Come clean. Celeriac is downright intimidating. Just what is that knobby-looking thing and how does one cook with it? Fear not, celeriac is not the province of chef menus only. Armed with a few facts and a killer recipe, you’ll want to run, not walk, to the Westport Winter Farmers’ Market this weekend to pick up the root and impress your friends and family.
Let’s start with what it is. Celeriac (Apium graveolens var. rapaceuem), is a species of celery in the family of plants that includes parsley, carrots, anise, and parsnip. Like many of its cousins, celeriac is a root vegetable that is often harvested during fall when the vegetable is sweetest. Indeed some species can remain underground throughout winter with mulch and protection; this is the reason it is often plentiful at winter farmers’ markets. While the root is most-often harvested when it is about 4 – 5 inches round, smaller bulbs can pack a more sugary punch. And the vegetable can be stored for 4 to 6 months at 32 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit once purchased.
Celeriac is delicious sliced and eaten raw but – as Chef Silvia Baldini demonstrates below
It’s been a warm autumn, and while we’ll all hope the same for the upcoming winter season, we know it just won’t last. Chilly temperatures are inevitable and let’s face it, your puffy coat, skully, and gloves may not cut it. You need something else to warm up your soul, something that will always be there for you at various bars in lower Fairfield County…Cocktails.
I recently visited my favorite bars around the county to seek out the best seasonal cocktails. While this is MY list, I did try my best to switch up the flavor profiles and the spirits used, otherwise they’d be all bourbon and whiskey based, or it would be a list of Old Fashioneds and Sazeracs. There are some clear liquors involved, as well as warm beverages and seasonal flavors such as apple, cinnamon, clove, and even carrot.
I tried my best to include every city or town up 95 from Greenwich to Westport, but that wasn’t the end result. I wanted to go further north but this “research” would’ve stretched into another season. I found that Norwalk and Westport had the most seasonal stuff going on when it comes to booze, so don’t be offended if your favorite bar in your neighborhood didn’t make it. It doesn’t mean I didn’t like it, I just simply met my quota for this list, and my liver told me to “just stop already.”
Hopefully this helps with your drinking adventures, and hopefully you have some cold weather cocktail suggestions at your most frequented haunts, because we’re all always looking to warm our souls with good libations.
Fall is the right time to get your squash on, and acorn squash is one of our favorites. Choose acorn squash that is heavy for its size, with a hard skin free of blemishes. Marcia Selden pairs this with the sweetness of a little maple vinaigrette, bringing out the flavor in the already desert-like squash. Enjoy this recipe for Acorn Squash Salad with Maple Vinaigrette.
In our ongoing hunt for the perfect Thanksgiving dessert, we sought out Chef Susanne Berne, who is, quite simply, one of the finest pastry chefs around. When she is not imagining treats for Match Restaurant, she is developing new ideas for Donut Crazy's doughnut lineup. She has shared her recipe for Ginger Cake with Poached Pears, Dark Rum Zabaglione and Cinnamon Whipped Cream. Enjoy!
It’s ‘pho’ sure that we love a big bowl of pho, especially now that it’s getting cold. You can add just about any ingredient or flavor profile you like. Our version is full of yummy fall flavors filled with roasted root vegetables and spices that pack a delicious punch. Enjoy!
October is pumpkin season and whether you are into carving or cooking with these emblems of autumn, there is no shortage of DIY recipes. A quick Pinterest search will have you drowning in drinks or challenging your creativity, but fortunately for foodies in the Westport area, we have Sue Smith, owner of Prime Health Style, to keep us grounded.
Sue’s recipe below for vegan pumpkin custard is simply divine. And what better place to pick up your pumpkins than at the Westport Farmers’ Market? Open from 10 to 2 this Thursday at 50 Imperial Avenue, stop by to pick up items for Sue’s recipe, visit with nearly 40 vendors, and stay for the chef demo and other activities (listed after Sue’s recipe).
Photo: Tami WeiserJust as the evening temps begin to cool and farmers’ markets are bursting with bright mounds of apples and pears, Jewish cooks shift their focus to preparing meals for Rosh HaShanah, the New Year celebrations. This year, the holiday begins at sunset on October 2 and ends on the eve of October 4.
There are plenty of symbolic ingredients associated with the holiday, making menu planning a fun and meaningful challenge. Seasonal ingredients (apples, pears, squashes, potatoes, zucchini) reign supreme. Flavors traditionally lean towards sweet, referencing hopes for a joyful and healthy year ahead. Symbols of plenty, like lentils, beans and pomegranates, are also included and refer to fertility and wishes for an abundance of all positive things.
Here are some recipe suggestions to get you in gear for Jewish holiday cooking.
Apples are the darlings of autumn, and this year we especially cherish them. For while peaches and nectarines and even some pears succumbed to the cruelty of a late frost, most of Connecticut’s apple crop emerged relatively unscathed. And this week Westport Farmers’ Market shoppers are in for treat: the tables of Woodland Farm and Rose’s Berry Farm will be full of this tasty harbinger of fall.
Fortunately, Elise Meyers is also right on schedule with a recipe for apple crisp you won’t want to miss. As Elise notes, “fall means apples, and apples mean apple crisp.” Her crisp recipe below is, according to Elise, “the best I have ever tried. The addition of dried cherries (or cranberries or apricots, if you prefer) makes it unique.” Savor it alone, with a scoop of Nutty Bunny vanilla frozen dessert, or fresh cream from your favorite vendor.
It's that time of year, the time when fresh sweet corn is at its best. This is the season for homemade corn chowder, and Marcia Selden makes it easy. Go swing by your local farmers' market and grab some corn.
Summer Corn Chowder with Grilled Vegetable Confetti
It might be back-to-school season, but it’s still summer at the Westport Farmers’ Market. Thirty vendors plus guests, including many favorites and a few new faces, brave every sort of weather each week to bring us the very best in fresh vegetables, cheese, meat, fruit and berries, coffee, tea, pasta, pet food, flowers, prepared foods, and artisan crafts. Before saying so-long to the kids for the season, stop by the market to stock up on fresh ingredients for hearty breakfasts and healthful lunches. Anthony Kostelis of The Whelk, offers this refreshing salad to pack in the kiddo’s box or serve at dinner.
A guy walks into a doctor’s office with a zucchini in one ear, a cucumber in the other, and a carrot stuck in his nostril. The man says, “Doc, this is awful. What’s wrong with me?” The doctor sits him down and says, “First of all, you need to start eating sensibly.”
To many at this time of year, zucchini is no laughing matter. In fact, this fruit of summer is so abundant some dare say they are sick of it. The good news is twofold: firstly, an abundance of any fruit in the Curcubita pepo family (which includes zucchini, summer squash, pumpkin, and cucumbers) is a sign of healthy bee pollination. While zucchini is easy to grow, it depends on plentiful bee activity for an abundant crop (or dedicated farmers who hand-pollinate). Assuming your favorite growers at the Westport Farmers’ Market haven’t been pollinating by hand, a bountiful crop of this summer staple means bees are happy. And when bees are happy. . .
Edible flowers are all the rage, and squash blossoms are perhaps one of the most familiar of culinary botanicals. Though tremendously popular today, serving the flowers of plants in the Cucurbit family – which includes Cucurbita pepo (zucchini, yellow squash, acorn, and pumpkin, among others) – dates at least as far back as 16th century Italy, and to Native Americans before then. Barcelona of Fairfield will bring this Mediterranean tradition to the Westport Farmers’ Market as this week’s featured chef. Don’t miss their demonstration, complete with recipe, starting at 10:15.
