To Market, To Market To Buy A Fat Pig

I am so excited. This morning, my friend Anne and I are off to the Great Allentown Fairgrounds Farmer's Market in Allentown, Pennsylvania.  

A little history:

The market was started in 1889 in downtown Allentown. The "market" was really just a street corner at 8th. and Gordon Streets where farmers could sell their produce and meat products (think live chickens folks) Later, the market was named The Morning Market and every Saturday morning, the local Amish (and not so Amish) farmers loaded up their wagons and brought fresh food to the city. 

In 1911 the Morning Market moved to the newly built Agricultural Hall at 17th. and Chew Streets and was expanded to Fridays and Saturdays. The name was changed to The Farmer's Market and grew to include bakers, cobblers, and other assorted trades.

The Farmer's Market grew and prospered. It became known for good, farm fresh produce and meat products and in 1958 a new wing was added to accommodate the growing number of vendors and shoppers. At this time The Farmer's Market added Thursday's to their shopping calendar. 

Today, The Farmer's Market is still the place to go for farm fresh produce, eggs, poultry, beef and pork. There are over 60 farm stands (many still Amish and Mennonite) under one roof that covers about 90,000 square feet of shopping area. 

This is my old stomping grounds and I can't wait to shop the old market. 

Once a year the city still hosts The Great Allentown Fair where farm kids bring their 4-H project and [hopefully] win a blue ribbon. A local butcher still buys the winning bull and you can buy that meat right there in his shop - proudly proclaiming "Blue Ribbon Winner at The Great Allentown Fair". 

Good farm wives bake their best pies and cakes and enter them into contests to be judged, again, hoping to bring home a ribbon.

Every teenager in my hometown "worked" the fair for our summer money. If you didn't work it, you knew someone who did and you'd stop by their booth to buy a funnel cake, cotton candy, sausage sandwich or whatever. 

The fair still has a Midway with "carnies" barking out their sale songs - but the "freak" shows of old that scared the heck out of us as kids are no longer (thank goodness). I did pay my quarter in my day to see the bearded lady, snake boy, tall man, world's fattest woman, and all other human interests.  

I'm packing a cooler to bring home my stash from the market.

I'll fill it with organic, free range chicken and turkey.

Maybe a freshly dressed rabbit. (I'm NOT talking about some bunny all tarted up like a $2 hooker either)

Definitely some organic, spring lamb. 

Possibly Amish made sausages. 

Absolutely some pork and there's nothing like the apple wood smoked bacon the Polish butcher always has a supply of. 

I will definitely save room for any and all the fresh, seasonal produce that will be available. Spring dug potatoes. More strawberries. Maybe the very last of Pennsylvania's baby lettuces.

We'll see. Oh - and don't forget the Amish mushrooms. Pearl white and plump. 

It is an 86 mile drive - well within my 100 mile "locavore" range and I'll have company in the form of one of my favorite foodies, Anne. 

Does anyone else get this jacked up about fresh food shopping? 

You will know from future posts exactly what is in my shopping basket today. 

Happy Shopping! 

Nothing To Add...

This post is from my brother-in-law's blog, www.teamskelcy.wordpress.com.

I have nothing to add but tears for the pain this beautiful family is going through (and a great picture)

"Shane made it through the installment of his port with some discomfort and will start chemo on Wednesday morning 9:00a.m.  He actually smiled a few times and talked to  his sisters.  Grandma Waters and Grandpa and Grandma McVicar sat with a sleepy Shane for awhile.

  My house is divided tonight with me and the girls at home, and Dee and Shane at the hospital.  Not a good feeling for sure.  But even at these low points I feel connected with them.  My son will have his mother by his side tonight.  I can’t think of a more comforting feeling for Shane then that.  I miss them deeply.

  That unwelcomed stranger came out of the shadows today, breathing down my neck.   But knowing Dee is where she has to be and me home with the girls makes that stranger cringe.  Teamskelcy is together, even when we are apart.  We feel the team growing everyday.  The prayers, hugs, and smiles are bonding this cause together.  This might be hard, but togetherness will make it work. Tonight  two sweet angels sleep peacefully at home with their dad.  Another angel sleeps by his mother’s side feeling safe and loved.  But everyone is together in their dreams.  Sleep well tonight world.  The fight has just begun."

