Beet It

Beets and Corn have arrived at the Farmer's Market!

Look for organic beets that are grown in chemical-free soil. Eat the beet greens. Sauté them with olive oil or olive oil and garlic. Add them to things. My colleague, Andrea, told me that she chops them fine, drizzle lemon juice vinaigrette on them and adds them to salad .. yum!

I bake my beets en papillote (in America, that's in  heavy duty Reynold's Wrap). Coat (spray!) each beet lightly with some extra virgin olive oil and then, roll them in herbs, fresh or dried. I used fresh tarragon from the garden, freshly ground black pepper and kosher salt. Make a little package of each beet:

and bake them, on a cookie sheet for about an hour at 325º F. Beets are done when you can insert a sharp knife and it feels soft enough to slice.

Cool the beets and slice them and serve warm or at room temperature.

Or dice them and toss them with some freshly boiled or grilled corn and plenty of freshly chopped herbs and/or parsley. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm, room temperature or chilled.

Food, Inc. and Saturday at the Farmer's Market

Watch the trailer and go see it! Then come back to the Kennedy Plaza Farmer's Market this Saturday, open from 9-1!

Summer Vegetable Soup

Mixed Bouquet from the fields of Osip's Farm

Inspired by today's beauty and bounty at the Long Beach Farmer's Market, I'm sharing this recipe for summer vegetable soup from today's Times. My friend Marsha always has a hankering for soup when the thermometer tips 80º. She grew up on a farm, and she knows about these things.

Hot stuff cools you down (baby).

Be sure to pick up a bunch of fresh flowers from the Osip's. Fresh flowers in your home is a quality of life thing. For a small investment, they make a huge difference - try it.

Hurry to the market before it closes at 6. And stay tuned (sign up for the listserve at the Market Manager's Table) ... maybe, just maybe, the market will go to two days - Wednesdays and SATURDAYS!!!

Just look at all the asterisks in this recipe (*). These are ingredients found all over the market now. Don't miss Dan Madura's new string beans and Yukon Gold and small new red potatoes. Fresh peas at the Osip's ... and tons of herbs everywhere. There's fresh ricotta at Papa Pasquale's and a perfect baguette at Bread Alone. And the wine? I found a GREAT wine for the summer. It's reasonable (around $10), and was given three and a half stars in a wine column months ago in the Times. It drinks like a wine twice its price. Pop's in Island Park carries it: BV Coastal Estates Sauvignon Blanc 2007. Find it. Buy a bottle. Try it. You'll go buy more.

Summer Vegetables in Saffron Broth With Ricotta and Toasted Baguette

Adapted from Christopher Lee, Aureole

Time: 35 minutes

FOR THE VEGETABLES AND BROTH:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

12 whole peeled baby carrots*, preferably with an inch of green tops left on

2 fennel bulbs*, trimmed of green tops, quartered

2 shallots* or 1 sweet onion*, thinly sliced

8 scallions*, roots trimmed, cut into thirds

8 fingerling potatoes*, cut into thirds

1 cup fresh corn kernels*

1 cup white wine

1 large pinch saffron

1 small pinch cayenne pepper

2 bay leaves

3 sprigs fresh thyme*

1 cup haricots verts or green beans*

1 cup fresh* or frozen green peas

1 pint cherry tomatoes*, each halved

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 sprigs tarragon*

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

FOR THE BAGUETTE AND RICOTTA:

4 slices baguette*, 1/2-inch thick

1/4 pound fresh ricotta*.

1. For vegetables and broth: Place a 6-quart saucepan over high heat. When pan is hot, add olive oil, carrots, fennel, shallots or sweet onion, scallions, potatoes and corn. Reduce heat to medium-low. Sauté 2 minutes, then add 4 cups water, wine, saffron, cayenne, bay leaves and thyme.

2. Bring to a simmer and cook until carrots and potatoes are just tender, about 15 minutes. Add haricots verts or green beans, peas, tomatoes, butter and tarragon. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove and discard bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Simmer for another 5 minutes before serving, or remove from heat for up to 20 minutes, then reheat.

