Category Archives: Wine

Grilling Outside the Bun

Posted on June 8, 2012 by AnnieRie

Never one to be constrained by the notion that hot dogs and hamburgers are prime grilling candidates, I have gone outside the bun with many of my grilling dinners. This time it was turkey.

This is the second time I have grilled turkey. A mild Thanksgiving was the last time. We had half a turkey in the freezer from the winter CSA. It has been in the freezer five months waiting for me to get around to grilling it.

This turkey is making at least three meals. I cut it up and brined it. The breast portion and leg portion went on the grill. The backbone and thigh went in the crock pot to make stock for soup. We will have the breast portion for Sunday night’s eat local supper, but tonight it was all about flavor in the leg of a slow grilled turkey sitting there for four hours.

Served with a wonderful Chateau St. Jean Robert Young Vineyard Chardonnay, new potatoes and onions from the Miller Library farmers market, and rolls from Stone House Bakery, almost all local tonight. The lemon, olive oil, wine and some of the herbs were the only non local items on the menu.

I love Stone House Bakery’s dinner rolls. I buy them all the time at the markets. They are at almost all the Howard County markets. You need to check them out.

It was a lovely night tonight. Perfect for eating on the patio. Here’s to locally sourced free range turkey, and thinking outside the bun!

hocofood@@@

7 Comments

Posted in CSA, Farmer's Markets, Food, Local Businesses, Locavore, Real Food, Wine and tagged , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Kofta

Posted on June 5, 2012 by AnnieRie

Something I have wanted to make, and never got around to it. My New Year’s resolutions included cooking different ethnic foods.

Kofta Kebabs

Made with Kite Hill Farms lamb bought at the market in Catonsville. More spices than you can shake a stick at. Worth it to grind them yourself. I did have cumin seed, coriander seed, allspice, cinnamon and peppercorns to grind and mixed that with the cayenne, ginger and sea salt to make the spice mix that went into these kebabs.

The recipe is from Sara Moulton.

I made three large kebabs and used metal skewers instead of soaking bamboo. We ate outside last night as the weather was lovely. I opened an old bottle of Virginia wine from King Family Vineyards. A Meritage blend of 75% merlot and 25% franc, a soft wine that went well with the lamb. Besides, it was ten years old and definitely ready to drink. I just checked on my wine cellar spreadsheet and see we have one left. Need to make a note to drink it soon.

I served the kofta with tzatziki, not home made, since I don’t have ripe cucumbers yet. Costco does make a nice tzatziki, and we use it all the time with spicy foods, or put it on potatoes. I made steamed English peas, asparagus (foraged), mini bok choy and snow peas. Served with butter and mint. Parboiled, then grilled new potatoes. Most of these are CSA or farmer’s market veggies, and the asparagus is almost the last of my wild ones. I have four spears still growing out there, ready almost but not quite. Haul this year seems to be a total of 36 spears of wild asparagus.

Dinner was relaxed, the breezes mild and the sun stayed out. A perfect evening enjoying the weather.

hocofood@@@

4 Comments

Posted in Farmer's Markets, Food, Foraging, Local Businesses, Locavore, Real Food, Weather, Wine and tagged , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Eating Locally: The First Weekend of the Challenge

Posted on June 4, 2012 by AnnieRie

As I have posted, I am participating with a group of women in a challenge to cook seasonal local foods all summer and fall. We call it our SSFC and blog about it. We have set up a google reader page, as well as we all link to one another.

I also have a page where I will link back to all my posts on the challenge.

Sunday night I made the first completely local meal for the challenge, even though Saturday I also went almost totally local.

I used CSA collards, CSA Yukon Gold New potatoes, Love Dove Farms scallions, Boarman’s bacon, and South Mountain Creamery chicken, with herbs from my garden. All put in a crockpot with olive oil, salt, pepper, and a rub of herbs I dried last year. The fresh herbs included tarragon, sage, rosemary, and marjoram from my herb garden just off the kitchen.

