Fresh Picks from the Farmers Market

So what to do with this?  IF I were a different kind of mom, Eleanor and I would make Cherry/Blueberry pie all smiley and happy in our sweet little kitchen.   BUT I'm not that kind of mom so we'll just eat them out of the bowl!  BUT if YOU are that kind of good, baking kind of mom here's a great recipe for you!

Ingredients

• 2 cups pitted cherries
• 2 cups blueberries, rinsed and drained
• 1 1/4 cups white sugar
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie

• Directions

  1. Mix sugar, flour, and cinnamon in large bowl. Add fruit. Add lemon juice, and stir well.
  2. Pour into a 9 inch unbaked pie shell. Dot with the butter or margarine. Cover with top crust and flute edges. Cut small slits in the top.
  3. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 1 hour. I put a baking sheet under mine to catch any liquid that might bubble over.

  

  image courtesy of pippijewelry

Here's some info about the local farms that grow these beauties!

Cherries from Red Jacket Orchard Located in the Finger Lakes Region of New York State, Red Jacket was originally planted in 1917.  Today, the orchard and juice company is managed by the second and third generation of the Nicholson family. Starting with Joe and Emily Nicholson, Sr. in 1958, they have spent over 50 years mastering the art and science of quality fresh fruit and juice production.
In reverence to the environment, Red Jacket employs Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices and is certified by Food Alliance as a sustainable producer of plums, apricots, and prunes.

Red Jacket Orchards

Blueberries from Migliorelli Far -a family-run fruit and vegetable farm located in Northern Dutchess County in the Hudson Valley Region of New York. Originating in the Bronx in 1933 when Angelo Migliorelli first brought the broccoli raab seeds when he immigrated to New York from the Lazio region of Italy. Migliorelli and his son, Rocco peddled their vegetables by horse and cart up and down the Bronx, sun up to sun down. Eventually Co-Op City was to be built therefore pushing the last of the farmers out of the Bronx. Farming was Rocco’s passion so he brought his family to the Hudson Valley. Now in its 3rd generation, Migliorelli Farm is growing over 130 different varieties of fruits and vegetables, including the same strain of broccoli raab. In 1998, Ken Migliorelli sold all developing rights of his farm to be protected through a Scenic Hudson conservation easement to remain farmland forever and provide scenic beauty and wholesome food to our local community and the greenmarkets of NYC.

Migliorelli Farm

Before & After-lunch/snack equation

Before..

 & after

 DASH+fin Bowl + Back To Nature Classic Granola, raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, blackberries & milk= yummy lunch/snack!

Weekend in RI

Had a fun+crazy weekend in RI!  

Of course in typical "Katina-as-of-late" style I messed up the hotel dates.  I thought I booked for Thursday-Friday but in fact I booked for Wednesday-Thursday.  Well our nice beachside hotel had no room on Friday night so we had to move to ...I kid you not...a No-Tell Motel.  I didn't take a picture because I'm hoping to wipe it from my memory banks.  (and the way I've been forgetting things lately, it'll be gone in about 2 days!)

AND Brian opened the hotel room door onto Eleanor's toe and she HOWLED for 2 hours straight (10pm-12am) Eleanor has a very high tolerance for pain, the kid barely ever cries when she gets hurt, so it was almost as if she was crying for every injury she's had in life.  Like a true champ she woke up the next morning and said "mommy, today my toe feels great!"

On the way back to NYC we stopped at a friend's house in CT.  Her husband is a fantastic chef and he made the most delicious watermelon salad and  pizzas in their outdoor pizza oven. 

Fresh FRESH ingredients, many came from their garden-truffles, mushroom, ricotta, asparagus, heirloom tomatoes...soo amazing!  When you eat food like this, you really taste the difference between fresh, homemade food cooked with love and care, and store bought meals.  There is a place for everything!  I wish I took more pictures but I was too busy eating and drinking! 

+k

yummy chips and a cool summer placemat

love the placemat?  buy it here!
love the chips? check them out here!  Whole Foods

Egg

Recently Brian and I took a day trip to the Hudson Valley and stopped for lunch at  Sweet Grass Grill. 

Located in Tarrytown NY, Sweet Grass serves seasonal, local food much of which comes from local farms.  I had the Spinach Salad with Niman Ranch Bacon and blue cheese and this lovely, crispy, boiled egg came along.  I wish I could make this myself though I'm sure I would mess it up!  The carrot ginger soup was wonderful as was Brian's house smoked pulled BBQ pork with orange mustard. 

If you are ever in Tarrytown this is the perfect lunch spot.

Milk & Cookies

Happy Friday friends.  I hope you have a lovely weekend!  I wanted to leave you this week with something sweet.
Flat out in top 5 cookies I've ever eaten category.  And they ship people.  I suggest you ORDER SOME NOW! 

Milk & Cookies

and for all you bakers...they have a beautiful cook book

 Buy it here!

no wonder I've gained 10 damn pounds since we moved to NYC!  10!

See you next week

Food Culture Subway Map & The Little Owl

Have you seen this?

Hartman Salt

It's a subway style map outlining all the players, locations and ideas happening in food culture today.  What a cool foodie gift!   Take a ride down the central line and stop at Wolfgang Puck, Thomas Keller or Grant Aachatz.  Jump over to the Global line and start at Rick Bayless and end up at Alain Ducasse.  If you go to the Hartman Salt site, you can hover over the names and a a brief bio of each "stop" pops up. 

If it's ever updated I would love to see Joey Camapnaro executive chef of  The Little Owl included.  We had an amazing meal there Tuesday night.  If you are in NYC or plan to be try if you can to get a reservation.  The meatball sliders were amazing...as was everything else!  the bolognese, the sliced big eye tuna with oyster, bibb lettuce, cucumber and avocado...I kid you not, melts in your mouth.

happy eating!  

