Farmer's Market Update

So last week we arrived once again at the Meredith farmer's market after a whole afternoon of rolling over the back roads and getting lost in the fields of Sanborton.


~We picked up little yellow plums, sour and yet mellow in taste.

~Two large homemade dill pickles.

~Fresh ice cream from the Guernsey cows in New Hampton. Wowza!

~Oh! And actual maple sugar. Not candies, not lolipops, just plain-olde sugar. I am so excited about this, like you don't even know.

~And we also got a tub of Guernsey chevre!


I would just like to report that this is the cutest farmer's market ever. The creamery always has milk, cheese, and yogurt available, as well as her ice cream recipe. :) Yum!

And for those of you looking for a northern, local alternative to sugar cane, I've got your answer. Obviously, there are several options: Honey, Sorgum (and it's ilk), or Maple Sugar.

Now, in my search I have never found a place that sold looks-like-sugar-maple-sugar. I was advised, by the maple-selling gentleman, that the best place to get large quantaties of this is to visit a sugar house in the spring. Local and sustainable, imagine that! :)

Also at the market were: eggplant, summer squash, several breeds of garlic, peaches, nectarines, meats, goat milk soap, flowers, herb plants, and mustard!

xoxoxo,
Kim & Emmy

ps. I love discovering tiny markets where you can actually buy everything you need to survive.

Abroad In Wolfeboro

So just this past week my sister and I took a jaunt across Lake Winnipesaukee. Well, not across, per se, more like around.

Gosh darn it don'tcha kno tha's a luung wae aroond.

Basically, it took forever and the traffic congestion right in town was pretty awful. But, I was on a mission. A cheese mission. I was looking out for the Wolfeboro Wine Cellar, which, as it turns out, doesn't exist. But I did find a couple intersting other places.

We had lunch at the Brick Oven Bistro, which was packed for lunch. Cheese pizza for us. Alright as pizza places go, though it was really busy.

We also stopped by a cooking supply store, Butternuts, and picked up some local cheese at last! There were two particular ones that caught my eye: the "Cheddar Bites" from Maplebrook Farm down in Bennington, VT and Maple Chevre from Blue Ledge Farm in Leicester, VT. The bites (curds, they were CURDS, in NH no less! I admit I let my inner geek out just a little when I saw them) were two days old and had so lost their squeak, but they were delicious nonetheless. The only disappointing thing is that the proprieters didn't seem to know that freshness in curds is paramount, but then, that's the food nerd in me. I could taste the cheddary-ness and they were coolly sweet. I can't wait to check this place out. And then the chevre! Mon dieu! Sweet, creamy, goat's milk with a touch of maple syrup. How much more local can you get? Mmmm.

Our first stop, actually, was probably the most welcoming environment: Winnipesaukee Chocolates. Excellent service, decor, and products. It reminded me a good deal of a smaller Gail Ambrosias (east Madison), and there were a couple truffle flavors that I can safely vouch are unique to the store. There was the olive oil truffle, dark and smooth yet light, the vanilla & white chocolate truffle, creamy and sweet with a bitter shell, and my favorite, white birch ale truffle. I mean, white birch ale? Made from local trees from a local brewery. How cool is that?! We also picked up a chocolate bar called Sap House Cove, dark chocolate with huge chunks of maple sugar. Do I even need to describe this one? Go out and order one right now. A very favorable experience and atmosphere. I know where my Christmas chocolates are going to come from! :)

See ya!
xoxoxo,
Emmy & Kim

That August Taste

It's what I've been searching for these past couple weeks; that perfect August taste. We're still here in Meredith, New Hampshire doing yoga and job hunting as hard as we can. In the meantime we're busy making big dreams and hoping that we'll have enough money before it snows to actually do cool things.

For example, I have a Facebook link to Fromagination, my cheese shop back in Madison. Obviously I can't just go in whenever I want anymore, but I still get their updates. Recently, as I understand things, there was a national cheese competition. Jasper Hill Farms won, a prosperous creamery in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont. I encourage you to go and check them out. We'll be making a visit for sure, just as soon as the funds are available.