To complement the dinner, we opened a 2009 Linden Chardonnay. This wine is a blend of all three contributing sites that make up Linden’s wines. A creamy, soft wonderful Chardonnay that does well with chicken and seafood. No longer available, this wine sold out quickly with only 206 cases made. It includes the famous experiment with the “egg” for the Avenius contribution to the blend. The “egg” is still in the cellar at Linden, and I forgot to ask at the barrel tasting what they are using it for.

We finished the meal later in the evening with a small bowl of South Mountain Creamery ice cream, their peach flavor.

Definitely a delightful meal from local sources, and using fresh meats and veggies. Not a bad wine, either, from VA.

hocofood@@@

6 Comments

Posted in CSA, Farmer's Markets, Food, Gardening, Local Businesses, Locavore, Real Food, SSFC, Wine and tagged , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Everything is Better With Bacon

Posted on June 3, 2012 by AnnieRie

At least that is what you hear on TV constantly. It is why I keep a small package of thick cut bacon from Boarman in the freezer. I buy only 5-6 slices, freeze them, then take it out and cut off a few squares to add to dishes as they are being made. Like last night’s frittata.

My first Southern SOLE Food Challenge meal. A mostly local meal, with a few exceptions when putting it together. We got a boatload of chard in this week’s CSA delivery. It needed to be used in something that would highlight its earthiness, but also I wanted to balance it with a little creaminess. South Mountain Creamery to the rescue.

Mozzarella, peach ice cream and provolone from SMC

We made a trip to Hagerstown to the outlets today so stopped at the creamery on the way back. The outlets and the creamery are both off Alt. US 40, about 10 miles apart. My hubby had to get an ice cream cone, and we watched them milking cows. I also picked up two chicken leg quarters to use for Sunday night supper with some of the collard greens from the CSA. So, I get two nights meals mostly local. I miss South Mountain being at the Glenwood market.

Back to the bacon, though.

The frittata was made with eggs from TLV Farm, bought Friday at the hospital farmers market. First, I put Love Dove Farms scallions in a pan with a bit of oil, and added the equivalent of two slices of bacon, just cut off in one inch sections from the frozen package. The one inch squares will defrost and cook quickly in the skillet, giving the scallions that bacony taste. I used about 12 ounces of the chard, wilting it on top of the bacon and scallions. A little salt and pepper.

I then mixed 6 extra large eggs with a couple of ounces of milk, and two tablespoons of my recently made garlic scape pesto. Poured all of it into the pan. Let it start to set.

Then added: leftover cheeses. Firefly Farms chevre, and Bowling Green Farms feta. Totaled about 8 ounces of cheese. While we were driving home, I decided to investigate England Acres Farm as a source for meat in the future. They run a farm stand on weekends attached to their historic farm, just west of Mt. Airy.

If you are in the market for fresh chicken this week, their Cornish Rock X chickens, first batch, will be ready on the 6th. While talking to the women who run the farm stand, I found out that they would start processing and selling chickens this week. They already sold out of this week’s eggs before I stopped there at 3 pm Saturday. They do a brisk business and also carry Trickling Springs dairy items, and some amazing goat cheeses from Obergood in Sharpsburg.

I picked up a couple of greenhouse tomatoes there, one of which ended up on top of the frittata, with thin slices of the South Mountain mozzarella. Under the broiler to melt the cheese, and finish the top of the frittata.

Finished off and served with a 2010 Linden Seyval, a hybrid grape that has a citrusy taste. This wine, well balanced and relatively low in alchol, at 12.7%, went well with the frittata, and cut through that richness of the mozzarella. The greenhouse tomato had that hint of acid, and actually tasted like tomato. A promise of what we will be getting in just a few weeks from my garden.

hocofood@@@

3 Comments

Posted in CSA, Day Trips, Farmer's Markets, Food, Local Businesses, Locavore, Real Food, SSFC, Wine and tagged , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Just Another Meatless Monday

Posted on May 29, 2012 by AnnieRie

As opposed to a manic Monday.  It turned out we had another night with dinner not including meat on the plate, and didn’t miss it.  Particularly, when it is hot and humid, we don’t like heavy dishes.  Meat dishes tend to be that way, at least in our house.

