Recipes – Page 21 – The Gourmet Farm Girl

The Pearl Market is now into the Summer Season and more and more vendors are setting up shop; bringing you great home produced, handmade and freshly grown merchandise. All of the farmers are busy picking produce and one of those farms is Darby Valley Farm from West Jefferson. Owner Ross Shipley grows a variety of vegetables such as Sweet Corn, Green beans, Tomatoes, Beets, Onions, Watermelon and Peas, which are in season now. He focuses on season extension bringing you fresh produce throughout the seasons. Ross practices Integrated Pest Management and crop rotation, he uses biological insecticides along with composting and conventional fertilizers.

Farming is hard work and it shows when you take a stroll through Pearl Alley on market days. The amount of fresh foods and plants is admirable. There is nothing better than to buy fresh and buy local! Most farmers markets are a once a week event. Pearl Market offers two days a week to support these vendors, Tuesday and Friday’s from 10:30am to 2:00pm. Don’t miss out…purchase some fresh peas before the season is over. Here is a great recipe using fresh picked peas. You can also find most of (if not all) of the other ingredients at the Pearl Market.

Summer Pea Salad

By The Gourmet Farm Girl

3 cups fresh peas (shelled)
1/4 cup chopped carrots
4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon Ohio honey
Pinch of sea salt and cracked black pepper
3 strips smoked bacon
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup cubed parmesan cheese
1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro

In a medium size stock pot bring 5 cups of lightly salted water to a full boil; blanch peas and carrots for 1 minute in the hot water; drain and cool in a bowl of ice water. Once cool, drain again and set aside.

Whisk together the oil, vinegar, honey, salt and pepper; set aside

Cook the bacon till crisp; drain on a paper towel and cut into pieces.

Mix the peas and carrots with the onion, cheese, bacon and cilantro. Pour dressing over the mixture and toss to coat.

Will keep for several days in the refrigerator.

Serves 6-8

It’s Pea Season… Read More »

The Pearl Market is the place to find the best of the best when it comes to fresh! June is the month for Ohio berries and Folck Family Farm from Mechanicsburg has been busy hand picking these tasty morsels. The Folck family farm is sustainable, relying on their bees and Mother Nature to help raise their crops. You can visit the farm located at 6843 State Route 54 in Mechanicsburg and pick your own berries Monday through Sunday from 7:00am – 5:00pm. They suggest you call first (937) 828-0233 to get the picking report.

Along with the strawberries they raise peas, red raspberries, black raspberries, blackberries, green beans, sweet corn, tomatoes, peppers, watermelon, gourds and pumpkins.

The farm also has a market where you can purchase their farm raised pork products such as sausage, bacon, boneless loin chops and pork roasts. They also sell their own jams made from the berries, the honey from the bees and ice cream from their neighbor’s dairy farm. A trip to the farm is always worth it, the Folck family says “it’s the place where the bees will be bussing and the pigs are always oinking”.

Come to the Pearl Market on Tuesday’s and Friday’s from 10:30am -2:00pm and get some strawberries before the berry season is over. You can eat them right out of the container or make a pie with the following recipe. This was one of my favorites when growing up on the farm. I have posted it a few times before and it’s also in my cookbook. It’s a recipe many cooks have made and it’s always a hit!

Mom’s Strawberry Pie

¾ cup sugar

2 Tablespoons corn starch
1 1/2 cups water
1- 3 oz. box (regular) strawberry jello
1 – 1 ½ quart fresh strawberries (depends on the size of the berries)
1 pre-baked pie shell (recipe below)

Combine the sugar, cornstarch and water in a medium size sauce pan and cook over medium to medium high heat till thick; stirring often. (I use a wire whisk to start with then a large wooden spoon)

Remove from heat and stir in the jello; set aside to cool, stirring occasionally to prevent a film from forming.

Clean and slice the strawberries; when the sauce is cool add the strawberries and pour into a cooled baked pie shell. Cover with wax paper and refrigerate till set; 4-5 hours or overnight

Don’t forget the Whipped Cream

Serves 8

Pie Crust

This recipe is easy to make especially if you have a food processor; if not, use a pastry blender or a fork. The dough needs to be chilled so allow at least 60 minutes to chill and an additional 30 minutes after rolling out

Preheat oven to 400

Single crust pie

1 ½ cups all purpose flour

¼ t salt

1/8 teaspoon baking powder

8 Tablespoons cold unsalted butter cut into small pieces

2 Tablespoons cold vegetable shortening

2-4 Tablespoons Ice water

Double recipe for a two-crust pie

In the large bowl of a food processor add the flour, salt and baking powder; pulse for 10 seconds to sift,

Add the cold butter and shortening and with quick pulses mix the dough till it resembles coarse corn meal and there are no pieces of butter larger than a pea

Add some of the cold water and pulse 5-6 times till the dough begins to hold together, add more if needed. The dough should hold together when a small amount is pressed together between your finger tips.

