Tag: old friend’s farm

Ginger Goes Mainstream

In an interview with NPR, food writer Nigella Lawson said, "I think ginger has a heat, a warmth that is often not fully understood because I think people use a small amount. And if you use quite a lot, you really see that it’s like reaching for another form of pepper.

As more of us acclimatize our palates and enjoy foods with stronger flavors and heat, ginger is showing up in unexpected and delightful places. One of Ed’s favorite ginger discoveries is spicy ginger limeade.

It's always part of our order from Bon Me, and we make it at home with local ginger or ginger syrup from Old Friends Farm.

Each season we buy a supply of local ginger and the ginger syrup made from it at the Atlas Farm stand at the Copley Farmers Market. They bring it to Boston for their neighbor Old Friends Farm. We use some fresh, clean and freeze some, and even make our own pickled ginger!

Using More Ginger

These days we buy ginger in larger quantities. In dishes where we once used a touch of ginger, we might now add a pile! We use it fresh, pickled, and juiced. Penny has become a pro at peeling it with a teaspoon but, in some cases, she’ll just give it a scrub and use it peel and all.

At least half of the homemade chicken broth we make contains ginger along with scallions, star anise, soy sauce, and Shaoxing wine. We use this to make quick, pho-like noodle soups and to add to stir-fry dishes in place of a more basic chicken stock.

And, don't limit yourself to savory uses, pour ginger syrup over ice cream, rice pudding, and other desserts.

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2015-2018 Penny & Ed Cherubino

(Adapted for BostonZest from one of our Fresh & Local newspaper columns.)

November 7, 2018
Rhubarb, Ginger Crostata Recipe from Leite’s Culinaria
Okay, when you click on this link to Leite’s Culinaria to get the recipe, it will just say Rhubarb Crostata, but the ginger sets this simple tart on a rung high above similar recipes.

I'm sure a few long-time readers are surprised to see a recipe for baked goods here because I'm not a baker, I'm a cook. But this dessert is so simple and quick that it should be part of every cook's repertoire.

I had posted the recipe on social media when it popped up on my daily reading list. (As you know from this previous Friday Link post, Leite’s Culinaria is one of my favorite sites.)

A friend saw it and delivered a big bag of her own freshly cut rhubarb with a note saying, "I was totally inspired by your rhubarb post this week …"

Just imagine walking into a summer potluck with a tray of these beauties made with whatever fruit is in season.

My Version with a Major Shortcut

I used Trader Joe's frozen pie crust instead of making my own. Thanks to this excellent, flaky crust and the ease of making crostata, I do make these pastries from time to time.

I've been using it since back in 2010 when Erin Zimmer, one of my editors at Serious Eats, tested it. She was right, it is crumbly. But this is an informal dessert and a few crumbles are fine.

My work to make this dessert consisted of cleaning and cutting the rhubarb, grating the ginger, and tossing those with the other ingredients.

I also used less sugar as suggested by one of the recipe testers. And, because I thought it would add depth and round out the sharp notes of the rhubarb and ginger, I used half light brown sugar and half raw sugar.

A Few Tips:
- The frozen dough takes time to thaw. I moved it from the freezer to the refrigerator overnight and it still had to sit on the counter for an hour before it was ready to use without cracking and breaking.
- I used local, organic ginger from Old Friends Farm. I keep a supply of this zesty alternative in my freezer and just grate it in its frozen state.
- Once thawed, I left the pie crust between its layers of plastic and used my hands to reseal a few cracks. That meant no rolling pin or floury counter to clean.
- You can use the bottom piece of the plastic to help flip the pastry onto your prepared baking sheet. Pile on the filling then flip up the sides in your most casual manner.
What's on your Food Lover's shopping list? Be sure to add David Leite's wonderful cookbook, The New Portuguese Table.

Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino

Photos: ©2016 Penny & Ed Cherubino

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May 27, 2016
Rhubarb, Ginger Crostata Recipe from Leite’s Culinaria
Okay, when you click on this link to Leite’s Culinaria to get the recipe, it will just say Rhubarb Crostata, but the ginger sets this simple tart on a rung high above similar recipes.

I'm sure a few long-time readers are surprised to see a recipe for baked goods here because I'm not a baker, I'm a cook. But this dessert is so simple and quick that it should be part of every cook's repertoire.

I had posted the recipe on social media when it popped up on my daily reading list. (As you know from this previous Friday Link post, Leite’s Culinaria is one of my favorite sites.)

A friend saw it and delivered a big bag of her own freshly cut rhubarb with a note saying, "I was totally inspired by your rhubarb post this week …"

Just imagine walking into a summer potluck with a tray of these beauties made with whatever fruit is in season.

My Version with a Major Shortcut

I used Trader Joe's frozen pie crust instead of making my own. Thanks to this excellent, flaky crust and the ease of making crostata, I do make these pastries from time to time.

I've been using it since back in 2010 when Erin Zimmer, one of my editors at Serious Eats, tested it. She was right, it is crumbly. But this is an informal dessert and a few crumbles are fine.

My work to make this dessert consisted of cleaning and cutting the rhubarb, grating the ginger, and tossing those with the other ingredients.

I also used less sugar as suggested by one of the recipe testers. And, because I thought it would add depth and round out the sharp notes of the rhubarb and ginger, I used half light brown sugar and half raw sugar.

A Few Tips:
- The frozen dough takes time to thaw. I moved it from the freezer to the refrigerator overnight and it still had to sit on the counter for an hour before it was ready to use without cracking and breaking.
- I used local, organic ginger from Old Friends Farm. I keep a supply of this zesty alternative in my freezer and just grate it in its frozen state.
- Once thawed, I left the pie crust between its layers of plastic and used my hands to reseal a few cracks. That meant no rolling pin or floury counter to clean.
- You can use the bottom piece of the plastic to help flip the pastry onto your prepared baking sheet. Pile on the filling then flip up the sides in your most casual manner.
What's on your Food Lover's shopping list? Be sure to add David Leite's wonderful cookbook, The New Portuguese Table.

Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino

Photos: ©2016 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Related articles

Dogs in Danger from the Xylitol Around Your Home

Do You Have a Signature Dish that You Bring to Food Gatherings?

Daytrip to the Lobster Pool in Rockport, MA

How To Make A Fern Pie Crust
May 27, 2016
Local, Fresh, Young Ginger Is Back in Season: At the Market Report

Tender, vibrant, local, young ginger from Old Friends Farm in Amherst, MA is back at the Copley Square Farmers Market.

This lovely pile of ginger was photographed at the Atlas Farm stand along St. James Avenue. The Atlas folks bring a few products from their neighboring farm, Old Friends, on Tuesdays and Fridays until Thanksgiving.

What is it about this ginger that makes it worth the price and makes me buy enough to freeze and use during the months when it is not available?

First, there is that love that is part of the sign at the market. I've known farmer Casey Steinberg for years and knowing him, I believe this ginger is grown with love and care. I know it's organic and fresh and grown with as light a footprint as his team can use.

I know that this young ginger is tender and bursting with ginger heat. I don't bother to peel it, no need. I just grab a microplane and grate what I need.

Unlike its supermarket counterpart, this ginger is highly perishable. Old Friends has a page of tips on how to store and use this special ginger product.

Stop by the market and pick up a hand to try this ginger in your favorite stir fry. You won't want to go back to the ordinary. You may even decide to use it in different ways. Then, like me, you'll set aside room in your freezer for a supply of your favorite, local, young, organic ginger.

Ginger Syrup, Too

We told you another aspect of this ginger story in our post: Old Friends Farm Organic Ginger Syrup. While you can make your own version with their ginger, it is so much easier to stock up on a few bottles to get you through the winter.

What's on your Food Lover's shopping list?

Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino
Photos: ©2014-2015 Penny Cherubino

Related articles

Thanks to Friends Who Make Marmalade and Share!

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September 24, 2015
Local, Fresh, Young Ginger Is Back in Season: At the Market Report

Tender, vibrant, local, young ginger from Old Friends Farm in Amherst, MA is back at the Copley Square Farmers Market.

This lovely pile of ginger was photographed at the Atlas Farm stand along St. James Avenue. The Atlas folks bring a few products from their neighboring farm, Old Friends, on Tuesdays and Fridays until Thanksgiving.

What is it about this ginger that makes it worth the price and makes me buy enough to freeze and use during the months when it is not available?

First, there is that love that is part of the sign at the market. I've known farmer Casey Steinberg for years and knowing him, I believe this ginger is grown with love and care. I know it's organic and fresh and grown with as light a footprint as his team can use.

I know that this young ginger is tender and bursting with ginger heat. I don't bother to peel it, no need. I just grab a microplane and grate what I need.

Unlike its supermarket counterpart, this ginger is highly perishable. Old Friends has a page of tips on how to store and use this special ginger product.

Stop by the market and pick up a hand to try this ginger in your favorite stir fry. You won't want to go back to the ordinary. You may even decide to use it in different ways. Then, like me, you'll set aside room in your freezer for a supply of your favorite, local, young, organic ginger.

Ginger Syrup, Too

We told you another aspect of this ginger story in our post: Old Friends Farm Organic Ginger Syrup. While you can make your own version with their ginger, it is so much easier to stock up on a few bottles to get you through the winter.

What's on your Food Lover's shopping list?

Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino
Photos: ©2014-2015 Penny Cherubino

Related articles

Thanks to Friends Who Make Marmalade and Share!

Sunday Cat Sophia Says, "Let me in Whee-ooh …"

Champagne Moutard Brut Grande Cuvée, Love at First Sip!

September 24, 2015
At the Market: Stocking Up for Winter

Carrying home farmers' market shopping bags can be a workout this time of year because Ed and I are toting a few extra items to fill our pantry for the winter months.

Local Honey

Honey is the number one item on our list. We buy the majority of the honey we eat from Foppema's Farm. We love the flavor and appreciate the fact that it's a local product, simply collected with all the phytonutrients and traces of local pollens.

Honey stores perfectly well in a cool dark spot and will last for years, so we never worry about buying too much. Our only concern is making sure we have enough to get through the months when we can't get our favorite.

Young, Fresh Ginger

Local, young ginger from Old Friends Farm is another fall favorite around here. Penny recently read this page on the Old Friends website about freezing this lively, full-flavored alternative to the dried-up ginger you often find in mainstream stores.

She tried it and is thrilled to know she can have a supply of great ginger until next September rolls around and it appears again at the corner of the Atlas Farm stand devoted to products from their neighbors at Old Friends Farm.

Maple syrup is available all winter but if you like to buy it at the market, you can stock up. This jug came from Boston Organics and we keep it in the freezer. Pure maple syrup has no additives or preservatives. It has a higher water content than honey, so it can and will grow mold if you don't use it quickly.

In the freezer, it never becomes solid so you can still pour out what you need and return the jug to it's chilly storage spot.

Pumpkins and Winter Squash

More cooks are discovering the golden goodness of winter squash, and pumpkin. Food sites like The Kitchn are showing us how to make the most of the harvest while it's in season. Here's a recent post they did on "Two Ways to Freeze Winter Squash."

What will you be taking home to store for winter use? How will you store it? How will you prepare it? Are you making jams and jellies? Apple butter? Hard cider? Tell us about your favorite stockpiles!

Click here to read more of our At The Market Reports.

PRIME
What do you know about Amazon Prime? We use it and love it. You pay once a year for free 2-day shipping delivery charges. Amazon throws in access to instant streaming movies and TV shows and they let you borrow a free ebook each month. They will even give you a one month free trial. Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Join Amazon Prime – Watch Over 40,000 Movies

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2013 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

October 24, 2013
At the Market: Stocking Up for Winter

Carrying home farmers' market shopping bags can be a workout this time of year because Ed and I are toting a few extra items to fill our pantry for the winter months.

