Fresh Tart

Friends with CSAs, gardens, or farmers market addictions...I'd love to see you at the Provisions class I'm teaching at Kitchen in the Market with chef Scott Pampuch. The focus will be on extending our too-short growing season's bounty with time-honored techniques, helpful restaurant tips, and translations to making great quality food at home.

Our first class is this coming Thursday, May 24! We're also gathering on June 14 and July 26 - sign up for all three classes for a discount, or take one or two.

We'll kick off this week by discussing the tips, tricks and tools that you'll want to consider as you move through spring and into summer. We'll talk about cooking as a lifestyle and a process, and guide you through translating your personal goals and needs into a plan of attack. With a bit of planning and structure in the spring, we can help you get your kitchen established with the equipment, ingredients, and techniques that will help you get through the seasons.

On the menu:

• storing & keeping foods - tips about treating your foods right so they can last throughout the year

• canning "outside of the cookbook" - basic recipes and inspired flavor combinations

• making flavored salts

• new twists on pesto

• to eat: antipasto platter featuring make, taste + take accompaniments and flatbread

If you have yet to take a class at Kitchen in the Market (KITM), you've been missing out on a delicious blast. Owned by chef Molly Herrman (Tastebud Catering) and Tracy Morgan (Segnavia Creative) KITM exists within Midtown Global Market and it is always hopping. With classes ranging from Food Porn photography to Chef's Night Off participation cooking to our Provisions class, there is learning, eating, and drinking for everyone.

We hope to see you there! Email me if you have questions.

As someone who spends a lot of time in grocery stores, it's hard to deny the primal thrill of foraging for edibles in the great outdoors. It's similar to the pleasure in picking tomatoes I've grown myself, except a bit more powerful. There is, in fact, a Hierarchy of Food-Gathering Satisfaction, which exists completely in my own mind, and goes something like this: Foraging (hunting, fishing), gardening, farm stands, farmers markets, co-ops, grocery stores. The thrill of the chase apparently persists even in the soul of a city girl.

Especially when you can forage right in the city! There are stinging nettles to be found in almost anyone's yard, which you well know if you've ever grabbed one to yank out of a flower bed (ouch). Next time you see them, put on some gloves, pull them up, then save them to make salt, an idea I'm stealing from my friends Kathy Yerich and Scott Pampuch, who both made and shared nettle salt in the last couple of weeks.

Nettle salt is easy to make and deliciously savory, with a slightly grassy flavor that is lovely with corn, eggs, butter, and bread. Kathy made hers by pulsing fresh nettle leaves with sea salt in a food processor, then spreading the mixture to dry on a baking sheet. Her salt was bright green and pungent, a gorgeous topping for the pizzas we Minnesota Food Bloggers made at our recent gathering at Kitchen in the Market with Zoe Francois. Scott made his by first drying the nettles before pulsing with coarse sea salt. His version had more texture and a softer flavor, which was amazing sprinkled on the popcorn tossed with brown butter he set out at his In Search of Food party at Fulton Beer.

Make it both ways! Recipe for Nettle Salt at TC Taste/Minnesota Monthly Magazine.

It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of farmers markets - what's not to love? - and the Minneapolis Farmers Market in particular because it's my "home" market.  I shop there every week, most weeks two or more times, loading up on all of my favorite fruits, vegetables, and local meats and cheeses.  The market represents everything I love about cooking and food - best ingredients, local growers, seasonal bounty.  (In fact, when food is this good - syrupy strawberries, warm tomatoes, fragrant basil, soft cheeses, rich honey - you don't even need to cook. But shhh, don't tell readers of this blog...)

I love to go on the weekends, when the scene is like a smaller, healthier version of the Minnesota State Fair - throngs of people from all over the world, eating, shopping, watching cooking demonstrations, buying flowers, listening to music, all wrapped in the smoky perfume of grilling brats and sweet corn.  Slightly chaotic.  Excellent people watching.  Pure summer.

But I love shopping on weekdays too, the yin to the weekend's yang.  It's mostly produce during the week, quiet as an eggplant, with easy parking and a calm, peaceful vibe.  I whip in and out of there in 10 minutes, loaded down with enough produce to feed an army.  Or my family.  If weekends are energizing, weekdays are relaxing.