This is Shane and his sisters, Allyson (alley-cat) and Kaitlyn (katy-did) - the very handsome runner in the background is their dad, Mark #1556, in the dark blue shirt. He and Dee (and the kids) are quite the runners. Mark and Dee will be running in the NYC Marathon this fall. To see how you can help - go to their blog, www.teamskelcy.wordpress.com. The Best Husband In The World and I will have the pleasure and privilege of having everyone stay at our home for the big event! Go TeamSkelcy! 

Quitting Cold Turkey and Turkey Burgers

I did something yesterday that I have never done in my entire life. In my big, crazy imagination I would have never dreamed this is something I would do. 

But I did it. And I did it Cold Turkey. 

I returned a Kitchen Gadget. 

Not just any kitchen gadget mind you, a Deluxe, Fully Automatic Juice Extractor. The cadillac of juicers. I had it. It was mine. And I gave it back - willingly.

To understand what a momentous accomplishment this was, you have to understand how I feel about all things kitchen. I love, yes adore, dream about, collect and envy all things kitcheny. 

Mixers - have two.

Full immersion blender - check

Regular Blender - got it.

Food Processor - yeahhh

Pasta Maker - duh

Bread Machine - yes

Microwave - puhlease

Platters, cutters, shapers, rollers, slicers, scoops, whisks, spatulas, spreaders, you name it, I've got at least two. I even have a specialty avocado slicer and grapefruit sectioner thing. I've got two muddlers (in case one ceases to muddle?)

The only thing missing was a Deluxe, Fully Automatic Juice Extractor. Oh, I had admired them from afar for quite sometime. Whenever I ventured into the kitchen section of [insert any store name here] I eyed them up. Compared their virtues, priced them out, felt them up. 

And then, a few weeks ago with The Best Husband In The World in hand I took the leap. I bought the top of the house, the biggest and the best, the juicer with more gadgets than any other juice ever manufactured anywhere, I bought the long sought after, Deluxe, Fully Automatic Juice Extractor. I brought that baby home and planted it on my kitchen counter. 

Dreams of freshly made juice danced in my head. I imagined myself every morning grinding all manner of plant material into a nutritious concoction that would instantly slim my thighs and make me the envy of middle aged women everywhere. Why, I was even going to BLOG about my superior juice making skills. Oh, yes - I had dreams.

Then reality stepped in. A month passed and the Deluxe, Fully Automatic Juice Extractor laughed at my non-juicing. Still in its original box,  it taunted me and dared me to make juice. But no fruits or vegetables sprang forth to give their life to juicing. My thighs stayed the same (slightly jiggly) size.

I finally had to admit, I was never going to make juice. I did not need (gasp) a Deluxe, Fully Automatic Juice Extractor with every bell and whistle known to the world of juicers. 

With a resolve I have never known before I packed up that Deluxe, Fully Automatic Juice Extractor and took it back to whence it came AND here comes the COLD TURKEY part, I did not buy any kitchen gadget to replace it. (okay, full disclosure, I did buy one little, itty, bitty new whisk - I mean I was there, in the store anyway....) but with the exception of that one little whisk, I did it COLD TURKEY.  phew. 

To celebrate my new found will power and dominance over all things kitcheny, we're having these Turkey Burgers tonight. 

They are one of Bobby Flay's favorites and my family's too. 

Cheyenne Burger's ala Bobby Flay* (makes 5 burgers)

1 1/4 pounds Ground Turkey Meat, divided into five 1/4 pound burgers

Onion Rings (recipe follows)

BBQ Sauce (my family is addicted to Sweet Baby Ray's - but use your favorite)

Cheddar Cheese

10 strips bacon, fried crisp

5 round rolls, split, buttered lightly and toasted on inside.

Use 90 percent lean turkey - you need a little fat to keep the burgers from getting dry.

Preheat Grill to Medium High

Grill the burgers at least 5-7 minutes per side. 

Fry the bacon

Slice the cheddar cheese.

Grill the buttered rolls, cut side down for 1 minute.

To assemble (this is how I do it)

Place 2 strips bacon on burgers in an X pattern. Top with cheese. Grill, covered for another minute or two to melt cheese. Transfer to bottom half of roll. 

Slather on the BBQ sauce.

Top with two or three onion rings. 

Top with other half of roll.

Onion Rings:

Vidalia Onion - cut into thin rings. 

Preheat oil in kettle to 360 degrees F. 

Dredge onion rings in flour that has been seasoned with salt and pepper. (I like a little smoked paprika in there too)

Dip into buttermilk seasoned with salt and pepper, then dredge in more flour.

Fry until golden, then drain on brown paper bags. 

