Category Archives: techniques

Ramps!

8 April 2010 by local kitchen

You know it’s April in the Hudson Valley when you see ramps pop up, in the farmer’s market or in the woods. Ramps are wild leeks, an allium related to onions, shallots, garlic, and of course, leeks, and they create quite a sensation each spring when the broad, waxy green leaves start popping up in the woods. With good reason: although some think we should just shut up about ramps, there is a reason that foodniks go a little mad […]

Categories: 100% local, foraging, leek, preserving, spring, wild foods • Tags: cooking, food, foraging, local, preserving, ramps, recipes, spring, wild foods

Boozy Baby Chocolate Cake

6 April 2010 by local kitchen

Because sometimes, summer is right around the corner, and you don’t want a whole cake sitting around the house for just the two of you. And because, the slices will be so virtuously small, you are perfectly justified in drowning them in booze. Happy Spring, everyone! Adapted from Whole Wheat Pastry Flour Chocolate Cake ————————————————————— Boozy Baby Chocolate Cake EQUIPMENT one 6-inch X 3-inch high cake pan (for the tall & small cake pictured here) OR one 8 or 9-inch cake pan (for a regular-sized […]

Categories: baking, cake, chocolate, dessert, eggs, spring, whole wheat flour, wine, beer & liquor, year round • Tags: baking, cooking, dessert, food, local, recipes

Gingery Almond Biscotti

2 April 2010 by local kitchen

I made a batch of these the other day, to send off as gifts: one as part of a belated birthday present, and another as a thank-you present to our wonderful friend Stan, who does our taxes. Of course, along the way there were several that were ‘mishapen’ or ‘too short’ or ‘too ugly’ to go in the gift packs (yet clearly not too short, ugly or mishapen to be eaten). Now I wish I had made a double batch. […]

Categories: baking, breakfast, chocolate, citrus, dessert, nuts, whole wheat flour, winter, year round • Tags: baking, cooking, food, local, recipes

Christine Ferber’s Pumpkin Jam with Vanilla Bean

24 March 2010 by local kitchen

Sigh. I tried – I really tried. Following this conversation on Tigress’ blog, regarding my disappointment in the recent purchase of Mes Confitures, Christine Ferber’s famous jam & jelly cookbook, I decided that, in order to give the cookbook a fair shake, I would attempt one of the recipes, as is, without any tweaking from me (you have no idea how hard this is for me). Since I had lots & lots of pumpkin to use up, I decided to try […]

Categories: canning, citrus, fall, jams, preserving, winter, winter squash • Tags: canning, condiments, cooking, local, recipes

Pumpkin Cascabel Marmalade

22 March 2010 by local kitchen

Can you believe that I still have a pumpkin from last Fall? Well, had a pumpkin, I should say. The vernal equinox, not to mention the 70+ temps this weekend, convinced me that it was finally time to say goodbye to the Last Fall Pumpkin, which has been gracing our countertop, courtesy of Fishkill Farm, since late October. So in celebration of the first day of Spring, I took my biggest knife to this 14 lb sucker and hacked it’s […]

Categories: canning, citrus, condiments, fall, jams, preserving, winter, winter squash • Tags: canning, cooking, food, local, preserving, recipes

Heidi’s Peanut Butter Cookies

19 March 2010 by local kitchen

Quick & easy yet delicious and healthy peanut butter cookies. Twenty minutes from bowl to stomach – so you can get back outside and enjoy this amazing Spring weather! Happy weekend, everyone. Adapted from Peanut Butter Cookies by Heidi Swanson at 101 Cookbooks ————————————————————– Heidi’s Peanut Butter Cookies INGREDIENTS 1 cup (4.5 oz) whole wheat pastry flour 1/2 tsp baking soda 3/8 tsp salt 1/2 cup peanut butter 1/4 cup maple syrup 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed 3/4 tsp vanilla 2 […]

Categories: baking, dessert, quick & easy, vegetarian, whole wheat flour, year round • Tags: cooking, food, local, quick & easy, recipes, vegetarian

Strawberry Rhubarb & Caramelized Onion Jam

16 March 2010 by local kitchen

allium canning too many good recipes strawberry rhubarb it is It’s a poetry jam, man. Today’s haiku is brought to you by the letter “A.” A is for allium and I can’t seem to stop Can Jammin’ the magical allium family: shallots, garlic and Cippolini onions (oh my!). I know Spring is not quite here yet, despite the post-Flood sunshine and 60 degree temps today, and it is cruel of me to tease you with thoughts of strawberry & rhubarb when […]

Categories: berries, breakfast, canning, citrus, jams, preserving, rhubarb, spring, year round • Tags: canning, condiments, cooking, food, local, preserving, recipes, rhubarb, strawberries

Can Jam: Roasted Garlic & Lemon Mustard

12 March 2010 by local kitchen

I’ve had to hold myself back for this month’s Can Jam; clearly, I’ve never met an allium I didn’t like. I mean, come on: onions, scallions, leeks, chives, garlic, scapes, ramps, shallots – the list goes on and on and they are all delicious. Did you know that there are hundreds of varieties of wild alliums, and that nearly all are edible? According to Wildman Steve Brill, “anything that smells like garlic or onion won’t kill you.” This isn’t my first allium canning […]

