Archive for May, 2009

Good morning, everyone!  This is a late and to the point post…hope all of you are well.

If you are interested in helping out the Pavilion Project with a bit of your personal time and commitment, please either reply to this email or touch base with Casey on a Saturday morning or call him 573-823-3663.  He’s the guy at the first stand with all the shopping bags…

Do YOU have a Market Pavilion Shopping bag?  As a thank you from Sustainable Farms and Communities for a suggested donation of at least $20 to the Pavilion Project,  donors will receive a roomy and attractive canvas tote bag emblazoned with the slogan “if you build it, your neighbors will come!”  The only local designed AND local produced canvas bag available in Columbia!  You will not only be supporting the Pavilion Project but you will be supporting local business as well! 

 News from the market: 
Don’t forget the Monday AND Wednesday markets from 4 – 6 p.m.!  Strawberries ARE available on Monday and Wednesday while the season lasts.

 

The featured product at this Saturday’s market is DAIRY.  Check out our newest vendor, Weiler Dairy, near the southside entrance.  http://www.merchantcircle.com/business/Weiler.Dairy.660-883-5839/review/list

 

Other produce on hand this week will include asparagus,  RHUBARB (see recipes below),  tomatoes, lettuce, spinach, arugula, BOK CHOY, chives, green onions, green garlic, mustard greens, and herbs, including mint, cilantro, thai basil and lemon grass.  Lamb, pork, beef, buffalo, goat cheese, fresh trout, honey, eggs, various types of mushrooms, chocolate, granola bars, pecans and baked goods will all also be available for your dining pleasure. PLANTS PLANTS PLANTS and CUT FLOWERS are also available.

 

Entertainment this week is John Stewart & Friends.
 

News of our World, large and small…

 

Saturday, June 6th - Columbia Area Career Center Culinary Arts Dept will hold a made to order omelet sale at the Columbia Farmers Market. Ingredients will be from the CFM farmers. All proceeds to benefit The Culinary Arts Dept students who are attending a national competition.

 

Tuesday, June 16, 2009 – Friends of the Market Pavilion will be gathering to relax and socialize at Chris McDs on Forum next to Schnucks. Details forthcoming.

 

and for some interesting reading, check out these blog articles:

 

Remarkable shift in Food System Debates – http://civileats.com/2009/05/20/a-remarkable-shift-in-food-system-debates/

Outsourced agriculture:  the new colonialism? -  http://www.foodpolitics.com/2009/05/outsourced-agriculture-the-new-colonialism/

 Fighting Buisness with Business:  Building the Conversation on Sustainable Food – http://civileats.com/2009/05/28/fighting-business-with-business/

 

This week’s recipes below are all about RHUBARB.  (If anyone tries the duck, invite me over – I’ll help create as well as eat!)

 

Eat Well.  Live Well.  Be Well.
Victoria
Info Cafe Outreach Coordinator
http://www.farmersmarketpavilion.org/
 

 

From our friends at San Francisco Chronicle -

 

Say rhubarb, and most cooks will add — almost automatically — strawberries. The two are a harmonious duo, accentuating each other’s strong points like a well-matched couple, and they look handsome together as well.   However, rhubarb has a life beyond strawberries, even a life beyond the dessert repertoire. In fact, strictly speaking, assertively sour Rheum rhabarbarum — a native of Asia, where historically its roots were put to medicinal use — is a member of the buckwheat family and therefore a vegetable rather than a fruit. Its acidity, when not disguised by large amounts of sugar, makes it an agreeable foil for rich, oily and slightly sweet meats, fish and poultry.

Chef Robbie Lewis gives duck breasts a double whammy of rhubarb: Liberty Farms duck breast is accompanied by a ragout of Le Puy lentils sparked with pieces of roasted rhubarb, as well as a watercress salad with shavings of raw rhubarb.   Used in small quantities, raw rhubarb is all right for most people, though moderation is key. Like spinach and sorrel, rhubarb contains oxalates, which can cause gastric distress in some and, eaten in large quantities, may contribute to the formation of kidney stones.
And whether raw or cooked, never consume the plant’s truly inedible leaves.

