Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Before Rhubarb Says Good-Bye!

Tonight's recipe - 
Skirt Steak Tacos with Rhubarb Salsa
Amazing!

The recipe is all about the rhubarb salsa
And I only hope I'm not too late,
Rhubarb season is close to an end!

I promise 
it will be worth the search to find the season's last rhubarb!
Beg Peg, Dwain and Orvie for the last of the rhubarb crop!

The recipe for rhubarb salsa hails from Salem, MA - 
From Comida Mexicana Taqueria
I found it in this issue of Edible Boston.
Supposedly Philly is next on the list of Edible Publications!


Rhubarb Salsa (makes 3 cups)
2 cups of rhubarb cut into small dice
1 cup radishes, diced
3 green onions, diced
Juice of 2 fresh limes
2 tsp. honey
1 jalapeño, seeded and diced 
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp chili powder
1 tsp sugar
1 cup cilantro


Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add the diced rhubarb and blanche for 2 minutes, remove with slotted spoon and allow to cool. 


In a bowl, combine the cooled rhubarb, radish, onions, and jalapeño. Add the lime juice and honey, stir. Using a mortar and pestle, grind the remaining ingredients together, including the cilantro. Add to the bowl with the rhubarb mixture and stir to combine. 


As beautiful as it is delicious!
Tonight I made homemade tortillas - so easy. All you need is masa harina (from the grocery) and a tortilla press, about $15.
Tortilla Press
Nothing beats tacos on homemade tortillas!

For the meat I started with skirt steak from Lindenhof Farm. Skirt steak used to be considered a "butcher cut" - not many folks knew what to do with it so it went home with the butchers.  Now it is widely know for its amazing flavor. Similar to flank steak, skirt steak is tough and must be cut against the grain. When prepared correctly it is delicious. I like to remove the excess fat before cooking. Grilling is the perfect cooking method!
The preparation of the skirt steak for the tacos is simple. Use your favorite chili based dry rub (I used a mix of chipotle chili powder, ancho powder, cumin and salt). Allow the dry rubbed meat to rest in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Grill the meat until desired doneness. We grilled some thick slices of Vidalia onions as well.

For the tacos - a homemade tortilla, topped with rhubarb salsa, grilled onions and a drizzle of sour cream.

Monday, May 28, 2012

Ka'Chi

Last Thursday we featured a new food truck - Ka'Chi - a Korean food truck, featuring honest, everyday Korean food - what a hit! 
We love the farmer's market inspired menu!
Ka'Chi means "to bring together" and the crowds proved that! The lines started forming before the market opened and didn't end until Sung-Yoon and Dawn (his wife) were sold out! On the menu - Korean tacos, rice bowls, Korean burgers, and more!
Sung-Yoon at the grill!
We promise Ka'Chi will be back soon - but until their return we'd like to offer up some easy Korean recipes you can try at home using EGFM ingredients.
Our menu: 
Scallion Pancakes with dipping sauce
Korean Grilled Chicken Thighs
Sauteed Spinach
Kimchi Fried Rice
Let's get started with the Scallion Pancakes  - a great appetizer - make a lot - they are addictive. All 3 of our produce farmers - Livengood, Blueberry Hill and Burkholders - have beautiful scallions. This recipe is so simple - I just know you're going to love it!


Market shopping list - Scallions!
Sliced scallions and batter ready - get the recipe here.
A quick fry in the pan!
A simple dipping sauce with soy sauce, vinegar and honey (Carmen's, of course).
Ready to devour!
For the main course Sung-Yoon from Ka'Chi was quick to offer up an simple and tasty recipe for chicken thighs you can make on the grill - excellent for the summer. Its all in the marinade. Pick up your chicken thighs from Axel at Lindenhof Farm and get started. This is all you need:
Korean Grilled Chicken Thighs
3 Tablespoons sugar
4 cloves minced garlic
11/2 t minced ginger
1/4 cup soy
Juice of 1/2 Lime 
6-8 Thighs
Combine the first 5 ingredients in a sealable plastic bag, jostle to combine thoroughly. How to mince ginger - simple:
Peel, slice as pictured above. Careful with the knife!
Add the chicken thighs and allow to marinate overnight or for at least 4 hours. 
Swimming in the marinade
Preheat the grill, and grill until skin is crispy and the meat is completed cooked.
I also made a kimchi fried rice to accompany the chicken. What is kimchi - a traditional fermented dish from Korea, often featuring cabbage; but there are many variations. Unfortunately we don't have any market  vendors selling kimchi so you'll have to hit the grocery to make this dish.


In the spirit of all things local see if you can find Raw Slaw from BAO, Inc out of New York - its a great kimchi, and relatively local! Spicy hot - you bet!
Sauteed Spinach makes a beautiful side dish to the chicken thighs - this recipe is so simple and really highlights the flavor of the spinach. All of our produce farmers have spinach right now - get it while you can. This hot weather is not a friend of spinach - makes it bolt, getting all leggy and stem-y. 
Dessert - who needs dessert after that! It was delicious! Enjoy!

Saturday, May 26, 2012

Happy Memorial Day!

Hope you're have a relaxing Memorial Day Weekend! 
Here's what's cooking in the EGFM Kitchen!

