WinterFarmersMarket

The next winter farmers market sponsored by Slow Food Central New Jersey will be held on February 20th at the Museum of Agriculture. Vendors will be selling everything from artisan cheese and sausages, produce and wine. For a complete list of vendors as well as time and directions log onto slowfoodcentralnj.org

February Meeting Change

Our conservation meeting is being changed from Tuesday February 10th to Thursday February 19th at 12 noon at Terhune Orchards. Hope to see you all there.

January13th Conservation Meeting

Greeting Conservation Group and Happy New Year!
Our first meeting of the new year is scheduled for this comming Tuesday at 12 noon.
We will be meeting at The Whole Earth Center on Nassau Street (on the left hand side just
beyond Harrison Street). Fran McManus, our speaker from Novembers club meeting at Debbie Jordan's home, will be there to offer a tour of the market and share with us the store's philosophy. Our tour will begin at 12 noon and following we will sit town as a group for lunch in the market's newly expanded buffet style cafe. Everyone should bring their own lunch money for this meeting. It's sure to me fun and informative and this will be a good time for us to share ideas as a group on how to best organize the local food resource guide we hope to publish.
Looking forward to seeing you all on Tuesday.

Slow Food Central New Jersey Farmers Market

This Saturday 12/13 - from 10am until 2pm, the slow food organization is hosting a winter farmers market at the D&R Greenway Johnson Education Center. For more information including a compete list of vendors log onto www.slowfoodcentralnj.org. It looks like a really nice line up of locally produced delicacies including mushrooms, cheese, bread, produce, pies and other treats - a great opportunity for sourcing local food all under one roof! Make an effort to come it should be fun. There will also be cooking demonstrations and live musical entertainment.

Happy Local Thanksgiving

Wow. I had a great experience preparing a few dishes from our new blog. I roasted my brined Griggstown turkey a la Good Eats Turkey (submitted by Penny Thomas) - it was perfect.
With encouragement from Cecilia I prepared my mashed potatoes the night before and tucked them away in the fridge freeing me up to focus on the beautiful stalks of Brussels Sprouts purchased at the Trenton farmers market on Wednesday. I have to admit right here and now that I have never been a die hard fan of Brussels sprouts but in keeping with the commitment to serve local I chose to serve them at our table this year versus my family's perennial favorite, creamed peas and onions. Simply oven roasted with olive oil, orange zest and strips of prosciutto the sprouts were a hit and I'm a convert. We also enjoyed Kathleen's "Dressed Up" Cauliflower for which I was able to find big healthy heads of local cauliflower at the Trenton market as well.
Finally, instead of a traditional cranberry relish I prepared a simple fresh Cranberry Applesauce with fresh local golden delicious apples and heirloom cranberries from the New Jersey Pine Barrens that I found at The Whole Earth Center. Dessert was a simple apple crisp.
My fifteen year decided we should make paper turkey hats after seeing an episode of Lipstick Jungle in which she reported Brooke Shields coordinated a similar Locavore Thanksgiving meal with her pals! You know your on to something when your 15 year old thinks you're hip (although I'm sure she wouldn't use that word)! Hope to hear from some of you soon with your Thanksgiving experiences.

Brussel Sprouts with Prosciutto and Walnuts
serves 6-8
(submitted by Kim Rizk recipe from Health Magazine)

1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 1/2 lbs trimmed fresh Brussels sprouts
1 1/2 tbs e.v.o.
2 tsps freshly squeezed oj
1/4 tsp kosher salt (or sea salt)
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp grated orange zest
2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, excess fat trimmed and discarded

preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toast walnuts on baking sheet for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly toasted and fragrant. Remove and cool.

Increase oven temp to 425 degrees. Slice large sprouts in half if needed so that all are about the same size. Toss sprouts in large bowl with all remaining ingredients. Spread on rimmed baking sheet and roast in the hot oven for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring halfway through, or until browned and tender. Toss with walnuts and serve warm.


Cranberry Applesauce
serves 10-12
(submitted by Kim Rizk recipes adapted from The Expatriate's Kitchen Blog)

8 Golden Delicious or Gala apples, cored, peeled and thinly sliced
1 cup apple cider
1 pint fresh or frozen cranberries
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/2 tsp five spice powder (optional)

Place the apples and cider in a large pot, cover and heat to a simmer to cook the apples. Meanwhile, put the cranberries in a separate smaller saucepan with the brown sugar and honey. Heat on medium until the berries burst and give up their juice and begin to thicken. Add the cardamom and five spice powder if using. Stir to combine. Stir the apples to break them up into a chunky sauce. Mix in the cranberries. Serve warm or room temperature.

