November came and left....

I have no idea where November went.... It was a great month and I had some many things to blog about but I was out there living it and not finding the time to blog.... The end of October I spent a lot of time going to different farmers markets, the last Saturday of October I went to four markets in one day. I took lots of pictures and I had so much to say, but no time to blog about it. I think the second weekend in November I went to Cleveland for the weekend. The reason for the trip was to go to their big Food Show, this was the second time I went. It was pretty good. We got to see Guy from the Food Network do a food demo. We did wine and beer tastings. The beer tasting was amazing,it Belgium Beer and they give you pretty much the whole bottle for a tasting, needless to say I had a pretty good buzz. So this Food Show is a bunch of vendors selling their stuff- pretty much a revolving around food. A lot of rubs, hot sauces. The local grocery store had a potato leek soup and sweet potato pancake food demo. The soup was pretty good. They had a little farmers market as part of the show too, that was pretty good I bought some tea. The show is huge. So the really strange part is that... Cleveland has this really big food show every year in November and now they are going to have the show twice a year... one in Spring and one in Fall, but we couldn't find a good place to eat the entire time we were there. A friend of my told me that there were no good places to eat in Cleveland over the summer. Now this was my second time there and the as much as I wanted this friend to be wrong - he was right. I watched the Food Network one day a few weeks ago and they had a polish restaurant and a soul food place that they featured. Both places looked great-but we had no luck. We went to the polish restaurant and the line was out the door and there was not a seat to be found, so we tried the soul food place. Mind you, I did my research before I left Buffalo. We put the address in the GPS and Booth (GPS) took us through the ghetto to a place where the restaurant was closed and looked like it has been closed for sometime. I think it might be hard to please people from Buffalo when it comes to food- we have some many great places to eat. The best thing about this trip was a visit to the market place, wow this place was so cool... It reminded me of the Broadway market but 2000 times better.They a ton a vendors selling produce although none of the food was local. The really great part was the other section- they had a ton of meat butchers, homemade pasta, favored popcorn, ethnic food, olive oils, cheese and bakery's.We bought lots a great fresh and tasty beef jerky and Kishka ( a polish type of meat). The place made me think a of much larger and nicer Broadway Market. The market was located in the downtown area across the street from Penseys Spice ( which is going to be a topic of an upcoming blog posting).

So before the trip to Cleveland, I hosted a buy local wine and cheese event with a local farm family. So I am Pres. of this committee called Erie Niagara Nutrition Committee and we need to have a fall event, so I thought hey lets have a potluck night where everyone brings either local wine and or local cheese. We have so many winery's in Western New York- Finger Lakes, Lockport area and Fredonia area. I only know of two local cheese makers in the area- Yancey Cheese in Corfu and Blasdell Cheese in Blasdell. There are others but not as close.The guess speaker was one of the farmers from the Grider Street Market and the Clinton Bailey Market.

The Farmers had a great time speaking and brought some items to sell. I think it was fun night !

Just before the trip to Cleveland I received this phone call- to do a cooking demo with this other Kelly for 25 people at Mt. Olive Baptist Church, it sounded like a challenge but I was to eager to take it. So the flyer went out... Cooking Healthy with Kelly and Kelly ! So my caller bought me and Kelly a chef hat and it went from there. So the plan was to have 5 tables with five people at each table with all the cooking supplies and food to make four dishes. Everything the group made would go home with them. After they are finished cooking,we would serve the same dishes they made, but I made them the night before. This was a big project for me, I would wake up in the middle of the night on many occasions trying to think how I was going to make this work. I was working with a good group and that is why I think I took the challenge- or maybe I need my head examined...Friends and Family would say that I need my head examined ! So the dishes were :

Okra and Tomatoes

3 slices of turkey bacon- cut into small pieces

2 garlic cloves minced

1 small onion diced

2 cans of diced tomatoes 14 oz. cans

1/2 of water

1 teaspoon of salt

2 cups of frozen okra

1/2 teaspoon of red crushed pepper

1 tablespoon of sugar

Cook bacon,then add onions and garlic and cook until onions are translucent.Add tomatoes, sugar,water, salt and crushed pepper.Stir well and simmer for 20 minutes. Add okra and cook for 10 more minutes.

