June Staff Selection: Quinoa!

Our June Staff Selection was chosen by Nicole Benjamin:

So many grains, so little time. What's a girl to do?
Growing up in an Assyrian family hailing from Iran, rice was, without question, king. It still is one of my go-to comfort foods, but as I grew up, I learned the importance (and excitement) of playing the field. As of late, I've been spending a lot of time exploring the natural wonders of quinoa, courtesy of River River Farms. Quinoa was a staple of the ancient Incas, who referred to it as "the mother grain."
Makes perfect sense as it contains more protein than any other grain.
Furthermore, because it contains all 8 essential amino acids, it's a complete protein. And since the flavor is rather mellow (dare I say, bland), it's quite versatile & may be used in salads, baked goods, as a side, or even for breakfast. Plus, it's a suitable replacement for couscous, bulgur or...rice. Sweet! Summer is a great opportunity to play around with this mighty grain as it's a perfect accompaniment to whatever might be on the grill. See my suggested recipes and then let the creativity flow based on your own taste proclivities.
Rice River Farms is a fabulous, family-owned and family-oriented business headquartered in Spooner WI. We carry all 3 quinoa varieties that they offer - golden, black & red. The only difference is the color, so get your grain on and see where the exploration takes you.

Stop by the shops in June for 10% off Rice River Farms quinoa.

NOTE: Now we all know that grains must be rinsed prior to cooking.
This is an important and imperative step prior to cooking quinoa.
Quinoa seeds are coated with saponins, which are naturally-occurring plant chemicals that keep insects from eating the plant. Saponins left intact make for a very bitter taste, so definitely have a bowl or fine mesh strainer handy for rinsing. Here's more info & recipe ideas:

http://www.riceriverfarms.com/recipes/153

Food Rules #31: Eat Wild Foods when you Can

Wild, foraged foods are more nutritious. So interesting that this is the next food rule I read after taking over a month to post again since Rule #30! I've gone to 2 dinners in the last week that featured foraged ingredients. Morels & ramps, in several forms. Delicious! One dinner (a preview of an up-and-coming underground dinner club) was prepared by a chef who foraged and grew several ingredients herself. And there are even full-time foragers who supply to restaurants!

Another point Pollan makes pertaining to this rule? The plants we as a modern society have omitted from our diets are mostly the bitter ones, containing higher omega-3 fatty acids, which make them less shelf-stable, turning rancid more quickly. Salad in a bag...great invention or our trying to feel like we are getting our RDA of veggies? Omnivore's Dilemma talks about how these 'mixed field green salads' in a plastic, compostable container are even sprayed with a type of gas that allows them to hold up longer, while in transport from California to our bellies here in Chicago. Mike Roper spoke this week at a "Locavore Dinner" I attended and said his restaurant, the Hopleaf, doesn't feature a "spring greens" salad on their menu in January, because there simply aren't any greens in the midwest at that time of year! And I still stand by my claim that nothing beats a salad of greens picked that day - buttery, tender and available soon at a farmer's market near you. (FULL DISCLOSURE: we do carry Earthbound Organics' salad mixes at our shops...yes, because they sell, but we also want to round out our offerings so that you can create an entire meal from what we stock. We have decided, though to at least carry organic produce whereever local/sustainable/seasonal are not possible.)

So to get back to the point about bitter greens, I'll share one last tidbit of information: when our bodies taste bitter substances (like radicchio, dandelion, mizuna & other bitter greens & foods...even bitters!) our livers instantly begins a cleanse. My friends over at Merz Apothecary preach the "bitters" gospel...their clientele includes many Eastern-European born folks in their 70s and 80s that swear by their twice-daily German or Swedish bitter shots for sickness-free living. All that aside, what about the argument that bitter is one of the primary components of a well-rounded dish or cocktail? Bitter, sour, sweet, salty (am I forgetting umami?)...each flavor dynamic contributes to a successful, balanced plate or drink.

The bitter truth...

May Staff Selection

The May PFW Staff Selection was chosen by Richard Sparks. Here's what he has to say about this month's item, Capriole Fresh Goat Cheese:

Having come from Michigan, May marks for me the first solid month of the growing season, or should I say eating season??? Everything from asparagus to rhubarb is ready for picking and serving up fresh. Just coming out of a rather depressing winter, my mouth is watering for those first snow peas, crispy arugula, and my mother’s pan-fried, buttery morel mushrooms.

May also stirs up all kinds of family food memories. My first lessons in using a paring knife came from prepping all that fresh asparagus we put up in the giant chest freezer in our garage. Being a city boy now, I long for those family treks through the woods foraging for morels. I still hold the family record for the largest blacktop found. My brother will hotly contest this claim—whatever! I also remember watching the backyard rhubarb patch grow, awaiting that first pie. Hmmmm, sounds like I need to put a bug in Jane’s (Sugarkist Pies) ear, though I am sure there is some fabulous rhubarb-based concoction in the works—HINT!

Speaking of hints, it must be time for a weekend road trip to visit the family in Michigan. Since the city farmer’s markets don’t really get going until the beginning of June, I just may have to take a cooler and load up from the many farm stands and markets along the way. Do yourselves a favor and head out to your Midwestern homestead, drink up the spring and bring home some May, seasonal favorites for your dinner table.

Can’t make it out of town or need some special ingredients for your favorite springtime recipes, stop by Provenance Food and Wine! We all love to talk about food and the perfect wine for dinner. Share with us your cooking ideas…we promise not to pry Granny’s secret recipe out of you.

Capriole Fresh Goat Cheese logs are 10% off thru the month of May.

