RECIPE: "Cheaty" Pho

On a rainy day, I love nothing more than a steaming hot bowl of spicy pho. We have a couple of good Vietnamese restaurants (my favorite being Pho Far East) that offer huge bowls for less than $8. But eating pho takes every bit of concentration I have (using chopsticks and a spoon at the same time is incredibly difficult for someone as naturally clumsy as I am), so enjoying this meal with a 2-year-old in tow who also needs my full attention, well, let's just say is something I would rather not do in public. It's not pretty, and feels a little neglectful to both the toddler and the pho. But when the craving hits, while short of a true authentic pho experience, this recipe satisfies, can be made easily, and most importantly, can be eaten in the privacy of my own home. Elmo is a wonderful babysitter and will buy me 30 minutes alone with my fish sauce, basil, beansprouts and almighty Sriracha. "Sometimes mommies and daddies just need some quality time alone. With soup. You'll understand one day."
DISCLAIMER: This is not a very authentic recipe and will likely cost more and not taste quite as good as a real pho joint. In other words, child-less readers, enjoy your pho before you have babies. Don't get me wrong: they are wonderful, life-altering, blah, blah, blah, but man do they take the fun out of dining out.

INGREDIENTS:
Broth:
48 oz. good quality beef stock (I like Kitchen Essentials)
1/2 sweet yellow onion, thick sliced
2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and halved
2 T. fish sauce
1 T. salt
1 T. sugar
2 whole star anise
1 T. fennel seeds
1 T. coriander seeds
1 cinnamon stick
3 whole cloves
Additions:
6 oz beef (Note: you can really use any kind of beef or combination of beef for pho - my husband likes meatballs and shank, but I prefer thinly sliced rib eye steak when making it at home because you don't need to pre-cook it - it cooks in the hot broth)
1/2 sweet yellow onion, very thinly sliced
Chopped cilantro
8 oz (about half a pack) of pho noodles (you can find these at any Asian market)

Start by charring the onion and ginger (using a grill pan or oven broiler). Toast all the spices and add spices, onion, ginger, fish sauce, salt and sugar to the stock. Simmer covered for 2-3 hours (hint: if you are short on time, just 2x all spices, ginger and onion and simmer for 1 hour). Strain out all solids. In a separate pot cook noodles until soft (10-15 minutes). Slice steak very thinly (it helps to pop it in the freezer for 20 minutes prior to slicing). Bring stock up almost to a boil. Place generous serving of noodles on the bottom of bowl. Top with raw steak, onions and cilantro and ladle hot broth on top. Serve with the following family-style accompaniments.

Garnishes:                                                      
Lime wedges
Bean sprouts
Basil
Sliced jalapenos

Sauces:
Fish Sauce
Soy Sauce
Sriracha
Hoisin

RECIPE: Grandma Katie's Sugar Cookies

This recipe comes from my husband's grandmother Katie. I will be baking A LOT of these this weekend.

1 cup butter

1 ½ cups confectioners sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

2 ½ cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cream of  tartar

½ tsp. salt

Cream  butter  and confectioners sugar. Beat in the egg and vanilla.  Sift flour, baking soda and cream of tartar and add.  Wrap and chill dough. Roll out to 1/8 inch and cut into desired shapes.  Bake 400degrees 6 to 8 minutes. When completely cooled, frost with buttercream.

LOCAL DEAL: One day only at Whole Foods

Tomorrow only, Whole Foods on Ridge Road has Chuck Roast on sale for $3.99/lb. The perfect cut for Beef Stew.

RECIPE: Oyster Stew

One of the best parts of our annual day-after Thanksgiving oyster roast are the day-after the oyster roast leftovers. If you are going to go all out calorie-wise this weekend anyway, you might as well cap it off with a creamy, bacon-laden oyster stew. This is not a traditional oyster stew (it is probably closer to a chowder) and purists might take issue with this recipe for having too many additions (bacon! potatoes! corn! oh the horror!), but it sure is tasty.

