One of the best food-related decisions I made while living in Utah was joining the CSA at Christiansen Farms. This unique farm in Vernon practices humane treatment of animals and produces heritage pigs, which means you won’t find pork this good anywhere else in the state. Rest assured your meat is hormone-free, antibiotic-free and the best part…the price isn’t through the roof. Others have also recognized Christiansen Farm for their high-quality meat and you can actually purchase some of it at Caputos and Liberty Heights Fresh.
This is the perfect time of year to sign up…don’t wait as they tend to sell out quickly! You can view more information about the Christiansen Farm CSA here. Also, you may want to check out all the CSA’s offered in Utah. There are actually quite a few to choose from, which means you should be able to find one in your area. We signed up for the East Farms CSA a few years in a row, but have friends who tried other farms and also had a positive experience. This is a great opportunity to support local businesses and eat healthy!
image via this dish is veg
Posted in FYI, Steph B |
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Aaahh…my new favorite chocolate cake. I couldn’t not share it with you today as it’s been on my mind all week since making it a week ago. Now, all I can think about is how to justify making it just one.more.time. This bundt cake recipe is wonderful and I think you’ll really enjoy making, eating and presenting it. It’s not too rich (i.e. kids will like it–case in point), has a nice balance of texture and looks as good as it tastes. If you live near a Trader Joe’s you can find crème fraîche quite cheap; if not, try your local, “nicer” grocery store (Harmons, Whole Foods, Liberty Heights, etc.).
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As promised in last week’s plug for French gray sea salt (amazing stuff!) and how it enhances all your baking and cooking, here is a word or two about it’s daintier counterpart known as “fleur de sel”. Fleur de sel, which means “flower of salt” in French, is known as the “caviar of salt” to many. If you’ve ever tasted it, you’ll know why; it too will change how you feel about salt in general. But don’t start thinking that the hand-harvested gray sea salt or fleur de sel just for high-end cooks or that it’s expensive and uppity. While fleur de sel
can be a little spendier than the iodized stuff, a little goes a long way and the price difference is fairly minimal. French gray sea salt
is actually affordable if you buy it from the right source. I typically pick mine up in France, but you can find it pretty easily online here in the States and for a great price too! True story: I brought some to a friend of mine and she prepared dinner with the new gray sea salt. Her 7-year-old son and husband now beg for it to be put into everything. That’s how great it is!
Back to fleur de sel…
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This scramble has fast become a favorite in our home recently. In fact, I’ve made it 3 times already this week and no one is sick of it yet! I’m a big chard fan and am always happy to discover another way to enjoy it and slip it into something I’m making for the kids. Best enjoyed with a thick slab of toast and a tall glass of water–there’s nothing like starting off your day right!
Continue reading “Morning Scramble with Rainbow Chard and Feta” »
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I stock my kitchen pantry with two types of salt–one is fleur de sel (which I’ll discuss next week) and the other is coarse gray sea salt from Guérande, France–also known as “sel gris“. Today I’d like to share the story of gray sea salt with you, and also explain why this salt is so delicious and worth the real estate in your spice drawer or kitchen pantry. I feel like my cooking has improved just by changing this one variable. I kid you not! In fact, I’ve shared some coarse gray sea salt with a few friends and they say the same thing. So here’s the story:
Continue reading “The 411 on Coarse Gray Sea Salt” »
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I know we often associate lemonade with Summertime, but given that lemons are in season during the dead of winter, why not enjoy some now? Homemade lemonade is very refreshing, regardless of the weather outside, and is leagues ahead of any powdery mix. And when you add in sophisticated upgrades like Meyer Lemon juice and fresh rosemary from the garden, you’ve got yourself one, outstanding glass of lemonade!
{my recipe for Rosemary Meyer Lemonade after the jump}
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My favorite comfort food in the wintertime is a roast chicken. Served with potatoes and gravy, it’s a memorable meal fit for guests too. To celebrate the availability of the sophisticated Meyer lemon, I had to make a variation incorporating this delectable citrus fruit. I hope you enjoy it! Recipe after the jump:
Continue reading “Roast Chicken with Herbes de Provence and Meyer Lemon” »
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My most recent discovery is how much I love roasted butternut squash…it’s like candy to me. You may laugh, but it becomes delightfully sweet once roasted in the oven at a high temperature..all carmelized and yummy. This risotto recipe is true, winter comfort food at its best. And don’t let risotto intimidate you…it’s not difficult, just requires attention. Have all your chopping done ahead of time and all will go well. Serve with a crusty bread and a butter lettuce salad for the perfect meal!
p.s. Be on the lookout for more recipes with butternut squash…I can’t get enough of it lately!
Continue reading “Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto with Mushrooms & Chives” »
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Perhaps you’ve spotted these beautiful citrus at the market lately and wondered just what they were and how to use them. They look so fresh and pretty with their stems attached and since we aren’t used to seeing that at a grocery store, it’s easy to be thrown off by their appearance.
Continue reading “What is a Satsuma?” »
Posted in Seasonal, Steph B |
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Like learning the best way to seed a pomegranate, figuring out the best way to peel garlic is life changing in the kitchen. Suddenly new recipes shift to the top of the to-make pile because knowing how to deal with that one, high-maintenance ingredient is now the simplest task. And I know this to be true because it happened to me…with garlic.
I’m going to share two ways to peel garlic–the first way is ideal for a recipe calling for 1-5 cloves. All you need is this $9 kitchen gadget from Williams Sonoma. It won’t take up much real estate in your drawer and I guarantee its usefulness. Keep in mind this is coming from a gal who does not enjoy a bajillion kitchen gadgets. However, if you’re making something like Ina Garten’s Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic, then you have to peek at this short video from Saveur mag. Brilliant!
image via Williams Sonoma
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