Category Archives: Locavore

Really Great Customer Service …

Posted on February 12, 2014 by AnnieRie

… begins and ends with communication. And, accommodation. And, great products.

With crazy weather approaching, we wondered “How will Friends and Farms get our weekly items to us?”

We shouldn’t have worried. We got emails this morning, linking us to the updated page about inclement weather. Followed a few hours later with more information.

Do you want to come in tonight to pick up? Extended warehouse hours. Facebook pictures of staff filling extra baskets for those of us who pick up tomorrow.

We got there at 4:15. Lots of people there. Efficient drop off of bags and name taking. Extra staff shuttling baskets out from the warehouse.

Communication that bread wasn’t available as The Breadery delivers the morning of pick up. Do you would to come in over the weekend, or get two loaves next week?

I got home and noticed, in the insulated bag, my quick frozen green beans were missing. Popped off an email.

Got a response back in ten minutes from Tim, one of the founders. Apologies and choices. Did I want to pick up this weekend with the bread, or have it held until next week?

Since I want the bread for Sunday breakfast and for the egg salad I want to make for the weekend, I am popping over to pick up.

What did we get though? A winter “CSA style” basket is definitely regional, and definitely seasonal.

Hydroponic Bibb lettuce. Grown in high tunnels in the winter. Hamlin oranges from Florida. These juicy oranges are perfect for making salads. Like my fennel and orange salad. One humongous cabbage. There will be “blind pigeons” next week. My MIL’s recipe, using some sausage and ground beef mixed, with rice and some of that really flavorful tomato puree we got.

We also got two large red onions. Again, my go-to onion for salads. These are firm and fresh. So much nicer than what I find in the grocery stores.

Grape tomatoes to make a Bibb and tomato salad. Eggs (which I now get weekly instead of milk). My favorite Amish yogurt, which I now get biweekly (substituted this instead of the biweekly eggs others get).

I love the customization flexibility. I really enjoy the variety of the meats.

This week there was a “breakfast” meat. Fresh turkey sausage. The main source for beef, pork, and lamb we have been getting is Wayne Nell and Sons near York PA. We also got two rib eye steaks, perfect for a Valentine Dinner. And, chicken.

This week, boneless/skinless chicken thighs. I am thinking of all sorts of things to make with this chicken. Freebird is just awesome. You can enter your package code and “meat” the farmer who raised this chicken.

Really happy with Friends and Farms, enough to write about them often. We just renewed our subscription for 13 weeks.

hocofood@@@

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Posted in Community, Farms, Food, Friends and Farms, Local Businesses, Locavore, Real Food and tagged community, cooking, CSA, farms, Food, local businesses, Locavore. Bookmark the permalink.

The Peanut-iest

Posted on February 8, 2014 by AnnieRie

Sometimes it’s those little local items that bring fun into cooking. Like those Virginia raw peanuts we got in this week’s basket from Friends and Farms.

Raw peanuts. This isn’t the first time I have used raw peanuts in cooking. A few years ago I got peanuts out at the Common Market in Frederick and made peanut brittle.

This time, I decided to use the peanuts to make spiced nuts. I roasted them. Spread them out on a pan and added molasses, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon and Old Bay.

I didn’t take pictures this time. But, they taste great, even if they are a little messy looking.

Great snack while watching the Olympics.

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Posted in Food, Local Businesses, Locavore, Real Food and tagged cooking, Food, foodie, Locavore, real food. Bookmark the permalink.

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

Posted on February 4, 2014 by AnnieRie

Ordinarily I am not a big fan of chicken breast. Usually too dry and without the taste that legs, thighs and wings have (at least to my taste preferences).

I tried a new technique for me, and made a very satisfying dinner tonight. Half the chicken in dinner, and the rest will become a chicken corn chowder base in a day or two.

Made in a stir fry pan. Here is what I did.