INGREDEINTS:

4 strips bacon, diced
One yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T. all-purpose flour
1 c. dry white wine
2 Yukon or red-skinned potatoes, cut into small cubes
2/3 c. frozen corn
2 c. seafood stock (you may need more if you don't have much liquor - adjust as needed until you get the desired consistency).
.5t Old Bay seasoning
.5 c. heavy cream
3 dozen raw oysters and liquid* (if your oysters are huge, you may want to chop in half, but otherwise leave them whole)
Chives, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste**

In a large pot, cook the bacon until about halfway done then add the onion. Cook together until the bacon is crisp, then add the garlic, cooking for one more minute. Sprinkle with flour and cook for 1-2 minutes more, until the raw flour smell is gone. Add wine and stir. Add the next 5 ingredients. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 25-30 minutes, or until potatoes are cooked through. Add oysters and reserved liquid and cook until edges begin to curl - don't overcook! If the stew seems too thick, add a bit more stock. Adjust seasoning. Garnish with chopped chives.

*When shucking, Be sure to save the liquor from the oysters to add to the pot.
** Do not add any salt until AFTER you have added the oysters and liquor as some oysters and their liquor are very salty. You may not need any additional salt at all.

RECIPE: Campfire Parmesan Tomatoes

INGREDIENTS:
8 Campari or large cherry tomatoes, halved
1 t. granulated garlic
4 T. shredded parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper

Place 4 pieces of tomato, cut side up on square of aluminum foil. Eight tomatoes will make 4 packets.
Sprinkle with cheese, garlic, salt and pepper.
Close packet by pulling up sides and twisting.
Place on hot coals (not directly on flame) for 15 minutes, rotating often,

RECIPE: Beef Stew v.238

I'm not sure I've ever made beef stew the same way twice (thus the version 238 - which is an exaggeration of course). It tends to vary greatly depending on what I have on hand and what kind of stew I'm in the mood for. This recipe runs closer to a bouef bourguignon than a traditional American beef stew. The only thing that remains the same with my stew is the vessel I cook it in (cast iron Dutch oven). But there are a few common stew commandments that should be followed strictly regardless of recipe to ensure the most flavor. The first is browning your beef really well. Stew is all about building flavor and a lot of that flavor comes from caramelization, so get your beef as brown as possible without burning it. The second commandment is to use very flavorful liquid. High quality beef stock and red wine are my preferences. Beef broth is not going to give as much depth, and for the love of God, don't even think about using water. Seriously. I will hunt you down and smack your knuckles with a wooden spoon. And finally, a really flavorful, satisfying stew can't be rushed. Despite whatever Rachel Ray might tell you, good stew is not a 30 minute meal. This is a weekend meal, plain and simple.

INGREDIENTS:
2 slices, thick cut bacon, diced
1 lb. stew meat cut into 2 inch by 2 inch chunks, patted dry and seasoned with salt and pepper
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
6-8 button mushrooms, sliced
3 cloves garlic, smashed
1 T. herbs de Provence
1 T. flour
1 c. red wine
2 c. beef stock
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper to taste

Pre-heat oven to 225 degrees.
In a Dutch oven, cook bacon until crisp. Remove cooked bacon. Brown the beef on all sides in the bacon grease. Remove beef to a plate.
There should be some bacon grease and beef drippings left. To this, add onion, carrot and mushrooms with a little salt and pepper and sauté until onions are cooked and veggies have some color.
Sprinkle veggies with flour and cook for a minute or two.
Add garlic and herbs and cook for an additional minute.
Turn heat up until pan is very hot and add wine. Using a wooden spoon, scrap up all of the brown bits that have collected on the bottom of the pan.
Lower heat back to medium low and add beef (and any juices), bacon, beef stock and bay leaf.
Cover and transfer to the oven. Cook for 3-4 hours, stirring occasionally until liquid has reduced and thickened slightly. Remove the cover for the last hour. Check seasoning and adjust as needed.

Serve over buttered egg noodles, potatoes, or drop biscuits. For this version, I prefer noodles. I also would suggest garnishing with a little chopped parsley, not really for the taste, but more because this is a very brown dish and the parsley adds a little color.

