Vendor Profile – Frali Gourmet

May 9, 2012   |  Melissa

Frali Gourmet is a local producer of fresh and dried pastas, gourmet sauces, soups, desserts, and more.  Franco and Lisa started the company after running and owning a restaurant in Italy for a decade, and now we are lucky enough to have them here in Savannah (literally right in the heart of the city) doing what they do best.  They make all of their items by hand, with help from their son, and use old-world methods to produce amazing, all-natural products that we are very proud to offer to our Co-op members.

We posed the following questions to Lisa so you could learn a little more about them, their products, and their company.

When did you start Frali Gourmet?

April, 2010.

What inspired you to produce your products using all-natural, sustainable methods?

Being from Europe and coming from an old world tradition, I grew up learning and using only all natural methods to preserve and maintain food from one season to the next.

What can you share with us about your products that we may not know?

Our pasta is slowly dehydrated at low temperatures (110f.) for 20 hours instead of flash baked for 90 seconds like major pasta companies do. That’s why our pasta maintains the same texture of fresh pasta even after it is dried.

What is the most challenging aspect of your work?

Adhering to sometimes overly-strict regulation set upon us by various organizations  (FDA and Department of Agriculture).

What is the most rewarding aspect of your work?

Seeing the finished product on the shelf of a store and thinking about the transformation from the raw materials (semolina flour, fresh vegetables, etc.).

Can you describe a typical day of work?

Arriving at 7am and scheduling the production for the day considering the different timing of procedures (cooking sauces, drying pasta, fresh pasta production, curing vegetables before they are jarred, etc.).  We then work until all of our tasks for the day are done stopping only 30 minutes for lunch at noon.

Categories: Featured Articles, Vendor Profiles, Vendors

March 8th Recipes

March 2, 2012   |  Melissa

Broccoli Salad
 Yield: 6-8 servings  Prep time: 15 minutes  Total time: 20 minutes plus time to chill

Ingredients:

  • 1 bunch broccoli, cut into florets – Included in Box
  • 1/3 cup chopped onion – Included in Box
  • ½ cup raisins
  • 4-6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
  • ¾ cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • slivered almonds (optional)

Directions:

  1. Combine mayo, vinegar and sugar in a large bowl.  Add remaining salad ingredients and mix well.
  2. Chill at least 2 hours or overnight before serving
  3. Before serving top with optional slivered almonds

Basil Pesto
 Yield:  1 cup  Prep Time: 5 minutes  Total Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups packed fresh basil leaves (stems discarded)
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • ¼ cup pine nuts
  • 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • ½ cup fresh grated parmesan or Romano cheese

Directions:

  1. Combine basil, garlic and pine nuts in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped.  Add ½ cup of the oil and process until fully blended smooth.  Season with salt and pepper.
  2. If using immediately, add remaining oil and process, then remove to a bowl and stir in cheese.
  3. If freezing for later use, transfer to an airtight container and drizzle remaining oil on top.  Freeze for up to 3 months.  Thaw and stir in cheese when ready to use.

Oven Baked Onion Rings
  Yield: 4 servings  Prep Time: 30 minutes  Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups baked potato chips
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1-2 large onions, peeled – Included in Box

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 450
  2. Spray a baking sheet with oil and set aside.  Place chips into a food processor and process into crumbs, about 20 seconds.  Transfer to a shallow bowl, and add cayenne.  In another bowl combine buttermilk, 2 tablespoons flour, salt and pepper.
  3. Slice onions into ½ inch slices and separate into rings.
  4. Place remaining flour in a large zip top bag, then add onions and shake well to coat.
  5. Dip onions 1 at a time into buttermilk mixture, then chip mixture, and place on baking sheet.  Spray evenly with oil when all rings are on sheet.
  6. Bake for 20 minutes, or until coating is crisp, checking occasionally for doneness.
  7. Season to taste with salt and serve immediately.