I had a pound of boneless chicken breast from our first Friends and Farms basket. I wanted chicken pieces that were moist. So, I started out with the chicken fat that had been skimmed off the stock I made with a whole chicken last week. I heated it up in the pan and added the chicken in strips and cubes. Let it cook slowly in the “schmaltz”. Pulled out the chicken and removed all the fat from the pan.

Put in my base.

Remember that jam jar dressing recipe from last week? Made with maple yogurt and Dijon mustard. Well, over the weekend I made another batch right in the mustard container, using equal amounts of mustard and yogurt and adding the cider vinegar and oil in the appropriate ratio. I put some coconut milk in the pan, about six ounces, added two teaspoons of flour, salt, pepper, and a healthy squirt of the mustard dressing. Made a white sauce. Added about four ounces of my oven roasted cherry tomatoes, taken from my freezer. Put the chicken back after adding another couple of ounces of milk to get the consistency I wanted.

A little sprinkle of tarragon, and of paprika. Kept on a low simmer while I made some of the Pappardelle’s pasta from Secolari.

I used about four ounces of the pasta that made two servings of pasta. Added about half the chicken mixture. That leaves me with half a pound of chicken to make the soup later this week.

The finished dish. I was considering adding cheese, but it was fine all by itself.

Served with a Maryland Chardonnay from Big Cork. The 2012 vintage. Perfect match to the creaminess of the sauce, this big chardonnay balanced the meal. The salad. Made with the Bibb lettuce from last week’s basket.

I have to admit. It is easy around here to eat locally, even in the dead of winter. The chicken. The tomatoes from the freezer. The schmaltz from a local roasting chicken bought last fall. The yogurt in the dressing. The lettuce. The wine.

I am glad we signed up with Friends and Farms for the winter. Gets me into making new dishes, and expanding my recipe collection.

Now I need to pull the frozen corn from the freezer and make that soup soon.

hocofood@@@

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Posted in Farms, Food, Friends and Farms, Local Businesses, Locavore, Real Food, Wine, Winter Eat Local and tagged cooking, CSA, farms, Food, foodie, heirloom tomatoes, local businesses, Locavore, MD Wine, value of CSA, wine. Bookmark the permalink.

Monday at the Mall

Posted on January 27, 2014 by AnnieRie

I am not usually a Mall person. I think the last time I visited Columbia Mall was when we bought our new ovens from Sears. A very long time ago.

My husband, has his hair cut at Cavallero. Right across the way from the scene of the shootings last weekend. For 35 years, he has been going to “Rex’s Place” which became Cavallero. He was just there earlier this month.

For me, the locavore and small business advocate, my only recent dealings with the Mall have been specialty stores, like Secolari.

A family owned business that opened before Christmas.

To show support for the stores, we were there around 2 PM today, right after the Mall reopened. I went in and tasted olive oils and vinegars. Bought a few things. Met Casey from cookieride. And a few Chamber of Commerce members.

My husband popped over to Starbucks to get a small coffee. Ran into the governor’s entourage. That was interesting.

The Howard County community wants to show that we support the people who work at the Mall. That we know they need to get back to work, and they need our business to continue to succeed.

It was a bittersweet afternoon. The tribute to the victims at the entrance. The fire and police presence. The reporters and cameras. Not the normal Monday afternoon scene.

If you get the chance, and love good pasta, olive oil, honey, sea salts, and vinegars, stop by Secolari and welcome them to Columbia. Try the white balsamic vinegar with the black truffle sea salt.

I will be making some interesting dishes using their ingredients to compliment my next basket from Friends and Farms.

And, caring about the health of the businesses in my county. My home for almost four decades. Which is still an amazing place to live.

hocoblogs@@@

#hocounited

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Posted in Commentary, Community, Food, Howard County, Local Businesses, Locavore and tagged commentary, community, cooking, foodie, hoco loco, Howard County, local businesses, Locavore. Bookmark the permalink.

Meal Planning

Posted on January 20, 2014 by AnnieRie

Something I vow to do. But, it doesn’t always get done.

