Recounting Summer's Beauty

This has been a summer of learning and experiencing for me.  I've seen the life of food from seed, to seedling, to growing up in the soil.  I've seen the death of things that I've worked hard to start, at the mercy of mother nature, who is giving, and at times seemingly unfair.  I've seen what I've worked hard to maintain become a bountiful harvest, delivering colorful and vibrant specimens to chefs, who appreciate the pure flavor, and the fact that what they are using is grown close to where they artfully craft it. 

I've also been lucky enough to have access to the best fresh produce I can get, so I've been doing a lot of cooking at home.  This is Confit Byaldi, a version of ratatouille, of thinly sliced eggplant, peppers, tomato and squash, baked in the oven with olive oil and herbs de provence, and a layer of stewed tomato sauce on the bottom.

...and a nice Chianti

 If you've never experienced one of Nectar's dinner clubs, you must make a point to come to one in the coming months.  The idea is that we choose one seasonal ingredient, and incorporate it into each of five courses.  Someone who grows/raises/distributes this ingredient hosts the dinner along with chef Julie Francis to give diners a more in-depth understanding of how to use it and how it's produced.  I get so excited whenever we are putting one of these menus together, because I always end up making things that I've never even thought of trying before.

June's dinner club was Fava beans, grown by Sallie Ransohoff.

 

Next month's dinner club will be alliums (onions, garlic, leeks.)

Vending

So, here is my table at the market:

Yes, that sign says frozen yogurt.  I will be offering half pints of small-batch frozen yogurts and sorbets.  Currently I am churning a Toffee and Tahini frozen yogurt sweetened with honey and lemon.  It's a perfect treat for those hot and humid summer days.

Here are some shots of Sallie's beautiful farm, where I work 3 days a week, making friends with animals and insects, digging my hands in the dirt.

 Beans

 Cippolini Onions

 Green Coriander

Dill

 Various Lettuces

 Parsnips

 Peas

 Salsify

 Summer Savory (foreground) + Fennel (background)

 Summer Squash

Tomatoes !

Some of what you see here is available at market now; some of what you see will be available in the coming month.  Thank you so much to the residents of Clifton for supporting the market!

I will also be vending pastries and frozen treats at the College Hill Farm Market Thursdays 3 - 6:30 pm, starting July 11.

Brand New Farmer's Market

I am honored to be participating in the new farmer's market in the Clifton Plaza on Ludlow.  From 5 to 7 (ish...or until we are sold out), you will find a variety of local produce, cheeses, olive oils, as well as my handmade pastries and anything else that strikes my fancy as different fruits, vegetables and herbs come into season.

I will also be selling produce from the farm of Sallie Ransohoff, where I have been working part time, learning anything I can about the laborous practice of growing food. Right now we have turnips, dill, cilantro, mustard greens, radish pods, arugula flowers, and a variety of lettuces, and the selection will just keep changing as the year goes on.

And the market is growing!  Hopefully every week new vendors and community members will join in this crossroads of local producers. This neighborhood deserves fresh food, for they have been without a grocery store for over 2 years now. Photos to come....

Peru, May 2013

The dust is settling after spending a recent 14 days in Peru.  I am here to share mostly food snapshots of this incredible experience.  I experienced so many fascinating, beautiful, mind-expanding, positive, inspirational people, foods, smells, music that my life is forever changed.
 


 Corvina Ceviche, served in traditional fashion, which is lots of lime, red onion, spicy chile, cooked corn (choclo) and glazed sweet potato.  The flavor combination of sour, sweet and spicy was divine. I realized quickly that I am better at enjoying food than photographing it.






...especially when I'm trying to finish a whole pitcher of sangria by myself next to the misty Pacific Ocean.  This meal was enjoyed at Javier's in the Barranco district of Lima.

                                                      I just had to put this in here...
                                                             (palate cleanser?)

Inca Cola, which seemed to me the most popular soda in Peru, alongside coca candies.  Many products are made with coca, which is extracted from a plant that grows mostly in the highlands.  It is used medicinally to overcome the effects of altitude sickness. 



Interestingly enough, there grew a coca plant on the fruit farm we visited in the Tambopata National Reserve in the Peruvian Amazon.





















Tiny ojo de pesce (fish eye) chile peppers, which are used for spicy fresh chile condiments.











An opened cocoa bean pod.








                                             The beautiful pineapple plant.














Yuca root growing next to papaya.  This farm practices plant polyculture, growing complementary plants next to one another.

