In Your Delivery This Week: The (shelled) Black Eyed Peas

We've got a feeling (woo-hoo)...That some members are going to receive some beautiful local and already shelled black eyed peas in their delivery this week. They taste wonderful cooked in the most basic of ways, however if you want a little different take on it, why not try our suggested recipe below for "Acareje" - a popular street food in Brazil (essentially black eyed peas and shrimp fritters).

Also, you will receive some gorgeous South Georgia peaches this week and they will, if ripened appropriately, taste just right however prepared. If you are looking for something different, however, why not try them hot and grilled on a cold spring salad?

Happy cooking and happy eating!

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Acarajé are a popular street food snack in Brazil, especially at the beach. Black-eyed peas, seasoned with ground dried shrimp and onions, are shaped into balls and deep fried in palm oil, then split and filled with a spicy shrimp and onion filling. Though dried shrimp are a traditional ingredient in acaraje, they tend to impart a very strong flavor. In this milder version, the cooked fritter is split and then filled with fresh shrimp and caramelized onions. [Source: http://southamericanfood.about.com/od/appetizersfirstcourses/r/acaraje.htm?p=1]

Ingredients:

• For the Filling:
• 1 onion
• 1 cup small shrimp, fresh or frozen, shelled and de-veined
• 2 tablespoons palm oil or olive oil
• For the Fritters:
• 2 cans black-eyed peas
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 onion
• 1 red chili pepper
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Palm oil and/or vegetable oil for frying

Preparation:

1. Make filling: Slice onion very thinly. Spread onions out on a skillet with the olive oil or palm oil, and cook on low heat until they are golden brown (about 15 minutes). Add shrimp and sauté until shrimp are pink. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
2. Make the fritters: Thoroughly drain the black-eyed peas and place them in the food processor. Roughly chop the onion and garlic, and add it to the peas.
3. Clean the pepper of seeds and add to the processor.
4. Process mixture just until well-blended. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Add flour by the tablespoon, until mixture is stiff enough to hold a shape. Divide into 15 pieces, and form into balls or ovals.
6. Heat 2 inches palm oil and/or vegetable oil in a pot on medium high heat. Fry several fritters at a time until browned, turning once, about 5 minutes. Drain fritters on a cookie sheet lined with paper towels. Fritters can be kept warm in a 200 degree oven.
7. Split fritters and fill with a spoonful of the onion and shrimp mixture. Serve warm.

BLACK HOG FARMS & SLOW FOOD 

TOUR de FARM

We are excited to be part of the Slow Food First Coast Tour de Farm again this year. On Sunday April 22, 2012, several farms, restaurants, and businesses across North East Florida that have the Slow Food Seal of Approval will participate in this 5 hour extravaganza of touring local areas and making stops at farms and other points of interest along the way.  

Below we have listed our schedule for the day at Black Hog Farm including information for our Picnic lunch reservations and speaking times for our friend and special guest Joel Salatin from Polyface Farm in Virginia.  We thank Joel for taking time out of his busy schedule to visit with our local community. We’re certain that his inspiration will create a lasting impact on anyone who cares about our food system. 

We are looking forward to sharing the day with our Black Hog Farm members and guests 

JOEL SALATIN

Joel is a full-time farmer in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. The farm services more than 3,000 families, 10 retail outlets, and 50 restaurants. The family’s farm, Polyface Inc. (“The Farm of Many Faces”), has been featured in Smithsonian Magazine, National Geographic, Gourmet, and countless other radio, television and print media. He has authored nine books, most recently Folks, This Ain't Normal: A Farmer's Advice for Happier Hens, Healthier People, and a Better World. 

BLACK HOG FARM

Black Hog Farm is part of a cutting edge and vibrant community of farmers, chefs, retailers and consumers in Northeast Florida working to foster a more sustainable food supply. We are passionate about preserving the art of traditional farming by raising heritage breed animals at our tranquil setting under the oaks of our East Palatka breeding farm. Here you will meet our wonderful sows and their young and be entertained by their frolicking in the mud. 

ADMISSION TO FARM IS FREE

12:01-5:00 pm           Farm open with continual hay rides 
Farm Open                around farm, music, petting farm and kids area

                                  Bold Bean Coffee Roasters will be
                                  brewing coffee                        

                                  Intuition Ale Works will have their canned 
                                  ale available

12:01-4:00 pm           Picnic lunch will be served under the oaks 
Picnic Lunch             and prepared by Black Sheep Restaurant,

                                  Jacksonville. Adult meal includes both Black 
                                  Hog Farm grilled  pork sausage, and smoked   

                                  pulled pork BBQ,  corn on the cob, potato 
                                  salad,southern corn bread, drink and desert

                                  Kids (8 and under) choice of either

                                  pulled pork or sausage 

                                  Adults $15.00/ Kids $10.00.  Reservations are 

                                  strongly recommended online at 

                                  http://blacksheeptourdefarm.eventbrite.com/

12:00/ 2:00/ 4:00      Guided farm tours by Farmer Paul and Black 

Guided Tours            Hog Farm family

12:30                         Joel Salatin speaks to us under the tent “Folks 
Joel Salatin               This Ain’t Normal”

