Hounds In The Kitchen » Local Food

Grilled Bok Choy & Tatsoi {Recipe}

Rachel — Tue, 15 May 2012 13:12:44 +0000

Remember last week when I picked strawberries and toured Bird’s Farm? The bok choy and tatsoi in the high tunnel were too beautiful for me to resist.

Rich in Vitamin A and C, these greens are tasty ways to supplement your diet. They are mild in flavor, sweeter than kale or mustard greens, and the crunchy stem adds texture to dishes.

The young plants are often sold as baby bok choy or baby tatsoi. The stems are so tender when young they can be eaten raw, sautéed in a stir fry mix, or cooked quickly as in our favorite preparation: grilled bok choy.

I predict bok choy and tatsoi will be the next ‘hot’ green vegetable like kale is now. They are even easier to assimilate into the standard American diet and oh so delicious.

Do you eat bok choi and tatsoi? What’s your favorite way to cook them?

Grilled Bok Choy
Time: 10-20 minutes heating grill, 5 minutes preparation, 5 minutes cooking

1 head of young bok choy or tatsoi per person
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1. Slice the head in two lengthwise and wash thoroughly for any sandy soil that may reside in between leaves.
2. Drizzle with olive oil and soy sauce and sprinkle on a light coating of salt and pepper on the cut side.
3. Grill the bok choy, cut side down, over very hot coals for 4-6 minutes or until the greens are browned but not burnt. Serve immediately.

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Grilled Bok Choy & Tatsoi {Recipe} is a post from Hounds In The Kitchen.
If you like what you read, please consider supporting us with a donation or visit the Hounds in the Kitchen shop for ebooks and favorite tools. Thanks!

Marvelous Mint {Wordy Wednesday}

Rachel — Wed, 09 May 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Mint is a weed by any definition. Many gardeners even consider it invasive – the stuff will fill a space and beyond.

Our patch resides in a bed alongside the house bordered by the sidewalk. For the most part, this contains the spread and last year oregano actually overtook some of the mint zone.

We “tend” (mint actually requires no work) our mint madness because we love the herb. Lil eats the leaves fresh like salad greens and makes them into nests and garden sculptures.

I harvest fresh leaves frequently for drinks and dessert garnishes. At least once a year I fill the dehydrator, crushing the dried leaves for tea.

When mint flowers in late summer, bees and other pollinators ‘sup on the nectar while my family enjoys the petite purple blooms.

Despite it’s overgrowing habit, I’m mad for mint.

Do you grow mint? If so, how do you enjoy it?

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Marvelous Mint {Wordy Wednesday} is a post from Hounds In The Kitchen.
If you like what you read, please consider supporting us with a donation or visit the Hounds in the Kitchen shop for ebooks and favorite tools. Thanks!

Rhubarb Infused Vodka

Rachel — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 13:40:00 +0000

It’s rhubarb season in central Ohio! I like rhubarb in jam, strawberry rhubarb pie, and my grandmother’s rhubarb crunch. But my favorite way to enjoy this slightly sweet, floral, first “fruit” of spring is in a vodka infusion.

You might think I’m a lush but hear me out. Rhubarb is tongue-searingly sour and requires a lot of sugar or another strong flavor to temper the tart. Until I infused vodka with rhubarb, I had never truly appreciated the subtlty of the rhubarb flavor.

Making an infusion, with rhubarb or any other fruit, is dead simple. Chop or mascerate fruit in a clean glass container. Fill with vodka to cover all the fruit. Age in a dark place, tasting regularly, until the infusion matches your desired flavor. Strain out the fruit and enjoy the infusion as a mixer or on its own with fizzy water, a delightfully low-cal, high-zest drink.

In the case of rhubarb, I like to leave the infusion for up to two weeks. The clear vodka will turn a dusty red color and keep its piquancy for up to a year. The picture above shows the last of our 2011 rhubarb infusion, in one of my favorite jars made in Columbus Ohio, surrounded by the fresh rhubarb from the Greener Grocer that will make this year’s batch.

