The Garden Apartment

Drinking Virginia Wine at the Mount Vernon Wine Festival

The twice yearly Mount Vernon Wine Festival is quite possibly my favorite event in the DC area.  The $30 price tag includes tastings from sixteen award winning Virginia wineries and a tour of the mansion featuring the rarely viewed wine cellar.  For me the price tag is only truly worth it once I am relaxing on George Washington's lawn overlooking a stunning view of the Potomac River with a bottle of wine in hand. 

The view from my blanket

Did George Washington ever imagine this?

I headed down to Mount Vernon on Sunday for my third festival.  I usually attend this as a "girl's only" outing, but two of us girls dared to bring our husbands along this time.  Though they scoffed at our yuppie remarks at first, it only took a few pours to bring out the discerning palates of two macho winos who could detect bouquets of blackberry and leather with a swirl of their glass.

Now, I have to warn you that biases may have been created by increased blood alcohol levels. Miraculously, everything tasted fantastic towards the end of the night. Despite--or maybe as a result of-- our shared intoxication, we did all conclusively agree that Virginia whites are generally better than the reds.  Here are a few favorites:

Keswick Vineyards We felt that their Viognier was the best we tasted all night.  Viognier is a wine that many Virginia vineyards are trying to become known for.  We also really enjoyed Keswick's Verdejo wine.  As advertised, it would truly make a "nice warm weather wine." You can visit Keswick Vineyards in their tasting room near Charlottesville, Virginia or at many other festivals this summer.

Horton Cellars We were drawn to their booth by a banner advertising their "Sparkling Viognier." The viognier was delicious enough to be the mandatory purchased bottle for consuming on the estate's East Lawn (see image of empty bottle at beginning of this post).  Besides this special wine, Horton Cellars had some of the better red wines we tasted. Their Malbec was excellent.  You can visit Horton Cellars at their tasting room in Orange County (north of Charlottesville) or at many festivals throughout the year.

Corcoran Vineyards This vineyard is very conveniently located just north of Leesburg.  For those of us in northern Virginia, this would be an easy weekend day trip.  I plan to go sometime soon and will report back. 

Chateau Morrisette I wouldn't be a very loyal wife of a Hokie if I failed to mention this winery from southwest Virginia.  We've been anticipating a visit to their vineyard combined with a football game weekend for over a year now.  Their semi-dry red blend "The Black Dog" is a solid wine with an affordable $10 price tag.  I may be biased toward this wine since I own a black dog and because this wine was served at my wedding last summer.  Unfortunately for my readers, I cannot speak to their other offerings since I remember very little of my tasting there last night with the exception of my group asking for more generous pours from a very annoyed Chateau Morrisette volunteer. 

This is what happens when you drink and use a point and shoot camera. . . would you believe it if I told you the blurs were an intentional artistic choice?

We ended the night by enjoying the reflection of a full moon over the Potomac River. Now, if only I can find the perfect artisinal cheeses from the farmer's market to pair with those Virginia wines.

Old Town Di(sh)patch: Grilled Steak with Argula Pesto sauce and Roasted Potatoes with Ramp Mustard and Spring Onions

I became wary of the Old Town Alexandria Farmer's Market in early springtime.  The first annoyance was a booth that was selling produce from California.  The second turnoff occurred when a vendor claimed to be selling me "just picked" asparagus. I returned home to unwrap my local asparagus only to discover rubber bands stating clearly "Produce of Mexico."  Ugh.  Maybe he just had those rubber bands laying around before he bundled the asparagus. Right.

The other markets I frequent are all run by the Fresh Farms non-profit which ensures producer only markets. This morning I decided to give Old Town another chance.  This time I was determined to be selective about my purchases and to ask a lot of questions. I was reminded that despite a few booths like the above mentioned, there are some fantastic producers selling unique and authentically local goods in Old Town.

One of my favorites is the Bigg Riggs Farm booth. They produce everything they sell on their family farm.  Their West Virginia farm has been there for five generations, but the idea to turn their fruit products into a year round product (jams, jellies, apple butters) came when one family member (the young man who you'll usually find running the booth) was deployed in Iraq in 2003.  His fellow marines encouraged him to expand the family business to a wider regional audience.  You can usually find farm fresh eggs at their booth, and now that the weather is turning warm, fruits and vegetables will emerge soon.  Their hot pepper jelly is incredible served alone or mixed with cream cheese. 

Today I bought the Ramp Mustard.  The taste is phenomenal-- like a gourmet mustard you'd find at a specialty store.  It was recommended as a pretzel dip.  This di(sh)patch recipe will feature the mustard in roasted potatoes.

After finding the mustard, I was off to look for something to grill. I've had great products from the Virginia forest fed pork producer Babes in the Wood this winter, but my pork intake has been a little too high lately, so I made a healthy choice and headed off to buy some red meat. 

I ventured on to the Smith Family Farm booth.    As I waited for my grass-fed Porterhouse steak, I was informed about their 5th generation family farm in Gainesville, Virginia. Since the 1980s, developers have been pressuring them to sell the farm.  The family has been tenaciously holding on to their land while housing developments have cropped up all around them on former farmland.  It is one thing to read the statistic that two acres of farm land disappear every minute.  It's quite another experience to talk to a farmer facing this and know that the money paid for his products is helping a family to carry on their livelihood.

With these purchases, I had just what I needed for tonight's dinner.  I already had some fresh arugula, basil, new potatoes, and spring onions at home. 

Gorgeous and Enormous Spring Onions

Following is my di(sh)patch recipe for: Grilled Porterhouse Steak with arugula pesto, served with a side of Roasted Potatoes with Ramp Mustard and Spring Onions.

Grilled Porterhouse Steak with Arugula Pesto Sauce

• 16 ounce Porterhouse (T-Bone) Steak

Rub the steak with salt and pepper.  Set aside for 30-45 minutes while the grill heats.

Prepare pesto and begin roasting potatoes at this time.  When potatoes are beginning to brown, place steak on grill.  Grill 6-7 minutes on each side. Serve with Basil-Arugula Pesto sauce drizzled on top.

Basil- Arugula Pesto (adapted from www.epicurious.com)

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 cups fresh basil leaves
• 1 cup arugula leaves
• 1/4 cup toasted walnuts or pinenuts
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 2 garlic cloves
• dash or two of lemon juice
• water (if needed)

In a food processor, pulse the first six ingredients.

Add a dash or two of lemon juice.  Pulse again.  If you'd like the consistency to be a little thinner, add some water.

For Steak Sauce:

Melt 1-2 TB butter.  Add a small amount of the Basil-Arugula pesto to the melted butter (to taste). 

* Note: You will have leftover pesto to serve up with bread, over pasta, or in future recipes.

Roasted Redskin Potatoes with Ramp Mustard and Spring Onions

• 1 lb redskin potatoes (skins on), chopped into 1 inch pieces
• 2 TB Ramp Mustard (any mustard of choice would work; whole grain mustards are great with potatoes also)
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 2 tsp butter, melted
• 1-2 tsp white wine
• 1-2 tsp honey
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 spring onion chopped
• sprig of fresh oregano (optional)

Pre-heat oven to 425 F.  Place foil over a cookie sheet and set aside. 

Whisk mustard, olive oil, butter, white wine, honey, garlic, and oregano together in a large bowl.  Add potatoes to the bowl and toss until evenly coated.  Pour potatoes onto the cookie sheet.  Salt and pepper.

Place in oven and bake on top rack for 20-25 minutes.  Remove from oven and turn potatoes.  Toss chopped spring onion on top. 

Return to lower rack of the oven for another 20-25 minutes, until potatoes are browned and crispy on the outside.

Serve potatoes with fresh oregano on top (optional).

Grilled Steak with Arugula Pesto and roasted potatoes with Ramp Mustard

 

The Last Tulips of Spring

At today's Foggy Bottom Farmers Market I bought these gorgeous tulips from LynnVale Studios.  I was told that these were the last tulips. . . sigh. . . aren't they beautiful?

Fair Trade Coffee: Coffee with a Conscience

Let's face it: my husband and I are addicted to coffee.  It should come as no huge shock that coffee does not grow anywhere near northern Virginia.  Thank God I am not a purist when it comes to eating and drinking locally sourced foods. 

Despite my acceptance of the fact that I can't get everything I need from the greater Washington DC area, coffee poses a moral dilemma.  Most coffee comes from developing countries.  In these places, the land and the people working the land are easily exploited.   According to the Global Exchange coffee farmers are often paid less for their product than it costs to produce it. This places farmers and workers into an endless cycle of poverty. How can I get peace of mind that my daily cup of joe is socially conscious?

One solution to this problem is to buy fair trade certified coffee. Fair trade certification ensures that workers are paid a living wage.  It also prohibits forced child labor.  Often, fair trade products support sustainable agriculture.  To learn more about fair trade certification and other fair trade products, visit the Fair Trade Certified website.

I found my Fair Trade coffee at Trader Joe's.  In addition to the Fair Trade label, my coffee is also certified organic and shade grown.  Shade grown means exactly what it says: the coffee is grown under the shade of other trees.  Commercial coffee growers often plant the trees in hot sun.  They do this to increase efficiency, but it is often necessary for them to use pesticides and fertilizers to keep the coffee growing.  Furthermore, this practice depletes the soil and the environment.  Shade grown helps to restore habitats for migrating birds and is often organic.  Read more about shade grown coffee.

This 13 ounce container of whole beans cost around $8.00.  According to the label, the coffee is produced by "an all women organization in an effort to offer women of Peru a better life." In addition, "women participate in every step of the process" and "a portion of the purchase goes directly back to [them]" (in addition to their wages).  Now that's a cup of joe I can swallow guilt-free.

Asparagus

Ah, let me count the ways I love asparagus: steamed, sauteed, grilled, broiled. .. or in a beer stein decorating the middle of my kitchen table.

Well, not for long anyway.  Keeping it in that stein (with my husband's not-so-nice nickname "Hot Plate") would be blasphemy since asparagus is best eaten when it has been just picked. 

It is mid-asparagus season here.  For you asparagus lovers out there, the season only lasts a few short weeks.  At my last encounter at the market, I was told asparagus would be available through early June. With advice from Animal Vegetable Miracle, I am doing my best to eat as much asparagus now so that I'm sick of it by the time it's out of season.  Apparently my gorging is in the same spirit as the Germans who have spargel (asparagus) festivals every spring.  Restaurants feature special asparagus menus with asparagus prepared every way you can imagine.  Maybe it's my German ancestry that causes me to get so excited over the twiggy little green guys.

I've made asparagus many different ways, but the following recipe is my tried and true most favorite way to serve asparagus.  It's really quite simple, healthy, and it keeps the focus on the main ingredient.

Sauteed Asparagus

Total Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

1. 1 TB olive oil
2. one bunch of asparagus
3. 1-2 tsp lemon juice (to your liking)
4. optional: 1/2-1 tsp dill (to your liking)
5. Kosher salt
6. fresh black pepper

Trim the asparagus:

Many people complain that asparagus has a stringy texture at the bottom.  The simple solution to this is to trim the bottoms.  In order to know where to trim, simply bend one piece of asparagus lightly.  Wherever it breaks is the place to cut.  Cut all the asparagus pieces in about the same place.

*Note: my market asparagus was advertised to be so fresh and tender that no trimming was required.  I had to see if this was true.  Since it had been two days since I bought the asparagus, I only cut the very end part off.  To my delight it was as tender and sweet as promised!