2:30                           Joel Salatin shares his passion, "Dancing With 
Joel Salatin                Dinner"

4:00                           Book signing, Joel Salatin

Book Signing

6:30                           Farm to Table Dinner at Restaurant Orsay in    

Dinner                       Avondale with our guest, Joel Salatin and a 
                                  menu prepared with products from Black 

                                  Hog Farm Seating is very limited, reserve by
                                  calling Orsay at 904 381-0909

In Your Delivery This Week: Carrots

Many of you will see some tasty little carrots in your delivery this week, so we wanted to highlight a different spin on this root vegetable for those of you that are feeling more adventurous this week. There is some debate in the culinary world about eating the greenery of the carrot, the carrot 'top'. Believe it or not, it is edible and nutritious, though certainly on the bitter side so you may want to taste first and sample in moderation. Carrot tops have a variety of potential usages from adding to your mixed green salad, enhancing the flavor of a slaw, or simply as a decorative garnish (they are extremely pretty in a simple little vase in your kitchen as well). The folks at the World Carrot Museum in the UK have a neat webpage dedicated to carrot tops, you may want to check out...

Below is a suggested side dish recipe that uses two other items you may have seen in your delivery this week - yellow squash and green beans. Happy cooking and happy eating!

Yellow Squash and Green Beans Sauté


Source: http://www.greenbeansnmore.com/greenbeansummersquashrecipe.html

Ingredients:

4 teaspoons canola oil


2 medium yellow squash, sliced approx. 1/4" slices


1 1/2 cups green beans, ends trimmed, cut to desired length


1 1/2 cups halved cherry tomatoes


3 teaspoon minced fresh flat leaf parsley


2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice


1/2 teaspoon ground coriander


Salt & Pepper to taste



Place the oil in a large nonstick skillet that has been pre-heated to medium high. Add the beans and squash and sauté for 3 minutes. Add tomatoes and sauté 2 - 3 minutes longer, or until the squash is crisp but tender.

 Remove from heat and sprinkle with parsley, lemon juice, coriander, salt and pepper. Toss to coat.

The Riverside Arts Market

Finally, spring has arrived! For us, this season not only signals planting and new births on our farm, but also the return of Jacksonville's premiere outdoor arts and entertainment destination, the Riverside Arts Market (RAM). Open 10am-4pm, every Saturday from March to November, it is located near downtown at 715 Riverside Avenue, under the Fuller Warren Bridge.

Visited by throngs of Jacksonville locals on a weekly basis, RAM is a glorious gathering place for local businesses and artists. While there, you can shop for some local veg (we humbly suggest Black Hog Farm products) and other food products, check out the diversity of artists' wares, grab lunch at a food stall, and listen to live music. There is also a free bicycle valet if you chose to travel to the market on two wheels. Check out their webpage for the weekly vendor list and entertainment line-up.

We plan to be there every week of the RAM season, unless you hear from us otherwise. (For instance, we will not be there Sunday, April 22 on our Tour de Farm event day.) Some weeks we will be able to bring live animals from our farm.

A Special Black Hog Birth Announcement

We're proud to announce the birth of a healthy beautiful baby donkey foal into our farm family last night. Her strong mother, Jenny (yes, that is her name), birthed her alone last night at our farm. Needless to say, we were very happy to see this young girl frolicking in her stall this morning with her mother (who is fiercely protective of her already). If you have ideas for female baby names for this little one, we'd gladly take your suggestions! And please stay tuned, as we're expecting another donkey foal to be born any day now from our other female, Jill. 

In Your Delivery This Week: Yams

This week many of you received a golden brown tuber in your delivery. It looks a lot like a sweet potato, but it isn't. It's a yam. "What is the difference?" you may ask yourself, and "why should I care?" Well, believe it or not, there is a huge difference between sweet potatoes and yams. Here is a great explanation from the Library of Congress Research Center:

Yams
Yams are closely related to lilies and grasses. Native to Africa and Asia, yams vary in size from that of a small potato to a record 130 pounds (as of 1999). There are over 600 varieties of yams and 95% of these crops are grown in Africa. Compared to sweet potatoes, yams are starchier and drier.

Sweet Potatoes
The many varieties of sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas) are members of the morning glory family, Convolvulacea. The skin color can range from white to yellow, red, purple or brown. The flesh also ranges in color from white to yellow, orange, or orange-red. Sweet potato varieties are classified as either ‘firm’ or ‘soft’. When cooked, those in the ‘firm’ category remain firm, while ‘soft’ varieties become soft and moist. It is the ‘soft’ varieties that are often labeled as yams in the United States.