 

 

Categories: Recipes

February 9th Recipes

February 17, 2012   |  Melissa

Frozen Banana Pops
 Yield: 8 servings  Prep time: 20 min  Total time: 2 hours

Ingredients:

  • 4 medium ripe (but still firm) bananas – Included in Box
  • 8 wooden craft sticks
  • 3 tablespoons finely chopped salted peanuts
  • 6 ounces good quality dark chocolate (60 – 70% cocoa)

Directions:

  1. Peel each banana, then cut in half crosswise.  Insert a craft stick into each half.  Place on a tray and cover with plastic wrap.  Freeze until solid, about 3 hours
  2. Place the peanuts in a shallow dish or plate.  Melt the chocolate gently in the microwave, using 20 second increments, stirring after each 20 second heating interval.  Allow chocolate to sit after one minute of heating to allow to melt.  Be careful not to overheat the chocolate.
  3. Pour the chocolate into a tall drinking glass.
  4. Dip each banana in the chocolate, and immediately roll in the nuts.
  5. Serve immediately or freeze until solid again, and wrap tightly with plastic wrap.  Will keep, tightly wrapped in freezer for 2 weeks.

Celery Root Puree
 Yield:  6 servings  Prep Time: 20 min  Total Time: 45 min

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound celery root – Included in Box
  • 1 pound potatoes
  • 1 cup milk
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  • salt and pepper

Directions:

  1. First, don’t be intimidated by the unattractive celery root!  To avoid getting mud everywhere, trim the celery root by cutting off the 2 root ends, then peeling.  Finally, wash the peeled root and place on a clean cutting board.  Once peeled, put into strips or chunks for cooking.  You may find some hollow or spongy parts inside, discard these.  Don’t worry about cutting away too much; the celery root has a lot of mass.
  2. Cut your peeled root into 1 inch chunks.  Peel potatoes and cut into the same size chunks.  Place cut veggies into a large pot and cover with cold water.  Add ½ teaspoon of salt.
  3. Bring to a low boil over medium heat and cook until tender (about 25 minutes).  Drain, and puree using potato masher, handheld blender, or food processor.  Return to pot if you removed them to mash.
  4. Warm the milk and butter in a small saucepan.  Mix into the puree and add nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste.
  5. Serve the puree hot.

Collards with Bacon and Garlic

  Yield: 6-8 servings  Prep Time: 10 minutes  Cooking Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 4 strips thick sliced bacon, cut into ¼ inch pieces
  • 1 small yellow onion, sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic, sliced
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
  • 2 pounds collard greens, stems removed and chopped, washed well – Included in Box
  • 1 cup chicken broth or water

Directions:

  1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Cook the bacon until it begins to brown, stirring occasionally.
  2. Add the onions and cook until they are starting to brown.  Add garlic, salt and pepper.  Cook until garlic becomes fragrant, about another minute.
  3. Add vinegar and sugar, and simmer until liquid is reduced by half.
  4. Add greens and broth or water.  Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until greens are tender (about 30 minutes).  Season to taste with additional salt, pepper, hot sauce or vinegar.
  5. Serve with pan juices.
Categories: Recipes

Vendor Profile – Kachina Farms

February 14, 2012   |  Melissa

Kachina Farms is a family-owned, Certified Organic farm that has been providing the Co-op with an amazing variety of fresh herbs and produce since 2010. Kevin and Melissa started the farm from the ground up, and have a wealth of knowledge about fresh herbs and how to use them. Their farm is very close by in Rincon, Georgia, which makes us lucky enough to be on the receiving end of their herbs and produce, straight from their greenhouses to our tables!

We posed the following questions to Kevin and Melissa so you could learn a little more about them, their products, and their farm.

When did you start farming?

In 2009 we built our first greenhouse to grow herbs for our own use and to experiment with a small business. In 2010 I was laid off from my municipal job and farming became my life.

