It's "Pie Plant" Season: Rhubarb

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 Hello again folks!

It's a vegetable? It's a fruit? who really cares!? We say it's toothsome and a bargain. These green-to-ruby red stalks were officially declared a fruit by a New York court in 1946 to reduce taxes. As everybody we believe they make the perfect filling for pies, but they also work well pickled, in a chutney, in a jam, or simply raw in a salad. Rhubarb's tart and refreshing flavor make an ideal pairing with sweet strawberries, also in season.

We think rhubarb is an awesome ingredient here at Brooklyn Edible Social Club. Check our spring menus and you will find it in every one. Here is a recipe from us:


BKESC Rhubarb Jam

Ingredients: 

- 2 1/4 pounds Rhubarb

Wilklow Orchards - Highland, NY

- 4 1/2 cups Raw Cane Sugar

- 2 tsp Pectin 

- 7 tbsp Apricot Stomp

Red Jacket Orchards - Geneva, NY

How to make it:

Mix together the sugar and the pectin then clean and trim the rhubarb. Cut into 1 inch chunks. Pour a layer of the sugar mixture into the bottom of a preserving pan, then add a layer of rhubarb. Repeat, continuing until all the sugar and rhubarb is used, finishing with a layer of sugar. Pour the apricot stomp over the top. Cover and let stand overnight. This step draws the juices from the rhubarb, and the resulting syrup helps keep the rhubarb chunks whole when boiled.

Gently bring the mixture to a boil, stirring carefully without crushing the rhubarb pieces. Boil rapidly for 5 to 6 minutes, then simmer until reaching 220 degrees F.

Remove from the heat and let rest for 5 minutes...done. Toast time!

Look at the Greenmarket for thin, red, crisp stalks from the folks at Wilklow Orchards from Highland, NY, Bradley Farm from New Paltz, NY or Phillips Farms from Milford, NJ. For Apricot Stomp check with our buddies of Red Jacket Orchards from Geneva, NY .

Spring's First Edible Patches of Green: Ramps

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Hey There Folks,

Let's talk about the first wild green vegetable of Spring, now making its appearance in the woods and at the markets: Allium Tricoccum A.K.A Ramp, Wild Leek, Ramson or Ail Des Bois. It's recently earned a huge popularity among Greenmarket foragers, becoming the uncontested star of this early part of the season. Its intense flavor reminds us onion and strong garlic and it's great charred, roasted, or pickled. If you want to experience these wonderful treats you'd better hurry! Ramps' really short season is only 3 to 5 weeks long, starting now. 

Of course we'll be featuring this spring jewel in many dishes in our early season menus at Brooklyn Edible Social Club.

Where to find them if you are not foraging out in the Catskills? Try our pals
Wilklow Orchards from Highland, NY  or the no less fantastic Bradley Farm
from New Paltz, NY at the Greenmarket... Good luck in your quest!

Fatty But Wholesome: Boston Mackerel

  













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Hi Folks,

This amazing fish, a relative of the tuna, is known by many to be bait rather than a delicious supper. Humble—but appealing—mackerel has collected some respect and culinary fans in recent times thanks to its affordable price and its newly embraced super-food status as a sustainably-caught little fish that’s as rich in flavor as it is in nourishing omega-3 oils. Peak season? These migratory fish splash around our waters from November through May. But don't worry you can find "as-good-as" Spanish Mackerel from July through September.

We include them often in our menus at Brooklyn Edible Social Club because of its versatile and full-flavored nature. It works well smoked, pickled, cured, roasted, poached, pan-seared, and even raw.

Look for them at Blue Moon Fish, our hands-down favorite fishmonger from Mattituck, NY, at New York City's Greenmarkets. We bet you can taste the fresh brine from the ocean, along with the love Alex and Steph put into their hard work on their boat, "The Blue Moon".

Stinky Pleasure: Cato Corner's Black Ledge Blue Cheese

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Hello Folks,

Cato Corner Farm is by far one of our favorites. This small local creamery, located in Colchester, CT, is run by a mother-and-son team working in tandem. Their superb farmstead cheeses are made with raw milk from a happy herd of mostly Jersey cows that wander the land pasturing grasses. We've planned a field trip to this lovely farm in spring, so we will be writing more about them in future posts.

But what brings us here today is to talk about their award-winning BLACK LEDGE BLUE. Aged 2-to-5 months, this natural rind blue cheese has a beautiful yellow coloration speckled with tones of blue. The fairly creamy texture and medium strong flavor has a rich, delicate and earthy finish, giving it a distinctive but approachable taste.

We're so in love with this blue because of its richness and versatility that we constantly use it in our Brooklyn Edible Social Club's winter menus to enhance and balance the flavor profile of several dishes.

You can find Cato Corner Farm at a few Greenmarkets around the city so we encourage you to sample their awesome cheeses... and remember to try the Black Ledge Blue, of course!

   

Good Morning: Our Homemade Granola

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Hey Folks,

We've been giving away our home-baked granola to guests at the end of our suppers so they can savor a little extra bite of Brooklyn Edible Social Club the next morning with their breakfast. 

We love the salty and herbal tones from the olive oil and sel gris balancing the smoky sweetness from the maple syrup and tart hints from the sun-dried blueberries. Simple flavors that combine perfectly to create a more complex but easy complement for fresh Ronnybrook's yogurt.

We're proud to showcase ingredients from awesome New York state's small farms like Cayuga pure organics, Van Glad Brothers & Dancing Ewe in this granola. You guys should try them in your next visit to the Greenmarket.

Now, here is the recipe for our granola. Hope you enjoy a good morning, early birds!

Ingredients:

- 7 cups Rolled Grain Cereal (Oats, Rye, Barley, Wheat) Or Just Rolled Oats

Cayuga Pure Organics Farm, Brooktondale, NY

- 1 cup Wood Homestead Maple Syrup "Grade A - Dark Amber"

Van Glad Brothers Farm, Stamford, NY

- 1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Dancing Ewe Farm, Granville, NY

- 1 1/2 tsp Sel Gris Or Other Coarse Sea Salt

- 2 cups Unsalted Sliced Almonds

- 1 1/2 cups Sun-Dried Wild Blueberries

How to make it:

Preheat your oven to 325 F degrees, meanwhile in a large bowl mix well with your hands the cereal, salt, olive oil and maple syrup.  Put the mix in a baking pan.

Bake until golden, then gently turn and bake again for about 5 more minutes. Remove from the oven and add the blueberries and almonds, mix again. Let cool down...easy like that!