Another example of sustainable practices passed from generation to generation: growing beans as a cover crop to add nutrients to the soil.




 

I learned that the banana is actually not a tree at all, but a grass that matures and produces fruit in one year of growth.  Muy interesante!

 Here is the kitchen of the lodge where I stayed for 3 days, 2 nights.  The food that came out of that kitchen was pure home cooking.

 Here is my breakfast on the last morning at the lodge before leaving for Cusco. Fried egg, fried plantains, sausage, and fresh fruit.  Always ripe, fresh fruit!











Sacred Valley: Alpacas and llamas, which are used extensively for their coats in textiles.  Alpaca is also a source of protein in Andean diets.  I did have an alpaca steak with chimichurri and sweet potato, at an excellent restaurant in Aguas Calientes called Tree House; however I do not have a photo, as I enjoyed it ravenously. The flavor and texture is like a cross between lamb and beef.



 On my 4-day hike of the Inca Trail, I was treated to home cooked meals of quality ingredients, such as various peruvian potatoes, mountain-caught trout, and the chef's specialty of a layered pasta/chicken/vegetable bake.













 When in Cusco, the food-minded traveler must visit the San Pedro market. It is a large open market of mostly food and some handicrafts.

 Upon entering, I stumbled upon the aisle of juice counters. A long line of ladies flag you down with their identical fresh juice menus.



 I settled on this little lady because of her honest face and sweet demeanor.  She insisted that I have the mango y naranja mixture.

 Each food group had its own organized aisles.

 Many dried grains are available, especially corn and beans.

 Fresh fish caviar laid out like golden haystacks in the open air.





















 A few of many potato varieties available from one vendor. 














 A very casual lunch of garlic fried trout, fried potatoes and fresh beans, tomato and cucumber.  What struck me was the freshness and intensity of flavor of all fresh fruits and vegetables in every meal.  Another thing that struck me was the clean flavor of the trout.  I was told that much of the trout eaten in the Andes is caught in marshes fed by glacial waters.






 This was one of my favorite meals of my trip.  At  a little cafe in Cusco I enjoyed "Our Chicharron": a sandwich of chicharron, fried sweet potato, and a slaw of carrot, red onion and mint on ciabatta bread.

The beverage is chicha morada, a sweet non-alcoholic concoction of purple corn, sugar and spices. You will find this at almost any restaurant or cafe in Peru.

 I was lucky enough to be in Cusco on Mother's Day (sorry, Mom.) I stumbled upon an outdoor festival of families enjoying home-cooked foods. My sweet tooth was kicking in, so I was delighted that there was a table of ladies selling nothing but desserts.  This is a passion fruit creme cake <3 I'm sighing to myself in the memory of this beautiful dessert.

 Here is an ear of choclo, which I happily munched on the steps of the San Pedro market.  The kernels are about 4 times the size of what we think of as corn here in the U.S.  They are waxy and toothsome, piping hot and sweet.

 At many tables you sit down to in Peru, you are brought out a dish of roasted corn.  Light and airy in texture, with a crisp, salty exterior.  Kind of like the best fresh popcorn you've ever tasted.  At Cafe Loco, a pint-sized charming place in San Blas, I was served fresh mango y naranja juice and a sandwich de jamon.

On my second to last day in Peru, I was told about Cuscos possibly best kept restaurant secret: Granja Heidi Restaurant. Everything in this no-frills delightful establishment is made with hormone-free dairy and fresh local ingredients. They also offer a three-course price-fixed lunch menu daily. (For 28 soles!)

 ...Like I said, I am way better at enjoying food than I am photographing it.  I missed taking photos of the first two rounds of food: fresh, crusty bread with olives and Andean cheese, and also a carrot soup garnished with mango and spicy chiles.  This course is a beef medallion with Peruvian potato gratin and green salad.  You can also see the aji, a fresh chile sauce available on most Peruvian tables, applied as a garnish to almost anything.

.

And lastly, the passionfruit cheesecake.  Like I said: this restaurant is all about quality ingredients, and serving simple food prepared expertly.  I highly recommend it to anyone traveling to Cusco.












There were many other dishes that I ate and loved, including Causa Limena: a cold appetizer of seasoned, mashed potatoes, wrapped around a filling of tuna, mayonnaise and avocado.  I'm sure there are many variations, but this is the one that I encountered most frequently.  This became my favorite dish discovered on my trip.

I hope you enjoyed my photos, as much as I enjoy sharing this experience.

Ciao!