The Freshness Factor

Fresh is a relative term, perhaps subject to overuse. When something boasts "freshness" what does this really mean? Is "fresh" spinach still so after it has been poked, prodded and bagged by heavy machinery. . .2 weeks ago? Is milk fresh after it is exposed to extreme temperatures, shaken vigorously, fortified with synthetic vitamins (the originals damaged during processing) and bottled, so it can sit on a shelf for a week before sitting an additional 2 weeks in your fridge? What about eggs? Are eggs from factory chickens ever fresh? Tomatoes from the other side of the country? Fruits from the other side of the world?

I will tell you, I like fresh. The real fresh. I bought two hens from Stephen (East Fork Farm) at market, which had gotten the hatchet just the night before. The only chicken fresher than this are those still running around.

As far as fresh is concerned, this is the real McCoy!

For roasting instructions, refer to January's Lovely Roast Chicken post. Enjoy!

Composed Kohlrabi Salad with Basil Vinaigrette

This post is in honor of my grandpa Ted. When I was young, my family and I vacationed at his summer farm in Pennsylvania. He always kept a garden, (pretty good for a retired lawyer), and spoke highly and frequently of kohlrabi. He paid tribute to his crunchy crop so often, to this day I think of him whenever I see it. As with spring peepers, which I spent countless vacation hours crouching in my rubber boots stalking, catching, and stashing in my hat before giving in and letting them all go. Thinking about him and his farm brings back good memories.

When I recently purchased a fresh bunch of kohlrabi from Vanessa at Full Sun Farm, I instantly thought of Gramps. Here is an easy recipe, which I hope he will approve?

Composed Kohlrabi Salad with Basil Vinaigrette:

*1-2 kohlrabi with greens

*4 cloves garlic

*1/4 cup white wine vinegar

*1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

*1 Tbsp honey

*2 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves

*sea salt and pepper

*1 Tbsp butter

*squeeze of lemon

*1 Tbsp sesame seeds

*1/4 cup parmesan shavings

Combine 2 cloves of garlic with the vinegar, honey, and basil in a blender. Blend. With blade running, slowly add olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Rinse and chop kohlrabi greens. Mince garlic. Melt butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic briefly before adding greens to skillet. Add a splash of water and saute for 1 minute. Salt and pepper to taste. Add squeeze of lemon. Remove from heat.

Peel or cut away skin from kohlrabi. Slice in very thin rounds. On a plate, arrange a pinch of the wilted greens between alternating slices of kohlrabi. Spoon vinaigrette over composition. Sprinkle with ample parmesan shavings and sesame seeds.

A Very Pleasant Surprise. . .

I am somewhat of a junkie. Yes, I'm coming clean. My name is Rachel Brownlee, and I am a food magazine-aholic. Food and Wine, Bon Appetit, Gastronomica (when I get the chance), Gourmet (before it sadly went out of print), Cooks Illustrated, Meatpaper, and my dear favorite, Saveur.

When I open the mailbox to find a shiny fresh issue, I immediately picture myself and my new magazine sneaking off together somewhere quiet. . .where we can be alone, far from any cares of the world.

Imagine my extra delight when this month's issue of Saveur patiently awaited under a stack of mail, only to reveal "The Market Issue!" I think I may have let out a little squeak. This one might require candlelight.

The intro reads: "THE LIFE OF MARKETS- Nothing offers a more vivid reflection of who (and where) we are than food markets, from a huge open-air bazaar to a handful of street vendors to our local farm stand. They awaken our senses, they fulfill us, they fuel our passion for cooking and eating, and they inspire us to seek out new tastes and experiences."

Amen!

Grit Cakes with Basil and Chevre

Living in Asheville has it's perks. For instance, an array of farmer's market's throughout the week in different locations around town. It's an eater's paradise! I have become so spoiled by some items available only at market, I tend to get a little unsettled when I run out. Like Wayne's grits. I will not be able to go back to store bought grits again. Wayne's corn is so flavorful on its own, very little sprucing up is needed, (unlike some grits which require about a pound of butter and salt to taste like anything). Not these. These grits are a horse of a different color.

I like their versatility. Here is a favorite application: Grit cakes, layered with local chevre, minced garlic, and the season's first tender basil leaves.

Grit Cakes with Basil and Chevre: (serves 6-8 as a side)

*2 cups artisan grits

*7 cups water

*1 cup fresh milk (or 1 additional cup water)

*4 Tbsp unsalted butter

*sea salt

*fresh ground pepper

* 3/4 cup plain chevre

*about 12 large Genovese basil leaves, sliced thin

*2 large garlic cloves, minced very fine

Heat liquid in a large, heavy pot and bring to a gentle boil. Slowly whisk in the grits. Immediately reduce heat to lowest setting.

Add butter and some salt and pepper. Stir. Cover and cook until liquid is absorbed and grits are tender, about 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring occasionally to keep grits from sticking to bottom of pot. Taste and adjust seasonings as grits cook.

Remove from heat and allow to slightly cool.

Preheat oven to 375.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Pour half of the cooked grits onto one side of the baking sheet. Spread evenly creating a square of grits, leaving one half of the baking sheet empty. Sprinkle with goat cheese, garlic and basil.

Spread the remaining grits over the top. Smooth out with a rubber spatula.

Bake for 15-20 minutes. Cool before cutting into squares and serving with additional chopped basil for garnish.