RECIPE: Jamaican Pumpkin Rice

If you are like me, around this time of year you have, without even trying, accumulated a mass of pumpkins. My toddler comes home from preschool with one every other day. I dutifully add the glitter/sticker/paint covered orb to our ever expanding gourd menagerie that has somehow taken over our entryway. Never one to throw away perfectly good food, I have started poaching some for recipes. Since you have to peel pumpkin, a decorated one is fine to use, though I would suggest doing it out of sight of the pumpkin artiste. Two-year-olds tend to cry when you take a knife to their beloved creations. (Oh, relax. There will be another one tomorrow). I figure it is better to make good use of them instead of letting them slowly and sadly decay over the next several months until my husband has to scoop them up with a shovel. Savory recipes are less common, so I thought I'd share one.

INGREDIENTS:
2 T. oil
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T Jamaican allspice (regular allspice works, but the Jamaican has a different character that really makes it richer)
1 small pumpkin, seeded, peeled and diced
1.5 c. white rice
3 c. veggie or chicken stock
Large handful of fresh thyme (you can put this in whole, but remember to remove the stems before serving)
Salt and pepper to taste
* If you like spicy food, you can add some scotch bonnet pepper to this. I usually serve this with very spicy jerk chicken or curry goat, so I tend to leave it out of the rice.

In a medium pot, heat oil. Add onion. Cook until soft. Add garlic, allspice and pumpkin, some salt and pepper. Toss to coat pumpkin and cook for 1-2 more minutes, careful not to burn garlic.
Add rice, stock and thyme. Reduce heat to low and cover. Cook until stock is absorbed (about 25-30 min) and rice is cooked through (pumpkin will be cooked and falling apart). Stir thoroughly until pumpkin is in very small pieces and well distributed. Add more salt and pepper if needed.
Makes 4 servings.

RECIPE: Curry-garlic pumpkin seeds

Your house will smell like an Indian restaurant for days, but these are worth it.


Seeds from 2 pumpkins, cleaned and patted dry
3 T soy sauce
3 T. melted unsalted butter*
1 T. mild curry powder (I like the Kerala brand from Whole Foods)
.5 t cumin
.5 t granulated garlic
.25 t cayenne pepper (optional)
Kosher salt to taste*
 (*if you use salted butter, you can omit salt)

Toss all ingredients together and pour onto a rimmed cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or so, stirring often. Remove from oven and toss with salt. Transfer onto a paper bag to dry for a few hours (bag will soak up excess oil and help them not go rancid as quickly). Eat within a few days. As you can see by the picture, I like mine well done (almost to the point of being burnt), but they don't need to be this dark.

RESTAURANT REVIEW: Bida Manda

  Bida Manda has been on my radar for awhile as one of the best new restaurants in Raleigh, but we don't get out as much as we used to pre-kiddo, so it took us awhile to get around to trying it. We finally went with some friends this past Monday and I can see what all the buzz is about. I usually avoid restaurants on Sundays and Mondays because those are usually the chef's nights off, so sometimes the food can be sub par on those particular evenings. But with grandma (aka free babysitter) in town just for the night, Monday it was.
   I admittedly don't know a whole lot about Lao cuisine and figured it to be pretty similar to Thai (due to it's proximity) and wasn't far off in that assumption. The usual suspects of Pad Thai and curries make their appearances, but there are also more traditional Lao dishes of Larb and Mok Pa. We started with the salmon ceviche an the soft shelled crabs with cilantro lime pesto. The ceviche was fresh and bright if a bit salty from an overzealous use of a soy reduction. The crab was fried to crispy perfection and the pesto was a nice addition. For entrees we tried the Duck Larb, the Curry Chicken and the Mee Ka Tee (Crispy Pork Belly Soup). I have no idea what Mee Ka Tee translates to, but I think it must be along the lines of "heavenly bowl of porky goodness." It was a somewhat cold and rainy night, and the soup with its combination of spice, acid and smokey pork was the perfect dish for the weather. The Larb was very flavorful, with just enough heat to make my nose run ever so slightly (just what everyone wants from their dining companion, right?). It had a great balance of sweetness and spice with a little sour added from the accompanying lime wedge. Served with sticky rice and meant to be eaten with your hands, it was satisfying and delicious. The curry was respectable but not particularly noteworthy.
    For a Monday night, Bida Manda was doing a brisk business. By the time we left, the restaurant three-quarters full and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. With our limited time and funds, and the large quantity of new and notable restaurants in the Triangle, we rarely find ourselves going back to the same place twice unless it makes a huge impression. Only time will tell with Bida Manda, but I think I already hear the Mee Ka Tee calling to me.

