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Monday, January 16, 2012
I have a confession - swiss chard is probably my least favorite cooking green. I've found a few ways that I enjoy eating it, but it's not a regular fixture in my meal planning. Karen, a Farmscape member in Claremont, sent us her favorite chard recipe, and it's a game changer. Deceptively simple and full of flavor, I'll never avoid chard again!
Cooking with Farmscape
Swiss Chard with Onion & Raisins
I have a confession - swiss chard is probably my least favorite cooking green. I've found a few ways that I enjoy eating it, but it's not a regular fixture in my meal planning. Karen, a Farmscape member in Claremont, sent us her favorite chard recipe, and it's a game changer. Deceptively simple and full of flavor, I'll never avoid chard again!
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Tuesday, December 20, 2011
I recently picked up a little sack of purple potatoes from Weiser Family Farms, and I couldn't wait to use them. With Hanukkah starting this evening, I figured I'd try a colorful spin on traditional latkes.
Cooking with Farmscape
Purple Potato Latkes
I recently picked up a little sack of purple potatoes from Weiser Family Farms, and I couldn't wait to use them. With Hanukkah starting this evening, I figured I'd try a colorful spin on traditional latkes. Fried foods like latkes are traditionally eaten during Hanukkah to commemorate the oil that miraculously burned for eight nights. Because they're fried, these aren't the healthiest recipe we've posted on the blog, but you can up the nutritional content by replacing some of the potato with other root crops, like parsnips, beets, or sweet potatoes.
Thursday, December 08, 2011
The windstorm last week finally cleared the leaves off the tree that blocks my front yard garden's southern sun in the winter, so I took some time this weekend to plant the bed. One of the more difficult parts was thinning out the red beet starts. As Lowell described in his Meditation on Germination, beet seeds are actually a cluster of many seeds, so you tend to get 4-5 that germinate and begin to grow together. Thinning them felt a bit like playing God - deciding which starts will "make it" and which are too feeble to transplant.
Cooking with Farmscape
Baby Beet Green Salad
The windstorm last week finally cleared the leaves off the tree that blocks my front yard garden's southern sun in the winter, so I took some time this weekend to plant the bed. One of the more difficult parts was thinning out the red beet starts. As Lowell described in his Meditation on Germination, beet seeds are actually a cluster of many seeds, so you tend to get 4-5 that germinate and begin to grow together. Thinning them felt a bit like playing God - deciding which starts will "make it" and which are too feeble to transplant.I ended up with a good bunch of baby beet greens, and instead of letting them go to waste, I took Weston's advice and put them to use in a delicious salad. I combined several types of lettuce (bibb, mesclun mix, arugula) with the baby beet greens, added some avocado, feta, and chickpeas and topped it all off with a dijon-balsamic vinaigrette. It was the perfect reward after a morning of planting!
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Thanksgiving, the food-lover's holiday, is only two days away! If you're still looking for a few side dishes to round out your menu, we've pulled together some recommendations for easy, delicious, and seasonal recipes.
Happy Thanksgiving from Farmscape
Thanksgiving, the food-lover's holiday, is only two days away! If you're still looking for a few side dishes to round out your menu, we've pulled together some recommendations for easy, delicious, and seasonal recipes. Spiced Pumpkin, Lentil, and Goat Cheese Salad (Bon Appetit, October 2009)
Roasted Stuffed Onions (Smitten Kitchen, November 2007)
Sweet and Sour Green Beans (Southern Living, October 2010)
Brussels Sprouts with Brown Butter and Sage (Real Simple, November
2004)
Kale Salad with Winter Fruit (Farmscape Blog, November 2010)
Sweet Potato Souffle (Everyday Food, October 2007)
Cornucopia image from Flickr user Thomas Hawk. Creative Commons.
Friday, November 18, 2011
Farmscape Mixology
Basil Juleps
The weekend is here, and you're wondering what to do with your last remaining basil plant from your summer garden. Enter the Basil Julep. Although mint is normally the herb of choice for this drink, basil provides a surprisingly savory and delicious alternative. You'll be the hit of next year's Kentucky Derby by serving these!
Recipe (serves 4)
1 bunch of fresh basil, a few leaves reserved
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c water
8 oz bourbon
crushed ice
First, make a basil simple syrup. Mix the water, sugar, and bunch of basil in a small pot and bring to a light boil. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Cool - I usually just put the pot in the freezer and find it ready to mix within an hour.
In a glass, muddle 2 tbsp of the basil simple syrup with a few basil leaves. Top off the glass with crushed ice. Add 2 oz of bourbon, and stir well. Serve and enjoy!