Autumn 2012
MAN ON FIRE Tarver King
Eat where you live.
VIRGINIA CIDER WEEK 2012
Amber Waves in C’ville
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AUTUMN 2012
FOOD-SHED.ORG
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Marian Burros’s Holiday Gift Guide
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True Grits
LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER
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Foodshed— it’s the perfect expression of what I’ve been working towards in my personal life and career for many years. AM SO EXCITED TO BE PUBLISHING
A couple of times a week my associates and I get a call or email, or wander into a beautiful little shop, and strike up a conversation. Sometimes it is with a landowner looking for a sustainable farmer to work his land. Or a farmer looking for a new market to sell her goods. Or a shopkeeper saying they want to sell local eggs and grassfed meat but don’t have time to find the sources. And each time—usually in 30 minutes or less—we find a farmer, or a market, or pastured eggs that can be delivered right to their door. Foodshed magazine is in the connecting business. It is why we exist: to connect eaters with farmers and chefs, farmers with cooks and distributors, and retailers with customers and excellent local sources. But we’re not just a magazine. We’re a non-profit organization dedicated to linking the people who are rebuilding local and community-based food systems to each other, to consumers, and to investors. We do this because we want local, sustainable food- and drink-based businesses to succeed. It improves the local
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economy, the environment, the lives of farm workers and livestock, and the taste and quality of what we eat and drink. And we believe everyone should have access to clean, wholesome food, regardless of income. If you think so too, you’ve found your place. Thanks for reading, and check out food-shed.org for more on what we do and who we are. Melissa
CONTRIBUTORS
Internationally acclaimed farmer, conference speaker, and author Joel Salatin and his family operate Polyface Farms in Augusta County near Staunton, Va., producing and direct-marketing “salad bar” beef, “pigaerator” pork, and pastured poultry. He is also co-owner of T&E Meats in Harrisonburg.
Washington, Va.-based Sylvie Rowand offers personal chef and in-home catering services using seasonal ingredients sourced from the Northern Piedmont. She teaches cooking and canning and blogs at www.LaughingDuckGardens.com. Lise Metzger is an awardwinning photographer based in Virginia. She is a site host for Lancaster Farm Fresh’s CSA and an enthusiastic canner. She contributes both to the magazine and the Foodshed blog. You can see more of her work at www. lisemetzger.com.
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Daniel Chang Christensen, of Vienna, Va., spent August with other illustrators building a Vermont camp for artists. In September, he returned to Providence for his second year at the Rhode Island School of Design. Ashlie Hughes is a food, travel, and spirits writer. When she’s not writing, she enjoys playing home bartender, making wine with her husband’s family, and exploring small, historic towns. You can view her website at ashliehughes.com. Wine columnist Jim Law is the owner and winegrower at Linden Vineyards.
Mattieu Finot was born in the Rhone Valley of France. Matthieu comes from a family of viticulturists and wine lovers, and studied viticulture and oenology at Beaune, in the heart of Burgundy. He has worked in many different wine regions around France including Rhone Valley, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Provence, and Jura, and in Italy and South Africa before settling in Virginia in 2003. He teaches classes on winemaking and taste analysis at Piedmont Valley Community College. When not at the winery, Matthieu plays rugby, rock climbs, cooks, snowboards, and drinks wine with his friends. Paige Campbell lives, writes, and eagerly welcomes butternut squash season in Abingdon, Va. On behalf of the Appalachian Farmers Market Association, she writes weekly features to promote the region’s farmers markets in local newspapers. She also contributes to The Appalachian Voice.
Jodi Macfarlan is a writer and foodie in Charlottesville, Va. Though she’d argue that every meal is better with grits, she thinks the best way to eat them is coupled with spicy shrimp.
John Haddad is a food writer in Richmond and vice chair of Slow Food RVA. Find him at www. epicuriousity.net, @Epicuriousity on Twitter, or slowfoodrva.org. Rob Moutoux runs Moutoux Orchard in Loudoun County, Va., where he raises livestock, fruit trees, vegetables, and small grains biologically. Soil, health, and tasty food are at the foundation of his notion of good farming.
Danny Spry is a freelance food, portrait, and fitness lifestyle photographer based out of Richmond. Danny just returned from a 75-day assignment shooting at the sixteen Family Islands of the Bahamas. Whitney Pipkin is a journalist who fell for food and farms while covering agriculture in the Skagit Valley north of Seattle. She now writes about these topics and others as a freelance writer living in Alexandria, Va. See some of her thoughts on food at thinkabouteat.com. Jessica Strelitz is a food, wine, and spirits freelance writer, Boston sports freak, news geek and Maine native, living “away” in Arlington, Va. Find updates on her food work and other favorite things on Twitter @jstrelitz.
JOEL SALATIN PHOTO: JILL POWERS
Marian Burros was on staff at the New York Times for 27 years and still writes for the paper. She worked at the Washington Post, the Washington Star and Washington Daily News as well as D.C.’s WRC-TV. The author of 13 cookbooks, she has been writing about small farms and the pleasures of local food since the 1980s.
table of contents FOODSHED MAGAZINE AUTUMN 2012
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CHEF ON FIRE
The Ashby Inn’s Tarver King reinvents… just about everything.
