Fresh Fork Market

FRESH -the movie

2012-02-04T05:27:23-08:00

Fresh is a good movie featuring some real success stories from Kansas City (a few folks Trevor has met with). Maybe we will see you there… organic, non GMO popcorn is not provided.

Please join Cleveland’s Fair Farm Bill Campaign, Community Greenhouse Partners and Arts Collinwood for a free screening of

FRESH

A compelling documentary about our food system

Tuesday, February 7^th at 6:30pm

(cafe and bar opens at 5pm)

Arts Collinwood

15605 Waterloo Road, Cleveland, OH

RSVP here

FRESH celebrates the farmers, thinkers and business people across America who are re-inventing our food system. Each has witnessed the rapid transformation of our agriculture into an industrial model, and confronted the consequences: food contamination, environmental pollution, depletion of natural resources, and morbid obesity. Forging healthier, sustainable alternatives, they offer a practical vision for a future of our food and our planet.

Among several main characters, FRESH features urban farmer and activist, Will Allen, the recipient of MacArthur’s 2008 Genius Award; sustainable farmer and entrepreneur, Joel Salatin, made famous by Michael Pollan’s book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma; and supermarket owner, David Ball, challenging our Wal-Mart dominated economy.

Arts Collinwood Bar and Cafe opens at 5pm- come early and grab some delicious food or drink!

Movie will start at 6:45pm- run time approx. 74 minutes.
Discussion and ACTION stations to follow!

Learn more: www.freshthemovie.com

RSVP here

Coq Au Vin

2012-02-01T04:10:19-08:00

I found this recipe on the Paupered Chef website. It seems to be the most authentic that I could find. It truly will be worth the effort. There is a long story about how they prepared it for the first time, how they almost started a fire, and how they planned to eat without leaving time for all the ingredients to cook. It is a good read…Adapted from The River Cottage Meat Book and Mastering the Art of French Cooking

For the Coq
1 stewing chicken, 3-4 pounds
1/4 cup butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 ounces pancetta or bacon, cut into large chunks
8 ounces onions, cut into quarters
1/3 cup all-purpose flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
2 cups red wine
2 cups chicken stock
bouquet garni of parsley stalks, bay leaf, and thyme
4 celery stalks, cut into 1-1/2-inch lengths
4 garlic cloves, smashed
2 cups canned chopped tomatoes

For the Braised Onions
8 to 24 peeled white onions about 1 inch in diameter
1½ tablespoons butter
1½ tablespoons oil
½ cup of brown stock, beef bouillon, dry white wine, red wine or water
Salt and pepper to taste
A medium herb bouquet: 3 parsley springs, ½ bay leaf, and ¼ teaspoon thyme tied in cheesecloth

For the Sautéed Mushrooms
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon oil
½ pound fresh mushrooms, washed, well dried, left whole if small, sliced or quartered if large
1 to 2 tablespoons minced shallots
Salt and pepper

First, preheat the oven to 250 F, and set about the task of cutting the chicken into serving pieces. This was much harder than it usually is because stewing chickens are tougher. In a large dutch oven, sauté the bacon in the butter and olive oil until browned, then remove to a plate. Meanwhile, put the flour in a paper bag and, adding the chicken pieces one at a time, shake them vigorously to coat. Brown the flour-dredged chicken in the bacon/butter/oil mixture, in batches to avoid crowding the pan so that you get a good sear, then return all the chicken to the pan after they’re all browned.

After this, add all the red wine to the pan, scraping up any browned bits, then add the stock, the cooked bacon, the herbs, celery, garlic, and tomatoes (I used tomato paste). Bring it all to a gentle simmer, then transfer to the oven to stew for 1.5-2.5 hours, depending on the toughness of the bird, or until it’s fork-tender.

In the meantime, prepare the onions and mushrooms. Heat the butter and oil over medium heat in a small skillet, then add the onions and sauté for about ten minutes, rolling and stirring occasionally, to ensure as even-as-possible browning. Pour in the liquid, adding some salt if it’s not a salty stock, then add the herb boquet. Cover and simmer over the lowest possible heat for about 40 minutes, until the liquid has evaporated and the flavors are intensely concentrated.

For the mushroom, place a small skillet over high heat with the butter and oil. As soon as the butter foam has begun to subside, add the mushrooms. Toss and shake the pan for 4 to 5 minutes, until lightly browned. Add the shallots and sauté over moderate heat for 2 minutes. Once cooked, combine them with the onions for reheating once the chicken was done.

When the chicken is tender, remove the pot from the oven, and taste the braising liquid. It should be rich, and concentrated enough to coat the back of a spoon. It it isn’t, remove the chicken pieces and strain out the vegetables, then reduce the stock over high heat until it’s thick and flavorful enough.

