Literally Local... Online

A customer just introduced us to an online publication called Literally Local and we wanted to share. The e-zine says it mission is "celebrating foods grown and raised within a 200 mile radius of Pensacola and the restaurants, chefs and local businesses who use and sell them." 

This part of Baldwin County falls into that radius, and the publication features some of our favorite purveyors like Sweet Home Farm, Fiddler Farms, and more! The content is fun the images are beautiful. Worth a look...

Butter

We've made butter a number of times at the Windmill and thought we'd share the pics! When locally made butter is in short supply, what is there to do but make your own? And who knew how easy it was! No more churning a big wooden stick for hours until your arms fall off. All you need is an electric stand mixer and some good heavy cream.

We start the mixer on high, whipping our cream for several minutes, and end up with some delicious looking whipped cream...

And we make a huge mess in the process...

A few minutes more on high and it starts to look like butter. Still too chunky and way too much moisture in it, though... keep going.

Now we have buter. Strain out all the liquid.

Flavor it, salt it, do what you like to it and then seal in an airtight container and refrigerate! 

It won't last long... especially when you have some of Sweet Olive's fresh baked bread on hand. I recommend the Cracked Wheat or Multigrain, lightly toasted, and topped with some of the Cinnamon Honey Butter we made this week! Or try your hand at it!

Recipe Files

April 30th

Chilled Cantaloupe Soup with Tarragon Syrup

Grilled Peaches with Prosciutto

Arugula, Potato, and Green Bean Salad with Creamy Walnut Dressing

Grilled Shrimp and Summer Squash

Summer Squash Gratin

Eggy Grits Soufflé

Recipe Files

April 23rd

Zucchini “Pasta” with Mint Pesto

Baked Chicken Parmesan

Pecan Catfish with Banana Pepper Sauce

Fish Tacos with Strawberry Salsa

Kale and White Bean Soup

Spring Greens with Soppressata and Grapefruit

Recipe Files

April 16th

Green Bean and Yellow Tomato Salad with Mint   

Baked Chicken with Vidalia Onion Sauce

Sweet and Sour Vidalia Onions

Grilled New Potatoes with a Red Pepper Crust

Grilled English Peas Recipe

   Grilled Apples With Herbes De Provence and Micro Greens   

Recipe Files

April 9th

Baby Potato Salad with Peas, Mint & Ricotta

Homemade Ricotta

Green Machine Smoothie

Skillet Potatoes with Greens

Broiled Grapefruit

Mushroom Bread Pudding

Smoked Sausage, Kale and Potato Soup

Cheddar, Vegetable and Sausage Strata

Recipe Files

April 2nd

Fresh Pea Hummus

Poached Chicken with Tarragon Sauce and Peas

Roasted Radishes and Greens

Grilled Chicken with Mint and Radish Salad

Creamy Broccoli-White Bean Soup

Couscous Salad with Broccoli and Raisins

Beef, Black Bean, and Corn Nachos

Mushroom and Black Bean Burritos

Recipe Files

March 26th

Tomato And Mozzarella Salad With Microgreens

Fresh Ahi Tuna Sticks Over Micro Greens

Kumquat Salsa Recipe

Lemon Zest Spinach

.

Baked Eggs with Spinach and Cream

Strawberries with Lemon and Mint

Avocados with Strawberry Salsa and Crispy Tortilla Strips

Recipe Files

March 19th

Mashed Rutabagas 

Avocado, Beet, and Orange Salad

Peanut-Crusted Trout with Pineapple Cilantro Relish

Turkish Lamb Pitas with Tomato Sauce

Lamb Pizza

Strawberries and Vanilla Syrup

Balsamic-Glazed Chickpeas and Mustard Greens

Recipe Files

March 12th

Collard Greens and White Beans Quesadilla

Chicken, Collard Greens, and Sweet Potato Stew

Green Bean, Corn, and Tomato Salad

Quinoa and Green Bean Salad Recipe

Green Poblano Rice (Arroz Verde al Poblano)

Poblano Chile and Pumpkin Seed Stuffing

Recipe Files

It's been awhile since we've posted our Produce Club recipes, so try out some of our old favorites

March 5th

Fish, Squash, Tomatoes, and Olives

Easy Strawberry Jam

Moroccan Carrot Salad

Sauteed Kale

Tuscan Kale Chips

Rice with Kale and Tomatoes

Recipe Files

This week's recipe files from the Windmill Market's Produce Club for May 7 include the following:

Emeril’s Kicked Up Kale Soup

No-Bake Fresh Fruit Pie

Carrots and Leeks

Shaved Summer Squash Salad

Eggplants Stuffed with Lamb, Rice, and Currants

GREEK MEAT PIE  

Smoked-Sardine Brandade

Michihili - Oh My!

What in the world is michihili cabbage? What we thought was going to be regular chinese cabbage (the nice crisp, tight heads of crinkly cabbage we see at big box grocery stores) for our Produce Club this week turned out to be a softer, loose leaf cabbage more resembling a thick lettuce or greens. So of course all our cole slaw recipes flew out the window and we were left scratching our heads about what to do next!

The farmers tell us it can be eaten raw mixed with lettuce in a salad, or used in any way you would use collards or kale: stir a handful of chopped leaves into a bean or vegetable stew, use with eggs for a frittata or quiche, or just boil with some sausage or ham and served as a side dish!

On the blog written by JWS Farm, who grows michihili, we found a bit more info worth sharing. See below.

Michihili (mi-CHE-he-lee) – Chinese Cabbage
When we first planted the seeds for this variety of Chinese Cabbage, we were expecting small, oval ’bok choy’ sized heads… but we soon realized we were in for a BIG surprise!

