Posts Tagged ‘Farmers Market’
15 Items That Could be Breaking your Food Budget
Rumor has it that an inflationary period is headed our way, sometime in 2011. That means higher prices on food and other necessary items. Early planning could smooth out some of the ripples, like cooking more from scratch, eating at home and buying fewer pre-packaged items.
Many food items that have become commonplace in our society claim convenience and portability as their selling point; but, what manufacturers don’t want you to know is that convenience is costing you big bucks. Not to mention the waste (in packaging) it produces. Check out our list of 15 commonly purchased items that could be dipping into your wallet and learn how you can make homemade substitutes for pennies on the dollar.
Not only will the homemade versions save you money they will taste better too, because they can be made with fresh organic ingredients, either homegrown or purchased from a Farmers’ Market.
1. Frozen ‘Gourmet’ vegetables.
Oh sure, it may be easier to buy a package of frozen corn in butter or broccoli in a cheese sauce, but why would you when you can make your own? Just cook the corn, add a tablespoon or so of butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper. The same goes for broccoli. Simply steam the florets, and while steaming, melt some butter, stir in flour, warm the milk, add cheese, salt and pepper to taste and there you have it – veggies everyone will devour.
2. Heat and Eat Sandwiches.
When you buy a pre-made sandwich, what you are really paying for is the elaborate packaging — plus a whole lot of salt, fat, and unnecessary additives. For the average cost of one of these babies ($2.50 to $3.00 per sandwich), you could make a bigger, better, and more nutritious version yourself.
3. Premium Frozen Fruit Bars.
At nearly $5 per box, frozen ‘all fruit’ or ‘fruit and juice’ bars may be low in calories, but they are certainly are not low in price. Using simple equipment like a blender, plastic reusable ice-pop molds (on sale at discount stores for about 99 cents each), or small paper cups and pop sticks or wooden skewers, you can make your own at home and get the flavors your family likes best.
Check out our In The Kitchen section for articles on making your own frozen treats. Read the rest of the story »
America’s Favorite Farmers Markets
Farmers Markets provide a valuable connection between the people who grow our food and those that consume it. They play an important role in keeping farms viable and farmers on their land, by providing venues to spotlight their sought after products. But, how do you know which markets are the best in your state?
That’s easy.
Click here to find out the five best Farmers Markets in your state. Check them out next time you’re in the area and spread the word! Getting the word out to other farmers market enthusiasts, local media, and city governments greatly impacts the viability of these markets and keeps farmers coming back.
Bountiful Blueberries
Long before berries were touted for their health benefits and cancer fighting antioxidants I wanted my very own berry patch. Aside from melons, berries are my favorite fruit. Whether it be strawberries on pound cake with vanilla ice cream, blackberries or raspberries in fruit smoothies or blueberries hiding in my Saturday morning pancakes, berries are on my top ten list.
When I moved to my little homestead I vowed that I would have a berry patch, bursting with all of my favorites. It’s taken me awhile, but I finally have, what I think, is the perfect berry patch for a household of two. In the backyard I built two 3’x12’ raised beds. These beds hold the blackberries, Logan berries, red raspberries and golden raspberries. But, it’s the front yard that holds the stars of my lust for berries – BLUEBERRIES!!
After reading an article about edible landscapes I decided that the west facing front planter would be the perfect place for a living, edible hedge. So, two years ago I set out to make it happen. I laid the irrigation line, amended the soil with peat moss and well rotted compost. Blueberries like acidic soil that is rich in matter. When it came time to purchase my berry plants I talked to growers from the farmers market and local farm stands trying to get information about the best varieties for our area.
Then one day, while visiting a friend, I found out that one of my former neighbors had planted a 10-acre test plot with the idea of growing blueberries commercially. I gave Andy a call and picked his brain about growing conditions, fertilizing, watering, production, harvesting and, of course, varieties suitable for our area. It was a mini crash course in berry production and it was great. He was so helpful.
With a little more research on the internet to help me, I decided on two different varieties, three plants each. My new blueberry hedge would consist of O’Neal’s and Sharp Blue. They are both highbush type plants, which means they grow more vertically; perfect for my idea of growing an edible hedge. And, they mature different times of the year, so I would have a relatively consistent flow of berry goodness.
After a few phone calls I was able to find a local nursery that carried both varieties. On a beautiful spring day, under a crystal blue sky we drove the 10 miles to pick up our bushes. I had already told the nursery we were coming and what we wanted, but when we arrived we got the surprise of our lives. When the nursery workers went to the field to get our potted berries they found leftovers from previous seasons and brought them up front in case I might be interested. “Interested” I said, boy was I ever. These were not the ordinary spindly first year plants that home gardeners normally get, but 4-year-old plants that had been forgotten about at the back of the nursery. They were almost 3-feet tall and busting out of their pots.
