Happiness Is A Pizza Farm

Eating  out at a farm may not be everyone's first choice for a dinner. Add pizza and then the idea becomes intriguing and definitely appealing. It's not a new concept but it's gaining a tremendous amount of popularity, especially during this time of social distancing. It's a fun concept and a healthy one too, with the ingredients grown right there.

Regular contributor Julia Moskin, wrote about them in today's New York Times Food section.Pizza farms are mostly a Midwestern concept.It started along the Wisconsin-Iowa border two decades ago. The  credit goes to  Ted Fisher and Robbi Bannen of the A  To Z Farm in Stockholm, Wisconsin who create the first pizza farm.(sadly they shut it down due to the pandemic) Other farms started to build wood fired ovens along with studying the basics of crust, sauce and cheese. Before long they were serving pizzas on summer nights.The pies are usually the only items on the menu. They don't offer garlic knots or calzones as other pizzerias do however there is a variety of season toppings. Spring brings baby onions and red peppers while August gives zucchini, fried eggplant and red pepper. Thanks to the other ingredients such as wheat and tomatoes, the farms are also a model of sustainability. This idea is spreading to other parts of the country too. The only problem is the season ends in September. Some farms could extend the season if the weather remains warm along with having enough stores for more flour and sauce.

There are farmers who are determined to do such. The pandemic has led to blockbuster bookings and many are not deterred by falling temps. Also the farmers are also expanding their culinary skills. Many are  raising cattle for cheese and pigs for meat toppings too The popular Iowa Margherita pie at Luna Valley Farm in Decoarah Iowa has farm made Italian sausage that the owners Tom and Maren Beard made themselves along with the homemade cheese and sauce. The basil also is grown there. The only imports are the alcohol and soda which come from local makers, Many pizza farmers see themselves as activists and teachers too. There are educational sites at Katchkie Farms the Edible Schoolyard in Berkeley California and the Yale Farm at Yale University, New Haven Connecticut. They have taught not only about making pizza but also about diverse, local and sustainable agriculture. Other farms such as Amber Waves in Amangansett, New York, by the Hamptons, teaches kids the value of nutrition when they teach pie making. Kids make their dough balls and then wander out in the garden to look for fresh picked toppings. As one of the owners  , Katie Baldwin who owns the farm with Amanda Merrow, puts it "Once a cherry tomato is on a pizza it's no longer a vegetable but a topping."

Pizza farms are a great way of enjoying America's favorite food along in a fresh air environment. It's freshly picked and  hand made ingredients served in a beautiful setting. It's an idea that should catch on across the country.

Parties Separate But Apart

There are parties and gathering but they're different. We are celebrating but six feet apart. Does it work?  Sort of, for now anyway.

I recently went to a neighbor's twin granddaughters twelfth birthday party. An ice cream truck provided the treats and that was it. Everyone had the choice of whatever ice or ice cream along with going back for seconds. It was only one hundred dollars for their mom to rent plus the price of all the ice cream eaten. Neighbors were invited which was sweet and nice. There was a covered gazebo in the backyard where there was enough room for social distancing and eating. The girls had pizza earlier for their friends and saved the ice cream as the "cake. There was no Happy Birthday's sung, no games to win prizes. There were, however,  loosely clustered groups, all with masks and respecting social distancing. It seems this is common from what I heard from others.Many of their kids went to various ice cream or other food truck parties in the last months. Kids ate fun and tasty food while enjoying sorely missed company.  As for the twins' get together, neighbors caught up on gossip, masking up after they had their ice cream or ices. It worked. We all kept our distance and respected each other's new personal spaces.

Friends are also talking about socially distanced parties and get togethers. Of course, they'll be nothing grand. No one will be sharing salads and we definitely won't all be digging into one plate of dessert. We may just even bring our own prepared dishes , a kind of brown bag party. This wouldn't be a bad idea. Guests could bring their own sandwiches  and refreshments. After all it's the company not the food that matters.It's just a chance of being together and having some semblance of our former lives. If any host wants to supply food, then maybe brown bagging is the way to go. Subway and many grocery stores such as Acme have already made heroes, Serve these with individual bags of chips or sandwich bags of cherry tomatoes , broccoli and cauliflower florets and individual dip cups. Mini ice buckets filled with water and soda can be placed by chairs that are set six to seven feet apart. There should also be mini hand sanitizers and wipes too. As for dessert let people make their own s'mores. Have a little bag full of chocolate bars, graham crackers and marshmallows.

Parties are meant to be fun. In this new era, they still can be with guidelines and respect. There is still a time and a place for good food and good company,

A Light Lemony Sauce

Lightness is all important when it comes to cooking in a heat wave. It keeps food from being too heavy both in taste and on the stomach. Luckily there's a classic lemon sauce from The New York Times Food that caught my attention. It was from the great chef Pierre Franey so it's more French than Italian. I decided to give it a vegan spin.

