URBAN FARM PARTY! Coral Tree Farms, an urban farm in the heart of Encinitas

URBAN FARM PARTY! Coral Tree Farms, an urban farm off of Requeza Ave in the heart of Encinitas. If you have not heard of it you are not alone, but trust me when I tell you there is an amazing farm with a even more amazing farmer right under your nose.

 This Saturday they are having an open house and you are invited!
The party and tasting event, with tastings from Stone Brewing Company, Haggo's Organic Taco, and Vignette Cupcakes. As well as cooking demonstrations from yours truely.

This event is a fundraiser to help pay for an unexpected requirement from the water district.
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/event.php?eid=217918278233343

I am planning on making a couple of fun recipes to showcase some of the wonderful produce from the farm. 

Swiss Chard with Leeks and Golden Raisins

Serves 4

2 tbsp          Olive oil

2 tbsp          Leeks, green removes and whites sliced thin

6 cups         Swiss Chard, soaked, tough separated- (stems chopped into small pieces and leaves coarsely chopped)

¼ cup          Water

1 tbsp           Honey

1 tbsp          Golden Raisins

Salt and pepper to taste

        

Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat and add leeks; cook till translucent. Add water and chard stems. Cover and reduce heat to low, cook for 5 minutes. Remove cover and add chard leaves and season with salt and pepper ;cook for 5 to 7 minutes over medium heat or until chard just starts to become tender. Add honey and raisin; stir and cover.

Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until chard is tender and raisins plump.

Taste for seasoning and serve.

Pickled Beets and Spring Garlic

Makes 3 Pint Jars

12 small to medium             Beets, tops and tips removed

2 tbsp                                    White wine vinegar

2 tbsp                                    Olive oil

Salt and pepper

           

1/3 cup                         Spring garlic*, sliced thin

3 cups                          White wine vinegar

1/3 cup                         Sugar

1 tsp                              Kosher salt

1 tbsp                            Pickling spice, divided

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place beets, vinegar, olive oil and salt and pepper onto a large sheet of aluminum foil. Fold into a foil pouch and place onto a cookie sheet; roast in the oven for 40 minutes. Cool completely, rub off skins from the roasted beets and slice thinly.

Sterilize preserving jars and lids.

Arrange, in 1-quart jars, alternating layers of beets and spring garlic. And add ½ teaspoon pickling spice in each jar.

In a small sauce pot combine kosher salt, white wine vinegar, sugar, and remaining pickling spice; bring to a boil and cook till sugar and salt are dissolved. Stirring occasionally.

Divide vinegar mixture into jars and filling to within ½ inch of rim.

Top with covers and twist to seal.

In a large pot cover jars with water and allowing 1 to 2 inches of water to cover jars (you may need to add extra water for this). Bring liquid to a boil and gently boil for 10 to 15 minutes.

After processing, remove jars and set them upright on a towel to cool 12 to 24 hours. Do not retighten bands. Once jars are cool, test each one for a seal by pressing the center of the lid. The lid should not flex up and down (if it does, immediately refrigerate or reprocess with a new lid for the full length of time).

Label, and store jars in a cool (50° - 70° F/10° - 20°C), dry, dark place for up to one year. After opening, refrigerate, and use within 1 month.

For additional information on canning go to eatingwell.com/go/canning

*If you do not have spring garlic substitute with spring onions or leeks sliced and 3 whole cloves garlic

Rancho Santa Fe Farmers Market

With the sun finally shining and the holidays over farmers markets are in full swing again! With so many amazing markets to choice from I thought I would profile one of the our wonderful local markets;

Rancho Santa Fe Farmers Market.
Where:

16079 San Dieguito Rd.
Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92067

Hours:
9:00 am - 1:00 pm
Every Sunday Morning

The Rancho Santa Fe Farmers Market opened its’ “doors” for the first time on May 2, 2010 in the parking lot of the Del Rayo Village Center in Rancho Santa Fe. The market is sponsored by the Helen Woodward Animal Center who provides volunteers every Sunday to introduce adoptable pets from the center to market customers. As it is Rancho Santa Fe there are a few perks that you would not find at your other markets, like...

• VEGGIE VALET – If you’d like to run errands in the center or have brunch after shopping in the marketplace…we can hold on to your market “haul”, keep your package(s) cool, and pass them over to you as you pull right up to the info booth on your way out.

• BIKE VALET – Park your bike and our attendants will watch it while you shop… no need to lock it up.

You can  also choose from some of your farmers markets staples vegetables, greens, herbs, fruits

farm fresh eggs, artisanal breads

fresh cut flowers, oils, honeys & jams, gourmet tamales, fresh fish, grass fed meats, fresh pasta, cheeses, freshly roasted coffee beans, grass fed pasturized poultry, nuts, artisanal chocolate, amazing local seafood (including oysters on the half shell, ceviche and more)

Still not sure if you will love this market, take a tour with one of my favorite chefs (Paul McCabe from 1540, if you have not been to eat his amazing food you should run not walk to the L' Auberge Hotel in Del Mar).

Unlocking The Mysteries of The CSA

What is a CSA?

In short CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture and you do just that when your subscribe to one. A CSA consists of a community of individuals who pledge support to local farmers or products directly from the producer; usually consisting of a system of weekly delivery or pick-up of vegetables and fruit, in a vegetable box scheme, and sometimes includes dairy products, coffee, bread and meats.


