Squash Sloppy Joe

Here's  an easy sloppy joe, perfect for a quick and tasty dinner with more veggies than your standard joe. It's a "Summer Squash Sloppy Joe" but I think winter squash works just as well (make sure you cook winter squash before adding it). I like to use whole wheat buns and extra sharp cheddar.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Summer-Squash-Sloppy-Joes-239165 

Cincinnati Chili

This is one of my all-time favorite recipes.  I generally post recipes that I've created or significantly modified, but this Cincinnati Chili recipe in Bon Appetit is perfect just the way it is.  

The only thing I change (sometimes) is to add different meats, depending on what's available. The recipe is great for any meat that's a little gamey; grass-fed beef, lamb, goat, buffalo, or venison.  Give it a try, I'm sure you'll love it!

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Cincinnati-Chili-363731

Chicken Stalk

The scent of bubbling chicken stock permeates my small old home. I inhale the memories of childhood holidays; my father simmering the leftover turkey carcass the morning after a day of feasting; a heartwarming broth of bones, onions, carrots and vegetable scraps. But I have a different reverence for the chicken simmering in my pot, because I sliced off its head.

I have attempted to make my home a rural patch of Pittsburgh. However, urban farming has proved to be more difficult than my Urban Farm subscription makes it seem. My shady city yard barely manages to produce scrawny herbs and a few stubs of kale. The city dashed my hopes for a few little egg layers by making them illegal on my lot just as I was drawing plans for a coop.

I fantasize about my future backyard: a garden brimming with vegetables, rows of fruit-bearing trees and shrubs, chickens pecking and scratching at the ground, perhaps a goat whose udders are heavy with milk. The earth’s bounty will be visible, audible, and smellable. Abundant fresh food will be a few feet away.

However, a backyard is not requisite for every aspect of hobby-farmer training. During my stint in the city there is plenty to learn; seasonal cooking, cheese making, canning, fermenting, rendering, composting, charcuterie, and most recently, butchering.

The sun streams in through my kitchen window, avoiding my garden, and I stand at the sink looking down at my work. I pick every edible morsel of the chicken’s boiled body so nothing is wasted. I think about the last moments of his free-roaming life and how he came to be in my kitchen.

Whenever possible, I interrogate a hobby-farming coworker, Andy. I search him for bits of experienced hobby-farmer wisdom. What chicken varieties are your best layers? Why do you prefer oxen to draft horses for plowing? Do you have chickens available for meat? Andy eventually invites me to his hobby-farm to help him process chickens.

I drive an hour north of the city to Andy’s home on a wet weekend morning, astonished at the length of his daily commute. His driveway is lined by a fence enclosing geese on the left and goats on the right. Behind the goats is a studio-sized chicken coop. Striped, black, red, white, and iridescent chickens strut freely all over the property, softly murmuring between quick attacks on insects and seeds.

I usually see Andy in blue scrubs, but here he is dressed in a stained white shirt and splotchy denim overalls tucked into rubber boots. Farmer Andy introduces me to his wife then shows me around his ten-acre farm. I breathe in fresh country air laced with scents of mud and fresh cut grass. I study the detailed and practical construction of his large coop. A large rectangle box protrudes from the side of the coop. I lift the hinged roof and a black hen, busy laying an egg, twists her head to peer at me with one round eye.

Andy takes me into a pasture with two giant red oxen. I pretend not to be fearful of the potentially disemboweling long horns while I rub the sleek coat of an ox. I watch the ox curl its smooth tongue into its nostril as it stomps and shakes away flies. We leave the pasture, walk past the untamed sunflower field, and meet the unlucky birds quarantined in an animal carrier.

Deftly, Andy reaches into the cage and grabs a young rooster by the legs, hanging it upside down. He ties orange synthetic bailing twine above its scaly yellow feet and strings it to a white and blue spiral-striped swingset frame. The upside-down bird is remarkably calm and still, its hanging wings resemble a wide W.

Andy holds the chicken’s head with one hand and quickly slices through its neck with a sharp knife. The headless fowl suddenly becomes animated, flapping wildly, spraying blood from the writhing stump all over the grass. Andy repeats the process with two more birds. With one rooster remaining I ask, “Do you mind if I do it?”

Creases form in Andy’s forehead as his eyebrows rise. He expected help with plucking and cleaning the birds, not with butchering. Having never killed a land animal before, I am nervous that I might cause the rooster more pain than necessary. But for the sake of my future farm, I believe this is something I need to learn.

