Food Storage

interesting article on food storage.

THIS is what I'm talking about!

I try not to get on my soap box too often, but this is one issue I will gladly jump on it for. Two words: local farming. The benefits of local farming and supporting local farms are so vast, yet simple, I can't understand why it is such an uphill battle.

Here is another episode of Wisconsin Foodie. It highlights Willow Creek Farm, a top notch pig farm in Baraboo, WI. We bought a lot of pork from them at L* and I tried to stock up my freezer as much as possible before I moved back home. Their brats and bacon are so good, second only to what was made at L*. Then the show highlights the SlowPig event I participated in, in Madison. (Here's my blog about the event). And I made it on tv again! :)


Wisconsin Foodie : Willow Creek Farm

This is how farming is supposed to be, people! This, right here, is why I miss Wisconsin.

Unfortunately, the majority of farms are not like this beautiful, sunny hillside in Wisconsin. Here is a light hearted look at what factory farming is like. http://www.themeatrix.com/ (I had to watch these videos for my advanced production class in culinary school).

Also, if your stomach can handle it, here is some footage from actual factory farms. (I also had to watch some of these types of videos for that same class). While this video puts an emphasis on the animals quality of life, which some may view as a 'hippie' stand point, you can not deny the impact of a good quality of life on the quality of the end product. Think about yourself. Do you feel your best just after eating a meal of highly processed, pre-packaged, frozen dinner and a day of sitting in an office cube under artificial light? Or do you feel your best when you come home from a hike with friends or family in the woods along the lake to a home cooked meal of fresh vegetables and identifiable cuts of meat?

I can not deny the unjust and inhuman treatment of these animals and the sick-to-my-stomach feel I get when I watch these videos, but honestly, my main concern and interest is in the quality of the food that will inevitably end up in my stomach. I often quote my HS band instructor whose mantra for instrument care was, 'Good stuff in, good stuff out. Bad stuff in, bad stuff out'. I apply the same mentality to my cooking and my body. It's not rocket science. It common sense.

Taking good care of the plants and animals you eat, will in turn take good care of your body, life and health. Good health isn't just something to brag about having. It's an investment in your future. In your wife/husbands future. In your kids future. In your grandkids future. It's an investment in your bank account. Being well allows you to go to work. It saves you money on doctor visits, prescriptions, and hospital stays.

So, is it worth the extra couple bucks to buy local or organic products? To me it is.

And now I step down from my soap box....for now.

Look ma! I'm on TV!

At long last! Wisconsin Foodie (a WI public tv show) has finally posted this last season of episodes on the interweb machine! On this episode, they feature my boy, Tory Miller, twice! Once with Outstanding in the Field and again as host to Kitchen's pop-up restaurant at Graze.  Cuilnary vocabulary lesson: A pop up restaurant is a restaurant that only exists for one night and is at an ever changing location.

spoiler alert: I do partake in a big of drinking in the video. watcher beware.


Wisconsin Foodie : Pop-ups

**The guy in the blue button up is the farm owner, Willie.
**The guy in the red button up in the founder of Outstanding in the Field
**The guy in the chef coat is Tory Miller. :)
**The guy mashing the potatoes is Jed, he mashed all those potatoes by hand. (and made all the sausage)
**The guy in the fedora is our old sous chef, Ed, who now works at per se in NYC, a Thomas Keller restaurant and one of the best in the city.

For my side of the story, click >here< to read my blog about the Outstanding in the Field event.

"This is Wisconsin. This is how we roll, baby."

Tat Soi and Sugarloaf

My last article and recipes for the newsletter!

Tatsoi and Sugarloaf

Tatsoi is a popular Asian vegetable, also called flat or spoon cabbage. It is part of the brassica family, related to broccoli, brussel sprouts, kale and cabbage. This variety of tatsoi is like the tatsoi we grow for our salad mix, however in the colder weather it grows close to the ground for warmth and forms a beautiful, big rosette. It’s lush, dark green, spoon shaped leaves are mild in flavor with a hint of earthy sweetness. The stems are edible but will require a little longer cooking time than the leaves. I used scissors to snip the leaves from the rosette and washed them in cold water. 

Paying homage to its native land, tatsoi is especially good with Asian flavors and dishes.  Sautéed with soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, ginger, garlic and topped with sesame seeds tatsoi makes a great side for chicken, seafood or tofu. Or, break the traditional rules and served it wilted in a pasta with brown butter sauce, shaved Parmesan and a squeeze of lemon juice. It can also be used raw in salads, poached, steamed or added to soup and stir frys. Tatsoi can easily be substituted in recipes that call for kale, bok choy or spinach

Sugarloaf, also known by it’s French name pain de sucre, is a type of salad chicory that grows in upright heads and looks much like romaine with large leaves. It is the most mild of the radicchios and is slightly sweet with a pleasant bitterness that gives salads an instant boost! It is a handy green to have around when preparing winter comfort food and pairs well with pork and winter squash. Chopped leaves can be poached in seasoned broth or soup, or simply sautéed with olive oil, onion and shitake mushrooms for a healthy side dish.

Like any leafy green, both tatsoi and sugarloaf are loaded with vitamins, minerals and health promoting antioxidants and low in calories. Sugarloaf is especially high in vitamin K, fiber and potassium. Store these greens wrapped in a plastic bag in your crisper drawer and use within 1-2 weeks to ensure the leaves stay crisp!

Seared Sugarloaf with Balsamic vinaigrette

1 head             sugarloaf, outer leaves removed and quartered

2 T + ¼ c olive oil

2 T            balsamic vinegar

1 t            honey

1 t            fresh thyme

½ t             Dijon

tt            S&P

Heat 2 T of olive oil in a skillet. When pan and oil are hot, lay quartered sugarloaf, cut side down and sear until nicely browned, about 2-3 minutes. Turn to other cut side and sear in the same way.

To make the vinaigrette, whisk vinegar, honey, thyme, dijon and ¼ c olive oil. Add S&P to taste.

Drizzle vinaigrette over warm sugarloaf and serve with roasted beef or chicken.

Beans with tatsoi and crispy bacon

Great with chicken, fish or ‘breakfast for dinner’ with latkes and poached eggs.

1 can            Cranberry or azuki Beans

½ c            Beef or pork stock

1 T            Garlic, minced

¼ c            Onion, minced

tt            S&P

1 bunch tatsoi leaves, julienned

2 T             red wine vinegar

4-6 strips bacon

Cook bacon in a frying pan or bake in the oven at 400° until crispy (10-15 minutes). Allow to cool on a paper towel and chop.

In a large sauté pan, sauté onion until translucent. Add garlic and sauté another minute. Add beans and stock and cook until liquid reduces.

Add tatsoi and red wine vinegar and cook until tatsoi is wilted. Season with salt and pepper.

Add beans and tatsoi to a medium mixing bowl, discarding any excess liquid, toss with crisp bacon and serve.

Packer Fan

YESSSSS!!! it is officially my last day of work in Wisconsin!! I am finishing packing and heading east sooooon!!!!

**title disclaimer/clarification**
I am a fan of packing....not the packers.

NOOOO!

I have been awake for less then 20 minutes and already my day is ruined.

I was informed this morning that Ami is on the menu for lunch. Apparently, the boys wanted to do once last roast before everyone goes home and decided to pick the smallest goat in the pasture. Well, there isn't much meat on Ami so they had to kill another goat as well. lksdflkasnf lds why not just kill one flipping goat instead of my little Ami!?!??  I am very disappointed that I won't be greeted by him anymore. It also makes me incredibly sad that they will be gnawing on my poor little guy at lunch. It makes me want to go back to a vegetarian diet.

Surprise! It's winter.

Wisconsin is not so different than Michigan. Take a look at these pics taken within 24 hours of each other....

Tuesday....

...Wednesday.

What the french toast is this noise? Rumor has it that the 'snow' won't stick around, but the fact that is it is here at all, makes me less than happy.
 If this were snow, perhaps it would be acceptable, but the muddy, leafy ground is covered in a fresh layer of slush. Climbing up or down the hill to my wooden condo is a bit of a challenge. Walking on level ground is a bit of a challenge. I am not looking forward to marching lunch down to the barn.