Happy New Year!!

from all of us… ktc and the farm crew!
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Food Stories and More…

Not to bore you with the details, but the Baldwin family has some pretty strong traditions around the holidays. Having moved to Charleston from Northern California almost six years ago, we continue to travel back there to spend the holiday with our closest family friends. Maria and Diane spend a few blissful days….well….cooking!

Christmas eve, just after mass, we begin our culinary journey with an annual gathering around the big round table to a platter of steamed dungeness crab, freshly harvested from the waters of Bodega Bay. A simple ceasar salad and some good butter are all we need. It could not be more familiar, comforting or delicious. The wine and the stories of all the years together around this wonderful table flow generously as the glow of the season descends upon us. Our blessings are so apparent and our thankfulness is abundant.

This year, Christmas morning was all about donuts! We are about to begin baking for the cafe on Clements Ferry Road, and so the first of many donuts to come were shared by family on Christmas morning. Christmas is a time to pause and indulge in the simple pleasures, and what could be more suitable than a fresh, homemade,
French Toast Old Fashioned Cake Donut!
They were delightful!

(I don’t think I should eat one of these every day….)

Christmas Dinner Menu
Truckee, CA
12/25/2011

Puree of Root Vegetable Soup
turnips, parsnip, carrots, onion and celery in a homemade chicken stock – all from Diane’s CSA from Tierra Farms in Santa Rosa, California. Topped with a small dollop of creme fraiche, chopped dried cranberries and walnuts.

Winter Greens Salad
Radicchio, Escarole, and Spinach with dried cranberries, candied walnuts and roasted beets and red onion. Greens and beets from Diane’s CSA.

Roast Prime Rib of Beef
from a wonderful meat market in Santa Rosa (grass-fed and local), dry rubbed with juniper berry, cracked pepper, sea salt and rosemary.
Served with horseradish and local meyer lemon cream.

Puree of Potato and Parsnip

Simple, Buttered Farm Fresh Carrots

Christmas Coconut Cake
…in honor of my mother who made this traditional dessert every year. I spend Christmas eve baking and grating fresh coconut to make this beautiful cake each year, and when we share it for dessert at our Christmas dinner, we realize we really do get to have our cake and eat it, too!

Christmas is my favorite family food holiday with those I love the most. Thank you for allowing me to share it. God Bless You this season and Happy and Healthy New Year!

• Family (maximum six people): $50
• Individual: $20
• Child: 13 & under: $10
• Free: Two years old and under

(Please, print your receipt for entry to the event)

All proceeds benefit children with disabilities and special needs involved in Adaptive Gardens of the Lowcountry’s horticultural therapy programming.

We look forward to seeing you!

Don’t forget to check out KTC Take Home Meals! KTC Take Home is our line of prepared meals that you can take home, heat in the oven, and eat! Check out the new product category, try one, and let us know what you think! This week we have delicious BBQ pulled beef and Sarah’s special slaw. Pair the two for an awesome, healthy meal on the go!

Easy ideas such as: having a homemade salad dressing that you love prepared at the beginning of the week and ready in the fridge for your delicious evening dinner salads; and then using the same dressing to marinate the chicken thighs or for a luscious yogurt dip for raw veggies.

Health professionals and nutrition scientists now realize that most prepackaged foods that many Americans rely on for at home meals are full of salt, sugar, preservatives and are made from unhealthy products. These foods are contributing to obesity and other medical issues in the US.

We will not let labels such as “low fat, no fat, sugar free or diet” fool you – what matters is the integrity and wholeness of the foods that we eat. We will help you with all the information that is out there (we have already sifted through it). We will show you how to make the best informed decisions for your family’s diet, and guide you to the most professional and up to date information.

Our goal is to help you relax about eating, get back to basics and enjoy food again!

45 minute consultation and kit:

*7 days of menus from breakfast to lunch (don’t worry – you won’t be cooking every meal from scratch – we will include days with leftovers and prepared foods to pick up at Our Local Foods. We want to make your life easier not harder.

*Recipes (easy to follow) for each day – with variations

*What gadgets you need in your kitchen – (fewer than you think)

*Walk through tour of the store with explanation of our foods and our sources

*List of websites and books to read if you choose

*Your kit of menus and recipes will be assembled in an attractive Our Local Foods binder

Complimentary beverage with cheese and fruit sampler will be served during your consultation.

Your consultation with your week of menus and recipes will be customized to your family’s needs and preferences. You will be asked to fill out a brief questionnaire when you schedule in order for us to prepare your individualized consultation.

Call or email for pricing.

