Tag Archives: cooking

Zukes and Cukes

Posted on June 22, 2015 by AnnieRie

A #grow100 update.

The major section of my designated #grow100 one hundred square foot gardening area. Covered in zucchini and cucumber plants. With shallots, leeks and onions farther down the row.

I harvested my first green cucumber this weekend. Plus, three more mini whites.

There were also three more large zucchini out there this weekend.

And the onions. Wow, do we have onions. Want to grow something very easy. Put in onions.

Most of these came from my grow 100 area. Reds. Whites. Goldens. The rain has been pretty relentless and I have to harvest those which exhibit signs of too much rain. Their tops droop over. If you try to pull them out, they break. These will not be candidates for curing. They will be eaten fresh. Many ways to make those onions. I made Ina Garten’s herb roasted onions for dinner.

Only I jazzed them up with zucchini and garlic scapes. A simple vinaigrette made with honey mustard, olive oil, thyme, dill, salt, pepper and lemon juice. Baked until soft.

Head over to Grow It, Eat It to see how easy it is to start a garden.

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Posted in Food, Gardening, Hobbies and tagged cooking, Food, foodie, gardening, real food. Bookmark the permalink.

Cherry Picking

Posted on June 21, 2015 by AnnieRie

Out at Larriland.

I got there Friday morning to pick sweet cherries. It certainly was busy.

The parking area was full. Most people, though, were picking strawberries so the cherry trees were relatively quiet. I know it was the last day of school around here, but there were quite a few families out there.

Cherries were $3.99 a pound. I picked four pounds. Knowing I was going to make jam, I wasn’t that careful about keeping the stems on the cherries.

I came home, cleaned and pitted them. Prepared my canning stuff. Found a recipe I liked. And made five jars of cherry “jam”, which is actually more like a syrup.

The recipe was a low sugar, no pectin, three ingredient one. Cherries. Sugar. Lemon juice. Not too hard to do.

We are so lucky to have a pick your own farm right up the road. Larriland is a treasure in our county.

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Posted in Farms, Food, Howard County, Local Businesses, West HoCo and tagged cooking, farms, Food, foodie, local businesses, West HoCo. Bookmark the permalink.

Vampires

Posted on June 18, 2015 by AnnieRie

Or lack thereof due to the high concentration of garlic in the house.

After all, how many people do you know that are curing garlic in their laundry rooms? The garlic hanging there is destined for the Howard County Food Bank. The first of many harvests to give us about a month’s worth of garlic to donate. I took about a dozen heads of garlic out of the ground this week. The largest ones, which were already turning brown on their tops. The rest. Will get harvested as they dry out. If it ever stops raining. Garlic is easy to grow, but needs to be dried somewhere cool and dry.

Besides that garlic, I have scapes from the CSA and green garlic also. Green garlic are those immature plants that are culled out to make room for the more robust plants that will become mature garlic.

In this picture you can see green garlic on the right and scapes all curled up on the left. I made some pesto. Cut some in pieces to use in stir fry dinners. I should have left a few of them whole so I could wrap bacon around them and grill them. Too late for this batch.

If you have never had scapes, I know that Love Dove Farms sells them at the various county markets. I used to buy mine there before the CSA started inundating us with scapes.

Tonight a few ended up in this meal.

An almost completely locally sourced meal. The salad. Arugula and butter lettuce and chive blossoms from my garden. The main dish. Pappardelle’s garlic chive pasta from Secolari, served with shrimp from Friends and Farms. Pesto from my freezer (last year’s basil). Snow peas, scallions and scapes from the CSA.

With all this garlic, there will be no vampires in this part of western HoCo.

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Posted in CSA, Farms, Food, Friends and Farms, Gardening, Locavore and tagged cooking, CSA, Food, foodie, gardening, Locavore, real food. Bookmark the permalink.

Lovin’ Summertime

Posted on June 13, 2015 by AnnieRie

Summer has arrived. Really arrived. Hot, humid, perfect weather for the garden to flourish.

The first zucchini. Out of that 100 square ft area in my garden. I like to pick the earliest ones when they are small, and do a simple dish with them. The massive zucchini will come later when I find them hiding under the leaves.

We got some really good stuff in our Friends and Farms basket Thursday. Atlantic Bluefin and ground lamb are the stars.

We did the tuna Thursday, and made mega meatballs tonight from one of the packages of lamb.

I do a “no measure” meatball. Putting in bread crumbs, an egg, za’atar and cumin, salt and pepper, a few scallions. Baking at 350 degrees until perfectly browned.

A few meatballs. Sautéed zucchini. New potatoes from up at Jenny’s market.

Followed by one really great dessert. Strawberry rhubarb dessert bars.

