Blueberry Shrub & Drinking Vinegar

Blueberry Shrub

by Eleanor Escafi, Board President

Ingredients:

12 ounces organic blueberries

1-1.5 cups organic white sugar

1 cup vinegar (I like apple cider vinegar but you can use red wine vinegar, whine wine vinegar, white balsamic vinegar, or unseasoned rice vinegar)

Instructions:

1. Gently mash berries into a medium bowl with a fork.

2. Transfer to a 1-quart glass jar with a lid, add sugar, and stir to combine. 

3. Seal jar and let fruit mixture sit at room temperature for one day. Shake every so often. 

4. Stain through a sieve or colander and eat or discard fruit pulp (I love it over vanilla ice cream)

5. Add vinegar to the blueberry syrup and stir to combine. Taste, and add more vinegar or sugar to preference. 

6. Add to a clean jar, and cover with a lid. Allow flavors to meld over one week. 

7. Serve 2 tablespoons over ice and top with club soda! 

Great Bread Without the Work

By Sofie Sherman-Burton, Marketing & Membership Manager

This recipe isn’t a secret. When The New York Times published now famed baker Jim Lahey’s no-knead bread for the first time over ten years ago, it quickly became the most popular recipe that the newspaper ever published.

There is good reason for this, which you’ll soon find out if you give this a shot (and, really, there is no reason not to if you haven’t already – unless, you know, you don’t eat bread). This recipe is dead simple. The ingredients are basic and super inexpensive. It doesn’t require any special tools. But the results are really very good: that crispy crust that can be hard to get baking at home, a nice texture the will sop up sauce or soup or olive oil, a decentsized loaf, a gentle tang from plenty of fermentation time.

It is also ripe for experimentation. Maybe you want to mix in some different kinds of flours – whole wheat, spelt, rye, some oat. Or add some herbs or spices – rosemary, caraway. Throw in some seeds or nuts, toss in some smashed garlic cloves or olives, mix in some cinnamon and raisins. The bulk section is really your playground, here.

We’ll offer two departing places: an all whole-wheat sandwich loaf and the classic recipe (if you want to add in some whole wheat flavor, start with swapping a third of the all purpose flour for another flour of your choice). From there, get experimenting!

Recipes adapted very slightly from The New York Times.

No Knead Bread

• 3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting

• ¼ teaspoon instant yeast (just give a little more time for the active dry yeast!)

• 1 ¼ teaspoons salt

• Water

• Cornmeal, or wheat bran as needed

In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water and stir with your fingers until the dough is combined and there is no more dry flour; it will be shaggy and sticky. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let the dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature (around 70°F).

The dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.

Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) or parchment paper with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side (where the folds are) down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, the dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

At least 30 minutes before the dough is ready, heat your oven to 450°F. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex, or ceramic) in the oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under the towel and turn the dough over into the pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove the lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until the loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack. Slice into it and enjoy!

No Knead Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread

• 2 cups whole wheat flour

• ½ cup whole rye flour

• ½ cup coarse cornmeal

• 1 teaspoon instant yeast

• 1 ½ teaspoons salt

• Oil as needed

Combine flours, cornmeal, yeast and salt in a large bowl. Add 1 1/2 cups water and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let the dough rest about 4 hours at a warm room temperature, around 70 degrees.

Oil a standard loaf pan (8 or 9 inches by 4 inches; nonstick works well). Lightly oil your hands and shape dough into a rough rectangle. Put it in pan, pressing it out to the edges. Brush top with a little more oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest 1 hour more.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake bread about 45 minutes, or until loaf reaches an internal temperature of 210°. Remove the bread from the pan and cool on a rack.

Notes

Want to mix it up, but don’t know where to start? Variations on this recipe are all over the internet. Give it a Google. Some of my favorite variation guides, of sorts, are from The Kitchn and Green Kitchen Stories.

When I made the no-knead bread with 1/3 spelt flour, my dough was super wet and hard to form after 18 hours! I did my best and threw it in the pot, and it turned our pretty great. The results are pictured!

Homemade Condiments for the BBQ & Beyond

By Sofie Sherman-Burton, Marketing & Membership Manager

Cooking (and eating) outside is one of my favorite parts of warmer weather. On the first warm days of spring, you’ll usually find me texting friends to see who’s free right now and running to the store for a bag of briquettes. Hanging out while the grill heats up, throwing an odd assortment of things on the grill and then onto a plate, and getting a whiff of the lingering smell of smoke in my hair are all quintessential summer moments that I think back to with potent jealousy in January. I also really love condiments and making my own. A few jars of sauces or toppings in the fridge can turn some wonderful (but maybe boring) grilled vegetables into something transcendent. These are all also pretty cheap, pretty easy, and adaptable for uses away from the grill.