Divide the chicken among shallow bowls, top with sauce, then add the onions and mushrooms.

Company Beef stew

2012-01-31T05:50:10-08:00

Diane V shared her quick and easy beef stew recipe with us. This sounds like a simple way to have dinner ready when you get home. Only a few minutes to get into the crock pot before you head out for the day…. Thanks Diane!

2 cans reduced fat crm of mushroom soup

1/2c dry sherry

1lb stew beef

1/2pkg onion soup mix

1/2c water

Mix and put in crock pot. Low 6 hrs. Add beef broth if it gets dry..Serve with mashed potato.

Can also be done in the oven, 350, couple of hrs..low and slow gives you the most tender meat..if it gets dry add beef broth and sherry..if you can smell the sherry, you have enough in there! Can be soupy..add or subtract liquid to taste.

Enjoy!

CSA Week 8 Winter

2012-01-31T01:00:42-08:00

We are officially past the half way point for the winter. How fast it goes by!

This week we’ll bring back a taste of summer with some tasty fig vinegar roasted cherry tomatoes. These really captured the flavors of the summer in a jar. Try tossing these with your fresh egg linguini this week or with your eggs to make a summer frittata.

I know many of you have been asking about bacon…well it is back! Everyone will get 1 lb of the thick cut, nitrate free bacon.

I’m also excited about spinach this week. This one though we are going to be close on supply. The farmer is harvesting it on Wednesday evening for me so I won’t know what we have until I go to pick it up. He thinks there is enough to go around. If not, we’ll substitute braising greens and switch which groups get greens and spinach in a few weeks.

Next, everyone will get a small, scrawny chicken. Don’t try to roast this! This is what is referred to as a “spent hen.” When a chicken no longer lays eggs the farmer can’t continue to feed it for fun. As a result, he’ll send them to the processor to harvest and sell as stewing chickens. Stewing chickens are mature laying hens, so they have very flavorful bones. The meat is very tough, so to use it you need to cook it long and slow. The meat can be used for chicken noodle soup or discarded if one wants to make stock.

If you are making soup, we’ve put some dried egg noodles in for your convenience. Oh, and we’ll have cheese this week. Two options, cheddar or “beer cheese,” which is a young, nutty cheese with a very firm texture. It is similar to tomme. The rind has been brushed in Thirsty Dog’s Siberian Night IPA from Akron, which gives it a sweet and malty flavor.

Finally, this week is a pay week. A payment reminder will follow this email.

Here’s all of this week’s bag contents:

Winter CSA Wk 8:

1 stewing chicken, approximately 2.5 lbs

1 bag dried egg noodles

1 pint fig vinegar roasted cherry tomatoes

1 lb egg linguini

1 lb bacon

1 bag spinach or mixed greens

1 8-oz piece of cheese

1 dozen eggs

2 lbs cornmeal

1 quarter peck apples

3 lbs sweet potatoes (please keep refrigerated)

Greens Soup

2012-01-27T10:55:57-08:00

Beth Davis-Noragon is the owner and operator of the Grovewood Tavern. She is an amazing chef and a lovely person. A longtime supporter of Fresh Fork Market, you should stop by and visit her sometime.

In the meantime, here is a recipe for Greens Soup. She tells me that she started with a recipe from Epicurious.com and modified it for herself. It is a great way to use the greens that we often send you, and since many people are at a loss on how to prepare them, we are happy to share Beth’ s suggestion. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 fennel bulb, trimmed and chopped, or a cabbage, or any other extra greens
1 small onion, chopped
2 bags stemmy lettuce from Freshfork
4 cups water, chicken stock or vegetable stock
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Heat oil and butter in a 6-quart heavy pot over medium heat until foam subsides. Add onion, coarser vegetables (like the cabbage, or collard greens, etc.), 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned, 7 to 8 minutes. Stir in flour to make a light roux. Stir in stock and cook, covered for about five minutes.

Add leafy greens to pot and simmer, covered, until greens are tender, about 5-10 minutes.

Purée soup in batches in a blender (use caution when blending hot liquids) until smooth, then return to pot. Stir in cream and lemon juice and reheat over low heat. Season with salt. A touch of soy sauce adds a great umami note.

Sweet Corn Pierogies

2012-01-26T01:11:00-08:00

If you lack patience…get a friend to help you here and drink lots of wine.

Dough: 4 cups flour, 3 tablespoons canola oil, 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon salt, and approx 1 cup warm water

Mix your flour and salt. Add the oil and two eggs into the mixture and mix together. Add the water slowly and mix by hand. Keep adding water until dough is slightly tacky, but not wet. You may need more than a cup of water. You really have to do it based on feel. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for a few hours.