Local Honey

Honey is the number one item on our list. We buy the majority of the honey we eat from Foppema's Farm. We love the flavor and appreciate the fact that it's a local product, simply collected with all the phytonutrients and traces of local pollens.

Honey stores perfectly well in a cool dark spot and will last for years, so we never worry about buying too much. Our only concern is making sure we have enough to get through the months when we can't get our favorite.

Young, Fresh Ginger

Local, young ginger from Old Friends Farm is another fall favorite around here. Penny recently read this page on the Old Friends website about freezing this lively, full-flavored alternative to the dried-up ginger you often find in mainstream stores.

She tried it and is thrilled to know she can have a supply of great ginger until next September rolls around and it appears again at the corner of the Atlas Farm stand devoted to products from their neighbors at Old Friends Farm.

Maple syrup is available all winter but if you like to buy it at the market, you can stock up. This jug came from Boston Organics and we keep it in the freezer. Pure maple syrup has no additives or preservatives. It has a higher water content than honey, so it can and will grow mold if you don't use it quickly.

In the freezer, it never becomes solid so you can still pour out what you need and return the jug to it's chilly storage spot.

Pumpkins and Winter Squash

More cooks are discovering the golden goodness of winter squash, and pumpkin. Food sites like The Kitchn are showing us how to make the most of the harvest while it's in season. Here's a recent post they did on "Two Ways to Freeze Winter Squash."

What will you be taking home to store for winter use? How will you store it? How will you prepare it? Are you making jams and jellies? Apple butter? Hard cider? Tell us about your favorite stockpiles!

Click here to read more of our At The Market Reports.

PRIME
What do you know about Amazon Prime? We use it and love it. You pay once a year for free 2-day shipping delivery charges. Amazon throws in access to instant streaming movies and TV shows and they let you borrow a free ebook each month. They will even give you a one month free trial. Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Join Amazon Prime – Watch Over 40,000 Movies

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2013 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

October 24, 2013
At the Market: Stocking Up for Winter

Carrying home farmers' market shopping bags can be a workout this time of year because Ed and I are toting a few extra items to fill our pantry for the winter months.

Local Honey

Honey is the number one item on our list. We buy the majority of the honey we eat from Foppema's Farm. We love the flavor and appreciate the fact that it's a local product, simply collected with all the phytonutrients and traces of local pollens.

Honey stores perfectly well in a cool dark spot and will last for years, so we never worry about buying too much. Our only concern is making sure we have enough to get through the months when we can't get our favorite.

Young, Fresh Ginger

Local, young ginger from Old Friends Farm is another fall favorite around here. Penny recently read this page on the Old Friends website about freezing this lively, full-flavored alternative to the dried-up ginger you often find in mainstream stores.

She tried it and is thrilled to know she can have a supply of great ginger until next September rolls around and it appears again at the corner of the Atlas Farm stand devoted to products from their neighbors at Old Friends Farm.

Maple syrup is available all winter but if you like to buy it at the market, you can stock up. This jug came from Boston Organics and we keep it in the freezer. Pure maple syrup has no additives or preservatives. It has a higher water content than honey, so it can and will grow mold if you don't use it quickly.

In the freezer, it never becomes solid so you can still pour out what you need and return the jug to it's chilly storage spot.

Pumpkins and Winter Squash

More cooks are discovering the golden goodness of winter squash, and pumpkin. Food sites like The Kitchn are showing us how to make the most of the harvest while it's in season. Here's a recent post they did on "Two Ways to Freeze Winter Squash."

What will you be taking home to store for winter use? How will you store it? How will you prepare it? Are you making jams and jellies? Apple butter? Hard cider? Tell us about your favorite stockpiles!

Click here to read more of our At The Market Reports.

PRIME
What do you know about Amazon Prime? We use it and love it. You pay once a year for free 2-day shipping delivery charges. Amazon throws in access to instant streaming movies and TV shows and they let you borrow a free ebook each month. They will even give you a one month free trial. Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Join Amazon Prime – Watch Over 40,000 Movies

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2013 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

October 24, 2013
At the Market: Flowers, Too!

