fresh

Farm to Table at Chez Panisse: What’s On Your Plate?
Jeff Gangemi Nov 08, 2011 Fresh 0 comments
Cal Peternell is the café chef at Chez Panisse. He is a 16-year veteran of perhaps the best-known farm-to-table restaurant in the country, which was founded by Alice Waters in 1971. Far from lamenting the growing popularity of the local food movement, Peternell celebrates it. “Luckily, more and more people are doing it,” he said. “We like to remind people that this is the way everyone ate until 100 years ago. Local and seasonal - you didn’t have much of a choice…” Happy to publicize the farms he sources from, Peternell listed them one by one, with the ingredients they buy from each. All except the organic pork, which Chez Panisse sources from Iowa, come from the restaurant’s local region in...
Rhubarb Redux
Susan Stuck Apr 29, 2011 Fresh 0 comments
Yes, Vermonters, there is a hint of spring in the air--and that means homegrown rhubarb can't be far off. One day soon I'll spot a fuchsia knob pushing through the wet ground, the next day the leaves will be up and 10 days later the red stems will stand ready to start harvesting. It certainly makes me happy. Because rhubarb (after sour cherries, gooseberries and possibly golden raspberries) is my absolute favorite fruit. In my kitchen, rhubarb shows up in coffecakes, puddings like the clafoutis below, jams, two-crust pies and open-face tarts, plus a sorbet or two. I’ll even concoct rhubarb Bellinis (made with rhubarb syrup and a bottle of not-too-expensive bubbly) once it’s warm enough to...
Family Farmed & Fresh
Kaitlin Haskins Mar 24, 2011 Fresh 0 comments
For three lively, food-filled days between March 17 and 19, the sixth annual FamilyFarmed EXPO brought together sustainable food movement leaders, good food advocates and others to promote locally grown and responsibly produced food. Presented by FamilyFarmed.org, a Chicago-based organization dedicated to expanding the production, marketing and distribution of good food, the EXPO, held at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), was a combined trade show, conference and food festival celebrating the local food movement. Known as the Midwest’s premier good food event, it featured renowned speakers, networking opportunities, workshops, demonstrations and delicious local food from small...
Pesto - A Rite of Summer
Susan Stuck Aug 12, 2010 Fresh 0 comments
When pesto first showed up on the American foodie scene in the late '70s, everybody started growing basil and making pesto. It became a rite of summer, up there with ballpark hot dogs, campfire s'mores and lemonade stands. Pesto's popularity soon rivaled that of tabbouleh at potluck buffets nationwide. Everyone had the recipe, it was right there on page 80 of the Silver Palate Cookbook. Best of all, pasta with pesto was a great, cheap way to feed a lot of people. True pesto cognoscenti have always made their pesto with pignoli aka pine nuts, not the walnuts suggested by the Rosso/Lukins duo. But the price of a pound of pine nuts has recently rocketed past $23. Ouch. I'd always found walnuts...
Sugarsnap Expands to Tech Park
FarmPlate Jul 23, 2010 Fresh 0 comments
When you pull into the parking lot at 30 Community Drive, the hub of South Burlington's Technology Park, you might have to squint to spot the cheery little sign for the new Sugarsnap restaurant. It's off to the left, sandwiched between TelJet's and Test America's no-nonsense logos. It feels far away from Sugarsnap's friendly home at the edge of the Intervale. But once you step inside, warm aromas from simmering soups and just-baked cookies tell you you're headed to the right place. After six years of serving impeccably fresh, ready-to-eat, mostly local foods from its Riverside Avenue location, Sugarsnap has just expanded into a new commissary kitchen and second retail store in South...
Love That Taste of Buttermilk
FarmPlate Jul 14, 2010 Fresh 0 comments
Do you ever wonder about buttermilk? Most people know that buttermilk is--at least it used to be--the liquid leftover from churning butter. The solid butter got all the fat, leaving the liquid buttermilk nearly fat-free. But what's the story behind buttermilk's sour tang? In the early 1930s, American farmers were literally in the dark. Nine out of ten farms had no electricity. By the time fresh cream arrived at the dairy for processing, it had fermented or soured, giving the buttermilk and the butter a distinctive tang. The Rural Electricity Administration brought power to the countryside and by the time of WWII, nine out of ten American farms were electrified. The cream could be quickly...
Raspberries! Now!
FarmPlate Jul 07, 2010 Fresh 0 comments
It's brutally hot all over the Northeast from now to the weekend. How are area raspberry lovers dealing with the heat? Berry fanatics are simply setting the alarm a little earlier so they can get up and pick a flat or two of perfect, juicy red berries before the sun gets too high in the sky. Luckily there's no rain in the forecast since wet weather wreaks havoc on raspberries, causing an icky white fungus to spread through the thicket. Fresh raspberries are very, very perishable. When picking in hot weather, you need to cool berries as quickly as possible. Drive straight home from the farm: Fragile berries are like pets—you should never leave them in a hot car. Once you're home: • Spread...
Summer Fountain Line-Up
FarmPlate Jun 30, 2010 Fresh 0 comments
Summer's here and everybody's thirsty. We've pulled together our favorite thirst-quenching quaffs to have on hand for the 4th's young parade-goers and seasoned revelers. Pick and choose a couple favorites so you can stock up on the ingredients before the long weekend is here. Strawberryade Pack 1 quart hulled strawberries, 1 cup orange juice, the grated zest and juice of 2 lemons and 2 tablespoons honey or sugar in a blender. Puree until smooth. Pour into a pitcher filled with ice. The Patty Sheehan Mix 2 parts unsweetened green tea (Citrus Blossom from Vermont Artisan Coffee & Teas is ideal) with 1 part lemonade (try Santa Cruz Organic Lemonade). Pour over cracked ice and raise your...
