Life with little ones

I thought I would post a recipes from Mollie Katzen's Honest Pretzels.  My kids and I found this one the other day and are having a blast with it...  Lots of healthy, fun stuff to make and eat together!

Here's her Gingerbread French Toast recipe:

Ingredients
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon allspice
3 or 4 slices Italian or sourdough bread (or try it with the amazing Rudi's bread we've been stocking in the freezer!)  You could also use challah bread, which would be decadent; the folks at artisan bread in five minutes a day have a fantastic challah bread recipe (which I make for the store when I'm not so pregnant!)

Optional toppings:
* Real maple syrup (we get ours from Randy Grippin's Mountain Winds Farm in Berne - it is, without question, the best maple syrup I've ever had!)
*  Applesauce
*  Sliced peaches or strawberries
* Powdered sugar

Mix eggs, milk, and the spices together, whisking until the batter is all one color.  Dip each slice of bread into the batter, then then stack them on a plate.  Heat up a skillet on medium heat.  Place the wet bread onto the buttered skillet and cook till it is browned; flip the bread over and cook the other side.

Serve hot, either plan or with one of the toppings.

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Drop by on Sunday, too - we have an impromptu gathering of coffee lovers who join us in the afternoon and we often make them some special treats.  And we have a cupcake maker, with which, as you know, all things are possible!

Slippery morning!

And apparently snow and sleet with give way to arctic temps this weekend.  So in my unrelenting pursuit to convince you to use *this* store as your neighborhood grocery, I am posting a few more recipes and links to inspire your weekend cooking! 

(Don't forget to check out our sales items - circulars are available in the store and on my weekly email.  To subscribe, go to Weekly store updates and click on subscribe at the top of the screen.)

But first - fascinating trends report out from United Natural Foods, our natural and organic foods supplier.  Thought I'd mention a few highlights from their report, not the least of which is the fact that 78% of families say that they are consuming organic food, a trend that has continued to increase despite the global economic recession.  Also, there's an upward trend towards buying more specialty produce - if you ignore the strange fact that so few people cook that Brussels sprouts and squash have become "specialty" - and buying more of the bulk products, including the ancient grains and (often pricey) nuts.

I thought, in light of these interesting news bits, I would start with a lovely Brussel sprouts recipe from Heidi Swanson at 101Cookbooks, discovered via The Bold Italic food blog.  I also pasted an amazing beef recipe from Mark Hoffman, over at Morning Fog Farm's page.

Oregano Brussels Sprouts

To make a meal of this, serve over farro, quinoa, rice, or on top of a frittata. Use leftover oregano drizzle over everything from roasted squash, frittatas, baked potatoes, or with a good amount of fresh lemon juice, as a salad vinaigrette.

24 small brussels sprouts (less if you can only find larger sprouts)
extra virgin olive oil
fine grain sea salt
Oregano Drizzle
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup fresh oregano, chopped

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1 large garlic clove

1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt, plus more to taste.
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for rubbing
a big handful of toasted almond slices

Wash the brussels sprouts well. Trim the stem ends and remove any raggy outer leaves. Cut in half from stem to top (quarter, if using larger sprouts) and gently rub each half with olive oil, keeping it intact. Or if you're feeling lazy, just toss them in a bowl with a glug of olive oil.

Make the oregano drizzle by pulsing the olive oil, oregano, parsley, garlic, and salt in a food processor until the herbs are just little flecks of green. Season with more salt if needed, and set aside.

Just a few minutes before you're ready to eat, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in your largest skillet over medium heat. Don't overheat the skillet, or the outsides of the brussels sprouts will cook too quickly. Place the sprouts in the pan flat side down (single-layer), sprinkle with a couple pinches of salt, cover, and cook for roughly 5 minutes; the bottoms of the sprouts should only show a hint of browning. Cut into or taste one of the sprouts to gauge whether they're tender throughout. If not, cover and cook for a few more minutes.

Once just tender, uncover, turn up the heat, and cook until the flat sides are deep brown and caramelized. Use a metal spatula to toss them once or twice to get some browning on the rounded side. Remove from heat and drizzle and toss with as much (or little) oregano pesto as you like. Season to taste, and serve sprinkled generously with the almonds as soon as possible. They really are best straight from the stove top.

Serves 4 as a side.