What did we do Monday night?

Watermelon, feta and mint salad.  Refreshing, light, made with goat’s milk feta from the Lancaster market. Take feta, watermelon, fresh mint, add good olive oil, salt, pepper, and at the last minute before serving, lime juice. Don’t add the lime early or it will pickle the watermelon.

This feta was so good. If you have the opportunity to visit the Lancaster Farmers Market, buy some.

I grilled the CSA kohlrabi, with apple and garam masala, on a baking sheet for 30 minutes at 500 degrees. It really does taste like cabbage, but milder. The Indian spice mix gave it a good flavor.

We quickly grilled a naan with garlic scape pesto spread on it, as our bread part of the meal.

Served with a lovely 2011 Linden Avenius Sauvignon Blanc.

A tasty grilled meal.

hocofood@@@

7 Comments

Posted in CSA, Farmer's Markets, Food, Real Food, Weather, Wine and tagged , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Spicy Kale Chips, and Other Goodies

Posted on May 27, 2012 by AnnieRie

Finally made the kale chips. They were easy but a bit time consuming.

The drink is a blood orange Cuban basil fizz. These were tonight’s cocktails on the deck. I also made a mostly local dinner to kick off our challenge to eat locally at least once a week. I did a veggie frittata tonight and served it with a Maryland wine.

The frittata used asparagus, scallions, turnips and eggs all local. There was some Parm in it, olives and olive oil, none of which are local. The bulk of the meal was local though.

The kale chips, from my CSA kale with salt, smoked paprika and white pepper. Roasted in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes. Crispy, salty and so good with the cocktail.

The wine, a Black Ankle Gruner Veltliner. A perfect match to the earthiness of the turnips, olives, scallions and asparagus. The frittata was started stove top and finished under the broiler.

It came out beautifully. Don’t even miss the meat in this dinner. Vegetarian, light and so tasty. Dessert later will be the last of the strawberry rhubarb crisp made with last week’s haul from the Howard County markets.

hocofood@@@

9 Comments

Posted in CSA, Farmer's Markets, Food, Locavore, Real Food, Wine and tagged , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Summer CSA Week Three

Posted on May 25, 2012 by AnnieRie

I needed a wide angle lens and I had to stand on a stool to get it all in the picture. This week, the box was chock full of goodies.

Twelve items. Yep, we got to the pick up site and found the boxes full of veggies. The list from the site:

A peek down into a loaded box:

I swapped the kale for a second package of garlic scapes. I want to make another batch of pesto to put in ice cube trays and save for winter cooking. Easy, and so good to use in the dead of winter.

My cost analysis this week yielded even bigger savings than the previous weeks.

Lettuce mix – 18 oz. would cost $10 at Roots. Scallions $1.69. Garlic scapes $2 a bunch X 2 = $4. Bok Choy $3.69. Spinach $3. Collards $3. Radishes $2. Turnips $2.50. Kohlrabi $3. Rainbow Chard $3. Broccoli $2.50. Total for equivalent of organic and farm raised veggies is $38.40. I pay $29.75 a week for the CSA. Again, this week’s organic haul is a bargain. Total savings for the three weeks is $21.15. In good years like this one so far, CSAs are a real bargain, but the risk of a bad year is always out there.

Did I use everything last week? All but the kale, which I swear will become kale chips Sunday or Monday. A couple of red scallions, and half a head of romaine. Everything else got used. So, I did OK in the consumption department. I will leave this post with a pic of one of the mostly local dinners I made using CSA and market foods, and a local wine.