You see many customers at area farmers' markets carrying bouquets of flowers in addition to their food purchases. This mixed bouquet above is from Atlas Farm at the Copley Square Farmers' Market.

My friend Liz raves about the lilies and other flowers she buys from Stow Greenhouses.

And, it's worth a trip to the Newton market for the wonderful arrangements from Old Friends Farm.

The Word from the Farms & Market Managers

Lily Carone from Atlas Farm says, "… we have River Valley Farm Blueberries – a rain loving crop which are so plump and sweet this summer, it almost makes us pause in cursing the weather…"

Louisa Denison, Manager of the Harvard University Farmers' Markets, sent out a recipe for Blueberry Lemonade.

From Jan at Warren Farm & Sugarhouse

Blueberry Lemonade
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (about 4 small lemons)
2 cups water
*2 cups fresh blueberries
*1/2 cup maple syrup
Garnish: lemon slices
Process first 4 ingredients in a blender until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides. Pour through a wire-mesh strainer into a pitcher, discarding solids. Serve over ice, and garnish, if desired. Yield: 5 cups

In Season, Right Now!

Blueberries, gooseberries, raspberries, cherries, new potatoes.

Lily from Atlas said, "This week, we added white sweet spanish onions and eggplant to our harvest list….and peppers are not far behind. Our own raspberry crop on our new land in South Deerfield is full of flavorful bright berries too…leaving little to be desired."

Looking Forward!

The crew from Old Friends Farm sent a message to their ginger fans. "Our ginger crop (bless it's little rhyzomial heart) is the weediest we have seen in years – it's actually quite embarrassing. You would think we would have it down by now… We just finished weeding it, and its already time to start at the beginning again." This ginger should show up in September.

Follow all our Local Food/Farmers' Markets and At The Market reports:

What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List? Shop Amazon for all your Kitchen & Dining needs and support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2013 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

July 18, 2013
At the Market: Flowers, Too!

You see many customers at area farmers' markets carrying bouquets of flowers in addition to their food purchases. This mixed bouquet above is from Atlas Farm at the Copley Square Farmers' Market.

My friend Liz raves about the lilies and other flowers she buys from Stow Greenhouses.

And, it's worth a trip to the Newton market for the wonderful arrangements from Old Friends Farm.

The Word from the Farms & Market Managers

Lily Carone from Atlas Farm says, "… we have River Valley Farm Blueberries – a rain loving crop which are so plump and sweet this summer, it almost makes us pause in cursing the weather…"

Louisa Denison, Manager of the Harvard University Farmers' Markets, sent out a recipe for Blueberry Lemonade.

From Jan at Warren Farm & Sugarhouse

Blueberry Lemonade
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (about 4 small lemons)
2 cups water
*2 cups fresh blueberries
*1/2 cup maple syrup
Garnish: lemon slices
Process first 4 ingredients in a blender until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides. Pour through a wire-mesh strainer into a pitcher, discarding solids. Serve over ice, and garnish, if desired. Yield: 5 cups

In Season, Right Now!

Blueberries, gooseberries, raspberries, cherries, new potatoes.

Lily from Atlas said, "This week, we added white sweet spanish onions and eggplant to our harvest list….and peppers are not far behind. Our own raspberry crop on our new land in South Deerfield is full of flavorful bright berries too…leaving little to be desired."

Looking Forward!

The crew from Old Friends Farm sent a message to their ginger fans. "Our ginger crop (bless it's little rhyzomial heart) is the weediest we have seen in years – it's actually quite embarrassing. You would think we would have it down by now… We just finished weeding it, and its already time to start at the beginning again." This ginger should show up in September.

Follow all our Local Food/Farmers' Markets and At The Market reports:

What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List? Shop Amazon for all your Kitchen & Dining needs and support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2013 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

July 18, 2013