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TRUE GRITS
The nitty gritty on the Southern staple JODI MACFARLAN
PAMELA HESS
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VIRGINIA CIDER WEEK
Celebrate the renaissance of a native tipple.
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HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE
Marian Burros’s annual guide to what everyone wants to unwrap this year. Plus, a few staff picks.
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AMBER WAVES
Making a go of Virginiagrown grains. WHITNEY PIPKIN
60 Amber Waves Making a go of Virginia-grown grains WHI TNEY PI PK I N
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amuse-bouche HEADLINES IN THE C A PI TA L F O O D SH E D
Consider the Oyster
An apple a day… Foodshed is proud to sponsor the first-ever Virginia Cider Week Nov. 9–18. There are tons of events all over Virginia and D.C. celebrating the resurgence of craft cider. This ain’t Woodchuck, folks. True artisanal cider has the food friendly nuances of wine, plus deep historical roots in the Old Dominion. Every home in early Virginia sported a cider orchard—the drink was more common (and safer!) on the dinner table than water. There will be cider pairing dinners at Charlottesville’s The Whiskey Jar and C&O Restaurants, and D.C.’s Birch & Barley; a North/South Cider Smackdown between Virginia and the best ciders from the Yankee north at Albemarle Ciderworks in North Garden; and a pairing of Virginia’s best charcuterie and cider at Belmont Butchery in Richmond. There will even be a live “virtual” cider tasting led by Frank Morgan of DrinkWhatYouLike.com. Taste along with him and share your impressions on Twitter. Check Foodshed’s website for an updated listing of events, and turn to our centerfold cider map to find Virginia’s celebrated cideries! www.CiderWeekVa.com
H ANK’S OYSTER BAR opened its third outpost this summer, this one in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Washington. While the crowds are flocking for mixologist Gina Chersevani’s inventive cocktails—don’t miss the Jameson’s slushie—many customers are getting their first taste of Jack King’s oysters. The 59-year old Alexandria native is a former hippie-turned corporate lawyer-turned boutique oyster grower who jokes that Boeing, which kept him on retainer for years, is in many ways to thank for the resurgence of the oyster population. King’s New Point Oyster Co. is one of the pioneers who helped bring oysters back to the bay. He now farms about 100,000 oysters a year for restaurants including Hanks, Old Angers Inn, and Seacatch in Georgetown. His crisp Virginia oysters reflect the salinity and unique mix of minerals in Dyer Creek where they grow. White grows his bounty in cages he designed to float just under the surface rather than to rest on the bay floor—he believes his design is better for all aquatic life because it doesn’t stir up silt when they are hauled out. “Growing up when I did, my values were made in 1970s—the EPA was formed, and everything they taught us in school, I was strongly affected by that stuff,” he told Foodshed. White—the great grandson of Capt. Jack White, a Civil War-era oysterman—started growing and selling oysters in 1997 while still practicing law. Retired now from corporate life, he devotes himself full-time to the bivalve. “I still do some pro bono. I consider my client the Chesapeake Bay and oysters,” he said. “It’s never been about the money. It’s been about the heritage and the Bay.” www.hanksoysterbar.com
We can’t get enough of Starr Hill beer, locally brewed in Crozet, Va., and we’ve now become addicted to it on our fish and chips—that’s right, Starr Hill malt vinegar. It’s made by Jay and Stephanie Rostow, the husbandand-wife team from Virginia Vinegar Works in Nelson County, who produce vinegar the old-fashioned way— distilling it from quality wine and beer and aging it slowly. No short cuts for these guys. Pick up a bottle! Virginiavinegarworks.com
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Photo, above: Molly McDonald Peterson
Actually, you can get more flies with this vinegar.
NOTHING WASTED
SHUTTERSTOCK
Farmland Feast What would you pay for a six-course dinner made by Washington, D.C.’s best chefs? Wait, wait! What if we were to tell you it included signature cocktails by Todd Thrasher, master mixologist? Wait! What if it was all to benefit an organization that brought farmers markets roaring back to the nation’s capital? Put down this magazine instantly and secure your tickets to the 10th annual FRESHFARM MARKETS FarmlandFeast on November 12. This is where farmers, chefs, and eaters collide for an amazing night of food and celebration of the farms who feed us. Much of the food will be sourced from local farms, and the wines will be among the best in the region (wine growers are farmers too!). Tickets to the dinner are $250 and available at www.freshfarmmarkets.org.
