Are cookbooks behind the times?

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 19:40:31 -0600

Cooking apps can save someone’s bacon and are earning their keep in lots of kitchens.

Cooking, which involves all of one’s senses is a good fit with using a tablet as part of your kitchen tool set. For the home cook, a bevy of recipes are right there in one place at your fingertips on the tablet, while also offering videos for tutorials and techniques. By doing a simple search, the apps can save the time of looking through a pile of books or a recipe box. For some though, the leafing through the pages and inspiration gleaned from physical cookbooks might never be replaced by apps.

Here are a few of the cooking apps for tablets: Cooking with Dorie, How to Cook Everything + The Professional Chef.

A slight reprieve for some turkeys

Wed, 9 Nov 2011 06:50:09 -0600

One of our vendors, Peeler Farms, sent out an email earlier this week letting customers, who had pre-ordered turkeys for Thanksgiving, know that their turkeys won’t be ready in time.

Peeler Farms has been raising Standard Bronze turkeys, which are pasture raised and supplemented with feed. Due to the breed and drought we experienced here in Texas, the turkeys are smaller and leaner than they should be at this time. They do not pen their turkeys, which causes them to burn more calories as they forage farther for food, during the day.

Peeler Farms takes great pride in what they sell - as their family name is on every bird and egg they sell. While they realize the delay might be an issue, they have offered to keep the turkeys a few extra weeks, allowing them to get a little larger and to be ready in time for Christmas dinner.

Prices at farmers’ markets better?

Wed, 2 Nov 2011 06:18:34 -0500

An interesting study was released earlier this year which compared prices at farmers’ markets versus supermarkets.

The study was done Jake Robert Claro - a graduate student at Bard College. His finding was that competition was helping to make prices more competitive at farmers’ markets. He also found that organic items at farmers’ markets were nearly 40% less expensive than they were at nearby supermarkets.

To read the Politics of the Plate article by Barry Estabrook, click here.

Pumpkin prices getting scary

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 19:57:20 -0500

Jack-o’-lanterns can be scary enough, but this year the prices are scary as well.

The ’11 pumpkin season was hit with excessive heat & rain in the pumpkin growing areas, which is resulting in inconsistent quality and higher prices.

Maryland is one of the states that grow pie pumpkins and their prices are 60% higher than a year ago.

Popcorn minus the chemicals - if you can get your hands on some

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 06:54:35 -0500

Their tag line reads: “organic corn non-gmo pure ingredients distinctively sweet savory and salty microwave popcorn reinvented”. They got their initial funding through Kickstarter to produce eco-friendly, organic + gourmet popcorn.

It was the idea of a couple that wanted an alternative to ingredients and additives in microwave popcorn. One of things they wanted to change was the pouches which are used by other microwave popcorn companies, which are treated with compounds (like perfluoro-octanoic). These compounds keep the bag from absorbing grease and increases the amount of corn that pops.

Quinn popcorn uses organic ingredients and a food-grade parchment paper bag, eliminating those additives. Quinn’s popcorn is popped and then the oil and seasoning mixture is added in. They have three types of seasoning mixtures: lemon + sea salt, parmesan + rosemary and vermont maple + sea salt.

It was named after their baby son + you can read more about their story if you click through here.

Fall Farmers Market Opens Thursday

Wed, 5 Oct 2011 06:29:12 -0500

The Fredericksburg Farmers Market is partnering with the Pioneer Museum for our Fall Farmers Market, which will be held on the grounds of the Pioneer Museum.

Most of the same vendors that have been with us for the past several years will be there, as well as a few new faces. One of the benefits of the fall market and the cooler weather is that the vendors will also be able to offer some varying produce than they can during the summer months.

Just as usual, there will be prepared food to stay and eat at the market or to take home for dinner.

We’ll be at 325 West Main Street, from 4 - 6 PM, starting this Thursday through November 17th.

Ways you can help

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 07:00:11 -0500

Farmers and ranchers in Central Texas have had a rough time of it this year, with our lack of rain and the fires in Bastrop a few weeks ago - both adversely affecting their livelihood.

If you would like to help, there are two organizations that are taking donations to help those in need - TOFGA and Urban Harvest - click on the links to read further about their efforts.

Another way to sustain our farmers through these tough times, is to continue to support them by buying their products. Our Fall Market will start on October 6th and will be at Pioneer Museum, running through November 17th.

photo courtesy of Jerry Lara & My SA

Trends in food

Wed, 14 Sep 2011 20:00:28 -0500

There’s a great food blog called The Sweet Beet - it’s tag is know what you eat. The blog is deemed one of the finalists for Saveur’s Best Food Blog + also a 2011 nominee of The Webby Awards. Last week they wrote about food trends - in their opinion - here’s the short list:

Trends on the rise
* Gluten-free
* Local
* Elevation of Veggies
* Honey as the New Agave
* Minimizing Grains/Starches
* Juice Cleanses
* Embracing Saturated Fats

Trends on the wane
* Bacon in everything
* Paleo diet
* Nose to Tail
* Organic
* Vegan
* Lactose Free

To read their blog from September 6th in more detail, click on The Sweet Beat.

Back to school lunches

Wed, 7 Sep 2011 06:50:34 -0500

All over our country, it’s been back to school time over the past few weeks.

There are schools in our nation that have started to make changes in how they prepare food - they’re going back to preparing meals from scratch using whole, fresh foods. They are making efforts to use real foods which translate into using less processed foods and less ingredients for the meals they serve their students.

Part of the hope in this movement is to teach children how to eat again and also hope that this filters back home with those same children.

There is an organization called Cook for America that works with school districts throughout the country and they train the school cooks to prepare food in healthier ways. Their mission is to make school food the solution, not the problem.

Hopefully this is all a movement which is gaining traction.

photo courtesy Kevin Moloney for NY Times

Cooking corn on the cob

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 18:26:18 -0500

Just in time for the last official cookout of the summer - here’s a few hints for some delicious corn on the cob.

Always try to buy corn still in the husk - the husk protects the kernels and keeps them moist. Look for bright green, moist husks, that are snug to the ear of corn. The silks should appear moist + pale in color. The corn should feel plump and somewhat heavy.

Once you get the corn home, it should be placed in the coldest part of your refrigerator, wrapped in plastic, with the husks still intact.

Grilled in the husk or peeled and boiled are two of the best ways to cook corn on the cob. Grilling in the husk takes about 15 minutes over a hot grill fire. Boiling in water should be just long enough to soften the outer skin of each kernel - about 1 - 3 minutes. If you cook corn too long, it can make for flavorless corn. You also want to avoid salting corn until after cooking - there’s some indications which show that salt toughens the outer skins of the kernels and keeps them from softening during cooking.