Gardening The Community Celebrates the Harvest

It's become a family tradition to celebrate the harvest with Gardening The Community at their Pancake Breakfast and Harvest Fundraiser. This is a terrific event that supports a local food justice organization in Springfield. It's also a lot of fun, and truly a celebration. This year we brought our friend Toni and our goddaughter Parker for the first time. Our plan is to bring a few more friends every year to experience the "GTC love." It was great to see so many board and staff members of The River Valley Market Co-op also in attendance. And River Valley Market generously donated $1,000 in food to support this event and the great work of GTC!

The mission of GTC is to develop youth, urban agriculture and sustainable living to build healthy and equitable communities. There are many aspects to this organization that make it unique, innovative and inspiring. I thoroughly appreciate that GTC's youth development work builds great leaders in our community. The grit of the work is to turn unused lots in Springfield into thriving gardens. These vegetables are sold at local farmer's markets and other venues to support the work of GTC. The produce is often moved by bicycle, encouraging participants to engage in healthy activities and operate in a more sustainable way. Stop by the GTC website to learn more about their history, milestones and other programs, like GTC EATS! CSA Farm Share Program.

The pancake breakfast this year was held at The Trinity United Methodist Church near Forest Park. The place was packed with people enjoying GTC's delicious homemade pancakes, prepared by the youth. I especially love the Harvest Pancake. I'll include the recipe at the end of this post. It's wonderful eaten with their homemade compote, syrup and butter.

GTC had an excellent program lined up to celebrate the growth and accomplishments of GTC over the year. They  always recognize the youth with service awards. Awards are given to volunteers and community members who have given so much to help with the continued success of the organization. And, there's lively entertainment, such as music and poetry reading. This year, Maurice Taylor spoke and I was moved by what he had to share. I love the energy of this event and how it highlights a coming together to build something beautiful and healthful for our community. You can buy tickets for a raffle and this we won two lovely gift baskets.

The centerpieces were lovely! 

Like GTC's Facebook page so you can hear about upcoming events. They have a wonderful plant sale in the spring for all of you avid gardeners out there. Did you know GTC will also be participating in the Valley Gives Program? If you are able, support GTC during this 24 Hour Celebration of Generosity.

GTC's Harvest Pancake Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour, stirred or sifted before measuring
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups milk
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• 1 medium carrot shredded
• 1 small apple shredded
• 1/4 cup shredded sweet potato

Preparation:

Sift together flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and 1 1/2 cups of milk; add to flour mixture, stirring only until smooth. Blend in melted butter, sweet potate,carrot, and apple. If the batter seems too thick to pour, add a little more milk. Cook on a hot, greased griddle, using about 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake. Cook until bubbly, a little dry around the edges, and lightly browned on the bottom; turn and brown the other side. Recipe for pancakes serves 5.

Brattleboro Beckons

The picturesque, old mill town of Brattleboro is just a short jaunt from Northampton. Only an hour away, it's a perfect day trip with plenty of terrific attractions, especially in the summertime. Brattleboro has a laid-back, mellow feel. Upon arrival, I naturally slow down, matching the easy pace of Southern VT residents. Folks are casual and outdoorsy. There is no need to put on a fancy dress to stroll Main Street, Brattleboro.

 The thing I cherish the most about Brattleboro is the Brattleboro Farmer's Market. This is no ordinary market. Visiting the market reminds me of attending church. For locals, this is where you'll find all of your friends and neighbors and make time to catch up with each other. The 50+vendors are lined up in a square, and in the center of the square are a few gorgeous mature trees to catch some shade, picnic tables for eating at, and an occasional musical act to entertain the market goers. The vendors include farmers, artisan food purveyors, restaurants and crafters. There's something for everyone. From Parisian style pastries, to Malian food to wood fired pizza, there are many choices for a tasty lunch. I usually have the Malian food and a small French pastry for dessert. There is also a very good Indian Vegetarian restaurant. I also often enjoy the amazing homemade lemon-lime aid, especially on a hot day.

One of the fine products I tried for the first time this year was the Nasturtium Vinegar from Circle Mountain Farm, located in Guilford, VT. They grow and prepare food for their CSA and for area Farmer's Markets. I also appreciate their mission to work their land in a sustainable way and to be activists for the local food movement. You can sample some lovely, local wines from the celebrated Putney Mountain Winery.  I always snag a loaf of delicious bread from Orchard Hill Breadworks. They sell lovely savory breads such as Sweet Pepper & Cheddar or Onion, Pepper and Parmesan bread.

As you can see here, I found my funny bone at the Brattleboro Farmer's Market. I can be quite menacing when I have a couple of fresh and local daikon radishes for weapons.

Fresh produce includes favorites like daikon radishes, strawberries, lettuces, and many other gorgeous local fruits and vegetables. There are lovely perennial herb plants and vegetable seedlings to take home and plant in the garden.

I usually bring a cooler, because there are plenty of meat and dairy products at the market, to include eggs, pork, beef and lamb. I make sure not to miss out on buying cheese from one of the cheese makers. Vermont cheese is the best cheese around!

 Strawberries at Dutton Farm

 Here is one of the many crafters from the market. Crafts include artisan jewelry, hand-made clothing and textiles as well as hand-felted alpaca products.

I appreciate that I can also pick up handmade soap or other bath and body products. These are products that are all natural and often organic. I find it to be quite a relief to know that I can trust what is in these products for their safety and for their sustainability.

There are many household items as well such as pottery, wooden cutting boards and area rugs. It's one stop shopping at the Brattleboro Farmer's Market. If you decide to pay a visit, set aside a couple of hours to thoroughly enjoy the experience!

I went back to Brattleboro with Donna to FINALLY try out Dosa Kitchen Restaurant. I have been meaning to go for months. I'm glad we were able to carve out a little time for a visit to this fine establishment. We met up with our friends Patti & Jerry in Brattleboro and they took us over to the Dosa Restaurant owned by Leda Weintraub and her husband Nash Patel.

Dosa Kitchen is a food truck that is open from spring to October. Nash serves up their fine food on Saturdays at the Brattleboro Winter Farmer's Market.

The cuisine at Dosa is authentic South Indian. They believe strongly in farm to table cuisine, using organic foods and locally grown foods as much as possible. I especially appreciate that they never use factory farmed meat products.

Being newbies to Dosa Kitchen, we decided to try just about everything on the menu and had ourselves quite the spread.  We ordered the cheese dosa, chicken curry with uttapam, a butternut squash dish and a couple of the all-natural sodas. Our dishes also came with greens and chutney.

Donna and I were both very impressed with all the food. Although it was quite a lot of food, it was light and we weren't too full after our lunch.
We'll certainly be returning in the near future. I'm also hankering to check out the Winter Market, which takes place on Saturdays.

 Here is our incredibly delicious spread. 

To top off our day, I had the pleasure of purchasing a copy of Leda's wonderful new cookbook, Cultured Foods For your Kitchen: 100 Recipes Featuring the Bold Flavors of Fermentation. This is an exciting new cookbook that teaches about the art of making fermented foods in your own kitchen. There are recipes for making these foods as well as for dishes that include fermented foods.

I plan on cooking my way through this cookbook this fall and am excited to explore pickling, making kefir and other fun foodie experiments.

Thank you Leda, for signing my book and for the photo!

In addition to The Farmers Market and Dosa Kitchen, there are so many fun places to stop in Brattleboro. I also enjoy kayaking on the West River or taking a dip at the swimming hole, stopping by the unique Sam's Outdoor Outfitters, poking around through bookstores or trying one of the other excellent in town restaurants. And, a trip isn't complete without stopping in at the Brattleboro Food Co-op. Brattleboro is a thriving arts community and there are also plenty of interesting events and festivals throughout the year. I hope you have a chance to pay a visit to Brattleboro soon!

12 Mile Meal Chef Battle 2014

My friend Rene graciously extended an invitation to join her at the 12 Mile Meal Chef Battle event at the Northampton Jazz Fest last weekend. I happily accepted, had a fantastic time, and hope to attend next year. 12 Mile Meal is an organization that promotes the idea of eating meals made with food made locally within a 12 Mile radius. Their business mantra is "The Right Choice for your Health, the Community and the Environment." They have charter memberships available for like-minded organizations, offer up newsy tidbits about what is happening locally in Western Massachusetts and participate in events that match their mission.

This event is a well-attended fundraiser to support the Jazz Festival and is a competition between three local restaurants to prepare the best meal using all locally sourced food. All of the food and beverage is donated from local farmers, food manufacturers, brewers and wineries.

The three restaurants competing this year were Viva Fresh Pasta, Sierra Grille and Galaxy Restaurant. The contest is judged by a panel of judges and food is prepared for the judges along with a table of Diner Donors for each restaurant. Restaurants receive awards for Best Appetizer, Best Entree, Best Dessert, Best Decorated Table and Best Overall.

I'm pleased we were at the Galaxy Restaurant Table as we had excellent company and hostesses who were both sweet and generous with the wine pour. And, of course, our food was outstanding!

 Galaxy's incredible Chicken Stuffed Heirloom Tomato 

with a sauce of locally grown corn and a lovely

zucchini salad prepared with shiso leaf. Galaxy won

the award for Best Appetizer! 

 Our taste buds were enthralled with this delicious, 

perfectly grilled local steak with pickled beets, 

Mycoterra Farm mushrooms and a butternut squash 

sauce. Galaxy takes the award for best Entree! 

Our show-stopping dessert of savory biscuit, apple,

plum, plum reduction, husk cherries, creme

fraiche and lavender. No award for dessert,

but this was amazing and award deserving! 

Not surprisingly, Galaxy took the overall award. Thank you to Galaxy restaurant and 12 Mile Meal. See you next year. By the way, Galaxy is located in Easthampton. We have enjoyed their delicious food, inventive cocktails and excellent service. Stop by and see them sometime! 

Pho Party in the House!

 I've been chomping at the bit for the Banh Mi Saigon restaurant to re-open. Sadly, the Banh Mi restaurant was destroyed in an electrical fire in Hadley last October. We also lost other fine establishments, to include Mi Tierra Mexican restaurant, the International Food Market, an Ecuadorian food store and Greggory's Bakery. Greggory's is now open in a bigger and beautiful space in Hadley. Mi Tierra is opening in September in their own building.  I hope the stores re-open soon! 

I discovered that the Banh Mi restaurant had a huge following when I read the reviews on the restaurant after the fire. The reviews by customers were fantastic. I was saddened that I didn't discover this gem of a restaurant. I was thrilled to recently hear that they found a space and were re-opening. In the meantime, I learned that the owner was a wonderful and kind man. I'm pleased that he landed a perfect spot on Main Street in Northampton. 

Being a Foodist Dork, I decided that it would be a good idea to arrive 15 minutes before the soft re-opening at 11 am this morning. We were the second customers on line. The first arrivals were very excited about the opening and often frequented Banh Mi when they were open in Hadley. Another customer arrived who drove up from Enfield. Her sister lives in Hadley and she said they would often pick up sandwiches at Banh Mi. She was having lunch and then bringing to go banh mi sandwiches to her sister. We were greeted 10 minutes before opening by Hai Cheng, the owner of the international market. He is helping out the owner of Banh Mi for now, and was very excited about the opening. He said that everyone in the restaurant was excited and nervous. 

The doors opened, and everyone spilled in. We had big grins. The staff had big grins. We were all on cloud 9. It was fun to watch the joyous re-connections with past customers. There was A LOT of staff working and things were a bit nutty. We were prepared to be patient, because after all it was a soft opening and nuttiness is to be expected. The restaurant owners were new to a full service restaurant as the restaurant in Hadley was counter service. 

The atmosphere of the restaurant was lovely. They did a nice job on the re-design and there was a simple, airy feel with an added coziness from the brick walls. 

 We ordered the fresh spring rolls as an appetizer. I have to say that these were the best fresh spring rolls I've had. The rolls were wrapped nice and tight. As you can see from the picture, these rolls were chock full of shrimp and there was plenty of cilantro too. Sometimes, the rice noodles in the spring roll are a little too cold for my taste. Not so with these, which were the perfect temperature. The sauce for dipping was excellent. I do think they could serve a bit more sauce. We ran out about 3/4 of the way through devouring these lovely rolls.

 Blue ordered the pork banh mi sandwich. I had a big bite and it was delicious. The bread was perfect for banh mi sandwiches and I'm curious about whether or not they bake the bread. The sandwich is made with roasted pork, cucumbers, pickled carrots and daikon, cilantro, onions, and scallion oil, with Vietnamese mayo spread. Blue started chowing and I waited patiently for the pho noodle soup to arrive.

 A big bowl of happiness arrived. The broth in the soup was fragrant and the noodles were cooked to perfection. They were generous with the beef portion, which includes rare beef, meatballs, brisket, tendon and shank. The soup had scallion, bean sprouts and basil for garnish. I give the pho a 10!

Slurp! 

We will be back very soon. I'm very happy for your return, Banh Mi Saigon!

Public service message: Pho is pronounced Fu 

Peace and Love (and Indian Food)

 My favorite spot in Western Massachusetts is the Leverett Peace Pagoda. It was the first Peace Pagoda to be built in the United States (more on the history of peace pagodas to come).We have been going to the peace pagoda for many years, and often bring friends who are in town visiting. I also have a running route with my friend Lars that includes a start and end at the peace pagoda. It's worth the hour plus round trip to be able to run and simply spend time in such a beautiful place and in such a peaceful setting. Their website has more information including history of the pagoda. 

If Western MA is within range of a day trip or if you have New England travel plans, I highly recommend that you build a visit to the peace pagoda into your roster. And, you can pop by the famed Montague Book Mill, which is less than 15 minutes away.

 At Leverett Peace Pagoda

A plethora of origami cranes

Lars taking pictures of Tibetan prayer flags

following the Cave Hill Classic 5 Miler

Peace pagodas are Buddhist monuments that are spread across the world. Buddhist monk Nichidatsu Fuji built the first peace pagoda to inspire world peace following the end of World War II. There are five in North American and only 3 in the United States. We are fortunate that another peace pagoda is in our vicinity. It's a mere 2 hours away-just over the NY state border. We finally had an opportunity to pay a visit this past weekend. We made a fun day of it with a trip that included dinner in Williamstown, MA. This is the Grafton Peace Pagoda in New York State. Also a new Peace Pagoda is under construction in Tennessee.

Each peace pagoda has its own unique characteristics. The Grafton Peace Pagoda had a beautiful pond and some unique sculptural elements. With the encouragement of Jun Yasuda, a Japanese teacher who was taught by Nichidatsu Fuji, she led the pagoda to focus on supporting indigenous peoples. She also believed that the spiritual path of indigenous peoples would "open a new path of existence for the United States--a peaceful and sacred way of life for all humanity." This pagoda is known for its support of indigenous peoples of North America. Also, they hold an annual walk for peace on September 11th from the Peace Pagoda to New York City. You can learn much more about the incredible history of the Grafton Peace pagoda at their website. 

 Blue on the path around the pagoda

 On the path were postings of phases of Buddha's life

as well as reliefs of each phase. 

 One of the reliefs. 

 The Buddha's last words

 Lily pads and fleurs 

 After our visit to the pagoda, we picked up Maple Syrup.

Honor system Maple Wagon! 

 We stopped in Williamstown on the way back from the pagoda. This was my first time spending any amount of time in Williamstown. It's an adorable, quintessentially New England town. We'll be back soon with friends, I'm sure. We decided on dinner at the highly rated Spice Root Indian restaurant. I have to say, this is the best Indian Food I've had in Western Massachusetts. And the staff was very attentive and friendly. We ordered a Paneer dish and Lamb Biryani. 

Lamb Biryani

All in all it was a wonderful day trip. Feeling blessed with the beauty of the area and the opportunity to spend time at our nearby peace pagodas. 

Civilization is not to kill human beings; not to destroy things, not to make war; civilization is to hold mutual affection and to respect one another --Most Venerable Nichidatsu Fuji.

Captain Jack's French Fry Omelet

Last week, Blue's sister, Nancy, her husband Norm, and our niece Hannah came up for a visit from North Carolina. Mostly we cooked at home. However, we did take them to one of our favorite nearby restaurants, Captain Jack's Roadside Shack. It's a seasonal outdoor venue and a fabulous option on a beautiful summer day. 

We love Captain Jack's for their succulent and generously portioned Lobster Rolls, tasty Fried Clam Rolls and the famous Fish Tacos w/ Crunchy Cabbage and Cilantro. Their fries and onion rings are also excellent. I appreciate that they also try to use as many sustainable and local ingredients as possible.

The kiddos had the ever-popular homemade lemonade. They make delicious Strawberry Lemonade, Jalapeno lemonade and regular lemonade as well as very good iced teas. This establishment is BYOB, so the grownups partook of Ginger Libation from Green River Ambrosia and beer.

We had a great time at Captain Jack's and especially enjoyed the perfect weather, fine company, and the spectacular view of the Holyoke Mountain Range. Ahhh, summertime living! 

We couldn't possibly get through all of the fries that came with our meal. We decided to not let them go to waste. We took them home, envisioning a Frittata. Instead, I made a Captain Jack's French Fry Omelet. This morning's announcement of french fry omelet making was not met with enthusiasm. 

I tried to get everyone pumped up, but all I got was raised eyebrows. Great. Refusing to give up, I used the tried and true strategy of stuffing some of their favorites in the omelet creation along with the french fries, so they could "get on board." In addition to french fries, I added olive oil, roasted red peppers, parsley, salt and pepper.

 Well, it was a winner! Everyone gobbled it up and proclaimed it a very good breakfast. Cheese would be a good addition for the next Captain Jack's French Fry Omelet. 

Ripley's Believe It Or.... Pancakes!

Have you heard about the newest pancake craze? Everywhere you look, you'll see this simple recipe for pancakes. The two major ingredients are Dani's favorites. So, I've been hoping for a few moments to whip these up for her. I was able to squeeze the time in this morning. This recipe calls for using cooking spray to fry up the pancakes. I used a little olive oil and butter.

These pancakes are obviously great for a quick and easy breakfast. I highly recommend using this recipe for a cooking lesson with the kids. They'll have fun and be proud of their little creations. Tip: make the pancakes very small, using 1/8th of a cup of pancake mixture. The pancakes are very thin and the smaller pancakes are easier to turn over. 

 Dani just got back from her run.

I foisted pancakes upon her. 

Thanks to Dani for being a taste-tester! I got a big thumbs up and I have a feeling she'll be adding this recipe to her pancake making repertoire. I tried them as well and they were delicious. You might think they would taste eggy, but they do not, due to the sweetness of the banana. They would be good with savories added if you like. You could also serve these as an appetizer with a sweet or savory topping. 

Manic Mediterranean Meltdown (Mmmmm)

It all began with the idea of making a simple Greek Feta pancake with salad for dinner. This somehow morphed into a Mediterranean style feeding frenzy. At some point, I had to call in reinforcements to help with plowing through all the food!

The lovely crowd of reinforcements

enjoying dinner on the porch

The Feta Pancake (Tiganopita Me Feta) recipe came from the Lemon & Olives Greek Culture & Food Blog. I made a few changes, to include adding more olive oil, fresh oregano and parsley to the feta mixture that is scattered on top before baking. And, I used more for garnish. I have to say, no changes were needed! I just happen to have a little obsession with making any recipe my own. This dish was fun & easy to prepare-well worth the effort. And, it was a hit, and received a resounding YES on the teenager front. I plan on showing the kids how to make this themselves.

For sometime now, Hushwee has also been on my mind. Hushwee is a traditional and very popular Lebanese dish, that is a peasant food and also known as "poor man's dinner."  It features Mediterranean spice flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg and clove. I substituted cardamom for the clove. And, as I do with many Mediterranean recipes, I subbed in toasted almonds for pine nuts, as they are much less expensive and are just as tasty. Here is the original recipe from The Lemon Bowl.

Hushwee pairs nicely with Mediterranean bread and salad. It is very commonly mixed in with rice that has been cooked in chicken broth. The version with rice is often used as a stuffing for chicken or turkey. And, it is delicious served over homemade hummus.

Hushwee

We had Patatosalata, a Greek Potato Salad. I added capers and lemon zest to the recipe. Also, this salad typically calls for peeling the potatoes and I kept them intact. 

Here is the recipe from Greekfood.about.com. 

Patatosalata

I roasted Romanesco Broccoli and carrot, which was mixed with roasted red pepper and topped with a Dark Cherry Balsamic vinegar from Cosimano e Ferrari, an olive oil and balsamic company from my hometown of Rochester, NY. The Romanesco broccoli was grown by Golonka Farm. They just started growing it this year. And, the carrots came from our CSA, Mountain View Farm. 

Roasted Romanesco Broccoli & Carrot 

with Roasted Red Peppers and Dark Cherry Balsamic

We also had a Mediterranean Salad of heirloom tomato, fresh mozzarella, cucumber, peppers and perilla. The Fresh Mozarella is made in Vermont and I get it regularly at The River Valley Market Co-op. I picked up the perilla at The Tuesday Farmer's Market in Northampton. I was so excited by the perilla as I have been trying to hunt it down for ages. Miraculously, my friend Christine just happened to get a tour at The Sawmill Collective, a culinary and medicinal herbs grower, and noticed that they were growing it on their farm. And, she pointed me to the Tuesday Market, where they sell their herbs. This lucky girl, got the one and only bunch they brought to market that day. Farmer Susan was excited that I was so interested in the perilla. 

One excited cook trying to do her 

best flower girl impression 

Mediterranean Salad

I worried that there wasn't enough food. Solution? Make pasta! 

Hungarian egg noodles with kale 

and sun dried tomatoes

The spread minus the hushwee