• On the Farm

  • Past Posts

Archive for September 2012

September 26, 2012
by admin

Hashbrown Casserole

HASHBROWN CASSEROLE
Broiling the Potatoes yields a light and fluffy product that is a little crispy on the edges. This needs to be watched as it cooks and turned with tongs so that it browns evenly!
Beat the Egg Whites at the last moment, but make sure your whisk does not have any Yolk on it as this will prevent your Whites from increasing in volume
It may be easier to do the Broiling in 2 or more batches, depending upon your Oven- the potato will gradually decrease in volume as it cooks.
6 Large White Potatoes, washed and scrubbed
1/2 Yellow Onion
1 teaspoon Celery Salt
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/4 Cup Vegetable Oil
3 Medium Eggs, separated
1 1/2 teaspoons Salt
1 teaspoon Black Pepper
2/3 Cup Sour Cream
1 Cup Shredded Cheese
Box Grater or Food Processor
Baking Sheet or Swiss Roll Pan
9 x 11″ Casserole Dish
1 Large & 1 small Mixing Bowl
Colander
Small Whisk
Grate the Potato on a coarse Box Grater or Food Processor and rinse under cold running water in a Colander, then squeeze out excess water.
Grate the Onion and add to potato mixture.
Pour Vegetable oil over the grated washed potato/onion and mix together to evenly coat the mixture. 
Transfer to cookie sheet or Swiss Roll pan and sprinkle with Celery Salt and Garlic Powder.
Bake under a hot broiler on the middle rack, turning frequently until the potato is slightly browned and a little crispy, about 15-20 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat the Egg Yolks until foaming and then fold in the Sour Cream, Salt and Pepper and half of the Cheese.
When Potato is crispy around most of the edges, fold in egg and cheese mixture.
Beat Egg Whites in a small bowl until very foamy and gradually fold into the potato mixture. 
Transfer to a pan-sprayed 9 x 11 ” Baking dish and top with remaining Cheese. Bake for 30 minutes at 350F 
  Comments  Comment
Read More
September 14, 2012
by admin

Pear Vinaigrette, Tomato-Sorrel Sauce, Pickled Mustard Greens

Check out this article on Epicurious.com that mentions this pear sauce!
PEAR VINAIGRETTE
Most pears at any point of ripeness will work for this recipe- a harder pear will yield a grainier texture to the final result. If using Asian Pears, it is not necessary to peel them.
2 cups pear, peeled, cored and cubed
2 Tablespoons Rice-wine Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Minced Shallot (about 1 small lobe)
1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
1/2 teaspoon Salt
pinch of White Pepper
3 Tablespoons Honey
1/3 cup light oil, such as Grapeseed or Canola
Combine first 6 ingredients in a mixing bowl with steep sides and use an immersion blender to puree.
Slowly drizzle in the oil until combined and then add the Honey. Check for seasoning- you may add more honey if the pear is not overly sweet.
Dress your favorite greens, or use as a sauce with fish. Pairs well with Goat cheese, Walnuts and Duck.
TOMATO-SORREL SAUCE
Sorrel is a perennial herb that has a distinct sour taste that is not unpleasant. It is eaten raw or cooked all over the world in soups and sauces, most commonly with fish.
When cooked, the color will turn from bright green to khaki. It contains Oxalic Acid which is also found in Spinach & Chard as well as Black Tea, and creates a signature chalky or mineral mouthfeel.
To prepare, wash and dry the Sorrel and then holding the stem in one hand, pull the bottom of the leaf with your other hand upwards and release the leaf discarding the stem. Place a pile of leaves together and then roll up before cutting into 1/2 inch wide strips.
Concasse is a culinary term to describe tomatoes that have been peeled, seeded and chopped.
Here is a quick video on How To Peel: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QliTTXJidZw
Then, cut the tomato in half horizontally, not top to bottom, and then gently squeeze out the seeds (you don’t have to get every last one!) Then roughly dice.
2 Tablespoons light Olive Oil
1/2 Yellow Onion, Sliced
2 cups Concasse Tomato
4 cups loosely packed Sorrel (about 1 large bunch)
1/2 cup White Wine
1/3 cup White Wine Vinegar
1/3 cup light or blended Olive Oil
1 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper
Heat a large Saute pan over medium heat and add the oil, then onions until they become clear, a few minutes.
Add Tomato and gently simmer until cooked down and reduced to just a little juice remains- about 12-15 minutes. Stir in Vinegar and Wine and remove from stove.
Allow to cool before adding the fresh Sorrel, Olive Oil and season with Salt and Pepper
Use as a sauce for fish, chicken or pasta- really good with Raviolis!
PICKLED MUSTARD GREENS
A traditional Asian condiment used in Soups, Stews and Hot-pot recipes, is also a great way to season simmered beans and sauteed vegetables, or bring some zing to BBQ sandwiches!
1 cup White Vinegar
1 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
2 cups Water
3 Tablespoons Salt
2 teaspoons chopped Garlic
1/2 cup Sugar
1 Yellow Onion, Sliced
1 large bunch of Mustard Greens
1 Red Jalapeno Pepper (or other hot pepper) sliced into rounds
Pick through Mustard greens and remove stems by pulling on the bottom of each leaf, then chop stems into inch long pieces and roughly chopping large leaves.
Place Onions, Peppers and Greens into a non-reactive 2 quart container.
Bring the first 6 ingredients to a full boil and then carefully pour over the greens.
Allow to cool to room temperature before storing in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
Richard
  Comments  Comment
Read More
September 13, 2012
by admin