Tonight we're watching the meteor shower. My parents' backyard overlooks the Wheel of the Milkyway, so it'll be particularly splendid.

But, back to food.

We've had several interesting dishes in the past week or so, all centered around seasonal foods even if the farmer's markets around here aren't that big, or on our normal schedule to visit. We've made:

~Fruity Bruschetta (staring peaches)

~Sauteed Chicken Breasts w/ Peaches

~Roasted Red Pepper Corn Bread w/ Bacon

~Northern Italian Tortellini Soup (w/ tomatoes)

and

~Red Devil Squash Creole

Out of everything we made, I can easily say that the most delicious thing was the chicken breast recipe. It hit every note that I love and I'll share it here with you today. If you want to see any of the other recipes just comment below and I'll put it up. Also, for clarification I am working out of two books: From Asparagus to Zucchini for my veggies, and Fruit Cookbook: Fruit-Filled Recipes Soups to Desserts by Nicole Routheir for my fruits, of course.

Sauteed Chicken Breasts w/ Peaches:

~4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, trimmed of excess fat
~salt & pepper
~all-purpose flour
~2 Tb unsalted butter
~1/4 C thinly sliced shallots
~1/4 C balsamic vinegar
~1/4 C chicken broth
~1/4 C heavy/whipping cream
~2 large ripe, but firm peaches (or 1 lb)
~2 Tb shredded fresh basil (trust me, you want it fresh)

1. Use a meat pounder, flatten each breast so that it is roughly the same thickness throughout.

2. Season the breasts with salt and pepper (use more salt that you think you'll need, trust me!), then dredge through the flour, shaking off the excess.

3. Melt 1 Tb of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and saute until cooked through. Cut into the thickest part and make sure that it is cooked all the way through, white, but NO PINK. Transfer the chicken to a plate and cover with plastic wrap while you make the sauce.

4. Add the remaining 1 Tb butter (I also used a little wine to bring the burnt chicken bits up off the bottom of the pan, a wooden spoon is good for this). When the butter is melted, add the shallots and saute until tender. Add the vinegar and cook until reduced by half, forming a thick glaze. Add the broth and the cream, along with any juices that may have collected on the chicken plate. Cook again until reduced by half and lightly coats the back of a spoon. Add the peaches and toss until just warmed through. Removed from the heat and stir in the basil. Adjust salt & pepper as desired.

5. Take your chicken and spoon some sauce over it.

6. Wow.

That's all for now, bye!
xoxoxo,
Kim & Emmy

Oh, Those Long Dog Days Of Summer

Ah, New England.

After a couple nights in the low 50's, the air feels completely refreshed and brisk, and I'm ready to cook again. The humidity has finally pushed off toward the sea and the sky is clear and high and blue. Far off in the distance, green mountains roll on into the north, disappearing like smoky blue waves. Our summer's end goal; Mount Washington, looms big in the imagination, and its ocean view. In my sleep I can feel the deep quiet of the Vermont hills calling to me, in sharp juxtaposition to the rolling heartbeat of the Atlantic's gravity.

In short, I love it here.

Long summer days spent inside, job hunting. And the weekends spent running 'round the Center Harbor beach, watching Doctor Who, and climbing every mountain in sight.

So, along with the theme of deep summer, I present you with the best kind of pizza ever invented:

SOUTHERN TOMATO PIE

~1 sheet pie crust
~6 plum tomatoes, cut 1/4 inch thick
~Coarse salt (optional)
~2 Cups shredded mozzarella cheese
~olive oil
~1/3 Cup minced fresh basil
~ground pepper to taste

Using a 9-10in pie plate, put crust in. Heat oven to 450 degrees F. DO NOT prick crust (pie weights help here). Partially bake 9-11 minutes, remove and let cool. Reduce oven heat to 375 degrees F. Chop tomatoes, sprinkle with coarse salt, if desired & let drain for a couple minutes. Sprinkle cheese evenly in pastry shell. Arrange tomatoes over cheese in an overlapping circular pattern, covering surface. Brush tomatoes w/ olive oil. Sprinkle w/ basil & pepper. Bake 30-35 minutes. Makes 8 servings. Good the next day!

