Fun Playing with Latkes 2009

Chanukah, the Jewish Festival of Lights ended Saturday. We had a great time playing with our food this holiday!

First - the fully lit Menorah, from Friday night (the last night - we start with one candle, plus the middle "helper" candle, then add another candle each night until the end):

But we all know what is really important about this holiday: Latkes! Our tutorial on the best way to make these crispy potato pancakes is here.

So, what did we eat with our latkes? We had brussels sprouts, either steamed or sauteed, throughout the holiday. The first batch came from Farmer Jones-The Chef's Garden, courtesy of our friend Nora's CSA basket. The bunch pictured below came from good friend and local farmer Herbthyme. You can get her goodies at the Geauga Farmers' Market, in season.

 

Herbthyne Sprouts, Raw

The Chef's Garden Sprouts, Sauteed in Bacon Fat

Yes, you read that correctly. After frying the latkes in peanut oil - my hubby decided the sprouts needed pork fat. Not very kosher - but very delicious!

Our entree the first few days was leftover turkey from our Thanksgiving Boubon Red. As that meat slipped past its prime, I asked Bob to come up with something else. He readily obliged:

Breychak Farms Lamb Roast

The only additions to the fabulous meat were a little salt and pepper. It was sublime, and a perfect companion to the latkes and sprouts.

As with our Breychak Ham, I found the skin and fat to be simply amazing eats - and I was raised to throw the skin away! Not here - at least not while it was crispy.

Bob's secret to keeping this type of meat from overcooking on reheating is to make gravy, and then simmer the leftovers in the gravy to reheat them. We lose the crunchy skin on the reheat, but the meat never gets dry or tough.

Lamb fat (and some schmaltz rendered from Aaron Miller chickens) is mixed with flour and made into a roux.

The balance of the roasting pan drippings from the lamb are added.

A bit later - gravy goodness!

Dinner is served! We also discovered that fresh dill is wonderful in the latkes, and it also complimented the lamb very nicely.

Here's hoping that you have fun playing with your food during the December holidays of your choice!

Fun Playing with Farmers' Market Goodies

I wrote yesterday about the fun I had playing with local and sustainable food at the Geauga Fresh Farmers Market. I returned home, hungry for breakfast. I enjoyed a variation on a treat I loved as a child - bananas and sour cream. The first time I brought bananas and sour cream to a Cleveland food event (a Break-the-Yom-Kippur-Fast meal, which is traditionally dairy) - no one knew what to make of it.

This dish is simple: cut up banana (or your fruit of choice), top with dollop of sour cream, and enjoy with fresh bread and butter.


Organic Banana, Blue Jay's Blueberries, Ridgeview Farms Raspberries, Organic Valley Reduced Fat Organic Sour Cream


Challah with Hartlzer Farms Butter

We got the challah at D&R Bagels in Solon, but Bob forgot to ask where they get it from. It is soft and sweet - a perfect foil for natural roll butter.

As dinner time beckoned, I defrosted the ground lamb I had purchased from Great American Lamb, and made Kofta. I made a paste of onion, garlic, ginger, garden New Mexican Hot Pepper from the freezer, Cilantro, and mixed it into the meat, together with Indian spices. I then formed it into small meatballs, and fried them.







This operation yielded a nice quantity of lamb fat and fond in the pan. I poured off most of the fat, but kept enough to sautee the beans, together with a healthy dose of Herbthyme's fresh garlic, and a bit of salt and pepper - it didn't need another thing!



I'd never had "black" or "burgundy" or "purple" green beans before. As you can see, they are actually green inside. Moreover, when you cook them, the coolest bit of alchemy happens:



Yes indeedy - they turn green!



Yum!

The final dinner component would be Saffron Style Basmati Rice (I call it that because even though the spice packet I bought at the Asian market says "Saffron" - I don't think it is). I sauteed onion, then spices in Ghee, then added the raw rice and continued to saute until the rice became opaque. I then added the requisite amount of boiling water, covered, and cooked gently to doneness.







Dinner from the Farmers' Market was served!



Is there any food more fun in this world than the Earth's fresh and local bounty!

Fun Playing with Food at the Farmers' Market

I began my day today determined to get back to the Geauga Fresh Farmers Market. We had visited earlier this year, on a "preview" day, and there were only a few vendors. When I rolled in this morning, the joint was jumping!

These terrific musicians sure helped to create a festive and welcoming atmosphere.





The following are in no particular order. Also, I note that some of the vendors really need to think a little more about marketing - after all, this is a business and the goal is to sell what you have so you can make money. So - invest in at least one professionally made, large sign so we know who you are, and have some business cards or flyers, so we know where to find you! Some of the tables are unidentified in my photos because there wasn't a good sign. This is better:




Black Beans and Green Tomatoes

I bought some of the beans. They had green beans, also, when I arrived, but sold out by the time I was ready to purchase - a word to the wise about shopping at a farmers' market - dally not in deciding what you want!





I bought two varieties of garlic.


Courtney of Herbthyme Proudly Shows Off Her Wares

Courtney says that by next week, she's have home-made jams for sale. Yum!





I bought a pint of Blue Jay's blueberries.





Sweet, purplely jewels of goodness!




Samples of Spicy Lamb Smokies

Ok, I'm sold. What's for dinner?





Should make amazing Koftas!


Lambswool Blanket

This farm lets nothing go to waste.



Sirna's brought fresh-ground peanut butter in addition to their veggies.





Looked delicious. Visit them on the web here.
















Salsa and Tomato Sauces from Luciano's Ristorante

This is a truly sad story. I met Luciano for the first time today - a sweet, gentle man probably in his 60s. When I asked him for a card or a menu, so I could try his restaurant, he said that he had none - his wife had been "in charge" of such things, and she had recently passed away. One of the vendors told me his wife died July 5, of ovarian cancer. I truly felt for this man - I hope he will be ok.


The last two slices of Luciano's pizza are sold





The Sassy Italian also sells "Italian Coffee" for consumption at the market. Since I don't drink coffee, I did not learn what this is.



Ok - some people grow things that you can't eat.





I bought some of the peaches from this stand - didn't realize until I got them home that they aren't ripe yet. But they smell heavenly, even though they are hard.





These are some of the most amazing berries I've ever tasted - just on the edge of overripe - loaded with sweetness - well, the photos say it better than my words can:
















This stand did so well, it was sold out before I even arrived at the market. They sell organic clothing as well.










Of course, Brandon Smith, the next generation of Wayne Cattle Company, had his meat in cold storage. Here's an example:






Mackenzie has become my favorite goat cheese


Paper Mache Mascot









After a few tastes, I settled on the Sweet Fire - which has a touch of habanero pepper in it - to stuff our squash blossoms with.




















I feel lucky to have this marvelous market so close to my home. Though we are not locovores by any means, we do prefer to eat foods that are produced locally using sustainable methods.

So - what did I do when I got home from the market? That will be the next post.