Local CSA Programs

There is a CSA right for you, check out these websites to find your perfect match (keys to look for- size of the box, drop off points, contents of the box, organic or non-organic, farm, etc.). i f I missed any please comment and I will add them to the list.

Be Wise Ranch

Suzie’s Farm

Garden of Eden Organics

Tierra Miguel Foundation Farm

Seabreeze Organics

Speaciality Produce (not really a CSA but more of a Farmers Market Basket and loads of fun)

More Information

Half the battle of using your CSA produce is know what everything is. I recommend

Fresh Produce Guide: The best-ever guide to 300 varieties of fruit and vegetables; published by Try-Food International in 2009.



Recipes from the San Marcos Farmers Market Orange Walnut Coffee Cake with Brown Sugar Plum Sauce

Wanted to share a recipe from my recent cooking demonstration at the San Marcos Farmers Market. As it contains the oh so seasonal plums; lets call it the ingredient of the month as well.

Orange Walnut Coffee Cake with Brown Sugar Plum Sauce

Serves 6 to 8

¼ lb Unsalted butter
½ cup Sugar
1 Egg
1 tsp Vanilla
1 ½ tbsp Fresh orange juice
3/4 cup Flour
¼ tsp Nutmeg
1 tsp Orange zest
½ tsp Baking soda
1cup Pecans, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Grease an 8 X 8 inch cake pan or line pan with parchment paper.
Beat together butter and sugar, till creamed (light and incorporated).
Beat in eggs, until well blended. Add vanilla and orange juice.
Add flour, nutmeg, orange juice, baking soda, and beat until just incorporated. Stir in the nuts.
Spread batter into pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until cake tester comes out clean.


Brown Sugar Plum Sauce
Serves 6 to 8

1 ½ cups Plums or Pluots, washed, dried, cut in half, pits removed, and chopped into ½ -inch pieces
3 tbsp Water
¼ to ½ cup Dark brown sugar, packed
1 tbsp Fresh orange juice
1 tsp Unsalted butter

In a sauce pot, combine chopped plums (or Pluots) and water. Bring mixture to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium heat and cook for 10 minutes or until plums (or Pluots) have softened and mixture is saucy.
Reduce heat to low and add brown sugar; cook till thicken and fruit is mushy, about 10 minutes. Stir in orange juice and butter. Cook for 5 minute to incoperate flavors.

What are you pickling?

Tis the season for jamming, preserving and pickling. It is not for grandmas any more, you to can find a way to put your own stamp on pickles. This is a recipe for a good starter. The simple Dill Cucumber pickle. But I have gone so far a pickleing green beans, corn relish, and now I am working or a combo of carrots, jalapenos and tomatillos.

What do you pickle?

Dill Pickles

Makes 4 Pint Jars

16 to 20 Small pickling cucumbers (about 3pounds)
4 tbsp Kosher salt
4 cups Ice
1 cup Cider vinegar
2 cups White wine vinegar
1 ½ cup Water
2 ½ cups Sugar
¼ cup Pickling spice*
12 sprigs Fresh dill

In a large bowl combine cucumbers and salt; toss to combine.
Cover cucumber and salt with ice; refrigerate for 3 hours.
Drain melted ice and remove ice from cucumbers.
Sterilize preserving jars and lids.
In a small sauce pot combine kosher salt, white wine vinegar, cider vinegar, water, sugar and pickling spice; bring to a boil and cook till sugar and salt are dissolved. Stirring occasionally.
Add 4 to 5 cucumbers and 2 sprigs dill to sterilized preserving jars.
Divide cider vinegar mixture into jars, by placing a funnel into the jar and filling to within ½ inch of rim.
Top with cover and twist on seals.
In a large pot cover jars with water and allowing 1 to 2 inches of water to cover jars (you may need to add extra water for this). Cover and gently boil for 10 to 15 minutes.
After processing, remove jars and set them upright on a towel to cool 12 to 24 hours. Do not retighten bands. Once jars are cool, test each one for a seal by pressing the center of the lid. The lid should not flex up and down (if it does, immediately refrigerate or reprocess with a new lid for the full length of time).
Label, and store jars in a cool (50° - 70° F/10° - 20°C), dry, dark place for up to one year. After opening, refrigerate, and use within 1 month.

*Pickling Spice can be found at cook ware stores or restraint supply stores (like Smart and Final). I can also be purchased online. My personal favorite is from www.surfasonline.com.
For additional information on canning go to eatingwell.com/go/canning

Vista Farmers Market Cooking Demonstrations~~Pickeling~~

I look forward to seeing you all this weekend (August 14) at the Vista Farmers Market for cooking demonstrations from 8 am to 12 pm.

I will be pickeling!!!

Come by and tell me what you pickle. Would love to know what fun pickleing and preserving you do.

Tour the Vista Farmers Market with Chef Jenn

I will like to invite you all to my first foray into farmers markets. This Saturday from 8 am to 12 pm I will be at the Vista Farmers Market (located at in the parking lot f the Vista Court House off of Melrose).

Vista Farmers Market

Saturday: 8 am - Noon

County Courthouse 325 S. Melrose Drive, Vista

(just South of Highway 78), Vista, California 92081

Phone: (760) 945-7425

Email: mark@vistafarmersmarket.com

Website: vistafarmersmarket.com

My plan is to offer four 20 minute tours of the market for $5 (where we will chat and sample from different farmers) and short cooking demonstrations.


Would love to see all of my students and friends there; for a bit of moral support (and some nice people to talk to).

Thank you very much.

Chef Jenn