I enjoyed my day today with a fellow cook/friend and we decided to hang out in his neck of the woods - Berkeley. After a late lunch, we trekked over to Monterey Market and Berkeley Bowl; both are independent businesses offering a plethora of local, seasonal produce and speciality items at - I must say - for the most part, reasonable prices.

He was thinking of his menu for a tasting he was doing for some friends and wanted to check out ingredients for inspiration. I can’t even describe the impressive amount of available ingredients at these two stores; I found items that are usually difficult to find and have only had access to by working in/via restaurants. I was like a kid in a candy store and was easily amused by the goldmine of ingredients! There were things I hadn’t even seen before…which also consistently reveals and reminds me of the diversity of the Bay Area.

 

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Picture 1 from 9: Mushrooms galore.

Afterwards, we walked down Shattuck Avenue, where we walked through a variety of shops and ended up at Off the Grid, an event in which regular mobile food trucks gather - set up much like a farmer’s market. Chairs are spread out and the community comes together to enjoy good food, each other’s company - and today - the beautiful weather.

 

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Picture 1 from 3: Along our walk on Shattuck, we stopped in a cheese shop...

 This is a great article about supporting the local economy as well as small farmers through community supported agriculture.

http://www.npr.org/2011/06/08/137034621/oh-the-things-you-can-do-with-a-farm-share-box

Check out the link for events in NYC

http://www.ediblemanhattan.com/eat-drink-local-2011-events

sounds like fun

I just got off the phone with Chef Will, the sous chef, at Emeril’s Delmonico. I had heard that they are on board with the Eat Local Challenge and have been tweeting and posting on Facebook about it. Great news!

I know there are a lot of die hards participating in this challenge, but if you are like me and would really like to go out to eat at least once this month then add Delmonico to your list of places to go. Quite honestly, all three of Emeril’s New Orleans restaurant use as many local ingredients as possible.

The chef’s at Delmonico are using arugula from Hollygrove, peaches from Crescent City Farmers Market, Malcolm’s Bon Vivant tomatoes, farm raised eggs, Padron peppers from Pam, Smith Creamery dairy and have made a strawberry grappa from local strawberries.

Local ingredients on the menu this week: stuffed Padron peppers, stuffed tomatoes, ratatouille, tomato Hollandaise, tomato gazpacho, farm egg pasta and gnocchi, and a special tonight of pasta carbonara with house made guanciale. Later this week be on the look out for buttermilk pie with grilled peaches and blackberries. The chefs are working on a summer menu using as many local ingredients they can get their hands on.

I foresee a trip to Delmonico sometime in the near future. Maybe on one of those nights that I just don’t feel like cooking.

As a chef, recipe tester and a culinary writer most of my day is spent thinking about food. This past week has been no exception but the focus has been a little different. I knew that when I signed up for this challenge I would have to be more mindful of what I ate and drank but it has become a fairly consuming endeavor. Last week I went to 3 farmer’s markets, Holleygrove Market, and three local supermarkets to forage for food. I thought I was so prepared. Ha!

For one thing, I thought I would be able to source all of my dry goods in one place and not have to run around town looking for Steen’s Cane Vinegar and local sugar. Which I found at Langenstein’s because Rouse’s was sold out ( just in case someone out there is looking for it). 

I love buying from the farmer’s markets but because the fruits and vegetables are so fresh and ripe they have to be processed almost immediately. I have found myself scarfing down peaches like crazy so they don’t go bad. No complaints there, nothing better than a fragrant, juicy peach. So I guess my second biggest challenge has been processing all of this food in a timely manner. I spent my weekend cooking so that I wouldn’t have to worry too much about cooking breakfast, lunch and dinner everyday. I made crawfish etouffee, kale and potato soup, roasted beets for a salad, chopped and sliced onions and peppers and garlic (just in case I need them for anything), kale chips for a healthy snack, cantaloupe granita and the piece de resistance, I am making homemade goat cheese. Right now it is at home draining in a cheesecloth lined colander. I cannot wait to go home and try it out.