Consultations by Jaqueline Gowe

Every year we choose a different town to visit en route in order to show the children the country and make the travels more enjoyable and educational.  Over the years, we have seen many sites: Monticello, Washington DC, Fredericksburg, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York City, Boston, Portland, etc. etc.  Of course, we look forward to seeing our families, but we also relish these side trips as we are interested in history, architecture, art and culture and hope to share our interests with the children.  Ours is not a relaxing vacation by any means.  We rarely visit a beach or an amusement park.  This year our stops included Arlington, Va., Philadelphia, Lancaster, Pa., Boston, and Roanoke, Va.

One major obstacle to enjoying our yearly road trip has always been:  not being able to find decent food along the way.  (needless to say we are not the types to eat at fast food restaurants just because we’re on the road).  Oh my!, did we have a different adventure this year.  Usually we search desperately for something we can eat, travelling far out of the way to do so.   This year, we found a new awakening in the country!  All up and down the east coast, we saw bright, cheerful signs for local Farmer’s Markets.  Good local restaurants were easy to locate and concierges were able to direct us to them.  Billboards on the highway depicted happy farmers, displaying their produce, smiles beaming, leading locals and travelers alike to partake in the local fare and local flavor of the land.  I loved it!  Regional food, seasonal delights, varying all along the coast as we travelled south to north and north to south again.

In Philadelphia, we visited Reading Market that proudly occupies an old train station in the center of the   city since 1892.   The market, almost bankrupt in the 1970’s has seen a great revitalization.  It reminded me of a central market in a European city – bustling customers , local and regional produce, butchers,  bakers, restaurants, cafes, vendors of local wares, honey from local bees, chocolates made on premises – all under one roof.  Reading Market is truly an American market, teeming with local and international fare.  A market where Americans of all ethnicities can proudly display and sell their “gifts”.  How beautiful it is!

On one unbearably hot afternoon in Boston, we noshed on pizza or flat bread topped with an array of local cheeses, vegetables and grass-fed meats, while the children bowled in the fun, friendly, very hip and retro “Flat Bread Co.  at Sacco’s Bowling Haven”.  The local origin of the food was announced with pride on a huge chalkboard entitled “Where on Earth Our Food Comes From”.  We and our Boston friends were able to relax, drink a number of the great offerings of local beers and catch up – while the children played and were well fed.  Heaven in a bowling alley!

The desk clerk at our hotel in Lancaster readily directed us to the lovely restaurant “John J. Jeffries”, featuring local foods and housed in a renovated mill, shared with the very stylish “Arts Hotel”.   One of our favorite dishes was the Johnny Cakes, Fresh Peach Compote, Crispy Pork Belly and Pennsylvania Maple Syrup – aptly named “Crispy Pork Belly Love”.  We did love!   The adults sipped on local Pennsylvanian wines that were really good!  Homemade ice cream followed dinner with delightful flavors such as Singing Dog Vanilla, June Berry and Kallari Single Source Organic Chocolate.

In Roanoke, Virginia we ate at a fantastic restaurant called “Local Roots”. We found “Local Roots” while still on the highway by way of www.tripadvisor.com listings for Roanoke Restaurants under the genre “local”. We told the manager about our adventure and our relationship with local foods in South Carolina and he treated us like long lost friends.  An immediate connection was made – their chef had interned with a famous Charleston chef.  We talked about the restaurant, Roanoke, their small urban gardens, and sources for pork as the chef sent out a sampler of house made charcuterie, house-made ricotta and fried green tomatoes.

We indulged in the fresh Peach Bellini Martini offered by our new friends.  Our meal was more than a meal.  For this family of hungry locavore travelers, it was without a doubt a delicious meal, but it was also a glimpse into the lives of some incredibly dedicated people in another state.  I left feeling buoyed by their kindness, determination and integrity.  Through our interaction, we learned so much about the local movement in Virginia and we got a delicious taste of local color.   When our travels take us to Virginia again we will definitely return to their restaurant and hopefully they will visit us if their travels take them to Charleston.

Next stop was finally – home sweet home – Charleston.   I am always thankful, after a trip, to return home to my own cooking.  I was this year as well; although I did not have that “I never want to eat another meal out” feeling.   These days, I have the added advantage of coming home to Our Local Foods – my family’s source for healthy, local, fresh foods.  Now, with the opening of the retail store, café and kitchen on Clements Ferry Road, even I can take a break from cooking once in a while, knowing I am carrying home delicious, nutritious, locally-sourced, wholesome prepared foods.  It can’t get any better than this!

