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| New Hartford Farmers Market Recipes Each week at the Farmers Market, Chef John Scopino utilizes many of the fresh ingredients available to create tasty, simple and fresh meal ideas. Stop by to talk with John about cooking FRESH! John Scopino is a Professional Chef, available for catering. He is available to provide personal chef services in your home. You can contact Chef Scopino directly at 860 690 8579
August 1, 2008
Zucchini/Squash Carbonara
Carbonara is a classic pasta sauce made with cream, bacon and Parmesan and is absolutely delicious. Try to buy the best ingredients you can, as that’s what really helps to make this dish amazing. When it comes to the type of pasta, you can serve carbonara with penne, spaghetti or linguine. You can also serve the zucchini and bacon over pizza or salad. ingredients • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper • 6 baby green zucchini or yellow squash ( all area farms!) • penne • 4 large free-range or organic egg yolks ( www.marwinfarm.com) • ½ cup double cream • 2 good handfuls of freshly grated Parmesan cheese • olive oil • 12 thick slices of bacon, cut into chunks ( www.eaglewoodgourmetfood.com) • a small bunch of fresh thyme, leaves picked and chopped, flowers reserved (if you can get hold of flowering thyme) directions Put a large pan of salted water on to boil. Halve and then quarter any larger zucchinis lengthways. Slice the zucchinis at an angle into pieces roughly the same size and shape as the penne. Smaller zucchinis can simply be sliced finely. Add the penne to the pan and cook according to the packet instructions. To make your creamy carbonara sauce, put the egg yolks into a bowl, add the cream and half the Parmesan, and mix together with a fork. Season lightly and put to one side. Heat a very large frying pan, add a good splash of olive oil and fry the bacon until dark brown and crisp. Add the zucchini slices and 2 big pinches of black pepper, not just to season but to give it a bit of a kick. Sprinkle in the thyme leaves, give everything a stir, so the zucchinis become coated with all the lovely bacon-flavored oil, and fry until they start to turn lightly golden and have softened slightly. It’s very important to get this next bit right or your carbonara could end up ruined. You need to work quickly. When the pasta is cooked, drain it, reserving a little of the cooking water. Immediately, toss the pasta in the pan with the zucchinis, bacon and lovely flavors, then remove from the heat and add a ladleful of the reserved cooking water and your creamy sauce. Stir together quickly. Toss the pasta and sprinkle in the rest of the Parmesan and a little more of the cooking water if needed to give you a silky and shiny sauce. August 8, 2008
No Bake Pizzas Flour Tortillas Extra Virgin Olive Oil Salt and Pepper Fresh Tomatoes* Fresh Basil* Pecorino Romano Cheese Fresh Mozzarella* Rub tortilla in Olive Oil, place in a large saute pan on medium-high, press down with lid from another pan for about 30 seconds and flip when tortilla is lightly browned. Repeat on other side. Chop tomatoes and basil, grate romano cheese. When tortilla is browned on both sides top with tomatoes & basil. Add a few dollops of fresh mozz and sprinkle with grated romano. Cut into pizza shaped wedges and enjoy. *On Friday night, the Chef started with this classic culinary trio (tomato, basil, mozz) but also made pizzas with more fresh ingredients from the market: Goat cheese, maple syrup & sauteed pears. Sauteed peppers, onions and romano. Sauteed Swiss chard, basil & romano. Sauteed yellow squash & onions with romano. You get the idea?? August 15, 2008
Vegetable Tempura is a great way to use farm fresh vegetables in a new way. It is a way to demonstrate that with a little bit of practice deep frying can be not only easy but also virtually fat free. It is also a great way to get kids to eat their vegetables!! Feel free to experiment with different produce that is available and as always fresh ingredients are best. Basic Tempura mixture: - 2 ¼ cups ice cold water
- 9 oz tempura flour (This is available in the Asian section of most supermarkets)
- Various vegetables cut into ¼ inch thick slices