Visit www.bidamanda for full menu, hours and reservations.

LOCAL DEALS: Harris Teeter e-VIC coupons

  I do not claim to be a couponing guru. I actually don't use them that often, mostly because they are usually for things I don't often buy. But when we got a Groupon for the N&O Sunday paper (where most coupons originate), I thought, what the heck, let's see if I can save a little money.
  Everyone knows how paper coupons work. Clip, present, and if you are lucky they double or sometimes event triple them. But at Harris Teeter there is even a another layer. Enter the e-VIC coupon. So if you have a VIC card (their customer loyalty card), you can go on-line and sign up for e-VIC. By doing this you get an email once a week with specials on about 10 items that are only offered to e-VIC members. In addition, you get access to their e-VIC coupons which you download to your VIC card. Now here is the kicker: These e-VIC coupons can be used IN ADDITION to your paper coupons (which already get doubled). Even if you just buy one of the items, you can us BOTH coupons. This can mean huge savings (sometimes even getting things for free). For example, I just got a box of Total Raisin Bran for $.75. It was already a VIC special at $2.50 and I had a paper coupon for $.50 (which was doubled). Then add on the $.75 eVIC coupon and bam! Cereal for $.75.

LOCAL FARMS

If you are looking for something fun to do this weekend, check out The Eastern Triangle Farm Tour
http://www.carolinafarmstewards.org/etft/

DEALS: Aldi...who knew?

If you have never been to an Aldi, let me start by saying it is a weird experience. It feels like shopping in a foreign country because not only are all the products brands you've never heard of, but there are all these other quirky facets that you don't find in other stores. Like depositing a quarter to release a shopping cart (which you get back when you return it), or the way things are displayed (in boxes on pallets). They also charge you for bags if you don't bring your own. And you bag all of your purchases yourself at a little stand right past the cashiers. And they only take cash, debit or EBT. No credit. All of this adds up to lower prices, sure, but also a kind of surreal experience the first time you go. Nothing is organic. Most things are very processed and pre-packaged. But there are some reasons to go. Pantry items like baking soda, brown sugar, canola oil, etc. are very inexpensive compared to other stores. And for produce that doesn't necessarily need to be purchased organically, you can really get some great deals. I got a cantaloupe for $1.49. Even when the are on special that are usually at least $3 each at Harris Teeter. Avocados were $.65 each. Bananas were $.45/lb! That's just crazy. Is there great selection? No. Would I buy meat there? Not likely. But if you are looking to save some money then it is most definitely worth a look for certain items. And according to their Web site, some states are starting to carry some organic products. Hopefully NC will follow suit (and soon, because $6/gallon organic milk is a budget killer).

STRECHING YOUR DOLLAR: One pound of meat, three meals

Here are three more ideas for making one pound of meat stretch over three meals. I used one pound of boneless skinless chicken breast for the following:
Meal 1: Pesto chicken pizza (dough recipe here)
Meal 2: Spaghetti with goat cheese, figs, chicken and balsamic reduction (recipe to follow in a future post)
Meal 3: Chicken Tortilla soup (recipe here)

RECIPE: Easy quick pickles

INGREDIENTS:
1 T. sugar
1 T. salt
1/2 t. dried dill (or 1 t. fresh dill)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/3 c. hot water
1/3 c. red wine vinegar
1 small cucumber, thinly sliced

Put first 4 ingredients in a shallow container. Pour hot water over and stir until sugar is dissolved. Add vinegar. Once mixture is no longer warm, add cucumbers. Let sit at room temp for at least 30 minutes. Yum.

