Blog entries

Sap's Running

Tim Wilcox — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 21:51:29 +0100

The sap’s running and while it’s too early to tell what the maple season will be like this year, I can tell you that the pancakes at Gould’s Sugarhouse on Route 2 in Shelburne are fantastic no matter what’s happening up in the sugar bush. Our Saturday morning visit was the third for our daughter, Lily - an annual tradition we started when she was one month old - and the first for our 5-Read More...

Montreal: a shot in the arm

Tim Wilcox — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 23:31:27 +0100

I am just back from a weekend trip to Montreal. Being in that city this time was a badly needed shot of French culture right into the arm. Tempered in good measure by a dose of Canadian friendliness and lack of pretension, my visit was inspiring on many levels.

Going to Montreal is like a geographical slap in the face. That there is a whole metropolitan culture beyond the desolation of northern New York neveRead More...

Winter Food Escapism

Tim Wilcox — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 21:04:12 +0100

I love winter food as much as the next guy: potatoes a million ways, root vegetable soups, slow cooked fatty meats, entire meals composed of treasures from the cellar, pantry and freezer. But I have to admit that with nothing much happening in the fields, the dead of winter is the one time out of the year when my cooking is suddenly free of the burden of seasonality.

For once, there is no relentless parRead More...

Tostones (Twice-Fried Green Plantains)

Tim Wilcox — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 20:42:13 +0100

Recipe: Tostones (Twice-Fried Green Plantains)

On a recent outing to Food Zone I could not resist the green plantains, and despite the fact that they’re heavy and bulky and came all the way from Ecuador, it only cost me two bucks to take home eight of them. When I tasted my own homemade tostones I thought for a second that I never needed to eat French fries again. I mean, what’s not to love? They have thRead More...

Eating Local in Winter

Tim Wilcox — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 05:20:05 +0100

Greetings from the farm! Nothing at all is growing. What few crops were left in the field at the end of November have long since perished. But that doesn't stop us from eating our own vegetables several nights a week.

Actually, we tend to spend more time and energy cooking with the produce from our farm during the winter. And I'm glad for it, because at the height of the season when we're putting in 12 hRead More...

French Onion Soup

Tim Wilcox — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 04:00:00 +0100

2lbs yellow or cipollini onions1/2 stick butter, or combination of oil and butter1 shot Port wine2 quarts homemade beef stock, or use cannedsalt & pepperTo serve:4 slices slightly stale french breadgrated Emmenthaler or Gruyere cheese, or a combination

This is an absolute classic and is actually pretty easy once you get all the onions peeled and thinly sliced. Heat the butter in a large, heavy Read More...

Pappa al Pomodoro

Tim Wilcox — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 03:00:00 +0100

With the air inside the house so dry this time of year, fresh bread has a life of about 12 hours. Luckily, there are many things you can do with the stale ends, like this classic Italian peasant soup.

2-3 cloves garlic, minced3 medium leeks, thinly sliced, or 2 cups sliced onions ¼ cup extra virgin olive oilsalt & pepper1 quart whole peeled tomatoes4 cups vegetable stock or water2 ½ cups cubed stale bread8 large basil leaves, cut in strips, Read More...

Greens and Eggs

Tim Wilcox — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 02:00:00 +0100

One of the best cookbooks of 2009 was "The Pleasures of Cooking for One" by Judith Jones. I gave a copy to my mother and enjoyed perusing it during our Christmas visit. Here's one of the recipes that stuck with me.

1 frozen ball of greens or 1 fresh bunch (use chard, kale, beet greens, spinach, etc.)2 Tbsp Olive oil2 eggsSalt & PepperToast

Heat the oil in a small wok or frying pan. Add the greens and saute for 5 minutes, adding a few drops of water if necessary and a pinch of salt. MRead More...

Radicchio di Treviso Tardivo

Tim Wilcox — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:53:41 +0100

We have a limited quantity of this amazing vegetable available for sale Tuesday 11/24. To place an order, call Caroline at 387-5163. The price is $8/lb or 5lb for $35. There are about 5-6 heads per pound. You can pick it up at the farm.

In Italy, this is the one true radicchio. When you taste it, you'll instantly know why. Because of its exquisite looks, they call it "the flower of winter." BecaRead More...

Risotto al Radicchio

Tim Wilcox — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:00:00 +0100

1 medium onion2 oz mild flavored pancetta or bacon (optional) 3-4 heads radicchio 1.5 cups Arborio or Carnaroli rice2 quarts boiling homemade chicken or vegetable stock2 Tbsp olive oil4 Tbsp butter½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano or Grana Padano cheeseSalt and pepper

Heat the oil and 1-2 Tbsp of the butter in your preferred risotto pot. Add the onion and optional pancetta and sauté until golden. Add the rice and sauté to coat in the oil, 2-3 minutes.Read More...

