Tag: spring

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Spring into Summer

After Memorial Day, I really start to feel the transition from spring into summer.  Spring is one of my favorite seasons. Everything starts to turn green and we get to be less bundled as the temperature begins to creep up. Produce also begins to turn green and there is a new variety of vegetables and fruits to use in the kitchen! Now that we have passed the unofficial start of summer, I can dig out those white pants from of the back of my closet(Just kidding!) and embrace even more produce.  These days we do start to wear shorts more than pants and there are more days when I go out without a jacket.  School is slowly coming to an end and we can all look forward to the care-free fun of camp during the summer. 

One of my favorite parts of summer is the ability to serve something that requires little to no cooking.  Salads become staple on our dinner menu. I dare you to count the number of times I post a tomato, basil, and mozzarella salad this summer. I’ll be changing them up slightly each time by using different sized tomatoes, perhaps using a dressing from Farm House Labs one week and the following week simply drizzling the salad with 5 Extra Virgin Olive Oil.  I plan to cook vegetables ahead of time and serve them with a light vinaigrette to greet the freshness of summer.  The wine in our house also begins to change from red to white and maybe with a rose mixed in.  With the summer heat, a chilled wine is always appreciated and this summer we are ready for drinks on the terrace with plastic wine glasses!

One downside of the heat is that we need to ship some of our products express to make sure they arrive in their best condition.  You can check out all of our summer shipping guidelines here.

Whether you spend your summer in the city, at the beach or somewhere in between I hope it is as relaxing as you want it to be.

Happy Friday,

Julie

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Spring Feasting is upon Us

I know I’ve been saying it a lot, but I am so excited that SPRING IS HERE!   My son and I walk down the street pointing out green buds on trees, blooming tulips and daffodils and the many other signs that spring has sprung.  My favorite place to welcome spring is at the farmers market.  The stands are filled with green asparagus, peas, fiddle head ferns and all the beautiful flowers that come with spring.  I’ve been writing a lot of recipes for Easter lately and what really excites me are the vegetables!

Here is a menu I’ve been dreaming about with spring’s bounty:

Mint Pea & Goat Cheese Dip with baguette crostini

Roasted Beet and Carrot Salad with Yogurt Dressing

Leek and Potato Galette

Lemon Blueberry Poke Cake

The menu is fresh, innovative and really highlights spring.  I have been having a sweet tooth lately too so immediately went to test and modify the cake. Here is my version of the recipe for the Lemon Blueberry Poke Cake made with Gus and Grey Spellbound, Blueberry Lavender Jam.

Happy Friday,

Julie

P.S. Get your Easter orders in by midnight tonight for standard shipping and delivery before Easter.

Lemon Blueberry Poke Cake

Makes 1 9-inch Loaf

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

¾ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons lemon zest

1 ¾ cups sugar

2 eggs

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¾ cup plain yogurt

5 tablespoons lemon juice

1 cup Gus & Grey Spellbound Jam

Lemon Glaze:

¾ cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons fresh blueberries

1 teaspoon lemon zest

Method:

-Preheat oven to 350°F.  Line the loaf pan with parchment paper leaving a little extra hanging over the side. Spray the loaf pan with cooking spray.

-Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.  Whisk lemon zest into sugar into a separate bowl until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add eggs, oil and vanilla and whisk until light in color, about 3 minutes. Whisk in half of the dry ingredients, then add the yogurt.  Whisk in the remaining dry ingredients. Add lemon juice and whisk to combine. Pour batter into prepared pan.

-Bake cake until golden brown, 55-60 minutes. Cool for 2 hours or more.

-Once cake is cool, remove from pan and transfer to a baking sheet. Starting at one end, use a 1/8” dowel(or end of a wooden spoon) to make rows of holes in the cake about ¾” apart. 

-Transfer Gus & Grey Spellbound Jam into a squeeze bottle.  Carefully squeeze the jam into the prepared holes, filling them.

-To prepare the glaze whisk together the powdered sugar, lemon zest and 1 tablespoon water in a medium bowl.  Transfer the cake to a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet.  Spread the glaze over the top of the cake with a spatula, filling in the holes.  Toss the blueberries in the bowl to coat.  Sprinkle over the top of the cake along with the lemon zest.  Chill until the filling and glaze are set, about 1 hour.

-Enjoy

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Egg-cellent Round Up!

Spring is here… images of bright flowers and eggs are everywhere. The egg is a classic symbol associated with Easter and a roasted egg is also part of the Seder Plate for Passover.  While we see lots and lots of hen eggs around, we don’t see too many other eggs out there. I decided to do some research to see if we are eating the right eggs or if we should switch to something like an ostrich egg. 

Here is what I found:

Chicken Eggs – These are the most common eggs found as they have a mild flavor and contain lots of vitamins and nutrients.  The shell varies color depending on the type of chicken it comes from.