ALMOST ORGANIC: When close is good enough

  Everyone has to set their own standards on what they will let pass their lips. And while some people have appallingly low standards (Vienna Sausage? Really?), I find that most people don't fall strictly into a certain "food camp."  Sure, there are the rare few who insist they won't eat anything non-organic, non-GMO free, non-local, etc., but for my family there quite a bit of middle ground. And in the world of organics, there is plenty of middle ground, mostly made up of farms that are pesticide free, and using sustainable practices but not necessarily certified organic. Don't fool yourself. Becoming certified is very difficult and extremely expensive. Smaller farms often don't have the money or manpower to become certified, but are often much closer to the idyllic picture we have in our heads when we think of organic farming than their grocery store brand, certified organic counterparts.
  We've all been there. You find yourself shopping in the local grocery store and pick up a box of organic granola with a picturesque farm on the front. You feel pretty good about your purchase, right? But the utopic daydreams we have when we buy a box of Cascadian Farm and their ilk are often misplaced. I'm sure Cascadian Farm is a lovely place, full of rainbows and unicorns, but it is also owned by General Mills.

Wait, what?

Yep.

So before you feel too warm and fuzzy about your organic granola dollars going towards the Cascadian Farms Bunny and Butterfly Garden Endowment Fund, you might want to think outside the box (no pun intended). There is big money in that little "USDA Organic" label, and the big companies are taking notice. You might be surprised to find out who owns your favorite organic brand (Google it if you don't believe me).  And more importantly, if you purchase foods based solely on that label then you are missing out on a whole slew of local options that are right under your nose. There are a great deal of local farms that are producing high quality "almost organic" foods within an hours drive of Raleigh. The "almost organic" farmers are using many of the same practices as the certified organic farmers, they just aren't getting certified.

Below I've listed some local farms that are producing products that while perhaps not certified organic, are in my mind, close enough. I've also listed some certified organic farms. One of the benefits of buying locally is that if you are ever in doubt, most of these places allow farm tours. You can see where your food comes from, ask questions, and truly feel good about where your money is going. And visiting a farm can be a fun family outing, especially if they have animals. The appeal  of chickens and goats to a 2 year old is really amazing.

Contrarian Farms - Pittsboro, NC
Fox Hollow Farms- Apex, NC
Hilltop Farms - Willow Spring, NC
Old Millburnie Farm - Raleigh NC
Double T Farm - Garner, NC
Ray Family Farms - Louisburg, NC
Stone Wall Plantation - Raleigh ,NC
Btown Farm - Durham, NC
Bull City Farm - Bahama, NC
Vollmer Farm - Bunn, NC
Let It Grow Farm - Selma, NC
Possum Spring Farm - Wendell, NC

This is by no means a comprehensive list. Visit www.localharvest.org for full descriptions and more local farms. I will be trying to visit some of these in the upcoming months (bold farms are ones I have already been to and can give a stamp of approval).

RECIPE: Campfire Potatoes

This is an easy make-ahead recipe that you can take camping and just throw on the fire. We transport them in a Ziploc bag and then transfer them to the foil packet on site.

Ingredients:
4 Yukon gold potatoes, diced
3 T olive oil
1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 t. soy sauce
1/2 t. cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a Ziploc bag and mix well. Once on site, transfer all contents (including liquid, to a tightly sealed foil packet. Cook on fire grate for about 30 minutes, turning often to prevent burning. The coals should be hot, but you don't want the packet in direct flame or the potatoes will burn before they cook through.

Also, if you want to step up your hot dogs, go for the Weeping Radish quarter pounders on a pretzel roll. Hot dog perfection.

THE ORGANIC JUNGLE: Wading through food labeling

If I ever win the lottery, I will start shopping 100 percent organic. Sure my grocery bill will triple, but what's money to me, a multi-millionaire? In reality, I buy as much organic as I can afford. By now everyone knows about the "Dirty Dozen" and the "Clean Fifteen". Our family pretty much follows these guidelines strictly. The items that fall in the middle? Well, that just depends on the budget and the price. But I definitely want to make sure I'm spending our money on the RIGHT products. Do my bananas need to be organic? What about rice? Does "all natural" mean anything or is it just a marketing ploy? It can be dizzying. Whole foods are pretty easy - they are either organic or they are not. Cut and dry. Packaged foods get a little tricky however. The standards of organic labeling are confusing to say the least. I read labels carefully, and even I get tricked occasionally. Recently, I saw this item on clearance at Harris Teeter for $1.89 each

Wow - what a great price for organic chicken stock, right? Read the label more closely (as I should have). What the hell is organic "chicken flavored" stock? Think reading the ingredients list will clear it up?