Serve extra onion rings on the side. If you have to have something to drink, just go out and buy some juice. 

* I always give credit where credit is due. Any time I use someone else's recipe, I will duly note it. Especially if it's Bobby Flay. I just admire and like his cooking style. Simple, direct, good flavors, bold, with readily available ingredients. Our cooking styles are similar.

 In fact, there are lot of similarities between Bobby Flay and myself. For instance, he has red hair. I have red hair. He cooks, I cook. I bet he owns a lot of kitchen gadgets, I own a lot of kitchen gadgets. Heck, we are practically cousins me and that Bobby Flay. 

First Tuesday of the Month and Strawberry Syrup

As I sit here and put the finishing touches on my monthly newsletter, it has occurred to me that perhaps my readers from the "other part of my life" would like to receive it too. 

On the first Tuesday of the month I email a short (2-3 page) newsletter to my clients, friends, students and  associates who have signed up to receive it. The newsletter is called, "Food for Thought". It contains 2-3 recipes, tips and tricks (the stuff cookbooks don't tell you) and a "My Favorite Things" column that can include kitchen gadgets, places, pans, techniques, whatever. I also [usually] do a monthly "give-away".... 

Anyone out there in blog land who is interested in getting one more piece of email a month, send an email to: thegoodcooknj@comcast.net just put send me your newsletter in the subject line and I'll take the hint and mail it on out. 

Strawberry Syrup: 

2 cups strawberries (washed, hulls removed and sliced)

2 cups sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Put strawberries, sugar and lemon juice in a heavy pan. Pot should not be more than 1/3 full. This is going to bubble up!  Cook and stir over high heat until sugar melts. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil hard for 4 minutes (the kind of boil that can't be stirred down). Stir constantly. 

Cool in a glass or ceramic bowl, covered. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature over vanilla ice cream. Also great as a base for strawberry milkshakes. Store in refrigerator, covered tightly. Can be kept for 2 weeks. 

A Sunday Afternoon

As the best husband in the world and I were leaving church on Sunday, he asked me what I wanted to do for the rest of the day. In the most sexy and sultry voice I could muster, I leaned in close and said, "I'm in the mood for something hot. Hot and sweet"

You would not believe how quickly good church going folk can scoot out of the way of a speeding vehicle as TBHITW floored it out of the church parking lot. 

As soon as we got home, we ripped our Sunday church clothes off and  (scroll down)

Wait for it....

Oh my.....

changed into our garden clothes and headed out to go our local UPICKIT Farm to go Strawberry Picking!! Yeah! The strawberries in NJ are in and ripe.

Um... what did you think I was going to say? Hmm... 

Anyway, it was a beautiful hot day and the berries were sweet. There were lots of family's picking and it did my heart good to see so many people interested in harvesting their own food. Of course, not everyone was picking as many as I insisted we pick. TBHITW, bless his heart, just kept picking even though he thought we had quite enough after 15 minutes.. We ended up with about 15 pounds of juicy, sweet berries for ONLY $2.00 per pound. That's a bargain I can live (and eat) with. 

Last night I washed and cut some up for strawberry shortcake. I also froze about 3 pounds for smoothies and strawberry margaritas (mostly margaritas). In addition, I rinsed a pound or two and put them in a bowl for eating "out of hand". They disappeared before dinner. 

Today, I am staring down at these:


I'm going to make 8 pints of strawberry jam. The promise of summer sweet jam in January drives me to do this. Imagine, a hot, freshly baked loaf of bread - right out of the oven, sliced and slathered with sweet cream butter and topped with chunky, sweet strawberry jam in the dead of winter!  Yum. 

Here's my recipe for shortcakes. If you are used to those yellow, sponge things you buy in the grocery store - do yourself, your tastebuds and your fresh strawberries a favor and bake some of these up. 

If you're inclined to join in the fun of picking your own, here's a website to help you find a farm near you:

http://www.pickyourown.org/index.htm

Be sure to call ahead and ask if they are picking that day. Most UPICKIT's also have a market stand so if you're not up to picking your own you can buy the same produce right there. If you find a farm that's further than you want to travel call them and ask what local markets they supply. A lot of farms also do an email newsletter to let you know what is ripe and what is being picked that day.

Your tastebuds will thank you and you'll be doing your local farmer and your community a great service. 

Strawberry Shortcakes: (makes one 8 inch round cake or eight 2-inch shortcakes)

2 cups flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons sugar

5 tablespoons butter

2/3 cup heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Butter and lightly flour an 8-inch cake pan or cookie sheet. 