Cooks differ on which rhubarb is best, hothouse or field grown. Most agree that the field-grown stalks have more robust flavor and natural sweetness in addition to their acidity, but tend to be tougher and are best peeled before cooking. Many chefs like rhubarb cooked until it is almost but not quite soft, then allowed to continue softening in its own warm juices. Elizabeth Schneider, in her excellent book, “Vegetables from Amaranth to Zucchini” (William Morrow, 2001), advocates this method, which best preserves the appealing color.

How to select: Avoid stalks that have extensive discoloration at the root end or look wilted or mushy. A good rhubarb stalk should be virtually flat, brightly colored — from deep pink to assertive red — and as crisp as fresh celery.

How to store: Wrap in plastic, place in the vegetable drawer of the refrigerator and use within two days.

Rhubarb Chutney
From “The Complete Book of Year-Round Small-Batch Preserving” by Ellie Topp (Firefly Books, 2001).

INGREDIENTS:
4 cups sliced rhubarb
1 cup chopped dried dates
1 cup lightly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup finely chopped candied ginger
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon pickling or kosher salt

INSTRUCTIONS: Combine all ingredients in a stainless-steel saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook, uncovered, for 8 minutes or until thickened and fruit is soft, stirring frequently.   Ladle into hot jars to within 1/2 inch of the top; cap appropriately.   Process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes for half pints, 15 minutes for pints.   Yields approximately 3 cups
PER TABLESPOON: 60 calories, 0 protein, 15 g carbohydrate, 0 fat, 0 cholesterol, 18 mg sodium, 0 fiber.

 

Duck Breasts with Lentil Ragout, Glazed Turnips, Watercress & Rhubarb Salad
This recipe comes from Robbie Lewis, previously chef at Bacar and Jardiniere in San Francisco.

INGREDIENTS:
For the lentils:
2 cups Le Puy lentils
1 orange
1 slice of bacon
1 onion, peeled but root intact
1 carrot, peeled
1 rib of celery
1 cup red wine
4 cups chicken stock
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
For the vegetables:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 2 bunches baby turnips, or 12 ounces small turnips cut into 3/4-inch pieces
2 bunches radishes, trimmed
1 bunch fresh thyme, leaves minced
1 tablespoon Banyuls or sherry vinegar
2 stalks of rhubarb, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

For the salad:
1 bunch watercress, hard stems removed
2 stalks of rhubarb, trimmed and very thinly sliced
1 bunch radishes, trimmed and very thinly sliced

For the duck:
6 Peking or Long Island duck breasts, about 6 ounces each; or 3 Muscovy duck breasts, about 14 ounces each Orange-Bay Salt (see recipe)
1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil + 2 tablespoons
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup duck or chicken stock, reduced to 1/2 cup
1 tablespoon Banyuls or sherry vinegar

INSTRUCTIONS:

Lentil ragout: Put the lentils in a colander and rinse with cold water. Using a vegetable peeler, peel the zest off the orange, avoiding the pith. Tie the strips of peel together with kitchen twine. Juice the orange and set aside for later. Cook the bacon in a large, heavy saucepan over low heat until the fat is rendered. Add the onion, carrot, celery and orange peel and sweat in the bacon fat for 5 minutes. Add the drained lentils and stir until they’re thoroughly coated with the bacon fat. Add the wine and stock. Simmer slowly until the lentils are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes or according to package directions. Halfway through cooking, season the lentils with salt and pepper. When the lentils are done, remove the bacon strip, orange and vegetables from the pan and discard. Place the lentils in a bowl and set aside.

The vegetables: Add the oil to the saucepan and heat over medium high. When the oil is hot, add the turnips and radishes. Season with salt, pepper and thyme and saute until the vegetables begin to color. Deglaze the pan with the vinegar. Add the rhubarb pieces, adjust seasoning, and cook 3 minutes longer. Set aside.

The salad: Toss all the salad ingredients together in a bowl and set aside.

