The Farmplate Blog

The FarmPlate Young Farmers Series: Jeremy Gildrien From Gildrien Farm
Jeff Gangemi Aug 29, 2012 Young Farmers 0 comments
NAME: Jeremy Gildrien FARM: Gildrien Farm AGE: 34 Can you provide some brief background information about your farm? In your opinion, what makes it special or unique? I believe in quality over quantity, so my farm is small - just a few acres - and I focus on producing the highest-quality food that I can. I also try to push the boundaries of what we can grow here in Vermont without resorting to lots of fossil fuel - for instance, we have a solar-heated bed in the greenhouse where we grow ginger. Fresh baby ginger is a real treat! Why do you believe farming is important, particularly for the younger generation, and why did you decide to become a farmer?  I'm a farmer because I love food...
Worthy Burger Brings Burgers, Condiments Straight from Farm to Table
Jeff Gangemi Aug 28, 2012 Restaurant Beat 0 comments
On August 25 (last Saturday), Jason Merrill, Dave Brodrick and Kurt Lessard opened the Worthy Burger, a farm-to-table burger bar inside an 1800s railroad-freight house in South Royalton, Vermont.  Merrill is a former chef at the Hanover Inn and the Quechee Club, and along with Brodrick and Lessard, is partners in a venture called Lakeside Hospitality Group. They’ve also invested in Waterbury’s Prohibition Pig (in the space formerly occupied by The Alchemist), as well as a small catering business. The space seats 71 people, 25 of which are on a charming outdoor patio next door to Patrick Dakin’s Freight House Brewery, which is also opening soon. Freight House brews will be served...
Pistachio Pesto
FarmPlate Aug 26, 2012 Recipes 0 comments
from the FarmPlate Kitchen Our hot summer days have made the flavor of local basil a bit assertive. Soaking the leaves in ice-cold water for about 20 minutes will sweeten them right up. Ingredients:2 big handfuls of fresh-picked basil, stemmed and soaked in cold water1 cup (4 ounces) unsalted pistachio kernels 4 to 6 cloves garlic, peeled A pinch of grated lemon zest About 1 cup good olive oil (save your best extra-virgin for the salad!) 2 cups grated Parmesan and/or other hard salty cheese Salt and black pepper to taste Shake the water off the basil leaves as best you can. Put them in the bowl of a food processor. Add the pistachios, garlic and lemon zest. Pulse a few times to chop. With...
Tender Greens Uses Close Farmer Relationship To Offer Affordable Farm-to-Table Fare
Jeff Gangemi Aug 22, 2012 Restaurant Beat 0 comments
When Erik Oberholtzer opened Tender Greens in Culver City, California six years ago, the daily food and fashion e-newsletter Daily Candy promoted the opening among its audience of foodies.  Oberholtzer and business partner and fellow chef Matt Lyman had expected a good opening day, but they were overwhelmed by the response! “We had a line out the door a half hour before we opened. We had to close early 'cause we ran out of food,” Oberholtzer says.  “Those lines from the first day just never left – they just grew and grew and grew,” says Oberholtzer, who was executive chef at Shutters on the Beach in Santa Monica before starting Tender Greens. The farm-to-fork restaurant,...
Rotini with Slow-Roasted Tomatoes, Spinach & Feta
FarmPlate Aug 19, 2012 Recipes 0 comments
from the FarmPlate Kitchen Ingredients:1 pound rotini or other sturdy pasta shape2 tablespoons chopped unsalted pistachios 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 scallions, thinly sliced12 ounces baby spinach leaves About 1 cup slow-roasted cherry tomatoes Salt and black pepper 4 ounces feta, crumbledA handful of Italian parsley leaves, chopped Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water. While the pasta is cooking, heat a skillet over medium heat. Toast the pistachios in the hot dry skillet for a minute or two—no longer. Remove from the pan. Heat the oil in the skillet and cook the scallions until soft, about two minutes. Add the spinach and cook just to wilt. Add the tomatoes and...