Squash blossoms are not the only edible flowers you’ll find at the market. Muddy Feet Flower Farm, of course, is chock full of flowers for your table and recipes, but other vendors feature flowers for your plate and palette, too. Nasturtium, lavender, calendula, thyme, dill, clover, begonia, elderberry, and even daylilies adorn dishes and recipes, from cocktails to the main course. Make this the week you gather an armful of edible flowers to try at home.
Farmers and gardeners in the Northeast sometimes lament the inability to grow plants in acidic soil. A low pH in soil affects a plant’s ability to absorb nutrients. But there is one genus of plants that thrives in acidic soil and this season, we are the better for it.
Vaccinium (pronounced vak- SIN- ee- um) – the genus that produces cranberries, lingonberries, and huckleberries – brings us an abundant crop this year of everybody’s favorite: high-bush blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum). And the folks at Rose’s Berry Farm are elated. With over 42 acres of blueberry fields in South Glastonbury, Rose’s is the largest berry producer in Connecticut. Lucky for us, they’ll bring their bounty to the Westport Farmers’ Market this week.
Blueberries are one of the most nutrient-dense foods we can eat; they boost heart, brain, and eye health and are known cancer fighters. Of course, there is practically no limit to recipes for blueberries, either. Why not simmer a simple compote of berries and maple syrup or honey to serve over Nutty Bunny frozen vanilla or chocolate dessert?
With warmer weather on its way, it's time to clean up that grill and bring on the 2016 grilling season. And really...doesn't everything taste just a little bit better on the grill? Even pizza....
If you've never made grilled pizza, you'll be amazed by how simple it is. We've gone with pea pesto, caramelized onions, herbed ricotta and meatballs for our toppings, but feel free to dream up any accompaniment you wish. Marcia Selden Catering has more great summer recipes coming soon.
Chips + guacamole go together like lime and tequila! We’ve kicked our guac up with fresh crabmeat. It’s guaranteed to be a hit at your Cinco de Mayo party. Make sure to taste it because you won’t have leftovers for this recipe. Check out the full recipes for Crabby-Cado and Plaintain Chips below.
Tuscan Kale Caesar Slaw with Garlic Bread Croutons & Parmesan Frico
Eating clean, healthy and minimally processed foods are better for you and for our environment. You’ll eat fewer chemicals and there will be less fuel used to transport packaged foods. This yummy slaw makes it easy (and delicious) to eat your greens for Earth Day and every day!
It is rumored that the saketini came into being when chef Matsuda San, arriving in Queens for the World's Fair in 1964, unveiled a primitive version of the cocktail. Craig Ventrice, mixologist for Kawa Ni in Westport uses fresh spring sugar snap peas and a hint of lemon in his recipe, giving a vibrant (and slightly addictive) twist to this classic drink. Can't make it to Westport? Craig has been kind enough to share his recipe below.
The foundation of eating ‘right’ is preparing food that will not only satisfy the parameters of a healthy diet but will also leave one feeling satisfied. A healthy diet is only as effective as the impetus to remain on said diet and the more satisfying the meal, the more likely one would be to continue the trend. So, how do we make satisfying food more ‘healthy’? The simple answer is building flavors. When you take away the reliance on sugars and fats to add richness and depth of flavor to a dish, it is important to pull flavors from more non-traditional roots.The Granola Bar in Westport (Greenwich coming soon) has some great tips for food substitutions that will enhance both the taste and health benefits of any dish.
CTbites was introduced to Pastry Chef Susanne Berne at the Community Plates fundraising event in Stamford several months ago and were incredibly impressed with her delectable desserts. After a visit to Vespa Restaurant in Westport where she oversees the dessert menu, and we indulged in more of her creative and outstanding deliciousness, we reached out and asked if she would share a recipe with our readers. She was more than happy to deliver several to our in-box. One immediately caught our eye...Fudgy Brownies. Who doesn’t like brownies, and who would not want to have an entire pan filled with them cooling in the kitchen waiting for that first bite. After tasting a batch that Chef Berne made for us, we all agreed...these are outstanding.