Fresh English Peas

English Peas are one of the earliest signs of Spring, and are also a really quick and easy side dish to any meal! I've never been a big fan of frozen peas, but when the girl and I saw fresh English Peas in the Whole Foods near my house, we had to grab some.

To prepare them, just shell the peas and then simply steam them for 5 minutes or so. Sprinkle with some salt and a little pepper and you have a great, simple side!

Make sure you buy a lot of peas, however - you'll be surprised how many pea pods it takes to get a serving. Trust me, you'll be sad if you don't have enough!

Meyer Lemon & Vanilla Bean Marmalade

The Meyer lemon has gained a strong following in the culinary world in the past few years, showing up on restaurant menus and in cookbooks everywhere. Why is it so popular? Mainly because of its flavor, a sweeter and less acidic version of a regular lemon's. (The Meyer lemon is actually a cross between a lemon and mandarin orange.)

Meyer Lemon at The Orangerie at Tower Hill Botanic Garden

I found some Meyer lemons in the Whole Foods Market near my house, and decided to make a Meyer lemon and vanilla bean marmalade. I tweaked an Epicurious recipe, decreasing the sugar. I also saved the seeds and put them in a cheesecloth pouch, then boiled them with the lemon/water/sugar mixture to add natural pectin to help it set.

I would definitely make this again, although I'd add some regular lemon juice to give it a bit more tartness. Unfortunately, it's the end of Meyer lemon season, so it looks like I'll have to wait until next year to try this again!

Meyer Lemon & Vanilla Bean Marmalade

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 pounds Meyer lemons
• 5 cups water
• 4 cups of sugar
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
• Cheesecloth
  

Preparation:

Working on large plate to catch juice, cut lemons in half lengthwise, then very thinly crosswise. Save seeds to be boiled with lemons later. Pack enough lemons and any juice to measure 2 1/2 cups. Transfer to large nonreactive pot. Add 5 cups water; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand uncovered overnight.

Measure lemon mixture (there should be about 5 1/2 cups). Return to same pot. Add about 4 cups of sugar. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Add seeds to a piece of cheesecloth and add to the pot. Bring to boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Attach clip-on candy thermometer. Maintaining active boil and adjusting heat to prevent boiling over, cook until temperature reaches 230°F, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Transfer to hot jars. Process jars in a water bath for 12-15 minutes. If you are not going to process in water bath, cool the mixture to room temperature and put in jars then refrigerate.

(All photos were taken by the girl, she's too good to me!)

What Counts as "Local"?

With the growing popularity of eating locally produced and sourced food, this has become an increasingly important question: what is "local"?

If you look up the word “locavore” in the Merriam Webster dictionary, the definition reads “one who eats foods grown locally whenever possible.” This doesn’t actually give a clear meaning of the maximum (or minimum) distance needed to be "local", however. The locavore movement started in San Francisco based on an idea of a 100-mile diet, meaning that the food they eat is within a 100 mile radius of where they live. Other people define local a little more loosely, though, and think it means anything that they can drive a reasonable distance to get. What is "‘reasonable" is also up for debate.

I found my favorite description in the book “The Locavore Way” by Amy Cotler. She defines local this way: “as close to home (or wherever you are) as possible, the closer the better". This really struck me as the most unpretentious and easily accessible definition of local that I’ve come across.

My personal definition of local fits along the same lines as Cotler’s. I really try to eat locally, but I eat seasonally as well. During the summer months in the Boston area, I constantly buy my fruit and vegetables from the farmer’s markets around the city. I also harvest from my own garden and, starting this year, will have a CSA share. However, eating this way is not completely possible during the winter when the markets have stopped and most produce is not in season here.

When I can’t get produce locally, I buy it from places that are as close as possible and where the food is in season. More and more, supermarkets (even big chains) are labeling where food is actually from. Whether products are from Vermont, California, or Mexico, it's nice to see their origins noted and be able to make an informed decision about where I'm getting my food.

Certain foods, however, can be hard or nearly impossible to get from a local source, such as coffee. Coffee beans will not grow in New England, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get a bit of a local touch. There are a few places in Boston, such as Flat Back Coffee Company, which roast their coffee beans in house. This keeps the beans fresher for a longer period of time.

The bottom line when it comes to the meaning of local is that it is up to you! Don’t be intimidated by the “100-mile” locavore definition, or think that if you don’t get it from your region that it can’t be considered local. Make your own rules, don’t be confined to one "definition", and enjoy eating good, fresh food, wherever local means to you!