The duck: Season the skin of the duck breasts with Orange-Bay Salt (see recipe) and pepper. Place a saute pan over medium-low heat and lightly coat with the oil. When the oil is hot, add the duck breast, skin-side down, and cook slowly until the skin crisps to a golden brown, about 10 minutes. Pour off the rendered duck fat. Add 1 tablespoon of butter to the pan. Turn the breasts over and cook for another 4 minutes or until the meat is medium-rare and a thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads 125°. (The 14-ounce duck breasts will take a few minutes more than the 6-ounce ones.) Remove from the heat and let rest 5 minutes before slicing.

To serve: Place the vegetables in a pan and reheat over low. Stir in the remaining tablespoon of butter. Place the lentils in a separate pan, and reheat over low heat. Add the reduced stock and the reserved orange juice, along with a splash of vinegar if desired. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss the salad with the remaining oil, Banyuls vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. On 6 warm plates, place the vegetables in a ring and scoop 1/2 cup of lentils in the middle of each. Place the salad on the plate next to the vegetables. Slice the duck and serve over the salad.

Serves 6   PER SERVING: 1,085 calories, 40 g protein, 44 g carbohydrate, 82 g fat (26 g saturated), 141 mg cholesterol, 159 mg sodium, 18 g fiber.

Orange Bay Salt
Prepare this seasoning the night before you plan to cook the duck-rhubarb dish.

INGREDIENTS:
1 orange
4 tablespoons coarse sea salt
1 bay leaf

INSTRUCTIONS: Zest the orange, using the colored part only. Let the zest air-dry overnight in a warm place.
The next day, combine the dried zest, salt and bay leaf in a coffee/spice grinder. Grind until zest and bay leaf are completely broken down. Cover and set aside until ready to use in the duck recipe.

 

Strawberry-Rhubarb Sauce
Adapted from “Fresh from the Farmers’ Market,” by Janet Fletcher (Chronicle Books, 1997). Serve with ice cream or over pound cake with whipped cream.

INGREDIENTS:
1 pint strawberries, hulled and quartered
1/2 pound rhubarb, sliced in 1/2-inch widths
6 tablespoons sugar, or more as needed
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

INSTRUCTIONS: Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan. Cook, stirring, over moderate heat until the sugar dissolves. Cover and adjust heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook until the fruit softens and becomes sauce-like, about 10 minutes. (It will thicken as it cools.) Watch carefully to make sure the mixture doesn’t bubble up over the sides of the pot. Uncover, taste and add more sugar as desired.   If you have leftovers, let cool, then divide among freezer containers, cover and freeze.  Yields a scant 3 cups

PER 1/4 CUP: 35 calories, 0 protein, 9 g carbohydrate, 0 fat (0 saturated), 0 cholesterol, 1 mg sodium, 1 g fiber.

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Good evening, everyone!

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Good afternoon, all!

 We WANT you!  We are still seeking out folks who would be willing to volunteer some period of time on Saturday mornings or at special events.  If you are interested in helping out the Pavilion project and the Columbia Farmers’ Market with a bit of your personal time and commitment, please either reply to this email or touch base with Casey on a Saturday morning or call him 573-823-3663.

 Do YOU have a Market Pavilion Shopping bag?  As a thank you from Sustainable Farms and Communities for any donation of at least $20 to the Pavilion Project,  donors will receive a roomy and attractive canvas tote bag emblazoned with the slogan “if you build it, your neighbors will come!”  Get yours this Saturday!

 News from the market:

The word on the street is that it is May and we are now open on Monday AND Wednesdays from 4 – 6 p.m.!  There will be at least 100 pounds of tomatoes available TODAY at market.  In addition, Legacy Beef & Dwyer Family Farm will be providing locally raised Beef and Pork.  Goatsbeard Farms will be selling goat cheese.  Pierpont Farms will be providing produce.  A great way to prepare for Wednesday night dinner!