The wild ahi wasn’t local, nor was the Pacific Red Pepper Tomato Soup that made the sauce. The ahi was braised in sauce with red scallions from the CSA, and olive oil. The bread is Atwater’s rosemary Italian. The potatoes came from the Olney market. The garlic scape pesto I made using local scapes, not local pine nuts and parmesan and olive oil. The wine, a lovely Vin Rouge from Glen Manor in VA was the perfect weight to complement the big flavors in the pesto and in the red pepper tomato sauced ahi. 2010 was a hot dry year. This wine was 14.9% alcohol but didn’t feel like it. Good balance of flavors. I saw an email from Jeff White, the owner and winemaker, that came today saying this Vin Rouge is running low. If you want a lovely wine in a Bordeaux style produced here on the East Coast, this is a good one.

I will be using more of the garlic scape pesto tonight making Israeli couscous with pesto, and a side of fresh English peas, asparagus and mint. Dessert will be fresh strawberries with buttermilk cake from the market, and vanilla ice cream, not local unfortunately since South Mountain is missing from the market.

This entire month I went to a chain grocery store once, and spent less than $50 getting staples. You can eat well in season using local markets and your CSA. I really love this time of year. The start of the fresh food season. Now, what to do with kohlrabi?

hocofood@@@

10 Comments

Posted in CSA, Farmer's Markets, Food, GGSAC, Howard County, Locavore, Real Food, Wine and tagged , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Wine in the Garden

Posted on May 17, 2012 by AnnieRie

With all the talk about Wine in the Woods, don’t forget that next Thursday is one of the highlights of the Howard County Conservancy annual events, Wine in the Garden.

Reduced price for tickets ends on May 20th. $40 until then, $50 after that. It is well worth the price of admission to spend the evening wandering the paths of the Honors Garden, while sampling excellent food and tasting the wines provided by the event sponsors.

All proceeds from this event go to fund the preservation and education programs at the Conservancy. This is the big event of the year, where the Conservancy’s generous sponsors donate the food, drink, and silent auction items.

As you stroll around, you will see the descriptions or the items displayed. There are some really nice additions this year to what is being offered. I am looking at the BSO tickets, or maybe the weekend at the B&B in Shepherdstown WV. Last year we won a fold up reclining chair donated by REI. Every day new items are being added as they are delivered to the Conservancy.

The caterers and wine contributors include:
Absolutely Perfect Catering ~ Atlantic Caterers ~ Biddle Street Catering and Events ~ Catering by Uptown ~ Constellation Wines US ~ Far Eastern Shore Winery ~ Gourmet Express Catering ~ Hunt Valley Catering ~ My Thyme, Inc ~ Putting on the Ritz ~ Reliable Churchill ~ The Savory Spoon ~ Simply Elegant Catering ~ The Spice Rack ~Stanford Grill ~ Your Wine & Spirit Shoppe

I wanted to highlight this list of local and nearby companies who annually contribute incredibly beautiful foods and complimenting wines that allow the guests to wander and savor the experience at their leisure. With three acres of gardens, and numerous pathways, every time you turn a corner someone is offering you treats or pouring you a couple of ounces of interesting wines.

The fruit based wines from Far Eastern Winery are really interesting, and something I would not ordinarily drink, but they paired so well with some of the spicy offerings of a couple of the caterers. Dry wines can overpower or fight with those satays, or those tasty little bites that include Indian spices.

This is what is so much fun about Wine in the Garden. The variety. The thought process to find good wines to match what you are tasting. The relative peace and quiet and the view. Beautiful al fresco setting.

And, the water lilies may be blooming by then. Last year they bloomed the beginning of June, but this year they may be a week early and looking like this.

Come join us. We are setting up auction items earlier in the day, then returning to enjoy the event with friends. Cheers!

hocoblogs@@@

Leave a comment

Posted in Community, Food, Gardening, Hobbies, Howard County, Local Businesses, People, Volunteering, Wine and tagged , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

The Miller Library and Market after a Morning at the Conservancy

Posted on May 16, 2012 by AnnieRie

Wow! Today was the first time I went to Miller Library. I went for the farmer’s market after having fun leading first graders around looking for nature, like strawberries and frogs. First graders learn “I Spy Nature” in places like the herb garden, honors garden, farm house front yard, and the apple orchard at the Howard County Conservancy, my favorite place to be on a lovely spring morning.