Mix the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a bowl. Cut the butter in bits (you can also use your food processor to do this). When the mixture resembles coarse meal, slowly stir in the cream. Using just enough to hold the dough together. Turn out on a lightly floured board or counter. Knead for just a minute. Pat the dough into the cake pan or pat out to 3/4 inch thick and cut into eight (8) 2-inch rounds. 

Bake for 10-12 minutes (2-inch rounds)

Bake for 12-15 minutes (cake pan)

While still warm, split with two forks, top with sugared berries and whipped cream.  

Strawberries for shortcake:

1 pint (about) fresh strawberries, washed and sliced.

2 tablespoons sugar

Sprinkle sugar over berries, crushing berries gently with the back of a fork. Let rest in refrigerator until ready to use. The sugar will help to "juice" the berries. Be sure to include juice on shortcakes. 

Whipped Cream:

1 pint heavy whipping cream

1 tablespoon sugar

Put your bowl and beaters in refrigerator for 30 minutes before whipping. 

Pour cream into deep, chilled bowl. Whip on high with hand mixer. As cream begins to thicken, drizzle in the sugar. Whip until stiff. Serve immediately.

A Cook's Notes:

Be sure to pick enough berries to enjoy "out of hand". Refrigerate the berries with caps on, uncovered. Just before ready to serve or slice, rinse. This is the best way to store fresh strawberries. 

The strawberries are so good and abundant this year, I'm going back with my two grand daughters on Friday! Maybe I'll see you there. 

PS. TBHITW forgave me for my [little] deception - he LOVES homemade strawberry jam. 

My Garden Shed & Simple Greens with Lemon Vinaigrette

If I had to pick a favorite room (besides my kitchen) it would have to be my garden shed. It's not really a room at all, it's a, well, it's a shed. In my back yard and I love it. 

The best husband in the world built it for me. That's reason enough to love it. He built it for me. With his own hands. I painted it so it would bloom year round.  He spotted the pot hangers on a old barn he was driving past and stopped and bought some for me because he knew I'd like them. Hence the pots on the front.  House wrens make their home in the bird houses. I can see the shed from my kitchen window so I am always reminded of the flowers, vegetables and other plants that this shed helps bring forth every spring. 

From these double doors with a leaf shaped handle spring forth the hope and promise of red ripe tomatoes, purple sun warmed eggplants, crazy, boat sized zucchinis, crooked necked yellow squashes, cool green cucumbers, zesty mint, red, yellow, green and hot, hot, hot peppers, a menagerie of herbs, big outrageous orange pumpkins, ornamental gourds that will one day become bird houses, and anything else that the seed catalogs enticed me into spending hard cash on in late January. 

The shed houses all my garden stuff. Rakes and shovels, extra soaker hoses, a pitch fork that's about a 100 years old that TBHITW brought home one day. A small rototiller that I can handle on my own. Compost starter. Fencing, trellises, tomato cages waiting for their next plants to imprison. There are some empty pots waiting for flowers and seed trays sleeping until next year when I will sow a new crop of summer harvest dreams. There is garden twine and potting soil. But the best thing the shed houses is hope. 

Hope. Inside those double doors is the hope of future plants and the promise of plants now putting down their roots in fertile soil that I tended. Hope for vegetables fresh from the garden to the table. Flowers with blooms the size of dinner plates. Herbs that are so aromatic they make you want to cry for want of them. Life growing in front of my very eyes. 

That's why my garden shed is one of my favorite rooms. It offers me hope that all things can grow and prosper with a little nurturing. A garden, a family, a community, a world. 

Mixed Baby Greens with Lemon Vinaigrette ( the last of them from my spring garden) - serves 4 - this is the stuff of romance. 

6 cups mixed greens, washed and spun dry

Sauce Vinaigrette: 1 1/2 cups

The classic ratio for a basic vinaigrette is 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar. This ratio can vary according to your taste.  Always taste your dressing with a bit of green.  

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/3 cup red or white wine vinegar

Juice of one lemon

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

2/3 cup tasteless salad oil (canola, safflower, corn - your preference)

Whisk together the mustard, salt, pepper, lemon juice and vinegar. Beat in the olive oil. Season to taste with more salt and pepper if necessary. Store in the refrigerator like any other "store" bought dressing.

Variations: (store for one week)

Garlic: crush and mix with the slat to make a paste and whisk in

Mustard: for extra zing in the salad blend 1 teaspoon or more to taste 

Fresh Herbs: Tarragon is especially nice. Chop or leave whole and mix with the salad as you toss it. 

