Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Beastie Treats

What do you do with the chicken innerds when you buy a whole chicken? OK, now I have to veer off and tell you a funny story before I tell you what we do with our chicken innerds...
When I was a teenager, maybe 15 years old or so, one day Mom told me to start the chicken in the oven for dinner before she got home. She instructed me to turn the oven on at 325°, wash the chicken, put some salt and pepper on it and put it in the oven...sounds easy, right?
Well, that night while carving the bird, Dad found the innerds still in the package inside the chicken. Mom said, "I told you to clean the chicken!" I replied, "You told me to wash the chicken, and I did...you never told me that I had to look inside!"
Anyway, now on to Beastie Treats...as part of our CSA from JenEhr Farm we get chickens each month and they come with, you guessed it, innerds in a bag. I'm not all that into meat to begin with, but I'm really not into some of the more interesting insides, like heart, gall bladder, liver, etc. I used to throw them out, except for the neck, which always goes into the pot with the carcass to make broth. The neck bones have a good deal of gelatin, which is super healthy, so even though nobody at my house eats the neck bone, we always save it for the broth. The rest of the innerds...we boil them at a slow boil for about 40 minutes, then puree and feed it to the kitties...super healthy, good for their coats and bones and geeze, they love the stuff! So, next time you're going to toss that package of innerds, think about your babies and cook some up for them. Dogs love them too---what animal can't pass up chicken!

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Pumpkin Time!


It's Pumpkin Time! The arrival of the pumpkins signals that delicious time of year when the leaves are turning and fall baking and cooking uses the bounty of the season. Baking with fresh pie pumpkins from the farmer's market couldn't be easier, and inexpensive too. To prepare the pumpkin, wash and dry it, then microwave for 2 minutes to soften it before cutting in half and scooping out the seeds and stringy pulp. Bake for 40 minutes at 350° with the cut side down. When it is cool enough to handle, turn it over and scoop out the meat, then run it through a food processor or mash it by hand before using. Left over pumpkin may be stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or frozen for later use. Depending upon the pumpkin, one pie pumpkin should yield about 2 1/2 to 3 cups of pureed pumpkin. Try this recipe for Pear and Pumpkin Bars--they're great for breakfast!
Pear and Pumpkin Bars
Recipe by Locavore Lisa Lathrop

½ cup butter
¾ cup agave or 1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
¾ cup cooked, pureed pumpkin
1 cup cored, diced pear (about 2 small pears)
1 cup unbleached flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ground cardamom
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground allspice
½ tsp salt

Cream together butter and agave or brown sugar until light and creamy. Add egg and mix well. Add vanilla and pumpkin. Stir together dry ingredients and add to wet mixture, mixing just until incorporated. Fold in pears by hand. Bake in a greased, floured 8-inch square baking pan at 350° for 50-60 minutes if using agave and for 40-50 minutes if using brown sugar. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean when done. Cool on a rack before slicing. Store in the refrigerator if using agave, as baked goods with agave will mold quickly unless refrigerated or frozen.

Note: Agave is an all natural sweetener that is safe for diabetics and others with sugar sensitivities to eat. It comes in a liquid form similar to honey, but is thinner and sweeter.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009


This time of year there always seems to be an abundance of fresh basil to go along with the tomatoes and other yummy fresh veggies in the garden. When bringing home fresh basil from the farmer's market, the best way to store it if you are not planning to use it the same day is to strip the leaves off the bottom 3-4 inches, trim the very bottom of the stems and store it in water just like you would fresh flowers. If the leaves are sitting in the water they will rot, so be sure not to fill the vase, pitcher or glass too full with water, just enough to keep the bottom of the stems wet. They make a lovely addition to your counter or tabletop and will keep several days this way. The ones in the photo have been in the vase for 1 week. Some have even sprouted so I'm going to plant them and see if I can keep them growing indoors...will let you know how that little experiment works out.

Friday, September 11, 2009

Yellow watermelon, sweet and juicy

At the Dane County Farmer's Market recently one of the farmers at Alsum's Sweet Corn (and watermelon) explained that while the yellow watermelons are sweeter and juicier than the traditional pink ones, customers shy away when they find out that it is yellow. The yellow varieties are often smaller than most of the pink watermelons and many are round rather than oblong. Some are "seedless" too. From the outside you cannot tell the difference, in fact the farmers often mark them so they can tell which are which. The flesh of the yellow melons is also smoother and less mealy than the tradiational pink varieties. So, for your next fruit salad, add some color with yellow watermelons! The National Watermelon Promotion Board has some fun recipes to try--who know you could do so many things with watermelon!
Watermelon infused vodka--cut watermelon into small chunks, or scoop out small balls with a melon baller then place in a glass container and cover with vodka. Store in the refrigerator for at least 2 weeks, then make a fun cocktail using the infused vodka. Watch out for the chunks of melon though, they're nearly lethal if you get one in your drink.

