Go Local Magazine - September 2016 Issue

The September issue of Go Local Magazine is out! Go Local is a local lifestyle magazine promoting life around the Massachusetts/Connecticut line. The magazine features nearby businesses where you can play, shop and eat, and showcases the citizens who make the region a great place to live. The newest issue is filled with people and places that are invigorating the Go Local area. It's a wonderful celebration of the fall season. And, for the first time ever, Go Local is "perfect bound" which means it has a flat spine like so many of the magazines you are used to! 

Of particular interest to our foodie followers might be A Couple in the Kitchen's own recipe for Late Summer Harvest Pasta 'Primavera' on page 57, or the article in which some local nutritionists advise people on how to makeover their lunchboxes, or the feature on Johnny Appleseed's Orchards of Ellington, CT. Amy wrote the article called "Happy Herd at Windy Crow Farm" about an alpaca farm in Stafford Springs. For those whose mind has gone "Back to School," there's an article featuring a teacher at Heritage Academy in Longmeadow. For the crafters, there's a new feature called "Go Create," with a inspiring DIY project. There's also a list of autumn fairs and festivals, a feature on Suffield's Woods Hollow Leather Co., and much, much more, all in the September issue.

You can read the current issue online here, or pick up your FREE copy today and Go Local!

Shrimp, Roasted Garlic and Caper Ravioli with Lemon Caper Beurre Blanc (or, DiFiore Ravioli meets Omaha Steaks Seafood Sauce)

You know that not everything we cook is from scratch. Amy has a not-so-secret love for Kraft Macaroni-n-Cheese. Now and then, Chris enjoys a mug of store-bought udon noodles, seasoning packet and all. But that's not how we like to eat. Sometimes, though, we simply don't feel like cooking from scratch. So on a typical evening, you can find us putting our own spin on a store-bought product. Our very own "semi-homemade." 

Recently we were craving ravioli. We have made our own ravioli in the past, but it is certainly not easy. So instead we took advantage of the fact that DiFiore Ravioli Shop practically hand-delivered their ravioli to us. This small, family-owned business has been in Hartford for over 30 years and recently opened a second location in Rocky Hill. But now they've made it even easier for us to buy their products by having a booth at our favorite farmers' market. Now we don't have to make a special stop!

This past weekend, we bought DiFiore's "Shrimp, Roasted Garlic and Caper Ravioli" at the debut of FARE, the new Willimantic Market. Amy asked the person working the booth if he thought that would be good with a plain butter sauce. He nodded, but then, as if he were delivering a state secret, added, "I'd try it with a lemon beurre blanc, maybe adding a few capers." Sounded right up our alley.

Since frozen ravioli are supposed to be an easy weeknight dinner, we didn't bother to come up with our own sauce recipe. We found Omaha Steaks' recipe (here) for "Lemon Caper Beurre Blanc Seafood Sauce" and made a few substitutions - a small spring onion from our garden instead of shallots, 1/2 and 1/2 instead of heavy cream, and 1 1/2 rather than 2 sticks of butter. It was delicious.

We drizzled the rich, lemony sauce over that gorgeous ravioli and our craving was satisfied. Sometimes semi-homemade is even better than from scratch.

Max's Chef to Farm Dinner: Crop Up Pop Up

There's a small restaurant chain of fine dining restaurants in the Greater Hartford area known as the Max Restaurant Group. One thing they are particularly known for are their summertime "Chef to Farm" dinners, a series of events that take place on the grounds of local farms. As far as the locavore movement, it can't get any more local than that, right? The chef designs a menu around the freshest produce available from that farm's current harvest and adds ingredients also sourced locally, such as meat, dairy and seafood. Diners enjoy their meal under a large tent set up with communal tables covered in white linen, with candlelight and music to add to the ambience.

Chickens roam around the barn

Crudites

We went to one a few years ago at Rosedale Farms in Simsbury (read about that experience here). It was their usual format - a tour of the farm followed by a tasting menu of several courses with accompanying wines. Which was wonderful! Again...read about it here.

But the one we attended last week was different, experimental, a pop up restaurant on Sub Edge Farm in Farmington (hence the "Crop Up Pop Up" theme). Not a tasting, but a menu of three courses with options chosen by each diner on site and a cash bar. Yes, Chef Scott Miller is an ambitious guy.

Chilled Nectarine Bisque

pickled cherries, fried ginger, creme fraiche

GourmAvian Farms Confit Chicken Wings

celeriac hummus, red hot carrots

The farm began in the 1920's and as such, is quite charming. The current owners are growing five acres of certified organic vegetables, fruits, flowers and herbs. They also raise pigs, hens and grass-fed beef. They sell their own items and other local food goods in an on-site farm shop as well. 

Smoked Pineland Beef Strip Loan

duck fat poached potatoes, sorrel, braised beef cheeks, marrow bordelaise

Grilled North Atlantic Lobster

poached mussel and sun gold tomato salad, lemony greens, tomalley vinaigrette

We were seated at table #6 and met some super fun people, which is a definite bonus of the community table seating. We had a great time chatting, eating with, and getting to know our new friends from Hartford and Coventry, and especially Elise (to whom we send a special shout-out). And, Chef Miller, kudos. It was a great meal and a memorable experience that we thoroughly enjoyed. 

Peaches and Anise Cream

olive oil-poppy seed cake, chartreuse

The Band

Connecticut Wine Trail Day One

Happy Memorial Day Weekend! While there is much that needs to be done around the house, particularly tending to the yard and gardens, we took Saturday and devoted it to a day-long drive along part of the Connecticut Wine Trail, a fun daytime date. We packed a picnic lunch of cheeses, meats, bread, fruit and crackers, and set out to Wallingford for our first two stops. A little excitement on the way - Chris helped move a snapping turtle out of the middle of the road! He's an old one!

New to the wine trail is Paradise Hill Vineyard. Owned by the Ruggiero family, it has been a working vineyard for 15 years, but just opened to the public in 2011. They place bird nets over all of their vines so they can allow the grapes to ripen to their potential and result in a fruit-forward, flavorful wine. While they import many of their grapes from Chile, all of their wines are made in CT. We puchased a tasting and a very informative and friendly server walked us through four of their wines. First, the Washington Trail White, a blend of Chardonnay and Sauvingnon Blanc that is a tribute to George Washington who crossed the farm on his quest for gunpowder. It was tart, sharp, tasted of green apple and would be a great cheese wine. Next, we tasted their estate-grown Chardonnay, entirely made in Connecticut. It was a big white, with pear on the nose and hints of straw and citrus, and a lingering finish. The Cayuga White smelled of honeysuckle and was sweet, bright and tasted of tropical fruit; it would be a great by-the-pool wine served chilled. Finally, Trio, a tasty red blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Carmaniere, which was spicy with plum and berry flavors and a chocolate oak finish. There were plenty of tables inside as well as outside, and people are encouraged to bring their own food and enjoy it while lingering with a glass or a bottle of their wine.

Paradise Hill Vineyard

Less than a mile away is Gouveia Vineyards. It was much busier here, and what they lacked in friendliness, they made up for in location; the views are amazing. We did a tasting here as well and tried 5 wines. The Seyval Blanc was semi-dry, smooth, had a nice aroma of honey and tasted of crisp apples. The Chardonnay Oak, aged for 12 months, was buttery, nutty, smoky, toasty and dry. The Cayuga White was a citrusy, sugary summer white that tasted of peaches and apricots. The Stone House Red, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Zinfandel ,was full bodied and had a rich bouquet and smoky berry flavor. The Cabernet Franc was also full bodied but had more of a tart, woodsy taste. We also had a small taste of the Merlot, a smoky, spicy, cherry-berry-plum red that was delightfully dry. We stopped here and enjoyed some snacks and the view on one of their picnic tables.

Gouveia Vineyards

Next we headed to Arrigoni Winery in Portland, also very new - the tasting room opened this spring. They have six acres currently planted but not yet producing, so they are getting their grapes from other Connecticut vineyards as well as from the Finger Lakes. They are making five different wines and we tasted a couple of them. The Orchard Valley was a white blend made with local apples that would be great with roast pork. The Drift Wood was a smooth, go-with-anything red with berry notes. They also have a nice patio overlooking their vines. We are interested to see where they take this venture.

Arrigoni Winery

We ended our day in Colchester at Priam Vineyards, and it seems we saved the best (and definitely most well-established) for last. Our incredibly hospitable and knowledgable server, Bob, walked us through what seemed like countless wines while telling us all about the vineyard itself. Priam is a completely sustainable vineyard with a solar-powered winery. They use no pesticides and grow clover between the grapes as a natural fertilizer. All their wines are estate-grown, and many are award-winning. Several of their wines are made from the St. Croix grape, and according to Bob, there are only 500 acres of this grape in the world; seven of them are at Priam. On to the wines. The Chardonnay is not oaked, and tasted of lemon and peach. The Gewurztraminer was spicy, complex, and dry, with honey and peach flavors and a mineral finish. The Riesling would be great with lemon chicken - it was fruity, clean and crispy and smelled like lychee or lotus flowers. Made to assist in the Backus Hospital Breast Cancer Survivors' Fund (15% of the purchase is donated to them), the Blackledge Rose is 100% St. Croix grapes, and was hardly sweet, but instead was semi-dry and fruit forward. The Late Harvest Riesling is a dessert wine tha we found tasted of lavender and honeysuckle and would be great with creme brulee. The Westchester Red is a barrel-aged blend that was spicy and smoky and slightly sweet, although not as sweet when it is chilled. The Salmon River Red was Amy's favorite wine of the day - a blend of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, it was heavily tannic, berry forward, smoky and went really well with dark chocolate. The St. Croix was oaky, smoky and reminiscent of chocolate-covered cherries. The Salmon River Red PV was their 2007 Bordeaux blend, aged for 36 months, and we found it to have lots of rich fruit flavors along with chocolate, fig, smoke and even leather.

By the time we left Priam, it was raining. Hard. The kind of rain that makes your windshield look like a peacock, with the drops on the glass as round as the eyes on its feathers. So we are lacking photos of Priam, but we have a feeling we'll be back. We met some nice folks, even running into a couple of them more than once on our journey, and tasted some fabulous locally made wines. Come back soon to check out the wine-inspired dish we made when we got home!

CT Farm-to-Chef Week 2011: Peppercorn's Grill

This week is Connecticut Farm-to-Chef Week, sponsored by the state Department of Agriculture's Farm-to-Chef Program. According to the website, "seventy restaurants, caterers, institutions, schools, farms, wineries, and other dining venues throughout the state have signed up to create their own special Farm-to-Chef menu showcasing Connecticut Grown ingredients and Connecticut wines" throughout this week.

We enjoyed a fabulous dining experience at Farm-to-Chef Week participant Peppercorn's Grill on Main Street in Hartford for a (bargain!) prix fix of $29.50 (before 6 p.m.) or $37 (after 6). The three-course meal featured end-of-summer favorites such as stone fruits, corn, shellfish, greens, cheeses and more. Here are some photos and descriptions of our meal. If you haven't gotten out there to savor CT's best proteins and produce, do so before the celebration ends! Saturday, September 24th is the last night to indulge!

Appetizer Course

Local Arugula and Summer Stone Fruit

with toasted pine nuts, local peaches, plums and imported cactus fruit

tossed with white balsamic vinaigrette and

finished withaged dry ricotta.

Arugula provided by Earthtone Farms CSA, Windsor CT and

GeoRoots Solar Growth Farm, Canton CT

Fruit provided by Rogers Orchard, Southington CT

Fiori di Zucca

Crispy beer battered zucchini blossoms

stuffed with peppered mozzarella.

Blossoms picked daily from Cialfi's own garden, Plainville CT

 

Entrees

Slow-Roasted Fork Tender Beef Short Ribs

prepared "drunken" with tiny vegetables, fresh herbs, garlic, local apple cider,

and red wine, served with local corn polenta and

sauteed rapini greens from our own garden.

Beef Short Ribs from Broad Brook Beef, East Windsor CT and

Cider from Rogers Orchards, Southington CT

Crab Crusted Local Wild Bass

with arugula pesto over a pool of saffron reduction

served with heirloom potatoes and a "misticanza" of fresh field greens and fresh herbs.

Bass from Meat Without Feet, Brooklyn NY

and all greens from Earthtone Farms, CSA, Windsor CT;

potatoes from GeoRoots Solar Growth Farm, Canton CT.

Dessert

Kim Rukas' from Earth Tones Apple Crisp

with our housemade gelato

Apples from Rogers Orchards, Southington CT

Marinated Local Peaches and Seasonal Fruits

house made gelato served with a zuppa of fresh local peaches and berries

in a sweet basil scented "soup".

Fruit from Rogers Orchards, Southington CT

and Gresczyk Farms, New Hartford CT

Accompanied by

Chamard Merlot

Connecticut Community Works to Save Local Farm!

What does a community do when one of their best local farms has a disaster? Topmost Herb Farm, a grower of medicinal and culinary herbs located in Coventry, Connecticut was one of many casualties of the heavy snow that New Englanders have gotten this winter. Their greenhouse collapsed under the weight of the snow and ice, and buildings such as this are not insured. The Coventry foodie community is coming together to save this small farm, one from which many locals rely for pesticide-free herbs and incredible heirloom tomatoes.

The Coventry Regional Farmers Market (at which Topmost is a vendor) has been instrumental in leading the charge. They've organized some fund-raising efforts what we'd like you to consider. From today until March 4, the "Grow the Greenhouse" online auction of good and services is open for bids. Cash donations are being accepted here. Now is your chance not only to get an amazing and unique deal, but to do so knowing you are helping to save a small farm, and rebuild their greenhouse this spring, in time for growing this year's herbs and tomatoes. If you can, please help.