Why the confusion?
In the United States, firm varieties of sweet potatoes were produced before soft varieties. When soft varieties were first grown commercially, there was a need to differentiate between the two. African slaves had already been calling the ‘soft’ sweet potatoes ‘yams’ because they resembled the yams in Africa. Thus, ‘soft’ sweet potatoes were referred to as ‘yams’ to distinguish them from the ‘firm’ varieties. Today the U.S. Department of Agriculture requires labels with the term ‘yam’ to be accompanied by the term ‘sweet potato.’ Unless you specifically search for yams, which are usually found in an international market, you are probably eating sweet potatoes!

Below is an excellent recipe utilizing yams and some other delicious Black Hog delivered vegetables like cabbage and carrots. Enjoy!

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Udon with Mushroom Broth, Cabbage, and Yams Bon Appétit | February 2010

by Anna Thomas

A Japanese-style noodle soup that's full of healthful things: mushrooms, yams, carrots—and even salty, savory, vitamin-and mineral-rich seaweed. For details on the ingredients used in this dish, see "Ingredient Tips" at the end of the recipe. Yield: Makes 4 to 6 servings Broth: 10 cups Light Vegetable Broth or good-quality canned vegetable broth (such as Swanson) 3 cups water 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped fresh cilantro 1 1/2 ounces dried shiitake mushrooms, rinsed 3/4 cup thinly sliced peeled fresh ginger 2 lemongrass stalks, outer dark layers removed, all but bottom 4 inches cut off and discarded 2 6-inch strips dried kombu 2 teaspoons tamari soy sauce 1 teaspoon unseasoned rice vinegar Garnishes: 2 cups 1/2-inch cubes peeled yams (red-skinned sweet potatoes) 5 ounces snow peas, trimmed 4 cups 1/2-inch-wide crosswise slices cored Napa cabbage 5 ounces slender carrots (preferably assorted colors), peeled, thinly sliced on diagonal 10 ounces Japanese-style udon noodles or soba noodles 1 cup sliced green onions 1/4 cup matchstick-size strips peeled fresh ginger 4 to 6 ounces semi-firm tofu, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (optional) Sambal oelek Tamari soy sauce For broth:  Bring broth and 3 cups water to simmer in large pot over medium heat. Add cilantro, mushrooms, sliced ginger, and lemongrass. Cover; simmer until mushrooms are tender, about 30 minutes. Rinse kombu; add to broth. Simmer 1 minute. Using tongs, remove kombu and mushrooms; discard kombu. Transfer mushrooms to work surface; cut off stems and discard. Cut each mushroom into 3 to 4 strips. Strain broth through fine-mesh strainer into another large pot; discard solids in strainer. Add tamari and rice vinegar to broth. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill mushrooms. Cool, cover, and chill broth. For garnishes:  Bring large pot of salted water to boil. Cook yams until just tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Using skimmer, transfer to medium bowl. Cook snow peas, cabbage, and carrots separately until crisp-tender (snow peas, 30 seconds; cabbage, 1 1/2 minutes; carrots, 2 minutes). Using skimmer, transfer vegetables to separate bowls. Reserve cooking liquid. DO AHEAD: Vegetables can be cooked 2 hours ahead. Let vegetables and liquid stand at room temperature. Bring cooking liquid to boil. Sprinkle with salt. Add noodles; cook until tender but still firm to bite, stirring often. Drain; rinse. Meanwhile, bring vegetable broth to simmer. Add green onions and ginger strips. Season with salt and pepper. Using tongs, divide noodles among bowls. Divide mushrooms, yams, snow peas, cabbage, and carrots among bowls, each in separate mound. Divide tofu, if using, among bowls. Ladle broth over and serve, passing sambal oelek and tamari separately. Ingredient tips:  Lemongrass, an herb that resembles a green onion, has a mild lemony flavor. Kombu (a.k.a. kelp) is a variety of seaweed that’s often used for making stock. It's usually sold dried. Tamari is a dark sauce made from soybeans. Udon is a thick wheat-or corn-based Japanese noodle. Sambal oelek, a spicy chili sauce, is a common ingredient in Indonesian and Chinese cooking. Look for these ingredients in the Asian foods section of some supermarkets and at Asian markets. Per serving: (Analysis includes tofu.) kcal calories, 6.4 % calories from fat, 2.4 g fat, 0.0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 62.4 g carbohydrates, 9.4 g dietary fiber, 10.5 g total sugars, 53.0 g net carbohydrates, 12.0 g protein Nutritional analysis provided by Bon Appétit

Read More http://www.epicurious.com:80/recipes/food/printerfriendly/Udon-with-Mushroom-Broth-Cabbage-and-Yams-357289#ixzz1prWRy77w

Edible (Local) Arrangements at the Cummer Museum

Black Hog Farm was pleased to be asked by The Garden Club of Jacksonville to be part of garden week activities at The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens. Black Hog provided the fresh produce that the very talented garden club members used to create the beautiful centerpieces for the tables at a luncheon this past Tuesday. The guest speaker, gardener and chef James Farmer, gave a lectured that inspired all in attendance. As the weather gets warmer, please consider a visit to the Cummer, one of the jewels in the Jacksonville art scene.