This tall Asian green has coarse, dense, narrow leaves with a deeper green outer color and lighter green interior with wide, flat white ribs. A quick internet search revealed that it can be used for fresh, raw salads or braised/stir fried as a cooking green.

It was very good stir fried , with a little olive oil, some onion, and soy sauce to taste. Quick, healthy & delicious… BUT we still had quite a bit more in the fridge & began looking for a way to use this gigantic veggie at least a pound at a time… so, with the change in weather, we started thinking SOUP!
The recipe below can easily be adjusted down, using 2-3 leaves of michihili cabbage (or a smaller head of cabbage, such as bok choy or napa cabbage) and 1/2 the amount of the rest of the ingredients, incase you don’t have a large enough soup pot. When we made it, we used ground turkey for the “meat”, but next time we are going to try some ground pork or pork sausage, which we expect will have even more flavor. If you are vegetarian, you can leave the meat out and add an egg or two, if you are not vegan.

CHINESE CABBAGE SOUP
1/2 onion diced
1 lb. ground meat
2 Tablespoons sake
10 cups water
3 Tablespoons chicken stock
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 lb. Chinese cabbage chopped finely
2 teaspoons sesame oil
dash of white pepper
pinch of salt or more soy sauce (optional – season to taste)

In a pot, pour some cooking oil, (use whatever you normally use – we use olive oil and it doesn’t affect the taste) and saute the onion until golden brown. Add the ground meat and brown.
Add the sake and the water. Bring it to a boil and then add the chicken stock and soy sauce. Add the chopped Chinese cabbage, sesame oil and finally, the white pepper. Simmer until cabbage is done.
Onced served, you may find it needs a little bit of salt or more soy sauce, (but taste first, because most chicken stock and soy sauce have a pretty high sodium content.) Season to taste and enjoy!

Radish Recipe Ideas

Radishes are an ever-present addition to salads and slaws, but usually thinly sliced and in small quantities. Radishes never seem to be the center of attention! We just got a delivery of some gorgeous, locally-grown radishes (pictured above in our cooler) that deserve to be the main attraction on the plate, and we wanted to share a few recipe ideas to help you get going!

Thanks to Timo Perez, the Baldwin County farmer who grew these beauties for us!

Roasted Radishes with Brown Butter, Lemon, and Radish Tops

Bon Appétit  | April 2011

by Tasha de Serio

Brief high-heat roasting mellows a radish's peppery flavor and turns it into a whole new root vegetable. Using the green radish tops adds color and amps up the radish flavor. Be sure to rinse the green tops thoroughly before using them. This would be a great side dish for roasted pork loin or leg of lamb.

2 bunches medium radishes (such as red, pink, and purple; about 20)

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

Coarse kosher salt

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 450°F. Brush large heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet with olive oil. Cut off all but 1/2 inch of green radish tops; reserve trimmed tops and rinse them well, checking for grit. Coarsely chop radish tops and set aside. Cut radishes lengthwise in half and place in medium bowl. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil and toss thoroughly to coat. Place radishes, cut side down, on prepared baking sheet; sprinkle lightly with coarse salt. Roast until radishes are crisp-tender, stirring occasionally, about 18 minutes. Season to taste with more coarse kosher salt, if desired.

medium-high heat. Add pinch of coarse kosher salt to skillet and cook until butter browns, swirling skillet frequently to keep butter solids from burning, about 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and stir in fresh lemon juice.

Transfer roasted radishes to warmed shallow serving bowl and drizzle brown butter over. Sprinkle with chopped radish tops and serve.

Radishes with Butter and Salt

2004, Barefoot in Paris, All Rights Reserved

2 bunches radishes with the tops intact

Sea salt

Good salted butter or Herbed Butter, recipe follows

1 French baguette, sliced diagonally, and lightly toasted

Arrange the radishes on a bed of sea salt. Spread the butter on slices of toasted bread and arrange artfully on a platter. Serve at room temperature.

Herbed Butter:

1/4 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 teaspoons minced scallions

1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh dill

1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley leaves

1/2 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Pinch freshly ground black pepper

Combine all the ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on low speed until combined. Do not whip.

Orange, Radish, and Mint Salad

2006, Ellie Krieger, All Rights Reserved

4 navel oranges

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

8 radishes, halved and thinly sliced

1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, torn

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Cut the top and bottom off of each orange. Stand the orange on 1 end on a cutting board and, following the curve of the fruit, cut away the skin and pith of the orange. Cut each orange section out of its pith.

In a medium bowl toss together the orange sections, onion, radishes, and mint leaves. Drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper.

 And a recipe we featured to our Produce Club back in the Spring that we wanted to share again!

Mediterranean Farro Salad

Farro, an ancient grain, is available in Italian groceries, health-food stores and most well-stocked markets. If you cannot find farro, you can use bulgur instead. Place 1 cup bulgur in a large heatproof bowl and pour in 2 cups boiling water. Let stand for 30 minutes, then fluff with a fork.

1 cup farro

Juice of 2 lemons

1/4 tsp. salt

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

1/4 cup olive oil

8 radishes, thinly sliced

1/2 English (hothouse) cucumber, peeled,

  halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

1/3 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves,

  finely chopped

6 oz. baby spinach

5 oz. feta cheese, crumbled

In a saucepan over high heat, combine the farro and 2 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until the grains are plump and tender to the bite, about 30 minutes. Remove from the heat, uncover and let cool slightly. (The farro can be prepared up to 1 day in advance and stored in the refrigerator.)

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, salt and a pinch of pepper. Gradually whisk in the olive oil until smooth. 

Add the radishes, cucumber, mint and farro to the vinaigrette and toss to coat evenly. Gently toss in the spinach and feta and serve. Serves 4

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Food Made Fast Series, Salad, by Brigit L. Binns (Oxmoor House, 2007).