So even though this is more challenging than I thought it would be it is also fun and has inspired me to be more creative. I love telling people about the challenge and get really excited when my friends want to join me, even if it is just for one night.

HERBED GOAT CHEESE BUTTONS

Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, from Farm to Fork:  Cooking Local, Cooking Fresh, Harper Studio Publisher, New York, 2010, copyright MSLO, Inc., all rights reserved

These serve as a wonderful spread for crackers or crusty bread, or make a nice garnish to dress up simple green salads.

11 ounces soft, mild goat cheese, at room temperature

2 tablespoons minced fresh basil

 1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano

 ½ teaspoon minced fresh rosemary or thyme

 1½ teaspoons minced garlic

 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving

 Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

 Fresh herb sprigs, for lining serving platter, optional

In a small bowl, combine the goat cheese, basil, oregano, rosemary, garlic and 1 tablespoon of the extra-virgin olive oil and stir until well combined. If the mixture is too stiff to mix well, add a bit of the remaining olive oil and stir to combine. Season to taste with Kosher salt and black pepper. Place in the refrigerator to stiffen; this will make it easier to roll.

Use a small spoon or scoop to portion the cheese mixture into roughly 2 tablespoon portions. Using clean hands (lightly oil your hands to prevent sticking), roll each portion into a small ball shape and then lightly flatten to form a “button.” Place buttons on an herb-lined platter and refrigerate (lightly covered with plastic wrap) until ready to serve.

When ready to serve, allow buttons to come to room temperature and then drizzle with additional olive oil as desired.

Yield: 11 ounces goat cheese buttons, 6 to 8 servings as garnish for salads, etc., 13 buttons

Please note: You can substitute pecan oil for the olive oil, use Avery Island salt instead of Kosher and eliminate the black pepper altogether for a strictly local version of this recipe.

I took a quick late afternoon lunch break to go to the farmers market out in Mid-City on Orleans Avenue. It is a bit smaller than the Tuesday market but I found what I was looking for- vegetables. I don’t think I have really been that excited over buying vegetables in quite a while. I do love when the seasons change and there are new and interesting things in the market like fava beans, spring peas and spring onions but down here in Louisiana all that stuff comes in pretty early. It is suddenly painfully hot here and I was a little worried that all I would find was eggplant and okra. Two of my least favorite vegetables. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised to find kale, baby red mustard greens, some Swiss chard (but it had seen better and much cooler days) potatoes, Romano beans and beets and of course eggplant, squash zucchini and corn. I filled two bags with vegetables and felt like I had just found a pot o’ gold.

Now after a long day editing cookbooks, I will go home and cook. Reading recipes all day makes me hungry.

 I made it through the first day of the challenge without a hitch. On Tuesday, I went to the Crescent City Farmer’s Market to pick up a few things. Unfortunately, I failed to make a game plan. When I got there I did what I usually do which is to buy whatever looks appealing and then I head over to the regular grocery store to buy anything else that I might want or need to flesh out my weekly menus. The farmers market had a lot of great looking stuff- tomatoes, patty pan squash, green beans, eggplant, berries and melons. For whatever reason, I headed straight for the fruit and bought several pints of blueberries, a basket of peaches, a couple of beautiful yellow zebra striped heirloom tomatoes and a cantaloupe. I also bought eggs from Smith Creamery, goat cheese from Ryals and puppy drum from Clara. It wasn’t until I got home that I realized I hadn’t bought a single vegetable! Luckily I have cucumbers and zucchini in the garden. I now have a greater understanding that eating locally takes a fair amount of planning and mindfulness. Something I know but didn’t actually put into practice.  When testing recipes we have a specific dish or menu in mind and I always go to the market with a very specific list of ingredients. I’m not sure why I threw caution to the wind this time.

But I have to say, I am really enjoying the blueberries and cucumbers. Last night I had the puppy drum which I sauteed in a little pecan oil and ate with butter roasted pecans. I made a cucumber and tomato salad with mint and lemon verbena with just a dash of cane vinegar. Everything was so fresh that it didn’t need much adornment. This is exactly the point!

