These are two things I'm really excited about that happen on the same weekend (Sept. 9-12). My friend and fellow food lover Carmen suggested I blog about the upcoming weekend, since it's a smorgasbord of everything I love most about the Queen City, so here it is in case I forget to post something after the fact.
I will be volunteering at the People's Choice tent hosted by Slow Food Charlotte for the Blues, Brews & BBQ Festival (free to the general public), and I will also be wandering around Yiasou Greek Festival ($2 general admission) stuffing my face with lamb, dolmades, tiropita and delicious little loukoumades! The Greek culture is strong in Charlotte, and the food is ever so good. It's a budget-friendly weekend and I hope you'll take advantage of two great opportunities to experience some of Charlotte and the surrounding area's finest.
Spread the word and bring a posse!
August 31, 2010
August 30, 2010
Where's the Beef?
Last weekend, we decided to try a little experiment. We bought meat from three different NC farms and decided to compare them all to find our new beef and pork source. We had already had dry-aged filet from What's Your Beef? butcher in Ballantyne (he gets his meat from Frontier Meat Processing Co in Waxhaw) and were impressed, but I'd like to know exactly which farm my meat comes from, in this world where recalls on contaminated food seem to be the norm. We've tried Grateful Growers chorizo and prosciutto, and it's delicious, but the price keeps going up.
At Atherton Market, we bought hot breakfast sausage and Italian sausage (both pork) from Windy Hill Farm, and ground beef from Proffitt Family Farms (they were out of filet... next time we go earlier!). The breakfast sausage has a nice crumbly but thick texture, and it doesn't taste greasy. We haven't tried the ground beef or Italian sausage yet, but I'll keep you posted.
At Earth Fare, we bought a tenderloin roast from Hickory Nut Gap Farm. I rubbed this with salt, pepper and garlic, then pan-seared it in olive oil. I let it rest and then slow-roasted it at 250 degrees for about 15 minutes, then broiled it for 5. Perfectly cooked, perfectly flavored and perfectly tender.
At Atherton Market, we bought hot breakfast sausage and Italian sausage (both pork) from Windy Hill Farm, and ground beef from Proffitt Family Farms (they were out of filet... next time we go earlier!). The breakfast sausage has a nice crumbly but thick texture, and it doesn't taste greasy. We haven't tried the ground beef or Italian sausage yet, but I'll keep you posted.
At Earth Fare, we bought a tenderloin roast from Hickory Nut Gap Farm. I rubbed this with salt, pepper and garlic, then pan-seared it in olive oil. I let it rest and then slow-roasted it at 250 degrees for about 15 minutes, then broiled it for 5. Perfectly cooked, perfectly flavored and perfectly tender.
August 24, 2010
Cheese, Please
I forgot to mention that while I was in Boston, my big sister was kind enough to stop by the Boston Cheese Cellar on our way to Concord, MA. Owner Kathy Lacher let us sample the cheeses before we bought. We ended up with a hunk each of Spanish Manchego, an Italian Parmesano Reggiano and a Vermont goat cheese log.
Last week, I found an assortment of US-made cheeses at EarthFare and Harris Teeter:
From the specialty cheese case at the South Park Harris Teeter: Cypress Grove's Humboldt Fog, an aged goat cheese with a layer of ash around the wheel and one slap down the middle. This was a tangy cheese that didn't make room for any of the milder varieties. I suggest enjoying goat cheese, specifically aged goat cheeses, with hearty red wines that can stand up to the yogurty tang.
From the South Park EarthFare: Vella Cheese's Mezzo Secco, a cheese revived in 1999 from the age before refrigeration. This cheese was too mild for my taste - a bit reminiscent of Kraft Parmesan from a can, but with more depth of flavor and texture.
From the South Park EarthFare: Roth Kase's Moody Blue, a bacony, medium-intensity blue from Wisconsin that surprised me with its balance of smoke and puckering blue notes. Roth Kase is known for its Grand Cru line (Swiss varieties in particular).
From the South Park EarthFare: Meadow Creek Dairy's Grayson, a washed-rind, stinky cheese. Let me just say I learned I am not a fan of stinky cheese when I tasted this, but I respect those of you who are. We plan to try smoking what we didn't eat to see if that will help us tolerate the barnyard stench of this cheese. Smells aside, this was a creamy and pleasantly colored cheese that looked delicious. Unfortunately, looks can be deceptive, and you have to have a taste for The Stink to really appreciate it!
Last but not least, from the South Park EarthFare: Chapel Hill Creamery's Hickory Grove, a washed-curd cheese, this was our favorite of the bunch. Interestingly enough, it is the cheese made closest to home of the lot. This was a beautiful dryish and almondy cheese with the most pleasing texture, flavor (not too tart, not too sweet or nutty), and satisfying mouth-drying effect of all. This cheese is heavenly by itself and exquisite with a little drizzled honey.
I intend to try every American-made cheese I come across, so stay tuned for future postings on homeland cheeses. I encourage you to stop by your grocer's specialty cheese section and sample a new kind of cheese. Keep in mind the shrink-wrapped blocks of cheddar, mozzarella, jack and Colby are compressed, machine-made and infinitely less flavorful than their not-so-distant cousins wrapped in cellophane. Bon fromage!
Last week, I found an assortment of US-made cheeses at EarthFare and Harris Teeter:
From the specialty cheese case at the South Park Harris Teeter: Cypress Grove's Humboldt Fog, an aged goat cheese with a layer of ash around the wheel and one slap down the middle. This was a tangy cheese that didn't make room for any of the milder varieties. I suggest enjoying goat cheese, specifically aged goat cheeses, with hearty red wines that can stand up to the yogurty tang.
From the South Park EarthFare: Vella Cheese's Mezzo Secco, a cheese revived in 1999 from the age before refrigeration. This cheese was too mild for my taste - a bit reminiscent of Kraft Parmesan from a can, but with more depth of flavor and texture.
From the South Park EarthFare: Roth Kase's Moody Blue, a bacony, medium-intensity blue from Wisconsin that surprised me with its balance of smoke and puckering blue notes. Roth Kase is known for its Grand Cru line (Swiss varieties in particular).
From the South Park EarthFare: Meadow Creek Dairy's Grayson, a washed-rind, stinky cheese. Let me just say I learned I am not a fan of stinky cheese when I tasted this, but I respect those of you who are. We plan to try smoking what we didn't eat to see if that will help us tolerate the barnyard stench of this cheese. Smells aside, this was a creamy and pleasantly colored cheese that looked delicious. Unfortunately, looks can be deceptive, and you have to have a taste for The Stink to really appreciate it!
Last but not least, from the South Park EarthFare: Chapel Hill Creamery's Hickory Grove, a washed-curd cheese, this was our favorite of the bunch. Interestingly enough, it is the cheese made closest to home of the lot. This was a beautiful dryish and almondy cheese with the most pleasing texture, flavor (not too tart, not too sweet or nutty), and satisfying mouth-drying effect of all. This cheese is heavenly by itself and exquisite with a little drizzled honey.
I intend to try every American-made cheese I come across, so stay tuned for future postings on homeland cheeses. I encourage you to stop by your grocer's specialty cheese section and sample a new kind of cheese. Keep in mind the shrink-wrapped blocks of cheddar, mozzarella, jack and Colby are compressed, machine-made and infinitely less flavorful than their not-so-distant cousins wrapped in cellophane. Bon fromage!
August 20, 2010
Produce Stand!
I found out about a new-ish produce stand I haven't been to yet: Providence Produce Market. Conveniently located in Ballantyne with convenient hours so I can stop by on my way home from work. I plan to check it out soon, but if you've already been and have something to say about your experience, please share.
August 19, 2010
Raw Milk and Local Brews
My dad visited from Boise and we spent the first part of the week in Greer/Greenville, SC. We went to Kelsey's Dairy in Greer, which offers raw milk, buttermilk and eggs. It is illegal for farmers to sell raw milk for human consumption in North Carolina, so I took advantage of the opportunity to buy it legally in South Carolina. I was a bit surprised we saw no cows, just yearlings and new calves (Holstein, Jersey and a darker brown breed I couldn't identify). Disappointingly, the owner was nowhere to be found, so I was unable to ask about the milkers' health. Since I wasn't positive the milk was safe to consume, I had to pasteurize it before doing anything with it. I was looking forward to fresh-from-the-cow cheese!
Pasteurization is a more intensive process than I would prefer, but I ended up with about a pound of mozzarella from one gallon of milk (the second gallon I bought will soon become ricotta). The cheese tastes a little grassy, and it smells faintly of a pasture in summertime - a surprisingly pleasant sensation.
We had lunch at Barley's Taproom & Pizzeria: pizza topped with roasted red peppers, portabella mushrooms and andouille sausage, washed down with Thomas Creek River Falls Red Ale. If you're in Greenville and have a spare hour, tour the brewery and sample some tasty local beer.
Later, I made cheese grits with the NC grits I picked up at the farmers market last Saturday. They turned out perfectly fluffy-creamy, as good grits should. I also picked up a growler of RJ Rockers Son of a Peach American wheat ale, brewed just up the road from Greenville in Spartanburg, SC, and some Thomas Creek Stillwater Vanilla Cream Ale.
Another stop was Fisher's Orchard for some fresh corn and red potatoes for a low country boil. Dillard's Ice Cream Parlor has extended their summer hours and is a great relief from the muggy summer heat, so we also enjoyed a few refreshing scoops.
After a week in Boston, I figured Daddy needed a break from big city life, so we spent three days fighting the heat and humidity of South Carolina and taking it easy.
Pasteurization is a more intensive process than I would prefer, but I ended up with about a pound of mozzarella from one gallon of milk (the second gallon I bought will soon become ricotta). The cheese tastes a little grassy, and it smells faintly of a pasture in summertime - a surprisingly pleasant sensation.
We had lunch at Barley's Taproom & Pizzeria: pizza topped with roasted red peppers, portabella mushrooms and andouille sausage, washed down with Thomas Creek River Falls Red Ale. If you're in Greenville and have a spare hour, tour the brewery and sample some tasty local beer.
Later, I made cheese grits with the NC grits I picked up at the farmers market last Saturday. They turned out perfectly fluffy-creamy, as good grits should. I also picked up a growler of RJ Rockers Son of a Peach American wheat ale, brewed just up the road from Greenville in Spartanburg, SC, and some Thomas Creek Stillwater Vanilla Cream Ale.
Another stop was Fisher's Orchard for some fresh corn and red potatoes for a low country boil. Dillard's Ice Cream Parlor has extended their summer hours and is a great relief from the muggy summer heat, so we also enjoyed a few refreshing scoops.
After a week in Boston, I figured Daddy needed a break from big city life, so we spent three days fighting the heat and humidity of South Carolina and taking it easy.
August 14, 2010
Saturday is Farmers Market Day
Today I visited three farmers markets, two of which were first-timers for me (see Open-air Markets post).
First stop: Atherton Market at Atherton Mill. I wasn't expecting this to be an indoor market but was pleasantly surprised when I found out. We got a late start, so it was slim pickin's. By far, my favorite vendor was Pickleville's Billie's Pickle Jar, where I sampled dill and garlic pickles, and also an unexpectedly fabulous mustard sweet relish. I hate relish (especially sweet relish) but love pickles and mustard, so I figured I'd give it a try, and I'm glad I did. Online, Pickleville pickles run $2 more per quart than at the market, giving me even more reason to go to Atherton Market and buy in-person. Billie packs 'em in tight and scoops in some brine to top it all off. His suggestion: freeze cubes of leftover pickle juice to use in your Bloody Mary. I will definitely give that a try with the leftovers from the dill pickles I bought.
A close second was Chosen Roaster. The slightly buttery smell of freshly roasted nuts brought us back around for a purchase, and we bought a bag of peanuts and a bag of cashews (though I was tempted to try their third offering: almonds). They don't use much salt when roasting the nuts, but you can ask them to salt the nuts in the bag before purchase. The peanuts were a little dry, though they were the biggest peanuts I've ever seen. The cashews were heavenly.
Second stop: Mecklenburg County Market. This market is hidden away behind the hospital off of Harden St., just down Morehead from the King Street Market. Here, we found some Old School brand yellow grits from just east of Charlotte, which we plan to use in shrimp & grits to feed my dad, who's visiting from Boise. We also bought a South Carolina peach, which later turned into a deliciously refreshing vodka spritzer.
Third stop: Charlotte Regional Farmers Market. By 3 p.m., most of the vendors had cleared out, even though they're open until 6 p.m. on Saturdays this time of year. We bought some red bell peppers, green onions and red potatoes, but we eyed the assortment of sweet and spicy peppers available and plan to purchase some next time.
First stop: Atherton Market at Atherton Mill. I wasn't expecting this to be an indoor market but was pleasantly surprised when I found out. We got a late start, so it was slim pickin's. By far, my favorite vendor was Pickleville's Billie's Pickle Jar, where I sampled dill and garlic pickles, and also an unexpectedly fabulous mustard sweet relish. I hate relish (especially sweet relish) but love pickles and mustard, so I figured I'd give it a try, and I'm glad I did. Online, Pickleville pickles run $2 more per quart than at the market, giving me even more reason to go to Atherton Market and buy in-person. Billie packs 'em in tight and scoops in some brine to top it all off. His suggestion: freeze cubes of leftover pickle juice to use in your Bloody Mary. I will definitely give that a try with the leftovers from the dill pickles I bought.
A close second was Chosen Roaster. The slightly buttery smell of freshly roasted nuts brought us back around for a purchase, and we bought a bag of peanuts and a bag of cashews (though I was tempted to try their third offering: almonds). They don't use much salt when roasting the nuts, but you can ask them to salt the nuts in the bag before purchase. The peanuts were a little dry, though they were the biggest peanuts I've ever seen. The cashews were heavenly.
Second stop: Mecklenburg County Market. This market is hidden away behind the hospital off of Harden St., just down Morehead from the King Street Market. Here, we found some Old School brand yellow grits from just east of Charlotte, which we plan to use in shrimp & grits to feed my dad, who's visiting from Boise. We also bought a South Carolina peach, which later turned into a deliciously refreshing vodka spritzer.
Third stop: Charlotte Regional Farmers Market. By 3 p.m., most of the vendors had cleared out, even though they're open until 6 p.m. on Saturdays this time of year. We bought some red bell peppers, green onions and red potatoes, but we eyed the assortment of sweet and spicy peppers available and plan to purchase some next time.
HotSpots
You may or may not have noticed the map at the bottom of my blog called HotSpots. This map is a work in progress and will be regularly updated. Future additions will feature other cities I've spent time in, whether days or years: Boise, New Orleans, Savannah, Boston, Atlanta.
August 12, 2010
Reality Check
In reading Liz Thorpe's book, The Cheese Chronicles, my feelings were a little hurt when she provided a reality check: the green cans of cheese in the grocery store do not contain Parmesan cheese at all. It's more of a Jack with an accelerated aging process. Just goes to show how disconnected we are from what's in our food and where it comes from.
Open-air Markets
I love the concept of open-air markets, whether vendors are peddling produce, art, antiques or junk. I grew up in Boise, Idaho, where every Saturday, the Capital City Public Market happens on 8th Street. This remains a favorite destination for me when I visit my friends and family. You can snack on kettle corn and sample Late Harvest Riesling from Snake River Winery while ducking under each tent for a look-see at what's for sale, run into old friends and acquaintances gathered around a live musician, and meet interesting local farmers and craftsmen.
Last weekend, I went to Boston to visit my sister and she took me to the Sowa Open Market. Even though it was sweltering hot and the lines for the beverage stands were endless, we enjoyed a few hours of hunting for pretties and getting ideas for her next sewing project.
Charlotte offers more farmers markets than I realized, so my goal is to get to know them better before fall. I've lived here for three years and am embarrassed to admit I've only been to two:
King Street Market, at the corner of S. Kings and Morehead. Unfortunately, it doesn't offer much in the way of local produce, but you can get fresh eggs and gulf shrimp on Saturdays. Hours: Tuesday and Friday 6 a.m. - 6 p.m., Saturday 7 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Charlotte Regional Farmers Market, off Yorkmont Rd. This place is huge, so plan to spend some time here. You can find everything from pond plants to pickles to pine rocking chairs. Be sure to get a polish sausage with sauerkraut from the hot dog cart, and take a few minutes to learn about the local farmers you buy from. Some Saturdays, they host Ask a Master Gardener Day in the greenery shed. Farmers Market hours: (March - September) Tuesday - Saturday 8 a.m. - 6 p.m., (May - August) Sundays 12:30 p.m. - 6 p.m. (October - February) Tuesday - Saturday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Craft Barn hours: (March - December) Saturdays only 8 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Here are the others I am excited to visit:
Mecklenburg County Market
Atherton Market at Atherton Mill
Center City Green Market
Last weekend, I went to Boston to visit my sister and she took me to the Sowa Open Market. Even though it was sweltering hot and the lines for the beverage stands were endless, we enjoyed a few hours of hunting for pretties and getting ideas for her next sewing project.
Charlotte offers more farmers markets than I realized, so my goal is to get to know them better before fall. I've lived here for three years and am embarrassed to admit I've only been to two:
King Street Market, at the corner of S. Kings and Morehead. Unfortunately, it doesn't offer much in the way of local produce, but you can get fresh eggs and gulf shrimp on Saturdays. Hours: Tuesday and Friday 6 a.m. - 6 p.m., Saturday 7 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Charlotte Regional Farmers Market, off Yorkmont Rd. This place is huge, so plan to spend some time here. You can find everything from pond plants to pickles to pine rocking chairs. Be sure to get a polish sausage with sauerkraut from the hot dog cart, and take a few minutes to learn about the local farmers you buy from. Some Saturdays, they host Ask a Master Gardener Day in the greenery shed. Farmers Market hours: (March - September) Tuesday - Saturday 8 a.m. - 6 p.m., (May - August) Sundays 12:30 p.m. - 6 p.m. (October - February) Tuesday - Saturday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Craft Barn hours: (March - December) Saturdays only 8 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Here are the others I am excited to visit:
Mecklenburg County Market
Atherton Market at Atherton Mill
Center City Green Market
August 11, 2010
Home Ec
My interest in food began in my junior high home ec class one fateful day when one of the school sports coaches (a former cook) demonstrated how to make fettuccine Alfredo. Up until then, I had little regard for what I ate or where it came from.
Canned and boxed foods were a staple of my upbringing, and dinner always consisted of a vegetable, a starch, a meat, and a tall glass of milk. Daddy planted an impressive garden every year (and still does) that provided spinach, zucchini and tomatoes in abundance, but out of season, the vegetables came from cans. The starch was seasoned with the packet it came boxed with, and the meat was never cooked in anything but its own juices. Salt and pepper stayed by the stove, used only sparingly during meal preparation, and my mother was suspicious of spices and the pesticides with which they were likely sprayed.
Fettuccine Alfredo is a staple in my recipe arsenal to this day, and it has only improved with age (and my general disregard for measuring ingredients).
Be dangerous! Abandon your measuring spoons and pinch, sprinkle and dash your way through dinner.
Canned and boxed foods were a staple of my upbringing, and dinner always consisted of a vegetable, a starch, a meat, and a tall glass of milk. Daddy planted an impressive garden every year (and still does) that provided spinach, zucchini and tomatoes in abundance, but out of season, the vegetables came from cans. The starch was seasoned with the packet it came boxed with, and the meat was never cooked in anything but its own juices. Salt and pepper stayed by the stove, used only sparingly during meal preparation, and my mother was suspicious of spices and the pesticides with which they were likely sprayed.
Fettuccine Alfredo is a staple in my recipe arsenal to this day, and it has only improved with age (and my general disregard for measuring ingredients).
Be dangerous! Abandon your measuring spoons and pinch, sprinkle and dash your way through dinner.
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