Needless to say, I'm very excited (and honored) to chat with Susan Berkson on the Minneapolis Farmer Market's Fresh & Local radio show tomorrow morning.  Tune in to AM 950 if you're up and at 'em around 8 a.m., sipping coffee, kicking back and planning your gorgeous summer Saturday.  (If you miss it, or are out of range, you can listen later in the week off the MFM/Fresh & Local website.)

See you at the market!

Update: the interview is up, have a listen to Saturday, August 7, Part III, and the tail end of Part IV.  I had a great time!

This salad - Potato Salad with Morels, Asparagus & Basil Vinaigrette - hails from the fantastic blog, Gluten-Free Girl and The Chef.  Potatoes with morels, a killer combination, right?  (Anything with morels...)  I noticed right away that the recipe is wonderfully adaptable to whatever is in season, so when I spotted the first batch of sugar snap peas at the Minneapolis Farmer's Market, they became part of the salad too.  Oh look, two artichokes in the cooler, better steam them, slice the hearts, and toss them in as well.  You can riff endlessly on this concept, all summer long, knowing that just about anything would be improved by that gorgeous basil vinaigrette.  Chill leftover dressing and spoon over fresh greens or tomatoes or fish or chicken...

We enjoyed the salad alongside barbecued pork ribs and grilled whole chickens - a feast, in honor of all the guests who came to Minnesota to celebrate my husband John's 50th birthday.  (Yes, his birthday was in April, but we held the party this past Sunday.  More on that later.)  We groaned our way through a few bites of pots de creme for dessert, via the excellent Ready for Dessert by David Lebovitz (a-ma-zing book).  I'll post that recipe later in the week too.  You'll want that recipe, yes you will.

After the guests and parties, we're winding down.  Tidying up, sorting through photos, getting to bed early.  I'm all about the parties, but I love the quiet afterward too.

Potato Salad wth Morels, Asparagus & Basil Vinaigrette
Adapted from a recipe by Gluten-Free Girl
Serves 10

2 lb. new potatoes, scrubbed not peeled
1 large bunch asparagus, tough ends discarded, chopped into 1/4-inch pieces
1/2 lb. sugar snap peas, ends and tough strings removed
1/2 lb. morel mushrooms (or whatever mushroom is in season), halved and carefully cleaned
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 large shallots or 1 small sweet onion, sliced
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Put potatoes in a large soup pot and cover with several inches of generously salted cold water.  Put pot over high heat, cover, and bring to a boil.  Uncover and continue to boil until potatoes are easily pierced with a sharp knife.  Drain potatoes and spread on a baking sheet to cool.  Cut potatoes in half (or quarters if they're large) and add to a large salad bowl.

While the potatoes cook, bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil.  Have access to a slotted spoon and prepare a large bowl of ice water and place near the pot.  Add the asparagus to the boiling water, leave it for 1 minute (no more), then using the slotted spoon, scoop it out and into the ice water.  When the water boils again, add the pea pods, leave for 1 minute, and scoop into the ice water.  Discard boiling water.  When the vegetables are cool, drain and transfer to paper towels to dry.  Add vegetables to the potatoes.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add 2 Tbsp. of olive oil, then mushrooms and a light sprinkle of salt.  When the mushrooms are tender and lightly browned, remove from heat and allow to cool.  Add mushrooms to the potatoes and vegetables.

Top with shallots and vinaigrette (you won't use all of the vinaigrette).  Toss gently, season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve.  (Can be prepared one day ahead; chill.  Bring to room temperature before serving.)

Basil Vinaigrette
Makes about 1.5 cups

1 c. basil leaves, packed firm
1/4 c. Italian parsley leaves
1 shallot, chopped
1 large clove garlic, chopped
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/4 c. red wine vinegar
3/4 c. mild olive oil or half canola/half extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp. salt, several grinds of black pepper

Put all ingredients in a blender except the oil.  Turn on the blender to begin pureeing everything.  Drizzle in the oil slowly.  (Can be made one day ahead; chill.  Leftovers keep for about one week.)