I started reading my copy of The Locavore Handbook by Leda Meredith and I highly recommend  it. I would also recommend Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver and The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals and In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto both by Michael Pollan. You can get all of these at your local bookseller or Amazon.com.  

I am going back to the farmers market today with a plan. Hopefully, I won’t be distracted but at least I know I won’t be disappointed either. No matter what I end up with it will be delicious.

If interested in what other people are eating and writing about go to the Eat Local Challenge page on Facebook or check out www.nolalocavore.org.

This afternoon is the big kick off party for the 1st Annual New Orleans Eat Local Challenge. If you haven’t already signed up there is still time. You can sign up online or head over today to their headquarters at 1619 Oretha Castle Haley St. I stopped by there yesterday to pick up my goodie bag which includes a bag of Avery Island salt, a resource guide for buying local (up to 200 mile radius), my Eat Local Challenge T-shirt and I bought The Locavore’s Handbook by Leda Meredith.

The party tonight is from 5pm to 8pm at 1619 Oretha Castle Haley St. in the Zeitgeist Center. It sounds like it will be fun. Many of the sponsors of  the event will be there to talk about how and where to buy local ingredients. Pontchartrain Vineyards will be serving local wine and Old New Orleans Rum will offer cocktails and I was told there will be food as well.

I am really excited about taking this challenge. I have cleared out my pantry and restocked it with local items such as pecans and pecan oil, Louisiana sugar, Avery Island salt, local hot sauce, Steen’s cane vinegar and grits. Today I plan on heading over to Hollygrove Market to pick up a box of produce which will include squash, tomatoes, eggplant, blueberries, peaches, lettuces, sprouts, arugula and brown rice just to name a few.  Then I’ll head over to The Crescent City Farmers Market to pick up cheese, milk, butter, eggs, fish, shrimp and anything else that looks good. I  was a little nervous at first that I would have a hard time with this but as I start shopping and looking around there are so many local ingredients available it may not be as tough as I thought.

I have given myself a few little provisions; I am going to drink my coffee but I am going to drink only coffee that has been roasted locally such as PJ’s or CC’s and I think Coolbrew is also roasted in NOLA. I am also allowing myself beer but only the local stuff.

Going out to eat may be more of a challenge but there are a few restaurants participating. Satsuma, La Provence, Surrey’s, The Upperline and La Divinia are all sponsors of the event and I have heard that several restaurants around town will try to serve at least one dish that is mainly local. I will keep an up to date list of restaurants that are participating. Luckily, so many of our local restaurants use mainly local and regional ingredients. Hopefully the challenge will inspire our chefs to use that much more! Support for our local farmers and our local economy is so important. It is also gratifying to know that what you buy and how you eat affects your immediate community in such beneficial ways. The other benefit is to your health and the health of our environment.

The Eat Local Challenge is occurring nationwide so if you do not live in New Orleans check out the challenge in your community or start your own challenge.

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Tamales can be traced as far back as the Incas and Aztecs in Mesoamerica centuries ago. As a food source, tamales were easily transported in either corn husks or banana leaves and provided valuable nutrition for hunters, travelers and warriors.

Tamales are made from a corn masa dough and can be filled with meats, cheeses, beans, vegetables and even dried fruits for sweet tamales. The tamales are steamed in their wrappers, which is then discarded. The original disposable container-all natural and biodegradable.

Found throughout Mexico, Central and South America, Cuba and of course now throughout the United States, each region has a particular preparation of this traditional dish. In Mexico, they are most commonly stuffed with pork or chicken and served with a mole sauce.  In the northern region of the country they are wrapped in corn husks whereas in southern Mexico where it is more tropical, banana leaves are used. In Central America the meat is often cooked in a tomato based sauce called recado. In some areas dried fruit and olives may be added to the meat.

Tamales are sold by street vendors, roadside stands, and food trucks. They are commonly made to celebrate festive occasions like weddings and holidays. Eaten at any time of day, they are inexpensive and enormously satisfying. They might even be considered the ultimate comfort food.

We just finished up working on recipes for a tamale show. As we work on the shows I try to take pictures in the kitchen to share on the web. I was able to get some great progress shots of the making of tamales. It is a long process but well worth it.

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