Cider Mayonnaise

The first time we made this, my partner declared it “the sharp cheddar of mayo.” That’s not so far from the truth: the apple cider vinegar adds an extra tang that makes this mayo kind of special. I like dipping all kinds of things in it (veggies, potatoes) and of course slathering it on buns.

Ingredients

• 1 large egg yolk

• ½ teaspoon sea salt

• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar

• 1 ½ cups neutral oil (like canola)

In a food processor, blend the egg yolk, salt, mustard, and vinegar. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the oil until the mixture is thick, emulsified, and looks like mayo! Store in the refrigerator in a lidded container for up to 7 days. Makes about 1 ½ cups. You could also try making this by hand with a whick or in a blender. Recipe from Poole’s: Recipes and Stories from a Modern Diner by Ashley Christensen.

Basic Country Mustard

There are so many ways to customize this mustard and make it your: brown mustard seeds are spicier than white ones, you can try a variety of vinegars (start with apple cider or white wine), sweeten it, add your favorite herb (like thyme, oregano, or rosemary). No matter what route you take, mustard is super easy to make and just takes a little time!

Ingredients

• Ingredients

• 6 tablespoon mustard seeds

• ½ cup mustard powder

• ½ cup water or beer

• 3 tablespoons of vinegar

• 2 teaspoons salt

• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric (optional)

• 2 tablespoons honey or agave (optional)

• ¼ cup minced herbs (optional)

Grind the mustard seeds for a few seconds in an electric grinder, or use a mortar and pestle. They should be mostly whole, but crushed. Pour those seeds into a bowl and add the salt and mustard powder. Add your turmeric, sweetener, or herbs here, too, if you’re using them. Pour in the water or beer and stir well. When everything is incorporated, let the mixture sit for ten minutes (the longer you let it sit, the mellower it will be). When you’re ready, pour in the vinegar. Put your mustard in a glass jar with a lid and store it in the fridge. It will be a bit runny, but should thicken over night. Wait at least 12 hours before using. You should end up with about a half a cup of mustard , which will keep for up to a year in the fridge. Adapted slightly from honest-food.net.

Pickled Red Onions

When I have a jar of pickled red onions in the fridge, I put them on just about everything. They’re perfect on tacos, grilled cheese, and pizza, but also on salads, soup, grilled veggies, or atop a rice bowl. They add a great vinegar-y crunch but their pretty pink color might be reason enough for my enthusiasm. This method, which doesn’t even require turning on the stove, is a perfect place to start. If you want to get more creative, bring the sugar, salt, vinegar, and water to a boil on the stove with your desired spices: try fennel, mustard seeds, coriander seeds, peppercorns, allspice berries, sprigs of rosemary or thyme or oregano, dried chili….

Ingredients

• 1 red onion, sliced into half moons as thin as you can manage

• 1 garlic clove sliced thinly or just thoroughly smashed

• 2 teaspoons sugar (you could use honey or agave instead)

• 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt

• ½ cup white vinegar (or use white wine vinegar)

• ½ cup water

Put everything in a pint jar (or a bigger one if you had a big onion!), screw on the lid tightly, and shake the jar until the salt and sugar have dissolved. If you see granules on the bottom, keep shaking. Let the jar sit out at room temperature for 20 minutes or so. You can eat them right away, or pop them in the fridge. They’ll keep for up to two weeks. Recipe from Small Victories by Julia Turshen.

One Pot Pasta with Whatever is on Hand

by Caitlin Gaylord Churchill, Perishable & Dairy Buyer and Co-Manager

I love this dish because it’s so easy. For it to be a meal, I reason, there should be at least a half hour of me throwing vegetable peels on the floor and in my hair while I braise and nearly burn something else. It doesn’t have to be that way, but I feel most comfortable with a little chaos around me – it’s hard for me to embrace the easy. So put your long hair up with two pencils or a rubber band and listen up:

You can edit this dish in many ways to fit what you have around and what you like. The basic idea is that you get a salty pot of water boiling, add the pasta and when there is 3-4 minutes left in the pasta’s cooking cycle, add some veggies that will cook also. If you’re adding a frozen veg, defrost it in the colander with a water rinse before adding to the pot. Veggies like broccoli could take longer or be cut smaller, your choice. Veggies such as fresh chard or spinach could be put in with a minute to spare so they don’t overcook.

Ingredients

• 200 grams legume-based pasta

• 1 pound of fresh green beans

• 2 cups frozen shelled green peas

• Sea salt for cooking water and garnish

• 4 tablespoons cold-pressed olive oil

• Zest and juice of 1 organic lemon

• 4 tablespoons capers

• A large handful fresh mint, leaves only

Instructions

Put a large pot of water on the stove and heat over a high flame.