Food Rules #30: Eat Well-Grown Food from Healthy Soil

Sure, organic soil is healthier than soils that have been treated with chemical pesticides, herbicides & the like. So eating organic local foods should be all that much better for you, right?

This Rule reminds me of Biodynamic farming. Biodynamics was essentially created in the late 1920s by Rudolf Steiner, who was approached by some farmers that expressed their frustration with how their crops were yielding less year after year, even with the invention & availability of modern fertilizers & other soil treatments. Steiner concluded that the ecosystems within these farms were out of balance by the introduction of these 'foreign' elements into the areas. Biodynamic practices help create a healthy ecosystem without the introduction of chemicals. Compost from animals living within the system, integrated pest management and several other practices help keep the soil healthy and maintain a balanced cycle that keeps the lifeforces flowing and alleviates the need for chemicals.

Now, biodynamics is becoming more and more common with winemaking, which is essentially agriculture, but we don't see it too often with farming of other crops. Angelic Organics in Caledonia, IL uses biodynamic practices and they've got some of the best produce I've tasted. It all goes back to the soil and the care that is put in in the fields (much like wine i.e. grapes).

If anyone knows of other biodynamic farms in the midwest, I'd love to learn about them. Also, I would encourage anyone to take a class or seminar or read a book on biodynamics. Nicolas Joly, the French winemaker from the Loire Valley, has written some books on biodynamics; Tyler Colman, aka Dr. Vino, is based in NYC but occasionally teaches a 1/2 day class on biodynamics at the University of Chicago that is very informative and his teaching style is very approachable.

We carry a number of biodynamic wines at the shops that I encourage people to try if they are interested in tasting more of these wines and/or supporting methods that are kind to our soils!

Food Rules #29: Eat like an omnivore

Pollan proclaims that whether or not you even eat animal products, expand your horizons and add new foods to your diet (plants, animals & fungi). There is such little diversity in the supermarkets - they sell foods that are cheap to make, the vegetables have been modified to withstand long travels; some of them hold up for a much longer time than most veggies would when just picked from the garden. What a great argument for getting out to the local farmer's market. Try heirloom vegetables, beans & even different breeds of animals. Diversify your portfolio, if you will. The greater the diversity in your eating habits, the more likely your nutritional needs will be met, and the less likely you will become bored with your diet. I will defend that diversity tastes better, too!

April Staff Selection: Caseficio Gioia Ricotta

From Staffer Mary Stover:

"Caseficio Gioia Ricotta is a simple fresh cheese, but flavorful & adaptable to many savory and sweet recipes. I love the richness of this Ricotta. It's the real deal! Pure white, a little nutty, slightly sweet with a fluffy, dry texture. Trust me, you will never go back to the store brands.

Gioia's ricotta cheese is made by Vito Girardi, a third- generation cheese maker whose grandfather was one of the first makers of burrata. Girardi is from the area of Apulia [Puglia], the region in southeastern Italy bordering the Adriatic Sea.

Did you know that ricotta is not really a cheese but a cheese by-product? "Ricotta" means 'recooked'. The cheese made when the whey, the watery residue from the making of another cheese, like mozzarella or provolone, is re-cooked. When the curds rise to the surface they are gathered, drained and stirred together to create ricotta." Caseficio Gioia Ricotta, normally $5.99 per pound, is featured at $4.99 per pound thru the end of April.

Here are some recipe ideas:

Quick and Easy Chocolate Ricotta

1 cup Caseficio Gioia ricotta
4 tablespoons honey
4 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. Serve in dessert cups.
Makes 2 servings.
Recipe adapted from: www.mangiabenepasta.com/ricotta.html

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Ricotta & Olive Torte

·1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
·3 Tbs. plain bread crumbs
·30 oz Caseficio Gioia Ricotta cheese
·1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
·4 eggs
·1 (5oz) jar Olives, drained and sliced
·1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes
·3 Tbs. Balsamic Vinegar
·1 Tbs. drained capers

1.Coat 8-inch round cake pan with 1 Tbs. olive oil.
2.Coat with bread crumbs.
3.In a bowl, thoroughly mix cheeses and eggs.
4.Fold in olives.
5.Spread evenly in prepared pan and bake at 350 degrees, 1 hour 15 minutes.
6.Cool to room temperature.
7.Meanwhile, combine tomatoes, remaining olive oil, vinegar and capers.
8.Turn baked torte out onto plate.
9.Cut into wedges, top with sauce, and serve at room temperature.

Recipe adapted from grouprecipes.com

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http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/bage l-chips-with-ricotta-chive-puree-and-prosciutto

Food Rules #28: If you have the space, buy a freezer

Storing large quantities of seasonal produce & pastured meats ensures you can eat locally year round, even on a budget. If I had a dedicated freezer, I'd call up Beth & Jody at Cedar Valley and buy a side of beef, which would save me money and feed my husband and I for months.

I'd mentioned in an earlier blog that this summer I plan to take advantage of the abundance & seasonality of produce at the farmer's market so I can freeze it and enjoy it mid-winter when local produce is nearly impossible here in Chicago. I can only imagine how much more I could preserve with a large freezer!

Another great way to use the freezer and save money is to make large batches of soup, chili & stock and keep them on hand for use throughout the year. I find soups and chili actually taste better after they've been frozen for a while. And homemade stock is very inexpensive and easy to make. Check out this recipe for stock from the blog That's Not Lettuce: http://thatsnotlettuce.wordpress.com/2010/03/02/instant-soup%E2%80%A6aka-crock-pot-stock/

To quote Jacques Pepin: "Happy Cooking!"