This is a great way to use up fresh tomatoes. Normally I don't like tomatoes raw, but I went ahead and it was awesome! :)

I'd also like to add that there's a large farm & farm stand around here, called Moulton Farms. We picked up one of their fluffy doughnuts today along with a 2.25oz tub of garlic & herb cheese spread. It was as light as air and soooo yummy. Brand? It was a local one, Squire Mountain. We also ate all of it in one go. Right now they've got a variety of fruits, veggies, and LIVE LOBSTERS! Go there now!

On a side note they also practice Integrated Pest Management and they have a CSA that usually sells out early in the year! If you're living in the Lakes Region and want to be more sustainable and to eat with the seasons, please consider Moulton Farms! :)

That's all for now, BUT we are back on track to making our own weekly meal plans, so, in short once more, you can expect more weekly updates. I've got some fun surprises coming up next that I can't wait to show you guys!

Also, this:

 

 

xoxoxo,

 

Kim & Emmy



 

Bold With Brassica

Okay, before I delve into the truly fantastic thing we discovered yesterday I must tell you that we tried out two new recipes this week! Pasta w/ Broccoli Florets and Broccoli Basil Quiche. The quiche was good, though it could have used more cheese. The recipe wasn't phenomenal, so I won't share it here, but I do think I need to have more of this quichey business. It was delicious.

AND NOW for the discovery of the YEAR!

After some whipping around on some of Meredith's back roads we found our way to the Meredith Farmers' Market in the midst of a terrible wash-out storm. It was still going on, every Monday from 3pm-6pm. I walked into this beautiful little gathering house, fully expecting an array of green veggies and maybe some strawberries and that was it.

Oh, but what I found. Mmm.

First thing I see when I walk in is a table full of zucchini and summer squash, along with a profusion of green onions. And, next to all the toppled verdant greenery, stood rows of the first of southern NH's blueberries. And next to those? Tiny NH cherries.

Cherries.

They were so light, so up-and-over in the mouth with their taste, and so very, very gentle. I admit I moment. A sort of religious, cherry moment.

We were informed that these were the first blueberries and cherries of the season, and event the blueberries were from southern New Hampshire. They go first, then the Lakes Region, and after that the wild ones ripen. Strawberry season was over. Short, but oh, so sweet. The rest of the market turned up the usual plethora of early July veggies, though it was good to see what was in season, as well as a bunch of oils, vinegars, flowers, herb plants & jars. Not to mention goat milk soap, bakery items, a poster that exclaimed that a goat was for sale, and then we came to the prize.

Milk.

I stopped short, waving vaguely at the samples of cheese and the cups. "Isn't this, well, illegal? I mean, we just came from Wisconsin. Everybody can sell cheese at the market, but not milk."

The lady (licenced dairy farmer) behind the booth grinned. "It's legal in New Hampshire," she said, "and it's raw milk."

It's hard to communicate how happy that simple statement made me. I get to try something new! I thought. She had blueberry shakes, maple-latte flavoured milk, and regular ol' whole milk. Nearly everybody at home turned up their noses when we returned with a half gallon of the maple-latte and a pamphlet, but we're gonna use it for our coffee. Oh, that and garlic hummus dip. And cherries. I had to.

My next wish is to whip something up using blueberries and/or zucchini/summer squash. Got to get my fill of them before winter!