I took the ones that looked the healthiest, loaded them in the truck and headed home feeling smug that we had gotten so much more than we anticipated. Once home, the planting went fast, and within a few hours the berries were nestled snuggly in their new home.
The harvest that first season was light – the results of transplanting and plant shock, which is normal. But, this season the plants were covered with tiny white flowers, a sign of things to come. The O’Neal’s will be harvested in June followed by the later maturing Sharp Blue. We should have enough berries for fresh eating, with plenty to freeze for winter use or for making into jam. No matter what, we will be in blueberry heaven.
If you see a blueberry patch in your future, check out these useful resources.
http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/html/ec/ec1304/
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Real-Food/Growing-Blueberries.aspx
http://www.hgtv.com/landscaping/growing-blueberries/index.html
If you’re not ready to plant your own patch, buy fresh berries at the farmers market and enjoy their burst of flavor all season long. Pick up an extra pint and try this luscious recipe, one of our favorites from the Iroquois Hotel on Mackinac Island.
Blueberry-Lemon Muffins
(makes 18 large or 36 small muffins)
INGREDIENTS
2-2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1-1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
2/3 cup cooking oil
1-1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
½ Tbsp lemon zest
GLAZE:
4 Tbsp butter
½ cup sugar
Grease or coat muffin tins. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Into a mixing bowl sift flour and other dry ingredients.
Into a small bowl crack and beat eggs with a wire whisk for 10 seconds. Add the milk and oil to eggs and stir to blend. Make a well in the flour and pour in the egg-milk mixture. Stir as little as possible to moisten the flour. Set the batter aside for a moment.
Combine blueberries with lemon zest, and fold the berry mix into the muffin mix. Again stir gently and as little as possible. Spoon batter into muffin tins to ¾-full.
Place muffin tins into oven and set the timer for 20 minutes. It may take an additional 5 minutes to become golden brown. Check at 15 minutes, and if they are browning too quickly, move to the bottom rack of the oven.
While the muffins are baking, melt butter in a small saucepan. Pour the sugar into a small shallow bowl easy for dipping.
When the muffins are finished, cool for 5 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of each. Tilt and gently lift each muffin from the tin.
Dip the top of each muffin lightly in the butter and then in the sugar. The muffins can be held overnight and reheated for eating. They can also be frozen, but fresh is always best.
Say Cheese!
Have you ever walked through a cheese shop and marveled at the intoxicating smells, the creamy textures and robust flavors of all those varieties of cheese? From creamy, spreadable farmstead cheeses to wonderfully sharp cheddar’s to pungent crumbly blues and feta’s? It’s enough to make your taste buds euphoric.
Cheese making may seem like a daunting task. But, if you’ve never tried it, you’ll be amazed at how fast and easy it can be. The only equipment cheese making requires is a stainless steel pot (at least 10-quart), measuring spoons, cheesecloth (not gauze), colander, and a dairy thermometer.
Before you start, you’ll want to learn more about the ingredients used to make cheese and how each one will help you make your own wonderful end product.
The Main Attraction – MILK. Using fresh, whole milk from grass-fed cows or dairy goats will produce the best results. Try purchasing from a local producer or farmers’ market. (to find local producers contact your local Farm Bureau office)
Low-fat milk can also be used, but it will produce less cheese in the end. Store-bought milk will work fine also. Just be sure to avoid any brands marked “ultra-pasteurized” because the pasteurization process damages the milks ability to coagulate. Ultra-pasteurized milk may be able to sit around for many weeks without spoiling, but it can’t be made into cheese.
Get Some Culture. Cheese cultures and starters are bacteria’s, molds and acids that help the coagulation process which develops each cheeses unique flavor. Cultures can be found at natural foods stores or through specialty suppliers like New England Cheesemaking Supply or Leeners.
Rennet. Rennet, which comes in liquid, tablet or powder form, contains enzymes that cause milk solids to separate from the whey and form curds. Traditionally, rennet is made from the stomach lining of an infant ruminant or grazing animal. (The enzymes help the animal digest its mother’s milk.)
Most store-bought cheeses rely on animal-based rennet, but vegetable rennet is also widely available. Vegetable rennet is made from plants, like figs and thistle that have the coagulating properties needed to make cheese.
Salt. Salt is used as a flavor enhancer and preservative. It also draws out excess moisture in the cheese. You can use specialty cheese salt, which is coarser than table salt, or non-iodized salt, but do not use iodized salt because it stops the active starter bacteria.
Clean water. Filtered water is best when making cheese because some municipal water supplies contain additives that compromise milk’s ability to be made into cheese.
Now you’re ready to make cheese!
30-minute Mozzarella
1 gallon milk
1 1⁄2 tsp powdered citric acid dissolved in 1/4 cup cool water
1/4 tsp liquid rennet diluted in 1/4 cup cool water (if using rennet tablets, follow conversion instructions on the package)
1 to 2 tsp cheese salt
Slowly heat the milk to 55 degrees Fahrenheit in a stainless steel pot. While stirring, slowly add the citric acid solution to the milk and mix thoroughly but gently.
