Farmers Market Finds and the Weekly Menu 10/11 - 10/16/10

This weekend at the Kingfield Farmers Market I participated in my first bake-off ever. We were asked to create a baked good using pumpkin this week & bring enough for 60 small servings.

Then market-goers could purchase a plate with a sample of each treat & vote for their favorite. A panel of judges also chose their favorite. I brought a Chai Pumpkin Cake topped with a simple glaze (recipe coming soon).

I think my cake was really good but my bet is on the pumpkin whoopie pies. I'm still waiting patiently (or not so patiently) to find out who won.
Here's what we picked up at the market this week...

Onions
Sun Street Farm Girl Saison Bread & Kingfield Sourdough Bread
Italian Grilling Peppers - Went into a sweet potato hash last night
Green Beans
Eggs
Surprisingly late cherry tomatoes
Jersey Cows' Milk Cheese - Great on the bread with some fig jam
Garlic
Sweet Potatoes

& some amazing duck & pork noodle soup from the Chef Shack.

We haven't really planned out menu for the week other than I have lots of leftover chicken to use & we want some sweet potato tacos as well.

If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://agoodappetite.blogspot.com OR at http://agoodappetite.com then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at katbaro AT yahoo DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author unless otherwise noted. © 2007-2010 Kathy Lewinski

Pork Chile Verde

This dish might not be anything too pretty to look at but, oh man, was it ever good!

Pork Chile Verde is one of Matt's favorite things to order when back in California & eating at a taqueria. We'd never made it at home until Matt suggested we add it to the menu this week. Our's was not exactly like the ones he gets there with shredded pork but flavor-wise he thought it was pretty darn close.

The bright green sauce has a zing of heat from the jalapenos but its not too spicy (it was mild enough for me) so if you like things hot, add some hot sauce or throw in a hotter pepper. The pork steak got very tender from the braising in just an hour. If you can't find pork steak use another fatty cut of pork such as shoulder. This sauce would also be tasty with chicken. Just writing about it is making me crave it again...

Pork Chile Verde

1 T olive oil
2 lb pork steak, cut into 1-inch cubes (or pork shoulder, something with a good amount of fat)
3/4 lb tomatillos, peeled & chopped
5 oz yellow onions, chopped
2 clove garlic, minced
4 jalapenos, seeded & chopped
2 poblano peppers, seeded & chopped
Handful fresh cilantro, roughly chopped stems & all
1 T worcestershire sauce
1/2 c water

In a large skillet with a lid heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the pork & sear until brown on all sides. Remove from pan & set aside.

Add the tomatillos, onions, garlic, jalapenos, poblanos, cilantro & worcestershire to the pan. Cook until everything is softening & the tomatillos are releasing their juices. Add the pork back to the pan. Stir in the water. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat & simmer until the pork is tender about 1 hour.

Remove the pork from the pot. Put everything else into a blender & purée until smooth. Put back in pan with the pork. If you want the sauce a little thicker let it simmer with the top off until it thickens, we let ours simmer for 15 more minutes. If the sauce is thick enough just heat through.

Serve over rice or in a taco. I liked mine with some sour cream on it.

Makes 4 - 5 servings.

If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://agoodappetite.blogspot.com OR at http://agoodappetite.com then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at katbaro AT yahoo DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author unless otherwise noted. © 2007-2010 Kathy Lewinski

Tamarin Chicken Curry

A few weeks back I won a jar of Tamarin Speculoos Spread from Elle's New England Kitchen. Tamarin (not to be confused with tamarind) Speculoos Spread is a new sandwich spread from Europe that has the texture of a smooth peanut butter but the flavor is sweet & cinnamonny. Elle asked the winner of each jar to use it in a recipe & I thought it would be perfect in a curry.

So, I whipped up a quick & simple chicken & vegetable curry adding a good amount of the spread to the sauce. It was so good! The Tamarin Spread not only added a wonderful sweetness to the curry, it also added to the velvety, creaminess of the sauce. It's cinnamon flavor was especially good with the sweet potatoes. A little Sirracha (or a lot depending on your love of heat) added to the sauce keeps it from being too sweet.

Next I liked to try the Tamarin sauce in a dipping sauce of some sort, any ideas?

Tamarin Chicken Curry

1 T vegetable oil
6 oz onion, cut into 6 wedges
10 oz sweet potato, peeled & cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 large carrot, peeled & sliced
florets from 1/2 a head of cauliflower
1 T curry powder
1 T all-purpose flour
2 c chicken stock
1 c water
1/2 c Tamarin Spread
2 t kosher salt
Sirracha to taste
2 c chopped cooked chicken
1/2 c coconut milk
2 c frozen green beans

In a large soup pot heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, sweet potato, carrot, cauliflower & curry powder. Sauté until the onion is starting to soften. Sprinkle the flour over the top & cook while stirring for 1 minute. Add the chicken stock, water, Tamarin spread, salt & Sirracha. Stir to mix. Add the chicken. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat & let simmer until the vegetables are softened, about 15 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk & beans. Cook until heated through. Serve over rice.