*Grit cakes can be stored covered in fridge. Reheat in a cast iron pan with a bit of butter to create a crispy outer crust. Incredible!

*Thanks to Mountain Xpress for featuring this recipe!

Elderflower Crepes

In lieu of maple or other common pancake companions like blueberries, many Europeans harness the sweetness of elderflower for pancakes and crepes. The tiny white flowers of the Elder bush are filled with sweet pollen when fully in bloom. Cordials and syrups are most often made from the flowers, but adding the blooms to crepe batter is a fine highlight for brunch.

Friends of ours joined us for such an occasion yesterday. I made the majority of the crepes in advance so I could enjoy the company. They were just right, served with Imladris Farm jam and Spinning Spider chevre. Of course, the best dish served was that of shared friendship.

Elderflower Crepes: (serves 4)

*1 1/2 cups flour (if you are gluten free, try using Pamela's pancake mix)

*3 fresh eggs

*1/2 tsp sea salt

*3/4 cup fresh milk

*3/4 cup water

*4 Tbsp melted butter

*1/2-3/4 cup elder flowers

Mix all ingredients with the exception of elder flowers. Allow to rest in fridge for 30 minutes.

Heat a 7''-9'' cast iron pan over medium low heat. Coat with butter.

Add flowers to batter, and gently fold in. Using a small ladle or measuring cup, pour about a 1/4-1/2 cup batter in pan. Tilt pan in every direction to evenly coat surface with batter. Cook about 2 minutes before flipping crepe. To do so, loosen edges of crepe with a fork, grab with your fingertips and flip in one fluid motion. For those of you with more flare, flip crepe using the flick of the entire pan. Cook 1 minute on other side.

Slide crepe out of pan onto a baking sheet lined with a piece of parchment. Stack each crepe on top of the other as you make them.

Reheat in a warmed oven right before serving. Fold each crepe in half and then fold again to serve. Offer jam and chevre or any additional topping of your choosing.

*The antioxidants in elderberry syrup have been proven to stimulate the immune system, and treat symptoms of flu. Anthocyanins, a compound also present in the extract, have anti-inflammatory effects on the body, easing common aches and pains.

Braised Lamb Shanks with Cherries

I ate them straight up, but couldn't resist pairing the remaining cherries with this evening's lamb. Although the flavor of East Fork Farm's lamb stands strong on it's own, adding some ripe seasonal fruit proved wise.

When I prepare a meal like this, I am reminded of the days when I refrained from eating animals. I was boycotting a broken industrial meat system. A system with very little reverence for the complexity of life in every aspect. This was long ago, but even then I understood the unlikelyhood of gaining nourishment from an animal that wasn't nourished.

One evening in college, a friend of mine extended an invitation to join him and some friends for venison stew. He had taken the deer's life, and carefully prepared a meal from it, which he was offering to me. This struck me as an example of generosity in it's purest form. That meal was the fist bite of meat in 8 years. And it made me feel like a million bucks! The best realization was that I could resume eating meat while still maintaining my boycott. To this day I continue to refuse a broken system.

Every nourishing bite of local, carefully tended, grass fed flesh says "no" to one system and "yes" to another. Meat is not just meat. Protein is not just protein. There is a difference in quality and a difference in how it feeds us. There are stories behind meals. I like to think about the life story behind this evening's lamb. It lived well, gracefully passing the baton to me!

Braised Lamb Shanks with Cherries:

*2 local pastured lamb foreshanks

*1 tablespoon butter

*1 small onion, chopped

*water

*sea salt and pepper

*1 cup pitted cherries

*1/4 cup red wine

Add butter to a heavy pot and place over medium high heat. Rinse lamb shanks and pat dry with paper towels. Sear all sides of shanks in pot until well browned. Set aside. Add onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Return shanks to the pot and add enough water to cover. Season with salt and pepper. Bring liquid to a boil, then reduce heat to a very low simmer. Cover and cook for at least 3 hours or longer. Allow to cool while starting on the cherry sauce.

In a small saucepan, bring wine and cherries to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until reduced into a thick sauce (about 15 minutes), breaking up the cherries with a potato masher or similar tool while cooking down.

Spoon over lamb. Serve with a heap of fresh garden greens.

Cherries!

What do you make with the season's first glimpse of exquisitely ripe cherries?

Absolutely nothing!

I thought about pie. Considered jam. Compote. But what if an ingredient is already a finished product? Ripe fruit is done. End of story. Yes, there are more possibilities, but for now, all I need are fingers to pick, and a mouth to enjoy.

Generous neighbors, Michelle and Paul, whom I am privileged to garden for, have three robust cherry trees, weighty with the juicy, sweet globes. This has been an exceptional year for flowering plants and trees, producing a bountiful season for fruit. Thanks to their kind offer to pick my fill, I came home with booty that would make a pirate drool. Though really, I'm the one wiping my mouth!

Interesting facts:

The red pigmentation in certain berries is due to the presence of anthocyanins, which have been proven to reduce inflammation and relieve pain. Anthocyanins are concentrated antioxidants contributing to a bouquet of health benefits.

A study conducted by the Cherry Marketing Institute presented at the Experimental Biology meeting in 2008 stated: "Rats that received whole tart cherry powder mixed into a high-fat diet did not gain as much weight or build up as much body fat, and their blood showed much lower levels of inflammation indicators that have been linked to heart disease and diabetes. In addition, they had significantly lower blood levels of cholesterol and triglycerides than the other rats.”