Tucker Says- We’re On The Road For A Few Days….
We’ll get back to you next week with lots of recipes, photos and market updates!
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Evening Star Cafe-An Invitation To Dinner At Planet Wine
Recently, I was fortunate to be invited to The Farm Table at Planet Wine. An intimate dinner for 14 was arranged to bring bloggers and local food writers together to experience Chef Will Artley’s seasonal food, which was smartly paired with wine from their versitile, well-crafted selection.
For those of you unfamiliar with Planet Wine, it is a wine and gourmet shop adjacent to Evening Star Cafe-a gem of a neighborhood restaurant that has garnered praise far beyond the bungalows of Del Ray. Together, these two institutions coalesce to offer a communal table for as many as 14 people. Under the stewardship of Chef Will Artley, local food is showcased with simple refinement, allowing the ingredients, not technique, to shine.
As I entered Planet Wine, the atmosphere was warmed by candlelight, stressed wood, and a cadre of fellow foodies. The communal table, dressed in white linen, was flanked on either side by a panoply of wines. The setting was evocotive of a wine cellar secreted away underneath an earthen floor, flush with fermenting barrels stacked high and aging slow. The evening was rife with thoughtful dishes presented by Chef Will; each refecting his solicitous care of ingredients. What makes Chef Will proud is not his ability to manipulate ingredients, rather, how to make those ingredients shine with the least amount of intervention. “Handle it only once” is his motto.
The menu for our gathering read like a stroll through area farmers markets, regional farms, and the shores of the Chesapeake Bay. Southern influences were also evident, from biscuits that made this damn yankee swoon and ponder just how one makes them so flakey, to braised greens; a classic Southern preparation. The meal flowed seemlessly from dish to dish, and flavor to flavor:
Virginia Ham Biscuits with Homemade Mustard
Dragon Bay Oyster Shooters
Pancetta Deviled Eggs
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Fried Softshell Crabs with Pickled Ramps and Asparagus Salad and Lemon-Basil Vinaigrette
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Ricotta Gnocchi with Spring Pea Ragout, Baby Carrots and Mint Pesto
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Grilled Red Apron Beef Sirloin with Braised Greens, Roasted Fingerlings, Morels and Green Peppercorn Sauce
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Spring Cobbler with Ice Cream
What made this meal so enjoyable, aside from meeting fellow food enthusiasts and our hosts in a convivial atmosphere, was the synergy which I felt. Somehow, knowing where many of the ingredients were sourced from made the dinner that much more special. I felt the culmination of nearly two years of experiencing local markets, and meeting producers and artisans, and blogging about them. From traveling the region to discover “our” food, to getting to know who is in that kitchen, or in that butcher shop, or behind that cheese counter-it felt like…getting a hug back. And, it felt familiar.
Buttermilk Ice Cream-The Perfect Foil
A few weeks ago I needed to use up leftover buttermilk in my refrigerator. What to do? Salad dressing? Mashed potatoes? Soak some chicken before baking? Bake? OK, I settled on none of the above and decided to try something that doesn’t sound all that inviting, initially-ice cream.
There are so many uses for buttermilk-and the best part is that buttermilk is low-fat, or no-fat, and still packs a thick, creamy, taste wallop. What I found when I tasted buttermilk ice cream is that some sugar and vanilla beans takes the sourness of of the end product, but leaves the tang intact. That tang is the perfect foil for other flavors, namely berries of any kind.
For this recipe (adapted from Epicurious), I wanted to lower the fat content (by using half and half vs. heavy cream) and still have a satisfying, creamy product in the end. It worked! You could even omit one egg yolk (use 5 instead of 6) and substitute milk for the half and half. The end product was still tasty, if not creamy. Still, it’s refreshing.
Buttermilk Ice Cream
makes 2 1/2 cups
Ingredients
- 1 cup half and half
- 1 vanilla bean, split with seeds scraped*
- 6 large egg yolks
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 cup cold buttermilk (2 %)
Directions
Place half and half and scraped vanilla seeds into a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer. In a mixing bowl, whisk egg yolks and sugar. Slowly (very, very slowly) pour half and half mixture into eggs and sugar, whisking constantly. Return mixture to saucepan and heat over medium until thickened, stiring constantly, about 6-7 minutes. The mixture should coat the back of a wooden spoon.
Strain mixture into a bowl, and add buttermilk. Allow to cool in the refrigerator for about 2 hours. Process in ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions. (Can be prepared up to 5 days ahead. Freeze in covered container.)
*A great way to use that scraped vanilla bean is to make vanilla sugar by placing the bean into a container of sugar and cover tightly. Use for coffee, tea, or as a sweetener for fruits and berries.