I fell in the functional food trap

I was shopping in Whole Foods last week and a lovely girl was sampling cookies.  COOKIES!  Well of course Eleanor and I had to check it out.  The girl looked sweet and rather lonely so we stopped, and sampled.  What we tried were Goji Gourmet  cookies…here they are on my desk.  

 Now I know that “functional food” is a great way to market to people using the “this is better for you” health claim.  And claim these cookies do!  Right on the package… “100% natural” “delicious wholesome Super Food” “10x more ANTIOXIDANTS than blueberries”.  Now I’m smart enough to know that these cookies are not going to solve any health problems or boost my overall physical wellness but there is a part of me that thinks…well, every little bit helps and these MUST be better for you than major supermarket brand cookies.

Here’s what I know…the Goji Gourmet cookies have ingredients that I recognize-whole wheat flour, eggs, butter, pure vanilla extract etc... most of them organic (though it is not a USDA certified organic cookie) and it has no preservatives. 

Those other cookies, who shall remain nameless have a lot of things I know are bad-partially hydrogenated soybean oil, high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors & colors.

Are the Goji berry cookies going to make me healthier?  No.  Are they a better choice for a once in a while treat? YES.  Is this choice better for my family than those other brands?  I say yes.  AND they are pretty darn good.

I did fall into the trap, but I think it’s ok.

For more information on Functional Food check out this excellent article from the NY Times last Sunday May 15^th
"Foods With Health Benefits, or So They Say"  

Taste of Tribeca

So excited about  Taste of Tribeca tomorrow!

I'll post pics of all the great food on Monday!  Have a great, food adventure filled weekend!

Yummy dinner..

Here last night!  Plein Sud

Though I don't have Chef Ed Cotton's recipe for the fantastic warm mushroom salad I had last night, here's one from Food & Wine.  I might try it this week.  But I probably won't!  I'll think about it a lot.  I'll print the recipe and maybe even go so far as to put it in my bag to take to Whole Foods.  But when push comes to shove...I probably won't pull the trigger because frankly, I'm the only one who's going to eat this and who has time to make this concoction just for myself?  jeeze I'm cranky!  I think I'm hungry. 

fantastic food weekend!

Here are some scenes from our weekend.  So interesting how since I decided to blog about food and eating,  without prompting Eleanor has become quite a food adventurer.  Makes me think I'm on to something! 

SATURDAY morning...

Carambola for the first time...truth be told, had never eaten it either!

A little breakfast for the alligator.  The doggie was a good sport.

This is a fun game to play in the bottom bunk.  Hang all your Barbies and stuffed animals then lift the top mattress and watch them fall! 


SATURDAY afternoon...

We went to the Tribeca Film Festival Family Festival.  Such a great day.  It was bright and sunny and there were great food vendors and fun things to do and see.  It all started with a cupcake...

Then pizza.  Not one slice but THREE full sized slices!  I think Eleanor is going through a major growth spurt because she has never before eaten ONE whole slice!  I have to say it was great pizza!  Thanks Portobello's Pizza!

 Then a little hair painting from some sweet school girls.

 Watermelon Lemonade from Bubby's

A Lobster Roll for me from Red Hook Lobster Pound

 I am not a Lobster connoisseur but it was soooo good-great buttery, warm, grilled bread and cool, fresh lobster.  Go to their site  here to read more about Ralph and Susan, the founders and their lovely lobsters.

 Red velvet cupcake from Billy's Bakery. 
So glad I ran all week.

Sharing with Daddy.

Begrudgingly.

 Snickerdoodle cookies from Billy's Bakery. 

 Amazing face art by Peanut Butter

and some kite flying to finish it off.


SATURDAY late afternoon...

A trip to Whole Foods with daddy resulted in a new food adventure...Horned Melon.  It's expensive at $6 a melon but she ate the whole thing.  Again, something I've never had before either!


SUNDAY morning...

 Eleanor made this strawberry design that mimics the chevron pattern on her DASH+fin placemat.
Making mealtime fun!

An impromptu run in with a more typical NY street festival...you know the kind...zeppoli, funnel cake, sausage & peppers, gyro's and vendors selling socks and underwear, began with picture with Sponge Bob.  This was so stupid because we had to pay this joker $2 to take a picture with him.  She was happy so it was worth it but man it was hard to spend money on that!

Elanor eating an Arpea from a street vendor-this is the third big food adventure from this weekend.  It was so yummy, like pancakes with mozzerella cheese in the middle.  Ok maybe that sounds gross but try it! Here's a recipe from epicurious

On to the next adventure!

not so Ugli

When your kiddo asks you for something new to eat, something she tried in school & something that is healthy you say absolutely! 

Welcome to our kitchen...UGLI Fruit!

Ugli fruit is a botanical cross between grapefruit, Seville orange and a tangerine, that looks like grapefruit, but is a little more lopsided and bumpy. 
So basically its a tangelo with the cute name of Ugli.  They are from Jamaica, usually in markets in the US from November to April.

Ugli fruit is a good source of Vitamin C and I've heard is easy to peel and eat. 


So now I'm off to go find one.  I'll let you know how it goes.

pre-thanksgiving food.

so what if the plan tonight is to have burgers?  at least i didn't go over board with lunch, right?  toasted cheese on farm and sparrow bread with hillsborough cheese company cheese and a salad of local greens, red pepper and dill.  the dill is a nice refreshing touch, i would highly recommend it.  and then tomorrow i stuff myself, as per usual.  HAPPY THANKSGIVING!