Experience?

This bumpy, moldy button of a goat cheese is from Consider Bardwell farms. It's an aged version of the longtime favorite, Mettowee, a lemony and dense fresh goat.

I believe the mold rinded version is called Experience, but it's brand new (irony!) and they don't have labels printed yet, so I'm not perfectly sure I have the name right. The cheese is excellent, though, even denser than its younger cousin. Silky and delicious with a Brooklyn Oenology Viognier. Perfect summer night. Read more...

Red Amaranth

I got these great big beautiful red "greens" on Sunday at the Carroll Gardens farmers market, which was exciting because I have only had amaranth as a grain, and have never tried the leaves. They are not for eating raw. Very bitter and puckery. I was told to treat it like spinach, but I was a little scared off by how intense the raw flavor was.

So I treated it to a nice bath of heavy cream (actually half and half from Milk Thistle) a sprinkle of salt, a pinch of nutmeg, and I baked it like a gratin for about half an hour at 375.

It was delicious. Super delicious. Its nutty, earthy flavors made it a lot more complex than spinach would have been. Besides, I doubt spinach would have held up to such long baking. The amaranth was still sturdy, not overly wilted or limp at all. I detected some artichoke flavors in there, too, and I think next time I cook amaranth leaves, I'll use less animal fat, so that the flavors of the amaranth can really shine. My nervousness was unfounded, and these red/greens are a delight.
Read more...

Wild hearts...of palm

Forgive the dorky pun, but my heart really did race a bit when I first saw these.

Something I didn't even know could grow in the northeast, let alone grow wild: hearts of palm. I spied these beauties at Berried Treasures and snatched them up.

They're not the same as the canned variety. Less creamy, more fibrous. Franca, one of the Berried Treasures farmers, told me that chefs around town are slicing them very thin and serving them raw on salads.

In fact, she sliced a sliver off of for me to taste before buying, and I loved it. Crisp, a little salty, a little artichoke-y.

At home, I actually boiled these for about 15 min in salted water, then gobbled them down. They were sweeter cooked and had an even stronger artichoke taste. I used the boiling liquid as a soup base for some sliced crimini mushrooms and a handful of spinach. Light and richly flavored, it was divine. Read more...

David Kessler on Colbert Report

It's always exciting (to me!) when a new book about food makes the best seller list. David Kessler talks about The End of Overeating, which calls out large food corporations for making intoxicatingly sugary, fatty food.

Here he is on the TeeVee:

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
David Kessler
colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Keyboard Cat

Read more...

Summer Squash Antipasto

I had been calling this vinegary, red oniony squash "summer squash with red onions," all day on Monday, then telling people to serve it as a summer antipasto. Then someone asked me three times in a row what he was eating. "Summer Squash with Red Onions, summersquashwithredonions, squashwithonions, Squash Antipasto!" Yeah, the last one sounds much better, he told me.

So, marketing advice, taken.

Enjoy this antipasto with cold cured meats, olives, hard sheep cheeses, and the old workhorse, prosciutto with melon. Tear off a hunk of a baquette and call it summertime dinner.

The entire text from Monday's demo is in the post below. Read more...

Greenmarket Recipe: Squash Antipasto

Summer squash season in New York lasts from spring straight through the end summer, and a cold or room temperature recipe is perfect in the height of summer’s heat. Choose a squash that is firm, resists slight pressure when pressed with your thumb, and is smooth, without a lot of dents and bruising from rough handling.

The recipe below combines fresh herbs, spicy red pepper flakes, and a healthy splash of vinegar for a cold or room temperature antipasto preparation. Prepared this way, the squash can be held up to a day before serving. Serve with other light summer antipasto items such as sliced melon, octopus salad, or olives.

Summer Squash Antipasto

1 yellow squash
1 green squash, zucchini, or ‘avocado squash’
1 T sherry vinegar
1 small red onion, sliced very thin
1 t crushed red pepper flakes
2 T flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 T tarragon, chopped
1 T basil, chopped
salt to taste

1. Combine vinegar, red onion, and parsley. Reserve basil and tarragon.

2. Cut squash into half inch cubes and place in steamer. Steam until tender but not mushy, about three minutes.

3. Toss hot squash with vinegar combination and allow the flavors to blend while the squash comes to room temperature, about 15 minutes.

4. When squash is cool, add chopped tarragon and basil. For cold antipasto, chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. Salt to taste and serve. Serves four to six as an appetizer. Read more...