Local Food Bee

by Tara Poelzing | March 11, 2013

Shepherd’s Pie for All

A repost from St. Patrick’s Day past. Some product information may need confirming.

Peering into Ireland's ancient history

I am Irish and look forward to St. Patrick’s Day every year as the spirit of Ireland fills the air.

My mother-in-law is Haitian. What does this have to do with St. Patrick’s Day? Well, she’s the one who first made Shepherd’s Pie for me. Go figure. It was delicious and seemed pretty simple. She whipped it up quickly without consulting a recipe as we chatted the whole while. Admittedly, I , the Irish person in the relationship, am not able to conjure up Shepherd’s Pie so easily. I guess that Irish ancestry has nothing to do with cooking ability when making Irish dishes.

Thankfully, one neither need be Irish nor be a chef extraordinaire in order to conjure up this Shepherd’s Pie.

The turkey broth used in this dish comes from my multitude of soup stocks stored away in my freezer–this particular one from our Thanksgiving Wight Family Farm turkey. The rosemary comes from our potted plant that lives outdoors every summer and in our dining room window every winter.

In celebration of all of my family with its various backgrounds, I bring you local, seasonal, and Irish Shepherd’s Pie.

Shepherd’s Pie Recipe

2 pounds potatoes, cubed
1 tbsp. sour cream (Winder Farms)
3/4 cup milk (Winder Farms)
1 pound ground beef (Canyon Meadows Ranch)
1 1/2 cups carrots, chopped
3/4 cup onion, chopped
2 tbsp. butter (Winder Farms)
2 tbsp. flour (Gilt Edge)
1 cup turkey stock
1 1/2 tsp. fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated (Beehive cheese’s Seahive)

To make mashed potato topping:
Boil potatoes for about 15 minutes. Drain. Pour out into a large bowl and add milk and sour cream. Mash until creamy. I used my electric egg beater which worked just fine. Set aside.

To make filling:
Brown ground beef over medium heat in a large skillet. Add onion and carrot. Toss and continue cooking.

To make gravy for filling:
While meat and vegetables are cooking, melt butter in a small, separate saucepan. Once melted, mix in flour. Then add broth, increase heat to medium-hot, and stir constantly until it thickens. Add salt to taste. Add the gravy to the now softened vegetables and browned meat. Add rosemary. Toss.

Makes 4 servings.

Putting it together:
Pour meat, vegetable, gravy mixture into a casserole dish. I used a glass 11″x7″ dish. Spread mashed potatoes over top.

Broil:
Place under broiler for about 3 minutes. Pull out of oven, add grated cheese, and stick back under broiler for one more minute.

Serve this up to your friends from all cultures (perhaps with the Young Dubliners playing in the background).

How do I still eat local for the winter months?! HELP!

Original artwork by Grant Wood. Ths version by Chris B.

Howdy! I’m guest-blogging for the Local Food Bee. Thanks, Tara!!

Open-air farmers markets have come to a close for 2011, sadly. Fret not! Utah growers and food producers are NOT out of local goods!

If you’re considering buying in bulk, it’s worth calling a nearby farmer to see if they’ve got what you want. If you’re looking for onions, potatoes, apples, garlic, squash, even tomatoes, plenty of farmers have a lot still in stock.

Even if you’re not a canning/freezing/drying maniac, there are still many ways to eat locally during the winter. Below you’ll find several suggestions for how to maximize your localvore street cred and minimize your forkprint.

JOIN A WINTER CSA

If you haven’t ever joined a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) venture, you should! Farmers ask for a monetary commitment for a certain length of time to assure that they can remain viable throughout the growing season and beyond. Members share in the experiences of the farm by seeing what’s harvested each week and communicating directly with the food source. Typical CSAs deliver during the height of the growing season, but winter CSAs run by growers that specialize in season extension and greenhouses are becoming more popular.

CSAs aren’t just limited to fruits and vegetables. Some also offer meat, bread, cheese and other versions of the CSA model to satisfy any localvore.

Here are a few winter CSAs you might consider:

Here’s a sample week from Zoe’s Garden from a few weeks ago, “raspberries, Italian prunes, Macintosh apples, pears, San Marzano tomatoes, tomatoes, spinach, eggplant, marketmore cucumber, lemon cucumber, poblano pepper, mariachi pepper, mirasol pepper, green bell pepper, broccoli raab, bok choi, black radish, chinese red radish, broccoli, baby turnip, banana squash, kohlrabi, and for the meat shares, ground lamb.”

Jacob’s Cove promises “7 lbs of produce weekly for each share you purchase. Each box consists of 5 to 8 items. You will get our heirloom tomatoes and cherry tomatoes as well as some sort of greens almost every week. The remainder will be a mix of our wide range of produce.”

