Leftovers and Leeks

I didn't feel like going to the store for ingredients this evening, so I looked in my fridge for something I could piece together. I had leftover chicken from last week's Brunoise dish, and I also had a really pretty bunch of leeks from the farmers market that I needed to use before they went bad. My first thought was of a really delicious recipe for braised leeks with thyme and garlic, from Jamie's Kitchen, by Jamie Oliver. When I flipped to the page, however, I noticed a note at the bottom, directing the reader to add a little cream, a handful of parmesan cheese, and toss with pasta for a yummy main course.

Okay, so left over chicken, with a side of spinach fettuccine mixed with this leek recipe! Sounds like a plan to me! I cut the leeks, and sauteed them with some butter, garlic, and thyme, before adding some chicken broth and wine. The whole pot went into a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes. If you have large leeks, go for more like half an hour, but the leeks that I had were on the smaller side, and I didn't want to overcook them. Meanwhile, I put a pot of water on to boil for the fettuccine. 

Once the leeks were done, and the pasta was cooked, I mixed the two, along with a touch of cream and a nice, healthy handful of grated parmesan. I seasoned to taste and voila! A really tasty pasta dish that paired really nicely with my already-prepared chicken breasts. If you can recall, there were even leeks in the chicken dish, so the flavors overlapped and tasted really nice together! And, I got to finish off the bottle of wine that I was using to cook with, too! That's a win-win for a Monday, if you ask me!

Happy Bastille Day!

Bonjour mes amis! Today is the 14th of July, which means it's French National Day, or Bastille Day. The holiday commemorates the 1790 Fete de la Federation, which was celebrated on the one-year anniversary of the storming of the Bastille fortress-prison. Parades, parties and fireworks are just a few of the traditions carried out on this spectacular day in France. And, since France is one of the epicenters of both classic and modern cuisine, I had to dedicate a post to French delicacies. (Special thanks to MyCityCuisine for some info on the most important treats to hit on!)

from Flickr - by Grobbs

Escargot: Snails! That's what they are, and I'm not ashamed to say that they are delicious! Usually cooked in a massive amount of butter and some garlic, these tasty little morsels are served in their shells. They have the consistency of a well-cooked, salty mussel.

Foie Gras: A very decadent dish made of duck or goose fat liver. It's an extremely rich dish, as most French dishes are, that is usually served in the form of a pate alongside another dish, or simply by itself.

Brioche: This is a loaf bread, rich in butter and egg that yields a very tender crust. This bread is so rich that it resembles a pastry more than any regular bread, and is often baked with fruit or chocolate chips within it. It is usually served as either a breakfast pastry, or as part of a dessert.

from Flickr - by euthman

Along with the above examples, many cheeses, sweets and rich entrees hail from France. It would take a very long post to list all the good ones, so I chose just a few of my very favorites! Each region of France has its own traditional specialties with different wines and cheeses being unique to those regions. Champagne for example...REAL champagne...only comes from the French region of Champagne. If it comes from anywhere else, it's sparkling wine.

Wikipedia states, "French cuisine is also regarded as a key element of the quality of life and the attractiveness of France." I normally wouldn't quote something directly but I felt that this line captivated the true essence of French cuisine, and I really couldn't have said it better myself!

Bon Appetit! Bonne Bastille!

A Trip to the Winter Farmer's Market

Today, we took a trip to a Winter Farmer's Market that I heard about through DailyCandy. It's in Somerville, located at 191 Highland Avenue, in the Arts at the Armory building.

As we walked into the building, we noticed the interesting architecture of the place. It's a very cool building. Once we entered the large auditorium, we witnessed all the people milling around the booths stacked high with freshly baked breads, locally grown root vegetables, and farm-raised meats and seafood.



We stopped at Hi-Rise Bread Company (Cambridge, MA), a local bakery that I know from the summer farmer's market at Dewey Square, in Downtown Boston. I didn't buy anything today, but they had some delicious-looking freshly baked breads for sale! I've purchased bread from them in the past, and been totally satisfied every time!

Moving on through the room, we came across Winter Moon Farm (Hadley, MA), and my goodness, these root vegetables were HUGE! I purchased two giant parsnips, as well as some obese beets, both red and golden. I also picked up a watermelon radish, something you don't see very often, but they are so pretty and delicious, I couldn't help myself. I also noticed their sizable carrots and turnips. I will definitely be looking for their booth in future Saturday shopping trips!



In the corner of the room were a few wineries. Among them, we found Turtle Creek (Lincoln, MA). The three lovely gentleman manning the table offered us a taste of their Riesling, which was delicious. The flavors were wonderfully balanced, yet sweet. This winery has 3 acres of land where they grow their fruit, along with outsourcing from California and New York's Finger Lakes. They assured us that even though some grapes may come from non-local sources, they follow the entire process to ensure sustainable methods. I'm looking forward to taking a visit to their winery in the summer months for a tour and tasting.

We finally stopped to talk with Austin Brothers Valley Farm (Belchertown, MA). They had some lovely cuts of meat, and very reasonable prices, and I will definitely be frequenting their booth in the future. They offered a nice variety to choose from, and I will make them my first stop once I make my new shopping list.



There was a second floor to this extravaganza so we ventured up the stairs to find three more vendors. One of these was a seafood vendor. All they had left when we arrived were some beautiful Day Scallops, but the list of originally stocked items was extensive. Hopefully I can get there earlier in the day next time.

All in all, I think I got a great deal on some abnormally large beets, parsnips and radishes. I'm looking forward to my next shopping list, knowing that this exists. I will certainly stop here before the grocery store, because locally-grown meats and produce always taste better. I thought I was out of luck until the springtime, when farmer's markets reopen, but it looks like I was mistaken. What a great find!!!

The Somerville Winter Farmer's Market runs on Saturdays through March 26th, from 10am - 2pm. Some of the booths even accept credit and debit cards!