Sunday, September 6, 2009

Sauteed chard and pancetta with pasta

Chard and many other greens are abundant this time of year at the Madison-area farmer's markets. Sometimes it is challenging to think of new and interesting ways to use all these nutrition-packed greens. Here's one recipe that's quick and easy to prepare:


Sauteed Chard and Pancetta with Pasta
Ingredients:

  • 1 bunch chard
  • 4 oz pancetta, thinly sliced, cut into 1-inch strips
  • 2-3 cloves chopped garlic
  • 2 Tbsp bacon fat or butter
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • sea salt
  • ¼ cup parmigiano reggiano
  • ½ lb cooked pasta
  • ½ cup reserved pasta water

Directions:

Wash and dry the chard. Remove the leaves from the ribs and cut the ribs into ½ inch pieces. Slice leaves into 1-inch wide strips. In a large sauté pan over medium high heat, melt bacon fat or butter then add pancetta and cook until it starts to get crispy. Add olive oil, garlic and chard ribs and cook until the chard ribs are just tender, about 3-5 minutes. Add chard and season with salt. Saute, stirring frequently until chard is just wilted, then drizzle with balsamic vinegar and add reserved pasta water. Allow the pasta water to reduce for 1-2 minutes then stir in the pasta, top with parmigiano reggiano and serve with your favorite bread and wine.

Serves 2




I'm on Examiner.com

I am now the Madison Farmer's Market Examiner for Examiner.com. It is a new website with all sorts of topics written by locals. I found out about it while researching online writing opportunities and applied and was accepted. I'll still write Beast's Kitchen, but the content will be a little different than what I write on Examiner.com. So, check it out and follow me there too!

Saturday, September 5, 2009

Chocolate Chase

Who doesn't love chocolate? OK, of course not everyone does, but when I found out there was a charity bike ride with chocolate involved I signed up myself and Tim for a morning of exercise and chocolate! Today was the Chocolate Chase, sponsored by TREK, and a fundraiser for Team Survivor Madison, an organization dedicated to providing exercise, education and recreational activities for women who have or have had cancer. It was for us a fairly reasonable distance, 20 miles, but they didn't tell us how many hills there would be. I had actually said to Tim, "I hope there are some hills so we can get some practice for next week's ride, Bike the Barns", which will be very hilly. Well, be careful what you wish for. Good thing at the start, at every rest stop and at the finish they gave us chocolate, or I might not have kept climbing those hills. It was a very well organized ride, with a good route, great road directions, maps, loads of volunteers and sag wagons in case something went wrong. Along the way we saw some interesting countryside west of Madison and rode past some very large homes, where we couldn't help but wonder...what do all these people do for a living that they own such big homes??? In any case at one point we came across this barn, and I had to stop and take a picture because it was such a cool building. I must be looking forward to photographing the barns next week. In the meanwhile I brought home some extra chocolate to enjoy while we watch the Badger game tonight :)

Friday, September 4, 2009

Sauteed Chard and Pancetta with Pasta



Chard and many other greens are abundant this time of year at the Madison area Farmer's Markets. Sometimes it is challenging to think of new and interesting ways to use all these nutrition packed greens. Here's one recipe that's quick and easy to prepare:

Sauteed Chard and Pancetta with Pasta
1 bunch chard
4 oz pancetta, thinly sliced, cut into 1-inch strips
2-3 cloves chopped garlic
2 Tbsp bacon fat or butter
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
sea salt
¼ cup parmigiano reggiano
½ lb cooked pasta
½ cup reserved pasta water

Wash and dry the chard. Remove the leaves from the ribs and cut the ribs into ½ inch pieces. Slice leaves into 1-inch wide strips. In a large sauté pan over medium high heat, melt bacon fat or butter then add pancetta and cook until it starts to get crispy. Add olive oil, garlic and chard ribs and cook until the chard ribs are just tender, about 3-5 minutes. Add chard and season with salt. Saute, stirring frequently until chard is just wilted, then drizzle with balsamic vinegar and add reserved pasta water. Allow the pasta water to reduce for 1-2 minutes then stir in the pasta, top with parmigiano reggiano and serve with your favorite bread and wine.

Serves 2