Heat the milk to 88 degrees over medium-low heat. The milk will begin to thicken like yogurt.
Gently stir in the diluted rennet for 30 seconds. Then don’t disturb the milk while you let it heat to between 100 and 105 degrees. In about 5 to 8 minutes, the curds should begin to break up and pull away from the sides of the pot. Turn off the heat.
The curds will look like thick yogurt and become a bit shiny, and the whey will be clear. If the whey is still milky white, wait a few more minutes before turning off the heat.
Scoop out the curds with a slotted spoon and put in a bowl. Reserve the whey. Press the curds gently with your hands, squeezing out as much whey as possible.
Heat the reserved whey to 175 degrees. Shape the curds into several small balls, rolling them between your palms. Put them, one at a time, into a ladle, and dip them in the hot whey for several seconds. Then gently fold the cheese over and over (as in kneading bread) with a spoon or your hand. (You’ll want to wear rubber gloves at this point, as the cheese will be extremely hot.) This distributes the heat evenly throughout the cheese, which will not stretch until it is too hot to touch (145 degrees inside the curd).
Repeat this process several times until the curd is smooth and pliable; mix in salt after the second time. When the cheese stretches like taffy, it’s done. If the curds break instead of stretch, they are too cool and need to be reheated.
When the cheese is smooth and shiny, roll it into balls and eat while warm. Although best eaten fresh, it can be stored in the refrigerator for a week or so.
Makes: About 1 pound
Simple Cream Cheese
2 quarts cream or half-and-half, at room temperature (about 72 degrees)
1 packet direct-set mesophilic starter or 4 ounces prepared mesophilic starter
Cheese salt (optional)
Add the starter to the cream, and mix thoroughly. Cover and let sit for 12 hours; a solid curd will form.
Pour the curd into a colander lined with cheesecloth. Tie the cheesecloth into a bag, and hang from a hook until the bag stops dripping, about 12 hours. Changing the bag once or twice can speed up the process.
Place cheese in a bowl and mix in the desired amount of salt. You can leave the cheese in this container, or pack it into molds of any size. You can also add any desired herbs and spices at this stage. Your cream cheese will store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Makes: About 1 pound
Super Simple Ricotta
Ricotta is traditionally made by recooking the whey from a previous batch of hard cheese, such as Parmesan, but this recipe is a simpler version. Use fresh ricotta in Italian classics like lasagna, or serve with honey and Italian breads.
1 gallon milk
1 tsp citric acid dissolved in 1/4 cup cool water
1 tsp cheese salt (optional)
Add the milk and the citric acid solution to a stainless steel pot. Stirring occasionally to prevent scorching, slowly heat the mixture to between 185 and 195 degrees. As soon as the curds and whey separate (there should be no milky whey, only clear whey), turn off the heat and let sit undisturbed for 10 minutes.
Line a colander with cheesecloth, and ladle the curds into the colander. Mix in the salt with a spoon. Let the cheese drain for 30 to 45 minutes. For firmer cheese, tie the cheesecloth into a bag and hang it from a hook to drain. Serve immediately or refrigerate. Makes: 1 1⁄2 to 2 pounds
Home Cheese Making by Ricki Carroll is a great resource for any new cheesemaker. Ricki has taught thousands of people to make cheese; and to her devotees she is known as “The Cheese Queen.” You can order the special ingredients from her company, New England Cheesemaking Supply or call 413-628-3808. Be sure to check out the site’s step-by-step photographic instructions for making many kinds of cheese.
Goat’s Milk Feta Cheese
Making feta goat milk cheese at great way to use up excess goats milk and can be used in almost any dish that calls for cheese. Its best use, though, is replacing ricotta and cottage cheese.
1 gallon goat milk
½ cup distilled vinegar
Any spices or herbs you would like to add
Pour milk into pot; turn heat on low. While milk is warming, set colander in sink and line with cheesecloth.
Before milk comes to a boil, the surface of the milk will look like it has a “skin,” and the skin will begin to dance. When this happens, turn heat off immediately. Slowly stir in ½ cup of distilled vinegar. This is the acid that will create curds and whey.
Let the milk sit for 1-hour while the curds form and separate from the whey.
After an hour, carefully pour the mixture into the cheesecloth-lined colander. Be very careful because the mixture is hot and will splatter.
Drain the curds to the consistency you desire. For moister cheese, drain for less time; drain longer for a drier cheese. Drier cheese crumbles better on salads.
Next, pour cheese back into the pot and add any herbs or seasonings you like. Horseradish, salt, onion mixes, garlic and chives are traditional favorites. Or, pat into rounds and roll in herbs or seasonings.
Makes: about 1 pound
photo credit: quinn.anya
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