Not too bad for a hot humid Saturday. Here’s to more meals from local foods. Here’s to celebrating summertime.

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Posted in Food, Friends and Farms, Gardening, Locavore, Weather and tagged cooking, Food, foodie, gardening, Locavore, real food, weather. Bookmark the permalink.

Scapes Season

Posted on June 10, 2015 by AnnieRie

It has arrived. Garlic scape season.

That first bunch of scapes in the CSA box from Lancaster Farm Fresh. Time to head over to the recipe page and start browsing.

It was a great transition box this week.

Strawberries and rhubarb in the fruit share. Spring onions. Baby fennel. Greens. Beets. Cilantro and mint.

The meat share.

Beef stir fry. Pork links. Boneless pork chops.

Tonight I was just in the mood for a stir fry. Using quite a bit of the box, and one of those precious scapes.

Scapes, scallions and chard stems. In the wok with some light olive oil and toasted sesame oil. Fresh ginger.

Add beef, soy sauce, straw mushrooms and curly kale.

Served over brown rice. With a very lovely Linden Rose.

Get yourself to the local farmers markets and see if Love Dove Farms has their usual supply of scapes. So many ways to make them. Not just in pesto.

A short season, but a flavorful one.

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Posted in CSA, Farmer's Markets, Food, LFFC, Locavore and tagged cooking, CSA, farmer's markets, farms, Food, Locavore, real food, VA wine. Bookmark the permalink.

Perfect Pork Chops

Posted on June 5, 2015 by AnnieRie

I finally figured out how to make the perfect pork chops. It’s only the third or fourth time we have gotten chops in our Friends and Farms order, or in the meat share from the CSA.

This was yesterday’s protein and dairy bag. From Wayne Nell and Sons, four large beautiful boneless pork chops, extra thick.

As for the rest of the basket, we are getting eggs again from Miller Farm in Clinton MD. A nice changeover to really farm fresh eggs instead of our regional winter supplier. We got some chicken apple sausage from Logan’s, in Baltimore. And, boneless skinless chicken breasts from Locust Point Farms in Elkton, MD. Instead of milk, as usual, I got my weekly substitute “extra produce”. An option for those who don’t drink milk. Two bunches of scallions.

As for those pork chops, I took apart the package and vacuum sealed two of them to freeze for later use. The others.

I pounded them with my mother’s old meat tenderizing mallet. Breaking them down a bit and getting them both to the same thickness so they would cook at the same rate. Nothing on them but salt and pepper. Pan fried in light olive oil. Very high heat to sear. Finished under a lid with a splash of white wine to deglaze the pan and get the centers to that perfect state of doneness.

Then, I forgot to take pictures. So there is no “after” shot. Still, my husband declared them to be the best I have ever made. They weren’t tough anywhere. They weren’t chewy. They were moist and flavorful.

I served them with the last of the cabbage from a month or so ago. I kept that whole cabbage in the fridge, and I slow cooked it in chicken stock in the oven. Falling apart. I also got a bag of apples as an add on this week, and baked two of them to use as a side for the pork chops.

These were the add ons this week.

Five pounds of apples. A pint of vanilla ice cream to use with some of those strawberries around here. Sechrist Brothers beef hot dogs. Because sometimes you really want to grill hot dogs and hamburgers and these all beef hot dogs are just awesome.

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

An Evening at Secolari

Posted on June 4, 2015 by AnnieRie

One of the few places I frequent in Columbia Mall these days. Family owned. Right there on “Main Street”.

I like this somewhat new addition to the Mall. Secolari was one of the first stores that opened there.

Mary and Bart de Rosa, who live in Clarksville, opened this second store near the end of the year 2013 into early 2014. My husband discovered it in January, bringing home some of the wonderful Pappardelle’s pasta that they sell.

I loved it and blogged about it.

I will always be buying pasta from them. There is no real description that I can make that shows you just how silky and flavorful this pasta is. Last night, at our blogger event, I had to stock up.

I am trying a new one this time. A pasta luce, or “pasta light”. No durum. Less carbs and more protein. They also carry a gluten free assortment.

This visit though, I found a new item to try.

Actually two of them. I love the flavored vinegars and wanted to try the peach in some vinaigrettes. But, it’s that olive oil.

BUTTER. FLAVORED. OLIVE. OIL.

You heard it. This oil is absolutely awesome. Go there and just smell it. I can guarantee you will go home with it. They served it over popcorn. With their black truffle sea salt. Adult popcorn. Perfect for date night.

It is supposedly great for baking. I am currently searching for some recipes to try with it.

Thanks to the hocoblogger community for coming out to support Bart and Mary in this successful store. Bart tells me they are opening two more stores in Maryland. One in Towson. The other? I just had a senior moment and forgot where. I’ll have to check about that one.

