Tales from the Market Part 1: From Farm to Fork

There is a phrase that has been circulating in the food circles for a while now.  It is popular with chefs, trendy restaurants and even foodies.  You may have heard it before.  That phrase is "from farm to fork".  The first time I heard it was back in 2008 when the chef I worked for assigned me to the gourmet salad station.  But what does this phrase mean?  It is quite elegant in its simplicity.  The phrase simply reflects that the food one consumes goes directly from the farm where it was produced/grown/harvested to the plate of the person eating it with little to no go betweens.  This is a nice idea in theory, in practice it is much harder to achieve.  What I mean to say is that not many people (including chefs) have a direct line to farm to get the food they want.  A good way to get that connection is via a local farmer's market.  At a good quality farmer's market you will find a variety of vendors that can satisfy your need for a local connection to your food.

Last week I had the pleasure and privilege of being taken to the Rice University Farmer's Market by Rice Dining where I had the opportunity to speak and interact with several vendors there.   This was not my first time here, but this was my first time to really explore and see just what the market had to offer.  One of the first vendors we talked to was Chef Chandler Rothbard from Animal Farm Center.  We chatted about what produce he had brought with him as well as what Animal Farm was all about.  I, along with other chefs from work, were able to procure some choice produce. We got some beautiful watermelon radishes as well as some edible flowers.  I personally got some Swiss chard, green onions and some cremini mushrooms. 

From left to right: Watermelon Radishes, Romanesco, Broccoli, Cremini Mushrooms.

 

Me with Chef Chandler and our haul.

Right next to the Animal Farm stand was one from Shiner Pork and Beef.  I decided to see what they had to offer and maybe pick something up.  At first I wanted some delicious pork belly, but all that they had brought was already accounted for.  I tried bacon next, but it was the same situation.  Fortunately they did have some ground pork for sale, so I snatched up a package.

Cooler for of deliciousness.

Ground pork I was able to get.

I spoke to several other vendors including Patrick Bierschwale from Katerra Exotics, Jim from Jim's World of Worms and someone from Angela's Oven.  They were all very pleasant and very knowlegable about their particular products.  Patrick informed me of how they raise their animals, the bison in particular.  Jim provides sprouts for several of the chefs on campus and I learn about the sprouts themselves.  During my time at the farmer's market I also tried kombucha for the first time from 3rd Coast Kombucha  and even had a delicious lavender lemonade from Ripe Cuisine.

Bread from Angela's Oven

Here are a couple of things to keep in mind when visiting a farmer's market.  You can't go to one with a super market or recipe mentality.  What I mean by that is that farmer's markets don't have a specific set of things that will always be for sale that day.  The thing they sell are often seasonal and dependent on many other factors.  So if you are looking for something very specific there might be a chance it is unavailable.  Keep an open mind and maintain flexibility.  It is better if you let the market dictate what you want to purchase and therefore, what you want to create.

Next, take advantage of the people selling you their wares.  More often than not they had a direct hand in growing, making, cultivating what is in front of you.  Don't be shy and ask questions.  They probably relish the opportunity to talk to someone about what they have.  Be adventurous and try new things.  If you don't know what something is or what to do with it, don't hesitate to ask.  This ties back into my previous point.  Don't be afraid of stepping out of your comfort zone.

Lastly, be prepared to spend a little money.  I will say this, as awesome as farmer's markets are, they are not cheap.  Most of the vendors don't have the luxury of mass producing what they are selling.  That means they have quality premium stuff, but it also means you have to pay a little more than what you might normally be accustomed to.  While a farmer's market might not be an every week shopping trip for everyone, the every once in a while splurge is totally worth it. Houston has several markets throughout the city.  Go out there and experience one.   After all its the only real way to experience the "farm to fork"!

The Incredible Eddible Egg..plant

Common Eggplant

I used to think that I was not a big fan of eggplant.  I used to think that I did not like the taste and that eggplant was one of those vegetables that only vegetarians and hippies ate.  Like most things I did not like to eat it was only I had never experienced them prepared well.  It was not until I shared a meal at a Chinese restaurant that I experienced eggplant in a way that I not only liked, but loved.  The dish was simply Japanese eggplant stir-fried with the "chef's special sauce".  I tried the dish if only for curiosity sake and my life has not been the same since.  While the sauce of the dish was a large portion, I fell in love with eggplant itself.  It was soft and almost creamy with an earthy flavor to it and non of the bitterness that I usually thought accompanied eggplant.