Swiss Chard Stuffed with Spicy-Sweet Rice
FarmPlate Jun 23, 2010 Fresh 0 comments
from the FarmPlate Kitchen Larger chard leaves are good for stuffing like the grape leaves in Greek dolmades. Plan ahead for this recipe—the peas need to soak overnight. 5 tablespoons olive oil 1 medium onion, minced ¾ cup white rice (Texmati or basmati) 1½ cups water 1 teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon cinnamon A big pinch ground cardamom (optional) ¼ cup yellow split peas or chana dal (split chickpeas), soaked overnight in water About 20 stalks of white Swiss chard with large leaves 1/3 cup dried currants ¼ cup chopped fresh mint ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley Freshly ground black pepper Juice of 1 lemon Greek yogurt for serving Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a saucepan. Add the onions and cook...
Strawberries 'n' Cream Mousse
FarmPlate Jun 16, 2010 Fresh 0 comments
from the FarmPlate Kitchen 2 pints (about 1 pound) just-picked strawberries, rinsed and hulled About 2/3 cup confectioners' sugar 1 to 2 teaspoons lemon-flavored vodka 1 pint (2 cups) Butterworks Farm heavy cream ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract Slice 1 pint of strawberries and place in the bottom of a clear glass dessert bowl or divide among 6 individual parfait glasses. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup of the confectioners' sugar and a teaspoon or two of vodka. From the remaining pint of berries, set aside a few small ones to garnish the dessert. Process the rest of the strawberries with 1¼ cups of the heavy cream. Add 2 to 4 tablespoons confectioners' sugar, depending on the sweetness of the...
Strawberry Delights
FarmPlate Jun 16, 2010 Fresh 0 comments
The sun popped out yesterday and today you can almost hear the strawberries ripening in their rows. June is strawberry season all over New England, and nothing quite says summer like a basketful of sweet strawberries you've picked yourself. The promise of juicy strawberries is a great way to entice friends and family away from the house and into the countryside. You-Pick strawberry patches can be found throughout the region and it looks like we'll have ideal picking weather now through Father's Day. Obviously you want to get the most out of your picking efforts, so here are some tips to keep in mind: • Select strawberries that are bright red all over. Leave the berries that are still green...
Small Size, Big Flavor
FarmPlate Jun 09, 2010 Fresh 0 comments
You can bike, walk or even ride your skateboard to your local farmers' market this weekend. There's no need to bring the truck--local vegetables are so tiny right now they'll all fit into one handy basket. Check out Half Pint Farm at Vermont's Burlington Farmer's Market this Saturday and you'll see that their carrots are small enough to slide into your back pocket. The turnips are no bigger than ping-pong balls. Their radishes are the size of shooter marbles. But what these babies lack in size they more than make up for in utter sweetness. If you don't gobble up these vegetable gems within the first hour of coming home, consider roasting them for an easy side dish alongside roast chicken or...
School Lunch - A Learning Experience
FarmPlate Jun 04, 2010 Fresh 0 comments
When pizza is on the menu at the Burr and Burton Academy, the lunch cooks don't just reach for a couple of #10 cans of prepared pizza sauce. No way. The red sauce at B and B is house-made with slow-cooked onions and plenty of fresh herbs and garlic. Even though this is a high-volume high school cafeteria, chef/manager Charlie Robbins and his student assistants would never think of cutting corners. For 17 years, Chef Robbins has been making sure that students and staff at this Manchester, Vermont, school can enjoy real food at lunchtime. "We keep processed foods to a minimum here," says Robbins. "The soups are made from scratch: carrot/ginger bisque and Southwest chicken tortilla are two...
Healthy Food Awareness Continues to Hit Mainstream Media
FarmPlate Mar 30, 2010 Fresh 0 comments
Naked Chef Jamie Oliver's new prime-time reality show Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution premiered on ABC last week to high ratings. The show chronicles Oliver's attempt to revamp eating habits in Huntington, West Virginia, a community that is one of the most statistically unhealthy in the U.S. Oliver is a Food Network chef, healthy food advocate and TED prize winner. In the first two episodes, he tackles the Huntington cafeteria lunch menu, quizzes elementary students on their knowledge of vegetable basics and attempts to break one family of their reliance on deep-fried foods by introducing healthy recipes. [caption id="attachment_2962" align="alignleft" width="279" caption="Jamie Oliver,...
Beet & Carrot Slaw with Celeriac Sauce
FarmPlate Mar 26, 2010 Fresh 0 comments
from Jozef Eller, Senior at Harwood Union High School Slaw 1 medium beet, peeled and shredded ½ large carrot, peeled and shredded ½ small red onion, peeled finely chopped Juice of 2 limes Salt and ground black pepper to taste Sauce 1 medium bulb celeriac, peeled and finely diced 1 cup vegetable oil 2 tablespoons honey 1 cup buttermilk Salt to taste Minced fresh cilantro or thyme for garnish Combine the beets, carrots, onions and lime juice in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste and let stand for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, bring a small pot of salted water to a boil. Add the celeriac and cook until very soft, 5 to 10 minutes. Drain, puree the celeriac then return to the pot....