Appetizers - easy! 
Start with some beautiful French Breakfast Radishes.
 
Sliced and served with some dramatic Lava Salt from Pureblend Tea.
Fat Cat Cheese from Birchrun Hills Farm.
Flowers - Schaeffer Flowers, of course!

Libations?
It was a dark and stormy afternoon;
perfect for a Dark and Stormy Cocktail!
That's a lovage straw - so fun!
 Its Memorial Day!
Hot Dogs are called for - Stuttgarter - from Birchrun Hills Farm!
Grilled!
 Served with Wills Valley Sauerkraut!
Sorry, we don't sell this amazing kraut at the market.
If you can find it - buy it! 
Made in Lancaster County.
Amazing!
Some lovely sugar snap peas lighten up dinner.
Blueberry Hill Farm had baskets full!
 Quick tutorial - removing the sugar snap pea string!
A well behaved sugar snap will de-string easily from tip to stem first.
 Turn the corner,
And continue from stem to tip!
 Perfect!
Repeat until all of your SSP are cleaned!
Tonight - a quick saute in olive oil with sprinkling of salt. 
Don't overcook these delicate beauties.
 And now for the garlic scapes!
Scapes are simply the tops of the garlic.
They add a mild garlic flavor when used raw.
 Tonight we're topping grilled potatoes with a compound butter
made with chopped garlic scapes, chopped thyme, smoked sea salt and pepper.
 Recipe:
1/2 stick unsalted Butter, softened
4 Garlic scapes, minced
1 teaspoon fresh chopped Thyme
Smoked Salt (Pureblend Tea) and Pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients;
 Place the compound butter on a piece of plastic wrap
and form into a roll, seal it tight.
Place in the fridge to solidify!
When the potatoes are hot off of the grill simply top with 
pieces of the compound butter and toss.
The recipe make lots of extra to use with steamed veggies and more!
Dessert?
Strawberries!
 This little guy just couldn't wait until he got home from market!
 Tonight I made this delicious Strawberry Shortcake!
So delicious . . .
Well, so delicious, there is no photo of it - sorry!
The shortcake was amazingly tender and rich;
try the recipe!

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day from EGFM!
Hope you're celebrating with some of your market purchases!
Gorgeous flowers from Schaeffer's Flowers.
 Meet Bev and Denny Schaeffer - our flower farmers!

Some easy ideas for a special dinner:
Deviled Eggs - yes - using FreshAPeel Hummus!
 Its easy!
- Here's a tip - 
use your potato ricer to make quick work of mashing the yolks.
 Use half of the mayo your recipe calls for; 
and use your favorite savory hummus for the other half!
Add some fresh ground pepper.
 Beautiful deviled eggs - topped with smoked paprika!
Served with Ellen's Hot Pickled Dilly Green Beans!
These beans are absolutely addicting!
Crispy, crunchy and spicy!
 Burkholder's Organics sells the full line of Ellen's pickled products,
as well as jams and preserves.


For dinner,
a perfectly grilled veal tenderloin from Birchrun Hills Farm,
drizzled with bagna cauda!

 Dessert
Simple math.
Fresh rhubarb + 
 Plus gorgeous strawberries,
both from Blueberry Hill Farm
=  Equals =
Deliciousness!

How to make Strawberry Rhubarb sauce
So easy-
Slice up one bunch of rhubarb into 1 inch pieces,
Add 1/4 - 1/3 cup sugar, a vanilla bean, and about 2 TBSP water.
 Simmer until rhubarb begins to break down. Cool.
Add one pint sliced strawberries and allow to macerate for an hour or so, 
adjust sweetness to your preference.
Deliciousness!
Especially when served with Zsa's Ice Cream.

Sunday, May 6, 2012

What's Cooking

We would love to know what you're making with your market purchases - 

Have a great recipe -
Share it with us!

Here's an easy recipe
Chicken Sausage Blue Burger with Lovage

What's Lovage?
These are the leaves of the lovage plant - 
looks a lot like celery leaves -
and tastes similar to that as well.
Burkholder's Organics had some beautiful bunches at market this week.
 These are the stems of the lovage plant
They're not necessarily for eating - 
 But they're perfect for drinking - 
They're hollow and make a great straw -
a natural in a bloody Mary!
 These burgers feature Birchrun Hills Blue Cheese.
 The recipe is simple:
Combine a pound of Lindenhof chicken sausage with 
a cup of chopped lovage leaves and 2 minced cloves of garlic.
Place a one inch cube of Blue cheese into the center of the burger, 
forming the burger around the cheese; and . . . 
grill!
 Yum!
A tasty chicken sausage bleu burger with lovage - 
top with some Chile Spot Chipotle Finishing Sauce if you like it spicy.
Serve with a salad - Livengood's endive and spinach with Blueberry Hill's radishes
 In the center - melting Blue cheese deliciousness!
The flavor of the lovage adds a fresh new dimension to the burger.

 Earlier today we cheered on these Shellbark Hollow goats 
in the Sly Fox Brewery Goat Races. 
What fun! Thousands were in the crowd.
Sadly, today was not their day -
 Peggy, the 3-legged goat was the winner.
Congratulations Peggy!