Categories: Can Jam, canning, garlic, mustard, preserving, wine, beer & liquor, year round • Tags: canning, condiments, cooking, food, local, preserving, recipes

Pink Pickled Shallots

9 March 2010 by local kitchen

Easiest. Canning. Ever. Really people, it doesn’t get much simpler than this. Shallots, vinegar, water, honey. A couple of herbs, you know, just ’cause we can. (Ha! Get it? We can! Ah, I slay me.) Pack it all in a jar, process for 10 minutes, and hey! presto! you’re a canner. Cross that off your life list. The devoted Local Kitchen reader (all 7 of you) may furrow your gentle brow, wondering why I would pickle shallots, knowing that I loathe all […]

Categories: 100% local, canning, condiments, preserving, quick & easy, thyme, year round • Tags: canning, condiments, cooking, food, local, pickles, preserving, quick & easy, recipes, shallots

Cilantro & Mint-Infused Wheat Bread

2 March 2010 by local kitchen

This herb-infused wheat bread is lovely; soft, flavorful, excellent with dinner, as toast with butter, or on its own. I made two loaves yesterday, as part of the birthday dinner menu for our friend Alison. While it can be a bit of a challenge to knead (mostly because I am always too lazy to chop the pine nuts and they come popping out of the dough while kneading), it is an easy bread dough to make and a forgiving one […]

Categories: baking, breads, cilantro, grains & legumes, mint, whole wheat flour, winter, year round • Tags: baking, bread, cooking, food, local, recipes, whole grain breads

Locavirgin: Roasted Leek Confit

28 February 2010 by local kitchen

Roasted leeks: who knew they could be so awesome? In doing some advance research on allium recipes for the March Can Jam, I came across this recipe in The Glass Pantry for leeks, slow-roasted in olive oil. Simplicity itself: leeks, oil, salt, pepper. The roasting and the fat combine to extend the (already pretty impressive) storage time of the leeks, and the flavor? Outrageous. This is an easy way to work local foods into your diet even if finding […]

Categories: 100% local, appetizer, condiments, fall, leek, Locavirgin, roasting, spreads, spring, vegetarian, winter • Tags: confit, cooking, food, leeks, local, preserving, recipes, vegetarian

Whole Wheat Buttermilk Biscuits

26 February 2010 by local kitchen

Buttermilk + butter + extra butter = one delicious biscuit. These are a snap to make and truly delicious – cripsy, golden on the outside and moist & fluffy on the inside. The recipe is based on the James Beard cream biscuits, but since I did not have any cream in the house, I used buttermilk and added back some fat with melted butter in the dough. So easy, so good. The one change I would make is to omit […]

Categories: 100% local, baking, breakfast, quick & easy, whole wheat flour, year round • Tags: baking, cooking, food, local, quick & easy, recipes

Cajun Chicken Pasta

25 February 2010 by local kitchen

While I read The Pioneer Woman’s blog regularly, and truly enjoy her writing and photography, I think this is the first time I have attempted one of her recipes. Well, let’s face it: she lives on a cattle ranch – I don’t eat beef. She cooks for Marlboro Man, her 4 kids, and various and sundry cowpokes, relatives, Ranch visitors, etc. – I cook for me and Tai. Last, but hardly least, there is nothing particularly seasonal about her cooking, […]

Categories: chicken, corn, garlic, hot chile peppers, main course, parsley, stir-fry, tomatoes, wine, beer & liquor, winter, year round • Tags: chicken, cooking, dinner, food, local, main course, recipes

Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies

23 February 2010 by local kitchen

I was in the mood for something a little sweet, a little crunchy. We had some orange glaze leftover from Tai’s Valentine cupcakes, so I thought a simple sugar cookie was in order, something that would go nicely with the intensely orange-flavored glaze. Humph, simple she says. Even I, advocate of the “quality ingredients make the simple special” school, sometimes forget. A “simple” cookie of buttter, sugar, flour, eggs and vanilla bean becomes magical when your butter is from Ronnybrook, your […]

Categories: baking, dessert, non-local luxuries, year round • Tags: baking, cooking, dessert, food, local, recipes

Can Jam: Apple Carrot Chile Chutney

17 February 2010 by local kitchen

Say that 10 times fast. I have to admit that when this month’s Can Jam ingredient was announced as carrots, I was a little… uninspired. While I applaud the choice as a “stretch” goal, I just wasn’t that excited about my BWB carrot canning possibilities. Not that I don’t like carrots, I do, but they are a low-acid food and we all know that I’m no friend of the pickle. There are some carrot marmalade and jam recipes out there, but […]

Categories: 100% local, apples, Can Jam, canning, carrot, chutneys, condiments, fall, preserving, winter • Tags: canning, cooking, food, local, preserving, recipes