3. For baguette and ricotta: Grill or toast baguette slices, then spread each with ricotta.

4. To serve: Divide vegetables and broth equally among 4 bowls. Garnish each with a slice of baguette and ricotta.

Yield: 4 servings.

peace and love, jane

A Kiss to Build a Dream Upon and Blueberry Hill

Satchmo inspires you to fire it all up - both you and your oven. It's blueberry season! S'all.
peace and love, jane

Blueberry Muffins Ritz-Carlton-Heron

July = Local Blueberries

If you don't like muffins, skip this one and hang on for wild mushroom ragout (with chocolate!). But if you do, get some Cabot 83% unsalted butter.

Published in the NY Times, over 20 years ago, I have made these every July. The batter is primarily a conduit for the plump, fragrant and sweet July blueberries we're so lucky to have here on the east coast. And all together, with feeling, let's shout "Thank you, New Jersey!"

Local berries are showing up at the market and it's time to share this treasure of a recipe with you. Be sure that the berries are dry when you fold them into the batter. Be generous with the sugar on top. If you don't already have one, go out and buy a kitchen scale. Just think, you won't have to wonder how much postage to put on that oversized Rosh Hashanah card this fall! I recently purchased a digital scale by Salter. You can tare the bowl and reset to "zero" to keep measuring in the same bowl. Weighing beats measuring. Everyone measures flour differently, and many pack it in way too tight. Most recipes for the home cook are written in measurement. But I'm going to aim for better recipe writing through weight management. I've included weights for these muffins.

The Ritz-Carlton-Heron Blueberry Muffins

Printed in the NY Times over 20 years ago and adapted by Blue Heron Kitchen

Ingredients:

2 c. or 8 oz. all-purpose flour (if not weighing, sift first) OR, 

Mixture of: 6 oz. all purpose flour and 2 oz. whole wheat pastry flour

1 Tbsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. salt

1/4 c. + 2 Tbsp. or 2.5 oz. sugar

2 eggs + 1 egg yolk, size large, at room temperature

1/4 c. whole milk (organic is better for you) (you can use low fat milk, if that's all you have on hand - I do - or I cheat and add some half and half, whatev)

3/4 tsp. vanilla extract

2.5 oz unsalted butter, melted and cooled (83% European style preferred, but Land-O-Lakes works.)

2 c. or approx. 1- 1 1/2 dry pints blueberries, rinsed and dried

Additional 'raw' sugar for topping

Prep:

Heat oven to 425º F. (you will reduce the temperature to 400º when you put the tin into the oven) 

Grease the top of muffin tins and insert paper cups. Have no cups?: Grease tin with melted butter or spray release.

Procedure:

Mix all dry ingredients together.

In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, milk, vanilla extract and cooled butter. 

Add to dry ingredients, stirring  until just incorporated, taking care to not overmix.

Carefully fold in berries.

Fill muffin cups, just about to the top, with this fairly stiff batter.

Sprinkle tops generously with sugar.

Reduce heat to 400º, then place muffin tins on middle shelf of oven.

Bake about 20 minutes, or until muffins are golden brown.

Remove from tins and cool.

Yield: 12 regular sized muffins

These are best eaten the day they're made. They freeze well and taste great when reheated in an oven (a human oven, not a microwave oven.)

Tomato Pruning

You may want to break out of your cages after viewing this great little movie. Listen to the birds as he teaches you how to grow up, not out (TOMATOES - this isn't Oprah).

Chocolate Truffles

How much can one comment on the rain? I'm jumping ship and diving into chocolate. Wild Mushroom Ragout (with chocolate) forthcoming ... but for now, here is Alice Medrich's perfect and simple truffle recipe. (They'll pair well with the strawberries you're buying at the market.) Always use fine ingredients. If you can find Valhrona (Whole Foods), use it. Scharffen Berger is another fine choice.

Truffles au Cocolat

From bittersweet by Alice Medrich

(This book was awarded IACP book of the year award and offers both sweet

and savories!)

1 lb. bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

10 T butter, in small pieces

2 large egg yolks, at room temperature

½ c. boiling water or freshly brewed espresso

½ c. cocoa powder

1. Line an 8”x8” baking pan with parchment.
2. Melt butter and chocolate together in a double boiler, set aside.
3. Heat egg yolks and boiling water in double boiler, bringing to 160°.
4. Scrape yolk mixture over melted chocolate and stir gently to incorporate.
5. Pour mixture through sieve into prepared pan and spread evenly.
6. Cover and chill until firm, at least 2 hours.

7. Remove truffles with lining to cutting board and allow to soften for 20-30 minutes.
8. Cut truffles into 1” or smaller cubes, or roll into spheres.
9. Toss shaped truffles into cocoa powder.

Never Rub Another Man's Rhubarb

Strawberry Rhubarb Compote is on the stove at Blue Heron Kitchen!
peace and love,
jane

Strawberry Rhubarb Compote

Several vendors at the market are offering strawberries and rhubarb. Red Jacket's Apple Cider Molasses, a sweet and tangy reduction of apple cider (you can read about it in Baked Apples) sweetens my compote. You can used this extraordinary sweetener for applesauce, iced tea, as a glaze for baked apples or chicken; and it's going to take center stage as a pork/ham glaze in the fall. But as the song goes, "summer is a cumin' in" (and my rice paddy is looking fabulous!)

Local strawberries make a brief appearance. Don't miss them. Their taste is more like Valhrona than Russell Stover, the scent more like Annick Goutal than Jean Naté.

After you've had fun following the links, here's a recipe that's very simple and very good to have around. As always, ingredients you can find at the market (open every Wednesday from 10-6) are followed by an asterisk*.

Strawberry Rhubarb Compote

Blue Heron Kitchen

Yield: approx. 4 cups

Ingredients:

1 Qt. strawberries*, hulled and cut in half

4-6 stems thin, firm stalks rhubarb*, cut into ½” pieces

juice of ½ a large, juicy lemon or of a small, less juicy lemon

¼ - ½ cup Apple Cider Molasses* (Red Jacket Orchards), or alternatively, granulated sugar

Procedure:

Place strawberries and rhubarb in a heavy-bottomed, non-reactive (whatever) saucepan, and turn heat to med/high.

Squeeze the lemon juice over the berries and rhubarb, and mix, continue heating until simmering and cook, stirring occasionally, adjusting heat so it doesn’t boil strongly.

After about 15 to 20 minutes, begin to add sweetener and taste, continue to cook until the rhubarb is fully cooked (some of it will retain its shape), tasting and adjusting the sugar again towards the ‘end’ of cooking. Cook for approximately 10 to 15 more minutes.

Remove from heat, cool, cover and refrigerate.

Serving suggestions:

Serve over vanilla ice cream or Greek style yogurt.

Perk up some applesauce with it.

Mix some into cottage or fresh ricotta cheese.

Put a dollop over a slice of cheesecake.

Mix with other berries and fruit and whir some into your favorite smoothie.

Summer Applesauce Red Jacket Orchards, Peonies, Pickles and Last Week's Bounty at the Long Beach Farmer's Market

Fragrant and Elegant Peonies* from Stanley and Pat Osip's farm

The market is beginning to burst, and I have to share some simple recipes and beautiful images from the visit my son and I made to Kennedy Plaza this past Wednesday.  Despite the monsoon-like conditions, Bernadette reported record numbers coming out, and it's no wonder. Our vendors are extraordinary.  Their produce and wares are fantastic, and they're such cool and interesting people to talk with.  If you haven't visited yet, you have to make it your destination this coming Wednesday, open from 10-6, next to the LIRR train station, Long Beach, NY.  If the weather's nice, take the day off and go to the beach. As always, items that are available at the market are following by an asterisk*.

