The Garden Apartment

Grilling in the winter {and Spice Rubbed Buffalo Steaks}

Despite cold temperatures, snow, and all other indicators that the outdoor cooking season has not arrived, I have really been in the mood to grill. I'm sure I make quite an impression on my new neighbors as I bundle up and huddle over the grill in my coat and scarf, all for the sake of gloriously grilled meat.

Last weekend, we celebrated John's birthday. Saturday morning we headed off to the Falls Church Farmer's Market to find the ingredients for his perfect birthday dinner.

Dark leafy greens were in abundance at market. John did not see "perfect birthday dinner" potential in them, but I selected a lovely bunch of kale to saute nevertheless. Birthday or not, I felt compelled to challenge his palate {rather unsuccessfully, I might add, since in this case he was only able to tolerate one bite of kale}.

Turnips and other root vegetables were also widely available. These didn't seem to excite John much either.

Cibola Farms Buffalo meat, on the other hand, very much caught John's eye. I selected two pieces of London Broil: perfect for grilling. My mental reference cookbook conjured up a certain spice rub I have used many times for grilling flank steak. A spice rub my husband has dubbed "amazing." This, from a man who is often my toughest culinary critic.

The rub has a base of minced garlic and Kosher salt. Toasted coriander and cumin impart warmth. Cinnamon and cloves add a hint of sweet spiciness. Paprika gives depth and completeness to the mixture.

The mixture is rubbed all over the meat, and then refrigerated for at least six hours.

The resulting grilled meat has a crispy and flavorful crust, with a tender and juicy texture inside.

I recommend making a large batch of the dry spice mixture. Anytime you want a quick and delicious spice rub, you will only need to add the spices to the garlic-salt paste.

Grilled Spice Rubbed Buffalo Steaks

Adapted from Gourmet magazine; original recipe here

• 6 large garlic cloves, finely minced
• 2 tsp Kosher salt
• 3 tsp paprika
• 3 tsp whole cumin seeds, toasted and ground
• 3 tsp whole coriander seeds, toasted and ground
• 2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• generous pinch of ground cloves
• olive oil, as needed (about 1-2 TB)
• 2 pounds of Buffalo london broil steaks (I also recommend flank steak)

Combine the minced garlic and Kosher salt in a small bowl. Mash to a paste.

Place a small saute pan over medium heat. Add the cumin and coriander seeds. Toast until they begin to release their scent. Remove from heat and grind in spice blender (or coffee grinder). 

Combine paprika, cumin, coriander, black pepper, cinnamon and cloves. Mix with garlic paste. Then, add olive oil until the mixture resembles a smooth paste.

Rub all over the meat, then place steaks in a large plastic bag. Refrigerate for at least six hours. When ready to grill, remove steaks from the fridge and bring to room temperature (about thirty minutes before placing them on the grill).

For medium-rare, grill for approximately 6 minutes on each side. Remove from grill and allow to rest for ten minutes. Slice against the grain, and serve.

*Note: the leftovers are delicious as fajita meat, or tossed into a salad with feta and tomatoes.

Happy at the Falls Church farmers market {and grilled eggplant, beans, and shitake mushrooms in an Asian marinade}

Our move to Falls Church is finally over, our boxes and bags are unpacked (well, mostly), and we are settling into our new neighborhood. I spent my weekend exploring my new farmers market, and grilling up some fresh vegetables in an Asian marinade. Read on to hear about the market trip, or scroll down for the recipe.

After many busy Saturdays of hosting friends and relatives at our home, I finally took some time for myself and visited the Saturday morning Falls Church City Farmers Market. 

Nothing quite makes me feel at home like discovering my neighborhood farmers market. And lucky for me, the Fall Church Farmers Market is a real gem. Set near a quaint park and historic buildings on Park Street, the market is open year-round and hosts around forty vendors during the summer season (dropping to about fifteen vendors during the winter). The variety and quality of products available is outstanding, with many of my favorite farmers and producers participating.

Strolling through the market, here are some of the things I found:

Locally grown and milled flour from Moutoux Orchards in Loudon County 

Locally grown wheat is very difficult to find in our area. Moutoux Orchard is now selling rye flour, wheat flour, wheat berries, oats, and barley at the Falls Church Farmers Market, the Arlington Farmers Market, and the DuPont Circle Farmers Market. I bought a bag of the rye flour, and am looking forward to making some homemade rye bread soon. 

I was delighted to find seckel pears, each pear fitting snugly in the palm of my hand.

Tree and Leaf, a farm utilizing sustainable and organic farming practices, had a wonderful variety of produce including these late summer tomatoes . . .

and these interesting long purple beans called "asparagus beans."

Sunnyside Farm and Orchard had these adorable Hungarian eggplants, which I would have mistook for tomatoes, had I not read the sign. 

Toigo Orchards still had some of their delicious peaches. I snagged several with the hopes of introducing them to my grill, a little butter, and some rum.

And finally, to make the boys in my household happy, Cibola Farms was at my service with their buffalo meat products. As fate would have it, a few buffalo patties would also be making their introduction to my grill in the form of a family burger night.

In fact, the grill seems to be the main method of food prep in our new house. Perhaps after years of living in an apartment where grilling produced more hassle than pleasure, we are catching up on lost time. 

One of our friends gave us a vegetable grilling basket as a housewarming present. After picking up a load of fresh veggies, I wanted to try grilling vegetables in a sauce I would usually use for stir-frying. For the stir fry, I selected two skinny Japanese eggplants with pale green skin. I know these to be particularly mild, absent of the bitter flavor eggplants sometimes have, and possessing a flesh which becomes very creamy when cooked. I tossed the eggplant with long purple asparagus beans, some red onion, and a large cupful of shitake mushrooms.