Feed the homeless and use produce from an organic family farm that would otherwise go to waste? Cheryl Kollin of Full Plate Ventures created Farm to Freezer to do just that. Each Saturday, Spiral Path Farm at the Bethesda FRESHFARM Market donates its unsold organic produce. Some is used immediately by Bethesda Cares, which provides meals and social services to the homeless. Some goes to a partner church kitchen where volunteers freeze vegetables and tomato sauce to be used later by Bethesda Cares. Anything leftover is passed along to Manna Food Center for distribution to needy families. All the waste from the food prep is composted. Farm to Freezer had processed about 2,300 pounds of food in its first 12 weeks and put up 650 pounds of frozen food by mid-summer of its inaugural season. “It’s an impressive amount of farm-fresh food that would have spoiled, but will now be used to create healthy meals for our clients,” said Sue Kirk, executive director of Bethesda Cares. Kollin sees huge potential for expanding the program: “Having a dedicated commercial kitchen would double our capacity. Our goal is to become selfsupporting by selling our sauce and other frozen products at farm markets.” Fresh, local food comes full circle and nourishes a community all along the way. –Lise Metzger www.FarmtoFreezer.wordpress.com
FIELD TO FORK FIELDS OF ATHENRY FARM IN PURCELLVILLE
has added an executive chef to its stable. The farm, beloved for its healthful, grass-fed meats, now boasts Chef Wes Rosati in the kitchen. He is turning out prepared comfort foods to take home, serving hot lunches on Saturday, catering parties on the patio, and beefing up the farm’s line of frozen meals for delivery. If you’re somewhere between Loudoun County and Alexandria, Va., an order on Monday will get you a delivery that Thursday. Or just drive out to the farm yourself, do your shopping, then tuck into Rosati’s meat loaf or lamb ragu. fieldsofathenryfarm.com
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amuse-bouche HEADLINES IN THE C A PI TA L F O O D SH E D
One-stop sipping
They’re not just about football down in Blacksburg. The seat of one of the top agricultural programs in the nation is also home to fantastic little restaurants and bistros that cater to an increasing foodie population. Their recipes and stories are captured in a beautifully photographed new cookbook “A Taste of Virginia Tech,” which includes recipes from chefs and home cooks all over town… even Head Coach Frank Beamer’s gameday cake. Written by two recent grads, Krista Gallagher and Kris Schoels, the recipes span dining hall favorites, dishes from downtown Blacksburg, and great desserts (the peanut butter pretzel brownies work for us). There are also great dishes contributed by Virginia Tech’s dedicated tailgaters. Get in that kitchen, Hokie! www.atasteofvirginiatech.com
Go to food-shed.org for our pastured Thanksgiving turkey guide and a pick-your-own apple trail map!
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earlymountain.com
Cry Town gets a proper wine shop CRYSTAL CITY, VA. , long a soulless concrete jungle that catered to defense contractors in town on business with the Pentagon, has come quite a long way. Residents used to brag about never having to go outside—stores and building are connected by an underground warren of hallways
that lead right to the Metro. But now there’s a FRESHFARM Market on Tuesday nights through November, outdoor wine and jazz festivals every Friday night of the summer, and a first-class wine store owned by the non-profit Washington Wine Academy. It stocks the finest Maryland and Virginia wines, and proceeds from sales support WWA’s classes, events, and scholarships. With a nod to Crystal City’s unique proximity to the Department of Defense, military employees— as well as law enforcement—can get 10 percent off with I.D. But so can neighborhood residents and local workers who prove their connection to the 22202. The Academy itself is a short (above ground) stroll for wine and beer classes.
Washington Wine Academy Washingtonwineacademy.org
Crystal City Wine Shop www.crystalcitywineshop.com
While every day is food day here at Foodshed, the rest of the country stops to observe it annually on Oct. 24. There are events all over the nation celebrating wholesome, authentic food raised by sustainable farmers who treat the soil with respect, their animals with love, and their workers with dignity. There were 2,300 events around the U.S. at last year’s inaugural celebration. For a complete listing of events this month, including a chef’s conference led by FreshFarm Market’s Ann Yonkers and a national conference at the Capitol building in D.C., check out Food Day 2012’s web page. TM
www.foodday.org
Photo, above: Molly McDonald Peterson
Ever wonder what Blacksburg tastes like?
LEAVE IT TO THE GENIUS behind AOL and Zipcar to reinvent the destination winery. Steve and Jean Case are the relatively new owners of Early Mountain Vineyard in Madison Va., and in addition to producing their own wine and opening their 300 acres to picnickers (and pets), they are pouring some of the best wines in Virginia from other vineyards, too—Linden, King Family, Chatham, Breaux, Thibaut-Jannison, and Barboursville among them. This gives wine enthusiasts a chance to taste and compare across varietals and geography in one sitting—a true sampling of Virginia terroir. Plus, there are local nibbles (Olli Salumeria, and Surryano ham, and Meadowcreek, Caromont, and Everona cheeses are on the menu) for full picnic enjoyment at their vineyard market. And, naturally, there are a computer and phone charging station so you’re never out of touch. We’ll drink to that.