Cranberry Walnut Vinaigrette

Cranberry Walnut Vinaigrette
(submitted by Kim Rizk from the Rizk family kitchen)

Yield – almost 2 cups vinaigrette

This is a very pretty emulsified dressing which is delicious used as a dipping sauce for crudite vegetables like blanched broccoli and cauliflower florets, bell pepper strips and/or blanched green beans. Of course it’s equally yummy tossed with salad greens as a dressing or used as a marinade for grilled chicken or pork.

2 tbs minced shallot
1/2 cup white/golden balsamic vinegar
4 tbs cranberry puree*
2 tsps grainy mustard
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
½ cup walnut oil

Combine the minced shallots and balsamic vinegar in a bowl, wide mouthed jar. or salad dressing bottle that has in fitted lid for shaking. Add the mustard and cranberry puree, secure the lid and shake to blend well. Remove the lid, add the olive oil and shake well to incorporate into an emulsified dressing. Season to taste with salt and pepper.


*Cranberry Puree
This recipe makes a lot more puree than you will need for a single batch of the vinaigrette but I find that it keeps well in the refrigerator or can be frozen. And, I have found several uses for the puree including using it for a pretty and delicious drizzle over ice cream and/or apple pie or cheesecake.

1 12 ounce bag fresh or frozen cranberries
¾ cup water
½ cup sugar

Combine all the ingredients in a medium sized saucepan and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer over medium high heat and cook until most of the berries have split open or “popped”, 3 to 5 minutes. Allow to cool then puree in a blender.

Butternut Squash Soup

Butternut Squash Soup

serves 15 to 20
(submitted by Barbara Chatham recipe adapted from The Trenton Times)

1 large butternut squash
maple syrup
ground cinnamon
salt and pepper to taste
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
1 leek (white part only) washed well and chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
2 cans chicken broth
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
2 cups water
1 1/2 cups sherry wine (medium dry, inexpensive)
1 large sprig or 1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 325 degres.

Cut squash in half, remove and discard seeds. Make slits on top with knife and place on a shallow baking sheet, cut sides facing up. Drizzle with maple syrup, and sprinkle with cinnamon, salt and pepper. Roast for 1 to 1 1/4 hours or until completely fork tender. Set aside to cool.

Add a couple of tbs of oil or butter to a large soup pot and saute onion, leek and garlic for a few minutes. Add the chicken broth, water and sherry. Bring to a simmer and add the diced sweet potatoes. Add the tender cooked flesh from the butternut squash (discard skin). Add the cinnamon, thyme and nutmeg. Simmer for approximately 45 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are tender and cooked through. Cool slightly, then transfer to a blender and puree. Return the pureed soup to the original cooking pot. Add the cream and reheat gently, stirring constantly, until hot but not boiling. Serve hot topped with a sprinkle of shelled roasted pumpkin seeds just before serving.

Turnip & Parsnip Casserole

Turnip & Parsnip Casserole
(submitted by Sharon Knill recipe from the Knills' Canadian kitchen)

1 large turnip, peeled, cubed and boiled until tender
2 large parsnips, peeled, cubed and boiled until tender
2 tbs butter
1 tbs milk
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tbs cracker crumbs
2 tbs parmesan cheese
2 tsps butter

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Whip the cooked turnip and parsnips together until the mixture is fluffy.
As the next four ingredients (butter, milk, s&p). Spoon mixture into a small casserole dish.
Combine the cracker crumbs and parmesan cheese and sprinkle on top. Dot with the remaining 2 tbs butter. Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned on top.

Mashed Turnips

Mashed Turnips
(submitted by Kathy Hackett recipe from the Hackett/Burks kitchen)

1 rutabaga, peeled and cut into 2" t0 3" cubes
6 to 8 white turnips, peeled and cut into 2" to 3" cubes
1 large onion, peeled and quartered
butter
salt and pepper to taste

Combine (equal amounts) rutabaga and turnips along with the onion in a large pot. Add water to cover and bring to a boil. Boil uncovered until the vegetables can be pierced with a fork. Drain and return to the pot. Mash together with plenty of butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper.