Category Archives: Food

Searching for Signs of Spring

Posted on March 12, 2014 by AnnieRie

As the skies in the west darken. The temperatures may drop forty degrees tonight. Storms will rip through. And, we may get one or two more snow events before winter leaves us.

Will spring ever arrive? Tomorrow we have volunteer training, including hiking, in temperatures that may barely hit freezing, as a high. That should be interesting.

Heavy rain is hitting the front of our house. Cross your fingers that our radio tower does OK. It is a year old this week.

I see no evidence of garlic in the garden. I planted it last fall, and covered it heavily with mulch. Normally by now, there would be something out there.

This was last year on the 29th of March.

Tulips? Not very far along either. Barely seen. Not like last year when they popped above the ground in January.

I moved the tractor up to the garage today, to get picked up for service tomorrow. I don’t think we will be cutting grass anytime soon.

This has been a cold winter. One that, I hope, will cut down on the number of destructive pests that kill my garden plants. If only it would kill the stink bugs. That would be celebration worthy.

Are you tired of winter too?

Leave a comment

Posted in Food, Gardening, Nature, Volunteering, Weather and tagged Food, gardening, nature, weather. Bookmark the permalink.

Beef! It is What’s For Dinners

Posted on March 10, 2014 by AnnieRie

Twice the past few days we have had beef on the menu. Really good beef. Not bought at grocery stores but from local farms and butchers who use local farms.

Short ribs over polenta.

Both from Friends and Farms.

The ribs were seared first and cooked in the crock pot until they were falling off the bone. Polenta was cooked on the stove and served with some onions and greens.

If that wasn’t good enough, tonight I wanted to use my Christmas present. My rice steamer.

I had a white rice and wild rice pilaf mix from the Shrewsbury Amish market bulk store. My husband wanted beef to go with it, so I cooked a couple of very petite 3-4 ounce filets from England Acres.

They started as a pan sear, then I added mushrooms, peppers and scallions. Finished with the Pacific brand mushroom soup.

Served over the rice.

Since my rice cooker makes two cups of rice, I used half the mixture in some turkey rice soup. I need to bring a dish to the Conservancy pot luck Thursday.

So, today was truly a major cooking day. But, the rest of the week there will be good leftovers.

#hocofood

5 Comments

Posted in CSA, Farms, Food, Friends and Farms, Local Businesses, Locavore, Real Food, Winter Eat Local and tagged cooking, crock pot cooking, CSA, farms, Food, foodie, local businesses, Locavore, real food. Bookmark the permalink.

Monkfish Stew

Posted on March 6, 2014 by AnnieRie

OK, monkfish is something I don’t ordinarily buy. Thanks to Friends and Farms, we got some very fresh, very nice monkfish in today’s pickup.

So, I made a stew. I sort of followed a recipe. Carrots, onions, parsnips. Red pepper tomato soup. Tomatoes from my freezer. Broccoli from the freezer. All mixed together and slow cooked.

Finally, seared the monkfish in a pan and added it for the last 15 minutes.

Served with a lovely Verdeca bought at Iron Bridge during the Italian wine tasting series.

What else was in this week’s basket? The makings of a very good dinner this weekend. Short Ribs and polenta.

Maybe with some of these lovely mushrooms.

Along with the mushrooms, there was curly endive and beets. And, O’Henry sweet potatoes.

Apples. And a couple of quick frozen veggies.

Broccoli is always welcome. As are the green beans. I like the frozen veggies. They do well in soups.

What did I forget? Oh yeah, eggs and muenster cheese.

And, bread. This week I picked honey whole wheat. As for the polenta, this is something I really enjoy making, but don’t make it enough. That will be remedied.

There is enough here for two meals for us. Just the right amount.

Can’t be happier about all these inspiring choices for dinners.

hocofood@@@

Leave a comment

Posted in CSA, Food, Friends and Farms, Local Businesses, Locavore, Real Food, Wine, Winter Eat Local and tagged cooking, CSA, Food, foodie, local businesses, Locavore, real food, wine. Bookmark the permalink.