Serve with a loaf of crusty bread, some soft, ripe cheese and a cool, crisp wine. Use the wine pairing tool on my blog, then fall in love while you're at it. 

The Dangers of Being a Food Snob

I have recently been called a food snob. I've been called worse in my life, but a food snob? Moi?

Yes, I will admit, I am particular when it comes to restaurant food. Is that a crime? I know what perfectly prepared food looks and tastes like. I'm on to the tricks restaurants use to stretch their food dollars. I have been down the road of plate coverage and I have eaten my share of "bad" food. I can spot food that has been prepared with quality ingredients, passion and love as soon as it prances out the kitchen door. And I can spot a fake at first bite.

When the best husband in the world and I go out to eat, the restaurant, pub, grill, bistro or sidewalk vendor is carefully selected. 

We can tell you (in our opinion) where the best burger joint is in a three state radius. 

French Country? No problem. Just up the street at a little place called A Toute Heurre (At Any Time) that also happens to serve only locally grown or produced foods. It is packed every night.

Best hot dog in the state? Hot Dog Johnny's in (my kids still laugh at this) Butzville, NJ.

Burger? Wertz's, Home of the Wertz Burger - across from the old Allentown Fairgrounds in Allentown, PA.

Intimate dinner for two featuring the best tapas around? Apollo Grille, Bethlehem, PA.

Favorite Micro Brewery? Bethlehem Brew Works, Bethlehem PA. 

Pizza - toss up between Emma's Brick Oven and Calabria's Sicilian Style right here in town.

 

Best Wine Bar in the state for food and wine value and sexy ambiance? The Wine Loft at the Piers in Long Branch, NJ.  

New York City - wow - I'd run out of blog space. Bobby Flay's Bar American for great food, cocktails and service. Bouley for atmosphere, gourmet excellence and a lovely little lemon cake they send home with you. TriBeCa Grill for cocktails and rack of lamb. Gotham Grill for squab.

 

Le Bec Fin in Philadelphia - a once in a lifetime treat. The Chef's Choice 9 course with wine is to die for.

Cafe TuTu Tango in Orlando Florida for roasted pear salad and other tapas meant for sharing while watching professional Flamingo Dancers whirl past your table and local artists working on their most recent creation. 

The Boat House in Bar Harbor that serves up steaming, fresh caught Maine Lobsters on hard wooden tables spread with newspapers and cold frosty mugs of beer. 

Best Mexican food north of the border? Tinga in Westfield, NJ. A little place where you order your food standing at a counter and if you're lucky they bring it to you when it's ready. 

The best meal of our life? In Bayeux France in a 11th. century manor house - the chef's choice. course after course of tiny bites of unbelievable flavor with perfectly paired French wines and Calvados made from neighboring orchards as an after dinner drink. 

We love food, all kinds of food. But a food snob, me? No way. 

The danger of being a food snob is well, just too dangerous. What would I miss out on? Pastrami and Swiss on fat sliced rye bread from a little corner deli? Funnel cake at a church bazaar, hot from the oil, still sizzling, dusted with powdered sugar? Ham , eggs and pancakes all puffed and golden at a silver diner located on a road to no where? A fresh Jersey peach picked right at the orchard, eaten immediately with juice running down your sleeves. It's too risky to be a food snob. 

AND what about my all time guilty pleasure, eaten in secret, hiding in shame and embarrassment at my lack of will power- oh the childhood memories of ... Fluffernutters on white bread - "oh sweet mystery of life I think I've found you". 

Salty JIF peanut butter with just the right amount of Marshmallow Fluff on way too fresh, soft white bread... would a bonafide food snob eat a Fluffernutter Sandwich? I think not. 

See, it doesn't matter what the main ingredients are, the ethnic background, the price tag - or where it is cooked. What matters is the freshness and quality of the ingredients, prepared with passion and attention to detail; served with pride. So walk-up window, casual neighborhood diner, 5 star rated restaurant, doesn't matter - as long as all of the above is mixed in. 

Food Snob? Moi? Never! Pass the Jif and Fluff please.

Fluffernutter Sandwich (serves one kid in you)

2 pieces white bread (crust on, because you will get curly hair if you eat your crusts)

2 tablespoons peanut butter of choice

2 tablespoons marshmallow fluff

Spread peanut butter on one slice of bread

Spread marshmallow on the other slice of bread

Moosh the two slices together. 

Eat

Smile