Prep time: 5 min - Cook time: 8 min

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Sirloin Tip Roast

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 1 Sirloin Tip Roast (allow 1/2 pound per person)
 Salt and Pepper to taste, or
 Herb Rub (mix thoroughly in a small bowl):
  1 TB dried Thyme
  1 TB dried Rosemary
  2 TB dried Oregano
  1 tsp ground Fennel
  2 tsb Garlic Powder
  1.5 TB coarse Salt
  2 tsp freshly ground Black Pepper
 
Rub liberal amounts of salt and pepper or herb rub into the meat.
Cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let rest at room temperature
for 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Set the meat on a rack in a shallow roasting pan lined with foil.
Roast for 20 minutes per pound, or until the meat reaches
120°F for rare, 125° for medium-rare, 130°F for medium.

Remove the roast from the oven, tent loosely and let rest for 10 minutes
before carving. The temperature should increase another 5°F) while
the roast is resting.

Reprinted from The Grassfed Gourmet Cookbook, by Shannon Hayes.

Christmas cookies!

A new friend posted this link on her Facebook page, and I can't wait to try it!

http://www.frugal-mama.com/2009/12/holiday-traditions-making-candy/

We've got a bunch of different cracker/cookie style products that don't contain high fructose corn syrup and other stuff - and a lot of Ghiridelli chocolate.  Sounds like an easy, tasty baking project!

Will post pictures if we do it!
Happy holidays!  (And thanks to Meg for posting this!)

Almost Christmas!

Still no snow, nor any chilly temps, so our ice rink is still a wading pool.  But there is caroling at the store on Saturday, starting at 5:30pm, so join us for a little holiday spirit!

First, I thought I'd re-post a piece from a lovely new book from Leda Meredith, the Locavore's Handbook.  She concisely identifies an issue that I have discussed with lots of folks: how to adapt how we've learned to cook with the reality of what's seasonal and available.  In what Meredith calls it the "reverse approach to recipes", she suggests that instead of identifying recipes and then schlepping out to purchase everything needed for that recipe, check out what looks good that day, and then plan a meal around it.  Ideally, that would mean you'd be shopping every day or every other day, looking for what's freshest.  Here it means that this is the time of year to cook with lots of onions and garlic, using apples and kale and Brussel's Sprouts and squash and potatoes.
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I've always loved my German uncle's potato pancakes.  This recipe comes to us from the Locavore's Kitchen, by Marilou Susko, and seems wildly appropriate for a blustery December day in the Northeast.  Everything listed here is available right now at our store.

Laura's Potato Pancakes
(Makes about 14 pancakes)

9 large russet potatoes, washed and peeled
2 carrots, grated
2 medium onions, grated
3/4 cups matzo meal or cracker crumbs
2 teaspoons salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Dash of nutmeg
6 large eggs, lightly beaten
Vegetable oil for frying
Applesauce, to accompany
Sour cream, or creme fraiche, to accompany
Chopped chives, for garnish

Place the peeled potatoes in a large bowl of cold water to slow discoloration.  Coarsely grate, using a box grater.  Drain well into a colander, squeezing to eliminate excess liquid.

In a large bowl, cobine the poatoes with the grated carrots and onions, matzo meal, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.  Add the eggs and mix well.

Pour enough oil into a large heavy frying pan to reach 1/4 inch up the side.  Heat over medium heat.  When a shred of potato dropped into the oil sizzles and browns quickly, the oil is ready.  Place about a 1/4 cup of the mixture into the hot oil and flatten slightly with a spatula.  Fry until golden brown on the edges, then turn to the other side and fry until golden brown and crispy.  Drain on paper towels.  Serve immediately or keep warm in a 200 degree oven, arranged in a single layer on a paper towel lined baking sheet.

Serve with homemade applesauce and sour cream or creme fraiche and garnish with chopped chives, if desired.

Loving winter...

I love winter, even though it takes me quite a while to adjust to the cold temperatures.  And while it makes cooking whole foods a bit more challenging, there are a lot of hardy vegetables and wild foods, as well as dried and frozen meats that make winter a delicious time of year.

I thought this would be a lovely place to share some of the recipes I've come across, especially the ones that allow us to highlight some of our locally produced meats and vegetables.  This week, I have a lovely soup to pass on from the Locavore's Kitchen by Marilou K. Suszko.  Published this year, it is a fantastic guide to seasonal eating.

