Roasted Potatoes

Ann Arbor Food Potato Harvest

Long after the garden has been put to bed, there are POTATOES.

Above is a picture of some of the potatoes a grew this year, this crazy garden year. It is almost Dec and I am still enjoying my garden.

Ann Arbor Food Pan Roasted Potatoes

Looking at my potatoes and preparing my standard recipe pan of simple roasted, I wondered about looking into other potato recipes.

Emily asked why.

Why indeed. I can eat roasted potatoes for the rest of my life and not want for any other potato.

Here is my recipe:

1) Wash and rinse as many potatoes as you feel like. (for my that is about 5 pounds)
2) cut them into about 1 inch size pieces.
3) Place in a pan one layer deep (get as many pans as you need. I usually make two pans for leftovers)
4) drizzle some oliver oil on them
5) shake on some salt and dried thyme or rosemary or both

And bake in a 400 degree oven until they are done (45-60 minutes-ish)

Taste and add more salt if desired.

I use yukon gold and red potatoes. I grew red Pontiac and yukon gold this year.

Enjoy

 

Potato Update 2012

(Pictures coming soon.)

I was watering today (like everyday…where is the rain?), and I n0ticed some roque potatoes in my garden. Now this is a new garden spot, which was lawn for years before it was turned over.

The deal is that they ran out of seed potatoes at Downtown Home and Garden, so I figured I try buying organic potatoes and let them spout and plant them.

Well a few weeks go by and nothing, so being eager to use the real estate, I planted green beans in half of that space and ended up finding some seed potatoes at Colemans.

Well it turns out that I might have jumped the gun because I am seeing potatoes come up in my green bean patch, which creates an issue of how to mound up the potatoes without affect my now nicely growing beans?

And I also now have 2X the amount the potatoes growing in the other half of the potato bed.

Maybe it will work.

Real Time Farms Rock

Here is a great video of Cara Rosaen of Realtimefarms.com, a great resource to find out where our food comes from.

Join the Eat More Kale campaign

I am not sure when I came into my Eat More Kale sticker. It was a few years back and I put it on a journal notebook. It was my Eat More Kale notebook and I thought the slogan was pretty cool.

Kale is a kick ass food because it is a dark leafy green. The battle cry of nutritionist every where is “Eat more dark leafy greens” and Kale had the goods, but unless you were from the Southern USA or had a taste for white beans and kale soup, most people did not eat the stuff.

So when I saw the sticker, I thought this slogan is really saying something.

So I was surprised when I saw a NYT article a few days ago about the guy who started the Eat More Kale slogan and how he was actually being sued by Chik-fil-A to block his trademark of his slogan because they said would be confused with their slogan Eat Mor Chikin. (Really?)

In defense, Bo Mulller-Moore has started a petition against Chik-fil-a.

Check out his website for info on Eat More Kale stuff and to sign the petition.

In the mean time, Eat More Kale. Your body will thank you for it.

CB

A Vegan Lunch Cart and a Dream

The Lunchroom Food Cart Ann Arbor

The Lunchroom by Phillis Engelbert and Joel Panozzo is an up and coming Ann Arbor Food Cart featuring an all vegan menu with breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack offerings.

Their cart will be located behind Downtown Home and Garden in late April or Early May.

Until then, they are keeping busy with their fundraising efforts to help raise money to build their custom food cart.

They have launched a successful Kick-Starter Campaign. Kick-starter is an online fundraiser website, which allows people to create an online fundraiser and it makes it really easy to receive donations for a creative project. Transactions are secure and run through amazon.com

They have also hosted several fundraiser events featuring their vegan offerings.

They told me that the cart they are building will cost around $8000. So far they have raised around $4000 and they are hoping to be able to receive enough large and small donations on kickstarter to make their dream a reality.

Any amount of donation will be much appreciated and it will help get a small local food start-up off the ground.

Here are some of their offerings.

Summer Rolls

sesame tea cookies

Bagel w/hummus spread

gingersnaps

curry potato wrap

Sample Menu

Breakfast:
Coconut-milk yogurt with granola
Fruit juice/coconut-milk yogurt smoothie
cherry-oatmeal breakfast cookies
coffee cake
homemade bagel with spread,

Salads and sides:
crostini with olive tapenade
tangy slaw
Caesar salad
curry roasted potatoes

Lunch/dinner items:
summer rolls with spicy peanut sauce
curry-potato wrap
sundried-tomato hummus with veggies on multigrain roll,
barbeque tofu sandwich

Goodies:
chocolate truffles
raspberry oatmeal bars
spicy chocolate snickerdoodle cookies
Lemon bars
sesame tea cookies
blackstrap molasses gingersnaps
gingerbread cupcakes

Cottage Food Law: The Nuts and Bolts

Inchworm Bakery started just a few days after the Cottage Food Bill was signed into law. Since then, I, fellow farmers market vendors, and others interested to starting a cottage food business have wondered what exactly are the rules. Below are the rules, and answers to most questions.

