Next theme: In honor of the Gulf of Mexico

The next DCBitchinKitchen will be at Laura's house and will be in honor of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. I thought this a fitting theme given that every day I go to work, I'm pushing for policy to make our environment that much cleaner and safer and we have all been witness to what will likely be the biggest environmental disaster of our time. Also, I'm such a stranger to southern food, let alone food from Louisiana. I think this link gives good background about what shaped the style of cooking in Louisiana and will be helpful when picking out recipes. Maybe we should invite Paula Deen?

Alright, see ya'll on August 10th!

Alyssa's Inspiration Behind the Theme "Farmer's Market"

For our friend Pete’s going away dinner a group of us went to Sidra Forman’s house and had a delicious locally-sourced wine-paired multi-course meal. Sidra puts so much love and effort into her dishes and uses fresh ingredients found at our many local DC farmers markets to inspire her menu. Her food and passion were inspiring and I hoped that we would capture some of that. I think we did quite well.

DCBitchinKitchen ladies @ Alyssa's Place

Farmer's Market: Peach & Blackberry Crisp from Terri

Recipe
2 pounds firm, ripe peaches—halved, pitted and cut into 1/2-inch wedges
2 cups fresh blackberries
½ cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 cup quick-cooking oats
¾ cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup light brown sugar
½ tsp kosher salt
½ tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 stick plus 1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter, cubed

Preheat the oven to 375°.
In a large bowl, gently toss the peaches and blackberries with the granulated sugar and lemon juice. Transfer the fruit to an 8-by-11-inch baking dish.
In a medium bowl, toss the oats with the flour, brown sugar, salt, cinnamonm and nutmeg.
Using your fingertips, mix in the butter until the topping is crumbly.
Sprinkle the topping over the fruit and bake for 1 hour, or until the top is golden brown and the fruit is bubbling.
Let the crisp cool for at least 30 minutes before serving.

The crisp can be refrigerated overnight.
Bring to room temperature or reheat in the oven before serving.
Serve with vanilla ice cream or lightly sweetened whipped cream.
Adapted from Food & Wine Magazine

Farmer's Market: Chappellet Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Signature 2006 from Alyssa

94 Points Wine Spectator
From its cocoa and coffee layers to its fresh herb notes and voluptuous fruit flavors, this wine displays a balanced and graceful expression of mountain-grown Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine’s dark plum and sweet fruit core is supported by vibrant, bright cherry aromatics, well‐structured tannins, spicy oak and an earthy minerality.

Buena Vista 2006 Carneros Pinot Noir (no picture)
88 points Wine Spectator
The 2006 Pinot Noir Carneros has aromas of bright bing cherry, fresh ground nutmeg and earthy wild mushroom. In the mouth the wine shows intense bright blackberry and plum fruit with undertones of sweet mocha and clove. This is a wine of great depth with the long, supple finish considered a hallmark of Carneros Pinot Noir.

Farmer's Market: Fileno al Mirtilio/Blueberry Steak Sauce from Alyssa

Recipe
3 tbsp. butter or margarine
2 small shallots (or 1 medium), finely chopped
2 tbsp. flour
¼ cup sherry vinegar
¼ cup ketchup
3 tbsp. dijon mustard
¼ cup orange juice
¼ cup molasses
½ tsp. dried thyme
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
¼ tsp. dried sage, crumbled
salt & ground pepper to taste

Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and sauté 3-4 minutes, until shallots are translucent, but not browned.
Sprinkle in flour, stir to blend and cook, stirring constantly until the mixture begins to bubble.
Add - vinegar, ketchup, mustard, orange juice, molasses, thyme and sage and stir to combine.
Add blueberries and stir to combine.
Increasing head to medium-high, bring to a boil.
Reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring often for about 15 minutes until the mixture is thickened and glossy.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Cool then transfer the mixture to a food processor or blender and puree for 30-40 seconds until very smooth.
Based on original dish from Acqua al Due in Florence

Farmer's Market: Polenta Pie with Sauteed Veggies from Lauren

From the Kitchen of Moosewood Cafe

Farmer's Market: Avocado Stuffed Mushrooms from Clare

Recipe
1 large Portabella mushroom
1 whole avocado
¼ cup onion, diced
1 tomato, diced
1/8 tsp salt
Bragg Liquid Aminos (but I use soy sauce 'cause I don't have this)

Wash and de-stem mushroom and place side up on plate.
Mash the avocado, onions, tomatoes and salt and place in the mushroom cap.
Pour Bragg or soy sauce over the top of the mushroom to marinate.
Eat as is or top with diced tomato, black olives and sprouts.
From the kitchen of Mrs. Sparber

Farmer's Market: Cold Dill Beet Salad

Recipe
5 whole raw beets
Fresh dill
Olive oil
salt
Creamy stinky cheese


Clean beets, removes leaves (these can be sauteed like spinach) bring to a boil then simmer until semi-soft with the poke of a fork. Rub off skin while beets are warm. Dice. Add dill, olive oil, salt, and creamy, stinky cheese.
From Laura Lightbody's brain

Farmer's Market: Summer Lettuce Salad with Marinated Potatoes and Green Beans from Emily

Recipe
Salad
1 pound green beans (can be replaced for roasted asparagus when in season)
1 quart redskin potatoes
10 ounces mixed spring lettuces
1 large radish or a couple small radishes
One block of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, shaved into curls with a vegetable peeler
Marinade
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Dressing
1/8 cup fresh lemon juice
1/8 cup white wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Wash and quarter potatoes.
Drop potatoes into boiling water for 10 minutes or until soft.
Steam green beans.
Combine marinade ingredients and whisk.
Mix cooked green beans and potatoes in the marinade. Let marinate in the refrigerator (the longer the better - over night is best).
Slice radishes into thin circles.
Combine lettuce, radishes, potatoes and green beans.
Shave Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese into curls on top of salad.
In a separate bowl, combine dressing ingredients and whisk until salt and sugar dissolve.
Drizzle dressing over salad to your liking.
Serve and enjoy!
From the kitchen of Emily Flynn

First BitchinKitchen Farmer's Market Style!

Farmer's Market: Sopressata Crostini from Laura

Recipe

Recipe
Whole wheat baguette sliced 1/2 inch thick
Fennel and Citrus Sopressata from Red Apron Butcher (can be found @ Dupont and Chinatown farmers market)
Soft stinky cheese (trying to track the specific cheese down cause it was soo good)
Olive oil

Preheat the oven to 300
Cut the baguette into slices. Lay flat on a cooking sheet. Sprinkle each with a small amount of olive oil and salt.
Roll the sopressata around a half teaspoon of cheese and place on the baguette.
Place in the oven for about 10 minutes or until crostini is crisp and cheese is melted

Farmer's Market: Blueberry Lime Basil Bellini from Laura

Sorry guys, I don't have the recipe. Plus I think this drink was terrible. It was too acidic. I got it from the back of a basil package. I will get better about writing recipes down, I usually just cook off the top of my head!