Signs of Fall

I am looking at the old time signs of fall…when will it come, how long will it last…and here are the first two autumn indicators for me…. first, the ridge line of trees around our farm takes on a particular “color tone.” The trees are still green, but the leaves turn a brassy green and the slightest wind begins to coax them from the branches. Second, the Pin Oak acorns this year are very large. The old timers say that the size and volume of acorns are Mother Nature’s way of taking care of the woodland critters who “store up” for the winter. Check out the acorns that have already formed. They are about three weeks ahead of schedule and are already BIG. We also have the barrage of black walnuts falling from our trees, so Mother Nature is giving an early and bountiful buffet to the creatures around here. I hope you all have taken advantage of summer crops and have a larder all set for the winter!

 

I asked our crew what was their favorite things about fall…

 

Harry replied, “THE WEATHER.” The cooler temperatures make everyone a little less edgy and also makes us all want to be outside! I asked our crew to write the blog this week, but was promptly told that there was way too much hoeing to do, so you will just have to wait for remarks from our crew! That should, however, tell you that they are loving being in the autumn breeze and kinder temps, and are NOT interested in being indoors!

 

 

Luke said “The New Plants.” The farm is coming to life with the best things of the fall… LOTS of turnip, mustard and collard greens, kale, radishes and much more are jumping up out of the soil, on their way to production in a few short weeks. Luke said the young plants are more easily trainable and he can get them to do what he wants right now. I told him the same thing holds true with human children, so file that away for later use!

 

Katie mentioned that she loved the fall not only for sweater weather, but also that it was great to have HOT tea again. The Savannah Tea Co has some lovely ones if you are in the mood to curl up with a cup of tea and a good book over the weekend! They are located by the coffee and honey section right behind Katie’s CSA table in the farm stand, so get her to tell you all about them.

 

Mary Lindsay wanted to say the weather but Harry claimed that first, so her close second was making foods that include pumpkins! Bernie chimed in, gushing about pumpkin pie, and Marcia was echoing sentiments about apple butter time too! Our farm crew loves good food! Richard made a fantastic pumpkin mousse for a garden club event here and everyone raved about it. Check the recipe section of the blog to find this ever so delicious recipe!

 

We are offering an awesome special this week. We know the fall weather bring heartier eating so we wanted to give you a chance to stock up on some meat for the freezer.

 

We are offering the meat lover’s special this week which includes:

  • One Dozen Jolly Barnyard Eggs
  • 1lb. Benton’s Bacon
  • 2 Sirloin Steaks from Gourmet Pasture Beef
  • 2 Regular Jerky Packages from Gourmet Pasture Beef
  • 3 One-Pound Ground Beef Packages from Morris Hollow Farm
  • Sausage from West Wind Farms
  • Your Choice of: Ground Lamb or Ground Turkey

The cost is only $99 and it is a great way to try out a little something from each of our meat vendors. Sorry we can’t make any substitutions in the special. There are a limited number of these, so order quickly before they are all gone! Email us to reserve a special!