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True Grits The nitty gritty on the Southern staple. J O D I M ACFA RL A N
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Photos by Molly McDonald Peterson
HOUGH EVERY STATE throughout the southeastern “grits belt” might wish to lay claim to the staple, grits are undeniably Virginian. They’ve been part and parcel of the Commonwealth’s diet ever since it was a colony, when the first settlers arrived at Jamestown and ate what the Native Americans offered up as “rockahominie”—softened corn seasoned with salt and animal fat. Then, when U.S. Patent No. 3 was issued to a new automated milling system in 1790 (signed by President George Washington—a Virginian—and later installed in his own gristmill at Mount Vernon), it gave rise to greater, easier production of stone-ground flour and grits. Over the following centuries, the traditional milling methods succumbed to the demands of modernity: Stone-ground grits gave way to “quick” or “instant” grits. These lesser cousins were made from ground, de-germinated, and dried corn kernels (called hominy) that have been soaked in a solution of water and lye. But in recent years, a movement toward the old-fashioned way of eating and producing grits has been swelling. Consumers seeking the rich flavor of “speckled” grits (as the stoneground variety is also known, because the remaining germ leaves a tiny black fleck in the kernel) have found their match in mills throughout the Old Dominion. Much texture, taste, and nutrition is lost when corn is milled on a roller mill versus a stone and that realization has led to a huge uptick in sales for the grittier stone-ground variety, says Georgie Young of Wade’s Mill, near Staunton. “The germ of corn, of wheat, of rye—that’s the flavor center. “It’s not that Gold Medal flour tastes bad,” she adds, “it’s that Gold Medal flour doesn’t taste. The same holds true for grits.” Along that vein, Young says there’s currently more of a demand for yellow grits than white. Though the delicate flavors of white corn are lauded, when it comes to grits, subtlety isn’t necessarily a strength. “Yellow corn has a little bit more taste, in addition to more vitamin D,” she says. Because of that, “the Indian tribes that used yellow corn were healthier than those that used white corn.” But whichever you prefer, the true Virginian way to eat coarse grits, says Young, is with everything. Whether dressed simply with salt and butter, lavished with cheese, or topped with shrimp, any meal involving the stone-ground goodness is as good as it grits.
Get your grits right— stone-ground, from a local mill. Byrd Mill—Ashland, Va.
Woodson’s Mill—Roseland, Va.
www.byrdmill.com
www.woodsonsmill.com
Wade’s Mill—Raphine, Va.
Wye Mill—Wye Mills, Md.
www.wadesmill.com
www.oldwyemill.org
White’s Mill—Abingdon, Va.
Shrimp & Grits 1 cup stone-ground grits mixed with 1½ cups cold water 1½ cups heavy cream 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated 2 tablespoons olive oil ½ cup good slab bacon, diced 1 onion, diced ½ of a green pepper, diced 20 medium or large shrimp, peeled and de-veined (tails still on) 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 cup fresh tomatoes, diced ¼ cup dry white wine Salt and pepper to taste 2 scallions, chopped Hot sauce for serving (recommended: Tabasco Green Pepper Sauce) Slowly add the grits and water mixture to 1 ½ cups of salted boiling water (or chicken broth). Reduce heat to low, stirring occasionally for 20 to 30 minutes or until the desired thickness and consistency. Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup of cream and the grated cheese. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add bacon and sauté until crisp. Transfer bacon to a separate dish and set aside. Add the onion and green pepper to the bacon grease and sauté until tender. Add the shrimp along with the garlic and sauté until the shrimp turn pink (roughly 30 to 45 seconds). Remove from the pan and set aside. Add tomatoes, wine, and salt to taste; bring to a boil, stirring to scrape any browned bits from the pan. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until the sauce thickens (roughly 5 to 7 minutes). Return the bacon and shrimp to the pan, stir in the remaining ½ cup of cream and heat through. Season with any additional salt and pepper to taste, sprinkle with scallions and serve over grits.
www.whitesmill.org
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Chef on Fire Tarver King likes to set things ablaze. Leaves, for instance. The self-taught chef at the Ashby Inn in Paris, Va., takes a torch to a dried leaf in his kitchen and tucks it under a bowl of silky chestnut soup. The gentle smoke curls up and around the bowl, tickling the diner’s nose and his memory of autumns past, too. The experience is fall itself. “With aromas we can not only put on a show, but really show how much the body can take in flavor with more than just our tongue,” says King. “If we amp up the sense of smell the sense of taste follows.” There may be no one more inventive and generous in the
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kitchen than King. Egoless and eager to play—a self-described nerd—his tiny kitchen is stacked with charred wood blocks (“we serve a lot of snacks on them,” he explains), broken shards of slate, bent spoons, and a multitude of tweezers. He dreams of opening a restaurant where the food is cooked entirely in an open hearth. So we were delighted when he agreed to reinvent the caramel apple for the premier cover of Foodshed, and not surprised that one of his ideas revolved around a fireplace. Within hours of accepting our vague request of help, King had
delivered two fully realized pencil sketches and arranged to borrow a neighbor’s hay field for a dawn photo shoot in knee-high grass because he loves morning light. (The emus who wandered over to sample his handiwork were an unexpected bonus.) By the end of the three-hour session, he was covered in soot, sweat, and caramel, but he was ebullient. Tarver King is energized by creating—in a sketchbook, field, or fireplace. All the better if he can use a blow torch.
Name: Tarver King Age: 34 Hometown: Virginia Beach Resume Highlights: The French Laundry, The Inn at Little Washington, Le Bec Fin, The Fat Duck, and the Waterside Inn.
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Apples sourced locally from: Halls Orchard Flint Hill, Va. Muskrat Haven Farms Amissville, Va. Roy’s Orchard & Fruit Market Sperryville, Va. Peanuts provided by Coastal Nuts of Waverly, Va.