For example: Zucchini, yellow squash, leeks, eggplant, sweet potato, etc. Directions 1. Add tempura flour to jug of ice cold water (Never add the water to the flour) 2. Gently whisk the ingredients together so that the batter has the consistency of pancake batter. The air bubbles and lumps of flour will help make the tempura crisp. 3. Dust all the ingredients in all-purpose flour. This will ensure an even coating of batter. 4. Heat the oil to 360F in a heavy duty or cast iron pan or deep-fryer. Dip the ingredients in the cold batter. Use tongs to transfer each piece quickly to the hot oil, gently moving the tempura back and forwards in the oil before letting it go to stop it from dropping to the base of the pan. 5. Never fry more than 6 pieces at a time. This ensures that the temperature of the oil does not drop significantly when you add the ingredients. It also helps prevent the tempura from sticking together. 6. Leave the cooked tempura to drain on sheets of paper towel then season with sea salt before serving. 7. Serve with various Asian dipping sauces. August 22, 2008
Well, we had a pretty wild electrical storm last week! The tempura was well received so we decided to run it again this week. I'm adding the recipe for the Asian Slaw that goes so well with the tempura. All the veggies in it are common in Connecticut Gardens. ENJOY! 1 Head Red Cabbage, shredded 3 Leeks, thinly sliced 1 Red Pepper, thinly sliced 1 Carrot, thinly sliced 2 TBS Local Honey 2 TBS Hoisen Sauce (located in the Asian section of your supermarket) 2 oz. Rice Wine Vinegar (Asian section) 6 oz. Sesame Oil (Asian Section) Minced Garlic to taste Minced Ginger to taste Salt & Pepper to taste Sesame seeds to taste Prepare the veggies and toss in a bowl with dressing, finish with sesame seeds. August 29, 2008
These are 3 great simple recipes for using farm fresh fruits and vegetables. Salsas aren't just for serving with chips anymore. Top your favorite fish or meat with a fresh salsa and watch the crowd go wild! Gazapacho Salsa 6 TBS. extra virgin olive oil 2 TBS Sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 TBS smoked paprika 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt 3/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper 3 medium tomatoes, cored, seeded and cut into 1/4 inch cubes 3/4 cup coarsely chopped pitted Kalamata olives 1/2 red bell pepper, cut into 1/4 inch chunks 1/2 yellow pepper, cut into 1/4 inch chunks 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion 3 TBS chopped fresh Italian parsley Whisk oil, vinegar, garlic, paprika, salt and pepper in a bowl. Add all remaining ingredients and toss to coat. Lemon-Lime, Corn and Jalapeno Relish 2 limes 1 lemon 1 cup fresh corn kernals (cut from 2 ears) 4 jalapenos, seeded and finely chopped 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 3/4 tsp. kosher salt Using a vegetable peeler, remove peel in strips from limes and lemon. Cut peel into 1 x 1/8 inch strips. Place in medium bowl. Squeeze enough juice from limes and lemon to measure 2 tablespooons lime and 2 tablespoons lemon. Add to bowl. Add corn kernals, jalapenos, oil and salt. Stir to blend. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours to allow the flavors to blend. Can be made up to 1 day ahead. Keep chilled. Bring relish to room temp before serving. Fresh Stone Fruit Chutney 2 large firm, ripe peaches or nectarines, halved, pitted and thinly sliced 2 small firm, ripe apricots or plums, halved, pitted and thinly sliced 1 cup quartered pitted cherries 6 TBS sugar 3 TBS white balsamic vinegar 1/2 tsp garam masala (an Indian spice mixture Combine all fruit in medium bowl, add sugar, vinegar and garam masala; toss gently. Let stand 1 hour at room temp to allow juices to form and to blend flavors, tossing occasionally. September 5, 2008
Don't let the words "deep fried" scare you! It is very easy to deep fry at home with fantastic results. Zucchini & Corn Fritters Makes approximately 50 fritters 2 eggs 1 cup fresh corn 1/2 red pepper, diced 1/2 red onion, diced 1/2 zucchini, diced 1/2 tsp. chili pepper 1/2 TBS garlic 1/2 c. cilantro 1 1/2 oz. lemon juice 3/4 c. flour, 1 1/2 TBS baking powder Mix together all ingredients except last two. Add flour & baking powder to the mixture very slowly. Let batter stand in refrigerator for at least 1 hour (you can make batter ahead and let sit, covered, overnight in the fridge if needed). When you're ready to serve, heat 3" of canola oil (in deep dish or home fryer) to 350 degrees. Drop in batter in rounded spoonfuls. Fry till golden brown. Blot on paper towel & serve immediately. Apricot Horseradish Dippin' Sauce Equal parts Apricot Jam mixed with Horseradish. Add a little lime juice to taste. Apple Fritters 1 Egg 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 1 TBS sugar 3 TBS flour 3 apples Confectioners sugar Mix together first four ingredients. Slice apples into thin wedges or discs. Coat apples in batter, deep fry at 350 degrees till golden brown. Blot on paper towl and sprinkle with confectioners sugar. Serve immediately. September 12, 2008
