Archives for June 2007
Local all year long, and cake too!
Eating local, as much as possible, all year long is my goal. But I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not able to give up coffee, vanilla, bananas, wine, etc, etc, etc… But I can do better by storing local produce when it is available at its best here in Wisconsin. That means that two weeks ago I froze 30 pounds of local strawberries, and this week I froze a batch of garlic scape pesto. This kind of preserving can be done in large batches like I do over labor day weekend when I can tomatoes or it can be done in small batches like I do throughout the summer when the CSA provides more of something than we can possibly eat.
One summer it was broccoli…every week our CSA share had another head of broccoli and frankly I couldn’t take it anymore. So I froze it and we had broccoli for soups and sides throughout the winter. Carrots were abundant one year and I ended up making batches of chipotle carrot soup and freezing it in quart jars. It was so welcome in the winter that I plan to buy local carrots at the market this year just in case our CSA doesn’t have an odd abundance of them again. Sure it all takes more time, thought, and effort than just buying a bag of frozen produce at the store in the winter, but it is so satisfying to know that your food was bought locally…and here in Wisconsin it is the only way to eat a little local in the winter.
So here are a few tips to help you begin freezing, pickling, and canning your local produce. I’ll write on this topic often throughout the summer and I’ll post instructions and tips for specific produce as it appears in the market.
Last week I saw green beans at the market and they were perfect for freezing. You want to select long, skinny beans that have a good snap to them. Snap off their stem heads, wash them, and pat them dry. Then bag them into ziplocs in the size you will use the most. Place these in your freezer and you’re done. The less contact the beans have with water the better your end product will be. In the past I always blanched the beans first, that’s what my mom did, so I did too. But I read in The Busy Person’s Guide to Preserving Food by Janet Chadwick that it isn’t necessary.
It’s a good idea to have your supplies on hand so you can make small batches whenever it’s convenient. Stock up on ziploc bags, canning jars, pickling salt, white vinegar, cider vinegar, pickling spices, and fresh herbs. For canning I use a steam bath canner rather than a water bath canner. The difference in time and convenience is huge and you’ll really appreciate it once you get going. It’s also a good idea to scout out farmers who can supply you with the produce you need. My CSA supplies some; but to get us through the winter I also go to produce farms like the Country Bumpkin shown in the top photos.
Life around here has been quiet this week. GH is in Chicago for a class, the boys have been eating leftovers and sandwiches, and I had a failed encounter with a trout that tasted like lake water…bleah! I did make this lovely cake for the boys, I’m sure you’ve seen it on other blogs as it has made the rounds, but here it is just the same. It is so quick, easy, and simple that I have made two more since my first one earlier this week. I think it will go especially well with strawberries and ice cream. BTW…I’ve included measurements but I’ve found you can be rather imprecise with this cake and it still turns out well.
French yogurt cake
1/2 c plain yogurt
1 c sugar
3 eggs
1/2 cup canola or olive oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
Preheat oven to 350ยบ. Butter your cake pan well.
Mix the yogurt, eggs, oil, sugar, and vanilla in a medium mixing bowl. Add the flour and baking powder and mix well. Pour into the pan, and bake for 25 minutes or until a knife comes out clean.
Let it cool for 10 minutes and then turn out of the pan. Let it cool more before slicing.
A perfect local lunch
These little beauties are the result of some excellent gathering on my part. Fresh baquette smeared with garlic scape pesto, topped with local hot-house tomatoes, new onions, and a slice of aged Fantome Farm goat cheese. Olive oil and fleur de sel grace the top…but that does seem like a perfect example of gilding the lily, doesn’t it?
Those little guys down there think they’re french, what with their baquette, sweet butter, and radish…personally I couldn’t understand a word they said so I just ate them.
Now to the heart of the matter. I want something from you, my lovely readers…On Sunday evening there is a Wisconsin Homegrown Lunch benefit dinner being held at L’Etoile Restaurant. This is a fantastic opportunity to dine at Madison’s finest restaurant and benefit a great organization.
Wisconsin Homegrown Lunch is a grassroots program whose goal is to enhance Wisconsin schools’ existing meal programs by introducing fresh, nutritious, local and sustainably grown food to children.
Now that’s something I agree with 100%! Plus there’s more…not only will chef Tory Miller be in the kitchen but he has invited four other chefs from around the state to join him in preparing this fabulous six course dinner; Sandy D’Amato, Justin Carlisle, Jack Kaestner, and Nathan Berg. All this for the incredible, tax deductible (at least partly), price of $95 per person. Now that’s a deal.
When I checked today they had 20 seats left. GH and I are attending and I would love for my local readers to join us…it’s a good cause, a good meal, and an opportunity to meet up. I look forward to seeing you there!
Garlic scape pesto
Garlic scapes are the flower/seed stalk that shoots up from the garlic bulb. I like the way they curl and from what I understand if they not cut off they will eventually straighten out and bloom. The reason they cut them off they is so the bulb can get more energy to grow bigger and better.
The farmers’ markets and the CSA shares in this area are brimming with garlic scapes. Judging by the comments I heard at the market this morning, not everyone knows what they are or what to do with them. Tonight for dinner I’ll annoint them with some olive oil and grill them just like I do asparagus. They can be chopped thick or thin and added to salads and stir-fries.
My favorite thing to do with them is to make garlic scape pesto. It is super easy to make and refrigerates well for several weeks in a well sealed jar. I also plan on popping some into the freezer to top off my winter soups. I use this pesto on brushetta, pasta, eggs, foccacia, and just about anything I grill like shrimp, salmon, chicken. It’s also fabulous added to mayonnaise and smeared on a big roast beef sandwich. Now I’m hungry!!!
Garlic scape pesto
1 pound garlic scapes
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
Olive oil (about 1/2 to 1 cup)
Pine nuts if available
Chop the garlic scapes into 3 inch lengths. Put it int he food processor and process until pureed. Add the parmesan and pine nuts and process until smooth. Slowly add the olive oil as the food processor runs and continue until all the oil is combined into the garlic. Store in an air-tight jar in the refrigerator.
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