First of all , I didn't use the recommended linguine but zucchini spirals. from Green Giant.

This is just a quick cook up in a skillet for ten to eleven minutes. Chef Franey's recipe calls for making the sauce first and adding the pasta. I did the opposite.

Lemons and lemon zest are the stars of this recipe. I zested about one tablespoon of the lemon and squeezed about half a lemon

I tried with my hasp. It didn't work I used my Mom's grater for a better result.

It was then four tablespoons of almond milk

Along with two tablespoons of Earth Balance non butter spread.

Some sea salt and a few rinds of fresh pepper were added for more flavor.

The result?

A really delicious and light dinner with an airy sauce. This would be perfect with meat or fish if you want a more substantial dish.I  will probably make this in the fall and winter too, with pasta and maybe Gardein's chicken cutlets. It was served with a fresh tomato salad which balanced it out.

This  lemon sauce is the ideal one to make during these late August heatwaves.It's cloud light and delicate. Have it with zucchini spirals for a healthier spin or pasta and meat for something a bit more filling.

Finding A Kitchen Treasure My Mom's Herb MIll

Where would we be without those dozens of kitchen gadgets that make our prepping and cooking easier and much more fun? Recently I discovered my Mom's herb grinder , a Christmas gift given a few years ago from a good friend who was family too, Eunice. She never used it, the gadget was  still in its' packaging.

It's the Microplane Company  herb mill  which finely cuts fresh herbs into perfectly shredded pieces. I don't know why my Mom never used it. It really is perfect . The company also has other mills and graters like their garlic and ginger ones that are worth looking into.

There's only two pieces and they fit puzzle like together. The fresh herbs,(I used my fresh basil) are put in the cylinder. The pestle like piece is then put inside.

It's worked like a pepper mill.

The leaves are ground with those small blades , producing perfect pieces. I wish I had used this before for my sauces because it really is a big help. I plan on using it with chives (one of my Mom's favorite herbs besides basil and fresh dill (Eunice's favorite herb which she used liberally on salmon and cucumbers). There's so much that can be made with it. I plan on making basil butter for corn and using it also on fresh rosemary for pizza.

Where would we be without our gadgets? Finding my Mom's herb mill was a godsend. It really will be used much more for a variety of different herbs.

The Fun Of Cooking For One

Single people usually get sympathetic looks when it comes to the subject of cooking. even they wonder if there's more to life than just microwave meals for one and endless take out orders. There is. Thanks to a new cookbook, cooking for one can be fun.

America's Test Kitchen  that informative PBS cooking show now has a new cookbook Cooking For One: Scaled Recipes,No-Waste Solutions and Time Saving Tips (America's Test Kitchen Publications 2020), perfect for those single home chefs. This is a brilliant book, chock full of delicious recipes that can easily be doubled for two. Cooking and even baking (yes there is baking for one!) can be exciting and fun. The book has the usual chapters on sandwiches and soups , salads and one pan dinners along with main meals. The chapter on sides shows how a side can go from a supporting player to the star with some additions.A few pages are even dedicated to fun cocktails, made with ingredients found in the fridge and pantry. What is great is, like all America's Test Kitchens books , is that its' introductory chapter  tells singular chefs what to stock up on and how much. Get a smaller skillet along with a small whisk and cutting board.There are also a couple of pages on microwave's usually a single's best friend. Listed are suggestions about using it to peel garlic(!) and how to dehydrate citrus zest. There are also recipes for fried shallots and kale chips. The book will show how to shop smarter, cutting down on items  likes meats and cheese that are usually sold in larger qualities.Leftovers are also written about along with menu plans to help reduce waste and save time.

I absolutely the recipes in this book. They are truly inspiring and fun and I plan on making many , if not all of them. I love the sides and the way they can be transformed into main dishes. There's cauliflower rice that can be easily made at home.Another plus is that every recipe has a kitchen improv section that offers suggestions about how to vary the recipe. The cauliflower rice suggests adding curry or Thai curry paste for more zing.Another yummy dish is the roasted butternut squash.I can see pairing it with the roasted carrots for a tasty healthy dinner. The main dishes are also delicious. There's skillet roasted chicken and potatoes that's reminiscent of Sunday dinners along with sheet pan sausages complete with sweet potatoes and broccoli rabe.It's served with a dollop of chive mustard butter. Sandwiches and salads are also wonderful, especially if you do have to go to the office.There is the ever popular avocado toast zinged up with red pepper flakes or feta cheese depending upon your tastes. Lamb pita sandwiches are perfect for weekend eating and easy to make. Salads include a tasty quinoa chock full of different spices and feta cheese and a warm spiced couscous salad. There are several pasta dishes that are sure to become instant favorites. The desserts are also amazing. You can make chocolate chip cookies for one - honest. However this recipe may call for several batches. There are also the tantalizing haystacks - chocolates mixed with pretzel sticks and nuts and chocolate peanut butters truffles too yummy. Of course there are mugs cakes and solo sundaes , perfect for an indulgent night in.

