1st Attempt=SUCCESS!!

This past weekend I went home for a family engagement. Since it was the first time that I had a full kitchen at my disposal, I decided that it would be a good time to get started with the cooking portion of my By Hand project. For this first attempt at cooking an organic meal for the context of this class project, I thought I would do something simple and that I have had some success with in the past. Therefore, I felt most comfortable cooking a vegetarian Pad Thai dish.

Here is the Ingredient List I found online for a vegetarian Pad Thai dish:
1 (12-ounce) pack dried rice stick noodles (sen lek)
6 eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons smashed garlic
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1/2 cup red bell peppers
1/2 cup green bell peppers
1/2 cup ground peanut
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons Thai pepper powder
1 cup fresh bean sprouts, for garnish
1/4 cup shelled peanuts, for garnish
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish

Early on Saturday morning I was able to attend a local farmers' market in Dayton, Ohio and picked up some of the ingredients needed for my dish. These ingredients included the garlic, peppers, and cilantro. At the suggestion of my girlfriend, I also picked up some freshly made tofu to provide some extra texture to the dish. At my own discretion, I also added sauteed onions and carrots to the dish to create more color.

Overall, I was fairly happy with the outcome of my dish. This was the first time in over a year that I have applied myself in terms of cooking and crafting a complete dish. I look forward in the upcoming weeks to creating more meals for this project.

Reflections gained from the Winter Famers Market

As an alternative to the upcoming ArtsWeek assignment, yesterday I had the opportunity to visit the Bloomington Winter Farmers Market, which is hosted by the Local Growers Guild. Since my By Hand project focuses on the craft of organic cooking I decided to focus this week's blog entry on my experience with the local growers at the market. I was amazed by the wide variety of items for sale at this market given it is the winter growing season. In terms of the produce I saw there was lettuce, radishes, cabbage, herbs, carrots, parsley and beets. There were also some other specialty items such as maple syrups, salsas, persimmon pulp, jams, and ravioli.



While at the Farmers Market I also had the chance to learn more about the Local Growers Guild. The Local Growers' Guild is a cooperative of farmers, retailers and community members dedicated to strenghthening the local food economy in Southern Indiana through education, direct support and market connections. Everyone who had a booth at the Winter Farmers Market is a member of the guild. The most important thing I noticed about the Local Growers Guild is the sense of community that is fostered between the vendors. There is definitely a strong camaraderie between each seller at the market.

Yesterday at the Winter Farmers Market I purchased some fresh cilantro, spinach, as well as some collared greens. For next week I look forward to incorporating these ingredients into a dish. I'll make sure to take photos to document my progress.

Recipes, Pt. 2

Here is another recipe that I hope to try out in the next couple of weeks.

Italian Vegetable Salad

* 1/4 lb. cooked rotini pasta
* 5 ounces Eat Smart® vegetables, (any blend)
* 1/3 cup plus 1 Tbs. Italian dressing
* 1/2 medium tomato, chopped
* 3/4 green onion, sliced
* 2 ounces reduced-fat feta cheese
* 1/3 cup plus 1 Tbs. green, red or yellow bell pepper, chopped
* 1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
* 3-1/4 Tbs. Kalamata olives
* 2-1/4 Tbs. fresh parsley, chopped
* 1 Tbs. plus 2 tsp. oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
* 1/8 tsp. salt
* 1/8 tsp. ground black pepper

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and cool. Set aside. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add Eat Smart® vegetables and cook for two minutes or until slightly tender but still crisp. Drain and rinse with cold water. In a large bowl, mix pasta and Eat Smart® vegetables with 1/2 cup of dressing. Refrigerate for 2-4 hours to marinate. Add remaining ingredients. Mix and serve.

Recipes

Listed are a few of the recipes that I am eager to try out over the next few weeks. My only hope is that my results can look half as good as the pictures shown with the recipes.

Stuffed Roasted Organic Chicken

Ingredients:

Stuffing:

1 onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, smashed and chopped fine
1 pound zucchini or summer squash, grated
1/4 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup pine nuts
4 tablespoons soft butter
2-3 sprigs each of fresh marjoram, thyme and Italian parsley leaves chopped
1 egg
1 cup parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Chicken:

One 3 to 3 ½ pound chicken or larger
1 sprig each thyme, parsley and marjoram leaves, chopped
2-3 tablespoons of olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 400˚
2. Grate zucchini and salt it. Drain in a colander for 10-15 minutes to remove water.
3. Meanwhile heat 1 tablespoon of butter in a sauté pan and add onions and sauté for 30 seconds. Add garlic to pan and sweat onions with garlic until tender and translucent.
4. Rinse the zucchini and squeeze dry. Heat another ounce of butter in a sauté pan and sweat zucchini in butter. Let cool.
5. Combine the remaining ingredients in a bowl and salt and pepper to taste.
6. Cut the backbone from the bird with kitchen shears. Lay and spread flat on a a wood cutting board (wood cutting boards are the safest to use with meat), skin side up. Using the back of the knife strike the breast bone firmly, breaking the breast bone, collar bone, wish bone and the rib cage. Gently loosen the skin with a pairing knife around the breast, legs and wings to prep for stuffing.
7. Combine the herbs for the chicken in a small bowl and add the olive oil. Stir to combine.
8. Place stuffing underneath the skin of the chicken. Rub herbed olive oil all over the skin of the bird. Salt and pepper bird to taste.
9. Place chicken breast side up in a roasting or oven safe pan (like cast iron) and roast until internal temperature reaches 160˚, about an hour to an hour-and-a-half depending on the size of the chicken. Baste chicken as it browns.

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