At The Alexandria West End Farmers Market-May 10, 2009
One week after a rainy opening day (on which I couldn’t get my lazy ass out of bed), the farmers market at Ben Brenman Park hosted 2 and 4-legged visitors alike. And by 4-legged creatures, I don’t mean just dogs-check out those cute llamas! They seemed to tolerate the curious onlookers like myself, but seemed a bit concerned when my dog Tucker checked them out! I was waiting for one of them to hurl a big lugie his way (they do spit, don’t they?)
The market has some very nice additions this year, from Virginia wines, to Wisteria Gardens, which offers an array of foods including hummus, salsas and sauces. From the Culinate website:
“Primarily a producer-only market, our vendors sell vegetables, fruits, honey, eggs, organic meats, baked goods, artisan cheeses and yogurts, local wine, jams and jellies, plants, cut flowers, dog biscuits, as well as lavender and flowering plants. On the first Sunday of every month local artisans and craftspeople participate in the market. This year we have alpaca yarns, soaps, creams, jewelry, children’s clothing, photography, and paintings.”
I’ve been going to area markets for a few years now, and I can tell you that Alexandria’s West End Farmers Market has a distinct family vibe, where kids, parents, market-goers, dogs and even llamas mingle in a laid-back atmosphere. The park setting is conducive to buying whatever strikes your fancy and enjoying it on the grass, bench or a picnic table; fruits, pastries, cookies, bread, fresh squeezed orange juice, cheese, or perhaps a little jam.
The prices are generally quite good, allowing access to fresh, nutritious and delicous food for everyone.
This week, my market bag included a baguette from Bonapart Breads, and well as hummus and peanut sauce from Wisteria Garden. So much to enjoy!
Be sure to check out the Pictobrowser show, and until the next At The Market, eat and buy local when you can.
At The 14th & U St. Farmers Market-May 9, 2009
Saturday was my first visit to the 14th & U St. Farmers Market in Washington, DC. First, getting there from Alexandria, VA was a breeze early on a Saturday morning, and parking on U St. was easy-and free! I arrived just before the 9 a.m. bell in order to check out the vendors, most of which are new to me.
Let’s see. There was Panorama Baking Co., which interestingly, is from Alexandria, VA. They have a large selection of breads and pastries. If you go, do check out the sticky buns, or you can lick the buns in the pictobrowser window. Really- up close and in person is better! Now, I love sticky buns; I grew up eating them as they were ubiquitous in the bakeries of Philadelphia, so I think I’ve got a pretty good idea when I find an outstanding one. And I did! Each bun is about half the size of my head, and easily shared by two. And when I say share, I mean that I ate most of the gooey, nut and raisin-laden top, and Frank got the rest. Hey, your have to go for the gusto, right? But seriously, from top to bottom, it was delicious.
Speaking of delicious, I got to chat with Stefano Frigerio of the newly formed The Copper Pot Food Company. From the pastas to the sauces to the imaginative jams, Stefano’s products are accessible and tangible evidence of his talent in the kitchen. The former Senior Sous Chef at Maestro, turned Executive Chef at Mio, is beginning a new chapter in his career, and market-goers like me are reaping the benefits. I will of course let you know how his food tastes, too! I hope to shortly enjoy my purchases, from the pastas; Braised Rabbit Ravioli with butter sage sauce (to be made my me at home), and Parma ham and Parmesan Tortellini, to the sauces; Smokey Bacon and Parmesan, and Blended Late-Harvest Tomato.
The only stand that I noted having the first of this year’s strawberries was Garner’s Produce, located in Warsaw, VA. Located within a few miles of another favorite, Three Way Farm (which sells at the Del Ray market and others), Garner’s produce was fresh and affordably priced. They also had a large selection of vegetable plants and flowers. I availed myself of a pint of large strawberries, resisted the temptation to eat them right away, then macerated them once home. Once sweetened up a bit more and nicely softened, the strawberries became a delicious topping and nice foil for homemade buttermilk ice cream (which is so darn easy to make: I’ll share it soon!)
In the pictobrowser, you’ll also see Keswick Creamery-a familiar sight at many area markets. Their yogurt is very good, and quite a bargain at about $4.50 per quart. That, along with toppings such as fruit and granola, keeps me eating a healthy breakfast all week.
Of course, there are more wonderful vendors at this friendly and cheerful market (dogs too!). You can see a full list of participants at the 14 & U St. Farmers Market website, and you can count on more At The Market reports from me. Until the next time, eat and buy local when you can.