I am reserving some rhubarb to make into a shrub, a sweetened vinegar infusion. I suspect that the shrub method will show off the many characteristics of rhubarb much like the vodka infusion I hold so dear.

Do you like rhubarb? How do you prepare it?

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Rhubarb Infused Vodka is a post from Hounds In The Kitchen.
If you like what you read, please consider supporting us with a donation or visit the Hounds in the Kitchen shop for ebooks and favorite tools. Thanks!

Food Dialogues with US Farmers and Ranchers Alliance

Rachel — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 12:42:00 +0000

Do you know about the US Farmers and Ranchers Alliance (USFRA)? It is a newly created umbrella organization of state farm bureaus and grower’s councils. Their mission is to “lead the dialogue and answer Americans’ questions about how we raise our food”. Their new website Food Dialogues is designed to help facilitate conversations about how people, the planet, and businesses are affected by agriculture.

I have been a member of the Ohio Farm Bureau (OFB), member of USFRA, for over a decade. This relationships started because of their Nationwide insurance discounts and continues because I want to be part of the food culture in Ohio.

Conflicted History

My feelings about the Ohio Farm Bureau, and hence the USFRA, are mixed, though. While the OFB presents the stories of friends Sippel Family Farm and Marilou Suszko in their lovely and informative Our Ohio magazine, the values advocated by OFB are often out of line with my own. I passionately argued against the intrusion of ‘livestock care board’ into the Ohio state constitution while the Farm Bureau helped deceive Ohioans into voting for Issue Two a few years ago. Similarly, while I believe in the rights of workers to organize, the Farm Bureau presented anti-union arguments in last fall’s Ohio Senate Bill 5. I truly couldn’t understand their position on SB 2, as the farm bureau itself is an organization of workers.

The USFRA is made up of other groups that ruffle my feathers, including Monsanto, Dow AgriSciences, and DuPoint as “Industry and Premier Partners”. Behind the scenes, these monied and influential businesses promote agricultural bills that generally work against the diverse, organic, small farms that I believe are healthiest for farmers, consumers, and the environment.

Continue the Conversation

Despite conflicts, I believe that staying in the discussion is important. If local food advocates turn their backs on the USFRA, our voice will be lost. Perhaps by making some noise about what we want to see in the food system, we can affect change.

There are so many reasons to speak up. The honeybees and rivers need advocates to call attention to how farm waste can affect species far from farm sites. People who do not have the time or courage to speak up – the working poor, undocumented immigrants, and children – need us to insist on affordable food that does not compromise human and environmental health. People like me who care about antibiotic overuse must speak up for the farm animals who are given disturbing quantities and varieties of medicines to stay alive during stressful raising conditions. Farmer workers themselves, sometimes locked into contracts to use products that may be harmful to their personal health, need consumers to demand safe growing conditions.

The USFRA is hosting conversations virtually at Food Dialogues and on their facebook page. I set up my profile and joined the Facebook page to ask questions like:

How will the USFRA support and grow the number of small organic farms in the US?
Why is there arsenic and antidepressants in chickens and what is the USFRA doing to stop this practice?
How can environmental protection be promoted when agricultural subsidies encourage over-production?
Transporting livestock to slaughter, produce across the country, and even farm workers between farms uses an excessive amount of fossil fuels. The Eat Local movement reduces this demand. How will the USFRA support reduced ‘food miles’?
Why are there no councils or groups of produce growers in the USFRA? Maybe if a vegetable council promoted fresh produce, Americans would have more access to affordable fresh food.

Please join me in dialogue about growing food in the US. Leave a comment below (about agriculture, food, or anything you like) and enter to win a prize package of a Crock-Pot Programmable 6-Quart Slow Cooker and two reusable designer shopping bags from Envirosax.