While the grill was heating up, I sliced the vegetables and then tossed them in a marinade of garlic, ginger, lime juice, fresh basil, chile paste, soy sauce, and sesame oil. They marinated for about thirty minutes, then sizzled in the grill basket, transforming into a tasty concoction perfect over a bit of Jasmine rice. We prepared this as a vegetarian dish, but it would also be delicious with chicken or shrimp.

Grilled eggplant, beans, and shitake mushrooms in Asian Marinade

Serves 2 as a main course

Vegetables:

1 Cup beans (I used asparagus beans, but green beans or sugar snap peas would work well)

2 small eggplant, preferably Japanese 

1/2 red onion, sliced

8 ounces shitake mushrooms, sliced in half

Marinade:

1 clove of garlic, finely minced

1 tsp fresh ginger, finely minced chiffonade

1 TB fresh basil, cut into a

1/4 tsp red chili paste

2 tsp soy sauce or tamari

1 tsp toasted sesame oil

1/2 tsp sugar

zest and juice of one lime

1 tsp mirin or rice wine vinegar

3 TB canola oil

For serving:

soy sauce

lime wedges

fresh basil 

Directions:

Prep the vegetables and set aside.

Prepare your gas or charcoal grill.

In a large bowl combine all ingredients for the marinade, except the oil. Slowly whisk in the oil until the mixture is well combined. Add the vegetables to the bowl, and toss thoroughly with the marinade. Allow to marinate for 30-60 minutes, mixing often.

Place the vegetables in a lightly oiled grill basket, or on a grill grate lined with aluminum foil. Grill for 10-15 minutes, tossing often. Vegetables should be slightly blackened and beginning to soften.

Serve over rice with soy sauce, lime wedges, and fresh basil.

As you can see, we were a bit anxious and did not wait for the grill to cool down before throwing the veggies on. Some of our vegetables were more than adequately blackened. Fortunately, they still tasted delicious, and we finished every last bite. 

25 Pounds of Tomatoes {and canning pasta sauce}

After canning pasta sauce as a work assignment, I decided it was absolutely necessary to do at home. 25 pounds of tomatoes later, I had fresh tomato sauce and several cans of simple tomato sauce to enjoy. Read on for the story, or scroll down for the recipe.

 

Seemingly, a work assignment involving a very large garden with a lot of tomato plants and several days spent canning everything tomato (ketchup, crushed tomatoes, sauce, and whole tomatoes) would deter most people from continuing to can tomatoes during time off at home. 

Seemingly.

But, after processing fresh tomatoes into a delicious simple pasta sauce (inspired from Barbara Kingsolver's Animal Vegetable Miracle), I knew I had to make some at home. 

I urgently emailed my friend Calvin of Bigg Riggs Farm. "Can you sell me some seconds tomatoes?"

An affirmative reply was quickly rendered, and I made plans to pick up my tomatoes from the Wednesday afternoon King Street Gardens Park Farmers Market. When I arrived for the tomatoes, I only planned to buy about ten pounds.

Calvin scoffed at this idea. "10 pounds? You should really get more like 20-30."

Having never been one who avoids purchasing excess produce, I agreed. The 25 pound box of tomatoes (all for $12) was so heavy that I was unable to carry it to my car without assistance. 

When I arrived home, the tomatoes found a nice cozy spot on a kitchen chair making my husband ponder what on earth I had gotten into now.

The next morning, I woke up early and got my supplies ready. Canning takes time and careful preparation, and most importantly a zealous belief in sanitation.

With this in mind, my first steps are always to get my glass jars out, and to separate the jars from the lids and rings. The jars can be sterilized in the dishwasher (mine cycles for around two hours), while the lids need to be sterilized just before processing the cans. 

The next step is to set up the following equipment: 

• a pot of boiling water
• a large bowl filled with ice and cold water  
• a large cutting board and knife
• a discard bowl 
• a strainer perched atop another bowl 
• a large stock pot for making the sauce 

Since my recipe calls for two chopped onions, I decided to get all that chopping out the way before getting my hands into the tomatoes. Once the onions were chopped, they went right into the large stock pot and softened up so that they were ready when the tomatoes joined them in the pot. 

With the onions out of the way, the assembly line began. 

Each tomato first needs to have its skins removed. The easiest way to do this is to blanch them for about one minute in boiling water. . . 

 

And then plunge them into an ice water bath for at least the same amount of time.

Next, the skins easily slide off into the discard bowl. 

At this point, I like to cut them in half to remove the core and the seeds. 

After the skins, cores and seeds were removed, my tomatoes went into a strainer set atop another bowl. This allowed the excess juice to strain out-- a process that takes around thirty minutes. The juice can be saved and reused in other cooking. 

 

Messy, messy tomatoes.

Finally, after straining all those tomatoes and simmering them with the onions and spices for over two hours, I processed them in a water bath for 40 minutes.

The end canned result canned was a simple pasta sauce which I doctored up to make even tastier with a little fresh basil, garlic, and grated parmesan.

Canned Pasta Sauce:

 

Note: Be sure to read and follow all instructions carefully. Safe home canning requires careful adherence to guidelines and the use of properly sterilized equipment.

Ingredient List

• 20 pounds of tomatoes
• 2 onions, roughly chopped 
• 1/4 cup sugar 
• 2 TB dried oregano 
• 2 TB salt  
• 2 TB pepper 
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes 

Equipment List

• 1 stockpot 
• 1 smaller pot  
• 6-8 pint sized canning jars 
• 1 pair of jar lifters 
• 1 cutting board 
• 2 large bowls 
• discard bowl (another medium- large sized bowl) 
• 1 strainer 
• 1 large canner 
• funnel 

Prepare the ingredients

 
Have ready and set up: a cutting board, one large bowl filled with an ice and cold water, and one large bowl with a strainer set on top of it. I also like to keep a discard bowl handy for the tomato skins, cores, and seeds.

Chop the onions and place in the large stock pot. Warm over medium heat until they are softened. If necessary, add water to prevent sticking. Important: Do not add oil! Once onions are softened, turn off heat and wait for tomatoes to be added before continuing to cook. DO NOT add other vegetables or garlic to the recipe as it will change the pH level of the tomatoes and increase the risk of contamination.

In the meantime, fill the smaller pot with water and bring to a boil. Once the water has come to a boil, begin blanching the tomatoes in the boiling water. After one minute, immediately transfer the tomatoes to the ice bath (they should stay in the ice bath for at least one minute).

Bring the tomatoes to the cutting board and peel off the skins. Cut the tomato in half and carefully remove the core. Cut each half in half (quarter) and remove the tomato seeds. Place each tomato quarter into the strainer set over a bowl. Allow tomatoes to strain for about thirty minutes to remove excess juices (this will help your sauce thicken better).

Note: At this point, some people like to puree the tomatoes in order to have a smoother sauce. I prefer a thicker sauce with tomato chunks, so I keep the tomato pieces in quarters and break them up while the sauce is simmering.

Add the strained tomatoes to the large stock pot. (Tip: You will have to do this in batches because the amount of tomatoes is so large. I keep an assembly line going to increase the efficiency of the process.)

Once all tomatoes have been added to the stockpot, add the sugar, oregano, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring from time to time. Allow to simmer for 2-3 hours, until the sauce has thickened to your likeness.

Preparing the canning equipment:

Once the tomatoes begin processing, it is a good idea to get the canning equipment ready. 

Most importantly: it is essential that everything you are using is clean and sterile.

I like to sterilize the canning jars in the dishwasher, and since the cycle takes around 2 hours, it works out perfectly with the timing of the sauce.

The jar lids and rings can be sterilized by running boiling water over them. This should be done right before the sauce is processed in the boiling water bath canner.

Make sure all of your kitchen surfaces have been cleaned and sanitized of any tomato seeds and pulp that may be leftover from working with the ingredients. Set up your water bath canner on the stove top, fill it with water and bring to a boil.

When your sauce is ready, place your sterilized jars on a clean kitchen towel. Place a funnel over the jar mouth; ladle sauce into the jar leaving 1/2" head space. Carefully wipe off any excess sauce which may have gotten on the jar rims. Seal each jar with a lid and ring, tightening them just past the point of resistance. Repeat this with the remaining jars and sauce.

Process all jars in a boiling water bath canner for 40 minutes.

Remove from the canner using jar lifters (this will really help prevent burns- believe me) and set on the counter undisturbed for 24 hours.

After 24 hours, check the seals to make sure they are firmly shut. The seal should not move at all when it is gently pressed down on. Any jars that did not properly seal should be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Garlic-Basil Pasta with Parmesan

I enjoy pasta sauce so much that I didn't process all of my tomato sauce in mason jars. I just couldn't wait to eat it. 

Instead, I kept about four cups of sauce in the stock pot. I simmered the sauce a little longer, then added some of the ingredients I couldn't during canning: two crushed cloves of garlic, some fresh basil, and a little olive oil. This delicious sauce was spooned over a heaping bowl of pasta with some freshly grated parmesan cheese.

And now, whenever I pop open a jar of my homemade sauce, I can look forward to a delicious bowl-- just like this one. 

Shrimp and Grits with a Roasted Tomatillo and Heirloom Tomato Salsa

 

How to sum up moving from a 600 square foot apartment to a real house with a real yard? 

Awesome. 

It feels like we have so much space. But, there is also so much space to organize and arrange. The farmers market trips have been somewhat taken over by trips to Home Depot where I seem to spend countless hours looking at paint samples. At this point I am fairly certain that I have brought home nearly every sample color from the store and stuck it to some wall somewhere in the house.

The paint selection is not to be bested by the furniture selection. Hours upon hours have been spent thinking about, discussing, and analyzing colors and fabric choices for a new couch. In the end, we went with the exact fabric and complimentary pillows which were on display in the store.

In between all of this, I did find some time to stop by the Wednesday morning Oakton Farmers Market and whip together a delicious farmers market fresh dinner for John and I.

Shrimp and grits has become one of my favorite southern dishes to prepare. I can't say that the various versions I've made are particularly authentic, but their deliciousness is perfectly in tact.

When a farmer at the Oakton Farmers Market gave me a great deal on a large container of tomatillos, I decided to get creative and use them with some local heirloom tomatoes to make a wonderful salsa for our shrimp and grits. 

Without further ado, here is the recipe.

Shrimp and Grits with a Roasted Tomatillo and Heirloom Tomato Salsa 

Serves 2

• 1/2 tomato (preferably heirloom), cut into large chunks
• 8 small tomatillos, husks removed and halved  
• 1/2 cup red onion, thickly sliced (divided into two 1/4 cup portions)
• 1 garlic clove, thickly sliced
• salt and pepper to taste  
• olive oil (2 TB)
• lemon juice (1 tsp)
• 1 cup of chicken stock
• 1 cup of half and half
• 6 TB grits
• 3 ounces of smoked gouda or smoked cheddar, grated
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika 
• 8-10 large shrimp 
• dash of smoked paprika 
• 1 garlic clove, smashed then minced 
• Optional garnishes: diced tomato and sliced scallions  

Making the salsa (Note: This step can be made up to one day in advance; simply store in the fridge.)

Preheat the oven to 375F. In the meantime, prepare a large sheet pan with parchment paper. Place the tomato chunks, tomatillo halves, 1/4 cup of the onion slices, the garlic slices, olive oil, salt and pepper on the sheet pan. Toss together to coat the ingredients with the olive oil and seasoning.

Place in the oven and roast for 30-40 minutes, until the ingredients are nicely caramelized.

Remove from the oven. Process in a blender with 1 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice until the mixture is smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside until the shrimp and grits are finished.

Making the grits

Heat the chicken stock and half and half in a medium sauce pan to almost boiling. Add the grits and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and cook for 12-14 minutes until thickened, stirring occasionally. Add the smoked cheddar cheese and paprika and stir until the cheese is fully incorporated-- about 1 minute. 

*If you finish the grits before everything else is ready, you can remove them from the heat and cover the surface with plastic wrap (to prevent a skin from forming). When ready, reheat over low heat stirring occasionally.

Making the shrimp

Prepare the shrimp by peeling and deveining them. Toss the shrimp with salt, pepper and smoked paprika.

Heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Add one tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and saute the remaining 1/4 cup onions with the smashed garlic. When the onions have begun to caramelize (7-10 minutes), remove from the pan. If necessary, add a little extra olive oil to the pan to prevent the shrimp from sticking. Increase the heat to medium-high. 

Cook the shrimp for 2-3 minutes on each side, until they are golden brown. Add the onions and garlic back to the pan. Season to taste.

Putting it all together

Spoon the cheesy grits into each bowl. Place the shrimp and onion mixture on top, then drizzle with the roasted tomatillo and heirloom tomato salsa. If desired, garnish with chopped green onions and diced tomato. 

Procrastination {and mom's blackberry and peach bourbon pie}

My Saturday ritual of visiting the Old Town Alexandria Farmer's market comes to an end, as the moving countdown stands at five days. My last farmers market trip to Old Town inspired a need to bake just one more pie in the garden apartment: a wonderful blackberry and peach bourbon pie (with a brown sugar crust). 

"Here's the box for the Cuisinart. Pack it up." John demanded, as he moved out to the living room to pack up our other belongings.

His demand to pack up the food processor seemed harsh and cruel to a girl who had just returned from the Saturday morning Old Town Alexandria farmers market bearing fresh peaches and enormous juicy blackberries: two fruits perfect for a homemade pie.  

The Cuisinart box was slipped to the back of the pile of boxes, and I worked on packing other less-necessary items.

Like drinking glasses, plates, silverware, and tupperware. 

Lonely on the counter top, the only remaining important kitchen things were my new deep dish tart pan, a rolling pin, the Cuisinart, measuring cups, and my dough scraper.

I believe these are the last kitchen items anyone should pack.

But let's get back to that farmer's market. 

A glorious sea of bi-color corn met me at the Spring Valley tent with a sign reading "See if you can resist." I could not, and bought four ears.

I've waxed poetic about peaches in the past, but blackberries have never been something I got too excited about.

You see, the ones I've bought from the grocery store have never been very sweet, and always have a slightly dry and gritty texture. Despite past experiences, when I strolled past these enormous glistening blackberries Saturday morning, I couldn't help thinking I had to have them.

I walked up to the vendor, a farmer from Westmoreland County, Virginia. 

"Can I taste one?" I asked.

He nodded, as I took one from a container and bit into a juicy berry with the perfect balance between sweet and tart. 

I purchased a container, which as it turns out, came from Westmoreland Berry Farm, one of my favorite farms to buy berries and fruit from throughout the summer. Although Westmoreland Berry Farm does not have a booth at Old Town, this particular vendor works in cooperation with them, and is able to sell their delicious berries.

I meandered down to visit my friend Calvin of Bigg Riggs Farm, who was in a very good mood amongst the crowds of farmers market shoppers.

After picking up some peaches from Calvin, I called my mom as I headed home to start packing.

"Peaches and blackberries?" She said thoughtfully on the phone, "I have the perfect recipe for you."

As she listed the ingredients: peaches, blackberries, bourbon, cinnamon, and brown sugar; I knew I had to make it against all obstacles (boxes stacked high all around me, lack of kitchen utensils, husband scolding me to get my priorities straight). This pie was speaking loudly to my imagination and even louder to my taste buds. 

I would have to find a way to make that pie, despite my long moving to-do list.

In the end, I didn't have to make much of an argument. A simple description of the pie on Sunday morning elicited a few agreeable and approving grumbles from John, and I threw it together amidst packing.

I can only hope our little garden apartment feels honored with my choice of last baking project. Sigh. And since we aren't moving very far away at all, I'm sure I'll be back to the Old Town Alexandria Farmers Market soon enough.

With no further ado, here is the recipe:

Blackberry and Peach Bourbon Pie Printer Friendly Version

Makes One 9" pie (I halved the recipe to make one mini pie for just the two of us)

 "

Ingredients

• Your favorite double crust pie crust recipe
• 4 Cups of peaches, peeled and sliced 
• 1 Cup of blackberries, halved 
• 1/4 Cup bourbon 
• 1 TB cinnamon 
• 1 TB cornstarch 
• 1/2 Cup of brown sugar, plus more for sprinkling the lattice crust
• 1 TB milk  

Prepare your favorite double crust pie recipe, and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 400 F. In the meantime, begin working on the filling. Peel the peaches. If your peaches are very ripe, you can use the trick my mom taught me: cut an x on the bottom of each peach, run each under hot water for 30 seconds, then simply pull of the skin. If the peaches are less ripe, bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Cut an x on the bottom of each peach, then place the peaches in the boiling water for 30 seconds. Remove peaches from the water, then gently pull of their skins.

Slice the peaches into 1/4" slices. Toss together with the blackberries, bourbon, cinnamon, cornstarch and 1/2 Cup of brown sugar. Set aside.

Remove one disk of pie crust from the refrigerator. Lightly flour the counter top, and roll the dough out to fit the 9" pie pan, then press gently into the pan. Leave a 1/2" overhang.

Fill the crust with the peach and blackberry filling. Return this to the refrigerator (it's important to keep that crust cold), and remove the second disk of pie crust from the refrigerator to roll out.

Lightly flour the counter top, and roll out the disk to the same size as the first one. Then cut into 1/2" wide strips for the lattice crust.

Remove the pie from the refrigerator, and fashion the lattice crust on top of the peach and blackberry filling.

 

Trim any excess dough hanging off, then pull overhang over the lattice topping to create a crinkled crust around the outside.

Brush the lattice topping with milk, then sprinkle with 1-2 Tablespoons of brown sugar.

Bake at 400 F for 30 minutes.  Reduce the heat to 375F and bake an additional 30-40 minutes, covering with foil once the crust becomes a nice golden brown color.

Remove from the oven and cool on a rack for at least fifteen minutes before serving. 

Enjoy!

Turkey Burgers with garlic scape pesto mayonnaise

Garlic scapes-- the spiraling green sprouts of spring garlic-- have arrived at many farmers markets. In an effort of eating less red meat, we put our scapes to work with this delicious turkey burger stuffed with balsamic caramelized onions and dried apricots. Read on about our "health" efforts, or scroll down for the recipe.

It may surprise you to hear this, but John and I are working on this thing called "being healthy."

Yes, this blog actually has the word "garden" in it (which seemingly implies health), and we do eat a lot of farm fresh fruits and vegetables, but we certainly don't shy away from eating fattening foods.

The thing is, I rather enjoy fat. I'm not against eating red meat, pork, or any handful of desserts. In fact, I full heartedly relish all of the above.

But, there's a catch. The first part is that most Americans eat much more red meat and pork than they should. And we all (should) know that eating it more than once or twice a week is not good for your health.

The bigger issue for me, however, is one of sustainability and ethics. While I do firmly believe that humans are meant to eat some meat, I cannot bring myself to buy meat that has been factory farmed. That is, I can't bring myself to buy meat from any major supermarket or large provider. For starters, the treatment of animals on factory farms is inhumane and unethical. It's also bad for the environment, as their waste and disease runs off into our water supply and pollutes the air. And finally, meat that is raised in these conditions simply isn't good for you. It may be cheap to buy, but the lower price tag is not worth the damage done to the animals and our environment. 

So, where to buy sustainable, farm raised, and preferably grass fed meat? Many farmers markets carry it, and my local Whole Foods has also started carrying local Virginia beef and grass-fed beef from Georgia. Of course, farmers markets and Whole Foods are both more expensive than what is sold at mainstream grocery stores.

Our solution? Eat less meat.

It's a win-win solution. It's better for us. It's better for the environment. We spend less money.  And finally, we are financially supporting sustainable and local sources of meat. In other words, we're voting with our wallets.

It began as a plan to consume red meat or pork only once a week. Likewise, we planned to eat fish at least once a week (check out this list of sustainable fish). I added a vegetarian night once a week, which is somewhat less popular with my spouse. All other nights are another source of protein, such as chicken or turkey. 

Surprisingly, although I was the family member who came up with this idea, John has become an avid supporter. 

After a hamburger cookout with friends last weekend, we had a lot of leftover ground beef. When I suggested spaghetti and meatballs for dinner the following evening, I was rudely reminded that we would have to wait until the next week since our weekly red meat ration had been met. The ground beef went into the freezer.

But what to do with all those hamburger buns?

Turkey burgers to the rescue.

And in case you were waiting for some refreshing photos amidst this diatribe of meat eating philosophy. . . here was the inspiration for our turkey burger condiment:

That's right! Garlic scapes have arrived at market. If you haven't tried them, I recommend you snatch up any you find since they won't be around very long. The curvy and tender garlic stalks taste of mild garlic. They're wonderful used as a simple pesto-- simply process them with olive oil and parmesan. They also work well stir fried with fresh market vegetables or added into most anything you'd add garlic to.

The inspiration for the rest of the turkey burger came from some ingredients I had hanging out in my pantry, as well as a meatball recipe from Chocolate and Zucchini.

I used a combination of white and dark turkey meat, onions (slowly caramelized in olive oil and balsamic vinegar), toasted pine nuts, small bits of dried apricots, some roasted garlic, and freshly ground coriander seeds. To slather on the buns, I simply mixed some mayonnaise, a few teaspoons of pesto stored in my fridge, and some freshly minced garlic scapes.

Although John had his doubts on the merits of a turkey burger, he devoured this quickly enough to convince me it was good.

Turkey Burgers with garlic scape pesto mayonnaise (Makes 4 large burgers)

Printer Friendly Version Here

For the burgers

• 1/2 lb white ground turkey meat
• 1/2 lb dark ground turkey meat 
• 1/4 cup dried apricots, diced
• 1/2 onion, sliced to 1/4 inch thickness
• 1 TB balsamic 
• 1 TB extra virgin olive oil 
• 1/2 tsp butter 
• 1/4 cup pine nuts (toasted, if desired)
• 2 cloves garlic, roasted
• 1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp oregano

For the garlic scape mayonnaise

• 1/4 cup garlic scapes, finely diced
• 2 tsp basil pesto
• 1 tsp EVOO
• 1/4 Cup mayonnaise (+ more to taste)
• dash of freshly cracked black pepper

Making the burgers

I'll admit, there are several ingredients going into these turkey burgers. To make it easier, I set up an assembly line, and got everything going at once.

Begin with making the caramelized onions, since they will take the longest (but require little attention once cooking). Heat one tablespoon of oil in a medium saute pan. In the meantime, slice half of an onion (about 1/4 inch thickness). Add a little bit of butter to the saute pan (until it sizzles), and then add the onion. Add 1 tablespoon of balsamic, and stir. Allow these to cook away at medium-low heat while you work on the rest of the ingredients.

Place two garlic cloves (skins on) in a small pan on high heat. Allow them to roast in the pan until the skins have blackened.

While the garlic and onions are heating up, dice the dried apricots.

Mix together the dark and light turkey meat, then add the dried apricots, pine nuts, coriander, salt, pepper, and oregano.

Here you can see my assembly line from bottom to top: meat and spice mixture, diced apricots, caramelizing onions, and roasting garlic.

Add the caramelized onions and roasted garlic to the meat mixture, form into patties, and prepare.

Make the garlic scape mayonnaise

Combine all the ingredients for the garlic scape mayonnaise. If you don't have prepared pesto on hand (in other words, if you don't freeze large batches every summer like I do), you could simply mix the mayonnaise with garlic scapes, a little fresh basil, and some lemon juice to taste. Or, if you can't find garlic scapes, roast an extra couple cloves of garlic (from the meat mixture) and add that to the mayonnaise.

Putting it all together

Assemble the burgers onto buns slathered with garlic scape mayonnaise. If desired, add a little lettuce, or some oven roasted tomatoes. 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

In the end, I'm not sure that adding caramelized onions to the turkey mixture and slathering the buns with garlic scape pesto mayonnaise really worked in favor of our health efforts.  But at least the idea of a turkey burger sounds somewhat healthy. 

Right?

For more information on meat production and sustainability, check out these links:

Sustainable Table: Animal Welfare

Sustainable Table: What is sustainable agriculture?

Sustainable Table: Sustainable vs. Industrial

And if you're lucky enough to be in a city playing the newly released documentary Food Inc., I highly recommend seeing it. For the DC area: check out the schedule at Landmark Bethesda Row Cinema and the E Street Cinema downtown. 

Things to enjoy now {and a recipe for roasted asparagus with red pepper puree and microgreens}

Sigh.  

 

Spring is really truly here. 

Juicy and sweet strawberries. . . 

 

. . . tender sprigs of fresh asparagus

   

All are popping up at many DC area farmers markets. 

It's enough to make me a very satisfied woman.

But as a special icing on the cake (or rather, greens on the top), you will also be able to find micro greens at the Old Town Alexandria Farmers Market this weekend. 

Micro greens are tiny and intensely flavorful greens: the smallest sprouts of a variety of salad greens, herbs, and vegetables. The beautiful leaves are typically found in high end restaurants, and can be difficult for home cooks to obtain.

Bigg Riggs Farm is selling a variety of gorgeous and tasty micro greens, including arugula, fennel, beet, and radish. The greens arrive at market alive. They burst out of their trays in colors of green, purple, and red. When purchasing them, you simply pick which one (or ones) you'd like. Your choice is clipped freshly for you and put into a small container. 

It doesn't get any fresher than that.

They sell for $4 an ounce, which is a bit pricey, but a full container doesn't weigh very much, and a small amount of microgreens packs a big punch.

After a weekend shopping at the Old Town Alexandria Farmers Market and the West End Alexandria Farmers market, I had all the ingredients for a tasty treat: a lovely dish made from a simple preparation of roasted asparagus and a roasted red pepper puree-- all topped off with a microgreen salad.  

For the record, this method of preparing asparagus is stand-alone. Roasting the asparagus draws out a certain level of sweetness. Furthermore, actually roasting it with the lemon wedges imparts the perfect amount of lemon flavor to the tender sprigs. If you just want a simple side, you can follow the roasting instructions here. Or, really make your asparagus dish extra special with the pepper puree and microgreen salad. 

Roasted Asparagus with Red Pepper Puree and Microgreen Salad

Serves 2 as a first course, 4 as a side

Prep time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

For the roasted asparagus

1 large bunch of asparagus, ends trimmed

1 lemon, cut into wedges

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (about 2-3 TB)

salt and pepper, to taste

For the red pepper puree

1/2 Cup Roasted Red Peppers (freshly roasted or jarred will both work well)

1 small clove of garlic, minced

1 teaspoon of fresh thyme leaves

1/2 tsp lemon juice

salt and pepper, to taste

For the micro green salad

1/2 Cup of assorted micro greens

Extra Virgin Olive Oil 

Fresh lemon juice

salt and pepper

Preparation:

Roasting the asparagus

Preheat the oven to 400F. 

In the meantime, trim the asparagus spears and place them on a parchment lined baking sheet. Drizzle the asparagus with olive oil, a little bit of fresh lemon juice (from the lemon wedges) and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Place the lemon wedges on the baking sheet with the asparagus spears. 

Roast the asparagus for 8-10 minutes, until it is bright green and beginning to brown just a little bit. Toss the asparagus 1-2 times during roasting.

Making the red pepper puree

While the asparagus is roasting, combine the red peppers, garlic, thyme leaves, lemon juice, salt and pepper in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade (I used a mini prep). Puree until smooth. Taste for seasoning, and adjust if necessary.

Putting it all together

Spoon 2-3 TB red pepper puree in the center of each plate. Divide the asparagus evenly on each plate, placing it on top of the pepper puree. Place a small amount of the microgreens on the top of the asparagus, then drizzle with a touch of olive oil, a small amount of lemon juice, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.

Enjoy immediately.  

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

One year ago at The Garden Apartment:

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

A Bipolar Month {and sauteed Asian greens}

March is a rather bi-polar month, don't you think? One day it's sunshiny wonderful and the next it's in the deepest depths of despair without any warning. 

Take for example the day it snowed so heavily that I couldn't leave the Garden Apartment to drive to work. A mere three days later the snow was a melted seventy degree memory.

