Garden Pesto

May 3, 2012

Pesto is one of my favorite pasta sauces to experiment with. Traditionally made with basil, olive oil, pine nuts and parmesan, pesto is a great way to bring some healthy greens to a dish. I pretty much use anything I have on hand and throw as much fresh herbs in as possible. My garden is bursting with sorrel, watercress, rosemary, basil, oregano and thyme so I threw that into the food processor along with some cashews. As long as your pesto base is essentially some sort of greens, nuts, olive oil and cheese you're golden. I have for some time expressed my love of Superior Past Company in the Italian Market, and this dish I used one of their $1 grab bags of fresh pasta scraps, which is great for a budget.

Spicy Black Bean Hummus and Plantain Chips

April 19, 2012

This recipe came out of a Mexican Feast at the Mansion, and all the roomies helped throw it together. My roommate showed me some tips on how to make plaintain chips that perfect crispiness and I decided I wanted some awesome dip to pair with them. If you do not have a food processor by now, I seriously urge you to snag one. You will be making hummus like nobodies business.

Easter Dinner: Black Bass with Fiddlehead Ferns and Meyer Lemon Yogurt Dill Sauce

April 11, 2012

I was in charge of planning Easter Dinner this year at the Briggs' house. I picked up this Black Sea Bass in Philadelphia and took it home with me to Bucks County. My sister and I foraged the woods surrounding our house for the fiddleheads.

For you city slickers scratching your head about what a 'fiddlehead fern' is, it is a a young fern that has not 'unwound' itself into a frond, an adult fern. These tasty veggies are abundant (and free!) in our area and filled with omega 3 & 6 as well as iron and fiber.

This dish, which was was inspired by local ingredients, was a big hit and relatively easy. Underneath the fish is Traugers (a family farm in my area) sweet potatoes with golden raisins and roasted parsley root and fennel. I decided the bass would pair nicely with a yogurt Meyer lemon dill sauce.

Peace Tree Farm

April 9, 2012

Last week when I wrote about the Philadelphia Farm and Food Fest, I mentioned that I had met up with my friend Lloyd Traven of Peace Tree Farm,. which means I had the pleasure of going home this weekend for Easter and in the midst of catching up with old friends, having way to much fun and eating way to much good food, I took a trip to Peace Tree to catch up with the Travens and drop off their son after a night of friends telling ghost stories around a bond fire. Lloyd had promised me plants if I stopped by, and with the gardening addiction I have, I had to come and get my hands on some awesome organic vegetables. Peace Tree is a beautiful property nessled in Bucks County aside Mt. Haycock. 'Peace Tree Farm' comes from the Native American word "tohickon"(a park and stream system in the area), which means "peace tree". Here are some photos of the 25 acre property and all things lovely at this organic nursery.

Philadelphia Farm and Food Fest

April 4, 2012

The Philadelphia Farm and Food Fest was a massive event held this Sunday at Philadelphia's spankin' new convention center. Featuring over 100 vendors, and attracting more than 3,000 visitors, the first annual festival was organized by Fair Food and the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture, in conjunction with Reading Terminal Market.