Pizza? Frittata?

Posted on March 4, 2014 by AnnieRie

So, what is it?

A frittata without potatoes? Or a Pizza with no crust?

Inspired by the Swiss Chard from last week’s basket.

Besides. I needed to use up some eggs.

I started with some leftover thin sliced sausage. Reminiscent of pepperoni. Sautéed with scallions and garlic and sun dried tomatoes. Chard added to wilt down.

Eight eggs whisked with a little milk. Leftover mozzarella.

Everybody into an oven proof pan and put in a 300 degree oven until browned.

Looks like a pepperoni and cheese pizza meets an eggy crust.

We had half of it tonight and the rest will be brunch this weekend.

The star of the dinner though? A 2001 Elk Run Liberty Tavern Estate Cabernet Sauvignon. Found in the cellar. Still hanging in there!

Who says Maryland can’t make good wine? This one was smooth, fruity, just a hint of smoke.

hocofood@@@

1 Comment

Posted in Food, Friends and Farms, Locavore, Real Food, Wine and tagged cooking, Food, Locavore, MD Wine, real food, wine. Bookmark the permalink.

Is it really going to snow again? Or, is it all hype. Hang around a few hours and the numbers change. School around here is already canceled for tomorrow. At this rate it will be Fourth of July before they get out for the summer.

I hit the store Saturday, just in case, and because my husband forgot to remind me to get milk when I was at Wegmans Thursday.

Harris Teeter down in Maple Lawn. It was somewhat busy, but well staffed. I had to get some printing at the copying place there, so it was one of those multiple errand trips.

On the way home, passing Boarman’s, you could see the full parking lot.

I assume we all have enough to survive whatever we get. But, I am crossing my fingers that I get to attend Conservancy events this week. It should be a full week for me, if we don’t get mounds of snow, we have middle school training Tuesday. A program meeting and pre-hike for the Hike to the River on Wednesday. Elementary school training begins Thursday. And, Saturday the Hike to the River.

Looking at this crazy schedule, I did take time today to make a couple of pans of lasagna. Half of one for tonight. Half saved for later this week. Leftover pork for another night. The contents of my Friends and Farms baskets are being put to good use here.

I used up the last of my Pappardelles’ peppercorn lasagna noodles. Time to go back to Secolari in the Mall to get more. I used the loose turkey sausage, some dark meat chicken and the tomato puree to make the sauce.

Ricotta, mozzarella, goat cheese and a couple of eggs for the cheese layers. Italian herbs. Nutmeg in the cheese sauce. Simple improvised lasagna.

While we were watching some TV tonight, I made an interesting concoction.

A splash of red wine. A can of citrus flavored sparkling water. A handful of defrosted blackberries from the freezer. A spoonful of simple syrup. Nice wine cooler. Thanks to all those Larriland berries in the freezer.

Bring on the bad weather. But, let it go away quickly.

hocoblogs@@@

Leave a comment

Posted in Food, Friends and Farms, Local Businesses, Locavore, Real Food, Volunteering, Weather and tagged cooking, Food, howard county conservancy, local businesses, Locavore, real food, volunteering, weather. Bookmark the permalink.

This Week’s Basket

Posted on February 28, 2014 by AnnieRie

It’s been so busy around here, I almost forgot about this week’s Friends and Farms basket. A really full basket this time.

Today my husband and I were talking. He is amazed that we rarely see a need to visit grocery stores much. This pick up of food, and my visits to the local farms, and my freezer full of Larriland goodness pretty much keeps us stocked for the winter.

What did we get this week?

Let’s take it in stages, as it wouldn’t all fit in a picture.

I get a dozen eggs weekly, instead of milk. We are now getting eggs from a farm in Clinton MD. Mostly brown eggs, with a very deep yellow yolk. We got four more Asian pears. Love these pears, as they are so crisp and sweet. We got hydroponic spring mix, enough for two salads. And, grapefruit. Two of those. Root veggies, said the preview. That meant a few parsnips and one humongous carrot. A couple of onions.

The meat included one whole chicken, uncured bacon and a small pork loin roast. Perfect sizes for the two of us. This was an egg week in the description, but since I get eggs weekly instead of milk, this week I got the yogurt. I picked vanilla, in order to mix it with my frozen berries from our summer picking at Larriland. We got rosemary and garlic, perfect for the chicken, and the pork. Potatoes and swiss chard. There will be a frittata early next week.

And, I almost forgot the bread. On the table they had lots of fruit breads this week, from the Breadery. Pumpkin, blueberry, cinnamon raisin. We aren’t fruit bread people so I picked a par-baked ciabatta.

Should be good when I make chicken soup with the leftovers from baking the chicken today.

This chicken, spatchcocked with butter, rosemary, garlic, and tarragon under the skin, and drizzled with olive oil became dinner. Except for the breast meat, which will become soup Sunday.

I made creamed spinach with the rest of the spinach from last week. The rest of the angel hair pasta, cooked and served with grated Parmesan and lemon infused olive oil.

With a local wine. What could be better for a Friday night?

A Linden Avenius chardonnay.

Dessert? Trickling Springs salted caramel ice cream. This was really a local meal, in the dead of winter. Can’t beat that.

hocofood@@@

1 Comment

Posted in CSA, Farms, Food, Friends and Farms, Locavore, Real Food, Wine, Winter Eat Local and tagged cooking, CSA, farms, Food, Linden Vineyards, Locavore, real food, wine. Bookmark the permalink.

Cabin Fever

Posted on February 26, 2014 by AnnieRie

When you wake up many mornings, too many in fact, to a variation of this view …

… you start thinking about the Jimmy Buffett song “Boat Drinks” particularly that line about shooting holes in the freezer.

Thankfully, the Howard County blogging community has a cure for cabin fever. Another get together, this time at the newly opened White Oak Tavern, on Route 40, in the Enchanted Forest shopping center.

The party is tomorrow night, the 27th. 5:30-7:30 pm. White Oak Tavern is a farm to table restaurant featuring lots of locally sourced items. The type of place I like to see succeed here.

A few of their sources, lifted from their winter menu.

Wagon Wheel Ranch – Grass-fed Beef, Free Range Chicken,
and Pastured Berkshire Pork

South Mountain Creamery – Dairy products from grass-fed cows

Mozzarella, peach ice cream and provolone from SMC

Hilltop Acres – Pastured Berkshire and Mulefoot Pork

Chapel’s Country Creamery – artisanal Cheese

Zahradka – Produce
Tuscarora Produce
Atwater’s Bread Co
Vann’s Spice Co
Zeke’s Coffee

I am intrigued by Vann’s. I have thought of going down to Rockville to Penzey’s, but might try ordering a few of the harder to find spices from this locally owned family business.

Come join our friendly local Howard County bloggers for a pint of ale, some good conversation, and maybe a burger and fries, or some ice cream from just up the pike.

hocofood@@@

Leave a comment

Posted in Community, Farms, Food, Local Businesses, Locavore, Real Food, Restaurants, Winter Eat Local and tagged community, farms, Food, hoco loco, hocoblogging, Howard County, local businesses, Locavore, real food. Bookmark the permalink.

My Take on Cassoulet

Posted on February 24, 2014 by AnnieRie

A favorite one pot meal. Cassoulet. With all sorts of options and the ability to use what you have hanging around in your fridge.

Served with an excellent local Big Cork Chardonnay. The last one, so it must be time to head up to Frederick for a few more bottles.

This dish came together because I had leftover chicken breast and garlic sausage. About 6 ounces of chicken breast and the same amount of a fresh kielbasa. They were both main elements of last weekend’s meals.

Start with the base.

Olive oil heated in the pan. Added one sliced yellow onion and a handful of scallions sliced. Half of a green pepper. Three roma tomatoes, sliced. Half dozen cremini mushrooms. Other than the scallions, the rest of this dish was in last week’s delivery from Friends and Farms.

When the vegetables are soft and the onions translucent, add the sausage and chicken. Deglaze it all with a splash of white wine and some stock. Empty a drained can, or two if you like beans, of either cannellini or Great Northern beans. Some fresh basil, slivered. A couple of cloves of roasted garlic, smashed, or a teaspoon of garlic powder. A teaspoon of herbs de Provence. A little salt and white pepper. A teaspoon of tomato paste.

Put everything in a low setting in the oven. I use the slow cook setting, which is 250 degrees. For about an hour for all the flavors to meld.

This picture is the before the oven photo. The plate up top is the “brown” version. It may not be the prettiest dish out there, but it definitely tastes wonderful.

You don’t need duck to make cassoulet. It works just fine with chicken. Not a bad mostly locally sourced meal.

hocofood@@@

1 Comment

Posted in Food, Friends and Farms, Locavore, Real Food, Wine and tagged cooking, Food, Locavore, MD Wine, real food, wine. Bookmark the permalink.

A Picture Perfect Weekend

Posted on February 23, 2014 by AnnieRie

I think spring is teasing us. Saturday and Sunday. Both days where you could just imagine the trees starting to bloom, and look for the crocuses and tulips to start poking their tips out of the thawing ground.

Solomons Island was hopping Saturday. We took a drive down there to sightsee since the sun was shining and it was warm out.

Unfortunately we do know we will have a few more snow and sleet events, at least in the forecast, and that it will be chillingly cold again late this week.

Today I did get to Lowe’s (along with about half of Howard County, it seemed – and the other half looked like they were in the Costco gasoline line). We picked up some potting soil for my spinach, arugula, kale and mesclun seeds. A trellis for this Malabar spinach, once I get to transfer it outdoors.

I am heavily into garden planning. There will be new herbs, and lots less tomatoes. I will fill in my needs for freezing and canning using the pick your own option at Larriland.

I used up more of my pesto from the freezer in recent dinners. Like last night.

Pesto is on the chicken and in the rice. Those split chicken breasts I got in my basket Friday were excellent. I used a simple method of baking them.

I placed a few basil leaves under the skin. Added some defrosted pesto cubes rubbed into the surface. A little salt, pepper and olive oil. Split a couple of the roma tomatoes from the Friends and Farms basket, which by the way, actually taste like tomatoes in the middle of winter. Imagine that! Some scallions. A small splash of white wine. Baked at 325 degrees for about 40 minutes until they registered 185 degrees on the meat thermometer.

The jasmine rice was steamed and then a cube of pesto melted into it. A bed of spring mix with a Caesar dressing.

Frozen strawberry ice cubes. Back when I was talking about my CSA essentials I showed my simple method to preserve those less than perfect berries. Cut out the bad spots. Put the good parts in a blender with a little sugar and puree. Freeze in ice cube trays. In the middle of winter, this is your reward.

Particularly when it is nice and warm outside and you are kicking yourself for not defrosting a few steaks. We did at least clean out the grill (something, either field mouse or chipmunk decided storing seeds in the side unit was a good plan). Fired it up and cleaned the surface. I will be ready when it warms up again. Maybe next week?

hocofood@@@

Leave a comment

Posted in Adventures, CSA, Day Trips, Food, Friends and Farms, Gardening, Weather and tagged cooking, day trips, Food, gardening, local businesses, weather. Bookmark the permalink.

Spatchcocked Chicken

Posted on February 18, 2014 by AnnieRie

Thanks to Steve Raichlen with his Grilling cookbooks I learned to spatchcock a chicken.

Cutting it open along the backbone, and spreading it out in a baking pan. Guaranteed to give you maximum skin browning, while keeping the fragile white meat of the chicken moist.

We have a few more whole chickens from our organic CSA source, Lancaster Farm Fresh.

We picked up our CSA in Columbia, near the Robinson Nature Center. I got a chicken share last fall. These Freedom Ranger free range chickens have an incredibly rich taste. Well worth the time to roast these chickens.

They will show up in a few meals this week. Roasted chicken. Chicken noodle soup. Stock that will be brought out for some risotto.