This week, though, we have quite a full calendar. Lots of people coming, for work estimates, including those to clean up from the burst pipe.

My better half has two amateur radio dinners, so I need food for my dinners at home.

A fellow blogger, part of my group that did an Eat Local challenge, had a post today that reminded me about the importance of planning ahead and using items in their prime.

Slow cooker recipes are always my favorite. Like my venison chili.

Using my freezer items. The last of the ground venison. My roasted peppers aka the chili starter. Larriland tomatoes, that were blanched and frozen whole.

Half the turtle beans from the Friends and Farms basket. They were soaked overnight. Drained, rinsed and cooked until almost done (making sure to boil them for ten minutes before simmering for two hours). Also adding that tablespoon of baking soda, recommended for those of us with hard water.

The other half of the beans were simmered on the stove, with half the basmati rice I made the other day in my Christmas present. My rice cooker. The half of the beef sausage not used in the frittata.

I now have three more meals from the chili I made. A meal from the black beans and rice with sausage. And, leftover lasagna. Most of those leftovers were flash frozen in order to keep them fresh. I bring them out early in the morning into the fridge. Put them in the oven on the slow cook setting, while we handle all our daily things.

Dinner is ready and waiting without time spent on our busy weekdays.

I have to say, my favorite items around here are: the crock pot, the rice cooker, and the chest freezer. It makes it easier to cook in advance, when I have spare time. During those hectic days, I have the equivalent of “TV dinners” in the freezer, that are simple to pop in the oven.

The other thing I did Saturday was cook all the potatoes, and half the eggs, for salads.

I wasn’t always this organized when I first joined a CSA in 2010. We gave away quite a few items, and some rotted before use. It has taken three years to get to this state. Where I can efficiently use CSA items and make use of those frozen goodies.

This week, though, I need to find something more interesting to do with those lovely portobellos still in the fridge. They are really nice looking, and I am thinking about stuffing them. Or maybe a mushroom lasagna. I still have some Secolari noodles in the pantry.

Even when I plan, I get that urge to be creative. Great ingredients from our local sources make that easy, too.

hocofood@@@

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

The Sausage Inspired Frittata

Posted on January 18, 2014 by AnnieRie

The beef sausage just screamed, make something with eggs and sausage.

The Friends and Farms basket contained eggs, potatoes and sausage. All great ingredients to make a frittata (or a Spanish tortilla). The difference, flipping in a pan or finishing in an oven. I chose to finish in the oven.

My cast iron skillet has a cover that doubles as a shallow frying pan.

This morning I slow cooked the sausage in the oven. All of it. Half went into tonight’s dinner. The other half will be used in another dish. I also parboiled the potatoes we got. Peeled and sliced.

Some became potato salad. One went into this dish. Along with some chard from Harris Teeter and a few scallions.

The sausage, scallions and chard were all cooked first. Then I added five eggs that had been whisked with a splash of milk, salt, pepper, and herbs de Provence.

Cooked on the stove top until the bottom set, then finished in a 350 degree oven, sprinkled with Parmesan, cut and served with a salad.

The bibb lettuce from F&F also.

A simple Saturday night dinner, served with a Virginia wine.

Early Mountain does make one very flavorful Pinot Gris. It went well with the frittata.

A very good beginning to cooking with our new source for food. Thanks, Friends and Farms. Today, a frittata. Tomorrow, venison black bean chili.

hocofood@@@

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

Friends and Farms, Intro

Posted on January 16, 2014 by AnnieRie

My first “basket” from the local company bringing regional, seasonal foods to the area.

Friends and Farms.

Yes, I know. I was supposed to be in a winter CSA. They canceled due to lack of a minimum. It gave me an opportunity to try out Friends and Farms.

I have talked to them a few times. We shared exhibit space (I was volunteering for the Conservancy) at the Wellness Fair last summer. I wasn’t sure I wanted a meat, dairy, produce, fruit and fish supplier. But, they have great options. Like sample baskets. And, four week or thirteen week subscriptions. Individual, Small, Large, and Vegetarian options.