Bell Organic says, “While every season is different, our goal and what we plant for is 5-7 different veggies a week bunched or bagged as you would find them in the fresh food section of the grocery store. Picture a bunch of spinach, kale, chard, carrots, beets, radish, a head of lettuce, etc…A good way to get an idea of the amount of produce you will receive each week is to grab a basket at the grocery store, and put 5-7 different items in it, and that is about what a share will look like. Certified Organic.”

Chad’s Produce also has a CSA on offer… Check Facebook for more details.

Christiansen’s Family Farm – pork and/or beef shares, “gourmet quality meats. We raise non-commercial heritage breeds that are raised ethically and sustainably, fed premium 100% vegetarian feeds grown in Utah, handled humanely, and processed in clean owner operated USDA inspected facilities. As always, we don’t use antibiotics, hormones, or any other chemicals in raising our animals. The beef is never fed grain and is 100% grass fed.”

Besides being a full-service grocery with a focus on local & sustainable, Liberty Heights Fresh has their own version of a CSA termed the “Sustainably Farmed Food” program. They have several options for your eating pleasure, including meat, cheese and egg add-ons.

If committing to a CSA isn’t your cup of tea, there are still several options for getting fresh, local fare.

SHOP AT LOCALLY-OWNED, SMALL, INDEPENDENT MARKETS

NOTE: Listed are the markets in and around Salt Lake City. There are multiple markets and marketspaces popping up all the time. Local Harvest and My Fresh Local are both good sources for finding local food availability near you.

Wasatch Front Farmers Market

Friday, November 25, 9:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Saturday, November 26, 9:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Saturday, December 10, 9:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Over 60 local artisans, including breakfast served until 12:30pm.

Caputo’s Localvore Market
Caputo’s Market and Deli, 314 West 300 South, SLC
Saturdays, starting November 5, 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Call Vanessa at 801.531.8669 for more information.

Chad’s Produce Market at the Oasis Cafe
151 South 500 East, SLC
First three Saturdays each month from 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. (may vary)
E-mail to receive weekly updates. CSA available.

Crossroads Community Food Co-op’s Monday Market
No membership required!
Co-op Warehouse, 1726 S 700 W, SLC
Mondays, 3:30 – 6:30 p.m. (excluding major holidays)
Cash, credit, debit, and EBT food stamp cards are accepted

Market on State
1050 South State Street, SLC
Saturdays and Tuesdays, 3:00 – 7:00 p.m.

COMMIT TO COOKING MORE!

If you lack the space, time or wherewithal to preserve leftover or excess food, here are some quick and easy recipes from Utah folks using Utah products that will help you sort out how to use what you’ve got too much of.

Kalyn’s Kitchen
The Top 10 Utah Food Blogs via Utah Stories
Brewtah Foodavore

VISIT FARMS OR DO SOME NEIGHBORHOOD GLEANING

If you’re outdoorsy and want to get your hands dirty, there are a few options left, too.

Salt Lake City has put together a map of trees from which you can glean fruit that will otherwise go unharvested. There’s still time to nab Italian plums; Concord grapes will be ready in several weeks!

The fine folks at the Salt Lake Art Center had a Fallen Fruit exhibit with maps of publicly-available fruit trees in the 9th & 9th and Marmalade neighborhoods. Please read up on proper etiquette when pursuing fruit!

There are several farms that may still have PYO (Pick-Your-Own) produce available, too, especially apples and squash this time of year. This is a great site to check back with year-round, whether to find farm information, canning tips or other food-related information. NOTE: Please call any farm before visiting to confirm times and availability of produce!

LIKE RAW MILK??

West Jordan now has a pick-up for raw milk from C2 Farms grass-fed cows! Not sure about the safety risk? Not sure about how much to consume before it “goes off”? Here are some tips for handling raw milk. If you haven’t experimented with making cheese or yogurt, you’ll want to try it with raw milk, too. It freezes really well, to boot.

While picking up raw milk at Utah Natural Meat, pick up eggs, pork, beef, poultry, honey goat-milk soap and other locally-produced items!!

ANY QUESTIONS? EMAIL ME!

Whatever you end up eating this winter, try to remember that your dollars make a huge difference. By keeping your buying power local, you are encouraging a healthy economy that affects you, your neighbors and the larger community as a whole.

Another great idea if you’re traveling: do some research! You’ll be amazed at the variety in products and differences between markets all across the country (and the world). I frequently bring an extra bag and fill it with citrus, nuts, fruit and other stuff that you can’t get here in Utah. AND, you’ll again be supporting whatever local economy you’re visiting!

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Filed under Cheese, Dairy, Eggs, Food, Fruit, Markets, Meat, Recipes, Stores, Vegetables

Tagged as Community Supported Agriculture, CSA, farmers market, how to, local food, salt lake city, utah, winter

by Tara Poelzing | November 21, 2011

The Thanksgiving Meal Run-Down

Local Roasted Turkey at Thanksgiving!

