Eat First

Get grilling, Central New York! BBQ rubs and sauces with local flavor

Note from Margaret: My sidebar on Central New York barbecue products, intended to run with the May 22 cover story on lesser-known local barbecue joints for the Syracuse New Times, got left on the cutting room floor. That’s where a blog comes in handy!

Memorial Day is the traditional start of summer -- and the outdoor cooking season.

If you enjoy the thrill of the grill and food from the fire, why not enhance the experience -- and the flavor -- with a local rub, brine or sauce?

Here are some options: 

Tom's Bootleg BBQ Sauce: Tom Armstrong is a chef who has worked at restaurants like Rosalie's Cucina in Skaneateles. He started making barbecue sauce and selling it in wine bottles, out of the trunk of his car, hence its name -- Bootleg.

The sauce is now made at Nelson Farms, near Morrisville, and sold in condiment bottles. It's thin in consistency but full-flavored, savory rather than sweet, with a slight kick. Try it with pulled pork and pulled chicken, or brush it on a tortilla and make a Southwestern-style pizza.

Find Tom's Bootleg BBQ Sauce at Green Hills Farms, the Blue Tusk in Armory Square, the Nelson Farms store and other locations. Click here for more information. 

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que Sauces: There's a Dinosaur sauce to suit all your BBQ tastes and needs – who among us doesn’t have a jar of the original, Sensuous Slathering Sauce, in the fridge?

Dinosaur’s Roasted Garlic Honey Bar-B-Que Sauce took first place in the mild category of the 2012 The Hot Pepper Awards. Like more heat? Try the Wango Tango Habanero BBQ sauce and the Garlic Chipotle hot sauce.

Find Dinosaur sauces at Wegmans, Tops, Price Chopper - just about everywhere, including Amazon.com and online at the Dinosaur Store. Click here for more information.

Buck's Seasoning: Buck's Homemade All-Purpose and Bar-B-Que Seasonings, made with salt, pepper, garlic and spices, have been a staple for more than 50 years.

Buck's is made in Mallory, Oswego County. A newer addition to the Buck's line is Buck's Zestier: salt, pepper, garlic and spices with a bit more zip than the original. Try it on wings, potatoes, ribs, eggs, burgers, popcorn -- you name it.

Look for Buck's in grocery and specialty stores and online. Click here for more information.  

Sammy and Annie's Sauces and Seasonings: Christopher Giruzzi, of Barneveld, has turned his cooking hobby into a small business, Sammy and Annie Foods.

The company is named for his maternal grandparents, and Giruzzi uses some of their recipes. Look for Sammy and Annie Spicy Sweet Barbecue Seasoning, Spicy Sweet Barbecue Sauce Fennel Citrus Barbecue Sauce and others at the Westmoreland Summer Farmers Market, Oneida County Public Market in Utica and online. Click here for more information. 

Java Gourmet: "Perk up" your steak, pork, chicken, seafood, wild game and veggies with Java Gourmet rubs, marinades and "mops,'' all made with coffee from Keuka Lake Coffee Roasters.

You know coffee tastes good in your morning cup. It also enhances the flavor of meats and imparts nutty flavor and notes of smoke.

Java Gourmet comes in a variety of blends and international accents, like Sicilian Citrus, Tuscan Seaside and Shanghai Six Spice Rub. The rubs are sold throughout the Finger Lakes, at the company store in Penn Yan and online. Click here for more information. 

Miller's Dry Brine: Miller's Dry Brine is handmade at Miller's Meat Market, near Lowville, by owners, Danny and Charlene Miller. Among the most popular items at the market are the jerked meats in the meat case and the brine, a jerk rub for pork, beef and venison -- a friend also uses it on chicken.

"It's best if you rub it on at least the night before or even a full 24 hours,'' says my friend and former colleague Gina Chen, who has it shipped to her new home in Mississippi. "It makes the meat taste delicious and tender. ... It's the best rub we've ever found.''

Miller's Dry Brine comes in a variety of sizes, including a one-gallon container, and can be shipped. For more information, call 315-376-6253 or email millersmeatmarket@yahoo.com.  

A Syracuse garden takes shape – in a box

There are advantages to a small house. There are fewer rooms to clean, for one thing, and less grass to mow.

But less space outdoors equals less space to garden. And less space to garden equals little to no opportunity to grow food, with the exception of basil and other essential herbs.

Until now! 