 

This week, we are back to offering both prepackaged CSA and a pack-your-own option. We have the last of the summer squash and zucchini, fall squashes, leafy greens, peppers, okra, sweet and regular potatoes, apples, beans or peas, not sure which will mature first! Click here to go to our market page and place your order today!
  Comments  Comment
Read More
September 8, 2012
by admin

Recipes From Chef Richard!

Happy Saturday Friends!

Here are some delicious recipes our Chef Richard has been sampling the past couple saturdays. He wanted to share them with all of you so you can try them at home.

 

BABA GANOUSH

1 Medium eggplant will yield about 1 cup roasted pulp. Make sure to get more than you will need!

Tahini can be found at most grocery stores and is shelf stable for a long time. Brands can vary quite a lot and it can be bitter, so it is best to start with a small amount and then add a little to taste

 

4 cups roasted eggplant pulp

2 teaspoons chopped garlic

1 teaspoon Tahini paste

2 teaspoons Salt

2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice

1/2 cup light Olive Oil

 

Preheat Oven  400F. Place whole eggplant on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (or foil) and pan spray. Bake eggplant for about 40 minutes until skin is puffed up and flesh is very soft.

Let cool and then slice in half lengthwise, then scoop out flesh with a spoon- this will come out easily. discard stem and skin.

Place eggplant flesh in a food processor with all ingredients, except oil.

Pulse to combine and then with unit on, drizzle in Oilve Oil until incorporated.

Season to taste and then place in a clean bowl.

Garnish with a little Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Paprika; serve with vegetables and chips to dip with!

 

 

LAMB & EGGPLANT STEW

This is a great dish to utilize eggplant that everyone will enjoy! Substitute Beef, Chicken or Tofu to your preference

Dice lamb and eggplant into a similar size for uniformity.

 

1 # Lamb stew meat, trimmed of any obvious sinew

1 large eggplant, cubed

1/2 medium Yellow Onion, diced

1/4 cup light Olive Oil

Combine Seasoned Flour in a medium bowl:

1 cup flour

2 teaspoons Salt

1 teaspoon Black Pepper

1 teaspoon Paprika

1 teaspoon Garlic Powder

Have at the ready:

1/2 cup Marsala wine, Red wine or 1/4 cup Brandy

2 cups Beef or Vegetable Stock (or water)

 

Heat a large pot (Dutch Oven) with 1/4 cup oil

Coat cubed Lamb meat with seasoned flour and in 2 batches place into pot, evenly browning the meat- not cooked through!  Transfer to a clean bowl.

Coat eggplant with seasoned flour and place in pot with Yellow Onion. Allow to brown slightly and become fragrant- you may need to add a little more oil to the pot at this time as the eggplant will soak up what is there quickly.

Deglaze the pot by adding wine and using a wooden spoon, loosen any “fonds” by rubbing the base with the spoon edge- this is where the real flavor comes from!

Add stock and bring to a boil, stirring gently.

Reduce heat to Medium-low and add browned Lamb. Keep stirring slowly until back to barely a simmer- you do not want the Lamb to come to a boil as this makes the meat tough. Adjust heat as necessary

Cook for 18- 22 minutes, adding a little water if the gravy becomes too thick.

Serve over Brown Rice, Cous Cous or Mashed Potatoes, and garnish with freshly torn Mint, Tarragon or Oregano.

  Comments  Comment
Read More
September 5, 2012
by admin

Amazing Ingredients

We have all heard the old adage “Start with the best ingredients to get the best result.” So what is it about certain ingredients that have use either super charged or  makes us totally ambivalent? Of course some ingredients, say tomatoes and peaches are just sexy by nature… (ee cummings did not ask if anyone would want to eat brussel sprouts in his poetry!) Then you have the work horses of the culinary world, potatoes and onions, which yield up flavor and versatility.
But what about those things in the middle, or the things that  you need for a recipe, but never put much thought into. What about the unsung heroes like celery and cucumbers, garlic and herbs.

