Rhubarb Ginger Compote

We've discussed how much I adore farmers markets right?  I think we have.

Not only do I like farmers markets for the very obvious reasons (fresh food, real farms, real people...you know) I also adore going to them because I love talking to the farmers.  These people are passionate about what they do and they love food just as much as I do.  I mean yesterday I had a pretty intense conversation with a cheese and fudge maker about her goats...when does that ever happen inside of a supermarket?  It doesn't.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not being spiteful towards supermarkets here.  They're convenient.  And I go all the time.  I'm just saying...I would rather go to the farmers market.  But who wouldn't?

Yesterday as I roamed through the various tents I was mapping out the desserts I would make in my head.  As I picked up the strawberries and rhubarb my first thought was pie.  Or tarts.  Either way, pretty basic.  Delicious however.  When I got home I realized something disastrous.  I didn't have butter.  What cook/baker doesn't have butter in their refrigerator?  Talk about a derailment of plans.  After that little mishap I obviously had to go in a different direction.  I started looking around the kitchen...grabbed some fresh ginger...grabbed the vanilla beans...and went to work on this...

rhubarb ginger compote...  

with vanilla bean and honey

Makes: Approximately 1 cup + syrup   Prep Time: 3 minutes   Cook Time: 5-7 minutes   Total Time: 10 minutes

{Printable Recipe}

Ingredients:
1 lb rhubarb
2 teaspoons fresh ginger
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
1 vanilla bean
optional (for sweetness): honey

Step one: Go to your local farmers market...

And pick up some yummy goods.  I ended up with sour cherries, strawberries, rhubarb, cucumbers, delicious cheese and...

These purdy flowers.  I'm not even a flower loving type girl.  But these are lovely.

Step two: Gather your ingredients.

Step three: Cut the rhubarb into 1/2 inch chunks.

Step four: Grate or mince 2 teaspoons (approximately) of fresh ginger.

Step five: Combine ginger and rhubarb in a medium saucepan.

Step six: Add water and bring to a boil.  Once a boil has been reached, add sugar and the guts of one vanilla bean.

Step seven: Let the mixture cook over medium heat for 5-7 minutes until it thickens and is somewhat "stringy".  This is where the "optional" honey comes in.  I did a little taste test (which you should too) decided it was a bit too tart and added a squirt of honey.  Maple syrup would also be yummy.  After taste testing remove from heat and put mixture through a fine mesh strainer to separate the compote from the syrup.  Keep the syrup for future projects...such as a yummy cocktail...recipe coming soon...

Step eight: Put compote in a cute little mason jar.

Step nine: And the syrup in another cute little container.

Step ten: Decide what you want to put this delicious stuff on.  I happened to have some homemade biscuits leftover from breakfast but it would also be good on....scones, toast, olive oil cake, oatmeal, yogurt, ice cream....

Step eleven: Spread compote all over chosen object.

Step twelve: Are "steps" still necessary?

Step whatever: Eat.  Enjoy.  Check back soon for a cocktail recipe for the syrup!

Guest Post from Lauren -- Local Food from Vermont

The timing of this post couldn't be any more perfect.  Lauren put together this wonderful post about local food in Vermont with some delicious looking recipes for me to share with you today...and guess what I'm doing today?  Exploring local food in Vermont.  I didn't even plan this.  Lauren is a girl after my own heart with her love for the local food movement and serious passion for good food.  I hope you enjoy this post as much as I did and hopefully I'll get to do a follow up to tell you about my local food adventures in Vermont today!  (And until then...you can check out this post about some time I spent in Vermont last year!)

If there is one thing you should know about me, it’s that I am a self-professed foodie.  I am a Food Network junkie and have the channel on continuously when hanging around the house. I love to try local food stops in any city I’m in and I am a collector of cookbooks. You get it, right? I love food.

But when Emilie asked me to do a guest post for her blog, I was a bit freaked out….okay A LOT freaked out. What on earth could I contribute to her already amazing and adorable food blog?!  Scouring my piles of cookbooks and Food Network magazines, I realized that an upcoming trip to Vermont would be the perfect post! Turns out, I was right…

My first trip to Vermont happened to be a very successful one. Our plan was to hike and eat all of the cheese and maple syrup available and boy, did we have a blast doing so! Turns out, Vermont is home to two of my interests  - Food and Sustainability! I’ve always been a fan of eating locally and organic but Vermont took the Locavore movement to the next level! If you’ve never heard of the Local Food Movement, it is a “collaborative effort to build food economies based on local and sustainable food production, processing, distribution, and consumption”. Besides the obvious maple syrup and cheese, the Vermont food movement is centered on just this - providing local, organic, and sustainably grown food! I love eating fresh, local food; there’s just something about knowing where your food came from and that it’s free of horrible, toxic pesticides. Sometimes I even imagine I can taste the sunshine and earth where the fresh food was grown. Now that is what I call food love.