Note:
Do not allow the dough to form a ball in the bowl; do not over process or the dough will be tough

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface; shape into a ball then flatten into a disk shape; wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour before using

Note: The dough can be made ahead and kept refrigerated for up to 3 days or freeze for up to one month

Bring dough to room temperature before using; when ready to roll out; flour a surface and lightly flour your rolling pin. Roll out pastry to 1/8-1/4 inch thickness to fit pie dish; fold dough in half and lay onto the pie plate, unfold and gently press into the dish; crimp and seal the edges; lightly prick the bottom of the shell with a fork; cover and chill for 30 minutes

When ready to bake, cover the pie crust with a sheet of foil to prevent the edges form burning. Bake for 12-15 minutes or till golden brown.

It’s Strawberry Season in Ohio Read More »

It’s BBQ Season!

The Pearl Market has gotten off to a great start, even though Mother Nature has been interfering with wind and cold temperatures which made it seem more like an autumn market than spring. But, as we enter into the third week of the market the forecast says she will be nice to us with warmer temperatures.

With that in mind, it’s BBQ time! The Memorial Day weekend has certainly motivated us for firing up the grill and making some traditional picnic dishes. If you’re looking for some new recipe ideas for the summer, check out Royal Fireworks sauces. Susan Duve from Lewis Center has created a superb line of eight sauces to cook with; like Royal Fireworks Marinade, Texas Sweet Hickory Sauce, Picnic Sauce and Sweet Summer Jam to name a few. They can be used hot or cold, on meats, grains, sandwiches, and salads, vegetables, in casseroles, side dishes or whatever you want to put them on. And, they are all natural, gluten free and vegetarian.

Susan has also put together a cookbook called Royal SauceAbilities with recipe ideas using her sauces and cooking tips. Also, new for the season is her Bistro Dressing, perfect for summer salads. You can buy directly from the Royal Fireworks tent at the Pearl Market (and get free tastings) or online at www.royalfireworkssauce.com the deviled egg recipe below uses the Triple P Mustard Sauce. You can feel the LOVEin these sauces!

Devilicious Eggs

By Susan Duve

12 medium hardboiled eggs, peeled

10-12 ounces Triple P Mustard Sauce (this will vary slightly depending on the size of the yolks)

Cut eggs in half and separate the white from the yolk

Mash the yolk in a food processor or with a fork or back of a spoon.

Stir in the Triple P Mustard Sauce. If this filling is too dry, add a little more sauce and a teaspoon of water.

To assemble, place a ¼ teaspoon of Triple P Mustard Sauce in each hollowed out egg white (optional), and spoon in some of the egg yolk mixture over the top of the sauce.

Garnish with candied jalapenos, chives, paprika, herbs or more Triple P Mustard Sauce!

Pearl Market Update… Read More »

The Pearl Market is now in its second week. Tuesday started out with Pearl Alley being a wind tunnel but the vendors continued to set up shop and bring to the downtown the very best of freshness, handmade, baked and stitched.

Some of the freshness in season now is Asparagus, Radishes, Green Onions, Herbs, Lettuce, Kale and other greens and some early Strawberries. If you want to plant some of your own garden vegetables; the market offers a nice variety of garden bedding plants like tomatoes, peppers, squash, cucumbers and flowers.

One of the vendors bringing these garden goodies to Pearl Market from Williamsport, Ohio is Farmer Bill’s Produce and Honey. They grow vegetables and are bee keepers; he and his wife Linda also bring baked goods to the market. You can find out more about what they do so well at www.facebook.com/FarmerBillsProduceHoney

Here is a great way to use these delicate greens by making a garden fresh salad with homemade vinaigrette dressing.