I learned for example that I could not make veggies samosas that I was planning to feature at the market this week. Nor could I put some parmesan cheese on my foccaccia bread. While there are some limits to what can be produced in a non-inspected kitchen, and the ways we can markets our goods, the Cottage Food Law does offer a good variety of possibilities.

Inchworm Bakery makes pies, cookies, and foccaccia bread. I noticed that the law allows nuts and coated nuts, and we might play around with them too.

Below is the text from a document from Michigan Dept of Ag. The two links are to the specific PDF documents.

Good Luck to fellow Cottage Food Operator. Please tell me about your business. I will be happy to post a profile on this blog.

http://michigan.gov/documents/mda/MDA-CFFAQ-MASTER_327558_7.pdf

http://michigan.gov/documents/mda/MDA_CFLblngGuide-MASTER_327559_7.pdf

Michigan Department of Agriculture
Frequently Asked Questions
Cottage Foods

The Cottage Food Law, enacted in 2010, allows individuals to manufacture and store certain types of foods in an unlicensed home kitchen.

What are Cottage Foods?

Specific types of foods that you manufacture in the kitchen of your single family domestic residence.

What does a single family domestic residence include?

This is the place where you live, whether you own the home or are renting. So an apartment, condominium or a rental home all could be a single family domestic residence. It does not include group or communal residential settings, such as group homes, sororities or fraternities.

What types of Cottage Foods can I produce in my home?

Non-potentially hazardous foods that do not require time and/or temperature control for safety.

Examples include:

Breads
Similar baked goods
Vinegar and flavored vinegars
Cakes, including celebration cakes (birthday, anniversary, wedding) a label with notification and ingredients will need to accompany the cake to the purchasers
Fruit pies, including pie crusts made with butter, lard or shortening
Cookies
Dry herbs and herb mixtures
Jams and jellies in glass jars that can be stored at room temperature
Popcorn
Cotton Candy
Non-potentially hazardous dry bulk mixes sold wholesale can be repackaged into a Cottage Food product. Similar items already packaged and labeled for retail sale can not be repackaged and/or relabeled
Chocolate covered: pretzels, marshmallows, graham crackers, rice krispy treats, strawberries, pineapple or bananas
Coated or uncoated nuts
Dried pasta made with eggs

What types of Cottage Foods are NOT ALLOWED to be produced in my home? Potentially hazardous foods that require time and/or temperature control for safety.

Examples include:

Meat and meat products like fresh and dried meats (jerky)
Fish and fish products like smoked fish
Raw seed sprouts
Canned fruits or vegetables like salsa or canned peaches including canned fruit or vegetable butters like pumpkin or apple butter
Canned pickled products like corn relish, pickles or sauerkraut
Pies that require refrigeration to assure safety like banana cream, pumpkin, lemon meringue or custard pies
Milk and dairy products like cheese or yogurt
Cut melons
Garlic in oil mixtures
Beverages
Ice and ice products
Cut tomatoes or cut leafy greens
Foccaccia style breads with fresh vegetables and/or cheeses
Food products made from fresh cut tomatoes, cut melons or cut leafy greens
Food products made with cooked vegetable products that are not canned
Barbeque Sauce, Ketchup, Mustard

Are pet treats included under the Cottage Food Law?

No- the Cottage Food Law applies to human grade food only. For more information about pet treat licensing, please visit http://www.michigan.gov/mda-feed.

How do I sell my Cottage Foods?

You may sell your Cottage Foods directly to the consumer at farmers’ markets, farm stands, roadside stands and similar venues. The key is you are selling it directly to the consumer. You cannot sell your Cottage Foods to a retailer for them to resell or to a restaurant for use or sale in the restaurant. You cannot sell your Cottage Foods over the internet, by mail order, or to wholesalers, brokers or other food distributors who will resell the Cottage Foods.

Why can’t I sell my Cottage Foods to my favorite restaurant or grocery store?

The Michigan Food Law Cottage Food amendments do not allow this. Because the kitchen is unlicensed and not inspected, the safe food handling practices are not evaluated by any food safety official. Since the safe food handling practices are not being evaluated, the food is not considered an approved source for use in a restaurant or grocery store. Also, it is not possible for the final consumer to discuss your food safety practices with you, as you would not be selling or serving the product to the consumer.

Do I have to put a label on my Cottage Foods?

Yes, you are required to label your Cottage Foods. Here is an example of a label that should help you develop your own labels.

