet. The Beet also has its latest feature up, on some truly local food, by Michael Gebert. Gerbert's been on the weed trail as he prepares his next Sky Full of Bacon video. It won't make for as interesting TV, but Cassie Green of Green Grocer and myself are being interviewed for a cable show in Highland Park, IL today.
Driving through Michigan recently, we picked up a 1/2 peck of Red Haven peaches. She, with (the sometimes) able help of younger daughter, peeled all of these, a process involving much pots of water hot and cold. Some went into a recently baked pie. The rest have gone into the freezer for later pies and cobblers.
Chicago to Urbana on a Saturday morning, Interstate, took less than 3 hours. Urbana to Chicago via US 150 and Illinois 1, took most of the next day. 13 ears of sweet corn in Hooperstown; a bushel of crowder peas--actually we do not know exactly what type of beans these are within the family of Southern style fresh beans--from a man selling in his front lawn near Momence helped slow us down.
All four of us did some shelling, but as typical She did more. Most of the beans went into the freezer. We ate some last night. We also ate some of the corn last night; we will probably freeze the rest today.
We could not resist a brimming bushel of Michigan tomatoes for sale at Caputo's in Elmwood Park. I could say "we" expect to can them today or tomorrow but that would be a disservice to the Woman who will do all the work.
Another way to make your summer veg last is to cook them all down into a jammy, spreadish sweet n' sour, condiment, appetizer like thing called caponata. The version She made included eggplants, summer squash, onions, tomatoes, capers and chopped prunes. She did not seal the product, but it should last a good long time in the fridge.
You can track our put-aways here.
Monday, August 18, 2008
No Place Better to Eat - Farm Dinner - Prairie Fruits Farm
KennyZ, an LTHer really has my number. Not that long ago my wife and I went to a food based event presented by the Shriver Center that we learned of from Kenny. Kenny and I are also charter members of the Mado fan club. I had my first Mado meal with him. When Kenny told me about a farm dinner at Prairie Fruits Farm, I think he knew I'd jump at the idea. We had a near ideal dinner on the prairie the other night. (The night also very much possible by the gracious sitting of my parents.)
Prairie Fruits Farms is the off-spring of Wes Jarrell and Leslie Cooperband. As they say on their site, they moved from urban and academic life, to life on the farm. They raise goats, producing farmstead goat cheeses, and they grow fruits including peaches and berries. They are especially committed to local foods. Beyond selling their fresh fruits, they are looking for ways to offer their produce year round through canned goods, freezing and perhaps drying. They also realized that nothing showcases local foos more than eating local food, and there is no place better for eating local food than feet from where it grew (at least some of the meal). Hence the farm dinners. I should also add that at this was a bargain at $65/BYOB.
Of course there was cheese and then dessert.
We had three house cheeses in a range of ages, with little doo-dads of flavors along side such as currents in gin syrup and honey comb. The finish included their peaches and gelato made from their goat milk. My one quibble of the night, the only food touch that did not work for me; I did not much go for the bits of fresh herbs on the peach pie. Of course, I just picked them aside and ate away.
You all should be inspired by KennyZ's idea.
Prairie Fruits Farms is the off-spring of Wes Jarrell and Leslie Cooperband. As they say on their site, they moved from urban and academic life, to life on the farm. They raise goats, producing farmstead goat cheeses, and they grow fruits including peaches and berries. They are especially committed to local foods. Beyond selling their fresh fruits, they are looking for ways to offer their produce year round through canned goods, freezing and perhaps drying. They also realized that nothing showcases local foos more than eating local food, and there is no place better for eating local food than feet from where it grew (at least some of the meal). Hence the farm dinners. I should also add that at this was a bargain at $65/BYOB.
The night began with very refreshing mason jars of tea made with the farm's peaches and black currents. The day started out cool, but near dinner time, it felt more like Illinois August. The tea fixed a parched throat. With the tea went assorted nibbles. They grilled cheese sandwiches of their Little Bloom on the Prairie goat milk cheese, then accented it with peach chutney and farm harvested honey. They fried squash flowers plus tiny squash, the blossoms stuffed with the freshest of chevre.
Our last pre-bites: corn cakes with andouille sausage from Stan Schute's Triple S Farms with a roasted green chili relish. This could have been a great dinner here.
Momentarily satiated, Wes took us on a small farm tour.