Check out some pictures from our trip below and a couple recipes inspired by my amazing Vermont weekend!

One of my favorite stops was at the Stowe Farmer’s Market! Nestled at the bottom of Mt. Mansfield, it was hard not to be overwhelmed with the beautiful view and the amazing vendors at this small town market. Some of the things I picked up during my visit were a bag of leafy greens, small loaf of country bread from Elmore Mountain Bread, and some amazing Chevre goat cheese from Sage Farm Goat Dairy.  We also got to try our very  first maple soda! We were hooked after the first sip, it’s so refreshing!

Maple Soda

1. Fill glass with Ice

2. Fill glass about ¾ full with soda water

3. Add pure maple syrup, to taste (I added about 1 shot glass full)

4. Stir and enjoy!

*The key is to use a good quality, pure maple syrup.

For a fun twist, add fresh ginger for a Maple Ginger Soda!

 

I immediately knew I wanted to make a Maple-Dijon vinaigrette with the Habanero Maple Syrup I picked up from Moosewood Hollow. Anyone that knows me, knows I die for spicy everything and this hot maple syrup was just weird and delicious enough for us to buy TWO bottles of it!  If you get a chance, try some spicy maple syrup for a new twist on the breakfast staple!  

Maple-Dijon Vinaigrette

·       1 small shallot (or half of a large) finely chopped

·       1 garlic clove, finely chopped

·       1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

·       2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (or Red Wine Vinegar)

·       1 tablespoon olive oil

·       ¼ cup maple syrup

Combine first five ingredients and mix to incorporate. Whisk in olive oil until emulsified.  Enjoy on some leafy greens!

I topped my salad with some walnuts and chunks of the fresh goat cheese I acquired at the farmer’s market. Every ingredient (except the walnuts) on my salad was from Vermont! I’ve had this salad for almost every meal since I got back from Vermont, I’m obsessed!

Another favorite stop of ours was in Burlington, Vermont. We stopped by the Magic Hat Brewery for a tour and taste of the local craft beer. After, we had dinner at the highly recommended American Flatbread Co. for more local beer and the most delicious flatbreads I have ever tasted! We couldn’t decide on which flatbread to get so we ordered two – the New Vermont Sausage (Farm fresh, nitrate-free, maple fennel pork sausage; sundried tomatoes; caramelized onions; mushrooms; cheeses and herbs) and the Punctuated Equilibrium (kalamata olives; oven roasted sweet red peppers; handmade Vermont goat cheese; fresh rosemary; red onions; cheese and herbs). Sound amazing, don’t they?!

Inspired by our delectable flatbread experience in Vermont, we were eager to make our own homemade flatbreads at home! Flatbreads are easy to make and can be customized to anyone’s tastes! While I made my own flatbread dough, you can buy pizza dough from the store – but believe me, flatbread tastes so much better with fresh, handmade dough! I threw ours on the charcoal grill for a smokey, charred taste but this recipe can also be done inside!

Homemade Flatbreads

Recipe adapted from The Food Network

 

·       1 1/2 cups warm water (105 to 110 degrees F)

·       Ingredients

·       1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast

·       4 cups all-purpose flour

·       1 teaspoon salt

·       2 tablespoons olive or canola oil, plus more for bowl

1. Mix water and yeast in a large bowl and let stand 5 minutes to proof. Gradually pour in 2 cups of the flour and stir to incorporate. Mix for about 1 minute to form a sponge. Let stand, covered, for at least 1 hour.

2. Put sponge in the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the dough hook, add the salt and oil, then add the flour, 1/2 cup at a time, to form a dough. Remove from bowl and knead. Place in a clean oiled bowl and let rise, slowly, about 2 1/2 hours. Divide dough into 4 balls, let rise again for 1/2 hour, and then roll out as desired.

3. If cooking outside: Oil one side of the flatbread and place on hot grill until golden brown. Turn the flatbread over and add whatever toppings you want!

4. If cooking inside: Heat oven to 450 degrees. Sprinkle a pizza stone with cornmeal and prick flatbread dough with a fork. Cook for 18-20 minutes, or until the dough is golden brown. Add toppings and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until cheeses have melted.

We made two flatbreads, based on our tastes and what ingredients we already had at home, and enjoyed them with an ice cold Magic Hat beer! YUM!

 

We are definitely already missing Vermont but will continue trying to embrace the local food movement here in Boston! I urge you to look up farmer’s markets in your area and cook as much seasonal, local, and organic food as you can! What are some of your favorite local food recipes?