Back in January - which feels like a million years ago given this spring weather! - I had the pleasure of participating in a Chef's Night Off cooking class at Kitchen in the Market. Jason DeRusha and I assisted chef Scott Pampuch, along with 12 other students, in preparing a stunning, multi-course, wine-paired dinner. I can't think of a better way to spend a Monday night than cooking, drinking wine, and eating with a big group of my friends...while someone else cleans up. Yes!

All of the courses were creative and lovely, dessert in particular. Scott made a stout caramel sauce to swirl into brown butter ice cream and it sent everyone over the moon.

In honor of the warmest St. Patrick's Day I can remember, I asked him for the recipe to share with you. For a seriously dreamy, boozy treat, spoon it warm over homemade whiskey ice cream. I've been doing just that for two days and am feeling the luck of the Irish in spades.

A few notes:
1) I made David Lebovitz's perfect vanilla ice cream with 3 tablespoons of 2 Gingers Irish Whiskey added just before churning. Do this.
2) For another Guinness treat, see the recipe for Deep Chocolate Guinness Cakes on food writer and photographer Imen McDonnell's stunning blog, I Married An Irish Farmer. Swoon.
3) If you're interested in future Chef's Night Off cooking classes - they are held monthly - see the Kitchen in the Market website. I participated in a Chef Mike DeCamp class last night for another delicious blast. Classes raise money for Renewing the Countryside.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Chef Scott Pampuch's recipe for Guinness Caramel Sauce at TC Taste/Minnesota Monthly Magazine.

Mom and I headed over to the Farmer's Market early this morning and cashed in on lots of tasties. First off, a grilled brat for breakfast, smothered in sauteed peppers and onions, topped with kraut, relish, and mustard. With a beer, I would have been ready for a Badger football game! But no, instead we grabbed coffee and roamed the veggie stands, scoring sweet corn (first of the season for me), tomatoes, green beans, raspberries, potatoes, and radishes. We took a pass on the giant iced cinnamon rolls, but oh boy did they look and smell temptingly, stickily scrumptious.

I came home, pooled my treasure with booty from Thursday's CSA veggie share, and out of the bounty made myself one helluva vegetarian feast for lunch. I roasted myself an ear of corn - rarrr - then sauteed tofu with thin slices of garlic, onions, and jalapeno. I tossed pieces of summer squash, red onion, and red bell pepper with a bit of olive oil, salt, and minced fresh herbs, then skewered it all and grilled until soft and charred. And then, The Kill, I boiled a few fingerling potatoes (tiny ones, more like thumblings, or even toelings, ha) and ate them tossed with a smidge of butter and sprinkle of Kosher salt. They were creamy and just a bit sweet (I personally don't like uber-sweet new potatoes), very potato-y, and absolutely delicious. I will most certainly be looking for those babies again.

Tonight we're heading to the Twins game for Bizarre Foods night at the Dome. Rumor has it AZ is offering Bizarre Foods-inspired tasties...I'll fill you in on any adventurous details later.

Enjoy your Sunny Saturday!

Moderate it: it's pretty hard to go wrong with food from the Farmer's Market - fresh, just-picked vegetables and fruits and locally-raised meats. Real food. Good food. Real, good-for-you food. I dig it.

Minnesota Food Bloggers heated up a frigid, Minnesota morning by hosting our first educational event on Saturday, January 21, 2012, at Minnesota History Center. Bloggers, farmers, food advocates, chefs, journalists, and concerned eaters gathered to view the morning session of the live TEDxManhattan: Changing the Way We Eat webcast.

The morning session's focus was sustainability. After the viewing, Minnesota Valley Country Club executive chef, Tour de Farm founder, host of In Search of Food, and local food advocate Scott Pampuch spoke to the group about the evolution of his thoughts, menus, and purchasing decisions at his restaurant Corner Table. Scott then joined a panel discussion with Barth Anderson of Fair Food Fight, Debbie Morrison of Sapsucker Farms, and myself, moderated by Brett Olson of Renewing the Countryside, to continue the conversation as a group.

See the event summary at Minnesota Food Bloggers. An overview video of the webcast, panel discussion, and reception is below.