What inspired you to farm using all-natural, sustainable methods?

We have always practiced organic methods in our own gardening. In the industry you can easily discover what residues and chemicals are in our food supply. Organic methodology incorporates a more natural approach to farming. This includes maintaining a healthy soil along with healthy plants. Becoming “Certified Organic” was just a matter of documenting all of our current practices.

What can you share with us about your products that we may not know?

Commercial farms are extremely large and do not allow for a hands on approach. Most farmers only see their crop from the inside of a large combine or tractor. Our farm is small enough to allow us to do weekly inspections of each plant. This lets us identify problems early and use natural methods to solve them.

What is the most challenging aspect of your work?

Timing. We always have to think about what we will grow two or three months in advance. This allows us to start our plants in our nursery and plant them when the weather conditions are right. Sometimes mother nature shows her power and brings a sudden cold snap. Plants that were growing vigorously are suddenly killed back.

What is the most rewarding aspect of your work?

There is something very satisfying about farming. You watch a patch of dirt spring to life and provide food that we can share with our customers.

 Can you describe a typical day of work at your farm?

At 6am we hand water and inspect beds. Our herbs are hand watered because of the various moisture needs of so many different plant types. During this procedure, our plants listen to Rolling Stones, The Beatles along with a smattering of Kings of Leon. We spend allot of time weeding beds and seeding in the nursery. After that, it is onto fertilizing. Each greenhouse is fertilized once a week with worm castings or fish emulsion. Four days a week is spent harvesting for our customers. Sometime after all that we go home and cook dinner.

 

Categories: Featured Articles, Vendor Profiles, Vendors

January 26th Recipes

January 20, 2012   |  Melissa

Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers

  • Bell Peppers

Lacinato Kale Salad

  • Lacinato Kale

Twice Baked Potatoes with Blue Cheese

  • Russet Potatoes

Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers
Yield: 2 servings  Prep time: 20 minutes  Total time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup short grain (Arborio) rice
  • 2 bell peppers, halved and seeded – Included in Box
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 green onions, sliced
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • salt and pepper
  • ½ cup diced fresh tomato
  • ½ cup crumbled feta cheese

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400°.  Lightly grease a baking sheet
  2. Bring 1 cup water to a boil and add the rice.  Reduce heat and cover, simmering for 20 minutes.  Set aside when cooked.
  3. Place peppers cut-side down on the baking sheet and roast for 25-30 minutes, until tender.
  4. While peppers are roasting, heat oil in a large skillet and add onions and seasonings in oil for 3 minutes.  Add tomato and cook for another 5 minutes.  Mix in the cooked rice and feta cheese off the heat.  Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.
  5. Spoon mixture into pepper halves and return to over for 5-10 minutes, until fully heated.

Lacinato Kale Salad
 Yield:  4 servings  Prep Time: 10 minutes  Total Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 bunch lacinato kale – Included in Box
  • ½ small shallot, diced
  • juice of half a lemon
  • salt and pepper
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 ounces grated hard cheese (ricotta salata or parmesan)

Directions:

  1. Remove center ribs from kale and cut crosswise into very thin slices.
  2. Whisk together shallot, lemon juice, and a pinch each of salt and pepper in a large bowl.  Add oil slowly, whisking to blend well.
  3. Add kale and cheese and toss well to coat.
  4. Plate and top with more pepper and salt to taste

Blue Cheese Twice Baked Potatoes
  Yield: 4 servings  Prep Time: 30 minutes  Total Time: 2 hours

Ingredients:

  • 2 large russet potatoes – Included in Box
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • ½  cup crumbled blue cheese
  • ½ stick butter
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 ½ teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400°.  Peirce potatoes with a knife and place directly on oven rack.  Bake until cooked through, about 1 hour.
  2. Transfer to a baking sheet and cool at least 5 minutes.  Cut off top third of each potato.
  3. Scoop flesh from tops, and save them for potato skins!  Scoop flesh from potato bottoms, leaving a ¼ inch thick shell all around.
  4. Combine potato flesh, ¼ cup sour cream, ¼ cup blue cheese, butter, garlic and rosemary in a large bowl.  Mash until smooth and taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper as necessary.
  5. Transfer to a pastry bag with a star tip (or use a large Ziploc bag with one corner snipped off) and pipe potatoes back into shells.
  6. Bake until heated through and brown on top, about 25 minutes.
  7. Top each potato with sour cream and remaining blue cheese.