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Crazy Apple Caramel “Stupid good on cinnamon gelato,” says King. Ingredients 1 large Honeycrisp apple (approximately 10 ounces) 1 pint granulated sugar 1¼ cup heavy cream 3 tablespoons water Pinch salt
Directions Peel, core, and rough cut the apple into 1-inch chunks. Toss the apples with the sugar and put into a heavy bottomed high-sided pot. Add the water and turn the heat to medium. When the sugar has melted and started to bubble turn the heat to high.
Cook the apples until caramelization begins to happen around the edges of the pot. When the color around the edge turns golden brown (temperature is 320F) take the pot off the heat and SLOWLY add the cream. (It will bubble and spit. Be careful!) When the bubbles subside, add the salt and return to the heat on low to combine everything. While hot, puree the apple caramel in a food processor until smooth. Pour into desired container and keep warm until ready to use. YIELDS ABOUT ONE PINT.
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seasonal kitchen Oven-Preserved Tomatoes Plum tomatoes bred for sauce or drying are best: they have thick walls, fewer seeds, and less pulp. The preserved tomatoes will keep for a few weeks in the fridge. They are wonderful on sandwiches and can be added to a pizza, tossed with pasta, or used for a very flavorful side dish. YIELD ABOUT 4 TO 5 CUPS
Ingredients 4 to 5 pounds plum tomatoes 2 tablespoons sugar (optional, use only for late-fall tomatoes that may not be as flavorful) 1 tablespoon salt 2 to 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Directions The prior evening: Wash, remove stem end, and halve the tomatoes. Generously oil a rimmed cookie sheet (or two, depending on their size). Fit tomatoes snuggly in a single layer on the cookie sheet, cut-side up. Sprinkle them with the salt and 1 tablespoon sugar. Drizzle with additional olive oil. Put in oven and bake at 215F for 3 hours. Check midway and drizzle with more oil if the tomatoes seem to be drying out. Rotate the cookie sheets if using two. Turn the oven off and let the tomatoes rest overnight. In the morning: Drizzle with more oil as desired and sprinkle the other tablespoon of sugar. Bake in 215F oven for 2 to 2½ hours—check every 30 minutes or so, removing any tomatoes that seem done. They should be considerably shrunken, but still soft—not leathery. Let cool. Pack tightly in a glass jar, pouring any collected juice on top of the tomatoes. Refrigerate until ready to use. If you are going to keep the preserve more than 3 days (up to 2 or 3 weeks), gently stir tomatoes in jar with a knife to remove air bubbles. Add olive oil to cover all the tomatoes. As you use them,
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add more oil to the jar to ensure the remaining tomatoes are always covered. For longer storage, freeze in freezerproof containers (with or without extra oil).
Rose-Elise’s Paté Créole (My mother’s Réunion Island meat pie) A fusion dish, probably of French and Indian origins, Paté Créole is a savory meat pie served on feast days on French Réunion Island, particularly at the beginning of the Christmas or New Year’s Eve meal. It’s traditionally made the morning of (or the day before) the party, giving the flavors time to meld and mellow. It is sliced thinly and eaten at room temperature with a small glass of Anisette or citrus rum punch. A local craft ale, wheat beer (especially one steeped with orange peel and coriander), Virginia rosé, or bubbly also works quite well. Paté Créole freezes beautifully—very convenient if you make individual pies. The recipe is from my mother, Rose-Elise, except I use vanilla powder where she prefers to use Ceylon cinnamon. Weighing the flour is the only way to be accurate. The ratio of fat to flour matters a lot—so do get a scale. YIELDS ONE 10” PIE—SERVES ABOUT 12 TO 14
Filling Ingredients 2 tablespoons rendered lard 1 small onion, minced 1 generous pound fairly lean pork meat, diced small 1 teaspoon turmeric—as fresh and fragrant as possible 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (or ½ teaspoon dry) 2 cloves garlic, mashed to a paste ½ inch fresh ginger root, peeled and mashed to a paste or passed through a garlic press Salt to taste
Dough Ingredients 500 grams all-purpose flour (1 pound = 3.5 to 4 cups of flour, depending on how it’s measured) 125 grams sugar, preferably raw or turbinado (¼ pound = ½ cup + 1 tablespoon)
1¼ teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon baking powder ½ teaspoon vanilla powder OR 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder (if the latter, preferably Ceylon cinnamon) 125 grams cold lard (¼ pound = 8 tablespoons) 125 grams unsalted butter (¼ pound = 8 tablespoons), not fridge cold but not too soft either, cut fingernail-size 2 eggs, slightly beaten
For the egg-wash: 1 egg 2 tablespoons milk
Directions Prepare the filling and dough the day before you plan to serve the pate. For the filling: melt the lard in a thick bottom skillet on low to medium heat. Sweat the onion and meat gently (do not let it brown) about 10 minutes. Add all remaining ingredients, stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Cover, lower heat and simmer 30 to 45 minutes until tender. Add a tiny bit of water or a little more lard as needed. There should be almost no liquid left at the end but the meat should not be dry. Refrigerate until ready to use. For the dough: in a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, salt, spices, and baking powder together. Drop in the lard, spooned or cut in small bits, and the butter. Cut the fats into the flour mixture until the dough resembles rough corn meal with a few pea-size pieces. Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture. Add the eggs and incorporate into the dough first using your fingertips then your hands until the dough comes together. Knead for 1 minute. Shape into a ball, and refrigerate in a tightly closed container or plastic bag. Assemble and bake the pate the morning of the day you are serving it. Remove the dough from the fridge 1 hour before using to soften. Grease and line the bottom of a 10” removable cheesecake mold with parchment paper.
seasonal kitchen Preheat oven to 425F. Remove about 1⁄6 of the dough. Divide the reminder in 2 equal parts. The dough will be quite brittle and fall apart. Knead each part well for a minute or two until it is supple enough to roll without cracking. Reserve the smaller dough ball. Roll each of the bigger parts into a ball, flatten with the palm on your hand on a lightly floured surface, flour the top lightly, and roll into a 10-inch circle. Transfer one circle to the cake pan. If the dough breaks, patch it together with your fingertips. Top it with the filling, leaving ½-inch edge all around. Transfer the other circle over the filling, and press the edges together to seal the filling in. Roll out the reserved dough and cut out various shapes to decorate the top of the crust. Whisk together the egg and milk, and brush it over the top of the paté with a pastry brush (there will be some left). Bake 10 minutes on the upper shelf. Then lower heat to 300F, move the paté to the lower shelf and bake for 30 minutes until the paté is golden and an attractive sheen has developed. Let cool thoroughly before unmolding. Serve sliced thinly.
Ginger-Infused Pork Shoulder Roast A large pork roast is a celebratory affair— preferably one from the leg (aka fresh ham) or the shoulder, often called a picnic roast or a Boston butt. A shoulder is a great piece for a gathering: smaller than a ham, it is still generously portioned, reasonably priced, and requires less precise timing than a tenderloin. This should slow-cook for a long time, driving everyone ravenous with its succulent aromas. And who cares if you get distracted for another 30 minutes? The meat only becomes more tender and infused with the garlic-ginger paste... provided that you are baking it at a gentle temperature and that you left intact the layer of fat surrounding the meat. That thick layer of fat continuously bastes the roast, keeping it moist. Fat from a healthy, drug-free, 36 food-shed.org
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pastured pig has its place in a balanced diet. If you are unable to buy pork with a thick layer of fat, drape it in slices of bacon secured with toothpicks before it goes in the oven. If buying directly from a small farmer you may have to do with a half shoulder—adjust the cooking time (and the amounts of spices) down. On Réunion Island, the roast would traditionally be served with rice, cooked greens, lentils or red beans, and a spicy relish. Throw some fingerlings potatoes and/or carrots in the pan mid-way through as an alternative to the rice. YIELDS 10 TO 12 GENEROUS SERVINGS
Ingredients 1 7-to-9 pound bone-in pork shoulder with a thick layer of fat (or skin) 2 ounces fresh ginger root peeled and sliced (if using baby ginger, no need to peel) 1 fresh garlic head (about 2 ounces), cloves separated, peeled, and roughly chopped 1 tablespoon whole peppercorn 1 tablespoon coarse sea salt (or kosher salt)
Directions With a sharp knife, score pork fat deeply in a diamond pattern. Mash together all remaining ingredients in a mortar and pestle until you have a fairly smooth paste. If you do not have a mortar and pestle, use a food processor or blender, adding olive oil (or water) as needed (but not too much, you want a fairly thick paste). With a long thin knife make deep though narrow parallel cuts in the roast. In each cut, push in as much of the garlic/ginger paste as you can with your fingers or the handle of a wooden spoon. Note: if you really like garlic and ginger, spice the roast up to 12 hours ahead and keep it refrigerated until ready to use. Remove from the fridge 1 hour before baking Preheat oven to 400F. Place the roast fat side up in a castiron Dutch-oven, one large enough to hold the roast while the lid can still close tightly. Add 1 cup water. Put lid on.
Alternatively, place the roast, fat-side up, in a roasting pan; cover tightly with parchment paper and then foil. Bake 10 minutes, and then lower the heat to 300F. Bake 5 to 6 hours or until a meat thermometer inserted in the deepest part of the roast reads 180F. It’s OK if you go a little too long. In fact, better too long then not enough. If you are using a Dutch-oven, lift the roast to a rimmed baking sheet (otherwise just remove foil & parchment). Broil roast until fat crisps, 5 to 10 minutes. Let rest 15 minutes. While the roast is resting, reduce the accumulated liquid to make jus. Carve making sure each slice has a bit of fat. Spoon off juice on each slice. Any leftovers can be refrigerated. Sliced thinly, they are wonderful in any number of sandwiches.
Spicy Peanut and Lemon Basil Pesto Inspired by a peanut and chili salsa-like dish from Réunion Island (“Rougail pistaches”), this pesto adds a nice kick to sandwiches, omelets, and cold meats. It’s great as a side with the Ginger-Infused Pork Roast. If basil is unavailable, use a mixture of cilantro and parsley. YIELD ABOUT 1 CUP
Ingredients 1 cup tightly packed lemon basil (or Thaibasil leaves, or cilantro and parsley) ½ cup roasted Virginia peanuts (preferably unsalted) ¼ cup fresh green moderately hot chili peppers (like Serrano or Jalapeno), stem end removed, and roughly chopped 1 clove fresh plump garlic (green germ removed if any) 1 piece of fresh plump ginger root, the size of your thumbnail, peeled and sliced (if using baby ginger, no need to peel) 1 teaspoon sea salt ¼ to ½ cup extra virgin olive oil (or peanut oil)
YIELDS A 9” ROUND OR SQUARE TART, SERVING 8 TO 10
For the tart shell: 200 grams all-purpose flour (7 ounces—12⁄5 to 12⁄3 cup, depending how the flour is measured) 1 tablespoon almond flour 2 tablespoons sugar 125 grams cold unsalted butter, cut in small pieces (4.5 ounces = 9 tablespoons) 1 egg yolk 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 tablespoon ice-water (more or less as needed) Find baby ginger at The Farm at Sunnyside in Washington, Va. Casselmonte Farm in Powhatan also grows the root.
Directions Place all ingredients except oil in a food processor. Process until smooth, adding olive oil through the feeder tube until it reaches a consistency you like. Scrape bowl down as needed. Don’t over process: you want to see bits of pieces all the different ingredients. As with all dishes made with basil, the part exposed to air will darken as basil oxidizes. Keep refrigerated for up to a week, under a thin layer of oil.
Gingery Custard Pear Tart This tart combines the classic flavors of almond and pears in custard. The twist is the double layer of ginger flavor: the pears are poached with fresh ginger and candied ginger is added to the custard. Make sure your pears are perfectly ripe: overripe pears are mealy, underripe pears bland and sometime astringent. Pears are often sold underripe: keep them at room temperature to ripen them. They are ready to eat or cook when the area immediately around the stem yields slightly under the pressure from your fingers. Once ripe, refrigerate and eat within a couple of days. A tart pan with a removable bottom unmolds easily.
For the filling: 2 eggs 1 ⁄3 cup sugar, preferably raw ¾ cup half and half ¼ cup finely ground almond (aka almond meal or almond flour)—see note 1 teaspoon finely chopped candied ginger 8 poached large pear halves (more if using small pears)—recipe follows 2 tablespoons slivered almonds (optional) 1 tablespoon sugar (preferably raw or turbinado)
Directions Make the tart shell the day before. It should be cool before you fill it. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, almond flour, and sugar. Rub butter into the flour mixture using your fingertips until the dough resembles rough corn meal with a few pea- or hazelnut-size pieces. Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture. Add the egg and lemon juice, and incorporate into the dough first using your fingertips, then your hands until the dough comes together. Sprinkle with ice water if needed. Knead briefly (about 30 seconds). Shape into a ball, and refrigerate in a tightly closed container or plastic bag for 1 hour. Roll out the dough onto a lightly floured surface, sprinkling more flour
on top. Transfer to a tart pan. Trim the shell and crimp the edges. Refrigerate or freeze for 1 hour until firm. (You may refrigerate the shell up to 12 hours, or freeze it tightly wrapped for up to 3 months. No need to thaw before using). Preheat oven to 400F. Line the inside of the shell with foil or parchment paper and weight them down with pie weight, making sure there are weights against the sides too. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the weight and the foil. Lower heat to 350F and bake another 5 to 10 minutes. Let cool thoroughly before adding the filling. The shell may be kept at room temperature for up to 24 hours.
Assemble and bake the tart: Preheat oven to 400F. Whisk eggs and sugar until well blended. Whisk in half and half and ground almonds. Pour about a cup of the custard in the tart shell. Scatter the candied ginger. Arrange the pears halves in a pleasing pattern. Add the remaining custard until the tart is full. Sprinkle the sliced almonds around the edges and the sugar on the pears. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the custard starts to brown and puffs slightly. Let rest for at least 10 minutes before serving. This tart is good, warm, room-temperature or cold, but is easier to unmold when cooled. Serve as-is or with freshly whipped cream (maybe flavored with a splash of ginger syrup?). Note: if you are unable to find almond flour, grind whole or slivered almonds in the food processor with 1 or 2 tablespoons of sugar. Adjust sugar quantities accordingly in the custard. (Continued on page 74) The preceding recipes plus more seasonal recipes can be found at food-shed.org/seasonal.
