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Tuesday, May 31, 2016
Farmers Market Kitchen Farmers Market Kitchen: Beer-Marinated Chicken of the Woods
Posted
By Hannah Palmer Egan
on Tue, May 31, 2016 at 3:22 PM
After a cool spring, summer mushroom season is finally here. I've been too busy to hit the trail myself, but if my Instagram feed is any indication, it's been a bumper year for morels. Last weekend, a friend of mine stopped at his usual morel spot on his way home. It was devoid of morels, but he did find a huge cluster of chicken of the woods, and grabbed enough to share. Lucky me!
Last night, I bathed the fungi (along with some oyster mushrooms my mom brought over) in a slap-dash marinade for 15 minutes, then passed them off to the grill man, who charred them briefly for a sumptuous supper side.
My marinade was simple — a splash of olive oil, a bigger splash of beer (I was drinking an IPA from Harpoon Brewery, but anything with some flavor — white wine, rosé or cider — would work), and a little salt and garlic. Also, this would work with other types of mushrooms, so you could use a portobello or even some big button mushrooms, if you're not into or can't get the wild stuff.
Last night, I bathed the fungi (along with some oyster mushrooms my mom brought over) in a slap-dash marinade for 15 minutes, then passed them off to the grill man, who charred them briefly for a sumptuous supper side.
My marinade was simple — a splash of olive oil, a bigger splash of beer (I was drinking an IPA from Harpoon Brewery, but anything with some flavor — white wine, rosé or cider — would work), and a little salt and garlic. Also, this would work with other types of mushrooms, so you could use a portobello or even some big button mushrooms, if you're not into or can't get the wild stuff.
Cooking An Iraqi Lunch, and a Farewell
Posted
By Kymelya Sari
on Tue, May 31, 2016 at 12:30 PM
Recently, I was invited to have lunch with Suaad Alsammraee and her friends at the Courtyard Retirement Home in Winooski. I got to know the 65-year-old Iraqi at a financial literacy class organized by the Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity. Alsammraee wanted to have one last get-together in Vermont because she and her husband were moving to Oregon to be closer to their daughter. The couple resettled in the Green Mountain State in November 2013, but most of their children live in Europe.
When I arrived at 10 a.m, Alsammraee's kitchen was already in full swing. She divided tasks between Ahlam Al Attar andHouda Musanovic and supervised them. I later found out that Alsammraee, or Sursur , as her grandchildren call her, had prepared the dishes days in advance. Among them were trays of kofta, or minced lamb meat, and borek, a thin, flaky dough with meat filling and peas, were ready to be baked.
When I arrived at 10 a.m, Alsammraee's kitchen was already in full swing. She divided tasks between Ahlam Al Attar and
Tuesday, May 24, 2016
Farmers Market Kitchen Farmers Market Kitchen: Dandelion Pesto
Posted
By Hannah Palmer Egan
on Tue, May 24, 2016 at 1:53 PM
After high school, I took a year off before heading to college. I spent most of that time screwing around in the Northeast Kingdom and working for the Appalachian Mountain Club, deep in the White Mountains. But in spring 2002, I flew to Europe. I traveled and worked on farms, mostly in Italy.
There, life on the road — and, of course, the old Italian farmers and WWOOF-er weirdos I lived with — taught 18-year-old me a few things about eating and cooking.
First: The best meals often consist of sturdy bread, handmade cheese and charcuterie or fresh pesto. Second: When cooking, most dishes require just a couple quality ingredients — and a bit of salt. Combine them with care and don't fuss about it too much!
In the spirit of all that, here's an ultra-simple, eat-the-weeds dandelion pesto, made with a little Bayley-Hazen blue cheese from Jasper Hill Farm, which I grabbed at Hand Crafters Hub on my way home from Hill Farmstead Brewery last week.
There, life on the road — and, of course, the old Italian farmers and WWOOF-er weirdos I lived with — taught 18-year-old me a few things about eating and cooking.
First: The best meals often consist of sturdy bread, handmade cheese and charcuterie or fresh pesto. Second: When cooking, most dishes require just a couple quality ingredients — and a bit of salt. Combine them with care and don't fuss about it too much!
