Aquaponic Chef Salad

When was the last time you  had salad for dinner?  No need to wait for Summer.  We have big, luscious heads of aquaponic lettuce grown by A Future Farm in Baldwin WI.  Pair it with some eggs, bacon, blue cheese and tomato, maybe a hearty baguette with Hope Butter and dinner is done.

1 Head Aquaponic Lettuce
2 Sunbarn Eggs – hard boiled
4 oz. Sheppards Way Big Woods Blue Cheese – crumbled
4 slices Lorenz Uncured Pepper Bacon – cooked and crumbled
large handful of Sunvalley Mini Heirloom Tomatoes
The Secret Garden Vinaigrette with Garlic and Olive Oil

Wednesday, February 17th, 2010

Kefir Pancakes

Don’t worry.  It’s not as scary as it sounds.  Kefir is a probiotic beverage akin to buttermilk.  It has 7 live and active cultures, tastes great and comes in a variety of flavors.  Find the highlighted ingredients right here at Local D’lish!

1 c. Plain Helios Kefir (you can use vanilla or strawberry, too)
1 Sun Barn or Callister Farm Egg
1 Tbsp oil
2/3 – 1 c. Whole Grain Milling Flour
1 Tbsp Golden Fig Vanilla Sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

Mix the wet ingredients in a bowl
Mix the dry ingredients in a different bowl
Add the dry to the wet and mix just until blended – a few lumps are ok
Let stand for 10 minutes.  You will see the batter increase in volume.
Make small pancakes! The batter is delicate and hard to flip if the cakes are too large.

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Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Chicken Pot, Chicken Pot, Chicken Pot, Pie

I guarantee that chicken pot pie tastes better on a cold, snowy Minnesota winter day than anywhere, anytime, in one of those unmentionable southern states.  Good ingredients really do make a difference, here.

Ingredients

3 TBSP cup melted Hope butter
1 cup potato, diced
1 cup onion, diced
1 cup celery, diced
1 cup carrot, diced
1/3 cup all-purpose Whole Grain Milling flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup Valley View half-and-half
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup Sno Pac frozen peas
4-5 cups Callister chicken, cooked and chopped
2 pie crusts (either store bought or your own recipe) – keep it cold

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Melt butter in large saute pan

Saute each of the vegetables for 1-2 minutes before adding the next one.  Once they are all in saute another 5 minutes.

Add flour to sauteed mixture, stirring well cook one minute stirring constantly.

Combine broth and half and half.

Gradually stir into vegetable mixture.

Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until thickened and bubbly.

Add peas.

Stir in salt and pepper; add chicken and stir well.

Place one pie crust into deep dish pie pan,  pour in chicken mixture, top with second crust.

Cut slits to allow steam to escape.

Bake for 40-50 minutes or until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly and cooked through.

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Wednesday, February 2, 2010

Crock Pot BBQ Chicken Wings

In the Winter when a good book on the couch sounds better than a day in the kitchen, I turn to the crock pot.  This recipe could not be any easier and the girls love it.  All the ingredients are sold here at Local D’lish!

1-2 lb Callister Chicken Wings
1 thinly sliced yellow onion
1 bottle Lucky’s Bar-B-Que Sauce (Applewood Roasted Jalapeno, Garlic and Honey)

1. Salt and pepper the wings.
2. Coat saute pan w/ a bit of oil and brown wings 3-4 minutes on each side.  Do this in batches, so not to crowd the wings.
3. Spray the crock pot with cooking spray
4. Distribute wings evenly along the bottom
5. Add the onions
6. Pour 3/4 of the BBQ sauce over the wings to coat
7. Cook on high 3-4 hours
8. Add the rest of the BBQ sauce

They can be enjoyed as-is, or shredded and eaten on a bun with a side of cole slaw and beans.

Our next Winter Farmer in the Market is on March 20th, 2010.  Stay tuned for some exciting new projects to be debuted at the next market!

Swimmin' tilapia!

We have just begun carrying Steve’s amazing lettuces here in the store, and they are amazing not only because they look amazing, but because of how they have been grown.  These lettuces have been grown aquaponically – what’s THAT you say?  Well, it is the combination of hydroponics and aquaculture (the raising of fish).  The fish waste in water is an excellent fertilizer for plants, so the water from aquaculture tanks is piped through the lettuce grow beds, which absorb and utilize the fish waste.  Then the cleaned up water is cycled back into the fish tanks.  What a great use of resources!

‘But wait’, you say.. ‘what about the extra energy used to heat a greenhouse in the winter here in this climate?’

Well, Steve has also put forth a creative and resourceful answer to that pesky little problem.  He also has a herd of cattle who produce a lot of waste, which can be used to create a biogas (methane) to be used for heating the greentunnel.

For more information on his operation, check out his website:  www.afuturefarm.com

Amazing Fresh & Local Aquaponically grown lettuces…  Green, Red Leaf and Frilly…. only $3 for a big beautiful head of lettuce.  See the ‘Farmer and Vendor Spotlight’ category for more on this amazing operation over in Baldwin, WI!

Amazing heirloom and other unique varieties of potatoes. From purple to rose, round to oblong.. they are  a sight to behold!  Stop on by and get yourself some fun potatoes for baking, steaming, boiling, making oven fries, etc.  Here are the following varieties we have at the store:

PURPLE MAJESTY

This one is a purple inside and out potato, also bred to be a fry type potato and tastes great baked or boiled. Purple Majesty™ potatoes are loaded with 235 milligrams of anthocyanidins per 148 gram serving (approximately 1.5 potatoes), nearly twice the amount found in any other produce item at a fraction of the cost. Anthocyanidins are a subclass of high-potency antioxidants shown to reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease, lower cholesterol, strengthen the immune system and decrease age-related memory loss.

ALL BLUE

With deep blue skin and flesh that almost appears purple, here is another potato to brighten your table and your favorite potato salad. A family favorite for making awesome French Fries or Oven Fries.

AUSTRIAN CRESCENT

Yellowish-tan smooth skin and light yellow flesh. Aside from excellent salad qualities, they are delicious simply boiled, steamed, or roasted.

FRENCH FINGERLING

A gourmet quality fingerling with satin red skin and yellow flesh with an interior ring of red when cut across. It is said that this fingerling arrived in this ountry during the 1800’s in a horse’s feedbag.

PURPLE PERUVIAN

Purple through and through, small to medium tubers with many eyes. A great conversation piece and a sure fired market potato. Mealiest of the fingerlings, delicious when fried and awesome when roasted.

ROSE FINN APPLE

A rosy colored skin with deep yellow flesh and a waxy, firm texture. A great roasting potato. Delectable flavor and a fine keeper with vigorous vines. Many chefs are finding that these potatoes cooked and pureed lend themselves well as a soup thickener for sauces and gravies.

RUSSIAN BANANA

Developed in he Baltic Region of Europe/Asia and heralded as excellent for salads, it is a favorite among chefs and gourmet markets. Yellow, banana-shaped, waxy-type tubers with firm texture that have wonderful flavor baked, boiled and steamed.