While the water is heating up, wash, trim, and chop the beans. Shell the peas (or take them out of the fridge or freezer). Wash and roughly chop the mint. Once the cooking water is boiling, salt it generously (it should taste salty).

Add the pasta and set a timer for about three minutes before the suggested cooking time. Three minutes before the pasta is done, add the beans and peas. Cook for three minutes. Drain well and place back in the pot. Add the olive oil (important to keep the pasta from sticking!), lemon zest, drained capers and a few pinches of sea salt. Season to taste. Fold in the fresh mint and serve.

Vegetable Ideas

• Diced carrot

• Diced summer squash (seriously, lets use ‘em up)

• Green beans

• Frozen peas (FAVORITE)

• Broccoli florets

• Cauliflower florets

• Edamame

• Frozen or fresh spinach

• Chard leaves

Seasoning

• Sundried tomatoes, garlic, & basil

• Coconut milk, curry, & peanuts

• Tahini dressing, made with tahini, lemon, garlic, & water in the food processor

Beets, Buckwheat, & Chevre

By Caitlin Gaylord Churchill, Perishable & Dairy Buyer and Comanager

Originally this was a recipe for roasted beets and farro, which I found on the illustrious FoodNetwork.com. I don’t find farro to be that interesting of a grain, so this is the jazzed up version. It takes a little longer to prepare, but I find that it’s more interesting. You can leave out the cheese entirely and it’s still delish.

Ingredients

• 1½ pounds small beets (I like to mix red and yellow)

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• Sea Salt and Black Pepper

• 5 sprigs thyme

• 2 cloves garlic, unpeeled

• ½ cup shelled raw pistachios

• ½ cup pitted prunes, diced

• 4 tablespoons salted butter or earth balance

• 1½ cups buckwheat kasha

• 3 cups of vegetable stock

• 4 ounces chevre or Heidi Ho vegan goat cheese

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Cut beets into halves. Combine the beets, olive oil, 1 teaspoon of salt, some pepper, the thyme sprigs, and the garlic cloves on a baking sheet. Cover with foil and roast for 30 to 35 minutes, until easily pierced with a paring knife. During that time on another rack in the oven, roast the pistachios for 5 minutes. Set aside both to cool completely.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan or deep saute pan over medium heat. Add the buckwheat and stir until coated with butter and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in the prunes and add 3 cups of stock. Bring to a boil, cover, and let simmer on low for 25 minutes. With a paper towel, remove the skins from the beets. Quarter the beets and add them to the bowl with the cooked buckwheat. Fold in the toasted pistachios.

Squeeze the roasted garlic into a small bowl. Mash it with a fork and season with salt and pepper, and then stir it into the salad. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently to combine. Top with the crumbled goat cheese.

Angelica's Kitchen Potato Leek Soup with Greens

By Caitlin Gaylord Churchill, Perishable & Dairy Buyer and Comanager

When I was in my late teens and early twenties I would sometimes go into The City (you know, New York) for a weekend with friends. I had very little money, but what money I had I hoarded and then spent exclusively on restaurant food. I would walk all over and eat samosas in a basement level quicky mart with cab drivers on the lower east side, and then oysters at the cavernous Oyster Bar in Grand Central Station. One place that was frequently on the list to visit was Angelica’s Kitchen – one of the first hip vegetarian restaurants ever. Gluten Free Corn Bread – they had it before it was cool. This potato leek soup is like a free trip to that restaurant. It’s familiar and comforting but somehow also bright and healthy. It comes out a lovely green once it’s pureed. The only next level cooking tool you might need is an immersion blender – you could use a regular food processor but it would take a lot of ladling hot soup back and forth – not my favorite way to pass the time.

Ingredients

• ¼ cup and 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 2 large leeks, whites only

• 6 cloves of garlic, peeled

• 4-5 cups of vegetable stock

• 1 pound yukon gold potatoes diced into ½” cubes

• 2 bunches of spinach or watercress, washed, drained and coarsely chopped (frozen is fine if defrosted)

• 1 tablespoon tarragon, leaves only

• Juice of 1 lemon, fresh

Instructions

Combine the ¼ cup oil, leeks and whole garlic cloves in a heavybottomed pot or deep sauce pan over medium heat. Cover and simmer for 3 minutes.

Add pinch of salt, lower the heat, cover and cook 15 minutes longer, stirring occasionally.

Add the potatoes and enough stock to cover them, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until potatoes are tender, about 20 to 25 minutes.

Add the spinach or watercress to the soup and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes longer. Add tarragon and remaining olive oil, and then blend the soup until creamy with an immersion blender, or in a blender or food processor. Stir in lemon juice, season with salt and pepper to taste.

If the soup is too thick, thin with additional stock to desired consistency.