Try the recipe with goat cheese instead of blue cheese for a new taste
Categories: Recipes

January 12th Recipes

January 6, 2012   |  Melissa

 

Potato and Fennel Soup
 Yield: 8 servings  Prep time: 10 minutes  Total time: 50 minutes 

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 fennel bulb, chopped (reserve the tops) – Included in Box
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 2 large potatoes, peeled and diced – Included in Box
  • 1 quart chicken broth
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 1 cup heavy cream

Directions:

  1. Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium heat.  Add fennel and onions and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Sauté for 5 minutes until softened, and add potatoes.
  2. Add broth (adding more broth or water to cover) and bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer and cook until vegetables are very tender, about 30 minutes.
  3. Puree soup in blender (always in batches for safety) or using immersion blender.  Add cream and heat just to the boil.  Add lemon juice to taste, and adjust salt and pepper.
  4. Garnish with reserved fennel fronds (tops)

 

Oven Roasted Tomatoes

Ingredients:

  • 4-5 plum tomatoes – Included in Box
  • 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced – Included in Box
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1./2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

 

Directions:

  1. Halve tomatoes lengthwise and discard core and seeds.  Arrange on a baking sheet, cut sides up, in a single layer.  Drizzle with olive oil and vinegar.  Sprinkle evenly with garlic, sugar, salt and pepper.
  2. Roast for 25-30 minutes, until tomatoes are caramelized and concentrated.
  3. Serve warm or at room temperature

Zucchini and Potato Frittata

Ingredients:

  • 1 small potato, peeled and cut into small cubes – Included in Box
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic, minced – Included in Box
  • 3-4 scallions, chopped – Included in Box
  • 1 zucchini, grated and squeezed dry in a kitchen towel – Included in Box
  • ½ cup cheese (feta, cheddar, or your favorite)
  • optional – 2 slices cooked bacon, hot sauce
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Boil potatoes in water to cover in a small saucepan.  Cook until tender, 6-8 minutes, drain and pat dry.
  2. Whisk eggs and add salt and pepper to taste (and hot sauce if using)
  3. Preheat broiler.
  4. Heat oil in a 10 inch ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium high heat.  Add garlic and onion and cook until translucent, about 2 minutes.  Add zucchini and cook until tender, about 5 minutes more.
  5. Evenly pour eggs over vegetable mixture.  Cook, tilting the pan and lifting the edges with a spatula to cook evenly.  Sprinkle with cheese and bacon if using.
  6. Place in broiler until browned on top and just set  (frittata may puff, it will deflate when it cools)

 

Categories: Recipes

Vendor Profile – Savannah River Farms

November 22, 2011   |  Melissa

Savannah River Farms has been providing free-range, pastured poultry, beef, and pork to the Savannah Food Co-op since early 2010. Kellie and Ben Deen are passionate about what they do and genuinely care about providing healthy meat options to our local community. Their farm is Animal Welfare Approved and their meats are Certified Naturally Grown. We couldn’t be happier to have them as a part of our Co-op family!

We posed the following questions to Kellie and Ben so we could share their story with you.  Read on to learn more about them and their life on the farm.

When did you start farming?