We only have a couple of days until we celebrate the bounty of the year by sitting down to eat it! Wouldn’t it be beautifully appropriate to do this with local foods?

Of course some serious preparation is often required for the big, traditional feast. Add to that local eating, and planning started in the spring or summer when planting crops or purchasing at farmers markets. Then, comes the challenge of preserving some of those foods because if you must make green beans, then you would have had to preserve them some time ago.

Guess what, I’m never that well prepared! Below is detailed my Thanksgiving menu from last year. Kale stood in for green beans, and an easy acorn squash recipe took care of the spot traditionally held for sweet potato casserole. While creating this meal was still more involved than most dinners, it was not the slave labor that some envision when planning for the big Turkey Day!

Appetizers

Apple Cider
Rainbow Carrot Sticks
Herbed Goat Cheese
Whole Wheat Crackers
Sliced Beehive Cheddar Cheese

Main Event

Roast Turkey
Old Fashioned Bread Stuffing
Baked Acorn Squash Rings
Sauteed Kale
Cranberry and Pear Relish
Dinner Rolls
White or Zinfandel Wine

And all the details:

Apple Cider
Farnsworth’s, purchased from Harmon’s

Rainbow Carrots
purchased from Chad’s Produce at his Oasis Cafe market

Herbed Goat Cheese
Shepherd’s, purchased from Harmon’s

110 Mile Wheat Thin Crackers
Find the recipe here.

Sliced Beehive Cheddar Cheese
from Harmon’s

Turkey
from Wight Turkey Farm–ordered and purchased from Liberty Heights Fresh.
This year McDowell Family Farm also started growing turkeys!
Rub the turkey down with melted butter and salt, and roast on a bed of sage with some carrots, onions, and garlic tucked inside.

Stuffing
After searching the web for a stuffing recipe that could be made locally, I gave up. The crux was the celery. Almost every recipe includes it, but I don’t have any. I’ve decided that celery is necessary. That many recipes can’t be wrong. Plus, I grew up with this specific recipe, and I LOVE it! It just wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without it. Of course, I will still keep my eyes open for some locally grown celery.
Here’s the recipe for Old-Fashioned Bread Stuffing with my own adjustments to make it more local:
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup butter
1 tsp ground sage (I’ll use fresh, but I don’t know the amount until I’m doing it.)
1/8 tsp salt
8 cups dry bread cubes (I’m making bread all week for this.)
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 to 3/4 cup chicken broth

In a large skillet cook celery and onion in butter until tender but not brown.
Remove from heat. Stir in sage and salt.
Place dry bread cubes in a large mixing bowl; add onion mixture and pecans.
Drizzle enough broth to moisten, tossing lightly.

Place stuffing in casserole. Refrigerate until ready for baking.
If cooking a turkey, place alongside in oven during last 30 to 45 minutes of cooking, or until heated through.

Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook, 11 ed.

Acorn Squash Rings with Cranberry-Pear Relish in the background

Baked Acorn Squash Rings
I chose this because it looks fancy but easy to make, and I have an Acorn Squash in my pantry. Most of the online recipes include using sugar or syrup, but I believe that the local squashes I find are sweet and delicious enough to stand almost all on their own.

Slice the Acorn Squash into 1/2″ to 3/4″ rings and remove the seeds for later baking and eating. Place the rings on a greased baking sheet and brush with melted butter. For added fun, stir salt and/or herbs into the butter or oil. I used fresh oregano and sage and some dried savory for the job. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.

Sauteed Kale
Over medium heat, toss kale and minced garlic in oil or melted butter until it starts to look limp. Add salt and dried pepper (or other seasonings) and toss.

Cranberry and Pear Relish
Yes, you are correct–there are no local cranberries that I know of. The first Thanksgiving did, after all, take place in New England. Our offerings here are slightly different. I was almost considering not making this dish, but I caved. That’s all. No excuses except that this one will feature some local pears. I liked this particular recipe because it uses honey as the sweetener and did not go overboard with a ton of non-local ingredients. Recipe for Cranberry Pear Relish.

This can be made two days ahead!

It turns out that a blender just doesn’t cut it, so unless you have a fancy food processor, this recipe needs some help. I opted to cook the cranberries and honey together on the stovetop for about 8 minutes and then added the pears and lemon to cook for another 10 minutes. I did not use the sugar–it tastes fabulous without it.

Dinner Rolls
I use the recipe from my Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook, 11 ed., but it really is just a basic recipe that can be found almost anywhere. Here’s a link to a standard recipe on-line. Note that the on-line recipe calls for sugar. Honey could be used as a substitute if you use half the amount and reduce the liquid in the recipe to keep the liquid amount even. I simply ignore the sugar entirely to keep things easy. If folks want added sweetness, I can always put some honey on the table.

White or Zinfandel Wine
purchased from the State Liquor Store–probably a Castle Creek Wine

However you celebrate a year of local bounty, enjoy every bite!