Andy hands me the weapon. The tranquil rooster sees an inverted, lanky, virgin-butcher approaching it with a dagger. I put my left hand around the rooster’s thin neck. His dark red feathers are downy and soft. The bird remains completely motionless despite my contact. The misty rain feels cool on my face and hands.

I position the knife at his neck, take a deep breath, and silently thank him for his life. With full force I slide the knife into his flesh, meeting resistance at the spine. My heart pounds, not wanting him to suffer. I grit my teeth and push the knife though the dense cartilage of his vertebrae. Severing the spine feels like cutting through wet rope.

I let the head fall to the ground and step back from the spewing blood. I expect to feel sadness and grief for having taken an animal’s life. Instead I feel grateful; grateful for the rooster providing food, grateful for Andy giving him a good life, grateful for the opportunity to experience the sacrifice of eating meat.

Once the rooster’s flailing subsides, Andy takes him down and dunks the body in a tub of boiling water on an outdoor propane burner. The drenched bird shrinks instantly as the puffy feathers become heavy and wet. Big raindrops smack my head and shoulders. Andy suggests we complete the process in the kitchen.

We set the birds on the granite island. I glance around the recently built home. There is hardly any furniture or objects, the walls are naked and neutral, and there are no appliances on the countertops. The few objects I notice are intended for the baby on the way. Evidently, Andy and his wife take more interest in their outdoor activities.

I grab a handful of wet feathers and pull. Dark red quills poke out between my fingers. I repeat the motion until the fowl is nearly stripped. Then I tweeze the last stubborn feathers with my thumb and index finger. The bare bird looks nothing like its relatives at the grocery store. It’s lean and covered with dark fuzz from the downy feather shards that won’t wash off.

Andy shows me how to delicately cut around the anus and loosen the entrails. The greenish ribbons of intestine fall from the cavity. The guts reek, not surprisingly, like chicken shit. Andy’s hand disappears in the carcass and comes out with tiny organs. With Andy’s guidance it’s my turn to eviscerate a chicken.

The warmth of the carcass is startling, having always handled meat straight from the refrigerator. The firm folds of intestines come out easily. My fingertips probe to detach the dense and slippery kidneys. I penetrate the thin diaphragm to remove the spongy lungs and almond sized heart. The esophagus, slick and membranous, separates from the body with the force required to unplug a toaster. I rinse the hollow carcass, put it in a bag, and drive home.

Back in the city I roast the rooster and baste him with Amish butter, rosemary, and garlic. I purée the cooked heart, liver and gizzard with cream, shallots and sherry and enjoy the bold and pungent flavor of the pâté on a baguette. I eat my meal slowly, letting each bite linger in my mouth, appreciating the full flavor his life provided. The meat is moist and rich from his diet of sunflower seeds and insects. The leftovers of the chicken become fragrant stock with onions and carrots from farmer friends, Jane and Jeff, and herbs from my garden. I have never felt more connected to my dinner.

--Christina Szalinski

First published in The Inquisitive Eater.  Used with permission of The Inquisitive Eater.

DC Metro Locavore

I have not been a good blogger lately.  I recently finished graduate school and moved to the DC Metro area to start a job.  I will miss Pittsburgh, my friends and my favorite farmers (especially Mott Family Farmers) tremendously.  Moving has made my locavore commitment difficult, but not for the reasons I expected.

In the first week here I went to farm markets in Dupont Circle, Bethesda, and Rockville.  There is an abundance local food available in the area (including drop-offs from the famous Polyface Farm), however, I have sticker shock. During my Low Income Locavore year in Pittsburgh I ate for $5.43 per day (on average for 301 days) and I'm not sure that would be possible here.  Stay tuned for my adventures as I look for ways to eat a DC local diet affordably.  

Another reason I haven't posted is that in a different kitchen with a different stove, I am failing at cooking.  I'm scalding things I never had trouble with in the past and my timing is completely off. I have a renewed appreciation for beginner cooks.  Though from past experience, I am confident it will get better.

While you wait for me to recover my cooking skills, I recommend that everyone in the DC Metro area check out Stonyman Gourmet Farmer cheeses (you can find them at the Central Farm markets in Bethesda or Rockville).  Completely incredible and worth every penny.

Asparagus in Creamy Lemon Pasta Sauce

This quick and easy dish was delightful; the delicate lemon flavor complimented the crisp spring asparagus.