We all gathered around Wes's tractor pulpit including the hens that followed us and the goats that wandered in from their pasture, to hear about farm life and cheese production. That was interesting, but the highlight was Wes teaching us how to pick a fresh peach, about as good a taste as we had all night.
That's not to diminish at all the work of Alisa DeMarco, the farm chef.
I'm more of a fan of chunky gazpacho, but I cannot complain in the least of this pureed version, its strong tomato essence highlighted with a good kick of garlic and touch of hot pepper. Dinner came in large platters. For all the talk of slow food conviviality at the dinner, we went after the food with much gusto. Thus, I never got around to capturing the servings. Instead, see what my first helping looked light--I had much more of everything. We all loved the Country Cottage Farm lamb, but really loved the veg including eggplant agrodulce and roasted heirloom potatoes.
After dinner Kenny hit on the one flaw in the night (I have one other quibble, but I'll get to that in a moment). Our tables were oriented so that half the crowd, the unlucky half, faced the still blazin' prairie sun for most of the dinner. It was hot. It would have made more sense to face the tables the other direction. On the other hand, it meant we got to take in the blazin' prairie sun-set without craning our necks.
Of course there was cheese and then dessert.
We had three house cheeses in a range of ages, with little doo-dads of flavors along side such as currents in gin syrup and honey comb. The finish included their peaches and gelato made from their goat milk. My one quibble of the night, the only food touch that did not work for me; I did not much go for the bits of fresh herbs on the peach pie. Of course, I just picked them aside and ate away.
You all should be inspired by KennyZ's idea.
The Crack is Back
I needed to put my older daughter on a train this AM very early. It meant I also got to get my Marion Street Cheese fix very early. So early, however, that the ode-worthy (you know who you are, Mr. Poet) danish were still in the oven. I settled for a cup of coffee and a very needed fix for the wife.
Hoo-hoo, see the coolers are all back in service at Marion. With that, Marion is now carrying my wife's favorite local dairy product (and she has a lot from Hidden Springs Creamery "Driftless" spreads to chevres from Prairie Fruit Farms to all our Wisconsin cheeses). I'm talking her near addiction, Trader's Point Creamery Orchard Trio yogurt. I'd ask her for a few words but she's sleeping off a very late night, a deadly combination of shelling beans and searching for a cell phone.
Hoo-hoo, see the coolers are all back in service at Marion. With that, Marion is now carrying my wife's favorite local dairy product (and she has a lot from Hidden Springs Creamery "Driftless" spreads to chevres from Prairie Fruit Farms to all our Wisconsin cheeses). I'm talking her near addiction, Trader's Point Creamery Orchard Trio yogurt. I'd ask her for a few words but she's sleeping off a very late night, a deadly combination of shelling beans and searching for a cell phone.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Glimmers of Local Food
Non-food advice to anyone with with a teenager daughter: hide the camera.
Is it fully her fault? I've been meaning to download the pictures on the camera for ages. I was not sure where I stashed away the cord, but it turned out to be not hard to find. Do I share some blame over the local food pictures being over-written for artistic shots of her and her friend [ed. and her and her friend and Moe the cat]. Instead of pages full of images of what local food looks like, here, my friends are a few glimmers.
Here's a few glimpses of our local meat, beef from our 1/2 cow we purchased over a year ago from Farmer Vicki's Genesis Growers. I think these pics support my view that there is little loss of quality with freezing the meat. On the other hand, the first pic shows one of the downsides with local meat, the butchering. Look at the middle steak. Ever see a ribeye cut that way?
The locavore's mantra is to eat what is in season, eat it in abundance and then be done with it. We may catch up with some frozen asparagus in the winter, but we enjoyed it while it lasted.
This was the riso discussed here and here's Tuscan night mentioned in that same post.
Local fava beans are even more fleeting than local asparagus. We've never had much need for favas until Chad Nichols introduced us to favas and the grill. Here's our it looked the first time I did it.
Is it fully her fault? I've been meaning to download the pictures on the camera for ages. I was not sure where I stashed away the cord, but it turned out to be not hard to find. Do I share some blame over the local food pictures being over-written for artistic shots of her and her friend [ed. and her and her friend and Moe the cat]. Instead of pages full of images of what local food looks like, here, my friends are a few glimmers.
Here's a few glimpses of our local meat, beef from our 1/2 cow we purchased over a year ago from Farmer Vicki's Genesis Growers. I think these pics support my view that there is little loss of quality with freezing the meat. On the other hand, the first pic shows one of the downsides with local meat, the butchering. Look at the middle steak. Ever see a ribeye cut that way?