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FA R M
One Farm, A Whole Diet ROB MOU TOU X Photos by Molly McDonald Peterson
THROUGH THREE GENERATIONS and approximately sixty years, our family focused on fruit trees—primarily peaches—year after year, pulling a crop from our Moutoux Orchard to sell at a roadside fruit stand. Then, about four years ago, we started doing something very common for small family farms—we diversified. It started with laying hens, lambs, vegetables, and small grains. By 2011, we were ready to ask a big question of the local food movement: could a farm feed a small community of people a diverse diet meant to meet most of their food needs for 12 full months of the year? We wondered, would the community support a whole-diet, year-round CSA? Our farm is now in its second season of providing milk and other dairy products, beef, lamb, pork, chicken, eggs, vegetables year-round, whole grain flours, and seasonal fruits and herbs to our membership of approximately 30 households. Each household pays a monthly service fee and comes to the farm weekly to pick up from the bounty that we offer. The food changes with the amazing diversity of what each season brings. We have attracted the die-hards of the local food movement—the families who want to cook whole, farm foods in their kitchens routinely; the folks who want to pickle, can, and make sauces and preserves; the customers who want pasture-raised meats and all the nutritional, environmental, and social benefits that come with them; the people who
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want a direct and intimate connection to the land and the farmers growing their food. We have a wonderful membership and it is quite evident that there is mutual gratitude flowing between the farmers and the eaters. The ecosystem of our farm benefits greatly from the ability to rotate livestock, pastures, vegetables, and cereal crops. We have found that there is strength in diversity. We cherish the ability to work within a system that includes dozens of grasses and forbs, perennial fruit trees and berries, annual cereals and cover crops, around 40 vegetable crops, and, of course, a variety of livestock that is worked into and routinely rotated throughout the system. Using these tools wisely and managing our soils intensively sets us on a good path towards our ultimate goal of balanced, mineralized, and biologically healthy soil that produces better, more nutritious foods. The ecosystem of our farm doesn’t just stop at animals, crops, and pastures. The farmers and the consumers of our food are also vital. Marketing in our unique way gives members the opportunity to feel a sense of investment in the place. Their continued support—both financial and emotional—enables us to manage the land successfully and meet the land’s needs. The production of the land is thus returned to the members, and the system perpetuates. We have no better insurance than a diversity of production and a group of people who are truly invested in what we are creating. To answer the question I first posed, I would say surely the answer is yes—a diverse whole-diet farm feeding its small community yearround is a very real prospect. But, in seeking answers to this question, I stumbled into further questions of the greater local food movement. How are we collectively best poised to feed ourselves? What role do the more typical food production and distribution systems play? Our model of producing nearly everything a family might need to eat is wonderful—it is powerful, romantic, and inspiring. It is empowering to know that a community can be in charge of its own food supply. And it is replicable even without access to immense amounts of capital. However, it is not without problems—managing a system with so many moving parts proves challenging and complex. A small, diversified farm is geared to feed a small community, not the whole world. A farm like ours should play some part in the picture of a local food future, along with other small farmers diverse or specialized, marketers, retailers, butchers, processors, restaurateurs, and educators working collaboratively for a brighter future. It is also important to remember that the big grocery stores aren’t going out of business anytime soon—and that is probably a good thing. My dairy cows now graze alongside the peach trees planted by my parents. Our farm story is one of adaptation, which is our best tool in a world of transitions. We learn, we adjust, and we continue growing and feeding people. Making a living off the farm is pretty sweet.
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DRINK
Zombies need to get their drink on, too
DAY OF THE DEAD COCKTAILS
The Zombie 1½ oz reposado tequila ½ oz Sailor Jerry Rum ½ oz apricot brandy ½ oz falernum 2 dashes xtabentun 1 oz honey cinnamon syrup ½ oz pineapple juice ½ oz papaya juice ½ oz lime juice ¼ oz coconut milk 1 dash Angostura bitters Stir all ingredients with ice in a mixing tin until wellincorporated. Pour into an ice-filled Collins glass (crushed ice if possible). Garnish with grilled pineapple and house-made grenadine. Add a small dog statue for best effect.
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Oyamel Honors the Day of the Dead ASHL IE H UG H ES
Indulge your Inner Gourmet & Satisfy your Inner Green! Serving the Community since 1975
Photos by Lise Metzger
L
OCATED IN D.C.’S PENN QUARTER
neighborhood, Oyamel is restaurateur José Andrés’ love letter to Mexican cuisine. Thankfully, Andrés has many accomplices. Among them is Joseph Cleveland, who masters the role of head bartender. A selftaught mixologist, Cleveland reveals that much of his training is derived from reading vintage cocktail books and enlightening his palate through travel—a palate he currently describes as “bitter-tart” with an affinity for vermouth, European spirits, and absinthe. Fall will mark the restaurant’s Fifth Annual Day of the Dead Festival; this year’s will focus on the ancient foods of Mexico. Cleveland’s got a menu of cocktails to honor the holy feast. “A lot of them are based off modern, traditional cocktails with pre-Columbian ingredients,” says Cleveland. All the time Cleveland spent hitting the history books is apparent in the menu, which pays homage to the ceremonies, day-to-day life, and mysteries that surround the Maya and Aztec civilizations. One of these mysteries is the strange and sudden depopulation of ancient Maya cities in the 10th century, which led to the complete collapse of the Maya civilization. The reason for the collapse is unknown, but Oyamel playfully points to a theory postulated by researcher and historian Eugene Fredrick as a possible explanation: that the Mayan civilization was destroyed by zombies. Fredrick notes the lack of buried human remains in ancient Mayan cities and the strong archeological evidence of cannibalism, suggesting something much more sinister happened than a simple drought or cross-tribal dispute. This theory provided the inspiration for Oyamel’s own take on the classic Tiki bar favorite, the Zombie. House cocktail selections vary with the season, but a constant on the menu is the FRESHFARM Market Margarita, made with fresh produce of the week from Black Rock Orchard, a Maryland farm that sells its wares at two D.C. farmers markets.
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