by Anne Maxfield on July 22, 2011
The Accidental Locavore loves harissa, a spicy North African condiment, usually red, so when I saw this recipe in bon appétit for a green version, I had to try it. I used it to make merguez, but if you’re not into making sausage, use it for lamb or chicken. It would probably work really well on zucchini too. Makes ½ cup and adapted from bon appétit:
- 1 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped ( I probably used 1 ½ cups because I love cilantro)
- 1 cup spinach, roughly chopped
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 jalapeno or serrano chile, seeded
- ¼ teaspoon ground coriander
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ cup olive oil
- Kosher salt to taste
Combine all ingredients except salt in a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Add salt to taste and check seasonings for taste. If it’s too spicy, add more spinach, cilantro and a little more olive oil. Serve and enjoy.
by Anne Maxfield on June 27, 2011
The Accidental Locavore sometimes has leftover buttermilk from making biscuits and unlike my mother, drinking it, is not for me. However, crème fraiche is the answer and it couldn’t be easier. Makes a cup.
- 2 tablespoons buttermilk
- 1 cup of heavy (whipping) cream
Mix the buttermilk and cream in a glass container. Cover and let it stand at room temperature for 8-24 hours until very thick. Refrigerate. It will keep (and get a bit thicker) in the refrigerator for up to 10 days. Serve and enjoy.
by Anne Maxfield on November 1, 2010
DIY bacon? Why not? Before there were supermarkets, and things came in packages, people made them themselves. Most of them weren’t terribly difficult to make, they just took time. Time to cure, pickle, ferment, age, and transform. For the next few months while New York is in the midst of winter, and the farmer’s markets become scarce, the Accidental Locavore is going to explore what I’m calling “Out of the Box”. I’ll show you how to make many things we just assume come in packages. You’ll learn how simple they are to prepare, and how much better they taste. Local products will be used whenever possible, and there will be how-to videos.
Some of the things we’re going to be tackling, in no particular order, are:
- Mayonnaise
- Mustard
- Ketchup
- Sriracha hot sauce
- Worchester sauce
- Bacon
- Panchetta
- Chorizo
- Ricotta (and gnocchi)
- Granola
- Ice Cream
- Salad Dressing
- Yogurt
- Creme fraiche
- Harissa
- Vanilla extract
- Marshmallows
If you have experience with any of these, please let me know what worked, what didn’t, and what’s become part of your regular repertoire. What would you like to see out of the box?
by Anne Maxfield on October 22, 2010
As part of the most recent baskets, the Accidental Locavore had a lot of beans, both green and wax. Since it was a little cold for a Salad Nicoise, and I was in a pickling mood, I put up the beans with a recipe from an earlier Food and Wine. The recipe is really easy, no cooking involved, and you don’t need any canning equipment, just some one pint jars. It’s also a good way to take advantage of the last of the dill and tarragon in the garden. The recipe says the beans are good after 24 hours, however they weren’t. Be patient and give them a week for the flavors to develop.
For 4 pint jars of beans:
- 4 pint jars (run them through the dishwasher to prep them)
- 1 1/2 pounds of beans (I made 1 jar of wax, and 2 of green, you can also mix them)
- 8 cloves of garlic, cut in half (4 halves for each jar)
- 8 sprigs of dill (two for each jar)
- 4 tarragon sprigs (one for each jar)
- 4 teaspoons black peppercorns (one for each jar)
- 4 teaspoons horseradish (one for each jar) (loving heat, I used the hot horseradish)
- 1 1/2 cups white vinegar
- 1/4 cup kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 2 1/2 cups water
Trim the stem ends of the beans so they fit in the jars. Pack them into the jars, tip side down. Each jar also gets two sprigs of dill, one sprig of tarragon, 4 garlic halves, a teaspoon of peppercorns, and a teaspoon of horseradish. In a large jar, or mixing bowl (I used a very large measuring cup), combine the vinegar, salt and sugar. Shake or stir until the sugar and salt is fully dissolved. Add the water, and mix. Pour over the jars until they are completely full. The beans need to be completely submerged. Cover and refrigerate. You can eat them after a day in the fridge, but give them a week, and you’ll be glad you did. They should keep in the fridge for 3 months. Enjoy!