The locavore's mantra is to eat what is in season, eat it in abundance and then be done with it. We may catch up with some frozen asparagus in the winter, but we enjoyed it while it lasted.
This was the riso discussed here and here's Tuscan night mentioned in that same post.
Local fava beans are even more fleeting than local asparagus. We've never had much need for favas until Chad Nichols introduced us to favas and the grill. Here's our it looked the first time I did it.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Eat Local Meat
Nose to Tail
I've mentioned many a time, that the best way to purchase and consume local meat is by obtaining the whole beast. In this week's Time Out Chicago (via) Heather Shouse talks with several local chefs who get their own animals and then break the carcasses down themselves. Of course your whole animal will probably come broken down already. Still, like the Chefs, you'll have plenty of odds and ends as well as the kiskes or fifth quarter. See what these guys are doing with their local meat.
I've mentioned many a time, that the best way to purchase and consume local meat is by obtaining the whole beast. In this week's Time Out Chicago (via) Heather Shouse talks with several local chefs who get their own animals and then break the carcasses down themselves. Of course your whole animal will probably come broken down already. Still, like the Chefs, you'll have plenty of odds and ends as well as the kiskes or fifth quarter. See what these guys are doing with their local meat.
Eat Local Watermelon
I get my first watermelon of the season this week. Melons take a lot of heat, time, so it takes a good amount of summer to get local watermelon (although my wife interjects that the muskmelons so far have been incredible). Farmer Vicki promised me, in her weekly e-mail, something called Lamar, a seedless melon, and the best melon she has ever grown. I have a feeling she will be right. She usually is.
A lot of local foodies go ga-ga, not over Lamar, but over melons trucked in from the South and sold at the Baylor Melon Market. I am hesitant to throw too much criticism at the Baylor melons. The only time I tried one, at the LTHForum picnic a few years ago, the melons were unfortunately fermented. Still, I put my faith in Farmer Vicki, and I suspect that a certain amount of the Baylor allure stands for the specialness of the product, the transport via bus and the ties to historical agriculture. Then again, a lot of people like the Baylor melons. I want local.
From yesterday's CTrib:
A lot of local foodies go ga-ga, not over Lamar, but over melons trucked in from the South and sold at the Baylor Melon Market. I am hesitant to throw too much criticism at the Baylor melons. The only time I tried one, at the LTHForum picnic a few years ago, the melons were unfortunately fermented. Still, I put my faith in Farmer Vicki, and I suspect that a certain amount of the Baylor allure stands for the specialness of the product, the transport via bus and the ties to historical agriculture. Then again, a lot of people like the Baylor melons. I want local.
From yesterday's CTrib:
Grower Chris Sutton, owner of Sutton Fruit and Vegetable in Kaufman County, Texas, says that your best bet is to buy local and in season. According to the National Watermelon Promotion Board, you should look for "a firm, symmetrical watermelon that is free of bruises, cuts or dents. When you see a nice-looking watermelon, pick it up and feel its heft; then pick up a few others of similar size to compare. At 92 percent water, a good melon should feel heavy for its size. Seeded varieties tend to be sweeter, Sutton said, "because the seed cavities cause it to be riper." How do you know a watermelon ripened on the vine? Easy: Turn the melon over and check for a creamy yellow spot. That's a sign that the watermelon sat on the ground and in the sun to ripen.Does your melon have a creamy yellow spot?
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
How Fare the Battle for Local
About 2 weeks ago, I gathered up all the weekly inserts in the Chicago Tribune for grocery stores. I meant to write a post highlighting the amount of local foodstufs advertised by the lot (including Dominicks, Jewel, Tony's, Ultra Foods and Caputo's). As a lot of my ideas of late, it remains inchoate (+ one post in draft form and another post that got killed by an Internet Explorer crash). The bad news from the delay, it seems like the forces of local have had some setbacks.
A few weeks ago, all the stores featured several local items (produce) in their fliers. Today, the pickings are fewer. To wit:
A few weeks ago, all the stores featured several local items (produce) in their fliers. Today, the pickings are fewer. To wit:
- Food4Less - No specifically delineated local products. Worse, the navel oranges are highlighted with a big bar "IMPORTED!".
- Jewel-Osco - See above. No produce labeled local; Australian navel oranges. They do note their peaches and nectarines are "Bursting with Pick'd Ripe First of Summer Flavor [sic]". Believe them?