In the spirit of all that, here's an ultra-simple, eat-the-weeds dandelion pesto, made with a little Bayley-Hazen blue cheese from Jasper Hill Farm, which I grabbed at Hand Crafters Hub on my way home from Hill Farmstead Brewery last week.
Tuesday, May 17, 2016
Farmers Market Kitchen Farmers Market Kitchen: Rhubarb Spritz
Posted
By Hannah Palmer Egan
on Tue, May 17, 2016 at 2:48 PM
I don't often feature recipes that require special equipment, but I recently acquired a juicer. I'd given it to my mom for Christmas, but she gave it back — she's perfectly happy with her smoothie bullet, thank you very much.
And last weekend, I picked up some beautiful rhubarb and greenhouse cucumbers at 4 Corners Farm in Newbury. I had grand plans of making tiny rhubarb galettes, which I'd eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner for the rest of the week. Tart rhubarb pie is one of my most highly anticipated spring joys.
But the motivation to make pie crust eluded me. Plus, this shiny new machine was staring me down from inside its box on the kitchen floor.
So I juiced the rhubarb with a cucumber, which made enough juice for two or three cocktails. A pour of Honeycrisp ice cider from Champlain Orchards sweetened the deal, while a shot of barrel-aged gin from Stonecutter Spirits (which nabbed a double-gold medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in April) gave it a boozy kick.
The gin's herby botanicals add an extra layer of fab to this drink, but really, any well-made gin (perhaps Caledonia Spirits' just-released Tom Cat gin, aged in Vermont-oak barrels) or whatever you've got in your cabinet will do.
And, please, take this drink outside — it's basically spring in a glass.
Ingredients:
5-6 stalks rhubarb
1 small cucumber
2 ounces ice cider
2 ounces gin
1-2 teaspoons maple syrup
Splash club soda
Splash Bonal Gentiane Quina
1-2 drops Citrus bitters
Preparation:
Juice the produce first and allow to settle. Pour ice cider, gin and maple syrup into a large glass and stir thoroughly. Fill glass with ice, stir again, and add juice until the liquid is about 1 inch from the top. Agitate with a spoon to mix the juice and booze slightly, then top off with club soda. Float Bonal on top and spritz with bitters. Garnish with fresh flowers or herbs or orange peel.
And last weekend, I picked up some beautiful rhubarb and greenhouse cucumbers at 4 Corners Farm in Newbury. I had grand plans of making tiny rhubarb galettes, which I'd eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner for the rest of the week. Tart rhubarb pie is one of my most highly anticipated spring joys.
But the motivation to make pie crust eluded me. Plus, this shiny new machine was staring me down from inside its box on the kitchen floor.
So I juiced the rhubarb with a cucumber, which made enough juice for two or three cocktails. A pour of Honeycrisp ice cider from Champlain Orchards sweetened the deal, while a shot of barrel-aged gin from Stonecutter Spirits (which nabbed a double-gold medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in April) gave it a boozy kick.
The gin's herby botanicals add an extra layer of fab to this drink, but really, any well-made gin (perhaps Caledonia Spirits' just-released Tom Cat gin, aged in Vermont-oak barrels) or whatever you've got in your cabinet will do.
And, please, take this drink outside — it's basically spring in a glass.
Ingredients:
5-6 stalks rhubarb
1 small cucumber
2 ounces ice cider
2 ounces gin
1-2 teaspoons maple syrup
Splash club soda
Splash Bonal Gentiane Quina
1-2 drops Citrus bitters
Preparation:
Juice the produce first and allow to settle. Pour ice cider, gin and maple syrup into a large glass and stir thoroughly. Fill glass with ice, stir again, and add juice until the liquid is about 1 inch from the top. Agitate with a spoon to mix the juice and booze slightly, then top off with club soda. Float Bonal on top and spritz with bitters. Garnish with fresh flowers or herbs or orange peel.
