Farm2Chef'sTable

10 Reasons to do your own Herb Garden

By: Nicholas Leiss October 18, 2020October 19, 2020

I look forward to cooking with herbs all year long because many dishes are packed with pinches or even handfuls of fresh herbs that perk things up a bit. With a little bit of proper planning in the spring time, you can have a bountiful variety of herbs right at your fingertips. Not to forget,…

Tomatoes

By: Nicholas Leiss October 15, 2020

Summer Vegetables, TomatoesHeirloom, Hybrid, TomatoesLeave a Comment

You say tomato, I say tomato Is a tomato a fruit or vegetable? Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in fruit salad. I disagree with that old adage, slightly. Tomatoes are delicious with watermelon, one of my favorite unexpected food pairings. Tomatoes are so versatile that they can…

Eggplant

By: Nicholas Leiss October 11, 2020

Eggplant1 Comment

Skinny, large, tiny, fat, round, long, squat, purple, green, white, orange — Yep, we’re talking about eggplant. This member of the nightshade family not only comes in all shapes, sizes and colors, but is also very tasty and enjoyed the world over. We are fortunate to have local farmers growing delicious eggplant right here in…

Summer Squash

By: Nicholas Leiss October 7, 2020

Summer Squash, Summer Vegetables1 Comment

Squash comes from the Narragansett-Native American word askutasquash, which means “eaten raw or uncooked”. Mic drop. That pretty much sums up why summer squash is so great. But squash is also great for zucchini bread to pumpkin pie. What’s not to love about squash? The squash family is huge. It includes everything from giant pumpkins,…

Peppers

By: Nicholas Leiss October 5, 2020

Peppers, Shisito Peppers, Summer VegetablesBell Peppers, Dried Peppers, Jalapeno, Mild, Peppers, Spicy1 Comment

Red Hot Chili Peppers are more than just a band, they’re a vegetable. While we’re talking about red hot chili peppers, we might as well discuss the 50,000 other kinds of peppers. Besides a vast array of colors and shapes, there’s another reward from peppers: They’re delicious. Let’s narrow it down to a few of…

Cherry Glaze Quail with Grilled Radicchio & Grains of Paradise

By: Nicholas Leiss September 29, 2020

Cherries, Game Birds, Grains of Paradise, Grilled Radicchio, Grilled Vegetables, Preserves, Quail, SpicesGrains of Paradise, Grilling, Late Summer, Quail, RadicchioLeave a Comment

Cherries signal that summer is officially in full swing! I try to use cherries as much as possible before cherry season ends. One way of preserving cherries is to turn them into a glaze. The traditional method of glazing cherries is called a gastrique, which is a sweet and sour sauce. I’ve been a sucker…

Chanterelles on Toast with Corn Pudding & Goat Cheese

By: Nicholas Leiss September 21, 2020

Autumn Vegetables, Bread, Cheese, Corn, Goat Cheese, MushroomsChanterelles, Corn, Goat Cheese, Mushrooms, SourdoughLeave a Comment

Chanterelles and corn are kindred spirits. I fully believe in their affinity because they reach peak season at the same time. Chanterelles have a natural, earthy sweetness that is quite similar to corn. In this recipe, we’ll nestle sautéed chanterelles onto grilled sourdough bread from Bread Alone Bakery that is bathed in corn pudding made…

Grilled Squid with Fennel, Blistered Shishito Escabeche, Chorizo Vinaigrette & Marjoram

By: Nicholas Leiss September 9, 2020September 9, 2020

Charcuterie, Fennel, Grilling, Herbs, Shisito Peppers, Spices, Squid, Summer VegetablesCalamari, Chorizo, Escabeche, Shisito Peppers, Squid2 Comments

I love the idea of eating a meal that’s both warm and cold on a hot summer day. Warm grilled squid with crisp, cold shaved fennel and blistered shishito peppers that have been swimming in sherry vinaigrette for a couple days is always a good idea. Chorizo vinaigrette ties everything together. Marjoram, one of the most…

Chanterelles

By: Nicholas Leiss September 7, 2020September 7, 2020

Autumn Vegetables, Chanterelles, MushroomsChanterelles, Foraging, Meet Your FarmerLeave a Comment

Riddle me this! What is tasty, golden and springs to life in the drab forest? Chanterelles! Of all the mushrooms to forage during summer and fall in the Hudson Valley, chanterelles are among the most prized jewels in the woods. Their magical appeal is enjoyed the world over for many reasons. They have a great…

Caponata Salad with Castelvetrano Olives, Crispy Capers, Pine Nuts & Agro Dolce Raisins

Being Sicilian, I naturally love the flavors of a traditional sweet and sour eggplant stew combined with tomatoes, onion, capers, olives, pine nuts and raisins. In this recipe, I wanted to take that idea, spruce it up a bit, refresh its appearance…and quite frankly, spend less time cooking. This dish is a quintessential combination of…