The Farmer’s Market

Posted on 08.24.2011

We love our new town. It’s full of friendly people, new places to discover, and great restaurants. One thing we really enjoy is heading to the Farmer’s Market on Saturday mornings. The farmers set up their tables year-round at a fairground. Of course, the earlier you get there, the better. There are tables and tables of produce, meat, cheese, breads, flowers, herbs, and more.

Supporting local farms while knowing that we are receiving nutritious, unprocessed food makes us feel good. Waking up to a “good morning” and a smile from each farmer as we peruse the fresh food will keep us coming back each week.

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Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

Posted on 07.03.2011
Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

Mama always said to eat your vegetables! Neither of us grew up eating zucchini bread too often and were pretty hesitant to the idea of incorporating vegetables in a sweet bread (especially since Whitney doesn’t like carrot cake). And then it happened: we tried it…and we loved it. So, here is our version of zucchini bread. If you have zucchini growing in your backyard, this is a great opportunity to use them. It’s the perfect sweet bread for a summer dessert, garden party (does anyone have those?), or weekend breakfast.

Ingredients:

2 eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 cup sugar

1 cup finely grated zucchini (about one medium-sized zucchini)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup milk chocolate chips

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350°. Butter and flour a 10″ loaf pan.

In a large bowl (or electric mixer), whisk together first five ingredients (egg/oil/sugar/zucchini/vanilla) until smooth. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the next five ingredients (flour/baking soda/baking powder/salt/cinnamon).

Add 1/2 of the dry mixture to the wet mixture and stir until combined. Repeat with the rest of the dry mixture. Stir in the chocolate chips with a spatula and transfer batter to the loaf pan, spreading it evenly within the pan.

Bake at 350° for about 45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean (except for the melted chocolate) from center. Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool for at least 15 minutes.

Makes one 10″ loaf.

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Fried Eggplant

Posted on 05.22.2011
Fried Eggplant

Here is our version of eggplant parmesan. The big difference is that we don’t layer the eggplant and bake it. This recipe is simple, quick, and attractive. I have fond memories of helping my dad cook this dish. By 7th grade, when people asked me what my favorite food is, I replied “fried eggplant,” and was confused by the funny looks I’d get in response. This really is a great recipe to make with the kids because it is so hands-on. They’ll love helping you dredge the eggplant in the egg wash and the bread crumbs. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 eggplant
2 eggs
4 cups Italian bread crumbs*
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
2 cups tomato sauce
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons olive oil

*For more crunch, try 2 cups bread crumbs, 2 cups Panko

Preparation:

Thinly slice the eggplant and set aside. Beat eggs in a medium sized bowl and set close by the eggplant. Place bread crumbs in another medium sized bowl and set next to the eggs. Your assembly line (eggplant + egg wash + bread crumbs) is now ready to rock.

With clean hands, work your way down the assembly line. One slice at a time, coat the eggplant in egg wash, then dredge in bread crumbs patting the crumbs down firmly on each side, and set on a plate.

Heat 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a non-stick pan. We recommend using a Presto electronic skillet, and heating it to around 350°. For all other pans, cook over medium heat.

Place eggplant in the hot pan and be sure not to overcrowd. The bigger your pan is the more you can cook at one time. Sauté the eggplant for 4-5 minutes on each side until golden brown, adding more olive oil and butter if needed.

Top with tomato sauce and parmesan cheese. Serve atop a fresh bed of pasta.

Serves 4

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Chicken Stock

Posted on 04.28.2011
Chicken Stock

No plans this weekend? Might we offer something to try? Make your own chicken stock! Most recipes for a good homemade chicken stock are quite similar, but we’ve made some changes to make it our own. One thing that is essential in any stock recipe is time. And thyme. HA! Ours takes five hours, but is well worth the wait. We use this stock to kick up our dishes (like our Newlywed Risotto and Butternut Squash Soup) and the flavor is unmatched to any stock that has been sitting in a can or cardboard box for weeks on a shelf. Another added perk is that we now have a gallon of this stuff in our freezer for future use. So plan ahead: save the chicken carcases from your weeknight meals, and use them to create something that will last quite a while.

Ingredients:

3 chicken carcasses
1 medium yellow onion, medium chopped
3 carrots, medium chopped
3 celery stalks, medium chopped
7 springs of thyme
20 whole peppercorns
1 small bunch parsley
1 gallon cold water
2 teaspoons Kosher salt

Preparation:

Place chicken carcases in a large stock pot, and add water and salt. Bring to a simmer on medium low for 3 to 4 hours. Add onion, carrot, celery, thyme, parsley, and peppercorns and continue to simmer for another hour.  Be sure to skim the top as needed.

Next, strain the stock through a sieve.

Behold! Stock! Use immediately, or freeze and use later.

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Puff Pastry Prawns

Posted on 03.19.2011
Puff Pastry Prawns

These elegant appetizers are perfect for any occasion. Whether it’s a dinner party, bridal shower, happy hour, or Tuesday night, these are sure to impress a crowd.  All props for this recipe go straight to Jim (Whitney’s dad, a.k.a.”Pacah”). He made these while we were visiting, and they were so good that we were compelled to share the recipe with the world. Pacah’s Puff Pastry Prawns are palatable, presentable, and praiseworthy. Oh, alliterations!

Ingredients:

15 medium-sized cooked shrimp or prawns (50/lb), thawed, tails off
1 sheet Pepperidge Farm puff pastry
6 tablespoons fresh basil pesto (Not from a jar; homemade or buy refrigerated)
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1/2 cup sun-dried tomato slivers

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 450°. Thaw pastry according to directions on box (about 40 minutes).

Cut pastry into 3 sections along perforated lines. Lay one section of pastry on a baking sheet to assemble. Spread 2 tablespoons of pesto onto the pastry. Next, space 5 shrimp evenly on top of the pesto. Sprinkle with slivers of sun-dried tomatoes and pine nuts.

Using your fingers, fold the sides of the pastry so they meet in the middle, and pinch to form a seal (although it will open while baking).

Bake one roll at a time, at 450° for 5 minutes, then lower oven heat to 375° and cook an additional 5-8 minutes until pastry is brown and puffed. Repeat assembly and baking process with remaining two pastry sheets.

Slice each roll into five pieces (one shrimp in each piece) and serve warm.

Makes 15 appetizers.

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Shamrock Shakes

Posted on 03.15.2011
Shamrock Shakes

Lovingly nicknamed “Shammy Shakes,” these quick and easy desserts are perfect to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. McDonald’s sells a similar shake throughout the month of March, but we prefer the homemade goodness of this recipe. They taste similar to Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies, and they’re just about as addicting. Something this simple shouldn’t taste this good…but it does. If you’d like to make your own vanilla ice cream, we recommend this recipe from Cuisinart. These shakes are bound to put a wee bit o’ happiness in your day.

Ingredients:

4 cups vanilla ice cream

8 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon mint extract

3/4 teaspoon green food coloring

1 cup crushed Oreo cookies

Optional toppings: Whipped cream, green sprinkles, maraschino cherries

Preparation:

The preparation for these treats could not be more easy. Simply blend all ingredients until smooth, top with whipped cream, sprinkles, and a cherry, and serve cold.

Makes 4 8-oz. shakes.

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