Flexibility to substitute. So, I signed up for a small basket, for four weeks. After my first pick up today, I will be using them until CSA season starts.

I really am impressed with what we get, and their use of regional suppliers from small farms, fish suppliers, butchers, bakers (I wonder if they have candle stick makers). Seriously, some familiar suppliers and some new finds.

I like having a few weeks advance planning calendar. Makes meal planning easier.

Enough words. What did we get? A small basket will supply 2 people for 2 or 3 meals daily.

First, the meat element.

Wayne Nell and Sons supplies much of their meats. We got chicken breasts, country style boneless pork ribs and beef sausage. You can opt out of pork if you wish.

Every other week you get a breakfast style meat with eggs. The opposite week it looks to be seafood and something else, like a cheese choice.

We don’t drink (well I don’t) milk, so we opted for the Pequea Valley yogurt option. This week we got Black Cherry. I could have substituted a different flavor if I didn’t like this one.

Eggs. An Individual Quick Frozen (IQF) butternut squash puree. I am thinking hummus maybe, or lasagna to use more of those lovely Pappardelle pepper lasagna noodles bought at Secolari the other day.

The rest.

Bibb lettuce. Hydroponic tomatoes. Potatoes (plus a bonus of a few sweet potatoes, as some of the white potatoes may have a bit of freeze damage on them). Two lovely Portobello mushrooms. Two pink grapefruit from FL. A bag of dried black beans. A jar of McCutcheon’s pickles.

And, bread from The Breadery. I chose the option of variety, instead of having them give me the same bread weekly. You pick a loaf from the assortment displayed. I chose 5 seed bread this week. You can also swap the bread if you are gluten free, or on a low carb regimen.

I really like the options. We already had bread with dinner tonight, and the beans will be soaked and cooked tomorrow.

Chicken stir fry this weekend. Egg salad sandwiches, using some pickles. A frittata with the beef sausage crumbled in it. Using some eggs. Potatoes.

This is exciting. I like the thought processes that put together the baskets.

Check them out. They have pick up spots all around Howard County, and they are really convenient on Gerwig Lane, just off Broken Land and Snowden River.

hocofood@@@

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Discovering Secolari

Posted on January 12, 2014 by AnnieRie

The new store in Columbia Mall. My husband was there Friday and picked up some of the Pappardelle pasta I have found to be so good, and so versatile.

This is the peppercorn trio lasagna noodle. Let’s say it amazed me, as it expands during the cooking. It gets wider so I only needed four of the six noodles I boiled.

These noodles, along with some homemade sauce with hot Italian sausage became the base for my latest venture into different lasagna recipes.

And, by base, I mean the bottom two layers. I ran out before I got to the top so I improvised. I had some vegan roasted pepper sauce from Roots in the cupboard so added that on the top layer.

We served it with a simple green salad, and a very nice Breaux wine. The “Trilogy”.

This was my Sunday “Eat Local” dinner. Much of this meal came from my freezer and fridge.

The sauce. Made with Larriland tomatoes. Copper Penny sausage. The last of my CSA onions. I put all three in a baking dish yesterday and slow roasted it until the sausage fell apart, the onions almost disintegrated and the tomatoes could be pureed. I then added a can of San Marsano crushed tomatoes and a cube of my pesto. To make a sauce.

Cooking from the freezer.

As for the cheese portion of the lasagna. Bowling Green Feta, chopped in the food processor. Chevre bought at Breezy Willow. One of their eggs. A splash of Trickling Springs milk. Pecorino Romano. Mixed up. I just eyeballed how much milk I needed to get it creamy enough to spread.

If I didn’t have those extra noodles, I would have been fine, but that third layer needed sauce, so I used about half the jar of that vegan roasted pepper sauce.