Giveaway details: Prize package is a Crock-Pot Programmable 6-Quart Slow Cooker and two reusable designer shopping bags from Envirosax. Prize Pack ERV – $68. Prize is provided and delivered by USFRA; Entrants agree to not hold Rachel Tayse Baillieul or Hounds in the Kitchen liable for the prize. Entry open to US resident adults 18 years of age and older. Entries as comments on this site will be accepted from 10 am EST Wednesday April 11, 2012 – 10 am EST Wednesday April 18, 2012. One winner will be chosen on Wednesday April 18, 2012 by random.org and notified via email. In the event that a winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new winner will be selected.

Disclosure: The US Farmers and Ranchers Alliance paid me a stipend to introduce readers to their Food Dialogues website and Facebook page. All opinions are clearly my own.

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Food Dialogues with US Farmers and Ranchers Alliance is a post from Hounds In The Kitchen.
If you like what you read, please consider supporting us with a donation or visit the Hounds in the Kitchen shop for ebooks and favorite tools. Thanks!

Spring Chimichurri With Boiled Eggs On Grilled Asparagus {Recipe}

Rachel — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 12:59:00 +0000

Nothing says spring like firing up the grill, eating local asparagus, enjoying herbs from the garden, and reveling in the wonder of the egg. Combine them all in this grilled asparagus chimichurri recipe and the season bursts forth from your fork.

Chimichurri is an Argentinian herb sauce typically made with chopped fresh parsley, oregano, garlic, vinegar, and olive oil. Like Italian pesto, chimichurri is flexible to your personal taste. Substitute any and all fresh herbs popping up in your garden or at the farmer’s market.

Traditionally, chimichurri tops grilled steak and is indeed a tasty light counterpoint to rich meat. Drawing on a fantastic appetizer prepared by Jim Budros, Steve Stover, and Rich Terapak at a Franklin Park Conservatory cooking class, we pour chimichurri over grilled asparagus. The herbal garlic sauce highlights the sweetness of the crisped asparagus. Full-bodied chopped boiled egg completes the dish.

Serve chimichurri asparagus with a bread salad for lunch, as a side for dinner or as an appetizer over toast points. We might make it to share with family this Easter Sunday.

Spring Chimichurri With Boiled Eggs On Grilled Asparagus {Recipe}

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Yield: 2 lunch or 4 side servings

An appetizer, side dish, or lunch that screams spring.

Ingredients

for the asparagus:

1 pound asparagus, cleaned and ends snapped off
drizzle olive oil
pinch of salt

for the chimichurri:

1 packed cup fresh leafy herbs (parsley, oregano, cilantro, tarragon, and/or mustard greens)
2-4 cloves fresh garlic
1 tablespoon white, red or apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup good quality olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black or white pepper
pinch red chili flakes (optional)
1 boiled egg, peeled and chopped finely

Instructions

Heat grill or cast iron grill pan.
Drizzle olive oil and sprinkle pinch of salt over asparagus.
Arrange asparagus crossing the very hot grill grate and cook for 5 minutes on each side.
Meanwhile, combine chimichurri ingredients in a blender or food processor and pulse until herbs and garlic are in tiny pieces. Add a little water or olive oil if needed to create the rough puree. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.
When asparagus is grilled, transfer to a warmed plate. Top with generous drizzle of chimichurri and scatter boiled egg pieces on top.
If any chimicurri is leftover, store in the fridge for up to one week or freezer for up to six months with a top layer of olive oil to prevent oxidation (browning).

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Spring Chimichurri With Boiled Eggs On Grilled Asparagus {Recipe} is a post from Hounds In The Kitchen.
If you like what you read, please consider supporting us with a donation or visit the Hounds in the Kitchen shop for ebooks and favorite tools. Thanks!

If You Have a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts…

Rachel Tayse — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 13:34:46 +0000

On our trip to San Salvador Island, we stayed at Coconut Cottage which indeed was home to several coconut trees. Not being the kind of people to shy away from a free food source, Alex and Lil collected several big heavy coconuts and commenced to opening.