 

Most supermarket celery is a dismal distant cousin to fresh celery. I have been spoiled this year with the celery from the farm. It is not large, big ribbed, waterlogged, almost white in color,stringy pith…( can you tell I am not a supermarket celery fan?) Store celery also is ranked #2 on the dirty dozen of worse foods with high pesticide/chemical residue.  The last of the farm celery is here this week and it is dark green, with small slender ribs and gorgeous intensely flavored leaves. All you cooks’ already know the trick of using the celery leaves for the real celery flavor anyway, and this stuff packs a whollop!

Cucumbers are another veggie that gets passed over, often treated as a dressing delivery system rather than the crisp refreshing foodstuff they are. They have a tremendous rehydrating ability and a cucumber can rehydrate you quickly as well as impart electrolytes and vitamins. Use some in your water for double hydration in a glass!We have another fun thing on the farm, lemon cucumbers. They look like lemons but taste like regular cucumbers… they are yummy and great on cucumber sandwiches! This heirloom has been around a long time, but has gained a lot of popularity in the past year or so. We have grown it many years here on the farm.

We are really luck to have some of the famous Jeff Poppen garlic here on the farm.  Jeff has been growing this particular strain of garlic on his farm for more years than he cares to try to count, and likes it because the heirloom bulbs not only have a WOW factor flavor, but are hearty and healthy cultivars. He has been bringing this garlic to town since the days of Sunshine grocery, pre Whole Foods, and has been kind enough to share some with us. One clove will do a whole pot of soup… it is amazing. I bet the anti oxidant properties in it are off the map!

Lastly let’s talk about herbs. Want to cut down on the sodium in your diet? Herbs. Want to kick up the flavor in any dish? Herbs. Want to make your food look more beautiful on a plate? Herbs. Want to add natures’ medicine to help your body? Herbs are the perfect way to reinvent old favorites and also create new ones. Most of the herbs sold in the regular supermarkets have been bred to withstand extreme cold, and to do that you really sacrifice flavor. We invite you to pick a leaf off one of our herbs and see what a difference there is taste wise in fresh cut herbs.

 

We continue to see the decline of summer items, bye bye corn and tomatoes, hello turnip greens and sweet potatoes. The gap between summer and fall items has been exacerbated from the drought/heat condiditons of June, as many second- round summer plantings “fried” and we could not get second plantings in in time to justify the yield after the heatwave. So we are working toward fall things. Due to this slower period of production, we are only offering the couples and family boxes for a few weeks till the full spectrum of plants are in production. Thanks for your patience on this matter. Remember you can still come and get only what you want a  la carte, just not in a “box” situation.

Meet our new crew members!

Davis has been a “hired gun” on area farms seasonally, and came to us from a recommendation from Harry our farm manager. Davis is also a talented film and video maker. He has joined our crew as a hard working field hand and around utility man. He made a big difference in helping get all the insulation in the new barn over the past two days, so he has a great do whatever needs doing attitude!

Next we have Katie our Green Door Gourmet administrative professional and Saturday CSA gal.

Katie has been a god-send to me as I have strong allergic reactions to paper work! She keeps us running behind the scenes and is so pleasant and competent I am not sure how I managed without her before! If you email me chances are it is Katie that will make sure I get back to you. Tell her we love her!

Our other recent addition is Kate. Kate is picking up the void left by Lillie who flew away to college this year! Kate is great at making flower bouquets and has a great eye for design. She will be taking over the teaching garden space, and hopefully helping us get set for school trips to the farm among other things. She speaks Spanish, was a teacher in NC, and is just really a super sweet and hard-working girl. Introduce yourself to her when you see her and welcome her to Nashville and Green Door Gourmet!

This week in the box: sweet potatoes, winter squash, peppers, eggplant, turnip greens, heirloom no spray pears,  muscadines , herbs and more! Click here to go to our emarket place to order your box.

Don’t forget about our first event in the new barn: Beyond BBQ happens this Saturday. We are close to a sellout, so get your tickets now! Click here for more info!!

  Comments  Comment
Read More

  • Search

Green Door Gourmet

Get in
Touch

On Farm Market:

Saturday 9am-2pm

7011 RIVER ROAD PIKE
NASHVILLE, TN 37209
Phone: (615) 429-1712

On The Web:

Twitter

Facebook

YouTube

© 2013 Green Door gourmet. All Rights Reserved.