Kale and Lentil Salad with Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

I really love salads.

 

Did you know that?

If we've ever eaten together...you know that.  

But strangely I almost never post salads on here.  I'm not entirely sure why.  Maybe because salads aren't always "recipe" worthy?  They always end up being a big pile of whatever sounds good/is in my refrigerator.  Which isn't a bad thing but I'm vowing, here and now, to change.  I'm going to start posting more salads.  You can hold me to that.

Salads are so simple.  And wonderful.  And simply wonderful.

They can accentuate the freshness of ingredients like nothing else can.  Well maybe a lot of other things can, but let's ignore that fact for a bit and make this salad.  Shall we?

 

kale and lentil salad...

Makes: 2 servings   Prep Time: 10 minutes   Cook Time: none! (unless you have to cook the lentils)   Total Time: 10 minutes

{Printable Recipe}

Ingredients:
1 small bunch kale
1 cup cooked lentils (I use Trader Joes precooked lentils)
1 ripe peach
goat cheese (or any other kind of cheese!)

for the dressing-
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons shallots, minced
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons honey
salt and pepper to taste

 In a small bowl combine olive oil, shallots, dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, and honey.

 Whisk until combined and then salt and pepper to your liking.

 Grab the kale and wash it.

 Tear it into pieces and throw it in a large bowl.

 Add the lentils.

And the cut up peach.

And finally the cheeeeeese.

Time for the dressing.  Pour on as much as you deem necessary.  Dressing is one of those preference things.

Give it a toss and dish it out between two bowls.  Enjoy!

Balsamic Roasted Strawberries

I'm going to go ahead and apologize.  I've got this thing "they" call an obsession.  And it just so happens to be with homemade multigrain sourdough.  Which I'm sure you already know...considering my posts have been purely focused on it for the last week.  

BUT I promise this is going to be the last post where it plays a shining role.  I know that I'm beating it to death.  But I can't be stopped.  I sliced and froze the second loaf and I just magically keep finding delicious things to do with it.  And I can't make delicious things and not share them with you.  Right?

Yesterday, I told you I was going to go to the Copley Square Farmers Market.  And well...I did.  It was a little rainy and there weren't many vendors there but that was completely remedied by the purchase of these strawberries.  I thought it was a little early for strawberries in New England but apparently I was wrong!  These little babies were sooo sweet.  And just downright perfect.

I'm a little upset with myself that I didn't get two cartons.  Live and learn I guess.

These are the other goodies I picked up.  Fresh goat cheese rolled in cracked black pepper, a bunch of kale, and some awesome looking shiitake mushrooms.  (I just made a salad with the kale and goat cheese...I'll share tomorrow :) )

Let's segue back to the strawberries shall we?  Instead of eating the entire carton on the train, like I really wanted to, I started dreaming up a snack that involved 1) my current obsession with the multigrain sourdough 2) my constant obsession with goat cheese 3) these delicious strawberries and 4) the perfect flavor for all three: balsamic vinegar.  And that's how the snack worthy of the boys pausing an intense game of Madden 2002 to have another slice (oohing and aahing the whole time) came about.

The great part about these roasted strawberries is that you can put them on ANYTHING and they will be perfect.  Like I mentioned above, I went the goat cheese and toast route.  But you could also throw a spoonful on top of ice cream or oatmeal.  Maybe a little pancake topping?  Slathered on a warm flaky biscuit?  It's all up to you my friend.

balsamic roasted strawberries...

adapted from Heidi Swanson's cookbook: Super Natural Every Day

Makes: One small bowl   Prep Time: 5 minutes   Roast Time: 15-20 minutes   Total Time: 25 minutes

{Printable Recipe}

Ingredients:
8 ounces small-medium strawberries, hulled
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon fine-grain salt
1 tablespoon sherry
a few drops of balsamic vinegar

Directions:

 

Gather these things.  And preheat your oven to 350°.

Mix the maple syrup, olive oil, and salt in a small bowl.  Set aside.

Grab your strawberries and rinse them off.

Hull them.

And slice them in half.  Or quarters depending on how big they are.

Then toss them lightly in the maple syrup mixture.

Spread them in a single layer on a lightly greased rimmed baking sheet.  Roast them in the oven for 15-20 minutes.

Grab the goat cheese.

Toast the bread and spread goat cheese allll over it.

Once the strawberries are done, pull them out of the oven and scrape them into a small bowl.  Add sherry and several drops of balsamic vinegar.

Spread them on the toast.

 And spoon a little bit of the liquid on top.

Slice it in half for everyone to share.

And devour!