Garden Tomato Gazpacho

July 29, 2013

Gazpacho is one of those dishes that reminds me that summer is in full swing. Ruby red tomatoes are everywhere, and in the Italian market people are practically giving them away. My garden has been bursting with this luscious gems and I'm doing my best to keep up with my eight gigantic plants.

There is simply nothing more satisfying or simple to prepare on a hot day than a cold bowl of summer veggies. Gazpacho is one of those dishes that is great way to clean out your fridge of any left over farm share veggies. This week we got some wonderful cucumbers, green bell peppers, and tomatoes from Lancaster Farm Fresh. Throw everything in the food processor and voilà! You've got summer in a bowl!

Garden Tomato Gazpacho

6 ripe tomatoes, cut into chunks

1/2 large cucumber—peeled, halved, seeded and cut into chunks

1 green bell pepper, cut into chunks

2 garlic cloves, smashed

1 cup water

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

Salt

1 cup chilled steamed summer corn

Sriracha & basil, for serving

In a food processor, combine tomatoes, cucumbers, bell pepper, garlic and water and puree until smooth. Slowly add olive oil, vinegar and salt. Serve or refrigerate for 30 minutes. Top with summer corn, basil, fresh olive oil and sriracha. Enjoy!

Raw Summer Cold Noodle

July 25, 2013

In the summer, it's hard to eat, sleep and even breathe. Salads have always been my escape on hot summer days when I don't have much of an appetite, but recently I've been looking for some new cold & delicious alternatives. I love playing around with no-bake or raw recipes and am always overjoyed with the low prep and delicious results. I find that simplicity & allowing the natural flavors shine through is the key in raw 'cooking'.

Cold sesame noodles is one of my favorite summertime dishes and I was excited when I saw a method for making noodles out of zucchini. With my new favorite kitchen toy, a julienne peeler, whipping up this simple summer recipe was a breeze (around 10 minutes total!) and a great way to eat raw. There are many benefits to eating vegetables in their raw state, most being that none of the nutrients is lost during the cooking process. Raw Zucchini has high levels of Potassium and Fiber as well as impressive values of Vitamin C (58%!) and Vitamin A, B-6 and Magnesium.

When I received 4 gigantic zucchinis in my farm share this week, I was determined to make zucchini noodles. I julienned 2 of them and made the sauce out of some peanut butter, though I suspect that any and all nut butters would be delicious. This recipe is mostly a guideline, experiment with different preparations, customizing it to your taste. This one, of course, is on the spicier side. if you prefer milder version, nix the sriracha and chili powder and take it easy on the ginger and onion. Get out there and get your raw on!

Raw Summer Cold Noodle

Sauce

1/4 cup nut butter or sesame paste

2 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon sesame oil

2 teaspoons grated ginger

2 tablespoons of lime

1 tablespoon sriracha

1 dash chili powder

Combine all ingredients in bowl and stir till smooth. If mixture is thicker than you'd like add more soy sauce or water. Set aside

Noodles

2 large zucchinis, shredded with a julienned peeler

1 cucumber, shredded with a julienned peeler

1 cup bean sprouts

1 onion, diced

Garnish

1/2 cup peanuts, chopped

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Cilantro to taste, chopped

Toss together ingredients in a large bowl . Slowly add sauce, dressing as much as you'd like. Do be aware that the zucchini will release liquid over time. Chill or serve immediately. Enjoy!

Strawberry Rhubarb Preserves

June 12, 2013

After returning to the States from cool and balmy France, I came home to what seemed like a strawberry explosion. Excited for the season I went to my favorite fruit farm, Phillips Farm in New Jersey, and quickly picked up 2 pounds. The following day our farm share from Lancaster Farm Fresh was loaded with 4 quarts of the most delicate beauties. Dumbfounded and gitty, I immediately thought, preserves. When you have this amount of berries on your hands, the possibilities are endless. However strawberries are pretty perishable, and a lot of the varieties I prefer, bruise easily and taste best when eaten within a couple days of picking. Preserving these badboys allows you to enjoy their freshness year round; and believe me, come December, you'll be so happy you saved yourself a jar. The other great thing about this preparation is that you can also immediately do whatever you can think of with the stuff. From cocktails, pies, and ice creams, this base is extremely malleable for all your strawberry dreams. So get into the field before the season passes and enjoy the taste of the season!