- Tony's Finer Foods - Getting better. They advertise "Sweet Michigan Blueberries".
- Ultra Foods - Take that: home grown green beans, zucchini and yellow squash.
- Domincik's - One one hand, they have the absurdity of an ad for hot house cucumbers right above copy that reads, "It's Peak Season!", but they do also advertise locally grown blueberries, sweet corn and green beans.
- Angelo Caputo's - I save the best for last, the staunched of the bunch. They advertise Michigan green peppers, Michigan peaches, Michigan pickles, Michigan grown farm fresh eggplant, Michigan grown farm fresh large ripe tomatoes, locally grown green onions, locally grown Romaine lettuce, locally grown basil, and Illinois farm fresh sweet corn. Where should you shop?
Here's the real kicker. Everything Caputo's advertises, they offer for less than $1 per pound or $1/per item. For instance, their Illinois sweet corn sells 5 for $1. C'mon! Anyone who tells you that local is not affordable or accessible, well get thee over to Caputo's now. I was there yesterday and besides what is on advertisement, the local included cabbages at something ungoldy cheap like 3 lbs/$1 and an assortment of local peppers. If price is a strong concern, stock up on your local now, when it is cheapest. Green beans and corn freeze especially well. Peppers can be preserved in oil. These are not quite canning tomatoes, but Caputo's will have them soon. Eat local.
Let's monitor the battle front in the weeks to come.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Thursday, August 07, 2008
On the Road Soon but I Got Something - Local Beet
The Local Beet is on the air. Michael Morowitz, also known as Eat Chicago, has fathered three babies in a short span. Besides two ever growing baby boy's, he's got an ever growing new site dedicated to eating local called the Local Beet. It's in its "soft launch." There is plenty in the works that you should see soon. Still, come and see what is there, participate in the discussions and enjoy the journey.
I promise a very fine day in Southern Wisconsin soon and more praise for the folks at Mado. I'm off again tomorrow, to Michigan. I expect at least two meals at Zingermans as well as a good amount of time in Detroit's Eastern Market. Pay attention here, but pay extra attention to what's happening at the Local Beet.
I'm very excited to be involved with the Local Beet as one of the featured bloggers and also as an editor. We plan on being an outstanding resource for those eating local, and we plan on providing interesting and informative writing, photography and videos and lively discussion.
You know what word I hate these days, no not locavore. It's ginormous. Locavore may be the word of the year, but ginormous certainly seems to be the word of the moment. Now, as much as I hate the word, it's what comes to mind when I think about our eating local scene. We have so many delicious foods. We have outstanding markets. We have multiple organizations. We have forces tasking. We got new stores a-selling and mail order a-shipping. There's a lot of dots out there. One thing, more than anything, with Local Beet, we want to connect those dots. It's ginormous.
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
Show Some Love Marion Street Cheese's Way
I happened to be twice at the newly built, quite worthy, Marion Street Cheese Market in Oak Park yesterday. No one was weeping or begging for this appeal. Still, at least one guy there expressed a bit of wistfulness. See, a few weeks in, the display coolers have gone on the fritz. Something about them over heating from the parking garage in the same building. So, when a shopper shops at Marion they do not see cases full of artisanal cheese, cases full of local meats like the array of La Quercia products they stock, nor do they see the salads and sides made from local produce. They will see a rotating band of cheeses displayed on the counter (I was especially pleased yesterday that they featured a row of local cheeses from Traders Point Creamery, Uplands, Prairie Fruit Farms and BleuMont Dairy). Still, people are not buying as much because of the problems.
These guys have poured a lot into their venture, and they are doing it righter than right. The cheese in the cheese danish comes from Zingerman's, that alone should make this place a must stop for dedicated foodies. It is all of that ilk. This, with Cassie's Green Grocer, [and Fox & Obel, but do they need the boost?] are the tops in the local food game. I'm lucky to have this place in my neighborhood, but it is worth driving to from all over Chicagoland.
The display cases will probably be up and running soon, maybe by the time you read this. They probably won't need special blogger pleas. In the meantime, go show them some love and buy something there.
Marion St. Cheese Market
100 S. Marion
Oak Park, IL
These guys have poured a lot into their venture, and they are doing it righter than right. The cheese in the cheese danish comes from Zingerman's, that alone should make this place a must stop for dedicated foodies. It is all of that ilk. This, with Cassie's Green Grocer, [and Fox & Obel, but do they need the boost?] are the tops in the local food game. I'm lucky to have this place in my neighborhood, but it is worth driving to from all over Chicagoland.