Cooking For One :Scaled Recipes,No-Waste Solutions And Time Saving Tips is the perfect book for those single chefs wanting good, tasty food. The recipes and advice are amazing, great for one or even two home chefs living on their own. This book means good bye to those sad microwave for one dinners and many cartons of take out.

Masking And Menus

Eating out is always a pleasure these days. It's a chance to get dressed up and sit down with friends. It's enjoying a lunch or dinner at a favorite eatery that hasn't been visited in months. There's only just one problem. Mask protocol. Do you wear it after you've been seated and order or take it off as soon as you sit?

That's the question New York Times restaurant critic, Pete Wells posed in his Critic's Notebook column in yesterday's Food section. He , himself, has an unusual one, homemade by a friend. It has shoelaces to hold it in place. This can get a bit too much as the laces have to be untied and tied every time it's worn. This can be disconcerting and uncomfortable, especially for a restaurant critic where the mask has to come off in the middle of a fine eatery..  Yet, it's what the New York Department of Health And Mental Hygiene recommends although the recommendation  doesn't have to be carried out. According to their guidelines " face coverings are not required when diners are seated but wearing a face covering as much as possible once at the table is the best way to reduce the risk of Covid-19 transmission for restaurant workers and dining companions." Mr. Wells has observed this has reached very few diners. Very few people keep their faces covered until the first plate of food or drink has arrived. Here in New Jersey, diners need only to wear a mask when going into an eatery's interior. Children under the age of two and those with medical problems (this could mean respiratory problems) don't have to wear any face coverings.

Are any of these OK? Many either take the masks off, stashing them in their pockets or wearing them around their necks like doctors. Some just push the masks down on their chin making them look like they've just seen a medieval dentist according to Mr. Wells. However restaurants sometimes give you your rolls and butter or oil before you even order. Yes, you could wait until after your ordered has been taken and the server gone, but who does? We arrive at restaurants hungry and a roll, even a slice of bread look downright good.Another thing is it is hard to talk with them on, and it is more freeing with having them off.  Afterwards, it's nice to just hang out and talk while waiting for coffee. Then there's the idea of masking up between courses.It is safer but for some an annoyance.Putting it on and off for at least three times during the meal can be irritating. Many forget, rapt in the meal or conversation.It is required and good manners to wear it if you have to use the restroom or entering or leaving the place. A better idea is taking diner's temperatures before they sit down although some can be asymptomatic.  Wearing your mask constantly could work if there are signs gently reminding people. It's hard to say how people will react however.

Should you wear your mask more at a restaurant? It does make sense and it is better for everyone. Yet will we? If we 're gently reminded , possibly

The Inequality of Craft Foods

There are many  excellent Black food crafters out there yet it's the white ones that get all the credit It's a system, like much of the food industry based on decades of racism. Will it end? Will there be equality? Hopefully there will be and soon.

 Regular contributor Kim Severson wrote this eye opening piece for today's New York Times Food section.  She interviewed Shakirah Simley who works in food policy  who also had an artesinal jam company Slow Jams. Food artesans of color have been ignored and shunned  while creating some of the country's best craft foods such as jams and pickles. Surprisingly a bucket of moldy jam started it all off.It belonged to Jessica Koslow owner of the hip Sqrl. This is a trendy breakfast cafe in Los Angeles famed for its' homemade type jams and Instagram pictures of those jams on toast with a slick of ricotta cheese. Yet this prize winning eatery got sloppy and let mold take over it's foodstuff, so much so that workers had to scrape the stuff off in layers.It infuriated Black artesans whose own jams were looked over and passed over in competitions. A few like New jersey jam maker Ashley Rouse, a jam maker who also has a  successful jam company, Trade Street Jam Company wondered how Chef Koslow got a book and all this success after a visit to LA and Sqrl.

Racism goes deeper than just jams. It seeps into every aspect of craft food making, excluding people of color along with women and the LGBTQ community . Slowly but surely it is changing thanks to Ms. Simley who is  now the director of the office of racial equality in San Francisco. She urged The Good Food Awards, held in San Francisco to waive their $78 entry fee for people of color. About twenty percent  of the entrants identified as Black. Only one of the fifty-five companies entering the preserves category is black owned. There's a new equity task force  set up by the Good Food Foundation to examine how to make its' premier competition for cheesemakers, beekeepers and other provisioners less white.The organization is rethinking the very natures of its' rules and categories. For example the rules require that ingredients be seasonal, local and preferably organic. This may disqualify a brilliant Jamaican hot sauce maker in the Bronx that gets his or her peppers at a corner produce store.  

People will be surprised that there are Black food artsesans. Yet they should be more surprised at the inequalities they face, from funding to food competitions. Will it change. Hopefully soon.