So what exactly is an eggplant?  The eggplant, also known as an aubergine, is a fruit (technically a berry) that is consumed like a vegetable that comes from a plant originating in India.  The eggplant has been known to Asia for over two millennia and been cultivated in China since 500 B.C.  Arabs and Persians introduced it to Africa before the middle ages and it was from there that the eggplant was brought to Italy around the 14th century.  The first varieties of eggplant were so bitter that Europeans initially thought it caused insanity and kept it mainly for its ornamental purposes.  Only after years of cultivation and selective breeding has the eggplant improved in flavor.

Japanese, white and common Western Eggplants

 

There are multiple varieties of eggplants.

There are many different varieties of eggplant with Asian and western being the most commonly available.  Asian varieties are either long and thin or round with skin colors ranging from creamy white to deep purple.  Western eggplants, the more common one in the US, are shaped like a like a big pear with shiny lavender to purple-black skin.  The eggplant grows on a three foot high plant that bears purple-blue flowers.  The yellowish flesh of the eggplant is dense and spongy with a bland flavor that absorbs other flavors well.  Eggplants contain small brown seeds that are edible. The skin is also edible, but can be quite bitter in certain varieties.  Younger and smaller eggplants have less seeds and tend to have skin that is more tender and less bitter.

Eggplant flower

In order to choose a good eggplant look for one that is plump, firm, and heavy. It should be free of blemishes with smooth shiny skin.  Fruits with wrinkled or spotted skin are likely to be old and bitter tasting.  Press the skin lightly to check for ripeness.  If the imprint remains, then the fruit is ready.  Asian eggplants tend to softer than western ones.  Eggplants are available all year long, but their peak season is during the late summer. 

Now that you know what an eggplant is and how to pick one, what do you do with it?  Eggplants are wonderfully versatile and lend themselves to all manner of dishes and cooking methods.  Eggplant can be grilled, baked,stuffed, au gratin, purred, steamed, fried, or sauteed.  It is delicious hot or cold and makes a wonderful addition to any dish or serve as the main ingredient.  Eggplant plays a pivotal role in Asian and Mediterranean cuisines where it is often paired with tomatoes, garlic, and olive oil.  Some of the more commonly known eggplant dishes are moussaka, ratatouille, baba ganoush and eggplant Parmesan.

Eggplant Hors D'oeuvres

Stuffed Eggplant

Whole Eggplant Being Grilled

Moussaka

Roasted Eggplant

When preparing your eggplant is is important to keep in mind that the flesh of the fruit quickly discolors when cut.  Cooking it soon after it is cut or sprinkling it with lemon juice will help avoid that.  If the eggplant is large sprinkling the pieces  with salt and letting it sit for at least thirty minutes will help draw out some of the moisture from it as well as some of the bitterness.  This process also helps to keep the eggplant from absorbing too much oil during the cooking process.  Soaking the fruit in water will also draw out some of the bitterness as well as peeling it since most of the bitterness is concentrated just under the skin. 

Sliced Eggplant Being "Salted"

Eggplant bruises easily so it should be handled carefully.  It is also sensitive to temperature fluctuations.  Fresh eggplants should be stored in a perforated plastic bag in the refrigerator where they will keep for about a week.

Hopefully this post inspires someone who has not had or has not prepared eggplant to get adventurous with this versatile fruit/vegetable.  Not only is it delicious, it is good for you.  So get out there and try the incredible, edible, eggplant!

July Fourth: What Would George Washington Eat?

Tomorrow people around the country will celebrating the anniversary of the USA's birth as a country.  In today's culinary tradition many of these good folks will fire up their grills and cook up the grilling season's standards such as burgers or hot dogs.  For the more "adventurous" types some chicken or even sausages might find their way onto the grill.  I myself will be cooking up some tasty fajitas.  But have you ever stopped to consider what food was consumed during the pre-colonial and post independence United States?  The stuff they ate was very different than the out door feasts we have now.