The display cases will probably be up and running soon, maybe by the time you read this. They probably won't need special blogger pleas. In the meantime, go show them some love and buy something there.
Marion St. Cheese Market
100 S. Marion
Oak Park, IL
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
Monday, August 04, 2008
Find Farmer's Markets - Wisconsin
Readers of this blog know that I am enamored with the Illinois Department of Agriculture's Agri-happings site as a directory of farmer's markets in Illinois. I recently came across a good, not quite as good, site for farmer's markets in Wisconsin.
Eat Local Food
Miss Me?
Gosh, do I have stuff to blog about. A very fine day in and around Monroe, Wisconsin capped with an especially fine meal at L'Etoile in Madison; there's still the lingering memories of good food at Mado and bad food at Semiramis. I love Wisconsin. You can stumble into a place like Sorg's in the middle of nowhere and find the most incredible, near Kobe [ed. let's not exaggerate] porterhouse steaks as well as all the brats and other fine things you expect in this state. In the meantime, here's what we've been gathering:
Alp & Dell (Roth Kase Factory and Outlet - 657 Second, Monroe, WI) - 7/30/08
Gosh, do I have stuff to blog about. A very fine day in and around Monroe, Wisconsin capped with an especially fine meal at L'Etoile in Madison; there's still the lingering memories of good food at Mado and bad food at Semiramis. I love Wisconsin. You can stumble into a place like Sorg's in the middle of nowhere and find the most incredible, near Kobe [ed. let's not exaggerate] porterhouse steaks as well as all the brats and other fine things you expect in this state. In the meantime, here's what we've been gathering:
Alp & Dell (Roth Kase Factory and Outlet - 657 Second, Monroe, WI) - 7/30/08
- Lots of cheese including Roth Kase Private Reserve
Maple Leaf Co-op Outlet (W2616 Hwy 11-81, Juda, WI) - 7/30/08
- More cheese including award winning Maple Leaf English Hollow Cheddar
Monroe Farmer's Market - 7/30/08
- Freshly dug Kennebec potatoes
- Pickles (i.e., kirby cucumbers)
- Elderberry jam
- Onions
- Garlic
Hoesly's Meat - New Glarus, WI - 7/30/08
- Dried beef (a deli cut, not jerky)
- Smoked brats
New Glarus Brewery - New Glarus, WI - 7/30/08
- Beer including Uff-da Bock; Organic Revolution and Belgian Red (cherry)
Willy St Coop - Madison - 7/31/08
- Sugar River yogurt
Sorg's Meat - Darien, WI - 7/31/08
- Polish sausages
Caputo's - Elmwood Park, IL - 8/1/08
- Michigan eggplant
- Michigan spicy wax peppers
- Michigan apples
Genesis Growers CSA - 8/2/08
- Eggs
- Wax beans
- Summer squash
- Jalepeno peppers
- Red cabbage
- Pickles
- Cucumbers
- Apricots
- Mesclun
- Muskmelon
Oak Park Farmer's Market - 9/2/08
- Genesis Growers - Arugula, purple basis, purple cauliflower, tomatoes
- Nichol's Farm - Wild plums
- Hardin Farm - Apricots, peaches, nectarines
- Stovers - Sweet cherries
- Catalina Farm - Tomato berries
- Skibbes - White peaches, white nectarines, tomatoes
Previous list of stuff here.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
On the Road Again
More Nothing to Come
Well, I could have something. New favorite Mado came through again (well everything but the farro), but old favorites Semeramis and Margie's failed us. My praise-o-meter that stalled on Marion Street Cheese's danishes needs to get working on the rare and precious heart-shaped baby tomatoes from Catalina Farms at the Oak Park Farmer's Market. I totally screwed up the Eli's thing. Last week was the engaging Stan Schutte. You can hear poultry guy, John Caveny this Thursday. I'm sure I could cook up more, but we leave soon for Wisconsin. I may or may not be able to post more until Friday.
All of these people mentioned in this post will provide good reading while I'm gone. Or see what Bruce's up to on his roof. Will she make you as jealous as she makes me?
The big eat local news around here remains the stellar performance by our cheese team. Whoo-hoo! Me, the team includes at least Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Iowa, so I share the boosterism of Indiana fer sure. For the cynics, here's a less chauvinistic report on the competition.