Saute the asparagus:

Heat olive oil in a medium saute pan. Add asparagus and cover.  Saute for 3-4 minutes.  Add lemon juice, and if necessary, a little bit of water.  Cover again and saute for another 1-2 minutes.  The asparagus is done when it turns bright green.  Always avoid overcooking asparagus since it will lose it's taste, firm texture, and most of its nutritional value. 

Season the asparagus:

Add dill, salt, and pepper to taste.  You can omit the dill if you are an asparagus purist.

Here is my new dill plant.  This photo also illustrates the best thing about our garden apartment: the window outside our kitchen.  It is the perfect place to grow basil, sage, oregano, dill, chives, and rosemary.  Whenever I want it, I just open the window and take what I need.  That's what I call local.

After seasoning, your asparagus is ready.  Serve alongside rice, angel hair pasta, or as an accompaniment to any meal. 

Di(sh)patch with a Mission: Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

I usually trot off to the market with an open mind and a free spirit.  After all, the fun of the farmer's market is how meal ideas emerge while visiting various producers.  This Sunday, however, thanks to my Fresh Farms newsletter update I had the insiders scoop on two things I was going to find at the DuPont Circle market: strawberries and rhubarb.  I had also promised my mother-in-law that I would make a strawberry rhubarb crisp for Mother's Day dessert.  As a newlywed wanting to please, I knew I needed to deliver.

Not surprisingly, people were not pushing each other over for the rhubarb. I found beautiful bunches of it immediately at the Sunnyside Valley Farm stand. 

I have never made anything with rhubarb (of course) so I really didn't know what to look for.  Another market goer, who seemed to be a rhubarb veteran, was also buying these.  She said that the red ones were good, but it was okay if there were a few green parts.  I did see rhubarb at a few other stands, but these were really the best looking of the bunch. 

The strawberries were an entirely different story.  I only found one stand that had them and it seemed that every market shopper in all of DuPont Circle was in line for them.  I was reminded of going to Safeway on Sunday afternoons as I stood in line for ten minutes to get my coveted strawberries.

Now, before I discuss the end product, I must give credit to the other items I bought.  I was most excited to find goat cheese and herb pierogies from Highfield Dairy (they seem to sell out quickly).  I also got an abundance of vegetables, including asparagus, carrots, spring onions, and swiss chard.  Having enjoyed their Italian sausage in the past, I bought some more from Cedarbrook Farm.  I also found Poussin (whole baby chicken) which I will attempt to make delicious later this week.

This week's market abundance.

With all this in tow, I headed home to create strawberry rhubarb crisp.  My inspiration for this came from Barbara Kingsolver's book Animal Vegetable Miracle.  You can find their recipe   here.  The only changes I made were:

1) I added some cinnamon, vanilla extract, and nutmeg to the strawberry- rhubarb mixture.

2) I added some extra spice to the crumble as well.

The strawberries and rhubarb await the chopping block.  Cooks note: one stalk of rhubarb roughly equaled one cup chopped.  I bought eight stalks meaning that I will be making a pie with my leftovers.

chop chop chop

just add some crumble to the top and bake

Voila!  A perfect Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp to serve as a Mother's Day dessert.

A Short and Sweet Di(sh)patch: Strawberries!

Ah, the market just keeps getting better and better. 

I was surprised to find strawberries at Wednesday's Foggy Bottom market.  When I approached the market stand, I asked how they were at the market so early (I hadn't thought they would appear until late May or early June).  It turns out that this particular grower from southern Maryland has an early varietal that she places on elevated beds so that they come a little earlier.  Apparently hers will be around for a few weeks, and then the later varietals will become available from other farmers.  Oh joy!  One whole month of juicy red sweet strawberries.

Well, what could be better than a short and sweet little recipe for strawberries and cream?  For the sweet tooths in our house, this recipe makes enough whipped cream for two bowls of strawberries. 