Tuesday, May 10, 2016
Coffee/Tea Brio Coffeeworks, an Unexpected Enterprise
Posted
By Suzanne Podhaizer
on Tue, May 10, 2016 at 4:54 PM
Several years before they left Washington, D.C., Magda and Nate Van Dusen decided to explore the possibility of coffee entrepreneurship. They were in the process of planning a move to Vermont — Nate grew up here, and the landscape reminds Magda of her native Poland — and they wanted to bring their skills working in international development to bear in a new business venture.
They settled on buying and roasting small batches of specialty coffee, which draws on both parties’ prior work experience. “The idea just percolated up,” says Magda. Followed by a facepalm and a groan at her pun.
The couple founded Brio Coffeeworks in Burlington in 2014. The business is primarily a wholesale roastery, sourcing beans from small farms and selling mainly to cafés, restaurants, specialty markets and co-ops. At any given time, Brio has 10 to 20 varieties for sale.
They settled on buying and roasting small batches of specialty coffee, which draws on both parties’ prior work experience. “The idea just percolated up,” says Magda. Followed by a facepalm and a groan at her pun.
The couple founded Brio Coffeeworks in Burlington in 2014. The business is primarily a wholesale roastery, sourcing beans from small farms and selling mainly to cafés, restaurants, specialty markets and co-ops. At any given time, Brio has 10 to 20 varieties for sale.
Farmers Market Kitchen Farmers Market Kitchen: Shoots 'n' Ranch
Posted
By Hannah Palmer Egan
on Tue, May 10, 2016 at 4:33 PM
Did you know you can eat Solomon's seal? I didn't, until last weekend, when I was thumbing through a book on wild edibles. In early spring, it read, the plant's tender young shoots can be collected just before the leaves unfurl and prepared in much the same way as asparagus. In fact, this woodland plant — and common garden perennial — is part of the asparagus family.
Tuesday, May 3, 2016
Sugar High Sugar High! Meet Hen of the Wood's Pastry Chef
Posted
By Melissa Haskin
on Tue, May 3, 2016 at 3:22 PM
I can recall all of the times I’ve had cornflakes in my dessert: once, last week at Hen of the Wood in Burlington.
The dessert was a brown-butter cake with peanut butter ice cream and apple granita, all topped with slightly crumbled cornflakes. It hit just about every taste and texture possible. The cake was light, the peanut butter ice cream salty and a bit rich; the apple added a bit of pucker, and the cornflakes gave it crunch. The dish was equal parts delightful, complicated and playful.
We ordered two of them.
Farmers Market Kitchen Farmers Market Kitchen: Roasted Dilly Potatoes
Posted
By Hannah Palmer Egan
on Tue, May 3, 2016 at 1:48 PM
I rather enjoy early spring cooking. Lacking the gorgeous garden-market proliferation of midsummer through fall, May isn't a time for sexy, glamour-bomb food. But, after a winter of tubers, meats and cheeses, warmer days provide welcome variety as soon as the first herbs are ready to harvest. Which, in a greenhouse-driven market, is right about now. And there are plenty of cold-weather roots still kicking around.
I love eating golden-crisp potatoes, roasted in a hot oven with plenty of space around each one, year-round. Today, I tossed some with a touch of Karim Farm & Creamery's hard Vertalia cheese, fresh dill and a few ramps I picked a couple weeks ago. I also threw in the last bit of my first-ever guanciale, now more than a year old...
Also, these little pommes are easily flexitarian. Vegetarian? Vegan? Hold the meat and cheese and swap olive oil for butter — it's a fine dish even without the animal fats. And it makes fab leftovers. Just pop it in a warm oven to reheat, and you're halfway to a proper dinner.
I love eating golden-crisp potatoes, roasted in a hot oven with plenty of space around each one, year-round. Today, I tossed some with a touch of Karim Farm & Creamery's hard Vertalia cheese, fresh dill and a few ramps I picked a couple weeks ago. I also threw in the last bit of my first-ever guanciale, now more than a year old...
Also, these little pommes are easily flexitarian. Vegetarian? Vegan? Hold the meat and cheese and swap olive oil for butter — it's a fine dish even without the animal fats. And it makes fab leftovers. Just pop it in a warm oven to reheat, and you're halfway to a proper dinner.
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