Filling: Peel and slice your potatoes. Cook in boiling water until tender. Smash and whip with a mixture salt and pepper. Cook your sweet corn in a saucepan. Add sweet corn, based on how much corn you want in your potato mixture. Whip it together with the potatoes. Add whipping cream or milk and continue to whip until desired consistency.

Roll out the dough on a floured surface with a floured rolling pin. Cut the dough with an upside down tumbler. Roll the circle out, stretch with fingers and stuff the perogie. Pinch the edges together and boil the pierogies in salted water until they float.

Cooking your perogies: I prefer to pan fry my pierogies to finish them. Get a heavy bottom skillet hot with canola oil or buter. Pan fry until each side is slightly golden brown. Serve immediately.

Creamed Corn

2012-01-25T01:08:59-08:00

I’ve always been grossed out by the canned creamed corn, so I decided to figure out how to make it myself. Thank goodness someone else figured this out first.

Ingredients are:

- 2 lbs sweet corn kernels

- 1 cup heavy cream

- 1 cup milk, preferably not skim

- 1 teaspoon salt

- 2 tablespoons sugar

- Black pepper, about 0.25 teaspoon

- 2 tablespoons butter

- 2 to 3 tablespoons flour, adjust as needed based on liquid content of corn

- Optional: 0.25 cup grated dry cheese, grated parmesan or Fresh Fork houtz or gouda

In a medium saucepan, melt butter and whisk in the flour over medium heat. Don’t burn the butter/flour. As it starts to foam, add the corn kernels, cream, salt, sugar, and pepper. Cook slowly, stirring often. It will thicken up some. In a separate bowl, mix another tablespoon of flour with the cup of milk. Add the milk and cook slowly until the entire mixture has thickened. As it starts to thicken, add the cheese, stir, and remove from heat. Serve hot or use in the gratin recipe below.

April Happy Hour!

2012-01-24T12:07:21-08:00

We just scheduled our April Happy Hour! We will be at the XYZ Tavern in the heart of the Detroit Shoreway!

This is a trendy new tavern that features fantastic beer selection, good food, and a wide variety of whiskey!

When: Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Where: XYZ Tavern 6419 Detroit Ave. • Cleveland, OH 44102 216-706-1104

Time: 5:30-7 pm

While you are in the neighborhood, check out one of the other fine eateries, like Sweet Moses Ice Cream Shop, or visit one of the areas fine retailers like Duo Home.

Be sure to check out our calendar for all the Fresh Fork Market events!

Sweet Corn Potato Salad

2012-01-23T01:07:01-08:00

This one will take you back to summer some. You can serve it either cold or warm. The dressing in this one is courtesy of Jamie B, who sent me a recipe earlier in the year for a no-mayo coleslaw that has changed my life. (search the fresh fork blog for that recipe, Russian cabbage salad)

Wash and coarsely chop your potatoes. You want the pieces to be about the same size so they cook evenly. I like mine about nickel to quarter sized.

Toss the potatoes with some olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and roast in the oven at 375 until tender on the inside and slightly crispy on the outside. About 35 minutes. On that same cookie sheet, try coating a thick slice of onion with olive oil and roasting.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together 2 to 3 tablespoons honey, 3 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, and 2 tablespoons olive oil.

Cook the sweet corn in a saucepan. The corn is very tender so this won’t take long. Drain the corn, in a bowl mix the potatoes, corn, onion (cut into smaller pieces), and dressing. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

If doing a cold salad, let the corn and potatoes chill before combining ingredients. Then refrigerate for a few hours to let the flavors soak in. I’d serve it chilled rather than warm.

Sweet Corn and Potato Gratin

2012-01-22T05:04:50-08:00

My ma found this recipe in Healthy Cooking magazine and has recommended it. This is one recipe we don’t disagree on.

Ingredients:

- 1 medium onion, sliced thin and quartered

- 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons flour

- 2 garlic cloves, minced

- 1 teaspoon salt

- ½ teaspoon pepper

- 1 cup milk, 2% or whole

- 2 pounds potatoes, sliced thinly

- 2 cups frozen corn, drained

- 1 cup creamed corn

- 0.75 cups bread crumbs

- 1 melted tablespoon butter

In a large saucepan, sauté the onions in butter until tender. Approx 3 minutes over medium high heat. Stir in the flour, garlic, salt, and pepper. Slowly add the milk, stirring. Add the potato slices and bring the mixture to a slow boil. Reduce the heat some and cook the potatoes until they start to get tender. Add more milk if anything starts to stick.

Add the sweet corn and creamed corn. Grease a medium sized ceramic or glass baking dish with melted butter. Layer the potato mixture in. In a separate bowl, combine melted butter and bread crumbs. Coat the top of the mixture with the bread crumbs and bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.