Ben has been farming since he could walk along side his mom and dad in the fields – 50 years ago.  They had lots of cows and hogs which they raised and sold commercially, enough chickens to keep themselves in eggs and meat.  They raised tobacco, corn, and soybeans.  They also took string beans, tomatoes and tomato plants to the Atlanta farmers market every week.  They did community farming.  One aunt had milk cows, and she kept the families in butter and milk.  Hogs were butchered at Ben’s granddaddy’s and divided among seven families.  One aunt grew all of the dill seed and the makings for pickles and passed it around, and all of the families had large gardens of their own.  About the only things that any of them went to the grocery store was for salt, sugar, and flour, and that was a big treat to go to town.  Ben remembers as a kid that a jar of store bought pickles or beets was a big treat. The preacher down the road grew sugar cane and that is where all of their syrup came from to make candy and sweet things.

I was raised in town, and like other townies had no idea where my food came from.  That all changed 27 years ago when I married Ben.  We started off raising cattle, and we sold to the commercial meat market, but neither ben nor I felt good each time we took our animals, that we had cared for humanely, to the livestock auction where they would be shipped long distances.  We started looking into other alternatives and found that there was a market where we could sell our livestock locally, and that is what has brought us to the Savannah Food Co-op, which was one of the first places where we began selling our meats.    Ben and I now raise beef, poultry, pork, and lamb.

What inspired you to farm using all-natural, sustainable methods?

We had never used antibiotics nor growth hormones on our animals as we never had a need to.  Our animals have always been raised in an environment which allowed them plenty of room to live naturally, and we have always fed them feed that we raised ourselves, so we knew that it was good feed.  We started doing research and realized that the way that we were raising our livestock was new to so many people and that it was marketable.  We always knew that our meat had to be better for us than the “fake” looking meats at the grocery store.  After some research we found exactly how it was better for us.

As many of you know, we are now a member of a small group of farmers that are Animal Welfare Approved.  This is the most important aspect of our livestock raising to me.  I have a big heart when it comes to animals, and both Ben and I have always wanted the best for them.  Becoming animal welfare approved was a big honor for us, and we worked hard to obtain this label.  They have loads of regulations, and although we thought everything that we were doing was humane, we did have to make a few minor adjustments.  Also, in order for us to obtain this label, our butcher and his facility had to be approved as well.

What can you share with us about your products that we may not know?

We have not yet told anyone as we were keeping it for a surprise, but this is a good time to let the cat out of the bag.  We have been building and working on our own farm USDA inspected processing facility.  We are very excited and looking forward to the day when we actually open for business.  We hope to be in full swing by the beginning of January, 2012. We will have our own inspection legend (USDA number).  We are currently finishing the interior of the facility and are busy buying our equipment and putting finishing touches on everything.  We have installed three walk-in freezers and so far one walk-in cooler.  This facility is going to allow us to spend more time here on the farm rather than all of the driving time going back and forth to our current processor’s plant.  And of course we can not yet imagine all of the fuel we will be saving!

What is the most challenging aspect of your work?

This is an easy question.  It has to deal with mother nature and the inability to predict her.  Heat, rain, and cold weather can be either our friend or foe depending on the timing.  This past summer without any rain was very difficult for all of our animals.  We need the rain to grow grass for our sheep and cows.  We need the rain to grow the corn for our hogs and chickens.  The weather is also sometimes where the price adjustments come from in farming.   We do have a large pond on our farm, and so we were able to keep our corn watered somewhat this past summer, but not only did the pond drain very low – where we normally grow 200 bushels of corn per acre, this year we grew 50 bushels of corn per acre.  Corn this year is currently selling for $6.55 a bushel whereas last year at this time it was selling for $4.00 a bushel.

What is the most rewarding aspect of your work?

The most rewarding aspect of our work is when a customer of ours tells us that “that was the best piece of meat I have ever eaten”, or “eating your meat is making my life better”.  That makes all of our work worthwhile.  We are also fortunate in that we are working for ourselves and the future of our family.  Our hope is that our children and our grandchildren will always have good, healthy food to eat and a way of life that dates back centuries.