Despite the joys of the warm "ups" of March, I'm over it. Bring on April! Better yet, bring on May or June. 

All weather-related complaints aside, I have one additional gripe. You see, I've lost all enthusiasm for my winter diet. As much as I tout seasonal eating, I can't seem to muster up an appetite for any more root vegetables.  I'm craving green things, crunchy things, and fresh-out-of-the-ground things.

And in the spirit of Lenten self betterment (and the Catholic guilt which never leaves me), I must confess to you- my readers- some very non-local vices as of late. Mango. Avocado. Pineapple. . .and a few more I can't recall. 

Clearly, I haven't been completely bad, or I wouldn't be writing to you about this delicious dish. At a recent trip to the DuPont Circle Farmer's Market, I trekked off to the Spring Valley Farm stand for some of their delicious greenhouse-grown greens. Spring Valley consistently has the most fresh and satisfying mixes of greens including basic salad mixes and Asian stir-fry blends. 

A closer inspection of the greens revealed some of these players: Swiss chard, curly kale, and mustard greens.

In addition to my Asian stir fry mix, I also found a bunch of India mustard greens from the Sunnyside Farm stand.

Farmer Jim Huyett cheerfully warned me that they would be a bit spicy. 

Perfect.

I headed home, excited to put together a simple and extremely healthy stir-fry. 

This dish has very few ingredients and is easy to throw together in under ten minutes. Six cups of mixed greens may sound like a lot, but they cook down impressively. Always have more than you think you need. If necessary, you can always adjust the amount of seasoning to compensate for extra greens.

Sauteed Asian Greens

Serves 2 as a main course; 4 as a side

• 1 large bunch of assorted greens, washed; about 6-8 Cups (Asian mix, if available-- otherwise a mixture of mustard greens, kale, Swiss chard, and spinach would work)
• 2 TB canola oil 
• 1/2 medium onion, sliced  
• 1 large garlic clove, finely minced 
• 1 TB freshly grated ginger
• 2-3 TB dry white wine 
• 2-3 TB soy or Tamari sauce (+ more to taste) 
• a drizzle of sesame oil 
• toasted sesame seeds (optional)
• white rice, for serving 

If you are using mature greens, be sure to trim the ribs from the Swiss chard and kale. A baby greens mix will be fine as is.

Heat the canola oil in a large wok over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until softened. Add the garlic and ginger. Stir to combine. 

Add the greens, white wine, and Tamari sauce. Stir to combine, and cover. Stir occasionally until the greens have softened and cooked down, about 5-7 minutes.

Serve over white rice. Drizzle with toasted sesame oil and cover with toasted sesame seeds (optional).

* * * * * * * * * * * 

In the end, a bowl full of this has enough nutrition and flavor to beat a case of the March's any day.

Garden Apartment Gumbo

A trip to New Orleans inspired me to try my hand at gumbo- though more of a Virginia gumbo, utilizing local Chesapeake Bay lump crab along with some locally grown veggies.

Unless DC takes a freak turn towards warm temperatures, this time of year is always the perfect time to take a trip somewhere south.

This year, John and I decided to take a long weekend trip to New Orleans with some of our good friends.

John had been to the Big Easy on a few other occasions, back in his single days. These trips were reportedly full of Bourbon Street imbibing and a general lack of cultural experiences.

Things change once you're married.

Now, now. To be fair, we did spend a good portion of our trip in the French Quarter. But we also meandered out of the French Quarter several times-- only to be richly rewarded by wonderful neighborhood pubs, restaurants, shops, and music venues.

On our first night, we took a cab to the Bywater to a little neighborhood joint called Vaughn's. It was Thursday, a night described in our Lonely Planet Guidebook as "legendary" due to trumpeter Kermit Ruffins and his band The Barbeque Swingers. We quickly learned that the entire city is pure music and food. You see, Kermit's band is called the Barbeque Swingers because they are known to make barbeque for the people attending their gigs. There was no barbeque the night we were there, but the band had prepared some very tasty red beans and rice. It was served up in large vats at the back of Vaughn's. Music lovers, as Kermit referred to all of us, crowded around with styrofoam bowls filled with the local specialty.

It was a great way to begin a long weekend filled with delicious food, drink, and fantastic music. 

There was my discovery (and repeated rediscovery) of the mint julep- a drink which inspired this photo.

There were walks down by the water, after eating beignets and drinking coffee at the powdered sugar covered Cafe du Monde.

 

And there was the stumbling into a little hole in the wall called Coops Place. It was a dark, musky smelling place with seats misarranged all around the bar and the sides of the restaurant. Upon finding a seat wedged between the bar, pool table, and the corner, we began noticing wonderful things. First and foremost: the smell of their own smoker out back. Second, their menu made it impossible to make a choice, especially once we began seeing other customer's food arriving: bowls of steaming gumbo, plates full of fried chicken, red beans and rice, and their special jambalaya.

Unable to decide, we chose the combination plate. What a plate full of food, but especially, what a bowl full of gumbo. It was delicious. 

In this spirit, I decided to come home and make my own gumbo. 

I'm sure it won't quite qualify as New Orleans style, but in the mode of the Garden Apartment, I did purchase several of the ingredients locally. 

At the Old Town Alexandria Farmers Market, I bought some of Bigg Riggs Farms frozen peppers. Calvin, of Bigg Riggs, froze many fresh picked veggies this summer and is selling them at market.

 

At the DuPont Circle Market on Sunday, I picked up a pound of jumbo lump crab from Buster's Seafood, a family-operated fishery located in Urbanna, Virginia. Buster's also had fresh caught rockfish, claiming this is the best time of the year to eat it. Apparently, they are at their "fattest" right now. (For more information on seafood at the DuPont Circle Market, click here.)

