Reblogged from FROM SCRATCH CLUB:

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

I asked my husband to write down some of the recipes he misses from his childhood in Estonia. He wrote Vatrushka on our family message board and it was there for over a year. I am on the third version and we are all happy with how it came out.  My starting point was a recipe from the website, Russian Recipe Book…

Read more… 190 more words

The gift that ramps are!
Chef Michael Lapi shared freshly foraged ramps with our family and I just used lemon juice to bring out its onion garlic flavors and made an one bowl meal– we love them around here.  I just read today that ramps are available at the Honest Weight Co-op !

Lentil Ramps Shrimp Salad

1 cup of lentils, cooked
1 cup of shrimp, pilled and cooked
1 bunch of ramps, ends trimmed and chopped
1 lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Sauté ramps in olive oil for one minute just until soft
Add ramps and oil to shrimp and lentils
Add juice of one lemon and salt and pepper to taste.

Patio furniture, afternoon planting in the garden,  70 degrees weather, complete with baked beans and potato salad — just right tonight!

Vegan Baked Beans + sugar and gluten free

3 cups cooked pinto beans (or navy beans)
1/2 cup of unsweetened apple sauce
1 cup of vegetable broth
1 onion finely chopped
3 cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp ground mustard
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1 tablespoon gluten free soy sauce
2 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 bay leaf
few shakes of hot pepper flakes
Add all ingredients to a 1 1/2 quart crockpot on low for 4 hours or cook on a dutch for one hour on stove top.

Garlic (Taken with GifBoom)

Reblogged from FROM SCRATCH CLUB:

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Editor's Note: Ellie Markovitch of storycooking.com is back with another seasonal recipe, this time with sorrel. -Christina

The weather here is still fighting between late winter and springtime, but last week, I got a taste of Spring from Rebekah Rice's 9Mile farm green house -- a bunch of "azedinha" as we call them in Brazil. You may know it as Sorrel. 

Read more… 253 more words

Amy Halloran and I were invited to prepare tastings with Honest Weight Food Co-op for this month Food For Thought.
We want people to feed themselves well on a budget. Beans are packed with protein and fiber. Using a pressure cooker, they can be on the table in minutes. For the tasting I made Black Bean Salsa and Amy made corn bread using Farmer Ground Flour, organic, NYS grown, stone milled grains. I made 30 cups of salsa for $43.16 with all the ingredients from Honest Weight.

Food For Thought is a monthly evening of food, film and discussion with a focus on films of social, political, environmental and community interest. Held at WAMC’s Linda Theatre on the third Thursday of each month, the night features food samples by Honest Weight Food Co-op, live music, a feature film screening, and an open panel discussion.

Ellie’s Black Bean Salsa
with oranges and coriander
makes about 7 1/2 QT (30 cups)

2.5 pounds of dried black beans, cooked al dente (if using pressure cooker, cooked for 10 minutes, if using the crockpot, soak them overnight and cook on low for 7-8 hours)
2 red medium onions, chopped
3 bell peppers of different colors
1 head of garlic, about 9 cloves
2 bunches of cilantro, chopped
1 bunch of green onions, chopped
4 tomatoes (use sun dried tomatoes if not in season)
2 pounds frozen sweet corn uncooked (use fresh and raw when available)
zest of 3 oranges (organic if available)

For the dressing, add every thing in the blender
juice of 3 oranges, about 1 cup, with pulp
1/2 cup of olive oil
1 Tablespoon of oregano
1 Tablespoon of cumin
1 Tablespoon of coriander seeds, freshly grounded
1 head of garlic, about 9 cloves, minced
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients let marinate for at least 20 minutes. Serve cold or at room temperature.

See more information about the evening bellow:

This Months Film:  A Place At The Table

One Nation. Underfed.

Fifty million people in the U.S. — including one in four children — don’t know where their next meal is coming from. Directors Kristi Jacobson and Lori Silverbush examine the issue of hunger in America through the lens of three people struggling with food insecurity: Barbie, a single Philadelphia mother who grew up in poverty and is trying to provide a better life for her two kids; Rosie, a Colorado fifth-grader who often has to depend on friends and neighbors to feed her and has trouble concentrating in school; and Tremonica, a Mississippi second-grader whose asthma and health issues are exacerbated by the largely empty calories her hardworking mother can afford.

Ultimately, A Place at the Table shows us how hunger poses serious economic, social and cultural implications for our nation, and that it could be solved once and for all, if the American public decides – as they have in the past – that making healthy food available and affordable is in the best interest of us all.

This evenings musical performer: JACK EMPIE

Jack Empie began playing guitar spontaneously on a Christmas Day when he discovered a guitar (intended for his younger brother) under the tree. Jack went on to study music at Berkley College and Towson University. His diverse range makes it difficult to place his music in a particular genre but his personal voice is discernible to even an unsophisticated listener. Jack has worked as a professional musician in bands and as a solo performer since he was a teenager. His passion for music is infectious because of his joy in sharing and relating it others. He is presently working to release a new CD and continues to perform at various local venues.

Food For Thought is a monthly evening of food, film and discussion with a focus on films of social, political, environmental and community interest. Held at WAMC’s Linda Theatre on the third Thursday of each month, the night features food samples by Honest Weight Food Co-op, live music, a feature film screening, and an open panel discussion.

This month at Food For Thought come enjoy a live cooking demonstration from 6 – 7pm with multimedia storyteller, Ellie Markovitch and local food writer and enthusiast, Amy Halloran.  They will emphasize cooking delicious healthy meals on a budget using ingredients like beans and corn meal.  Be sure to stop in and sample some treats before the film!

Thursday, April 18
Music and food starts at 6 pm
Film starts at 7 pm
Tickets: $8.00

I few weeks back I ate a great raw kale salad at my friend’s Faith Giordano’s home.
I love how the salad was a meal on its own. Faith made her salad with cooked lentils, cheese, dried fruits. I was reminded and inspired to play with the combo and use my sprouted lentils. The best part, this salad gets better with time.

Whisk oil, and vinegar, maple syrup, add salt and pepper to taste.

Pour the mixture over  kale, lentils and green onions.

Toss the salad, mixing well. Refrigerate 4-8 hours.

Sprouted Lentil and Raw kale Salad

1 bunch of kale, chopped

2 cups of sprouted lentils

1 bunch of green onions, chopped
1/4 cup of olive oil
2-4 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon maple syrup
salt and pepper to taste

Thursday night is soup night and I am calling this recipe “between-the-seasons soup.” Still cold in the Northeast and perfect for a smooth creamy white bean soup topped with the tanginess of sorrel leaves. These greens on my plate are the taste of Spring.
As a child in Brazil, I would eat azedinha (translates little sour leaves) from my mom’s herb garden.
I got a bunch of Sorrel from Rebekah Rice’s 9 mile farm in Delmar.
Sorrel is an excellent source of vitamin C and A. Each serving provides approximately half of the daily recommended intake of vitamin C.

Caldo de Feijão Branco com Azedinha
White Beans Soup with Sorrel

2 cups cooked white beans (navy)
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons of olive oil
salt and black pepper to taste
Blend all ingredients in a blender or immersion blender. Simmer the soup for 15 minutes. Serve with chiffonaded sorrel leaves.

This weekend was the opening of Connecting with the Land, a photography exhibit that lets us experience local farms through the eyes of youth in the Underground Gallery at the Sanctuary for Independent Media.

I was one of the teachers for The Farm Photography for Kids program of the Agricultural Stewardship Association (ASA).  I taught youth urban farmers with Capital District Community Gardens Produce Project. They documented their 8th Street Farm in Troy, NY and Soul Fire Farm in Grafton. I am so proud of their work. The students selected their favorite images reflecting how they see and are connected wit the land.

The exhibit will be on display from March 22nd through June 15th. For gallery hours visit MediaSanctuary.org.

Special thank you to Nancy Weber, Tolu Fashoro, Hannah Savio, Katie Doyle, Meegan Finnegan and everyone who made the evening possible.

Yes, I made large pots of beans for the reception!

Pasta Fagioli for 50 people
12 cups cooked white beans (navy) (2 lbs dried beans)
8 cups of tomatoes, crushed with juice
2 large onions, chopped
1/4 cup of olive oil
10 cloves of garlic, minced
3 sprig thyme
1 tablespoon of dried basil
water or vegetable broth to cover the beans
2 pounds baby spinach leaves
salt and pepper to taste
4 pounds cooked pasta, al dente, drizzle some olive oil to keep the pasta from sticking together, serve with the beans
Parmesan cheese, grated, optional
I had a couple of large pots for this job and then transferred the beans to keep warm in crockpots.
Sauté onions in oil until soft and translucent for a couple of minutes. Add tomatoes, garlic, thyme, basil, salt and pepper to taste. Add beans, enough water or broth to cover the beans and let simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in spinach leaves and serve over cooked pasta and Parmesan.