 

Oh, really? Organic chicken flavor is made of organic chicken flavor and salt? How enlightening. Honestly, I'm not sure I even want to know. Likely some kind of ground up chicken parts. But hey, its organic! Just goes to show that packaging can be misleading. You have to read carefully. For example, I was recently getting ready to put some organic cereal bars into my cart, when I noticed that the package actually said "made with organic ingredients." What's the difference? Well, as it turns out, a lot.  There are some foods that I'm perfectly OK with being just partially organic, because they don't contain any conventional "red flag items" (grains, meat, dairy and the dirty dozen). But this particular product while made of organic wheat, contained conventional strawberries. Strawberries are one of the DIRTIEST, so back on the shelf it went.
So for a little clarity on the matter, I visited www.organic.org . Here is what their Web site said.

"100% Organic—Foods bearing this label are made with 100% organic ingredients* and may display the USDA Organic seal.

Organic—These products contain at least 95–99% organic ingredients (by weight). The remaining ingredients are not available organically but have been approved by the NOP. These products may display the USDA Organic seal.

Made With Organic Ingredients—Food packaging that reads “Made With Organic Ingredients” must contain 70–94% organic ingredients. These products will not bear the USDA Organic seal; instead, they may list up to three ingredients on the front of the packaging.

Other—Products with less than 70% organic ingredients may only list organic ingredients on the information panel of the packaging. These products will not bear the USDA Organic seal."

I really try to not get bogged down in the minutia of it all, but sometimes reading labels is important. Now if I had to choose between a packaged treat full of GMOs and pesticides and something only "made with organic ingredients", the I'd go with the latter. But sometimes I find myself reading the label and finding a red flag, like the conventional strawberries. In that case I just choose another product entirely. Shopping organically on a budget means you have to be flexible and not necessarily have your heart set on 100% Organic Strawberry Cereal Bars, cause guess what? They don't exist.

And just in case you need the 2013 Dirty Dozen, Clean Fifteen list:

12 Most Contaminated

• Peaches
• Apples
• Sweet Bell Peppers
• Celery
• Nectarines
• Strawberries
• Cherries
• Pears
• Grapes (Imported)
• Spinach
• Lettuce

15 Least Contaminated

• Onions
• Sweet corn (maybe technically low in pesticides, but I limit this due to GMO concern. Sweet corn used to be mostly non-GMO but has changed in the last few years. In a word: Monsanto)
• Pineapples
• Avocado
• Cabbage
• Sweet peas
• Asparagus
• Mangoes
• Eggplant
• Kiwi
• Cantaloupe (domestic)
• Sweet potatoes
• Grapefruit
• Papayas
• Mushrooms

RECIPE: Sausage and Eggplant Meatballs

These are a great way to not only fool yourself into feeling like you are indulging in big, decadent meatballs (when in reality they only use about a half a pound of meat and are about 40% eggplant), but also sneaky way to get picky kids to eat veggies.

.5 lb. uncooked country sausage (or substitute ground beef or ground chicken if that's what you've got on hand)
Small eggplant, peeled and very finely diced
1/3 c. seasoned breadcrumbs
1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese
One egg
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 t. salt
1 t. pepper
2 T. veggie oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl combine all ingredient and mix well, but don't overwork (hands work best for this).
Form mixture into balls  - size is up to you.
Brown on all sides in a small amount of oil in a pan. You need to handle the balls gently (yeah, yeah, I know, but the fourth grader in me couldn't resist) when you turn them - the eggplant makes them a little fragile.
Transfer to the oven and cook until a thermometer reads 160 degrees. About 15-20 minutes.
Yields 6 large or 8 medium meatballs.

STRECHING YOUR DOLLAR: One pound of meat, three meals

In an earlier post I mentioned that in the attempt to eat local and organic, my family has significantly cut down on our meat portion sizes. By doing this, we can afford to buy higher quality, and yes, more expensive meats from local sources. There are three standbys that I find myself using the most to make this doable: quiche, pizza and pasta. All three can be made using very small quantities of meat. For example, this week I made 3 meals from one pound of Ray Family Farms Country Sausage ($7.65). Monday we had sausage and cheddar quiche, Wednesday we had a sausage, tomato, yellow squash and basil pizza and Thursday we had fettuccine with sausage and eggplant meatballs. The meatball recipe will follow.