Is it alot of work?  You bet it is.  We work many eighteen hours days and vacations are not part of our vocabulary.  But we are happy.  This is going to sound really corny, but a fun thing that Ben and I enjoy doing is late in the evening after we have fed up, we go to the hog pastures and sit in the golf cart and watch the pigs and hogs in action.  They provide hours of entertainment.  It’s much more fun than the movies and a whole lot cheaper.

 Can you describe a typical day of work at your farm?

There is no such thing as a typical day.  They are all different, but I will try and give you an idea:

  • The first thing that we do in the morning is check all of the animals and make sure that everyone is okay.  We have alot of coyotes and wild hogs around here, so we have to keep a count and an eye on everyone.  We have the protection animals like the donkeys and the llama that help look after the sheep, but since we are way in the country, wild animals are always around.
  • We then check the freezers and coolers and make sure that they are all running properly.
  • We have to check the fences that surround the livestock to make sure that they are all intact and that we have not had any visitors during the night.
  • One day a week we will load up the animals that are going to the processing plant, and then Ben will usually take them to vidalia.  If we are taking hogs or sheep, then two days later I will go and spend the entire day at the plant wrapping our processed meat.  The vacuum packages that our meat comes in are done with our own machine, and I do it myself.
  • Back on the farm, Ben will spend that day mending or putting up new fences, working on farm machinery, and these days he is spending from morning to night getting our new processing facility built.
  • Yesterday, we were at the farmer’s market in Savannah, and then we came home and built wind breakers for the baby chicks as the temp is too low for them right now.
  • If it is the time of the month that we are getting ready for chickens to be processed then it is a really busy week.  We normally will catch and load approximately 500-1000 chickens on a particular sunday into Welfare Approved plastic crates and then put them into our stock trailer.  This is a whole family affair as it is a big job.  We do it at night so that the chickens are calm.  Then around 4 am the following Monday, Ben will take the chickens on a three hour trip over to South Carolina to the processing plant.  The processing facility is a small family plant, and he will wait there most of the day on Monday so that he can bring our crates back home.  The chickens are left there and flash frozen.
  • Two days later he makes the trip again with our freezer truck and picks up our poultry.  After he comes back to the farm, we will mark the boxes and unload the freezer trailer into one of our walk in freezers as we need it empty to either go to a farmer’s market or to deliver to the Co-op or restaurants.
  • I take care of keeping up with our inventory so that I will know when and what we need to have processed, and I do all of the book work, which on a farm there is a mountain of it.
  • I call the stores and the restaurants once a week and get their orders.
  • I also will put the items that you see every other week on the Co-op website so that you can place your order.  Then I will pull that order when it is closed and pack it up for all of you.
  • We feed up our animals every evening and assess them to make sure that they are eating well and are in good shape.  This is the most important thing that we do on our farm, and this is our favorite farming job.
  • There are so many things that we do that we never think of like returning phone calls to potential customers, banking work, checking electric fences.
  • Then, of course, in the spring and summer Ben is swamped with the growing of our feed for our animals.  When we are watering our crops he will make more than a dozen trips out to the fields to make sure that the pump is working right and to move the irrigation equipment.  There is hay to cut and bins to load with corn.

The list goes on forever, and you could not possibly write down all of the jobs that you have to do on a farm.  You have to absolutely love farming to do it.  It is usually 18-hour days, seven days a week, 365 days a year.  We do take off on Sunday mornings to go to church, and that is probably the only time that we rest in all reality.

We have been asked many times what do we do for fun, and we both know the answer to that.  We work.  We enjoy it, and it is really fun to us.  Setting up at farmer’s markets are alot of work, but we consider that one of the fun jobs.  With crop farming you can take a rest every now and then, but with livestock farming you have living, breathing, things depending on you for everything, and you have to be able to provide for them and keep a check on them constantly. You gotta LOVE it!