Short and Sweet Strawberries and cream

Total Time: 5 Minutes

Serves: 2 people

Ingredients:

• Strawberries (however many you'd like!)
• 1/2 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
• 1/8 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla

Begin by slicing the strawberries, then placing them in two serving bowls. 

Pour the whipping cream into a small bowl and whip until heavy peaks begin to form.  Add sugar and vanilla, whip until combined.  Place a few dollops of cream on top of the strawberries.  Enjoy every last bite (and don't forget to lick the bowl from the whipped cream)! 

Third Di(sh)patch from the market: An all American Meal (steak, potatoes, and salad)

When I woke up yesterday and looked in the fridge, I felt as if my husband had cheated on me.  Mango?  Dannon yogurt? Store bought bread? What had gone wrong?  The answer to the grocery shopping phenomenon was simple: "I was hungry," John explained.  His hunger apparently could not wait for Sunday's DuPont Circle market.  I'd better make sure I plan ahead a little more from now on.

With this in mind, I dashed off to the market with two good friends first thing this morning.  As luck would have it, the weather was rainy and dreary again.  So much for glorious sunshine.  Asparagus, fresh flowers, and salad greens would have to be the light of my morning.

Most everything you could want at the Fresh Farms Market

  daffodil sunshine

a bounty of greens

Wild Ramps (relative of the leek). . . these were foraged in the woods of West Virginia.  This is a great example of something you will never find at the supermarket.  They have tried to cultivate these conventionally, but never with any success.  You can't tame a wild thang.

Asparagus-- my favorite.  It will be in season from now until early June.  A recipe for this treat is coming soon .

Fresh carrots.  Oh!  The thought of honey roasted carrots is making me hungry!

Beef. . . it's what's for dinner, tonight that is.

Before determining our evening's dinner, I had an interesting encounter with the farmer who actually did know how to prepare cardoons (See "Second Di(sh)patch. . ." from April 22nd) .  She gave me some great advice on preparing them, but I think I will wait until fall to battle the cardoons again. 

Hoping to appease my hungry husband, my plan for dinner tonight fell together quite simply: the all-American meal.  The idea was that my husband (a definite carnivore and a skilled meat preparer) would broil delicious Delmonico steaks for us, while I would make a simple garden salad (with market finds, of course) and my favorite potatoes.

All American Dinner: Steak, potatoes, and salad

John's Saloon Steak (the saloon is also known as our garden apartment):

Total Cook Time: 8-10 minutes

1. 1/2 Pound Delmonico steaks
2. Worcestershire sauce
3. steak seasoning
4. garlic salt

Directions:

At least one hour prior to cooking, marinate the steaks in a combination of Worcestershire sauce, steak seasoning, and garlic salt. 

After marinating, broil steaks for 3-4 minutes on each side.  Cooks note: Grilling is preferred. . . the garden apartment allows for limited grilling, especially on rainy days!

Roasted potatoes:

Total Time:

Hands-on-- 5 minutes

Cook Time-- 45 minutes

Ingredients:

1. 4-5 new red skin potatoes
2. 2 small sweet potatoes
3. 2 TBS olive oil
4. 1 TBS herbs de Provence (you can substitute Italian herbs)
5. 1 TBS garlic powder
6. 1 TBS Kosher salt
7. 1/2 small onion, diced

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 F.  Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil.

Dice all of the potatoes into 1 inch cubes.  In a medium sized bowl, toss the potatoes with olive oil, herbs de Provence, garlic powder, and Kosher salt.  Spread the potatoes onto the cookie sheet and place in the oven.

Turn potatoes every 10-15 minutes.  During last ten minutes, add the diced onion.  Cook until potatoes are nicely browned.

Garden Salad:

Spring is the perfect time for salad greens.  I used a combination of gourmet (pansy flowers included) mesculun mix and spinach. 