Spring Garden Salad with Golden Balsamic Vinaigrette

By The Gourmet Farm Girl

½ cup pecan or walnut halves (toasted)
¼ cup of The Gourmet Farm Girl Golden Balsamic (or you’re favorite balsamic)
¾ cup of The Gourmet Farm Girl Mission Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Pinch of sea salt (optional)
Pinch of cracked black pepper
1-2 tablespoons of Farmer Bill’s Honey or any Ohio Honey
1 bag of leaf lettuce or any mixture of greens
(Enough for 4-6 plates)
4-6 green onions (chopped)
¼ cup blue cheese crumbles (or your favorite cheese)

Toast the nuts at 300 degrees on a cookie sheet for 10-12 minutes till just heated; remove and cool.

Whisk together the balsamic, olive oil, salt, pepper and honey; transfer to a cruet or any glass container.

Wash and dry the greens and divide between the plates. Drizzle some of the dressing over the salad greens and top with the chopped green onions and blue cheese. Garnish with some of the toasted pecans.

ENJOY!

Pearl Market Update… Read More »

Grilled Pork Chops Smothered in Onions with

Peach Balsamic Reduction Sauce

4 boneless pork chops

2 cups Papaya juice

1 cup of The Gourmet Farm Girl Peach Balsamic

1 medium size red onion

1 medium size sweet onion

3 green onions

2 Tablespoons butter

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

pinch of salt and black pepper

2 teaspoons ground Marjoram

Place the pork chops in a zip seal bag and pour the Papaya juice over them. Place in a large bowl and marinate in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours.

In a small sauté pan heat the vinegar over medium heat until hot, reduce heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes or until thick enough that it coats a spoon; set aside.

Slice the onions into thin slices; heat the butter and oil in a medium size sauté pan over medium high heat. Saute the onions for 10-12 minutes or until soft and caramelized. Finish with a pinch of salt and pepper; set aside.

Sprinkle each chop with Marjoram and grill over medium high heat for 5-6 minutes on one side and 1-2 minutes on the other side or until an internal temperature reaches 145 degrees. Remove from heat and plate; drizzle with the Peach reduction sauce and top each chop with the onions.

Serve with grilled asparagus or sweet potatoes.

Serves 4

It’s Grilling Time… Read More »

The key to great homemade waffles is the separation of the eggs and folding in the whipped egg whites, give this recipe a try and you can pass by the waffle mix in a box!

Homemade Waffles

By The Gourmet Farm Girl

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 cups half and half at room temperature
2 large eggs, at room temperature, separated
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup unsalted butter; melted
2 large egg white, at room temperature
1/4 cup sugar

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg; In a medium size mixing bowl, whisk together the half and half, the two egg yolks, vanilla, and 1/4 cup melted butter. Whisk the milk mixture into the flour mixture till it come together, be careful not to over mix the batter.

Preheat the waffle iron to medium-high.

In medium bowl, with a hand-held electric mixer, whip the 2 egg whites until they just begin to hold a peak; sprinkle the sugar over the whites and continue beating until they hold a soft peak; with a rubber spatula, fold the egg whites into the batter gently till it come together

Brush the waffle iron with butter. (If the waffle iron is well seasoned or if using a nonstick it is not necessary to brush the iron each time with butter) Pour about 1/3 to 3/4 cup, depending upon the size of the iron. (Remember that the batter will spread once the lid is closed) Cover and cook until golden brown and slightly crisp, about 4-5 minutes. Repeat with the remaining batter.

Serve the waffles immediately with maple syrup, jam, or fresh fruit with whipped cream or yogurt.

The Best Waffles Ever… Read More »

I have been making granola for many years. But it just came to my thoughts this past week that I should use some of my infused oils to flavor the granola with instead of butter.
Blood Orange was the flavor that came to mind first, so here is my recipe…
It’s quite delicious!

I will be signing cookbooks and sampling this recipe and others at the Westerville Public Library, 126 S. State Street this Saturday April 3rd from 1-3pm.
register @ www.wpl.lib.oh.us

Blood Orange Flavored Granola with Dried Fruit

By the Gourmet Farm Girl

3 cup rolled oats (regular)
1 cup chopped almonds
1 cup chopped pecans (walnuts work well also)
½ cup flax seed
1 cup mixture of dried cherries, cranberries and blueberries ( or raisins)
¼ cup + 2 T brown sugar
¼ cup honey + 2 Tablespoons
¼ cup of The Gourmet Farm Girl Blood Orange Infused Extra Virgin Olive Oil
¾ teaspoon salt

Pre-heat oven to 225

In a large bowl mix the oats, nuts, flax seed and dried fruits; set aside

In a smaller bowl whisk the oil with the honey, brown sugar and salt till blended and smooth; pour into the dry mixture and gently fold with a large spoon till coated

*Note: placing the mixture in the microwave for 35-45 seconds helps with the blending and makes it easier to pour.