Wild berries to be found in the clover.

Can you find the two frogs in the picture? The children were looking for colors, shapes, sights, sounds, smells, textures but not tasting. We focus on the senses and use them to discover the natural world around them.

As for the Conservancy, we will be doing Wine in the Garden next Thursday the 24th, and the garden is really lovely right now. The peonies are blooming. I believe these are aurora sunrise. They line the paths down to the Honors Garden where caterers will be feeding us, while volunteers pour wines from local vendors and distributors. A great evening, one I look forward to attending.

After leaving the children behind, for them to enjoy lunch at the picnic tables, I headed off to grab a snowball at the Woodstock Snowball Stand. Today’s flavor of the day was Red Wine Cooler (non alcoholic of course).

It was time to drive down to hit the market and find strawberries to put in the wine cooler I will be making when we grill this weekend. I had never been to the new library. I like Glenwood, my local library, but now I have library envy. Miller is just stunning. I went in to check out the Historical Society, then came out for the start of the market.

The first thing I saw was the new pull behind display trailer that our favorite bakery bought to use at the markets. Stone House Bakery has been at Glenwood a long time, and at the other markets as well. Love the display case.

I picked up some dinner rolls to have with leftover black bean soup, and with the chicken I will be grilling to go with that wine cooler this weekend.

I got the chicken from TLV Tree Farm, they were doing a brisk business in strawberries and asparagus. I also got a dozen eggs from them, and half a chicken. The chicken is fresh, “processed” just yesterday. No frozen birds anymore, we can get fresh free range chickens and know that they don’t have all those antibiotics or hormones.

Talked to John Dove, from Love Dove Farms, to find out garlic scapes will be here next week. I wasn’t the first to ask either, so we may be competing for one of the coolest veggies to use to make pesto. We did pick up some spring onions and some turnips, since I won’t be getting turnips in the CSA box tomorrow.

In order to support more of the farmers there, I did pick up my strawberries from Lewis Orchards, as I had bought chicken, eggs and asparagus from TLV. We always buy fruit from Lewis in the summer at Glenwood. I love getting her bruised peach specials and bringing them home to slice and freeze. Ugly fruit tastes better!

I was pleased to see all the people there at 2 pm. It was a bustling site in the middle of the afternoon.

Great Harvest and the Breadery are both there as well as The Cosmic Bean, and Penn Farm. It was not the week for Bowling Green Farms to bring cheese. They come every other week.

Check out the local markets. They are reasonable in price for the quality you receive, and you can’t get much fresher.

hocofood@@@

5 Comments

Posted in Community, Farmer's Markets, Food, Gardening, Howard County, Local Businesses, Locavore, Nature, Real Food, Volunteering, Wine and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Summer is Coming! Think Pink!

Posted on May 16, 2012 by AnnieRie

Summer is Rosé season around here. This is one of the best around, only surpassed by Linden. This one is very much in the style of a good Provence Rosé.

Monday night I poured out a couple of glasses to have with a frittata made with local ingredients, and realized just how often we turn to the local wineries to find a crisp refreshing dry Rosé to serve in the hotter months. I even found a new term for me to use to describe what we drink often. We are locapours, drinking locally crafted beers, wines, ciders, and ales.

The frittata, by the way, is one of my locavore specialties, made with whatever I found locally in the markets. It was made with the last of the winter CSA eggs, smoked salmon from the Catonsville market, pesto stuffed tomatoes (the tomatoes were from David’s and not local), greens from the spring CSA box. Almost all locally sourced. The pesto was big, with some cress and with the last of my black walnuts. Started on the stovetop and finished under the broiler.

Easy dinner. Good, too.

Today it’s off to the Miller Library farmer’s market to get eggs and some berries, if they have berries. Otherwise Larriland this weekend, I believe is ready.

hocofood@@@

Leave a comment

Posted in CSA, Farmer's Markets, Food, Howard County, Local Businesses, Locavore, Wine and tagged , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.
← Older Posts
Newer Posts →