I happened on this garden box on legs (above) while browsing the Williams-Sonoma website. My first thought was: How cool is this?! What a great option for space-challenged people like us, who have no back forty -- just a hill and trees and gravel drive. My second thought was: Oh, $300 – soil and plants not included. 

Fortunately, I live with a very handy man, who makes art and builds things. I asked him if he could design and build something like the Williams-Sonoma garden box – compact and on legs -- for us. As you can see, he rose to the challenge. 

The result is an elevated, 30-inch-by-54- inch garden box on a steel frame – quite a bit bigger than the retail model that inspired it (24 by 36 inches) -- and far less expensive. 

The box is made of larch, a locally grown hardwood noted for it strength, durability and ability to resist water. The lumber cost $40. The frame was custom-made and welded by Robert's cousin, Ben Poormon, of Steelfab in Weedsport. It cost $100. 

At the base of the box are a couple grids of concrete reinforcing mesh. On top of that went hay and the soil. 

All we need now is plants, sun and rain. Robert picked up three pepper plants at the Central New York Regional Market last weekend. We're thinking tomatoes, some lettuces, herbs and – well, we're not sure what else, exactly. 

We'll let you know what we decide to plant -- and how our little vegetable garden-in-a-box grows this summer.

(Empire) Buffalo: It’s what’s for dinner

They look like beef patties.

And that looks like a regular old burger, stuffed in a roll and topped with melted cheese and caramelized onions.

Surprise: The patties and burgers were made with ground buffalo, also known as bison, from Empire Buffalo, in Madison County.

Empire Buffalo is a buffalo farm, home to a herd of 40 non-domesticated animals, near Chittenango Falls State Park.

Farm owners Aileen Randolph and Joe Lazarsky sell bison products direct from the farm and at area farmers markets, primarily in the Madison County area.

I met Aileen in March at the Circa Winter Farmer’s Market, featuring vendors that supply the local products on Circa's menu and in its market case.  She offered an array of grass-fed bison products for sale: ground bison, bison breakfast sausage, Italian sausage, stew meat, steaks, tenderloin, etc.

Aileen is friendly and  knowledgeable and an excellent saleswoman. I headed home to Syracuse with a pound of ground bison ($8) – something new and different for us.

Buffalo has become an increasingly well-known in food circles in recent years. It’s often marketed as a healthier alternative to beef.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a three-ounce serving of top sirloin buffalo meat contains 5 grams of fat, 73 mg of cholesterol and 145 calories. A three-ounce serving of top sirloin beef, trimmed of fat, contains 9 grams of fat, 76 mg of cholesterol and 186 calories.

Aileen says most folks who’ve never sampled bison start with ground bison and make burgers. She also suggests meatballs, like the Asian-Style Bison Meatballs on the Empire Buffalo website.

We added some salt, pepper and breadcrumbs to the ground bison, formed it into patties and double-wrapped the extras for the freezer. We pan-fried a couple for a Saturday supper, adding cheddar cheese and a top layer of caramelized onions to make a somewhat sloppy burger that took two hands to eat. Bison burgers are no doubt delicious grilled, but it was still too cold, at the time.

You’re probably wondering what ground bison tastes like. It’s a deep, red-brown in color, full-flavored like beef, but slightly softer in texture/consistency. Aileen said bison doesn’t taste gamey, and she’s right. It tastes, well, meaty.

Next time, I’ll be more adventurous – and try bison steak or sausage. We’re also looking forward to taking Aileen up on her invitation to “come out and see the herd!’’

Central New York: Where the buffalo roam!

Empire Buffalo is at 1351 Falls Road,
Fenner. For more information, call
315-655-4429.

Photo courtesy of Empire Buffalo

Aquaponic farmers: A growing community in Central New York

Inside Aqua Vita Farms, Sherrill

It’s that time of year: The farmers who grow our food can’t wait to get outside on a daily basis, feel the warmth of the sun, dig in the nutrient-rich soil and plant their first crops.

And then there are those who can’t wait to get outside because they’ve been inside all winter, where it’s balmy and 70-something degrees, growing Swiss chard, pea shoots, salad greens, herbs and other produce.

 “It’s always spring in here,’’ says Mark Doherty, the founder of Aqua Vita Farms, an aquaponic farm launched in 2011.

AquaWHAT?

For the uninitiated, aquaponics is a sustainable system of food production that combines aquaculture (raising fish in tanks) with hydroponics (growing plants in water) in an interactive indoor environment. The wastewater from the fish tanks is used to fertilize the plants and the plants, in turn, clean the water. The purified water is then circulated back to the fish.

At Aqua Vita, row upon row of grow beds are stacked in tiered systems resembling bunk beds in a 13,000 square foot building that was once part of the Oneida Limited manufacturing facility in Sherrill.

The advantages of aquaponic growing are many, Doherty says: It uses far less energy and far less water than traditional agriculture. The food is fresh, tasty and pesticide free, designed to be used in surrounding communities, so it doesn’t travel far.

Thanks to aquaponic growers, even if it’s snowing outside – and the first of our local tomatoes are still months away – you can enjoy fresh, local greens in your salad bowl.

The greens on plate or on your sandwich at Turning Stone Resort and Casino and restaurants like Circa in Cazenovia this time of year are probably from Aqua Vita Farms. Aqua Vita's tilapia, meanwhile, has been featured on the menu at The Tailor and the Cook, in Utica.

The “clamshell’’ containers of Boston lettuce you’ve seen at stores such as Wegmans, Tops and the Syracuse Real-Food Co-Op? Those are from Ithaca’s Finger Lakes Fresh Food Hub. The supple spring mix and bright butterhead lettuce that may have caught your eye at the Central New York Regional Market this winter is probably from Main Street Farms, Homer, or Refresh Farms, East Syracuse. 

Jamie O’Hern, who owns Refresh Farms and runs the emerging venture with help from family and friends, harvests her lettuce early each Saturday morning and brings it to the market. She usually sells out before noon.

“It doesn’t get any fresher than that,’’ O’Hern says. “The taste is amazing.’’

Six ounces of lettuce packed in an eco-friendly bag with the root ball still attached costs $3. Stored properly, it will last for almost a week. The whole fish on ice at her market stall is equally fresh: That’s the tilapia raised in tanks as part of the aquaponic process. The tilapia sells for $5 a pound.

“Most people have never seen what tilapia really looks like,’’ O’Hern says.

It’s pretty new to O’Hern, too. Tilapia is firm fleshed, mild flavored and versatile – it can be adapted to many styles of cooking. The tilapia raised in aquaponics reach full maturity (one and a half to two pounds) in about a year.

O’Hern got her introduction to aquaponics at Sunset Hydroponics and Home Brewing in Syracuse, where she worked as a manager. She grew tomatoes, basil and lettuce in the basement of her family’s house in Syracuse before moving to a small space in the building occupied by Syracuse Tile and Marble in East Syracuse.

She says with a smile that she learned how to fillet fish by watching a YouTube video. She recommends that customers bake the tilapia whole. Clean and scale the fish, slit it in several spots and marinate it for a short time in a vinaigrette dressing made with oil, vinegar and mustard. Stuff the cavity of the tilapia with herbs and bake it in a sealed foil pouch (or parchment paper) until the fish flakes easily with a fork – about 18 to 20 minutes in a 400 degree oven.

O’Hern, who also works part-time as a server at Ironwood Pizza in Manlius, has high hopes for the future of aquaponic farming – and for Refresh Farms.

She would like to build a greenhouse aquaponic system to reduce the use of artificial lighting and add solar panels to the building to help reduce electrical expenses. She also would like to add more grow beds in order to supply restaurants with fresh produce. She also would like to help restaurants grow their own food.

“I don’t have it all figured out,’’ she says, “I’m learning a lot as we go, by trial and error.

“I do think this is a lot better way to grow food. We need to rethink how we farm. This is more sustainable.’’

Note: There are several aquaponic farms of varying sizes in Central New York and the Finger Lakes. Most welcome visitors and offer education programs.  Some, like Aqua Vita Farms, offer aquaponics training and consulting. Call or email to inquire about visitor programs and rates.

Do you know of an aquaponic grower not included here? Please leave details in a comment (below) so I can add them. Thank you!

Aqua Vita Farms, Sherrill

Phone: 315-941-3535; email, mark@aquavitafarms.com

Products: Lettuce and other salad greens; Swiss chard, sorrel; basil and other herbs; pea shoots; tilapia

Retail: Oneida County Public Market; Westmoreland Summer and Winter Farmers Markets; Arnie’s Produce and Craig’s Kegs, Oneida.

 

Refresh Farms, East Syracuse

Products: Butterhead lettuce, green and red romaine, basil, pac choi; tilapia

Phone: 315-447-4315; email, refreshfarms@gmail.com

Retail: Central New York Regional Market (Saturdays)

 

Main Street Farms, Homer

Products: Lettuces, spring mix, Swiss chard, kale, herbs, etc.

Phone: 607-218-2101; email: info@mainstreetfarms.com

Retail: Syracuse Real Food Cooperative, Natur-Tyme, Green Planet Grocery, Central New York Regional Market and other locations.

 

Finger Lakes Fresh, Ithaca

Products: Boston lettuce, romaine, arugula, baby pac choi, salad bouquet

Phone: 607-347-6767; email: info@fingerlakesfresh.com

Retail: Wegmans, Price Chopper, Tops, Syracuse Real Food Cooperative, Green Planet Grocery

Winter salad with Refresh lettuce

Buy local in Oswego

Last year’s apple crop was less than abundant, due to widespread hard freezes early in the growing season. But something told me I would find my favorite, Cortlands, at Ontario Orchards in Oswego.

Ontario Orchards was my first food detour on a trip to Oswego on a wintery day a couple weeks back.  The farm store, on Route 104 in Southwest Oswego, is open seven days a week, year-round. In addition to fresh local produce (and imports like romaine and tomatoes from warmer weather states), the store features pies, cookies and other homemade baked goods, nuts, grains and bulk foods, local cheeses, local rubs, seasonings and marinades, and more.

Second stop was Stone’s Homemade Candy, another must-visit for old-fashioned, local flavor.

Third stop was Garafolo’s Importing, a combination butcher shop, sandwich shop and neighborhood grocery on East Bridge Street. If you’ve ever had Garafolo’s Italian sausage, you go out of your way to get to Oswego, on occasion – cooler in hand to carry home a couple pounds of it. If you haven’t tried it, you should – but be forewarned, the XXX hot is flaming!

Last stop was the Canal Commons in downtown Oswego. Craving a caffeine kick before the drive home, I remembered Taste the World, a coffee roaster-food shop we stumbled upon during last year’s Harborfest.

The shop features a nice array of local foods, like Flour City Pasta and Ramona’s dressings and sauces, as well as a fully stocked case of domestic and imported cheeses. The smell of freshly roasted coffee is intoxicating.

A few doors down in the same building is Andrew’s Wine Cellar. I sipped my coffee and browsed the numerous selections from around the wine world before deciding on a bottle from close to home – Billsboro Winery dry Riesling (Seneca Lake). Finger Lakes Riesling goes well with just about everything.

It was too cold and blustery to even contemplate a trip to Rudy’s, a seasonal stand on the Lake Ontario shoreline, already open for the 2013 season. Next time, perhaps.

We’ll also be back to visit Green Planet Grocery (formerly the Mustard Seed),  Port City Cafe and Bakery, The Red Sun Fire Roasting Company, La Parrilla and Man in the Moon Candies.

As the saying goes: "You can’t buy happiness, but you can buy local!''

 

Stone’s Homemade Candy, Oswego

Before there were Gertrude Hawk and Lindt chocolate outlets in what seems like every mall and shopping center, many communities had their own, family-owned candy shops.

Some are still here, fortunately: Places like Speach Family Candy Shoppe on Syracuse’s North Side, Hercules Candy Company in East Syracuse and Stone’s Homemade Candy in Oswego.

I’ve strolled and driven by Stone’s many times while in Oswego. Last week, on a trip to the Port City and on a lark, I stopped in.

At lunchtime on a snowy weekday, the shop was deserted. The display cases offered fudge, chunk chocolate, chocolate barks (milk, dark chocolate, white chocolate with pecans), graham cracker s’mores, Rice Krispie treats, chocolate nut clusters, chocolate-covered potato chips, dark chocolate and white chocolate patties (in peanut, coconut, cashew or raisin, for all of $1.35).

A tray holding sea salt caramels was empty – probably a blessing in disguise.

The cases also held a multitude of hand-made, chocolate Easter eggs with a variety of cream fillings – coconut cream, maple cream, vanilla cream, peanut butter cream. The shop brimmed with Easter baskets wrapped in cellophane and tied with pretty ribbons, filled with molded chocolate bunnies and other treats for those ready to hop to it.

According to the National Retail Federation, Americans will spend an average of $145.13 on Easter candy, clothing and decor. We won’t come close. The last thing our two-person household needs is a surplus of Peeps, malted milk eggs, foil-wrapped chocolate eggs and jelly beans.