Duck Eggs – A duck egg is very similar in size to a chicken egg. The differences are that it has larger yolk giving it a richer taste and also providing more fat and protein compared with a chicken egg. The shell on a duck egg is also thicker than a chicken egg, allowing them to stay fresher longer.

Turkey Eggs – These eggs tend to be pretty rare as farmers find more value in raising a large turkey compared with selling the eggs.  The eggs are similar in size and flavor to a duck egg.  They have a thicker yolk and white giving them a creamier consistency.  Turkey eggs are favored for pastries for this reason.

Goose Eggs – Goose eggs are twice the size of chicken eggs. They are also rare, like turkey eggs, but for a different reason.  A goose only lays about 40 eggs per year making them hard to find.  Goose eggs are heavier than a chicken egg and provide more protein.

Quail Eggs – These eggs are tiny and delicate. They are often found poached or fried atop a fancy salad in a fancy restaurant.  Don’t get the real quail egg confused with this chocolate version by Rococo chocolates. The flavor and nutritional value of a quail egg is similar to a chicken egg but you would need to eat a lot more to get the same benefits because of their smaller size.

Pheasant Eggs – Pheasant eggs are similar in size to a duck egg but have a gamier flavor due to the flavor of the bird.  The taste is light and rich like a quail egg.

Ostrich Eggs – Ostrich Eggs are 20x larger than a chicken egg.  That would be very convenient if you are making eggs for a large group.  The egg has a similar yolk to a chicken egg but their hard shell make them difficult to open.  A single ostrich egg packs about 2000 calories… a single egg would cover your suggested daily intake!

After all of that research it appears that we eat lots of chicken eggs for a couple of reasons… they are easy to produce in large quantities and they have a mild flavor while providing us with lots of nutrients.

I hope you have an egg-cellent day!

Happy Friday,

Julie

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Smorgasburg!

As the days quickly get warmer, New York City seems to recharge and become more and more alive. From  markets, street fairs and concerts, there is an abundance of things to do outdoors on a beautiful Spring or Summer day. Since we’re all about food, we especially love the warmer months of the year due the re-emergence of SMORGASBURG from its winter hibernation. Dubbed by the New York Times as “The Woodstock of Eating”, Smorgasburg was launched in 2011 and is now the largest open-air food market in the United States. Every Saturday in Williamsburg and every Sunday in Prospect Park, one-hundred local vendors come together to bring hungry people delicious food throughout Spring and Summer. From po boy’s to grilled lobster to vegan fare and everything in between, Smorgasburg has something delicious for everyone. One of my personal favorites is the Calexico Burger from Chickpea & Olive followed by a vegan scoop from Bona Bona Ice Cream Truck. Make sure to bring a blanket to spread out on the spacious open grounds, a book, and good company to help you enjoy the day! Also, most of the vendors are cash only, so if you don’t normally carry cash, be sure to stop at an ATM before starting your day.

– Payton

Saturday+Williamsburg.jpg

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Eating With the Season: Roasted Mushroom and Asparagus Pasta

Spring is finally in the air! And what a long wait it has been. The temperature will soon rise and rain will soon fall, setting into motion the bloom of the bountiful Spring season. We as New Yorkers are very lucky to live within such short distance of so many amazing local farms, providing access to fresh and delicious in-season produce. Shopping at your neighborhood Farmers’ Market or Green Market is an amazing way to find in-season produce and can also be a source of meal inspiration. There are many great online resources for navigating the produce of the season, including: https://www.grownyc.org/greenmarket/whatsavailable which not only provides information on seasonal produce available, but also recipes, gardening information, and information on the importance of eating local and with the season.

Although I tend to eat lighter in the Spring, I sometimes crave a heartier, more comforting meal on a chilly Spring evening. My go to is roasted mushroom and asparagus pasta coated in an almond cream sauce. See recipe below.

Enjoy!

Payton

Roasted Mushrooms and Asparagu

Ingredients:
1 lb cremini mushrooms, washed, stems removed, thinly sliced
1 lb asparagus, washed, woody stems removed, chopped into 1 inch pieces

1 lb Semolina Artisanal Strozzapreti Pasta

Almond Cream Sauce
1 cup blanched almonds
2 cups water
1 medium yellow onion
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 clove garlic, minced
1-2 tablespoons chickpea miso
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Pepper to taste

Method:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees
Add mushrooms and asparagus to a half sheet tray, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, toss, and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, or until lightly caramelized.

Soak almonds in 1 cup hot water for at least 15 minutes. Add almonds and soaking water to a high speed blender and blend until smooth, slowly streaming in remaining cup of water.
In a large saute pan, heat olive oil and sweat onion until soft. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 to 2 more minutes.
Add sweated onion and garlic to the blender, along with miso, and blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
Pour sauce back into the saute pan and heat slowly, whisking to break up lumps. Stir in lemon juice. Adjust seasoning as necessary.

Cook pasta according to package instruction
Add roasted mushrooms and asparagus to the sauce.

Toss cooked pasta with sauce, serve and enjoy!