Extracting the Coconut

They instantly discovered that opening a coconut is a tricky thing. Like a twenty-something that refuses to leave her parent’s home, the sweet meat clings to its shell. Two shells, actually.

The outer husk is smooth and thick. Lil beat on it with a length of beach combed bamboo to no avail. Alex tried a rock, then a screwdriver, then the corner of the cement patio, and his knife.

I admit that watching the two of them working at this task over thirty minutes was a bit like watching a pair of monkeys discovering tools. The husk eventually splintered into packed fibrous sections.

Under the husk is the hard dense inner shell. The meat grows attached to this shell but if one shatters it with a hard blow, the nutritious coconut water would be lost. Instead, Alex drove a screw driver through one of the eyes with a hammer.

The resulting water is alluring – sweet, warm, and slightly salty from uptaking ocean water. Proponents herald coconut water as a natural electrolyte replacement. We enjoyed it with lime and rum in a perfect vacation cocktail.

With a few smashes from the hammer and rock, Lil and Alex broke into the shell to reveal bright white meat. (Also the sun came out. Ever changing light makes for challenging photography!)

Fresh coconut meat is juicy, sweet, and filling. It clings ever-tight to the shell. We used our teeth as rasps to shave off the meat and then tried a strong knife to pry off bigger pieces. At the suggestion of Internet guides, we froze some and baked it – the latter proving much more successful at loosening the goodstuff from the shell.

Lil’s Field Log Entry

“Coconut isn’t what you think it is. It’s not just a brown shell. It has food inside that’s white that’s called coconut meat and some juice inside that’s called coconut water. The brown coconut lives in a green big shell that’s actually made out of wood. And coconuts grow on trees. Not any kind of trees, palm tree.”

More Coconut Fun in the Palms

A coconut tree has more to give than just fruit. The palm fronds are dense, thick material just waiting to be transformed.

Alex’s mother Deb, a fiber artist, did not hesitate to collect and start working with them. She first wove with full fronds.

A basket weaver happened to be in town the next day and revealed that Bahamian women typically split the fronds in half and remove the central pin-like fiber before weaving. This allows the fiber to lay flat and be more easily manipulated.

Incorporating this small change, Deb and Lil created several placemats. We dried them outside to be sure that any insects who might be inhabiting them wouldn’t take over the house. Stowed in checked luggage, customs officials allowed us to transport them home.

One afternoon, Deb and I worked for nearly an hour to weave two small funky baskets. Souvenir baskets, like the one Lil bought, are constructed of woven fiber fabric.

Fresh coconuts rock. We are thrilled to have enjoyed them on vacation.

NB. The latest National Geographic Magazine reveals that we can mail coconuts, package free! We are totally doing this on our next tropical vacation!

Contrary to what you might think given the pictures, this post was not sponsored by Mechanix Gloves. Alex does think they are “the best work gloves ever” because Mechanix are fitting and allow for maintaining manual dexterity. He always travels with a pair.

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If You Have a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts… is a post from Hounds In The Kitchen.
If you like what you read, please consider supporting us with a donation or visit the Hounds in the Kitchen shop for ebooks and favorite tools. Thanks!

Petite Roasted Parsnip Fries {Recipe}

Rachel Tayse — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 12:55:17 +0000

Do you ever prepare a tired ingredient in a new way?

The other day we cooked Ohio bison burgers and wanted a ‘fry’ without potatoes. Riffing off the roasted root vegetables on Lil’s plate at Senate, Alex cut up some parsnips into very thin wedges. He arranged them in a single layer on a cookie sheet at roasted them with a thin cover of olive oil, salt and pepper.

My what a wonderous accompaniment! Parsnips roasted in this way are only slightly sweet and full of earthy anise flavor. The fries are crispy on the outside with a bit of bite still in the center. They compliment a rich burger like potato fries cannot.