The farmer's market is also a great place to find artisan cheeses.  Today I bought a fantastic blue cheese called "Blue Suede Moo." 

Add carrots, onion, tomato, and dried tomatoes and. . . you guessed it: delicious.

The complete All-American Meal:

Sausage and Egg Skillet Scramble

What do you do with three leftover new potatoes, an 1/8 of a pound of sausage, a block of cheddar cheese, a sliver of an onion, and some fresh market eggs?  Throw it all into a skillet and scramble it up, of course.  This is one of my favorite breakfasts.  Depending on the leftovers, the ingredients vary, but this version is about as good as it gets. 

Cooks note: Feel free to get a little wild and ignore the exact amounts of the ingredients.  The fun of this is that it's different every time.

 

Sausage and Egg Skillet Scramble

Total Cooking Time: 20 minutes                                                                                                           prep time: 5 minutes, cook time 15 minutes

Ingredients:

1. 1 TBS oil
2. 1/4 cup chopped onion
3. 2-3 small new potatoes, diced into very small pieces
4. 1/4 lb. sausage (or meat of your choice)
5. a few sprinkles of steak seasoning or garlic salt
6. (optional) 1/2 tomato, diced
7. 3 large eggs
8. shredded cheese (I used cheddar)
9. (optional) fresh chives

Directions:

Begin by sprinkling seasoning on the onion and potatoes (I use a combination of garlic salt and steak seasoning, but garlic salt and paprika would also be great.) Saute the onion and potatoes in the oil.  Saute for about five- seven minutes, until the potatoes start to brown a little bit.   Add sausage and cook for a few more minutes, until sausage is browned.  Add diced tomatoes and saute for one more minute.

Here comes the fun part!  Spoon the mixture into the shape of bike spokes.  Then, crack the eggs so that they fall in between the mixture.  Allow this to cook for about two minutes.

Add the cheese and chives (optional).  Get ready, get set, scramble!  Scramble until eggs are completely cooked.  Serve immediately. 

Warning: the finished product will not look pretty, but the taste will be well worth it.

Sausage Ragout Sauce

As much as I love to eat vegetables, it's important to note that there is a lot more than chard, cardoons, and salad greens at the market.  While there are a lot of reasons to eat local food, what has really emerged from this experience thus far is:  It's really not that difficult!   Aside from the abundance of vegetables, I've found some amazing cheeses, breads, and delicious sustainably raised meats.   

Last weekend, I bought a package of loose sausage from the DuPont Circle market.  Aside from being delicious in a breakfast omelet, I decided to use it to make a ragout sauce (as another way to use all those vegetables from market). I know that I claim everything I make is delicious, but this truly is one of my favorite pasta sauces.

Note: I used organic canned tomatoes.  I'd like to can fresh local tomatoes this summer, but until then Organic seemed like the next best choice after local.

Ingredients:

• 1 TBS of olive oil
• Half of a medium onion, diced
• 1 carrot, diced (I used about 3 baby carrots)
• 1 rib of celery, diced
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2 pound of loose pork sausage
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 28 ounce can of tomatoes
• 1 TBS tomato paste
• 2 TBS red wine
• pinch of Italian herbs (I used fresh oregano from my window wells)

fresh pasta of your choice (a thicker noodle works best with this type of sauce)

Directions:

Saute the onion, carrot, and celery in olive oil until they begin to get tender.  Add the garlic and cook for about one more minute.  Remove these ingredients from the pan into a small bowl. 

Place the pork sausage in the same pan and brown for about five minutes.

Return the sauteed vegetables to the pan.  Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, red wine, and bay leaf.

Reduce heat to low.  Cover the pan and simmer for at least thirty minutes.  While the sauce is simmering, cook your pasta. 

If using fresh herbs, add them during the last few minutes of cooking.  If using dried herbs, you can add them earlier in the cooking process.

Enjoy!