I did “splurge’’ on four of Stone’s Easter eggs (two coconut cream and two maple), which cost less than $6 – and would have cost even less if I didn’t opt for the decorated ones. I can’t speak for the coconut cream eggs, but the maple cream eggs didn’t make it to Palm Sunday.

There are fancier chocolate shops than Stone’s in Central New York, like Lune Chocolat in Manlius, Sweet on Chocolate in Syracuse’s Armory Square and Meyer’s Chocolates (Clinton and Camden). Visit them when you’re craving gourmet.

Go to Stone’s when you’re craving something sweet – with a taste of nostalgia, too. Like the French Creams – bite-sized crystallized sugar candies (mint and fruit flavors) with a smooth and creamy center, done up in Easter colors.

“They melt in your mouth,’’ the cashier said.

Stone’s Homemade Candy (and Ice Cream; in season) is at 145 W. Bridge St., Oswego. Info.: 315-343-8401.

Dining out: Ironwood Pizza, Manlius

Photos courtesy of Ironwood Pizza

Every community has a neighborhood pizza joint that serves a good pie. Manlius has several pizza joints. And now, it also has Ironwood Pizza, which turns out excellent wood-fired, thin-crust pies.

Ironwood has been criticized in some quarters for a) not selling pizza by the slice and b) not offering delivery service. Owner John Freightenburgh, who got his start with the mobile “Pizza Rig’’ at area farmers markets and festivals, makes no apology for straying from the same-old same-old -- and why should he? Ironwood’s pizza is out of the ordinary. The mozzarella is as local as you can get, made fresh on site each day. If you’ve been to Italy or France and come home craving Euro-style pizza, you’re in for a treat.

We rate the wood-fired pizza at Ironwood right up there with our favorite wood-fired pizza in the Finger Lakes (and possibly the universe!), The Copper Oven.

THE VIBE: Iron plus wood – most of it hand-crafted by Freightenburgh -- equals industrial-chic decor. It’s dim in the dining room, but colorful, thanks to a massive graffiti wall mural. It’s also noisy, thanks to the hard surfaces and families and groups gathered around tables for four, six and larger. Intimate it’s not, but that’s OK.

THE MENU: Simple and straightforward. There are a few starters (think caprese plate and bruschetta), a few salads and about a dozen pizza choices, including a create-your-own option and weekly specials like The Greek (shown right): Basil pesto, spinach, house-made mozzarella, caramelized onions, kalamata olives, feta… Opa!

LIQUID ASSETS: Ironwood has a short wine list and an evolving lineup of beers on tap. We chose pints of Narragansett lager from Rhode Island mostly because we’ve never had it before and opportunity knocked. Two pints apiece, served in widemouth Mason jars, went down way easy – especially after seeing “Amour’’ a few doors down at The Manlius Art Cinema. Not the cheeriest cinematic fare!

THE FOOD: We shared the organic spinach salad tossed with mandarin oranges, almonds, dried cranberries and a refreshing apple cider vinaigrette dressing ($8) and the arugula pizza ($13). The crust is the star of the show here: It’s thin, crackling and slightly charred and smoky, topped with garlic-infused oil, strips of prosciutto, plenty of peppery arugula and freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. The toppings worked extremely well together, and we didn’t miss the heaviness that mozzarella can bring to the party.

WHAT’S A VEGETARIAN GOING TO FIND? Everything from simple pies (marinara; traditional Margherita) to an over-the-top one like the Vegetopia: Tomato sauce, garlic, fresh mozzarella, spinach, portabello mushrooms, caramelized onions, roasted red peppers, Roma tomato, etc. With all that, who needs meat?!

DESSERT: One choice: Homemade gelato ($3.75), in about six flavors, including hazelnut and red raspberry when we visited. We each hoarded a dish – no sharing. Yum.

THE DAMAGES: One shared salad, one shared pizza, two desserts and four draft beers came to about $50.

THE NEXT TIME: Maybe we’ll skip pizza altogether, order salads and share the Mozzarella Spiral instead. It combines prosciutto and fresh basil rolled Ironwood’s house-made mozzarella, then drizzled with olive oil and balsamic reduction and served with sliced Roma tomatoes and Italian bread from the wood-fired oven. The brunch pizzas, served Sundays only, sound fabulous, too. Eggs, bacon, sausage and hash browns, on a pizza crust? Sure. We’ll try anything once.

THE DETAILS: Ironwood is at 145 E. Seneca St., Manlius. Hours: 4 to 9 p.m. Monday-Wednesday, 4 to 10 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. Info: 315-744-8740 or 315-682-0042.

You asked for it: Italian Roast Chicken on a Bundt Pan

The days are getting longer, but it's 25 degrees outside -- too cold for this gal to uncover the grill, fuss with the igniter and make Beer Can Chicken or Cornell Chicken -- even though the grill is on a covered terrace. 

Chicken on a Bundt Pan to the rescue! 

Why a Bundt pan, you ask? Well, it uses the same method -- vertical roasting – that the classic Beer Can Chicken does. And the Bundt pan catches the chicken drippings, keeping them off the bird and making clean-up easy. 

This recipe is a combination of your basic Italian roast chicken and a roasting technique picked up via one of my favorite food websites, Food52. We've made Food52’s recipe for Wishbone Roast Chicken with Butter (calls for a tube pan; we used a Bundt) and enjoyed it immensely but wanted looking to make something that didn't call for as much -- or any -- butter. 

There you have it!

Italian Roast Chicken on a Bundt Pan

1 whole roasting chicken, size of your choice

2 tablespoons Pino's Press Tuscan Herb dipping/basting oil (or other seasoned oil, like Wegmans basting oil)

4 cloves garlic, lightly smashed, peeled and halved

Several sprigs fresh rosemary

Salt and pepper

1 lemon, quartered (for serving; optional)

A day before cooking: Remove chicken from package. Remove giblets, if there are any; reserve to cook for the dog.

Rinse chicken and pat it dry with paper towels. Place on plate and leave in refrigerator, uncovered, overnight or for up to 24 hours. Why? Because starting with a dry bird will yield crispy chicken skin. 

A couple hours before cooking: Using your hands, slather the chicken all over with the seasoned oil, especially the neck area. Generously salt and pepper the bird. Using a paring knife, cut a few slits all over chicken skin and insert pieces of halved garlic and a few sprigs of rosemary. Place upright on Bundt pan or tube pan and tie the wings with kitchen twine. Return to refrigerator until ready to roast the chicken. 

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Depending on your oven, you may need to remove a rack. Place chicken on Bundt/tube pan in oven and roast until done. For a 6-pound bird, this took about 1 hour and 45 minutes. Allow chicken to rest briefly before serving. Squeeze a little lemon over chicken, if desired. Serve with mashed potatoes or polenta. Makes about 6 servings. 

Winter farmers markets sprout up in Central New York

Farmers markets used to be a strictly seasonal affair in Central New York, bustling during the summer months, and then disappearing along with the last of the homegrown sweet corn, tomatoes and peaches.

No longer. Farmers are able to extend their growing seasons these days, and grow things like herbs, lettuces, kale and chard -- even tomatoes -- indoors or in greenhouses and hoop houses.

Beyond the Central New York Regional Market – which is open year-round, on Saturdays – winter farmers markets are popping up here and there, particularly east of Syracuse, and doing a good business.

At the Winter Farmers Market at Circa Restaurant in Cazenovia on Saturday, some of the vendors that supply chef-owner Alicyn Hart’s with her local culinary bounty offered onions, shallots, garlic, beets and carrots. Alambria Springs Farm, Earlville, had beautiful Asian mesclun greens grown in an unheated greenhouse.

At the Westmoreland Winter Farmers Market, also on Saturday, Stone Brothers Farm and Greenhouses, Canastota, was said to have greenhouse-grown tomatoes.

Yes, tomatoes. In March. In CNY!

At these winter markets, shoppers will also find artisan breads and baked goods, pasture-raised meats, eggs, cheeses and butter, maple syrup, honey, relishes, jams and other canned items.

The Winter Farmers Market at Circa fills up the restaurant’s small dining room. The vibe is warm, friendly and relaxed. It’s a great opportunity to mingle with vendors and learn about their products.

On Saturday, I had the opportunity to talk with Aileen Randolph of Empire Buffalo about her family’s herd and farm in Fenner, as well as the health benefits of buffalo (lower in fat and cholesterol than beef and chicken) – before heading home with a 1.5 pound package of ground buffalo to try. I also chatted with Bruce Rivington of Kriemhild Dairy Farms, and learned that the market for Kriemhild’s delicious, creamy, golden-yellow “Meadow Butter” extends well beyond Central New York. It’s served at restaurants like Daniel and Cafe Boulod in New York City – in addition to restaurants like Circa.

I chatted up Aaron Metthe of Salt City Coffee, who hopes to open a coffee shop in Syracuse, and downed a couple samples before buying a full cup and settling on a pound of Sumatra beans for coffee at home.

That’s the best part about visiting a farmers market – discovering new things and making personal connections with the food we eat.

In addition to salad greens and cylindrical beets, I bought a dense, crusty loaf of cinnamon raisin sour dough bread from Alambria Springs Farm. Their breads, made with local flours and baked in a wood-fired oven, are some of the best I’ve ever had.

The winter farmers market season is winding down, but here are a few to put on your calendar. For a complete directory of farmers markets and CSAs in Central New York, visit Farmshed.cny or download the Farmshedcny app for your smart phone.

Upcoming markets:

Oneida County Public Market Winter Markets

March 9 and April 13

Union Station, 321 Main St., downtown Utica

Hours: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

 

Circa Winter Farmers Market

First Saturday of the month, November-April

Circa Restaurant, 76 Albany St., Cazenovia

Hours: 9 a.m. to noon

 

Cazenovia Winter Farmers Market

Third Saturday of the month, November-April

American Legion Hall, 26 Chenango St.

Hours: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

 

Morrisville Winter Farmers Market

First Saturday of the month, December-April

Madison Hall, Route 20, Morrisville

Hours: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

 

Poolville Winter Farmers Market

Second and fourth Saturdays of the month, November-April

Poolville Community Center, Willey Road, Poolville

Hours: 10 a.m. to noon

 

Westmoreland Winter Farmers Market

First Saturday of the month, November-April

Westmoreland Firehouse, Station Road, Westmoreland

Hours: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Syracuse-area restaurants: A list of local favorites

In a recent post on Syracuse.com, Don Cazentre, food and beverage editor at The Post-Standard, points out how subjective, random and arbitrary restaurant ratings can be on crowd-sourced sites like TripAdvisor.com, and asks readers to weigh in with their own local Top 10.

He’s right. The Top 10 restaurants for Syracuse on TripAdvisor include several that aren’t restaurants, exactly --  like Wegmans, Gannons Isle and Columbus Baking Co.

Inspired by fellow CNY food blogger Jared Paventi, whose blog, Al Dente, focuses on food, cooking and eating (click here for Jared’s list), I decided to come up with my own list of local favorites. 

My list leans toward restaurants that emphasize seasonal, locally grown and locally sourced food, but is not limited to them. The list was compiled and is presented in no particular order. 

What are your favorite local restaurants? New discoveries and places that have long held a place in your heart -- and your food memory? Leave a comment below. 

bc: bc is TN: Top notch. The new owners have added community tables, artisan pizza and other menu items for grazing and sharing, but fine dining in a casual, upscale atmosphere is still the hallmark. How about a pork chop brined with Middle Ages IPA, with spicy sweet potato puree on the side? 

Empire Brewing Co.: “Eat Where You Live’’ is the mantra at this subterranean brewery and farm-to-table restaurant in Armory Square. In season, about 85 percent of the produce used at the restaurant comes from Empire’s garden, Polo Ridge Potager, in Cazenovia. Empire’s commitment to local sourcing is impressive, and the food is really good, too. Order a craft beer and a Tumbleweed Burger. Your belly will be happy. 

Riley's: What’s not to love about a warm and inviting neighborhood tavern with a pub menu, specials that change daily, Brian’s killer desserts (pies, cakes, cheesecakes -- outstanding!) and an owner that plays the upright piano in the dining room? Riley’s is a gem. The restaurant does not have a website. It’s at 312 Park St., Syracuse, NY 13203. Info: 315-471-7111. 

China Road: Some of the most authentic Chinese food in the area can be found at Chef Simon Teng’s unassuming storefront on Route 11 in Mattydale. The daily menu board in both English and Chinese and the diverse array of diners tell you this place is the real deal. Looking for a place to take vegetarians? I recommend the scallion pancake and the sauteed green beans. 

Asti: This is Syracuse. No list would be complete without Italian, right? Asti’s Utica-Style Greens are some of the best in Central New York. You can’t go wrong with Italian comfort food, like lasagna and eggplant Parmesan, or with seafood and steaks cooked on the restaurant’s wood-fired grill. Buon Appetito! 

Joelle's French Bistro: Beet and avocado salad? Mussels with frites (French fries)? Yes, please! Chef-owner Joelle Mollinger was born in France and raised in Morocco. Her plates are a work of art. I can’t think of anywhere else in Central New York where you can order a tagine – meat and vegetables cooked in a clay pot -- and served with couscous. 

The Restaurant at Elderberry Pond: The restaurant is at the center of a 100-acre, certified-organic farm in the Finger Lakes, near Skaneateles and Auburn. Food doesn’t get more fresh and up-to-the minute. Be sure to try the Lego family’s own pasture-raised pork. Note: The restaurant is open mid-March to December. 

The c. 1820 House: Come for the sunset, linger on the deck, stay for the food. Chef and co-owner Rich Schreiner is a creative spirit who has traveled all over the world. He grows his own produce and herbs in season and likes to experiment with ingredients, spices and nightly specials. There’s also a tavern menu with everything from soups and burgers to seasonal gourmet fare. 

The Mission: The interior of this downtown landmark (the former Syracuse Wesleyan Methodist Church) transports you to somewhere in Latin America – and so does the food. Order Margaritas and a selection of appetizers for the table to share or an elegant entree like shrimp, scallops, clams and crab claws cooked in a smoked chile broth with grilled bread for dipping. 

Circa: Alicyn Hart’s restaurant and market in the village of Cazenovia is at the forefront of the eat local movement. Her motto: Food that’s seasonal and local tastes better. Need convincing? Taste the roast chicken, raised at a nearby farm, or the Circa Burger, made with your choice of local beef, lamb, elk, turkey or veggies. Even in winter, the menu is local, local, local and changes weekly. 

And the No. 1 restaurant in CNY I want to visit but haven't yet is: Moro's Table, Auburn. And The Tailor and the Cook, Utica. And…  

Experimentation pays off: ‘Your chai keeps getting better’

I’ve been experimenting with chai since first writing about it three years ago. Not because I don’t have anything better to do – but because it somehow seemed a little flat.

Especially after I had chai at Rose DeNeve’s house some time back. Rose is an author, avid bird watcher and traveler who has been to India many times. Her chai is some of the best I’ve ever had the pleasure of sipping -- and it stuck in my food memory.

Besides the usual loose-leaf black tea, milk and spices (cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, ginger and black pepper, Rose said she likes to add anise to her spice mix. Anise is very aromatic, and takes chai in a different direction, adding slight licorice flavor.

So naturally, I started adding anise to my chai – both anise seed and star anise. I’ve also been throwing in some extra black peppercorns and whole allspice to the mix and not holding back on the fresh ginger. I’ve been going light on the sugar, however, because you can’t take it out once it’s in there.

Better safe than sorry.

“Your chai keeps getting better,’’ Robert said this morning, after I heated up a cup and filled the kitchen with its wonderful, spicy aroma.

Who doesn’t like hearing a compliment like that?

Next time I make chai, I’m going to add some freshly grated nutmeg and see what that brings to the party. Maybe that will make the chai better yet. Or maybe it won’t. You don’t know until you try.

Chai: Updated Version

2 cups water

2 cinnamon sticks, broken up

6 whole cloves

6 whole allspice berries

12 black peppercorns

2 whole star anise, broken up

Heaping 1/4 teaspoon anise seed

14 green cardamom pods, slit open with paring knife

2-inch knuckle fresh ginger, skin removed, sliced then "bruised" with knife

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons loose black tea (I like Red Label; available at Indian specialty stores)

3 tablespoons turbinado sugar (or honey)

2 cups milk (1/2 cup half and half and 1.5 cups 2 percent milk works nicely)

Place the cloves, allspice and black pepper in a mortar and pestle and crack slightly. Place all the spices in a saucepan. Cover with 2 cups cold water and bring to gentle boil. Remove from heat, cover and let spices steep for an hour or more.

Re-heat water and spices over medium-medium-high heat. When hot, add sugar and stir to dissolve. Add milk and continue heating, being careful not to scald it (you don't want “skin” on milk). Add black tea, stir gently and let steep for 4 minutes.

Strain chai through fine mesh colander into a bowl (or a 4-cup Pyrex glass measure, if you have one). If serving immediately, return to pan and keep over very low heat. If not, let the chai cool and transfer to a 1-quart Mason jar for storage. If you store the chai, shake it up a bit before you serve/drink.

Tip: Rinse off a couple of the ginger pieces and some broken up cinnamon and place in bottom of Mason jar for added flavor.