Spread the granola mixture onto two baking sheets with edges and lined with parchment paper. Bake for 15 minutes at a time; stir and repeat for 1 hour 15 minutes.

Allow to cool and finish drying before storing

Yields approximately 15- 1/2 cup servings

$19.99 + shipping on Etsy

ENJOY!

Start Your Day with Homemade Granola… Read More »

Pan Fried Blackened Barramudi with Steamed Spinach

over Potato Pancakes

By The Gourmet Farm Girl

4-5 cups mashed potatoes (great idea for leftovers)

3 tablespoons butter + 2 tablespoons olive oil

4 Barramundi Fillets (or any mild white fish)

1-2 teaspoons The Gourmet Farm Girl Blackening Seasoning

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

8 cups fresh spinach

Shape mashed potatoes into patties: in a non-stick skillet heat 2 tablespoon butter and one tablespoon oil over medium heat and fry potato pancakes for 3-4 minutes on each side till golden brown.

Season the fish fillets with blackening seasoning and salt.

While potatoes are frying; heat the remaining oil in a large heavy oven proof or cast iron skillet; place the fish in skillet and fry for 3-5 minutes; remove from heat and place under the broiler for 2-3 minutes till cooked through and flakes easily with a fork.

Steam the spinach in a steamer pan or add 3-4 tablespoons water to a stock pot; add spinach; cover and cook over medium high heat till just wilted; 5-6 minutes

Place the potato pancake onto plate; add a layer of spinach and top with a piece of fish.

Serves: 4

ENJOY!

Uniquely different…. Read More »

Looking for a green theme appetizer for your St. Patrick’s Party? Get the green from spinach and peas in this pesto and top off these little bites with green pistachios

Smoked Salmon and Spinach Pesto

with Honey and Pistachios

By The gourmet Farm Girl

1/2 head of garlic (roasted)

2 cups fresh spinach

1/2 cup frozen peas (thawed)

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon course salt

1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 cup smoked salmon pieces

1/4 cup shelled pistachios

4 slices rye bread (lightly toasted)

and sliced into bite size pieces

5-6 tablespoons Local Honey

more if desired

Drizzle the garlic with a small amount of oil and wrap in foil. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees till soft and fragrant; remove and allow to cool. When cool enough to handle remove 4-5 cloves.

In a food processor pulse several times 5-6 garlic cloves with the spinach, peas, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Gradually add the oil and pulse again till just blended.

Spread the pesto onto each piece of rye toast, top with a few pieces of salmon and a couple of pistachios. Drizzle the honey over the entire plate and serve.

Note: *Extra pesto can be frozen.

*Crackers work well in place of the rye toast.

* For extra flavor grate some Parmesan cheese over the top

Serves 6-8

St. Patrick’s Appetizer… Read More »

With Easter right around the corner I thought I would share this recipe from my cookbook.
Roasted potatoes and root vegetables go very well with this loin.

Boneless Pork Loin with Spice and Herb Glaze

By The Gourmet Farm Girl

4-5 pound boneless pork loin

5 tablespoons sea or kosher salt

5 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons granulated garlic

1 tablespoon cracked black pepper

3 tablespoons minced sweet onion

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon ground coriander

3-4 sprigs fresh thyme (pulled from stem)

1 small batch flat leaf parsley (chopped)

1 stem rosemary leaves

2 cups cold water

3 tablespoons canola oil

Score the fat on the loin; mix the above ingredients together and pour/rub over meat; place meat in a large Ziploc bag; place bag in a large bowl and brine for 3-8 hours in the refrigerator

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

Remove loin form brine (discard brine) place scored side up in a 9 x 12 glass baking dish; pour 2 cups hot water in bottom of dish; bake for 45 minutes

Glaze Recipe

Mix together the following ingredients and pour over loin

1/4 cup light brown sugar (packed)

1/8 cup pure honey

1/2 lemon squeezed

2 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

2 tablespoons fresh chives chopped

Bake pork loin for an additional 45 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees

Let rest for 10-12

Board Dressing

While meat rests; whisk together:

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons fresh flat leaf parsley (chopped)

1 teaspoons dried thyme

pinch of lemon zest

pinch of salt

pinch of pepper

Pour dressing onto a clean cutting board and place the pork loin on top; slice meat allowing the dressing to coat the meat; serve immediately

Serves 10-12

Full of Flavor… Read More »