Makes 4 - 5 servings

***Disclose: I was given a jar of Tamarin Spread for free & asked to create a recipe with it but I was not paid in any other way.

If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://agoodappetite.blogspot.com OR at http://agoodappetite.com then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at katbaro AT yahoo DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author unless otherwise noted. © 2007-2010 Kathy Lewinski

Farmers Market Finds and the Weekly Menu 10/4 - 10/9/10

Only 4 more weeks of our Kingfield Farmers Market. We'll really miss our Sunday morning routine of biscuits at Sun Street Breads followed by something tasty from Chef Shack & of course getting our fresh produce for the week.

Here's what we got this week...

Oatmeal Lunchbox Bread - for lunchtime sandwiches
Red Clover Honey - such a great dark color
Flower Bouquet - How beautiful are these bouquets that they make out of things like kale & onion blossoms.

White Sweet Potatoes - We like the white ones so much more than the orange
Delicata Squash
Onions - I love to buy the little ones that are perfect recipe size
Cauliflower - Tasty in last night's curry
Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes - After the frost this weekend these are probably the last of the season. If you have a bunch of green tomatoes this still on the vine this late in the season how about making some First Frost Green Tomato Jam?
Yukon Gold Potatoes
Garlic - One of our favorite vendors & the growers of this beautiful garlic was featured in the New York Times this weekend!

On to Menu Planning Monday...

Chili Verde Pork - A hold over from last week's menu

Sausage & Bean Soup - Matt says it'll be like a ham & bean soup but with sausage

Butternut Squash Pasta

Creamy Wild Rice Soup - A cold weather favorite around here

Matt's parents will be here this weekend so I think we'll eating out Friday & Saturday.

Finally, just a little self-promotion to my other blog. Over the past two month's my friend Susi & I have been doing all this season's Project Runway challenges on dolls. This weekend our project was featured in India's Hindustan Times newpaper. Read all about it here...

If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://agoodappetite.blogspot.com OR at http://agoodappetite.com then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at katbaro AT yahoo DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author unless otherwise noted. © 2007-2010 Kathy Lewinski

Fig and Camembert Tart

The inspiration for last night's dinner come from two places, some lovely, stinky Camembert that Ile de France sent us & some dried Black Mission figs from the CA Fig Advisory Board.* I thought they would be perfect paired together.

The results were, well, kind of mixed. Matt felt the figs weren't a great match for the other ingredients. I liked the flavors together but thought that the tart needed a little something else. Perhaps a little of another cheese like Parmesan. I would also maybe double the amount of onions I used.

The filling turned out really light, almost like a soufflé and made for a nice light dinner with a spinach salad. This is a combination I'd like to play with some more. I think using the puff pastry as more of a pizza style crust & topping it with the figs, onions & cheese alone would make for an amazing appetizer.

Fig & Camembert Tart

1 sheet puff pastry (1/2 a package)
1/2 T olive oil
1- 2 medium onions, sliced thin
2/3 c milk
4.5 oz camembert, I removed the rind but you can leave it on.
1/4 t thyme
1 beaten egg
10 dry Black Mission figs, roughly chopped

Let puff pastry sit at room temperature until thawed, about 40 minutes.

Heat the olive oil over low heat in a small skillet. Add the onions. Let the onions cook slowly until they are golden brown, stirring as needed, 30 - 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the milk in a saucepan over medium heat. Do not allow to boil. Reduce heat to low & add the camembert. Stir until melted (if you left the rind on it may not melt completely). Let cool. Whisk in the thyme & beaten egg.

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Roll the puff pastry out slightly, until its just big enough to fit a buttered 9" pie pan. Lay in the pan & trim off any excess. Put in the freezer for 10 minutes.

Remove chilled pie crust. Cover the bottom of the pie pan with the figs & onions. Pour the cheese mixture over the top. Place in the center of the oven & bake for 30 minutes until the filling is puffy, set & golden brown.

Let sit a few minutes before cutting to serve.

Makes 1 9" pie

* Ile de France sent me some of their new French Camembert. It's beautiful, creamy, slightly stinky & perfect on a cracker or in a recipe. The CA Fig Advisory Board sent me an assortment of fresh & dried figs, these dried black mission figs were sticky & moist with tons of flavor. Neither company reimbursed me in any other way or required me to review their product.

If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://agoodappetite.blogspot.com OR at http://agoodappetite.com then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at katbaro AT yahoo DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author unless otherwise noted. © 2007-2010 Kathy Lewinski