Lots of news this week…

• Our new “retail café” will be open for business Monday, August 1st! We are located at 1190 Clements Ferry Road, about halfway between Highway 41 and I-526. Great food from the kitchen will be available to both eat in and take home! Shop for your favorite KTC products! Open Monday – Saturday 7:00am to 6:00pm.
• Celebrate Local Shrimp! The McClellanville Seafood businesses have partnered with Our Local Foods to bring the freshest catch to our customers! We are so proud to be a part of the McClellanville community, and especially to help improve access to local seafood on your kitchen table! Look for shrimp, clams, and fresh catch on Kitchen Table Cuisine and in our Retail Café and support local seafood!!
• Kitchen Table Cuisine “Take Home” is “Taking Off”!! This week, Butterbean Cassoulet with Bratwurst and Kale will prove truly satisfying. Allow Sarah to improve the quality of your life by providing a hearty meal that we cook for you, with ingredients of the highest integrity!
• Menu Suggestions from Jacqueline has a new web location. Menu Suggestions will be found here.
• Be sure to “friend” us on facebook for inspiration all week long!

Veggies this week…

span style=”font-size: small;”>Green Beans, Zucchini, Eggplant, Basil, Cherry Tomatoes, Peppers, Onions and Blueberries!!

Hot Sauce How To

Not that there’s any more need for heat this time of year, but the pepper’s are in season! The farm is growing hot poblanos and jalapenos that I just wish I could use all year round, so I do.

Whenever I get a batch of nice hot peppers, I may use a few when I can, but the rest I slice up and place them in a jar filled with some white vinegar. The capsasion leaks into the vinegar and gives me my own homemade hot pepper viengar for the season!

Keep it in your fridge, sealed tight for about 6 weeks. Or “can” it and enjoy it all year!

…Sarah

 

The Rhythm of the Fall Garden

by Maria Baldwin

Our recent days in the garden of harvesting and counting and sorting and packing have taken pause from our CSA season and we have entered those “dog days” of slow but methodical rhythm. Check the rows for tomatoes or okra, deadhead the flowers to encourage more production, take care of those peppers. Stop in the shade to get out of the sun, and drink, drink, drink lots of water. It’s dangerous to be outdoors right now.

Soil samples are taken, amendments are applied, rows are set out straight and seeds are planted in trays in the shade. This week we need to start the cabbage and collards. How are the fall tomatoes, peppers and eggplant doing and are they ready to transplant out? What about the herbs? We need to deadhead and cut back for new tender growth!

Check the seed stock from spring and make sure we have enough of everything for the fall right now! If we don’t have it and there is a delay, it’s not good. The fall frost comes suddenly in early November, and so there’s no room for error in the planting schedule. Timing is everything, as the saying goes. It could not be more true when it comes to the fall garden.

In September, look for tender new squash, beans, cucumbers, tomatoes, eggplant and peppers and more. Hopefully the heat of the summer will ease into a nice fall growing season for us here in the lowcountry we’ll continue to enjoy the “eat local” phenomenon right on through the end of the year!

Our Local Foods opens the Kitchen Table Cuisine Retail Cafe!

Look for the big green chicken!

- Nonstick vegetable oil spray
- 1/2 cup tarragon vinegar
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil plus additional for brushing
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
- 1 medium head of green cabbage, quartered through core
- 1 torpedo onion

Preparation

- Spray grill rack with nonstick spray.
- Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat).
- Whisk vinegar, sugar, 1/2 cup oil, mustard, and tarragon in medium bowl.
- Season dressing with salt and pepper.
- Brush cabbages and green onions with oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Grill cabbages until dark grill marks form, 3 to 4 minutes per side.
- Grill green onions until charred on 1 side, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Transfer vegetables to work surface.
- Chop green onions and cabbages; place in large bowl, discarding cores.
- Add dressing; toss to coat.
- Season slaw to taste with salt and pepper.

Ingredients

- 2 pounds tender young green beans, washed and tipped
- 3 quarts boiling water plus 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 2 large garlic cloves, peeled and minced
- 2/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro (you may substitute basil if you prefer)
- 5 to 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 3 to 4 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

- Cook the beans in the boiling salted water in a large covered saucepan over moderate heat 10 to 12 minutes until tender.
- Meanwhile, place the garlic and coriander in a large heat-proof bowl.
- As soon as the beans are done, drain well, return to moderate heat, and shake the pan 30 to 40 seconds to drive off all excess moisture.
- Dump the hot beans on top of the garlic and coriander and let stand 10 minutes.
- Add 5 tablespoons of the olive oil and toss well to mix
- Cover and marinate in the refrigerator 3 to 4 hours or, better yet, overnight.

Serving

- About 45 minutes before serving, bring the beans from the refrigerator and let stand, still covered, on the counter.
- Just before serving, add the lemon juice, 3 tablespoons of the vinegar, and the pepper.
- Toss well, taste, and add more vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper, if needed.
- Note: it is important to add the lemon and the vinegar after the beans have marinated so as to avoid the beans turning an unappealing color brown
- Serve as an accompaniment to just about anything from grilled chicken to burgers to roasts.