This recreation of a common root vegetable makes me think a little harder about parsnips. I haven’t explored them fully. Perhaps 2012 will be the year of the parsnip.

Ingredients

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Petite Roasted Parsnip Fries {Recipe} is a post from Hounds In The Kitchen.
If you like what you read, please consider supporting us with a donation or visit the Hounds in the Kitchen shop for ebooks and favorite tools. Thanks!

Simplest Oven Roasted Squash Soup {Recipe}

Rachel Tayse — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 16:38:26 +0000

Earlier this week, we were slated to bring a soup to family dinner with Alex’s parents. I spied our last local pie pumpkin languishing on the counter and thought of squash soup.

I typically make winter squash soup by oven roasting the squash, sautéing onions and garlic in oil, and then pureeing everything together. This time I was exhausted from another bout of sinus pain. I didn’t feel like dicing the onion and happened upon another thought – what if I roasted everything together?

The lazy girl’s inclination turned out to be a stroke of brilliance. Pumpkin halves, onion, garlic, and parsnip bathed in an oil-rubbed sauna for about 40 minutes while I put my feet up and watched a football bowl game. On the second rack of the oven, I roasted the pumpkin seeds.

Then I simply scraped all the slightly charred, softened vegetables into a pot and added stock from the freezer and herbs from the backyard. I whizzed the soup smooth with the immersion blender and topped with roasted seeds. The resulting soup is earthy and rich with caramelized flavors from the roasted vegetables.

I’ve been at this home cooking thing for a long time and I don’t usually change much about the way I make traditional dishes. But sometimes the simplest thing surprises me. I’ll never make squash soup the old way again.

Ingredients

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Added to Simple Lives Thursday #77.

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Simplest Oven Roasted Squash Soup {Recipe} is a post from Hounds In The Kitchen.
If you like what you read, please consider supporting us with a donation or visit the Hounds in the Kitchen shop for ebooks and favorite tools. Thanks!

Maple Cider Vinegar Kale & Sweet Potatoes ala Skillet {Recipe}

Rachel Tayse — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 13:58:24 +0000

Skillet R.U.F. kale and sweet potatoes

Way back in August when the grass was green and the weather sticky hot, Flying J Farm opened its (barn) doors to host the Shake the Hand that Feeds You dinner benefiting Slow Food Columbus. Alex, Lil, and I attended with our Japanese exchange student Anna.

Chefs from Skillet Rustic. Urban. Food expertly cooked up much of the feast including a lingua appetizer sandwich that helped inspire our sweet heart charcuterie. The family-style meal included a whole roast pig, tomato salad, rosemary potatoes, braised cabbage, and our favorite dish of the night, sweet potatoes and kale.

Chef Casey’s pairing of my favorite vegetable, kale, and nutritious sweet potatoes was a new combination to me. Every time I eat at Skillet R.U.F. I am struck by their simple brilliance and want to recreate dishes at home.

Six months after the Flying J dinner, I chopped the last of our homegrown sweet potatoes to share with family on Christmas Eve. I prepped the vegetables early in the day and cooked them together just before guests arrived. I covered the dish to keep warm during cocktails.

The sweet, earthy, toothsome kale and sweet potatoes were a tasty accompaniment to our roast goose and mushroom pie. The leftovers kept well. Alex suggests that these kale and sweet potatoes topped with a poached egg would be an amazing simple dinner. I agree and know this dish will make its way onto a meal plan soon.

Rachel's kale and sweet potatoes

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Maple Cider Vinegar Kale & Sweet Potatoes
Time: 15 minutes preparation, 20 minutes cooking
Makes: 6 side dish servings

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 red onion, sliced into two-inch pieces
2 cups sweet potato, peeled and diced into one-inch pieces
1 large bunch kale, leaves washed well, removed from ribs, and chopped/torn into large chunks
1-2 teaspoons salt (to taste)
10-20 grinds white pepper (to taste)
1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil and onions.
2. When onions have begun to turn translucent, add sweet potatoes and turn up the heat. Cook for 10 minutes, tossing or gently stirring regularly.
3. Add kale pieces, salt, and pepper. Stir gently and reduce heat back to medium. Cook for five minutes or until kale starts to wilt.
4. Pour maple syrup and apple cider vinegar over the mix. Continue cooking until sweet potatoes are cooked through. Serve warm.