Servings: 5
Time: 15 minutes

1 pound pasta
1.5 pounds asparagus, chopped into 1 inch pieces
2 tablespoons butter
Zest from 1 lemon (~1 tablespoon)
Juice from 1 lemon
1 cup half and half
1 cup grated parmesan cheese

Bring salted water to a boil and cook pasta per instructions.  Heat frying or saute pan on medium and add butter.  When the butter is melted add asparagus.  Stir frequently for 4 minutes until asparagus are bright green.  Add the lemon zest and juice and stir for 1 minute.  Add half and half as well as 1/2 cup cheese, turn heat to medium-low and simmer for 2 minutes.  Salt to taste, then turn heat to low.  When pasta is finished, mix pasta and sauce.  Garnish with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and parsley flakes.


Thanks Mott Family Farm for the amazing asparagus!

Bike Fresh Bike Local Farm Tours

The Pennsylvania Association of Sustainable Agriculture is hosting 25, 50, or 70 mile Bike Fresh Bike Local farm tours along country roads across the state:

Bike Fresh Allegheny County - Sunday, June 2

Fresh Centre County - Sunday, August 4

Bike Fresh Chester County - Sunday, September 22

 Registration is $40, which includes food and beer.

Easter (or Secular) Eggs Goldenrod

Every Easter I look forward to making my Great-Grandma Marjie's eggs goldenrod with the abundance of hardboiled eggs, but it doesn't have to be Easter to enjoy this hearty breakfast. 

Eggs Goldenrod
Makes 4 large portions (this recipe can be scaled to accomodate more or fewer servings)

8 slices of toast or 4 english muffins
8 hard boiled eggs

4 tablespoons of butter
4 tablespoons of flour
3 cups of milk
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper

1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder 
8 slices of toast
chives, chopped for topping (optional)

Peel the hard boiled eggs and separate the yolk from the white.   Put the yolks in a small bowl and use a fork to break into small pieces.  Coarsely chop the whites.  In a saucepan on medium heat, warm the butter until melted and bubbly then add the flour and stir until it makes a paste.  Add milk, a splash at a time, whisking constantly until lumps disappear.  Then add the salt, pepper and garlic powder.  Turn the heat to low and simmer until thickened, stirring often for about 10 minutes.  Mix in the egg whites.  Serve on top of toast or english muffins with a sprinkle of egg yolks and chives.

French Onion Soup

I had beef soup bones from Burns Angus Farm in my freezer and I wanted to make soup while it was still cold outside.  I made beef stock, a smaller version of this recipe, with the soup bones, celery, onions, carrots, garlic, bay leaves and water.  Then I made a fabulous French onion soup:

French Onion Soup
4 Servings
Active Time: 30 min
Total Time: 1 1/2 hours

1 pound onions, cut in half and sliced thinly lengthwise
2 tablespoons oil (I used half butter half olive oil)
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup port wine
8 cups beef stock
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon dried thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
4 pieces of crusty bread, cut into 1 1/2 inch thick slices
1/2 pound gruyere cheese, sliced thinly or grated
4 ovensafe bowls

Heat oil in a stockpot on medium-low then add onions.  Cook onions on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until brown and caramelized (45 minutes - 1 hour).  Stir in flour then add port wine and continue stirring until thickened, about 2 minutes.  Next add beef stock, bay leaf, and thyme and turn up heat to medium high until boiling.  Once boiling, turn down the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes so flavors can meld.  During that time, toast the bread under the broiler on low until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes per side.  Remove bay leaf from soup and add desired quantity of salt and pepper, then pour into oven safe bowls.  Float a slice of bread onto each bowl of soup and top with gruyere cheese.  Put the bowls in the oven and broil on low until cheese is melted and bubbly, about 6 minutes.  Serve immediately.

Philly Farm & Food Fest

Save the date for the Philly Farm & Food Fest on April 14th at the Philadelphia Convention Center Annex.  General admission is $15 and kids under 12 get in free.  Enjoy the Local Libations Lounge, watch cooking demonstrations, buy humanely raised meat, learn at various workshops, and check out over 100 exhibitors.

Lard and why I love it

A few days ago I made lard. Unlike vegetable shortening (such as Crisco), lard has no hydrogenation.  The problem with hydrogenation is that it generates trans-fats.  Trans-fats are worse for one's health than cis-fats (like those found in lard) because trans-fats are not found in nature so the body processes them differently.  Although the new Crisco formulation claims 0 trans-fats, it actually contains 0.5 grams of trans-fat per serving (less than the required amount for labeling). I looked at the Crisco food label and noticed that the total fat was 12 grams, but when I added up the fats they list it only adds up to 11.5 grams, leaving out the 0.5 grams of trans fats (below I added them back in). I was surprised to learn that other than Crisco having trans-fats, lard and Crisco are relatively similar in nutrition:

Vegetable Shortening			Lard
1 tbsp			1 tsbp
113 calories			115 calories
Total Fat	12 grams		Total Fat	12.5grams
Saturated Fat	3.0 grams		Saturated Fat	5.0 grams
Trans-Fat	0.5 grams		Trans-Fat	0    grams
Monounsaturated	6.0 grams		Monounsaturated	6.0 grams
Polyunsaturated	2.5 grams		Polyunsaturated	1.5 grams

Ingredients			Ingredients
SOYBEAN OIL, FULLY HYDROGENATED PALM OIL, PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED PALM AND SOYBEAN OILS, MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES, TBHQ AND CITRIC ACID (ANTIOXIDANTS).			LARD

Another great thing about lard is that you can make it at home, with just one simple ingredient (according to Michael Pollan's food rule: don't eat anything with more than 5 ingredients).  Plus by making my own lard I can support small farmers instead of big agribusiness. My adventure in lard-making started at Whiting Meat in New Wilmington, PA where I asked for 4 pounds of pork back fat. I intended to make a small batch, to last a few months.  The man at the counter went into a cooler and returned with a long piece of fat he folded in half on the scale.  The meter read 18 pounds and he murmured "if you don't use it all just throw it out" and charged me about $15.  The chunk I took home was over 2 feet long and 2 inches thick with bumpy pale skin on one side and a few long streaks of pink muscle left on the other.  I cut half of it into cubes (the rest is in the freezer) and put the cubes into a glass Pyrex dish and cooked them in the over for about 3 hours at 250 degrees.  Then I let it cool for 10 minutes and poured it through cheesecloth and into mason jars.  It was so easy and the final product is wonderful.  Tonight I used my lard to make a fantastically rich and flaky pie crust for quiche.


For more about lard check out these articles:

Lard: the new health food? in Food & Wine

High on the Hog in The New York Times

Who Killed Lard?  in NPR Blog

Farm to Table Conference Pittsburgh

Upcoming Event:

7th Annual Farm to Table Pittsburgh Conference

March 22-23, 2013

David H. Lawrence Convention Center

Pittsburgh, PA

One day tickets are $10 and include admission to see farmer's market and health vendors, live cooking demonstrations, and expert presentations about health and local food.  Check the Farm to Table Pittsburgh website for more details.

Spicy and Sour Bok Choy Noodle Soup

Servings: 4
Total Time: 45 minutes

1 tbsp oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp powdered ginger (or fresh ginger)
2 small hot peppers or 1 tbsp hot pepper flakes
2 large carrots (optional), peeled and cut into small pieces
8 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 pound bok choy, coarsely chopped into pieces
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp sesame paste (or substitue natural peanut butter)
1/2 pound rice noodles

Heat oil in a medium stockpot, add onion and cook until translucent.  Then add garlic, ginger, hot pepper and carrots and stir until garlic is fragrant, about 3 minutes.  Next add broth and bring to a boil.  Cook until carrots are tender, about 15 minutes.  During that time, bring water to a boil and cook rice noodles per instructions on package (not cooking rice noodles separately will thicken the soup).  Drain noodles and add to soup once the carrots are cooked.  Then stir in bok choy, rice vinegar, soy sauce  and sesame paste.  Simmer for another 3 minutes, until bok choy is wilted but still crisp.

Shepherd's Pie

A hearty dinner for a cold winter night.

Shepherd's Pie

Servings: 6-8
Total Time: 1 hour and 15 minutes

Mashed Potatoes:
3 lbs potatoes (about 8 medium, peeled if desired)
3 tablespoons of butter
1 tablespoon minced horseradish
2 teaspoons of salt
2 teaspoons of pepper
1 cup of milk

Filling:
1 cup chopped onion
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 lbs ground beef or lamb
1 tablespoon cumin
3 teaspoons of salt
2 teaspoons of fresh ground pepper
2 tablespoons flour
1.5 cups of red wine (or beef stock)
1 cup peas
2 lbs turnips, peeled and chopped into small cubes
2 large carrots, peeled and chopped into small pieces

Put potatoes in a pot and cover with water, bring to a boil and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. While the potatoes are cooking, on medium/high heat saute onions until translucent (about 3 minutes) then add garlic and stir for an additional 1 minute.  Add beef/lamb and stir, breaking up pieces, until the meat is fully cooked.  Add cumin, salt and pepper and stir until well mixed.  Stir in flour.  Add wine or broth, peas, turnips and carrots.  Turn to low heat while preparing potatoes.

For mashed potatoes, pour off water when potatoes are tender.  Add milk, butter, salt, pepper and horseradish.  Mash until smooth.

Add beef and veggies to a 9 by 11 inch glass oven-safe dish and top with mashed potatoes.  Bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes, until mashed potatoes are golden grown.


I sourced onions and garlic from Mott Family Farm, beef from Burns Angus Farm, turnips from Clarion River Organics, potatoes form Penn's Corner Farm Alliance, and butter from Minvera Dairy.

Eating local during winter in Pittsburgh

Even though winter is officially here and Pittsburgh is covered with snow, there are plenty of options for eating local. Many farmers in the region have products available all year long. Here are some resources for finding locally grown food in the city during the winter months:

• Green Circle Farm has a weekly delivery all winter to Carnegie, Oakland, Squirrel Hill, Point Breeze, Churchill, Highland Park, Fox Chapel, the North Side, and Sewickley. Contact Erika on the website and she'll send you a weekly email of the products she has available. 

• Penn Corner's Farm Alliance has a biweekly delivery year-round to Squirrel Hill, Mt. Lebanon, Lawrenceville or the North Side. You can use their website to shop online for groceries, and they'll deliver your order to your selected location.

• The East End Food Coop in Point Breeze/Homewood sells products from local farmers at the store every day all year.

• Crested Duck Charcuterie sells raw and cured meat that they source from local farmers.  The Crested Duck sells from their shop in Beechview and at Pittsburgh Public Market in the Strip District 

The Pittsburgh Public Market also hosts a number of famers all year.  Check out their vendor schedule so you don't miss your favorite farmer:

Winter in Pittsburgh =
Pets wearing Steelers paraphernalia
(yes, this is my dog)

• Clarion River Oraganics sells their produce and cheeses at the Pittsburgh Public Market.

• Laurel Vista Farms sells their canned produce at the Pittsburgh Public Market.

• Temple Family Farm sells their beef and pork at the Pittsburgh Public Market.

• Grandma Z's Maple Haus sells maple syrup and other goodies at the Pittsburgh Public Market.

• Conneauttee Creamery and Family Farms Creamery sell artisan cheeses and dairy products at the Pittsburgh Public Market.

• Cherry Valley Organics sells specialty herbs and other goods at the Pittsburgh Public Market.

Locavore for Life in Edible Allegheny Magazine

Check out the story about my blog in the Online Dish section of Edible Allegheny in the October/November issue!

My Farm Kings Episode Schedule

The episode of Farm Kings that I am in (for a few minutes at least), recently aired on GAC channel (check out my blog post about the experience). The episode, "Cooking with the Kings", will be shown again on GAC at the following times:

November 19, 2012 1:00 AM ET
November 22, 2012 8:00 PM ET (who doesn't want to watch this on Thanksgiving??)
November 23, 2012 12:00 AM ET
December 6, 2012 1:00 PM ET

Studies Examine Pros and Cons of Eating Organic

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recently reported that families should eat a healthy diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products regardless of organic certification. Based on a number of previously published research studies, the report suggested that there is no conclusive evidence that organic foods are more nutritious than conventionally grown foods.

However, buying organic is beneficial.  The AAP report cited other studies that found that organic growers produce less waste and use less energy than conventional farmers.  Organic farms also do not use synthetic pesticides that are harmful to the environment and people. Farm worker’s chronic exposure to pesticides has been associated with cancer, depression, memory disorders, respiratory problems, Parkinson’s disease, miscarriages and birth defects. The AAP report states that an organic diet can reduce exposure to pesticides.

The Environmental Working Group (EWG), a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting public and environmental health, recently published their findings on pesticides in conventionally grown fruits and vegetables. Before testing, they prepared the produce as it is typically eaten (e.g. they washed peppers or peeled bananas). They analyzed 60,700 samples from 45 common fruits and vegetables and listed the most and least contaminated.

The EWG found that the most contaminated fruits and vegetables are: apples, celery, sweet bell peppers, peaches, strawberries, imported nectarines, grapes, spinach, lettuce, cucumbers, blueberries, potatoes, green beans and leafy greens.  The study found 88 different kinds of pesticides on sweet bell peppers, up to 15 on just one bell pepper.  100 percent of imported nectarines and 98 percent of apples tested contained pesticides. They also found neurotoxic insecticides on bell peppers, imported nectarines, green beans, collard greens and kale.

The fruits and vegetables lowest in pesticides according to the EWG study are: onions, sweet corn, pineapples, avocados, cabbages, sweet peas, asparagus, mangos, eggplant, kiwi, domestic cantaloupe, and sweet potatoes.  Of these, no single sample had more than 5 different pesticides present.  Only 10 percent of pineapples, 22 percent of mangos and 25 percent of kiwis tested positive for pesticides.

Although pesticides harm farm workers and laboratory animals, it is not clear that pesticides in the diet pose a health risk. As a result, the EWG and the AAP agree that eating conventionally grown fruits and vegetables is far better for your health than the consequences of avoiding them.  Organic food typically costs between 10 and 40 percent more than conventionally grown food, so buying organic can be cost prohibitive for some families. However, a growing number of Pittsburgh markets are accessible to low-income individuals.

The East End Co-op offers a 10% discount for those using Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. The Citipark farmers’ markets at seven locations in Pittsburgh accepts SNAP and are open until November 21st. Farmers@Firehouse farmers’ market in the Strip District also accepts SNAP, they are open on Saturdays until November 17^th. Clarion River Organics is offering a 25% discount to people paying with SNAP that want to sign up for their community supported agriculture (CSA) program. Mott Family Farm offers a 10% discount to students with a student ID.

Buying organic is good for the environment and may have health benefits by reducing pesticide exposure, but it is important to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables no matter where they come from.

Farm to Table Harvest Tasting

On November 10th from 3-7pm Farm to Table Pittsburgh is hosting a Local Food Harvest Tasting. Tickets are $20 if you buy in advance or $30 at the door.  A bunch of local restaurants, farms and bakeries will be serving food, including Mediterra Bakehouse and Clarion River Organics. Great local breweries will be there too, including East End Brewery, Great Lakes Brewery, and Full Pint Brewery.

Pasta with tomato and broccoli rabe sauce

If you like bitter greens (mesclun, arugula, rocket, endive, escarole, mustard greens, etc.) you'll love broccoli rabe! I expected broccoli rabe to taste like broccoli, but it doesn't at all. It's quite bitter, but it doesn't have a peppery flavor like arugula or rocket. I made pasta with broccoli rabe and tomatoes (adapted from this recipe). The sweetness of fresh tomatoes balances the bitterness of the rabe.

Pasta with tomato and broccoli rabe sauce
Servings: 4

Total time: 30 minutes

1/4 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp crushed red pepper
1 bunch of broccoli rabe, chopped
2 tsp anchovy paste (if you don't like anchovies, I promise you won't taste this- it just adds a nice salty flavor)
3 medium tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup of chopped basil
Splash of lemon juice
1 1/2 cups of romano (or parmesan) cheese
Pasta of your choice

Start a pot of salted water to boil for your pasta. Meanwhile, quickly saute the garlic in olive oil in a saucepan until fragrant.  Add crushed red pepper and saute for another 30 seconds. Add the broccoli rabe and anchovy paste and blanch the rabe until it is bright green, about 2 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes, bring everything to a boil, then turn heat to low to let the some of the liquid cook off. Cook pasta in boiling water, drain and return to pot. Pour sauce over the pasta. Mix in the basil, lemon juice and 1 cup of cheese. Serve with remaining cheese sprinkled on top.

Locavore in San Diego, CA

While in San Diego on vacation I went to an amazing farmers market in Little Italy.  There were vendors for blocks with a beautiful view overlooking the bay.  Musicians played on every block; a Mexican band, an accordion player, and a string quartet of young children.  The atmosphere was lively and the variety of food was spectacular. There were huge artichokes from Sun Coast Farms, figs from Polito Family Farms, and avocados everywhere, including varieties that don't exist at the supermarkets in Pittsburgh.  The figs were sweet and tender, and the avocado was rich and creamy.  Creekside Tropicals had a number of fruits I'd never seen before, including jujubes, passionfruit and dragonfruit.  The dragonfruit was like the offspring of a watermelon and a kiwi; soft and sweet, but with a delicate flavor.  It's fun and delicious to experience local food wherever you go!

Farmers Market in Little Italy

Giant Artichokes from Sun Coast Farms

Dragonfruit from Creekside Tropicals

Passionfruit from Creekside Tropicals

Dried Jujubes from Creekside Tropicals