For those following the more personal side of the odyssey, we put away some more food, making it easier to eat local the coming winter. Of course, we buy too much anyways.
Don't wait for me, find a farmer's market close to you. There's only one guide to tell you what's in season now. Believe it or not, you can find local at Jewel these days, but it's a hell of a lot more fun to check up on the engaging [ed. and charismatic] Cassie and her Green Grocer. Find some time also for the marvelously updated and enhanced Marion Street Cheese store.
Talk to ya soon.
Well, I could have something. New favorite Mado came through again (well everything but the farro), but old favorites Semeramis and Margie's failed us. My praise-o-meter that stalled on Marion Street Cheese's danishes needs to get working on the rare and precious heart-shaped baby tomatoes from Catalina Farms at the Oak Park Farmer's Market. I totally screwed up the Eli's thing. Last week was the engaging Stan Schutte. You can hear poultry guy, John Caveny this Thursday. I'm sure I could cook up more, but we leave soon for Wisconsin. I may or may not be able to post more until Friday.
All of these people mentioned in this post will provide good reading while I'm gone. Or see what Bruce's up to on his roof. Will she make you as jealous as she makes me?
The big eat local news around here remains the stellar performance by our cheese team. Whoo-hoo! Me, the team includes at least Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Iowa, so I share the boosterism of Indiana fer sure. For the cynics, here's a less chauvinistic report on the competition.
For those following the more personal side of the odyssey, we put away some more food, making it easier to eat local the coming winter. Of course, we buy too much anyways.
Don't wait for me, find a farmer's market close to you. There's only one guide to tell you what's in season now. Believe it or not, you can find local at Jewel these days, but it's a hell of a lot more fun to check up on the engaging [ed. and charismatic] Cassie and her Green Grocer. Find some time also for the marvelously updated and enhanced Marion Street Cheese store.
Talk to ya soon.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Eat Seasonal Food - Summer Squash Recipes
The Raw and the Mushed
At least two of the judges sneered when the Iron Chef-testants recently faced off with summer squash as their secret ingredient (the third judge, Chicago's own Louisa Chu defended the stuff). The detractors claimed no flavor to this overly available summer staple. Me thinks the problem lies not with limited flavor but in a wrong flavor. I've been racking my brain to get a way to describe summer squash flavor. It is not too bitter like say kale or other greens; it lacks the sulfurous limitations of cruciferes, but its taste is often not entirely pleasant, at all. Bland would be better. This bad or what I would call the standard summer squash taste emerges with certain cooking techniques.
The bad rap for summer squash comes, I believe, because the most used technique, or the one so many eaters most know, is the worst. That is the minimally cooked 1979 Nouvelle Cuisine versions found on catered plates across the universe. The summer squash in these incarnations is either lightly steamed or lightly sauteed. Of course a big problem with the yellow squash on the plate of your award's banquet plate is its out-of-season-ness, but the prep never helps. Barely cooked summer squashes in medium sized slabs just taste bad. The bad flavor.
Here are two ways to avoid bad summer squash flavor.
The Raw
When people ask me about my locavorism, they invariable ask, "do you eat bananas." I say yes. My family and I do buy bananas, especially during the long apple only season of eating local. What we do not buy, however, is slabs of tuna or other sea fish, and I miss raw fish, like a pounded seafood carpaccio. My carpaccio choices are further frustrated by the frozen state of all our meat. I found the next best thing (well not really, but it worked nonetheless): summer squash carpaccio. Salting the squash firms it up and gives a texture, with a good imagination, like carpaccio. A simple prep:
Shave several younger summer squash with a mandolin--you must slice thin.
Salt the squash generously and wait about 45 minutes.
Rinse the salt, dry well.
Array the squash on plates, shave (again) a cheese like Parmesan over
Drizzle a good olive oil.
The Mooshed
Do not fear long cooked vegetables. You can almost never go wrong in cooking your veg to death. Unless you are a Southerner or fan of Fergus Henderson you may never have realized that the path to good zucchini flavor comes from cooking time. Long cooking erases the flavors Steingarten detests (even if he does not realize it) and brings out the latent sweetness in the veg.
Slice 1 onion, season, let it sweat for a few minutes in olive oil
Slice you summer squash (or cube if using patty pans) and add, seasoning again
Cook for a few minutes on higher heat, high enough to get the squash going but not high enough to burn the onions.
Add about a cup of water--don't worry if you add too much call it pot likker
A bit of herb, especially basil will be nice here.