Heading home, I worked on a gumbo. With a little inspiration from an episode of Bobby Flay Throwdown, some time browsing through many gumbo recipes, and a little faith in my own cooking abilities, here's what I whipped up.

Garden Apartment Gumbo Print Friendly Version

{Serves 4}

For the roux

• 1/2 Cup flour
• 6 TB butter
• 1/4 cup onions, finely minced 
• 1/4 cup celery, finely minced 
• 1 TB Worcestershire sauce 

For the stew

• 1 Cup Spicy Sausage, diced (I used chorizo) 
• 1 TB butter 
• 2 Ribs Celery, diced 
• 1/2 large onion, diced 
• 1 Cup multi-colored peppers, diced  
• 3 large cloves garlic, smashed then roughly chopped 
• 1 TB Cajun Seasoning 
• 1/2 TB hot sauce 
• 2 tsp fresh oregano (or 1 tsp dried) 
• 2 tsp fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried)
• salt and pepper, to taste 
• 3-4 Cups Fish Stock 
• 1 1/2 Cups crushed tomatoes 
• 1/2 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined (tails-on) 
• 1/2 lb lumb crab meat  

Make the roux

In a large stockpot, melt the butter. Add the flour and stir until combined. Continue to cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Cook for approximately 45 minutes, until the roux is dark brown in color. Add the finely diced onion and celery and stir. Remove from the heat, add the worcestershire and combine.

Make the stew

Toss the sausage in a hot large saute pan for approximately two-three minutes, until nicely browned. Remove.

Lower heat to medium and add 1 TB butter to the pan. Add onion, celery, garlic, and peppers. Saute until the onions are translucent. Add cajun seasoning, hot sauce, oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper. Turn off heat and set aside.

* I suggest working on the stew while the roux is caramelizing. Just be sure to keep stirring the roux. Once all the spices have been added, simply turn off the heat and wait until the roux is ready to put it all together. 
  

Put it all together

When the roux is beginning to get brown, heat the fish stock in a medium sauce pan.

Once the roux is complete, add the fish stock and crushed tomatoes. Stir. 

Add the sausage, vegetable and spice mix. Cover and allow to come to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer for 30-45 minutes.

Add the shrimp and crab meat. Cook until the shrimp is pink, approximately 5 minutes.

Enjoy over white rice. 

And of course, since it's gumbo, feel free to add your own local ingredients and have a little fun.
  

Optimism {and a winter citrus salad}

After a completely unsuccessful farmer's market trip Saturday, a little help from the south keeps me on the sunny side of life with a delicious winter citrus salad.

 

Click the photo to view it on Flickr with notes.

Optimistically, I appeared at the Old Town Alexandria Farmer's Market in Saturday morning's 13 degree weather. The flower guy, one of three vendors at market, took pity on me while I shivered waiting for a friend and advised me where to stand to absorb maximum heat from the sunlight. 

Really. It was that bad.

His advice paid off when Kate showed up and bought several bunches of flowers from him. Of course, she had to climb into his truck to make her purchase because the flowers would have frozen if they had been displayed outside.

As for myself, I had been planning to buy some Greek yogurt, apples, and honey. I struck out, 100%. And I can't blame the dairy, farmer, and beekeeper for their absence. It's cold, windy, and I doubt there are a lot of people waking up early aching to shop outdoors for local produce.

So, I had to find something else seasonal, though perhaps not so local. Luckily, this was not at all difficult.

You see, I am completely smitten with citrus right now. 

Perhaps my favorite, based on looks alone, is the Blood Orange. Must I explain the name? 

Juicy, tart, red flesh which I find completely irresistible.

The Pink Navel Orange provides more eye candy. As advertised, "pink is the new orange."

Although, it's more or less salmon. No?

Last but not least, based on taste alone, my favorite is the Temple Orange. I'm positive it's called the Temple Orange because one bite makes a believer out of you. I, for one, can testify that it's the sweetest citrus fruit I have ever tasted.

With all these new loves in mind, I dragged my husband to Whole Foods last night where I bought a bag of every available citrus. He would have been miserable, but he occupied himself with selecting several bottles of good reduced price wine.

When we got home, I put together something John refers to as a "citrus orgy." I prefer the more sophisticated "winter citrus salad."

Winter Citrus Salad  Print Friendly Version 

Serves 2

• 1/2 Cup assorted citrus fruits, peeled and sectioned off*
• 1 avocado, sliced 
• 1 lime, juiced 
• 1 lemon, juiced (if available, try the sweet tasting Meyer lemon) 
• olive oil, about 2 TB (+ more for drizzling)
• 1 Cup of mixed greens
• salt and pepper, to taste 

* I used three orange varieties, a Honeybell tangerine, and a pink grapefruit. Basically, the more variety, the better.

 
Make the Vinaigrette:

In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, lemon juice, olive oil and salt and pepper. 

Assemble the Salad:

Divide the lettuce between two bowls. Place half of the avocado slices on each salad. Top off with mixed citrus fruits. Drizzle with the vinaigrette, then add salt and pepper to taste. If desired, drizzle with additional olive oil.

Variations:

* Add one minced garlic clove to the vinaigrette.

* Add thinly sliced red onions to the salad.

* Garnish with cilantro or mint.

After shopping indoors, purchasing fruit from a much warmer place, and eating this delicious salad, I can safely say I am feeling more optimistic- sunny, even- about winter. 

Don't worry, I'll be back to the farmer's market again next weekend.

For more winter citrus inspiration:

The Romance of the Orange: A History of the Temple Orange

(whereas I learn that the Temple Orange is named for William Chase Temple, not any sort of religious experience)

Flaky Blood Orange Tart at Smitten Kitchen

Citrus Salad with Mint Sugar at Epicurious