Spring Has Sprung...

At least for a few days! I know Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, so we're supposed to have more winter. And yes, spring doesn't officially start for another 2 weeks, but with high 40's predicted for the next week or so (and the girl switching to sandals), I'm declaring that spring is here!

It was a wonderful weekend in the city - low to mid 50's, lots of sun, and a beautiful blue sky. The girl and I decided to spend the afternoon at the Arnold Arboretum in Jamaica Plain. Though I'd never been there (even though I live about 15 minutes from it), I have to say, it was nice to see a big green space in the middle of the city. While there weren't too many things in bloom yet, it was still a great afternoon. You barely knew you were in the city!

Hamamelis × intermedia 'Arnold Promise'

Strolling through the Arboretum, we saw snowdrops, pussy willows, and a few different types of witch hazel. We wandered the different paths for a couple hours, past the lilac bushes, the rose garden, and the magnolia trees by the Visitor's Center. I really can't wait to go back when everything is in bloom!

Fruit Find: Ugli Fruit

I'm always on the lookout at the grocery store for new and/or interesting fruits and vegetables. Well, I found a great one recently! It's called Ugli fruit (or Uniq fruit), and is a tangelo from Jamaica. It's a combination of a grapefruit, an orange, and a tangerine. As you can see, it certainly lives up to its name.

While it isn't the best-looking fruit I've ever seen, the flavor is absolutely amazing. It's sweet and sour at the same time, and not bitter at all - think sweet lemon. They are really juicy, and the juice actually tastes sweeter than the flesh.

If you see these at your local grocery store or specialty food store, I suggest you try one - don't let the look of it scare you!

(You can also purchase online at Melissa's Produce)

CSA Update

I wrote not too long ago about CSA programs for this upcoming summer, and I've finally chosen my CSA for 2010! I've signed up for Farmer Dave's Somerville CSA. Why did I choose this one? Mainly, I liked that Farmer Dave's has a small-sized share option. Given that the girl and I have our own vegetable garden and that we love going to the farmers' markets, I thought that a small share would be best.

I'm really looking forward to my first year of a CSA. Keep an eye out here for updates throughout the season, as I will be doing a spotlight on what I get each week with recipes and background information on the produce.

(Photo by Farmer Dave's)

Cara Cara Orange Marmalade

I was at the grocery store a couple weeks ago, and noticed a kind of orange that I had never seen before called the Cara Cara. I found out that it's a type of navel orange that's a cross between an orange and a grapefruit. This gives the flesh a similar color to a pink grapefruit, but gives the skin the look of a normal navel orange.



I decided that the color of the flesh paired with the color of the skin would make a really nice-looking marmalade! Because Cara Caras are sweeter than normal oranges and have lower acidity, I added a couple of lemons to brighten it up a bit and add a tangy flavor.



After cooking down the Cara Caras and lemons and adding sugar (though the oranges are sweet, it IS marmalade after all!), the mixture was ready for canning. Luckily, there was some marmalade leftover so I could taste it right away! I thought it turned out great. You can really taste the flavor of the Cara Caras but the lemons add a nice zing of tartness.

Cara Cara Orange Marmalade
(adapted from Martha Stewart)

Ingredients:
*6 Cara Cara oranges: 4 oranges peeled, peels cut into 1/3-inch pieces, flesh seeded and coarsely chopped; 2 oranges quartered, thinly sliced, and seeded
*2 lemons: quartered, thinly sliced, and seeded
*1 1/2 quarts cold water
*Sugar

Directions:
1) Bring fruit, peels, and water to a boil in a large saucepan. Cook for 5 minutes. Turn off heat, cover, and let cool. Refrigerate for 8 hours (or up to 1 day).

2) Freeze a plate. Uncover citrus mixture, and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook until thickest peel is tender, about 20 minutes. Measure mixture, and return to pan. For each cup of mixture, add 3/4 cup sugar.

3)Bring mixture to a boil, stirring often. Cook until mixture registers 220 degrees to 222 degrees on a candy thermometer, about 20 minutes. To test for doneness of marmalade: Drop a spoonful on frozen plate. If marmalade has a slight film when pushed with a finger, it's done. If it spreads out and thins immediately, continue cooking, and test again after a few minutes. Transfer marmalade to airtight containers, cover, and let cool at room temperature. Refrigerate overnight before serving. (Marmalade will keep, covered and refrigerated, for up to 1 month.)