Cook to death, about 20 minutes; it won't be a paste but the squash will have broken down a lot.
Before serving adjust the seasoning and add some of the same herb you used earlier in the cooking process.
At least two of the judges sneered when the Iron Chef-testants recently faced off with summer squash as their secret ingredient (the third judge, Chicago's own Louisa Chu defended the stuff). The detractors claimed no flavor to this overly available summer staple. Me thinks the problem lies not with limited flavor but in a wrong flavor. I've been racking my brain to get a way to describe summer squash flavor. It is not too bitter like say kale or other greens; it lacks the sulfurous limitations of cruciferes, but its taste is often not entirely pleasant, at all. Bland would be better. This bad or what I would call the standard summer squash taste emerges with certain cooking techniques.
The bad rap for summer squash comes, I believe, because the most used technique, or the one so many eaters most know, is the worst. That is the minimally cooked 1979 Nouvelle Cuisine versions found on catered plates across the universe. The summer squash in these incarnations is either lightly steamed or lightly sauteed. Of course a big problem with the yellow squash on the plate of your award's banquet plate is its out-of-season-ness, but the prep never helps. Barely cooked summer squashes in medium sized slabs just taste bad. The bad flavor.
Here are two ways to avoid bad summer squash flavor.
The Raw
When people ask me about my locavorism, they invariable ask, "do you eat bananas." I say yes. My family and I do buy bananas, especially during the long apple only season of eating local. What we do not buy, however, is slabs of tuna or other sea fish, and I miss raw fish, like a pounded seafood carpaccio. My carpaccio choices are further frustrated by the frozen state of all our meat. I found the next best thing (well not really, but it worked nonetheless): summer squash carpaccio. Salting the squash firms it up and gives a texture, with a good imagination, like carpaccio. A simple prep:
Shave several younger summer squash with a mandolin--you must slice thin.
Salt the squash generously and wait about 45 minutes.
Rinse the salt, dry well.
Array the squash on plates, shave (again) a cheese like Parmesan over
Drizzle a good olive oil.
The Mooshed
Do not fear long cooked vegetables. You can almost never go wrong in cooking your veg to death. Unless you are a Southerner or fan of Fergus Henderson you may never have realized that the path to good zucchini flavor comes from cooking time. Long cooking erases the flavors Steingarten detests (even if he does not realize it) and brings out the latent sweetness in the veg.
Slice 1 onion, season, let it sweat for a few minutes in olive oil
Slice you summer squash (or cube if using patty pans) and add, seasoning again
Cook for a few minutes on higher heat, high enough to get the squash going but not high enough to burn the onions.
Add about a cup of water--don't worry if you add too much call it pot likker
A bit of herb, especially basil will be nice here.
Cook to death, about 20 minutes; it won't be a paste but the squash will have broken down a lot.
Before serving adjust the seasoning and add some of the same herb you used earlier in the cooking process.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Eat Local Cheese
We're Number 1
My beloved Cubbies hold on the National League is getting more and more tenuous. Luckily, my local cheese team took home the trophy (again) in the annual American Cheese Society competition (pdf).
This was the year of Sid Cook domination. His Carr Valley Cheese took first and third in the best of show honors. The whole list of winners is dotted with Carr Valley cheeses. Many local cheeses won honors at the 2008 event, but from my casual eye, it seems like the local team did not clean up quite as much as expected. It's like when the US Olympians hit the stage, you expect a certain amount of medals but when you do not see them on top of the swimming or track podiums, you wonder what happened. Now, I do not know all the cheeses entered in the competitions, so I do not necessarily know who "lost". It did surprise me to see less of certain names.
Brunkow Cheeses, with the able assistance of Joe Burns, makes outstanding English farmhouse style cheeses. None of those won awards (although Brunkow did take high honors for their raw milk spread and Brun=uusto baked cheeses). Willi Lehner's BleuMont Dairy's name could be found but once on the list of winners. Is this considered an upset: Trader's Point Creamery Yogurt came in second? Our butters won but one of the several awards. Illinois's goat gal, Leslie Cooperband and her Prairie Fruit Farms one but won too. Another local goat lady, Capriole, also won but one. And my favorite, my favorite of nearby goat cheese woman, Wisconsin's Fantome Farm won but none. Did they compete?