RECIPE: Chicken Tortilla Soup

Whole Foods has avocados on sale this Friday. One of my favorite uses:

INGREDIENTS:
One 32oz. box of chicken stock
6 oz beer
2 cloves garlic
Jalapeno pepper, quartered
1 cup cooked chicken
1/3 c. rice
1/3 cup corn
2 T. honey
One lime
One large tomato, diced
One avocado, diced
Cilantro, chopped (to taste)
Salt and pepper.
1 T. oil
2 flour or corn tortillas, cut into strips

Start by simmering chicken stock and beer with 2 smashed cloves of garlic and a jalapeno cut into 4 pieces (or more if you like it really spicy). After about 30 minutes remove the pepper and garlic. Add 1 cup of cooked chicken (leftover rotisserie chicken works great), 1/3 c. rice and 1/3 cup corn (canned or frozen is fine). In the meantime, toss tortillas in just a little oil, salt and pepper and bake at 350 degrees until crisp. One the rice is cooked in the soup add salt and pepper to taste, 2 T. honey and the juice of one lime. In the bottom of the soup bowls, put diced tomato, avocado and cilantro. Ladle soup on top (this way the avocado and tomatoes don't jet mushy). Serve with the tortilla strips (I like to serve them on the side, because they soften quickly in the soup).

Makes 2 big bowls, or 4 small bowls of soup.

LOCAL FARMS: Ray Family Farms

This morning we visited Ray Family Farms in Louisburg. I had been looking for a place to get local meats, and this farm popped up on a Google search. I'm not going to go into all of the amazing practices they are using to produce sustainable, "almost organic" (there will be an upcoming post about this idea) meats and eggs, but this place is really outstanding. Solar power, biofuels, the list goes on. All of the animals live their entire lives on the farm. There are no cages or crates - everything is free range. The pigs have a huge piece of property to roam with trees and wallows. The chickens are everywhere but have a beautiful coop called "The Chick Inn". 

 

The owners, Chad and Jodi Ray, were selected last year as one of President Obama’s “Champions of Change” for their commitment to sustainable farming and energy conservation practices. For more information on their practices and philosophies, visit their Web site at www.rayfamilyfarms.com .

As much as we would like to eat local and organic all the time, it just isn't financially feasible for our family. We do what the budget allows, but have found that by reducing our portion sizes (Americans eat WAY too much meat in general anyways) and eating vegetarian a few nights a week, that we can afford to buy local organic or "almost organic" meats. Those 3-4 oz. servings were a little hard to get used to at first, but we've all survived and lost some weight in the process. Ray Family Farms offers a "Sample Package" which includes all of the following for $99: 1 beef roast, 3 ground beef, 1 pork chop, 1 bacon, 1 breakfast sausage, 1 dozen eggs, 1 Italian sausage, 1 Bratwurst sausage, 1 Chorizo Sausage, and 1 Chicken and a jar of jam. Eating the smaller portion sizes, this should easily be enough for our small family of 3 for an entire month. Could I get more at Harris Teeter? Sure. Would it be as good or as healthy? Hell no. I mean, I actually MET the chickens that laid these eggs.

So, in a nutshell, this place is just a completely different world from most of the commercial sources of meat production in this country. I want my son to grow up knowing that there are alternatives to feed lots and chickens so big that they can't support their own weight.  Anyone who visited a commercial poultry plant might walk away seriously considering vegetarianism. At this farm, you can't help just feel good about what these people are doing and what a model they could become. They have my utmost respect.

Sorry for the interruption.... ;)

Sooo....yeah, it's been awhile. What can I say? Who knew babies take up so much freaking time?
But now that I have the first two years under my belt and have regained a little bit of free time, I'm back to blogging. Having a child will change the scope of the blog a bit. There will be more about feeding kids right, and probably very few restaurant reviews (since we don't get out as much as we used to). Recipes will likely be simpler since cooking is something I find I have to do much more quickly these days. Hopefully still useful info to those who are interested in local food and recipes. My first official entry back (well, after this one that is) will be about a great local farm we visited this weekend that is producing sustainable, organic meat and eggs. Stay tuned.