I love this place for buying gift packs.

If you need a housewarming gift, or a thank you, or just want to treat yourself, buying a set of oil and vinegar, or some honey, or sea salts, or pastas, or jams and jellies, this is the place to do it.

And no, they don’t pay me to say this. They do have blogger parties, with food to show off their products. I wouldn’t keep going back if they didn’t have a great product. Besides, they are the sweetest people who just love what they do.

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Posted in Community, Food, Howard County, Local Businesses and tagged community, cooking, Food, foodie, Howard County, local businesses, real food. Bookmark the permalink.

Protein and Dairy

Posted on May 31, 2015 by AnnieRie

An option from our Friends and Farms baskets. One that we enjoy during the summer, when our garden is producing the bulk of our vegetables, and Larriland becomes the source for most of our fruit.

I miss the South Mountain Creamery truck at the Glenwood Market. But, I am happy to report that you can get wonderful yogurt and ice cream and milk from Friends and Farms.

This week’s protein and dairy bag, with a couple of add ons.

The add ons. Pequea Valley plain yogurt. No sugar in it. Just plain yogurt. Thick, rich. The flavored ones are good too, in particular I love the maple yogurt. Still, plain yogurt can be used all sorts of places.

As for that ice cream. If you love hot stuff, you must try it. If you are a heat wimp, you will freak at what is in this ice cream. Trickling Springs in Chambersburg PA makes this ice cream. It contains cinnamon, chipotle powder and habanero powder. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. I can’t eat it all by itself but I am thinking of one amazing milk shake.

As for this week’s protein items we received. We got two lovely rainbow trout. Cleaned. Split. We grilled them with lemon and dill.

Also, a couple of pounds of short ribs. They are in the freezer. Crock pot dinner later next week.

My typical dozen eggs. Already gone. Frittatas.

We don’t do whole milk. I choose to get a surprise veggie instead. This week. Beets with greens.

If you want really good meat and eggs and dairy, this is the way to go.

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Posted in Farmer's Markets, Farms, Food, Friends and Farms, Local Businesses, Locavore and tagged cooking, farmer's markets, Food, foodie, gardening, local businesses, Locavore, real food. Bookmark the permalink.

Catching Up Again

Posted on May 26, 2015 by AnnieRie

On the local food scene. In our home, it is presently dominated by our two summer food sources. A Community Supported Agriculture large share of vegetables. And a protein and dairy bag from Friends and Farms.

Supplemented by trips to the Glenwood Farmers Market. And, stopping at Jenny’s Market to round out the fruit.

Occasionally I have to hit Harris Teeter for things like tonic water for those gin and tonics. Aranciata for those Lemon Basil drinks. Tea bags to make iced tea.

The garden also contributes. With greens and spring onions.

As for the CSA. We had another week of greens overload. Not a bad thing, as we eat salads at lunch and dinner. This week at least it was all really good stuff.

Leaf lettuces. Spring mix. Romaine. Spinach. Two bunches of scallions. Green garlic. Two kinds of mushrooms. And, strawberries.

There will be no problem in using up all these goodies. Caesar salads. Greens with fruit and cheese. Greek salad. All sorts of possibilities. I am even thinking of pesto with some of my chive blossom stems and the spring garlic.

We are crossing our fingers that we get garlic scapes next week. To replenish my pesto supplies in the freezer.

As for the proteins.

Our meat share gave us ground beef. I am thinking of hamburgers on the grill. We already had the spare ribs for dinner tonight. Slathered in Rhubarb BBQ sauce. The drumsticks I will grill also.

That BBQ sauce? I found a recipe here. But then I didn’t follow it. I used the ingredients, but not in the quantities. I used frozen berries from last year. I used mostly rhubarb. My suggestion when you get an idea like this. Use whatever suits your taste. I used more mustard. Less molasses. Didn’t use the cloves. Bottom line. Trust your taste and be adventurous.

Who needs bottled sauces when it is relatively simple to simmer up a sauce that is fresh, bold, tasty and versatile.

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

The 4F Club

Posted on May 3, 2015 by AnnieRie

Friends. Farms. Families. Foraging. The theme for today’s post. Much of today centered around these words. Like foraging.

Those wild asparagus that live out by my driveway. I harvested five of them so far this week. Just enough to add to dinner. Which began from my Friends and Farms basket.

There was a very nice brisket in the basket. As well as some Baby Bella mushrooms. Both showed up in dinner. We did slow cook the brisket on Thursday, but the leftovers became dinner tonight.

As for families. Part of the dinner came from Jennys. Subject of yesterday’s post. New red potatoes. Snap peas.

Part of dinner came from my garden.