If you are interested in a purely vegetarian dish, squash is delicious and incredibly easy.  Split a squash in two, lightly oil a baking sheet and bake each half cut side down at 350 for about 40 minutes.  Allow it to cool a bit, then scrape out the insides into a serving bowl.  I usually toss it lightly with a few spices and rice vinegar.  Easy and tasty!

Farmhouse Chowder
(makes 6 servings)

3 slices thick sliced bacon
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic
2 cups cubed potatoes, about 1/2 inch cubes
4 cups chicken stock
2 and a half cups chopped cooked chicken (skin removed)
2 cups corn kernels
1 teaspoon dried thyme (or 1 tablespoon fresh)
1 to 1 and a half cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (or 1 teaspoon dried)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cook the chopped bacon (we should have fresh slab bacon in from Morning Fog this week!) in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp.  Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a towel.  Set aside.

Drain off all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat.  Return to the heat and add the onion and the pepper, sauteing until soft and translucent, about 6 minutes.  Add the garlic and saute for another minute or so.  Add the potatoes and the chicken stock.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the potatoes are soft and break apart easily with a fork, about 20 minutes.  Reduce heat to medium-low and add the chicken, corn and thyme.  (We have lots of Heather Ridge Farm chickens in our freezer, too.)  Return to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.  Slowly add the cream and heat through without boiling.  Stire in the parsley and reserved bacon.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Let stand, or "cure" for an hour.  Reheat gently, if necessary, and serve.

Some (amazing, others less so) updates

A less-than-amazing update: the damn dairy cooler should be fixed today.  Please keep your fingers tightly crossed, because this has been a source of tremendous aggravation, and a lot of inconvenience.  Some fresh milk coming in tomorrow, in anticipation of the final fix, and a big delivery on Thursday.  When you are a small business owner, these are the sorts of things that keep you up at night: will everyone be so annoyed by one dead cooler that they will swear off Medusa forever and find another spot to shop?

In other news, Randy Grippin, from Mountain Winds Farm in Berne, is putting together an amazing assortment of darker amber and light maple syrups.  Honestly, I've never been a maple syrup fan, but last year he refused to sell it to me unless I tried it.  The stuff is incredible.  We're getting in pints, quarts and half gallons, probably tomorrow.  Along the same lines, we have fresh honey coming in from Richard Ronconi sometime this week, too.

Kropp's Crops is still sending us lettuce - an amazing fresh mixture of salad greens.  They tend to go quick, though, so drop by later in the week for a bag.

More soon, as well as an email blast about our delivery from United Natural and Albert's Organics.  Oh, and if you happen to be a Medusa resident, we're sending out a flier in the mail (because everyone should use the Post Office more often!) about Halloween in Medusa as well as our Fall/Winter calendar.  If you are not a resident, I'll keep extras here at the store.

Keep warm!

Holiday challenge

Last year, one of our amazing customers, who splits his and his family's time between a local residence in Medusa and work downstate, managed to make his entire Thanksgiving dinner with products from our store.  I find this an amazing tribute to how hard we work to supply our customers with fresh whole foods, with an emphasis, where ever possible, on locally produced products.

This year, I am welcoming all of you to join him - we have Thanksgiving turkeys available from Heather Ridge Farm.  We are not taking an margin on them at all - we would just like to see folks spend a bit of the rest of their holiday budgets on groceries from our shelves.  And we are stocking up on lots of the less-fair weather pantry items - including soups and stocks, chicken, hardy vegetables and spices.  We also have a full line of conventional organic as well as gluten free baking items.  If you need something, and you don't see it on our shelves, let me know - I am constantly trying to improve our selection.

Moreover, I would offer up a daily challenge, and I'm working out ways to help you do that.  I'm going to start suggesting dinner ideas on Facebook - such as dinner serving our wide selection of pastas, Newman's Own sauces as well as Giovanni Rana tortellini and ravioli, with a few Geldner's rolls broiled with olive oil and garlic for a few minutes.  Our grocery business seems to contract as soon as chillier weather comes, which makes it hard for us to continuously supply all of the great stuff we're able to carry through the warmer seasons.

Lastly, on the heels of a fantastic meeting with Medusa playground chair Jolie Pizzagati, we're planning for a fantastic Halloween this year.  If you are a decorating guru, join us on Sunday - we'll be spicing up the village with corn stalks and pumpkins, among other scarier things - as well as (hopefully) distributing scarecrow materials for village residents.  And the Council is planning for a cande-lit village Halloween night, with fright and candy galore!

Stay tuned!!