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PS. Need a little reassurance that summer will come again? Relive Shake the Hand that Feeds You through pictures.

Added to Simple Lives 76.

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Maple Cider Vinegar Kale & Sweet Potatoes ala Skillet {Recipe} is a post from Hounds In The Kitchen.
If you like what you read, please consider supporting us with a donation or visit the Hounds in the Kitchen shop for ebooks and favorite tools. Thanks!

Holiday 2011 Gift Guide

Rachel Tayse — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 20:01:01 +0000

Need a gift for a person who appreciates the provenance of presents? Here are eleven fun, unique ideas from central Ohio:

1) Little Alouette makes the most beautiful baby gifts, period. This holiday they offer personalized teethers, rocking horses, and a stunning nativity set.

2) I picked up a Zeroz Wallet for myself this fall and I am totally in love with the ultra-simple, sleek, handmade-in-Columbus design. It seems unreasonable that someone could improve on something as basic as a wallet, but Zeroz has done it.

3) A week ago, Tulane Road Pottery delivered an invitation to their holiday open house. We walked all of four blocks to the backyard studio and admired the earthy, architectural ceramic ware. A Tulane Road handmade plate, bowl, mug or piggy bank would make a handsome gift.

4) Thurns Meat Samplers – This year Thurn’s Speciality Meats, 530 Greenlawn Ave., is offering gift packs for the holiday season, all under $20.00. Your choice of bacon, smoked sausage, jerky, or party sampler will include meats vacuum packed for easy transportation and packaged in a gift bag.

5) Did you know that central Ohio is home to a nationally recognized handcrafted stoneware manufacturer? Hartstone Pottery in Zanesville creates freezer-microwave-dishwasher-oven-safe dishes from USA clay and adds lead-free hand-painted details. I use my tall mug for coffee or tea every day. Visit their location for factory tours and a complete store or shop online with 30% off through next Friday.

6) If don’t receive a pair of foodie earrings from Sweet Stella Designs this xmas, I’m buying them for myself. Amy makes miniature confections out of polymer clay that look almost good enough to eat. Find a Sweet Stella dessert accoutrement at What the Rock?! and Wholly Craft, or the MAC Holiday Sale, see below.

7) Igloo Letterpress and The Hills Market collaborated to make a touching, limited edition, Hand that Feeds You poster. Pick yours up at either location for just $25.

8 ) For the sweets lover, grab a Sassafras Bakery Gift Package of handmade from-scratch cookies, brownies, or bars. AJ will be serving up her holiday menu through December 23 for pickup in Worthington or Gahanna or you can pick up individual treats at Bexley Coffee Shop, Market 65, or The Hills Market.

9) Anyone who loves dining out in Columbus needs Nick Decker’s book, Breakfast with Nick. In it, he profiles breakfast joints and places that serve coffee and eats all day.

10) Family and friends who appreciate fine drinks will certainly enjoy the best of central Ohio’s spirits. I suggest Watershed Gin, Brothers Drake Apple Pie Mead, or OYO Whiskey.

11) For the person who has everything, try a gift certificate to North Market, Franklin Park Conservatory,or Columbus Food Adventures or a gift basket from Celebrate Local or Hills Market. If you are feeling charitable instead of material, try a donation to Local Matters, Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association, the Mid-Ohio Food Bank or Slow Food Columbus.

What local gifts are you giving this year?

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Holiday 2011 Gift Guide is a post from Hounds In The Kitchen.
If you like what you read, please consider supporting us with a donation or visit the Hounds in the Kitchen shop for ebooks and favorite tools. Thanks!