Radicchio ai Ferri (grilled radicchio “on the irons")

Tim Wilcox — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:00:00 +0100

Slice the heads of radicchio lengthwise into 4 quarters, leaving a bit of root so the leaves stay together. Toss in a bowl with salt, pepper, and olive oil to coat. Preheat your grill pan. Grill the heads 2 minutes per side, or until the outside is slightly charred and the inside is wilted. These can be made ahead and marinated in olive oil and vinegar (good balsamic pairs nicely) and served as an appetizer with toasted bread, or added to other dishes as a vegetable coRead More...

Pasticcio al Radicchio

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:00:00 +0100

4-5 heads radicchio, grilled and chopped;1 recipe homemade pasta using 3 eggs, rolled into sheets, or use ppackaged no-boil lasagna1 recipe simple tomato, oil, and garlic sauce using about 5 cups of tomato product1 recipe béchamel sauce using 4 cups milkFreshly grated Parmigiano or Grana Padano cheese

Once you ready the component parts of this recipe, it is assembled like normal lasagna. I find that with homemade pasta, it is unnecessary to first boil the pasta if you leave your tRead More...

Frittata al Radicchio

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:00:00 +0100

2 heads radicchio, grilled and chopped½ medium onion, diced3 Tbsp olive oil4 eggs, beaten with salt and pepper¼ cup plain white breadcrumbs (optional)Balsamic vinegar

Heat the oil in your preferred omelet pan. Add the onion and sauté gently until golden. Add the radicchio and toss. Pour in the eggs (whisked with the breadcrumbs if using) and cook over medium heat until the bottom is set. Find a plate about the size of your pan. Place the plate snugly over the frittata and Read More...

The End of the Season

Caroline Pam — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 19:19:56 +0100

The End of the Season

The end of the season is always a slightly melancholy time. Fields and beds are cleared out and there's no new planting to replace them. Plants that have yielded faithfully slow their pace. Gone is the time for lush, exuberant growth. There is a perceptible turning inward as the plants begin to horde their energy and attempt, foolishly, to wait it out, looking more ragged with each successive frost. One by one the last tasks of the season are completed: spent crops harrowRead More...

CSA Share 10/27/09

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 19:00:00 +0100

1 lb Broccoli
1 bunch Tuscan Kale (Enterprise Farm)
1 bunch Hakurei Turnips
1 bunch Yellow Carrots
2 lbs Yellow Onions
1 Red Leaf Lettuce
1/2 lb Spinach
1 1/2 lbs Bok Choy
2 lbs Mixed Heirloom Apples: Northern Spy, Baldwin, Davey, Greening (Clarkdale Fruit Farms)

Pizzoccheri (Alpine Buckwheat Pasta)

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 18:00:00 +0100

This recipe is adapted from Cooking by Hand by Paul Bertolli. We have a little Italian hand-crank mill or mulino we like to use to make flour from buckwheat groats. This recipe serves 8 so feel free to cut it in half.

2/3 cup buckwheat flour 1 1/2 cups extra-fancy semolina flour 2 eggs 5 teaspoons salt 2 large or three medium boiling potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/8 -inch thick 1/2 large head savoy cabbage, separated and torn into pieces 7 tablespoons butter 8 to 10 sage leaves 1 gaRead More...

2010 C.S.A. Distribution Points

Caroline Pam — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 19:18:05 +0100

We have lined up most of our pick-up points for next year's farm share. Tuesday pick-up will be available at our stall at the "Springfield at the X" farmers' market in the Forest Park section of Springfield. In Northampton, you can also pick it up at River Valley Market on Tuesdays. Friday pick-up will be in Amherst at Wheatberry bakery. We are trying to work out a Greenfield point for Friday as well. LetRead More...

CSA Share 10/20/09

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 14:00:00 +0100

1 head Broccoli2 lbs Golden Potatoes2 lbs Carrots1 lb Purple Top Turnips1 bunch Leeks1 bulb Fennel1 bunch Dill1 bunch Collard Greens2 heads Lettuce1 1/2 lbs Macoun Apples (Clarkdale Fruit Farms)1 Pie Pumpkin (Atlas Farm)

Moroccan Lamb Stew

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 13:00:00 +0100

2 lbs lamb stew meatVegetable oilCarrots, potatoes, turnips, onions1 tsp ground cumin2 tsp ground coriander1 tsp paprika1/2 tsp ground black pepperPinch of cinnamon & red pepper3-4 cups water or beef stock

Cut the vegetables into large (2-3”) chunks or wedges. Brown the meat in the oil over medium-high heat in a heavy Dutch oven or stew pot. When brown on all sides, remove from pan and set aside. Sauté the vegetables in the fat that remains for about 5 minutes. Add the mRead More...

Portuguese Kale Soup

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 12:00:00 +0100

This is a simple soup eaten daily in Portugal in infinite versions. There seems to be a Cape Cod Portuguese-American version as that contains beans and a different type of sausage, linguiça. Either way, the combination of rich potato broth, deep hearty greens and salty pork is perfect for those cold rainy fall nights. Try it with a wine from the Douro region!

1 medium onion, chopped2 cloves garlRead More...