:)
xoxoxo,
Kim & Emmy

Derivative British Day

Hey there my hungry pals, how did the anniversary of Monarchies Are Rubbish go? Good? Good. We are, as you know, soaking up all things New England out here on the rainy coast. Getting used to Vermont cheese and trying to find our favorite organic products again. We have a couple adventures to tell you about, but the foremost among them is Dad's special BBQ recipe. This stuff always knocks my socks off.

CORNELL CHICKEN:

Cornell Chicken - Nana Simmons’ recipe from Ithaca NY (chicken BBQ at Grad school at Cornell University)

You Need:
1 Egg	Instructions:
½ cup corn oil or canola oil
1 cup Cider Vinegar	Chicken pieces; rinsed and dried; can use breasts with bone in, or thighs and drumsticks.
2 Tablespoons salt	Using a whisk, or an electric beater.
1 ½ teaspoon Poultry Seasoning	Beat egg until frothy, slowly add oil while beating. Until frothy.
(a pinch) ¼ teaspoon white pepper or substitute ground black pepper.	Add rest of ingredients and beat thoroughly. This is the sauce to marinate the chicken in overnight.
	Pour into freezer weight food baggy (or multiple baggies). Close securely.
If you don’t have time to make overnight, you can get these marinating in the fridge in the morning, turn them during the day and cook them up for supper.	Rinse chicken, pat dry with paper towels, add to the baggy and re- seal. Place in refrigerator, turning the bag over every 2 hours, to keep the sauce moving to baste the chicken pieces.
	Next day, heat oven to 350 degrees F. Remove chicken from refrigerator, you can pre-warm in microwave (at 50% power). Put the chicken on a baking tray (usually on a baking rack on a baking tray, lined with tin foil) in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes to pre-cook. Check for doneness with a knife, the juices should be clear, not pink. If smaller pieces are done, remove these and cook larger pieces a little longer.
	Finish on the grill or under the broiler oven setting, turning frequently to crisp/ or grill the outside.

Dad says that this recipe always tastes just like summer to him and I'd have to agree. Enjoy!

xoxoxo,
Kim & Emmy

Go East Young Woman

And then we did.

It might have taken us three days but we certainly did it. We got into west Cleveland at 3:30am, since we didn't leave Madison until 4pm. Whoops. The second day we stopped at Niagara Falls and then drove on to family in Albany, NY. Then, on day three we arrived in Meredith, NH by way of southern Vermont and Keene, NH. I mean really, who takes the turnpike anymore? That, and we'd sort of run out of cash for the toll. Route 90 is pretty darned expensive these days.

Next time we're taking the train.

And Baby miraculously didn't break down AT ALL. I mean, wow. Seriously, guys, this car is a 1996.

BUT
or I should say
AND

we ate out at a couple special places that I, of course, want to share with you below.

At 8pm we rolled into South Bend, Indiana and attempted to find The Fiddler's Hearth. We succeeded, and were treated to several live bands and a packed pub. We sat down with dubious looks at each other and had to shout to be heard. It was free seating, so any chairs open were fair game. Despite the crowd we soon found a place to sit, alongside a gaggle of high school music teachers. We also had some fast, decently-paced service. I wish I had gotten the gal's name, all I know is that she looks like Emmy's sister. I got their Lamb Stew which was wow. It's really hard to cook tender lamb, I've had some misadventures myself. It's also really hard to find a stew that isn't over or under-salted. This one was perfect. Emmy stuck with one of her favorites here, Fish N Chips. Nothing bad to say, and she was stoked that it actually came wrapped in newspaper (which apparently is a thing if you're in the UK). If you're traveling along Route 90, I highly recomend this place. Also, the pricing was perfect, even for dinner.

Then, a surprise. For once on the trip, something I didn't plan.

We met up with a friend of mine from work while still in Ohio and requested "the best bacon in town". Oh, boy, and did he ever deliver!