I spread extra Pecorino Romano on top, and added some dried Italian herb mix. Oregano, basil, thyme. Slow cooked covered in the oven while the 49ers beat the Panthers. Uncovered at a slightly higher oven temp to brown the top.

We will get two meals from this dish. It has a kick to it, from the hot Italian sausage and the peppercorn pasta.

My next foray into lasagna will probably be a butternut squash dish, to use more of these great noodles.

I will head back to Secolari to try their olive oils next. Thanks to HowChow for his post that reminded me they had opened at the Mall.

hocofood@@@

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Posted in Food, Local Businesses, Locavore, Winter Eat Local and tagged cooking, Food, foodie, local businesses, Locavore, VA wine, wine. Bookmark the permalink.

The Winter Locavore

Posted on December 30, 2013 by AnnieRie

I miss the Dark Days Challenge. Back two years ago when I thought it would be hard to find local foods to cook a meal.

These days, after learning how bountiful our area is, I miss the challenge as a way to connect to other bloggers, who value eating seasonally and locally.

It is simple to eat mostly local foods at every meal, here in the MidAtlantic.

Breezy Willow Eggs

Breakfast is simple, if you use local eggs, bacon, locally baked breads, butter, yogurt, milk.

Lunch, lots of simple salads with high tunnel greens. Sold at markets. Like the winter indoor Olney Market at the Sandy Spring Museum, or the Saturday Silver Spring Market. Things like potato salad. Beets. Spinach. Mock’s greenhouse tomatoes, arugula, basil, chard.

Fritattas. Chicken or turkey salad made with local meats.

We have a freezer full of local meats. Fruit picked at Larriland. Tomatoes from my garden. Pesto. Greens. Corn. Fava Beans.

I can easily use local food sources and my freezer to make meals most of the week. Saturday farm hours at Breezy Willow and Copper Penny. Saturday and Sunday at England Acres.

I just wish we still had that challenge to keep us interested in blogging about it. And, I am crossing my fingers that Mom’s in Jessup gets enough sign ups to make the winter CSA a go. We will know in about two weeks. CSA would start up again the week of the 20th.

As part of my resolution, I will cook a local meal most Sunday nights, and blog about it. Not a bad resolution.

hocofood@@@

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Posted in CSA, Dark Days, Farmer's Markets, Farms, Food, Howard County, Local Businesses, Locavore, Real Food, Winter Eat Local and tagged CSA, farmer's markets, farms, Food, foodie, Howard County, local businesses, Locavore, real food. Bookmark the permalink.

My Local Little Christmas

Posted on December 25, 2013 by AnnieRie

This year I managed to buy almost every gift I gave from local artisans, farms, small businesses and people I know.

With the exception of regifting some books and some vintage jewelry from my late mother in law’s collection of fun costume stuff.

I didn’t post until after the presents have been given.

For me, reducing waste and my carbon footprint have driven me to look locally for my food, my services, my choices in giving, and just generally in how we live.

Call it that “greening” thing.

I still have a few indulgences that can’t be found locally. Like avocadoes. Spices. Citrus.

But, by and large, I prefer supporting people I know, all year round.

Some highlights.

Local wines. Taken to drink at my brother’s. And given as gifts. This year, it was mostly Big Cork.

Drinkable, approachable wines, to take to dinner when ham is on the menu. The Vidal Blanc and the Traminette.

Fun gifts. Like the soaps from Breezy Willow. Wild Woman is one of my favorites.

An alpaca scarf for my husband.

The greenery around the door from TLV Tree Farm. The tree from Greenway Farms. Not from North Carolina, but from right up the road.

The shrimp I took to my brother’s came from Boarman’s.

Dinner tonight featured many local items too. Tomorrow, my post will be about replacing those expensive dinners with easy to prepare local feasts.

To paraphrase, have yourself a local little Christmastime. Think about it as you get ready for New Year’s Eve. More on suggestions for the upcoming holiday later this weekend.

Makes for a lovely holiday week.

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