The featured products at this Saturday’s market are spicy Merguez LAMB SAUSAGE  http://www.whats4eats.com/middle-east/algeria-cuisine,  ASPARAGUS and TOMATOES.  (see recipe below)  Other produce on hand this week will include lettuce, spinach, arugula, chives, pea shoots, green onions and herbs.  Lamb, pork, beef, buffalo, goat cheese, fresh trout, honey, eggs, various types of mushrooms, chocolate, granola bars, pecans and baked goods will all also be available for your dining pleasure. And we still got PLANTS PLANTS PLANTS galore!  Herbs, tomatoes, broccoli, peppers, flowers and bedding plants!  In addition, CUT FLOWERS are now available.  Don’t forget mom!

Entertainment this week is again a mystery to me…I guess you will just have to come by to see what we have to offer!  Next week’s entertainment will be Curreykorn Family Band!

 

News of our World, large and small…

Check out the new local eatery – Cherry Hill Market and Café  Opened today until 6 p.m.!  www.cherryhillmarketcafe.com

PRESERVING THE HARVEST:  Workshops for Home Food Preservers – learn freezing, drying, water bath canning and pressure canning techniques.  Workshops through June, registration deadline in late May!  Check out http://extension .missouri.edu/boone/ or call 573-445-9792.

October 22 – 25, 2009  University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine Research Center’s first ever Human Animal Interaction Conference   Kansas City, MO. Registration deadline ends July 10th. For information please contact rechai@.missouri.edu

Obama’s First 100 days as it relates to Ag      http://feeds2.feedburner.com/CivilEats?format=xml

The Guardian on the Swine Flu http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/apr/27/swine-flu-mexico-health

How much harm will we do to ourselves in the name of cheap meat?  http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/johann-hari/johann-hari-lifethreatening-disease-is-the-price-we-pay-for-cheap-meat-1677067.html

…civilization can only be as healthy as its food supply.  http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=sick-farms-infected-food

Smithfield Farms Transforms Eastern Europe – http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/06/business/global/06smithfield.html?_r=2

 

This week’s recipes is about Marguez Sausage and tomatoes!  (darned if I couldn’t figure out how to squeeze some asparagus in there as well!  I am sure you can figure it out!)

Eat Well.  Live Well.  Be Well.

Victoria  -Info Cafe Outreach Coordinator   http://www.farmersmarketpavilion.org/

 

Oven-Baked Flatbread with Pesto and Merguez Sausage

Flatbread:

• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 1/2 teaspoon dry yeast
• 4 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons oil

Mix water and yeast and let stand 15 minutes. Gradually pour in 2 cups of the flour mixture and to incorporate. Mix for about 1 minute to form a sponge. Let stand covered for at least an hour. Put sponge in the bowl of a standing electric mixer. Using the dough hook, add the salt and oil, then flour 1/2 cup at a time to form dough. Remove from bowl and knead until smooth for approximately 7 minutes. Place in a clean oiled bowl and let rise, slowly, about 2 1/2 hours. Divide dough into 4 balls, let rise again for 1/2 hour and roll out into a freeform rectangle about 1/4-inch thick. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Lightly oil a baking sheet, place the dough on the sheet and prick the surface with a fork. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until lightly golden brown.

Pesto:

• 2 cups basil leaves
• 1 tablespoon pine nuts
• 2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano or similar hard goatcheese
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

Place all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth.

• 1/2 pound merguez sausage, grilled and thinly sliced
• 16 ramps or 2 leeks, grilled and coarsely chopped
• 1/2 pound semi-firm goat cheese, like Manchego, finely sliced
• *6 tomatoes, preferably plum,  oven roasted and coarsely chopped
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Parmigiano-Reggiano or similar hard goat cheese, grated

Spread each flatbread with a few tablespoons of the pesto. Top the pesto with the merguez, ramps, semi-firm cheese and tomatoes. Season with freshly ground black pepper. Place the flat bread back in the oven and bake for 5 minutes to heat through.

Remove the flatbreads from the grill and sprinkle with grated hard goat cheese.

To oven roast tomatoes – slice plum tomatoes in half, lengthwise, brush with oil and season with salt and pepper. Place in a 300 degree oven on a baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes