Eat First

Wasted away again: One margarita won't hurt you

There's a magnet on my refrigerator that reads, "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. When life gives you limes, make Margaritas.''

Either way, it's good advice.

When lemons are 3 for $1 at the Regional Market, we like to make 6-6-1 Lemonade: 6 lemons (juiced), 6 cups  water, 1 cup sugar. Shake it up and pour over a tall glass of ice, or mix with iced tea for an Arnold Palmer. Add a splash of ginger ale if you have it, like my friend Jay Bonfatti used to do.

As for the limes: Here's a "recipe" for Classic Margaritas from Real Simple magazine we tried on a recent Friday (and probably will try again tonight, just to make sure it's right).

Select  4 to 6 limes that look plump and feel heavy for their size. You'll need a half cup of lime juice, lime slices and:

3/4 cup tequila

1/2 Triple Sec or Cointreau

Kosher salt

1/2 cup cold water

Combine the tequila, lime juice, Triple Sec and water in a pitcher. Rub the rims of 4 glasses with a lime slice and dip in salt to coat. Serve the margaritas over plenty of ice and garnish with lime slices.

A note on to-kill-ya tequila: We made the margaritas using Patron Silver, a  top-shelf tequila in a beautiful bottle we received as a gift and are now quite sold on. It's clear and unbelievably smooth -- nothing like the nasty, gasoline-like tequila you might remember from your days as a lush college days.

Drink sensibly. And TGIF!

Don't drink? Here's something else to do with fresh limes: make a Chili-Lime Vinaigrette.

In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, 1 tablespoon honey, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 4 tablespoons canola oil, 1/2 teaspoon crushed red chiles, 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/4 teaspoon minced garlic, 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro (optional) and a couple pinches of salt. Shake well. 

The dressing works well on a salad made with romaine and tomato and avocado slices.

Staycations 2009: Ithaca Farmers Market

Ithaca is a college town (a small college city, actually)  known for its gorges and gorgeous setting on Cayuga Lake. It's somewhat isolated, about an hour from Syracuse and four hours from New York City, but it's also a major destination for food lovers.

The presence of the world-famous Moosewood Restaurant alone makes it a draw for some foodies, but there are dozens of great restaurants.  In the summertime, Upstaters like us like to grab a market basket and cooler and hop in the car on a Saturday or Sunday morning for a trip to the Ithaca Farmers Market.

The market, open on Saturdays through mid-December and Sundays through October, features more than 100 vendors who set up shop in the wooden pavilions at Steamboat Landing on the lake.

You may never see the words "organic'' and "natural" with as much frequency as you do at this place. In addition to fresh produce, like the chard, rainbow chard and other greens, above, you will find flowers, wines, vinegars, honey, pasture-raised meats and cheeses, clothing, jewelry and art.

There is also an amazing array of international foods available for purchase, including burritos, sushi, samosas, just to name a few, and all-American favorites, like homemade ice cream. Enjoy a little picnic on the waterfront, listen to some music and watch the parade of people. People-watching is part of the fun.

Here, you're looking at a display of blueberry vinegar from Cherry Knoll Farm, Marathon.

The "Bergere Bleue'' cheese made by Northland Sheep Dairy, also in Marathon,  

is some of the best blue cheese I've ever tasted. A small wedge costs about $8, but it's worth it.

If you can't get to Bloomer Creek Vineyard in Hector, on the east side of Seneca Lake, for a tasting any time soon, you can taste some of their wines at the market.

Macro Mama features peanut lime noodles, tapioca pudding topped with fresh blueberries and other macrobiotic foods and snacks.

I carried home a pound of bacon from Kingbird Farm in Berkshire and put it in the freezer until local tomatoes come into season. The farm tries to sell everything it raises within 30 miles of the farm, according to the Web site. Something tells me that bacon is going to make the best BLTs ever.

A pound of baking lard from The Piggery will be used in a Pie-Making 911 session with my mother, who makes the world's best pies the old-fashioned way. With lard.

As if a trip to the Ithaca Market isn't enough, here are two worthy side trips (thanks, Lillian).

A stop at Ithaca Bakery on Meadow Street yielded this beautiful French bread round, which was surprisingly light and delicate beneath its crusty exterior.

And Red Feet Wine Market, across the street from the farmers market, is a REALLY  nice alternative to your wine superstores, offering a selection of vintages from the region and the world that won't overwhelm you.

Last stop (thanks, Gloria): The Plantsmen Nursery, in Groton, which specializes in native shrubs, perennials, ornamental grasses, etc. 

Ithaca is a great place to visit, especially if you're hungry.

Giving (inner) peace a chance

The last month has been one of discovery for me.

I've discovered, for instance, that as weird as it feels not to be working, there's a wonderful freedom that comes from not having to get to the office each morning. Something's not right when you're so busy working that LIVING is an afterthought. I've discovered that I've got a lot of living to do.

But mostly it feels wonderful to B-R-E-A-T-H-E. It has taken a month, but it seems like I'm striking the right balance between doing what I want to do (picking blueberries and making jam, for instance, or kicking back with an iced tea and a good book) and what I should be doing (organizing a cigar box stuffed with recipes and a 40-gallon storage container crammed with photos and, of course, keeping on top of possible job openings that fit my skill set).

It's the first time in my 28-year working life  that I've had this opportunity and it could well be the last. So I want to make the most of it.

Helping both my body and my mind is "Live Well,'' a free tai-chi, yoga and Pilates program offered Tuesdays and Thursdays through August (9 to 10 a.m. and 6 to 7 p.m.) at Onondaga Lake Park in Liverpool. The program is sponsored by Wegmans and the Onondaga County Department of Parks and Recreation (click on events).

The class combines breathing exercises for relaxation and meditation, yoga positions  (like tree, downward dog, forward fold, locust, cobra, etc.) and tai-chi sequences designed to improve strength, coordination and flexibility and  "broomstick ballet" and other elements of Pilates for balance.

The morning class is led by Lisa, below, and takes place on the shuffleboard court near the Griffin Visitor Center off Onondaga Lake Parkway.

The core audience appears to be mainly women between the ages of 40 and 60, but a few men attend, too. And a few women and men younger than 40 and older than 60.

It leaves me feeling energized for the rest of the day yet relaxed at the same time. And I always get a great night's sleep when my muscles are all tuckered out.

I took a weekly Pilates class when I worked at the newspaper and I loved it.

But I have to say that it's much nicer to feel the sun kiss your skin and to feel the grass on your feet and to look up at a cloudless blue sky or dramatic cloud formations and to look out over Onondaga Lake than it is to look at a drop ceiling, flourescent lights and heating and cooling vents.

 

Namaste.

Blueberry abundance: Picking, grinning and baking

Our small piece of earth in the city of Syracuse doesn't allow much room for growing food, other than herbs and some vegetables in pots. So we're lucky to have a selection of farmers markets and roadside stands selling the season's bounty in Central New York.

This has been a wet summer, but I took advantage of overcast skies Tuesday to do something I had never done before: Pick blueberries.

I headed out to Abbott Farms, on Route 370, between Liverpool and Baldwinsville, and filled a flat-full of them (about 10 pounds worth) in a couple of hours.

This is what a field of blueberry bushes looks like, in case you've never seen one. The berries grow in clusters on the bushes, and are easy to pick -- with no pesky prickers, unlike raspberries. Yes, your back will ache a bit after bending and stooping to get to them, but think about the  things you'll be able to do with those berries!

The photo above shows a combination of ripe and unripe blueberries. You want ones that are smooth and firm, with a silvery frost -- not soft ones, especially if you're not going to use them immediately.

Most of these blue-black beauties have been stowed in the fridge for Thursday's project (blueberry jam) and in the freezer for a taste of summer in the middle of the winter: in muffins, crisps, pancakes, coffeecakes, etc. I also shared some with my sister and my neighbors, and a quart of them made it into a pie.

The recipe (on Epicurious.com) for Open-Faced Blueberry Pie is a winner, originally printed in Rose Levy Beranbaum's "The Pie and Pastry Bible."  The filling is not one of those gloppy, goopy pie fillings.

A cup of berries is cooked in a half-cup of water, before adding sugar, lemon juice and a mixture of cornstarch and water. The remaining three cups of berries are folded in and not cooked, so the fresh berries you labored to pick retain their fresh character.

I'm sorry I don't have a photo of plated pie slices, topped with vanilla-infused whipped cream, to show you. But after letting the pie set for more than two hours, we just wanted to grab a fork -- not the camera. :-) 

Besides blueberries, you can also pick raspberries at Abbott Farms; call ahead to see which fields they have open on the day you want to visit.

This year, the farm is also offering U-pick tomatoes in a small hothouse off the country store, for $2.49 a pound.

Sweet! Sweet summer.

Coffee, soup and ice cream for the soul

I've driven by Cafe Kubal, at 3501 James St., in Syracuse's Eastwood neighborhood, literally hundreds of times.

It won't be long before I go back.

Maybe you've seen the sign above on the awning of the tiny storefront in the Eastwood Plaza, next to the Sacred Melody Parable Christian Store.

Inside you'll find a tiny but efficient space with five seats, a refrigerator case holding yogurt parfaits and containers of delicious Wake Robin Farm yogurts (made at a family farm in Jordan) for sale, a choice of two soups and a hummous-and-pita plate for lunch,  milkshakes, cookies and other baked goods and a long list of hot and cold coffee and tea drinks. There's also a small patio, with tables, umbrellas and seating for about 10 more people.

I planned just to treat myself to a scoop of Purity ice cream, a tasty mainstay of Ithaca's food culture that's now served at several spots in the Salt City, but ended up treating myself to a complete lunch: homemade chipotle chicken chowder served in a big cappuccino mug, plus ice cream and coffee for dessert. And not just any old coffee: Coffee roasted on-site, in a vintage roaster.

The soup was rich, thick and slightly smoky in flavor, thanks to the chipotle peppers, and loaded with chunks of chicken and potatoes. A trio of wheat pita triangles was served on the side.

A more reasonable person would have been content with the soup, which was really quite filling. But no, I had to have a scoop of Purity's Boomberry, or black raspberry ice cream studded with cherries, blueberries and strawberries. 

That's a really generous single scoop, don't you think?

 The next time I'm tempted, I'm going to do my waistline a favor and ask for the  "junior" cup.

 I don't think my soul will mind.

During ice cream season, Cafe Kubal (278-2812) is open 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Friday and 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturdays. The cafe is closed on Sundays.

If you're a fan of Purity ice cream but can't get to Ithaca any time soon, it's also being served at Funk 'n' Waffles, near Syracuse University, and at KSB Desserts, at the Regional Market Commons, on Park Street.

Got zucchini? A soup that celebrates the season

 

Zucchini is one versatile vegetable. You can steam it, saute it, stir-fry it, stuff it and bake it, slice it into long strips and make a "lasagna" with it and grate it for use in baked goods.

You can also dice it to make this quick, easy and delicious Mexican Zucchini Soup. You can make it even more fresh a few weeks from now, when locally grown corn comes to market.

The recipe is from the "Recipes I Have Known and Loved" section of "Jane Brody's Good Food Book."

If you don't have jalapeno peppers or green chiles, you can use a half teaspoon of crushed red pepper, or to taste. The recipe makes about 4 main course servings and can easily be doubled.

Enjoy!

Jane Brody's Mexican Zucchini Soup

1 small onion, chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons butter or margarine

2 cups broth (vegetable or chicken)

2 cups unpeeled diced zucchini (2 small zucchini)

1 1/2 cups corn kernels

2 tablespoons finely chopped jalapeno pepper or green chiles (or 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper, or to taste)

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup low-fat or skim milk

2 ounces Monterey Jack cheese or Pepper Jack cheese, cut into 1/4-inch cubes

Minced fresh parsley and ground nutmeg for garnish (optional)

In a large saucepan, saute the onion in the butter or margarine until it is tender, about 3 minutes.

Stir in the broth, zucchini, jalapeno/chiles/red pepper, salt and pepper. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce the heat, cover the pan and cook the soup until the zucchini is tender, about 5 minutes. Add the corn and cook about three minutes more.

Stir in the milk and heat the soup until it is hot but not boiling. Remove the soup from the heat and stir in the cheese. Garnish with parsley and nutmeg and serve. 

This week's 'field trips': Two days, two distinct markets

It's Saturday morning and the sun is out in Syracuse.

By now (9 a.m.) the Central New York Regional Market on Park Street  is awash in produce and plants, filled with the cinnamon-sugar aroma of just-fried donuts  and crowded with people.

It's always fun to grab a cup of coffee and check out the scene. But the Regional Market is also open Tuesdays (4 to 8 p.m.) and Thursdays (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.). The selection is good, and it's pleasantly uncrowded at those times.

Here's a look at what we found on Thursday:

Brilliant, beefy radishes, $1 a bunch.

Herbs for planting, including parsley, pineapple mint, chives and sweet basil.

Salt potatoes, $2.

Green squash and yellow squash, $1 to $2 for four.

On Wednesday, I finally got around to checking out the farmers market  held each week in the parking lot at Green Hills Farms Supermarket,  on South Salina Street in the Valley section of Syracuse.

The market draws four vendors each week, including Jamie Edelstein of Wyllie Fox Farm, in Cato, who offered scallions, red leaf lettuce, Swiss chard, collards and other greens.

Nothing tastes better than a salad made with freshly picked greens.

Here's a quick dressing recipe to try:

Caper-Tarragon Vinaigrette (from Gourmet magazine)

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon minced garlic

6 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon (or 1 teaspoon dried)

1 tablespoon drained bottled capers, chopped

Whisk together vinegar, mustard, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper. Gradually whisk in oil in a slow stream until emulsified, then whisk in tarragon and capers. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Field trip: DeWitt Farmers Market

A new farmers market has sprouted on Wednesdays  in DeWitt, in the outer parking lot at ShoppingTown Mall, near the former Agway building. It's held 10 a.m.  to 2 p.m. each week -- not the most convenient hours if you're working downtown.

But now that I no longer work downtown (and my work is finding new work!) I can hit it up. 

Yesterday, the DeWitt market featured the first of the season's local cherries. These beauties (Queen Anne and Bing) are just in from Wolcott, in Wayne County. A quart of them cost $5 and they are absolutely delicious. They will be making the trip to Southern Delaware with us this evening and enjoyed as part of our picnic in the car.

 The DeWitt market has about a dozen vendors, selling everything from fresh local produce to produce from other places (think 3 lemons for $1) to jams, jellies, preserves, relishes, mustards and more  by Raindrop Farms (below) to several varieties of fudge made by Adam Vural, son of my neighbor Barbara.

We have not tried any of the local pasture-raised meats offered by Drover Hill Farm, but we intend to. We've seen them at the  Regional Market, Downtown Farmers Market and now the DeWitt market. It's bound to be good and they deserve our support.

If you're like us, you probably have noticed that there is now a farmers market every day of the week in Onondaga County (except Monday, which must be a hard-earned stay-at-home day for farmers).

Sunday: Manlius; Tuesday: Downtown and Regional Market; Wednesday: DeWitt, Manlius, Marcellus Park, Bayberry Plaza in Liverpool, Green Hills on S. Salina Stret and East Side (at E. Genesee Street and Columbus Avenue);  Thursday: Regional Market,  Skaneateles market; Friday: Camillus and Solvay; Saturday: Regional Market.

We'll get to every one of them in the weeks ahead because fresh, local produce is part of what life in Central New York is all about.

Yup. Life is a bowl of cherries.