Bagley's Grill, aka, a family restaurant. Even though it was clearly afternoon, they kept the pancake griddle on for us. Blueberry pancakes you guys. Blueberry. Pancakes. With real blueberries in them. Don't make me say it again. Omnomnomnom. And yes, it really does have the best bacon in town. Crunchy, not too thick, not limp, and not quite burned, either. Damn, heaven on earth is clearly defined by having the best bacon.
Again, another good pick if you're traveling along Route 90 or stop in Cleveland on business!

I don't know how we avoided buying anything at Niagara, it must be some kind of fantastical feat of strength. Might also have to do with the fact that I got totally drenched at the Falls. I'll also swear up and down that I saw Robert DeNiro. In other news

WE SAW CANADA.

It looks like the Midwest. Moving on.

Charlie the Butcher! We stopped here on our way out of town and got asked, "Why hea?" (This is how people talk in the east). "It's a little fah offa the highway."
"Yeah," we said, "We did a search on the Food Network." And we had. I'm pretty sure this place was reviewed by Diners, Drive-ins & Dives. And it deserves it, too. It had a sign on the door proudly declaring "LOCAL" (so had the Fiddler's Hearth, actually). I got their traditional Beef on Weck and Emmy got her own Pork & Turkey BBQ. E's had a nice spiciness to it that you don't get in store-bought bbq sauces. Also the turkey gave it a smoothing flavour overall, so that it didn't try to kick you in the mouth. She gave hers two thumbs up. Now, I'm not German by any stretch of the imagination, and the salted top of the bun became a bit too much for me about 3/4s of the way through. But other than that this was the best beef I've had in a long time. Also totally affordable.

And then
we made it
TO PORTLAND! Woooooo!

I'm afraid we had a rather mediocre luncheon at The Old Port Sea Grill. The atmosphere was very chic with aquariums everywhere, but the pricing for lunch was in the $20's. I'm no cheapskate, but can you say "ouch"? I'm sorry to say that the food wasn't even that good. I mean, who has clam chowder, but not *fish* chowder? Huh, huh? I got their lamb shepherd's pie. To be honest I don't even know what that was. There was potato and corn, yes. But the lamb? Blackened and didn't taste like any lamb I've ever eaten. It was sort of...in tiny flattened crisps. Onion rings were okay, and our server (Tom?) was excellent. Emmy got the House Burger with bacon and white cheddar. She gives her thumbs up for that one, and really liked that there were chunks of bacon instead of strings bits hanging off the sides. Actually she demolished hers while I was still picking at mine.

To end on a high note, we had the BEST doughnut earlier that day. At the Coffee By Design cafe on Congress St, they had these doughnuts in the case that were light and fluffy, just like potato doughnuts (yes, that's a thing). And it had this yummy, mmm, delicious slightly lemony frosting. I mean like wow. Go there. Get this. And eat it. Forever.

Tomorrow we will hole ourselves up at Kara's in Meredith, NH and taste their delicious coffee. Also, Ben & Jerry's is awesome. Just sayin'. I mean, I did all the driving. Like, all 20 hours of it. Most of it in the dark and the rain, dodging enormous 18-wheelers and construction equipment at 2 in the morning. I should be praised. And I was. With ice cream. Coffee ice cream, in a chocolate-dipped waffle cone with rainbow sprin--I'm sorry--rainbow jimmies. We've gotta do things the right way now, now that we're east to the north, homies.

I can't believe I just said that. I'm really trying to ignore all the funny youtube shinanegans going on in the background. Omg I can't even spell anymore. Why is every fun attraction in this state (NH) ever so bloody EXPENSIVE. Wtf, NH? Why you gotta be that way, huh?

Tomorrow in this order: Dentist, Kara's Coffee, hiking, then yoga.

WE WILL HIKE ALL THE THINGS OMNOMNOMNOM. And eat them.

Not the mountains. Just the food. All the food.

All of it.

Also, cheddar. CABOT cheddar. There is no other way. I'm serious. Do it. Do it NAOW.

xoxoxo,
Kim & Emmy

ps. Emmy would like to add that margarine is NOT butter. I'm not allowed to eat it. Like, ever.