The image at the top of Blue Heron's blog are strawberries from Dan Madura's farm. Strawberries* will be available from several vendors at the market in the coming weeks. Don't miss them. These are sweet, delicate and unsprayed local strawberries.  Once you've tasted them, you'll take one look at those strawberries in the supermarket and say, "yeah, right".  My son and I ate almost an entire quart that night, but what was left over, I threw into my Red Jacket Orchards Summer Sauce. (recipe below).

Dan Madura's mushrooms* are magic (and they're legal)   (I combined Shitake, Hen of the Woods (my fave!) and Pearl Oysters) and sauteed them in some extra virgin olive oil, added some freshly ground pepper, some fleur de sel (the best coarse salt from France) and some freshly chopped parsley* (available at the market ... or in my case, from my garden), and threw them over some fresh whole wheat fettucini* from Papa Pasquale.  

Then, grated some Parmaggiano Reggiano with my Microplane Zester!  

(doesn't this look great?)  

I put together a simple salad of mixed field greens*, also from Dan Madura,

and put out some French Sour Dough* from Bread Alone and, you should excuse the expression, a ball of Papa Pasquale's fresh mozzarella* (for fun).

Strawberries* for dessert.

oh .. I had to buy a quart of amazing pickled tomatoes* from Horman's Best Pickles for my fabulous daughter, Captain Kitchen (see "Mother Blogs").  

Summer Applesauce Red Jacket Orchards

Blue Heron Kitchen

Yield: approx. 5 cups "Summersauce"

Applesauce is one of those always great comfort foods, and this is a summery applesauce that needs no sweetener (and if you must, use Red Jacket's Apple Cider Molasses*, a natural sweetener that's fantastic and can be used as a glaze, used in hot beverages and can be used to sweeten iced tea ("sweet tea") too!)

Red Jacket Orchards comes to the Long Beach Farmers Market every Wednesday.  Their selection of apples is extraordinary, and you can use any combination of apples you like for this applesauce.  Macintosh work well, but I'm partial to Empires.                          

                           

Their Joe's Summer Blend juice is available now.  It's a delicious blend of pure apple juice with a splash of lemon juice.  It's tart and refreshing on its own, but it's a perfect liquid for applesauce. 

Strawberries* turn this into a 'summersauce'. Their season is brief, so grab them while you can.  Several of our vendors carry them.  You'll only need a cup for this recipe.  The house will fill with their unique aroma.  There is no match for local strawberries.  Once you've tried them, you'll be hooked, and you'll count the days until they make their appearance again next June!

Ingredients:

2 1/2 lbs. (approx. 8 medium) Empire (or other variety of your choice) apples*, cored and coarsely chopped, skins on

1 cup Red Jacket Orchards Summer Blend* juice

1 cup local strawberries*, tops removed and sliced in half

Procedure: 

Bring cut up apples to a boil, in a non-reactive (not aluminum) pot over medium/high heat. Reduce heat to medium/low and cover, simmering for about 10 minutes, stirring once or twice. 

Reduce heat to low and cook, with lid slightly off, simmering the apples until they begin to become 'mushy', approximately 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  (The required cooking time will vary, depending upon the liquid content of the apples you're using.)  

Add the cup of strawberries and cover completely.  Cook until the mixture has come together, stirring occasionally, about 10-15 minutes. Taste and add sweetener (I recommend Red Jacket's Apple Cider Molasses) if you feel it requires sweetening.  I feel that this is not at all necessary, but you may prefer sweet applesauce, or the apples you're using may be of a tart variety.

Remove from heat and cool slightly.

Using the medium disc of a food mill, pass the mixture through the mill into a bowl. (Alternative solution if you don't own a food mill:  first peel the apples, then core and chop them.  The end result will differ slightly - especially in color - but you will be able to cook the applesauce and then simple stir vigorously or pass the mixture through a medium strainer.) 

Serve warm, room temperature or refrigerate prior to serving. This keeps well for at least a week in the refrigerator, if you can hold onto it that long.  

Stay tuned for another recipe, using Summersauce as an ingredient in a fabulous cake! 

10 1/2-cup servings