So Good: Food & Wine with Heather Johnston

My Day of Pork

Talk about a good day. A few Saturdays ago I was invited to not one, but two glorious home cooked feasts here in Brooklyn. And let me tell you, restaurants have nothing on my friends!

The first spread, a block party in Boerum Hill on what must be the city's foodiest street, featured an entire pig that was roasted to perfection under hot coals in a specially designed box. The neighbor-chefs brilliantly served it with grilled tortillas alongside homemade red and green salsas. It. Was. Spectacular!

 

The second feast, in Sunset Park, featured a succulent (oven) roasted pork dish, but it shared the spotlight with an generous array of Caribbean inspired dishes, including a gorgeous Roast Chicken, Christophene with Red Onions, Beets with Carrots & Goat Cheese, Plum Upside Down Cake and a Sweet Plaintain Gratin.

As tasty as it all was, the company at both events way out-shined the food. Big Fun! Thanks Tony & Lynn and Felix & Christine for the invitations!

 

Oh, How I Envy California!

Of course I still think New York is the center of the universe, but imagine if Brooklyn had a year round growing season like Cali?  They are so lucky! Yes, I know we have lovely parsnips and turnips in the cold months, but last Saturday I went to my Farmer's Market and rose into heaven. What bounty and abundance. Herbs, corn, tomatoes, red onions, scallions, and zucchini everywhere. I'm still slicing them into my dishes and it's Thursday. 

Yesterday I mixed up a big handful of chopped local parsley,  canned tuna, mayo, capers, and put it on top of a leftover toasted sesame baguette. It tasted so good I had to twitter it. (follow me at twitter.com/sogoodtv) 

For my pasta lunch today I'm sauteing shallots, zucchini, bell peppers, and chives in a bit of butter as I'm still feeling quite Julia Child. Not sure whether to add a little leftover chicken or some of that delicious goat cheese I nabbed.  Why choose, maybe I'll use both!

Of course,  I can get the similar non local items year round from my supermarket, but that's so ordinary and drab.  Now I get to feel virtuous, vibrant and in the know!  I may have to get a wicker basket and a big hat to match all that produce. ("big hat" takes you to a true NY experience from the NY Times greatest fashion photographer, Bill Cunningham.) Please visit your local farmers market and get caught up in the drama!

Video: Barbados Food Tour

Hot sauce, fried fish, and rum punch to come in part two!

De Heart Uh Barbados

You think you've been to the Caribbean?  Well, think again because last week I spent 4 days in "De Heart Uh Barbados" near Welchman Hall Gully in St. Thomas, and experienced a whole other thing. While on the 2008 UN City Farm Tour, I met a delegate from the Barbados Ministry of the Environment who shared my interest in not only sustainability but also good food! He and his team generously invited me along with 20 other participants from throughout the southern Caribbean and the U.S. to a "Workshop on Rethinking Environmental Sustainability, Local Gastronomy and Rural Tourism."  Under a wide tent on a hill with tropical breezes and a lovely views, I participated in discussions, powerpoints, and endured only a few longing moments for the beach (never got there).

I took a lot of video, and over the next few posts or so, I'll be featuring Barbados.  I can already say, however, that my A+-number-one-top-of-the-line-favorite thing was the "Grapefruit and Molasses Foodies."  My gracious host and one of the groups founders, Stacia, made a chicken soup that was my very own version of Proust's Madeline. Took me right back to my Jamaican grandmother's, only the flavors here were richer and more vibrant from the extraordinary quality of the ingredients (not to mention Stacia's easy skill.)  Every thing was local, fresh, ripe and seemingly effortless. It's just the way it is down there. Amazing to my industrialized mind.

I'll make no attempt to replicate the recipes.  Like fine wine, good authentic cuisine brings a flavor that comes from the place and the people, a terroir if you will. Plus the Grapefruit and Molasses Foodies will have their own cookbook one day, so I'll leave it to the experts. But I have many other goodies to share:  the pepper sauce, the rum, the people, the natural wonders,  and...the very serious business of sustainability.  It was, after all, not a vacation, though the pleasure was all mine.

In the meantime, many thanks to all the wonderful people who made it possible for me to enjoy this journey.  A kinder more generous group I have yet to meet. Much more to come soon!

Video: Scallops and Shallots in Brown Butter

Video Recipe: Scallops and Shallots in Brown Butter

Now that it is fall, here's one last shout out to summer.  I use sea scallops, the larger ones, for this recipe, but bay scallops work well too.  Should you use the smaller bay ones, just remove them after browning and then add the shallots.  Enjoy.       

1-2 pounds sea scallops
1/2 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 shallot, minced
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons wine (optional)
juice of 1 lemon

Clean scallops by gently removing muscle at the side.  In large skillet, heat oil.  Season scallops with salt and pepper and add to hot pan in a single layer. (You may need to do more than one batch.)  Brown about 1-2 minutes. When the edges start to appear opaque, flip them. 

Add shallots and continue cooking until scallops are done, but not overdone, no more than 2 minutes. (If doing more than one batch, don't add shallots until the last one.) Remove and place on a warm platter.

Add butter to shallots, and let brown slightly. Take care not to overcook the shallots. Quickly add lemon juice and wine.  Heat 1 minute longer, spoon sauce over scallops and serve.  Serve with an unoaked Chardonnay and something to sop up the sauce!

Video: Tasting North Fork Wines 2008

"Deets" on The North Fork

Here are all the details, or "deets" as the young folks say,  for my North Fork 2008 video post.  This summer offered the best selection of local wines I've ever tasted. Only one place I visited had wine that I wouldn't buy.  Even better, many vineyards included delicious, affordable bottles.  In previous years, only the high end ones showed real promise.  In terms of wine, his region is really coming into it's own.

Agriculture, of course, is well established and excellent farm stands line the main roads of the North Fork.  Some are elaborate as grocery stores, and others simply place a basket by the bushel of tomatoes in hopes that you pay for what you take.   Sang Lee, one of the most established, was a revelation this year because of the quality and variety of their goods. They offer cheese, meat, bagged baby lettuces, and frozen goods from their own kitchen! The abundance didn't indulge, it delighted. 

New York City locavores please note they have CSA's available.  I'm already on the 2009 waiting list. CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture and basically means you can get a box of produce on a regular basis from a local farm. Click here to learn more about them or visit localharvest.org.

Paumanok - Loved their 99 Cabernet.  The Chenin Blanc is pricey but worth it.

Peconic Bay - A Terrific Rose and Unoaked Chard each for 15 bucks.

Corey Creek - Lovely room, lovely wines.

Vineyard 48 - Very hospitable, plus they had WiFi!

The Old Field - My favorite spot of 2008.  Very solid Chardonnay and Cab Franc.  Good prices.

Shinn Estates Vineyard - Good solid wine, well made. Serious reds, and a great sparkler

Pellegrini Vineyards - Accessible, open, affordable, and available in many stores.  Great Rose.

And last but definitely not least Sang Lee Farms - The best secret hidden in plain sight.

Video: The U.N. City Farm Tour

Video: Local Wine and Cheese Pairing on the North Fork

The wines I poured are Peconic Bay Winery's 2005 Steel Fermented Chardonnay and Corey Creek's Gerwurztraminer and Cabernet Franc.  For the cheeses, I chose an Italian Piave and a French Triple Cream St. Andre.  Nice combinations especially on the terrace of the lovely Harborfront Inn in Greenport, LI.