 

Categories: Featured Articles, Vendor Profiles, Vendors

November 17th Recipes

November 10, 2011   |  Melissa

Cauliflower Soup
Yield: 6 servings  Prep time: 30 min  Total time: 1 hour 

Ingredients:

  • 1 stick butter, divided
  • ½ onion, diced
  • 1 carrot, diced
  • 1 stalk celery, diced
  • 1 head cauliflower, chopped 
  • 2 tablespoons fresh or dried parsley
  • 2 quarts low sodium chicken or vegetable stock
  • 6 tablespoons flour
  • 2 cups milk (whole recommended)
  • 1 cup half and half
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 2-4 teaspoons salt, to taste
  • black pepper

Directions:

  1. In a large pot, melt half of the butter.  Add onion until lightly browned, then add celery and carrots and cook for a few more minutes.  Add cauliflower and parsley, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon pepper and mix well.
  2. Cover and cook over low heat for 15 minutes.  Then add stock, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
  3. In a medium saucepan, melt the remaining half of the butter.  Mix the flour with milk in a bowl and whisk to combine.  Add flour-milk mixture to the butter, whisking constantly.   Cook for a few minutes until thickened.  Remove from heat and add half and half.  Add mixture to the simmering soup and stir to combine.  Simmer for 15-20 more minutes.  Check seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.
  4. Just before serving, place sour cream in a serving bowl or tureen, add 2-3 cups of soup and mix well, then add remaining soup and stir gently.
  5. Serve hot!

 

Roasted Cabbage
Yield:  6 servings  Prep Time: 5 minutes  Total Time:

Ingredients:

  • 1 head Cabbage
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 teaspoon caraway or fennel seeds

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Brush a rimmed baking sheet with 1 tablespoon oil.
  2. Cut cabbage into 1 inch thick rounds and place on baking sheet.  Season with salt and pepper and your choice of seeds.
  3. Roast in oven for 20 minutes and check for doneness, removing when cabbage has browned around the edges and is tender.  Flip cabbage slices if the top is browning too quickly.
  4. Serve immediately.

Grilled Beet Salad
  Yield: 8 servings 

Ingredients:

  • 2 red beets, peeled and cut into ½ inch slices 
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • salt and pepper
  • 4 cups lettuce
  • ½ cup toasted sliced almonds
  • 2 tablespoons flax seed oil
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • juice of 1 orange 
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup

Directions:

  1. Preheat grill to medium heat and oil the grate
  2. Brush beet slices with olive oil and season with salt and pepper
  3. Grill beets 5 minutes per side until they are fork tender and browned.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.
  4. In a large bowl, combine lettuce and almonds.
  5. In a small bowl combine flax oil, vinegar, orange juice, and maple syrup.  Season with salt and pepper.
  6. Add beets to the salad mixture and top with dressing, toss to coat.
  7. Serve immediately

 

 

Categories: Recipes

Farm Bill 2012 – Support Our Local Food Network

  |  Melissa

As many of you know, Congress is currently crafting a new Farm Bill that will take effect next year. The Congressional ‘Super Committee’ is expected to make recommendations for significant cuts to the 2012 Farm Bill in the next few weeks, if not days.  These cuts will impact farmers, especially small and organic ones, food assistance programs, farmers’ market promotion, community food projects, organic farming research and more.

We spoke to Kellie and Ben Deen of Savannah River Farms about the proposed legislation, and they expressed their support of the Local Food, Farms and Jobs Act which is part of the Farm Bill.  The Act will increase funding to small farmers pursuing national organic certification and to underserved communities seeking greater access to fresh, local produce.

The legislation helps farmers and ranchers by addressing production, aggregation, processing, marketing, and distribution needs to access growing local and regional food markets. The measure provides secure farm bill funding for critically important programs that support family farms, expand new farming opportunities, create rural jobs, and invest in the local food and agriculture economy.