The weather is changing and so are the recipes. Stay connected to the seasons by shopping for what's in season & local before you plan your menus! Save the aspargus for next spring. Enjoy the bounty of late summer while it lasts. Butternut Squash Ravioli Ingredients 1 small to medium butternut squash (about 2 1/2 pounds)
2 tablespoons dark molasses
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup mascarpone cheese
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Gray salt and freshly ground pepper
Ravioli dough or 3/4 pound sheet pasta purchased from local Italian delicatessen
Flour, for dusting board
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Cut squash in 1/2 and scrape out seeds. Spread 1 tablespoon molasses in the cavity. Season with salt and pepper. Place cut side down on a roasting pan. Cook in the oven until very soft, about 1 hour. Let cool to room temperature and scoop out flesh into the work bowl of a food processor. Puree squash until smooth, then spread on a baking sheet and return to the 375 degree oven to dry, about 10 minutes. The consistency will be like mashed potatoes. Scrape into a large mixing bowl. Heat the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat until it begins to brown. Immediately remove from heat and add remaining 1 tablespoon molasses and all the vinegar. Add to squash with mascarpone, Parmesan, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper and mix well. The recipe can be made ahead to this point (makes 2 cups filling,) Cover well and refrigerate 4 hours or up to 2 days. To fill the raviolis: Lay out a sheet of pasta dough on a lightly floured board. Cut into circles with a 3 1/2 inch pastry cutter. Put 1 tablespoon squash filling in the center of 1/2 the rounds using either a pastry bag or a small spoon. Leave a 1/2-inch border all around the filling. Moisten borders with water and top with remaining rounds of dough. Press all the air out and seal firmly by pressing all around with fingertips. Lay raviolis out to dry on a lightly floured board or baking sheet and lightly flour the tops. Repeat until you run out of dough and/or filling. To cook, boil in lightly salted water until tender, about 3 minutes. Reserve 2 ounces of the cooking water. Uncooked, filled raviolis may be used immediately or frozen for 2 months. Lay them out on sheet pans and place in freezer until frozen. Transfer to plastic bag. Serve with Sage compound butter & fresh grated Romano cheese. September 19, 2008
It was a cool afternoon on the Green this week. Luckily, our Chef chose a great treat which uses the FRESH ingredients of the season and kept us all warm! Corn and Bacon Chowder Ingredients 3 cups whole milk 3 ears of fresh corn, kernels cut from cobs, cobs broken in half and reserved 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter 1 large onion, chopped 1 large carrot, peeled, thinly sliced 1 celery stalk, thinly sliced 1 garlic clove, pressed 2 cups water 2 large fresh thyme sprigs 2 fresh rosemary sprigs 1 bay leaf Ground white pepper Garnish 2 thick bacon slices, diced 1/3 cup fresh corn kernels cut from about ½ ear of corn 1 green onion, thinly sliced Pinch of cayenne pepper Crème Fraiche
Soup Bring milk and corncob halves just to boil in heavy medium pot. Remove from heat, cover, and let steep while sautéing vegetables. Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; sprinkle with salt and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes (do not let onion brown). Add corn kernels, carrot, celery, and garlic; cook until vegetables are soft, stirring frequently, about 10 mins. Add 2 cups water, herb sprigs, bay leaf and milk with corncobs. Increase heat and bring to boil. Cover partially, reduce heat to low, and simmer 20 minutes to blend flavors. Discard cornconbs, herb springs and bay leaf. Cool soup slightly. Working in batches, puree soup in blender until very smooth. Strain into large bowl, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Season soup to taste with salt and white pepper. Garnish Cook bacon in small skillet over medium heat until crisp. Using slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain. Transfer to small bowl, Mix in corn, green onion and pinch of cayenne. Rewarm soup over medium heat. Divide amount bowls. Sprinkle garnish over; drizzle with crème fraiche and serve.
Though the excact recipes are not availible at this time I can briefly sum up some of our recipes We have had a corn cob chowder with chive garnish and tempora vegies. Goat Cheese Lolipops- 1) Take cherry tomatoes and slice in half 2) Use a melon baller or spoon and remove the insides
3) Stuff with goat cheese (chevre) and put on a cabob stick 4) Dip in olive oil, then a mixture of basil, chives, salt, and pepper 5) Put standing up in a tall narrow class for best presentaion | |
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