Serve over brown rice

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black eye peas and Kale Soup

INGREDIENTs

· 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

· 1 large onion, diced

· 1 large carrot, sliced

· 1 stalk celery, sliced

· 5 cloves garlic, (4 sliced and 1 whole), divided

· 1 teaspoon. thyme

· ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper, or to taste

· 4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

· 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes

· 1 small bunch of kale leaves tough stems removed ( can use collards)

· 1 15-ounce can black-eyed peas, rinsed

· 2 slices cooked turkey bacon, finely chopped

·

PREPARATION

1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, carrot and celery and cook, stirring, until just tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Add sliced garlic, thyme and crushed red pepper and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add bacon and cook for about 5 minutes. Increase heat to high and add broth, tomatoes and their juice. Bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in kale, reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the greens are tender, 5 to 10 minutes. .Stir in black-eyed peas and cook for 5 minutes longer.

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TWICE-ROASTED SWEET POTATOES WITH CHIPOTLE
Twice-baked sweet potatoes get mixed with a spicy-smoky chipotle butter that balances the sugar. Look for similar-sized sweet potatoes so they'll cook at an even rate. To make ahead, stuff the potato halves, cover, and refrigerate up to one day. Set out at room temperature as the oven preheats to take the chill off.

Ingredients
6 medium sweet potatoes, unpeeled (about 3 1/2 pounds)
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 finely chopped chipotle chiles, - do not add the juice from the can
1 teaspoon adobo
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 small onions diced in very small pieces

1 teaspoon of salsa

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Pierce potatoes with a fork; place on a baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until done. Cool slightly. Cut each potato in half lengthwise; scoop out pulp, leaving a \-inch-thick shell. Combine potato pulp, butter, chiles, adobo, salt and onions, salsa, paprika and mix well.. 3. Arrange potato shells on baking sheet. Spoon potato mixture into shells. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes or until hot.

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Winter Salad

( serves 4 People)

2 heads of romaine lettuce

¼ chopped walnuts

½ cup dried cranberries

1 small container of crumbled blue cheese

Blueberry balsamic vinegar

Clean, cut or tear apart lettuce. Put lettuce on four salad plates, sprinkle nuts and dried cranberries to each plate. Pour a small amount of vinegar in each plate. Sprinkle crumbled blue cheese on each plate and serve.

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For the most part everything turned out great... the only problem we had was we kept blowing fuses with all five electric frying pans, five crock pots, coffee maker, microwave and a speaker system. This event was the Saturday after Thanksgiving. I tried each recipe and made changes before the event. The Friday before I made all the dishes for 30 people and prepare the food for all the demos- such as opening cans of soup stocks, tomatoes, measuring out spices , cleaning produce. This was all after Thanksgiving ( Thank God , my mom only asked me to make a apple pie for Thanksgiving). and I did go to the Bonton at midnight for Black Friday. I have been shopping Black Friday for about 25 years ! ( wow I am getting old).

I think all the guests from the Cooking Demo-had a good time and enjoyed themselves and all the great food. I do know I am not going to answer my phone when a certain person calls me, at least until the year is finished ! After completing the class, a friend of mine asked me if I am an outcome person or the process person.At first I thought I was a process person- thinking about all the things that happens along the way with this challenged. The process is where all the lessons are learned- where we laugh cry and scream, but I think I am a outcome person, because the end product was the part that drove me to work through challenge and achieve the goal.

Earl's Diner

Earl's diner is a great place to find homemade pies, it is located on Rt.16 in a town called Chaffee about an hour outside of Buffalo. Take the 400 to the end, which will take you to Rt. 16. The first time there was about 8 years ago when I had my nephews in town from NYC, it was our half way place on the way to Rushford Lake. Earl's is a very different place where you drink out of canning jars and the tables are cowboy legs. Its a very county friendly place. I love their chicken wings... a wing with a nice breaded coating dipped in Franks Hot sauce and butter. It is our meeting place for the girls I use to work with at Head Start , once again a half way point.

When I go there on weekends in the fall , we often have to wait for a table. Earl's has also been on the Food Networks Diner and Dives. The last time I was there was in October and I went twice in one week. I went on a Monday to meet a friend and had some Chicken wings and then I went on the following Saturday and had the best ever coconut cream pie. I am not really a person who orders out pies, I am often disappointed because I know my mom and I often make pies taste better. I really need to try to duplicate this pie. I crust was just ok, but the cream and the topping was very good.

Pumpkin and Chicken Farm

The weekend before Halloween my friend and I go to the town of Concord to pick out pumpkins, buy maple syrup, chicken pot pies and wing dust. This is a great fall ride down the 219 looking at all the trees turning. We have been buying our pumpkins from Wendel's Chicken Farm for the last 6 years. I met the owner of the Farm when I served as a board member on the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Erie County, Marty Wendel served in the board with me for three years and then he continued to serve as the board president for the next three years. Not only is Marty a good board member he runs a great chicken farm and pumpkin patch. On weekends during the summer and fall you can buy chicken dinner and eat them there or take they home. The dinners are very good. What my friend and I love are the chicken pot pies. They are frozen and cost $4.00 and they are the whole meal. Marty always tell me that its a complete meal with the pot pie and a salad, but let me tell you the pot pie is about all you can eat, sometimes I have to the left overs in the fridge for another day. Its a great bargain a full meal for $4.00 and they are made locally. Marty is working on getting the pot pies in the stores, he mention the Lexington Co-op as being one of the store that will carry them. As for the wing dust, I really have no idea what it is, I guess it is some seasoning but my friend always buys it when we are there... After we go to the farm we stop at Earl's - its part of the tradition... So guess what Earls is going to be the next post.

Horsefeathers and Clinton Bailey Market

I am am still not current with my post but I hope to be by the end of this coming week... Last Saturday which seems so very very far away.... I started my day at the Clinton Bailey market.. I think I made it there around 7:50 AM- too late to buy at carrots- they were sold out already. I ended up buying two celery, two kale, cauliflower,green onions and parsley from my favorite farm stand. I had to buy apples - to make a pie for my parents who were celebrating 46 years of marriage. So I asked my friends who I should buy the apples from and they send me a few stands down... I ended spending half an hour talking to this farmer learning about Asian pears and apples. The asian pears where ok.. they were a bit expensive - I thought- $5.00 for a quart basket, he sold them to me for $4.00. I wasn't crazy about them at first but they tasted great in my applesauce. They kind of remind me of a cross between and apple and a pear. The apples I bought were out of this world...I went back this Saturday but he wasn't there when I got there. He had these huge jona golds and Cortlands. The courtlands were very good and were just perfect for pie making, I only need 7 apples to make this nice big pie. The more I talk to the farmers I learned how hard it is sell produce- everybody wants something for nothing... and these farmers take so much pride and time in growing and sharing their food and someone want them to sell all their hard work for nothing... Its crazy !

The second half of my day was at Horsefeathers... It is this place on Connecticut and Normal Streets on Buffalo's West Side. On October 22nd- Horsefeathers had their grand opening and celebrated Food Day. What is Food Day ? Food Day seeks to bring together Americans from all walks of life—parents, teachers, and students; health professionals, community organizers, and local officials; chefs, school lunch providers, and eaters of all stripes—to push for healthy, affordable food produced in a sustainable, humane way. We will work with people around the country to create thousands of events in homes, schools, churches, farmers markets, city halls, and state capitals.. Horsefeather plans are to have Lofts upstairs and on the main level to have an indoor market. Inside there were different vendors including wine tasting, Pasta Peddlers. Outside there were Lloyds and the Whole Hog Food Trucks. I bought a burrito from Lloyds Food Truck, it was very good. They reminded me of this great place in Albany on Lark Street called Bombers ! I was at this event because I am part of this committee called Erie Niagara County Nutrition Committee, we had a table with the Food Bank of WNY and we were trying to have people join . Overall it was a pretty good event. And My parents were very happy with their apple pie !

Pictures from Garden Harvest Party

Making Garlic ButterLittle bit of all the great Pot luck food.Some Ethiopian Food from one our garden famlies
All the crock pot, pot luck dishes, smoked green beans and potatoes, season chicken, squash and apples, and squash and chicken stew... Everything was very good.

Part of the spread!

Harvest Party of the Food Bank Garden

Its hard when you do not post events right away... I kind of lose my passion when I have to recall. I have been part of the garden project at the food bank for about 8 or so years. I remember being at a meeting and this two people Corrine from the State Health Department and Theresa from the food bank kept talking about the garden at the food bank....I didn't bite... Then year two- they kept talking about it... so I brought it to my book club at the time and we decided to adopt a bed, then we got there and adopted another bed.... and that is where it all started...... So last Wednesday we had our end of the garden year party. It was a good year.... lots of work, fun and friendships... We are out there every Saturday from 8:30 AM- 10:30 AM. I have to be honest I love have my Saturdays back... but like I fool I have not been sleeping in- I have been spending my time at the Farmers market....So the party was pretty good- it was pot luck and everyone make some really great food. We did a garlic butter demo.

Garlic butter

1 stick of butter at room temp.

1 garlic clove minced

2 heaping teaspoons of fresh parsley cut up in small pieces

Mixed together

This can be used on seafood, potatoes, popcorn

Kale chips and bartering

am still trying to catch up on posting for this week... it really was a busy one, who am I kidding I think they are all busy ones I guess that is why I haven't started a blog earlier, but I have been inspired this time with all the cool stuff going on around me. I am also learning that while I write this I have to hit save botton every three or four statements because it is so easy for me to loose the stuff I am writing about. Last Sunday I made some kale chips while watching the Buffalo Bills, the chips were a big hit. I have been hearing a lot them for a while, when I was working the market a few weeks ago people where buying kale to make chips. I have put kale in soup before and I really like that... I might make some soup later this week with kale. Anyhow every magazine that I have picked up in the last week has talked about the chips and how healthy kale is for you. Kale is rich in antioxidants, beta-carotene, vitamin C.K and A, calcium , iron and fiber. The picture of the kale is from the family farm that I always talk about. So these kale chips are crazy easy... clean and dry the kale. I think the salad spinner works best, because it dries the kale very well. Also keep in mind when you are working with organic and local you may find bugs in your vegetables, this is completely normal, so you always need to check out for little bugs. Once you have cleaned the kale , cut into small bite size pieces with out the stem. Put in a bowl and mix about 1 tablespoon of olive oil and some sea salt or kosher salt- be careful with the salt, the first time I made the chips I got a little to happy with the salt and put way to much. I would use about a pinch or two of salt. When I looked at the kale in the bowl I never thought that the oil and the salt will cover all the kale but it does.Then take some parchment paper on a cookie sheet and make one layer and spread out, you do not want them to overlap. Cook in the oven for 20 mins.on 350 degrees .When done they will be crispy.Very easy !

Kale Chips

I bunch of kale

1 tablespoon of olive

a few pinches of sea salt

Clean and dry kale. Mix with oil and salt in a bowl. Spread on cookie sheet with parchment paper and cook for 20 minutes on 350 degrees in the oven.

On Monday I did Food Stamp Outreach in Springville and Sardinia, I go out there once a month. This time on my way home I stopped at Earls on Route 16 and met a friend who lives about 30 minutes futher out. I have known this friend for about 17-18 years we met at a job in Buffalo and she is from the burbs and so is her husband, they moved to the next county and it is pretty rural. I was at their house a few years ago and they had goats ,rabbits, chickens and a big garden with lots of garlic and potatoes. They dug up garlic and potatoes and gave me some that day. They got a way from the goats, rabbits and the garden now they have cows and chickens. My friends brought pictures of the cows and they were beautiful, I can't wait to meet them. I have no idea when I started to think cows were beautiful- but I do.... when I go to their house I will take pictures and post them and I think you may think the same too! Anyhow my friend and I decided to barter- I brought her pickled garlic scrapes and a jar a pear jam and she brought me peach syrup that they made and eggs. I haven't tried the syrup yet, I am sure it great... and the eggs they are huge and beautiful.