Please call your elected representatives to express your support of local, organic farms and food networks. We won’t get the chance to influence the creation of another farm bill for 4 to 5 years, so speak out now for the food and farmers you love!

Senators:
Saxby Chambliss
Phone: 202-224-3521
Email: www.chambliss.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=Email
Johnny Isakson
Phone: (202) 224-3643
Email: www.isakson.senate.gov/contact.cfm

Representatives:
Jack Kingston
Phone: 202-225-5831
Email: https://kingstonforms.house.gov/ContactForm/default.aspx
John Barrow
Phone: 202-225-2823
Email: https://forms.house.gov/barrow/webforms/issue_subscribe.htm

For more information on the farm bill issues, visit the links below:
Farm Bill Info
Local Food Act Info
More Farm Bill Info

Categories: Featured Articles

November 3rd Recipes

October 28, 2011   |  Melissa

Creamy Mashed Pumpkin

  • Pie Pumpkin

Potato and Leek Gratin

  • Potatoes
  • Leeks

Apple and Pomegranate Crisp

  • Apples
  • Pomegranate

Creamy Mashed Pumpkin
 Yield: 4-5 servings  Prep time: 15 minutes  Total time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 pie pumpkin – Included in Box
  • ½ cup grated cheddar cheese
  • ¼ cup cream
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Cut pumpkin into large chunks and remove skin and seeds.  Steam peeled pumpkin chunks until tender (depending on moisture and density of pumpkin 15-25 minutes).  Steam until very tender.
  2. Place steamed pumpkin into a large saucepan and mash by hand until smooth.  Add cheese and cream to taste (cream needed will again vary by the moisture content of your pumpkin) and season with salt and pepper.
  3. Keep warm over low heat, stirring frequently until ready to serve.
  4. Serve hot as a side to your favorite fall main dish.

Save the pumpkin seeds for a tasty snack!

Potato and Leek Gratin
 Yield:  5-6 servings  Prep Time: 30 minutes  Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 2-3 leeks – Included in Box
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 2 pounds potatoes – Included in Box
  • salt and pepper
  • 6 oz Swiss or gruyere cheese, grated

Directions:

  1. Heat oven to 375°.  Clean and chop leeks (remove dark green tops and chop white and pale green parts, wash in several changes of cold water to remove all sand and grit).
  2. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter.  Add leeks and cook until tender, about 3 minutes, and set aside.
  3. Rub the remaining tablespoon butter over the sides and bottom of a 2 quart baking dish and set aside.
  4. Peel potatoes and cut into ¼ inch slices.  Cover the bottom of the baking dish with ¼ of potato slices.  Spread ½ of cooked leeks over potatoes and season with salt and pepper.  Add another layer of potato slices, and top with half of cheese.  Repeat layers – potato – leek – potato – cheese, finishing with cheese on top.  Season each layer with salt and pepper.
  5. Cover dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes, then uncover and continue baking until tender when pierced with a fork and browned, about 25 minutes longer.
  6. Allow to rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Apple and Pomegranate Crisp
 Yield: 8 servings  Prep Time: 15 minutes  Cooking Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 4 apples – Included in Box
  • 1 pomegranate – Included in Box
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ½ cup rolled oats
  • ½ cup flour
  • ½ cup sugar
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, softened

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375° Butter a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.
  2. Peel, core and slice apples.  Remove skin and yellow membrane from pomegranate seeds.  Toss together apples, pomegranate seeds, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in a large bowl.
  3. Spread evenly into the prepared baking dish.
  4. In the same bowl used to season the fruit filling, stir together oats, flour and sugar.  Add butter and combine with your hands until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Sprinkle the topping evenly over the fruit.
  5. Bake for 30-45 minutes, until the apples are soft and filling is browned and crisp.  Let stand for at least 10 minutes before serving.
  6. Garnish with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
Categories: Recipes