Still, local cheesemakers can be be found through out the winners, even ones not named Carr Valley. Previous stars Uplands Cheese and Leelanau Creamery went head to head, taking second and third in a washed rind category. Brenda Jenson and her sheep did even better, taking several awards for her Hidden Springs Creamery. Where do you really want to see Wisconsin cheeses win, the cheddars right? Hoch Enterprises's Braun Suisse Kase [ed. ever hear of?] aced baby cheddar; Maple Leaf Cheese Co-op got adolescent and another Braun Suisse Kase cheese got the old timer (aged over 4 years). Wisconsin cheddars did not take first places in the adult cheddar (aged between 25 and 48 months) and the more prestigious bandaged cheddar categories. Classic Wisconsin names like Widmar, Roth Kase and Hooks can also be found in this year's awards.
One category that I found, perhaps, a bit surprising, was the Italian hard cheese style. The more commercial orientated BelGioioso Cheese took first and second and the more artsy, certainly more expensive, SarVecchio took third. In related cheese catagories, I see no local cheeses amongst the mozzarellas. I would guess that my guys just don't enter a thing like this. I wonder how the hand made stuff at Caputo's in Melrose Park would stack up against the winners.
At the end of the day, how many people will still associate Midwestern cheeses with orange blocks a step above Velveeta [ed., or even better, shaped like the state of Wisconsin and wrapped in red wax?]. How many shoppers will go looking for a "prestigious" cheese and head straight for the Red Hawk or Cyprus Grove labels? Me, I stick to local because it's my team. Luckily, it means some fine eating too. Eat some local cheese this week in honor of the champions.
My beloved Cubbies hold on the National League is getting more and more tenuous. Luckily, my local cheese team took home the trophy (again) in the annual American Cheese Society competition (pdf).
This was the year of Sid Cook domination. His Carr Valley Cheese took first and third in the best of show honors. The whole list of winners is dotted with Carr Valley cheeses. Many local cheeses won honors at the 2008 event, but from my casual eye, it seems like the local team did not clean up quite as much as expected. It's like when the US Olympians hit the stage, you expect a certain amount of medals but when you do not see them on top of the swimming or track podiums, you wonder what happened. Now, I do not know all the cheeses entered in the competitions, so I do not necessarily know who "lost". It did surprise me to see less of certain names.
Brunkow Cheeses, with the able assistance of Joe Burns, makes outstanding English farmhouse style cheeses. None of those won awards (although Brunkow did take high honors for their raw milk spread and Brun=uusto baked cheeses). Willi Lehner's BleuMont Dairy's name could be found but once on the list of winners. Is this considered an upset: Trader's Point Creamery Yogurt came in second? Our butters won but one of the several awards. Illinois's goat gal, Leslie Cooperband and her Prairie Fruit Farms one but won too. Another local goat lady, Capriole, also won but one. And my favorite, my favorite of nearby goat cheese woman, Wisconsin's Fantome Farm won but none. Did they compete?
Still, local cheesemakers can be be found through out the winners, even ones not named Carr Valley. Previous stars Uplands Cheese and Leelanau Creamery went head to head, taking second and third in a washed rind category. Brenda Jenson and her sheep did even better, taking several awards for her Hidden Springs Creamery. Where do you really want to see Wisconsin cheeses win, the cheddars right? Hoch Enterprises's Braun Suisse Kase [ed. ever hear of?] aced baby cheddar; Maple Leaf Cheese Co-op got adolescent and another Braun Suisse Kase cheese got the old timer (aged over 4 years). Wisconsin cheddars did not take first places in the adult cheddar (aged between 25 and 48 months) and the more prestigious bandaged cheddar categories. Classic Wisconsin names like Widmar, Roth Kase and Hooks can also be found in this year's awards.
One category that I found, perhaps, a bit surprising, was the Italian hard cheese style. The more commercial orientated BelGioioso Cheese took first and second and the more artsy, certainly more expensive, SarVecchio took third. In related cheese catagories, I see no local cheeses amongst the mozzarellas. I would guess that my guys just don't enter a thing like this. I wonder how the hand made stuff at Caputo's in Melrose Park would stack up against the winners.
At the end of the day, how many people will still associate Midwestern cheeses with orange blocks a step above Velveeta [ed., or even better, shaped like the state of Wisconsin and wrapped in red wax?]. How many shoppers will go looking for a "prestigious" cheese and head straight for the Red Hawk or Cyprus Grove labels? Me, I stick to local because it's my team. Luckily, it means some fine eating too. Eat some local cheese this week in honor of the champions.
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