Strawberry Rhubarb Preserves

Makes 6 half pints

3 pound fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced

2 pound fresh rhubarb stalks, leaves removed

3 1/2 cups granulated sugar

Method

Wash & clean berries and rhubarb. Hull berries and slice in half, set aside in bowl. Chop rhubarb into 1/2 inch pieces and place in the bowl with the berries. Cover with sugar and stir. Set aside for a minimum of 2 hours or overnight.

Prepare sanitized 1/2 pint jars and set aside. If you want to can them, prepare a water bath for jars.

When the juices are released from the fruit pour into a large skillet over high heat. Bring to a rapid boiling, stirring often for around 10 minutes or until the juice is thick. Remove from heat and funnel into sanitized jars. Secure lid to jars and boil in water bath for 10 minutes or simply store in the fridge for up to 4 weeks.

Try these preserves in syrup on waffles, folded into whip cream to make a 'fool' or even stirred into your favorite gin.

My strawberry partners in crime @ Springdale Farms — My strawberry partners in crime @ Springdale Farms

Local Pick Your Own Locations (Philadelphia Area)

Active Acres Farm

881 Highland Road, Newtown, PA 18940.

215.860.6855

Brumbaugh's Farm

2575 County Line Road, Telford, PA.

215.723.3508

Manoff Market Gardens

Comfort Road, Solebury, PA 18963.

215.297.8220

Shady Brook Farm

931 Stony Hill Road, Yardley, PA 19067.

215.968.1670

Springdale Farm Market

1638 S. Springdale Road, Cherry Hill, NJ 08003.

856.424.8674

Rowand Farms

Greentree Road & Dalton Drive, Glassboro, NJ.

856.589.9234

Phillips Farm

290 Church Rd, Milford, NJ 08848

908.995.0022

Heirloom Apple Tarte Tatin with Clothbound Cheddar

November 2, 2012

As you may have noticed, I have been on a bit of a puff pastry kick. The reason being that it is just too easy not to! This recipe from start to finish took less then a half an hour, and most that time was spent baking the pastry in the oven.

In our fruit share from Lancaster Farm Fresh this week we got the biggest apples I have ever seen, the rome apple. Roughly the size of two fists, these apples are hearty, tasty and perfect for baking! With my trusty puff pastry already in the freezer, I simply sautéd the apples in butter, cinnamon and a touch of maple syrup. Full disclaimer, this is not a traditionally tarte tatin, which requires a bit more work then this recipe.

Now there is nothing more American then apple pie with cheddar cheese, quality or not, and the folks in the pastry kitchen at Talula's inspired me to rethink this tradition (we have a nearly identical recipe on the menu), and play with the sweetness of the apples and pair it with a zesty but mild cheddar. I recommend Cabot Clothbound Cheddar, which is the standard Vermont cheese wrapped in muslin and aged for a minimum of 10 months in the Cellars at Jasper Hill. The cheese on its own is similar to a English-Style cheddar as opposed to Cabot's more American Styling, and the aging transforms the cheese, giving it caramelly, nutty, and tangy flavors. The cheese compliments the apples and maple and hits ever note on your palate.

Tomatoes: A Love Story

July 8, 2012

On hot summer days like the past few weeks have seen; its to hot to cook, to move, or to do just about anything. Philadelphia, Like the rest of the Northeastern seaboard, has been enveloped by a hot, sticky, humid, mess of a summer; however, for me, this can only be made acceptable by the promise of a delicious tomato season. These lycopene rich fruits generally come to Pennsylvania in July and are around until roughly September. If you are lucky enough to be able to pick up some tomatoes at a local farm stand in season, you can truly taste the vast difference between heirloom and local tomatoes, as opposed to their bastardized GMO and off season sisters available year round at many super market chains.