Food back then was quite varied.  Just like now region played a part in what you were eating.  However, there were some common threads throughout the colonies and subsequent young country.  To start off with meat was used to supplement meals than as a main feature.  Meat was either expensive or had to be hunted.  Large cuts of meat in were usually reserved for special occasions and large parties.  Some of the most common meats came from wild game such as venison or other small woodland creatures. One affect of the revolutionary war was that cattle raising had begun on a small scale during the French-Indian War, but when the American Revolution came, farmers were able to increase their cattle holdings and increase the presence of beef in the American diet. Turkey was a plentiful and popular mainstay in colonial America. It was a free and easy source of food for the colonials since they roamed wild in the forests. It was so beloved by Benjamin Franklin that he wanted to make it a national symbol! 

Seafood was another popular source of protein.  Given the access to bodies of water, both fresh and saltwater, it is easy to see how seafood of all types was enjoyed.  One of the most popular items was oysters.  They were so plentiful that some streets were paved in oyster shells.  Martha Washington's cookbook included multiple recipes for oysters.  Trout and salmon were other mainstays of the colonial culinary palate.  Fish was abundant and could be obtained from the rivers and oceans found in the country.  Fishing in areas used for salt water fishing became dangerous during the war. That coupled with the fact that many of the boats used to fish were put towards the war effort caused these areas to be unused.  Before the war, there was often talk about the excess of lobsters and cod off the shores of New England. However after the war most fishermen found that they had migrated away from these areas.  Even with all these problems seafood stayed as a staple of the new United States' diet.

Farming in the colonies varied by region.  The middle colonies were known as the breadbasket colonies since they grew mainly grains such as wheat, barley, oats, rye, and corn.  They also raised crops such as pumpkins, squash, and beans.  In the south they developed large plantations exporting corn, vegetables, grains, fruit, and livestock to the other colonies for food.  The  northern colonies produced number of vegetables were grown in the northern colonies, including turnips, onions, cabbage, carrots, and parsnips, along with pulses and legumes. These vegetables stored well through the colder months. Farming in New England for crops like wheat was impractical due to the poor soil. One of the most popular vegetables grown was green beans since it was also one of the easiest and sturdiest to grow.  Thomas Jefferson mentions growing them several times in his "Garden Book".  What is curious is that even with all these crops, colonial Americans did not enjoy eating raw veggies.  They preferred them boiled.

Fruits were also common amongst the colonials.  Especially popular were apples and cherries.  Apples were plentiful and grew in most regions.  Both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson cultivated cherry tree orchards. Fruits were grown seasonally so in order to eat these fruits out of season they were preserved as jams, sweetmeats, or just dried.  

Desserts were an important part of any colonial meal.  They gave an extra bit of calories in the form of sugar and fat.  One popular dessert was fruit pies.  Not only were pies a dessert, but they also were a manner of preserving fruits.  Another common dessert was the pound cake. Nearly every cookbook in colonial America had a recipe for pound cake. It was a simple and long-lasting cake, which made it a great option for dessert.

As far as drink options went in colonial America, there were quite a few.  The one thing missing was plain water as it was often times considered unsafe to drink.  Instead colonial Americans enjoyed things such as coffee, tea, rum, whiskey, cider and beer.  Hard apple cider was the most readily available and cheapest option.  It was easier to make than anything else and was often produced locally.  A farmer could even produce it for his own consumption.  Beer, however, was also quite popular.  Beer was such an important consumable to Americans that they would closely watch the stocks of barley held by farmers to ensure quality beer production. John Adams in letters to his wife Abigail asks about the barley crops to ensure enough for the production of beer.  Even George Washington was known to brew his own beer.  Hops, essential to production of beer, did not grow well in the colonies. It only grew wild in the New World, and needed to be imported from England and elsewhere. Even children drank small beer.

There you have it.  A small sampling of what may have been eaten during that very first Fourth of July! Its a far cry from the backyard cuisine of today. Maybe next year I will have roasted turkey with boiled green beans, a nice pint of beer and a slice of cherry pie.  On second thought, maybe not!