TEDxManhattan: Changing the Way We Eat Viewing, Panel Discussion & Reception from Minnesota Food Bloggers on Vimeo.

I still had blueberries left from last week's farmers market haul, but since they were just-past gorgeous (yet still perfectly edible), I decided that today was the day to bake them into this pretty blueberry lemon cake I'd had my eye on.

Although really, every day should be a day for buttermilk cake, don't you think?  It hardly matters the version, since they all share a soft, moist crumb - to me, the essence of cake. (And I am all about the essence of cake.)

I decided to treat this one like a tea cake and gild the lily with a lemon icing drizzle.  And why not?  As I pulled the cake out of the oven, Puppy Louis peed downstairs and the boys cleaned it up with newsprint.  Ink on the carpeting, carpet cleaner on the way...

Time for lemon icing.

And a slice of cake.

Blueberry Lemon Buttermilk Cake
Adapted from www.noteaafter12.com
Serves 10-12

2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1 c. granulated sugar
pinch of freshly ground nutmeg
2 eggs
1 c. buttermilk 
10 Tbsp. butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 c. blueberries
zest of one lemon

2 c. confectioner's sugar
juice from one lemon
whipping cream

Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan.

In a large bowl, stir together the flour and baking powder, and add the sugar and nutmeg. In a separate medium bowl, beat the eggs.  Add the buttermilk, butter, lemon zest, and lemon juice and mix well until incorporated. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.  Fold in the blueberries.

Spread the batter in the pan.  Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the top is just golden and a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool on a rack for 20 minutes.

While the cake cools, stir together the confectioner's sugar and lemon juice.  Add enough whipping cream to thin the icing to drizzling consistency.

Spread icing over warm (not hot) cake.  Serve cake warm or cool.

I've had my eye on this Sunday Suppers at Lucques dessert for awhile.  It's really just fruit and custard, keeping the focus firmly where it belongs - on perfectly ripe, juicy, summer-bursting-in-your-mouth berries.

(The recipe calls for raspberries; I used both blueberries and raspberries.  It's worth hitting the farmer's market for the real deal - the berries don't cook, so you want them to taste great on their own.)

It's a neat trick to run the dish under the broiler - the heat warms the berries and browns the top of the custard a bit, while the custard underneath stays cool.

Did I mention that there's creme fraiche in the custard? Uh yeah...

It's therefore not a shocker that the whole emerges tangy & creamy, pleasantly sweet but not overly so, and pretty enough for a party.

Or for a pretty damn tasty Sunday morning breakfast!

Raspberry Gratin
From Sunday Suppers at Lucques by Suzanne Goin
Serves 6

1 1/2 c. whole milk
3 extra-large egg yolks
1/2 c. plus 1 Tbsp. granulated sugar
2 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. corn starch
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
a pinch of salt
1 c. creme fraiche
1 pint (2 baskets) raspberries
1 Tbsp. confectioners' sugar

In a medium heavy-bottomed pot, bring the milk to a boil, and then turn off the heat.  Whisk the egg yolks together in a medium bowl, and then whisk in 1/2 c. sugar and the cornstarch.  Continue whisking until the mixture thickens and is a pale  yellow color.  Slowly whisk in the hot milk, at first a few tablespoons at a time, and then more quickly.  Return the mixture to the stove, and cook over medium heat, alternating between a whisk and a rubber spatula, until the custard thickens to a puddinglike consistency.

Remove from the stove, and stir in the butter and salt.

Transfer the mixture to a bowl.  Place a piece of plastic wrap on the surface to keep it from forming a skin.  Poke a few holes in the plastic to let the heat escape.  Cool in the refrigerator.

When the custard has cooled, fold in the creme fraiche.

Preheat the broiler.

Toss the raspberries with 1 Tbsp. granulated sugar, and scatter half of the them on the bottom of a 9x9-inch (or equivalent) gratin dish.  Spoon the custard into the dish, and scatter the rest of the berries on top.  Sift the confectioners' sugar over the top, and pass under the broiler for about 7 minutes (watch carefully!), until bubbling and gratineed on top.

Serve the gratin at the table with a big serving spoon.