MADE IN A HOME KITCHEN NOT INSPECTED BY THE MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Chocolate Chip Cookie
Artie Pinkster
123 Foodstuff Lane
Casserole City, MI 82682

Ingredients: Enriched flour (Wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine, mononitrate, riboflavin and folic acid), butter (milk, salt), chocolate chips (sugar, chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, butterfat (milk), Soy lecithin as an emulsifier), walnuts, sugar, eggs, salt, artificial vanilla extract, baking soda

Contains: wheat, eggs, milk, soy, walnuts

Net Wt. 3 oz

The basic information that must be on the label is as follows:

Name and address of the Cottage Food operation.
Name of the Cottage Food product.
The ingredients of the Cottage Food product, in descending order of predominance by weight. If you use a prepared item in your recipe, you must list the sub ingredients as well. For example: soy sauce is not acceptable, soy sauce (wheat, soybeans, salt) would be acceptable, please see the label above for further examples.
The net weight or net volume of the Cottage Food product.
Allergen labeling as specified in federal labeling requirements.

The following statement: “Made in a home kitchen that has not been inspected by the Michigan Department of Agriculture” in at least the equivalent of 11-point font and in a color that provides a clear contrast to the background.

What does allergen labeling as specified in federal labeling requirements mean?

It means you must identify if any of your ingredients are made from one of the following food groups: milk, eggs, wheat, peanuts, soybeans, fish (including shellfish, crab, lobster or shrimp) and tree nuts (such as almonds, pecans or walnuts). So if you have an ingredient made with a wheat based product, you have two options:
1.
Include the allergen in the ingredient list. For example, a white bread with the following ingredient listing: whole wheat flour, water, salt and yeast. In this example the statement Whole Wheat Flour, meets the requirements of federal law.
2.
Include an allergen statement (“Contains:”) after the ingredient list. For example a white bread, with the following ingredients: whole wheat flour, water, sodium caseinate, salt and yeast. Contains wheat and milk.

The “Contains” statement must reflect all the allergens found in the product. In this example, the sodium caseinate comes from milk.
Are there any special requirements for tree nuts labeling for allergens? Yes, if your Cottage Food has tree nuts as an ingredient you must identify which tree nut you are using.

For example, if you made the following product:

Nut Bread, an acceptable ingredient list would be: wheat flour, water, almonds, salt, yeast. The following would not be acceptable: flour, water, nuts, salt, yeast.

Are there any other limits I need to know about Cottage Foods?

Yes, you are limited in the amount of money you can make selling Cottage Foods – which is $15,000 gross sales annually per household.

Can I make the Cottage Food products in an outbuilding on my property, like a shed or a barn?

No, the law requires the Cottage Food products be made in your kitchen and stored in your single family domestic residence. Approved storage areas include the basement and attached garage of the home where the food is made.

Will I need to meet my local zoning or other laws?

Yes, the Cottage Food exemption only exempts you from the requirements of licensing and routine inspection by the Michigan Department of Agriculture.

What oversight does the Michigan Department of Agriculture have over my Cottage Food operation?

Cottage Food operations are considered to be food establishments, but will not have to meet most requirements outlined in the Michigan Food Law. In all cases, food offered to the public in Michigan must be safe and unadulterated, regardless of where it is produced. As a Cottage Food Operator, it is your responsibility to assure the food you make is safe. In the event a complaint is filed or a foodborne illness is linked to your food, the Michigan Department of Agriculture will investigate your operations as part of our responsibility under the Michigan Food Law. As part of that investigation, it may be necessary for the Michigan Department of Agriculture to enter and inspect your Cottage Food production and storage areas, view and copy records, and take photos during the course of a complaint investigation. The Michigan Department of Agriculture also has the right to seize product suspected of being adulterated, order corrections of label violations, or require you to discontinue making unapproved products.

Where can I get a copy of the Michigan Food Law?

The sections of the Food Law where you can find the definitions, exemptions and requirements for Cottage

Food is:
Section Title
Short description
Section Number
Definitions
Definitions of terms
289.1105 (H,I, and K (i)(ii))
Licensing
Exemptions
289.4102

Are there any additional requirements regarding my home on-site well or sewage system?

No, although annually testing your well for coliforms and nitrates is recommended. Contact your local health department for sampling containers and directions.

Does my equipment, stove and/or refrigerator need to be NSF (a food equipment evaluation group) approved?

As a Cottage Food operator, you would not be required to meet NSF standards for your equipment used to manufacture the Cottage Food product.

Can I bake bread in a wood fired oven?

Yes, as long as that oven is in your home kitchen.

Do I need to have a DBA for the Cottage Food law?

A DBA (Doing Business As) may be a requirement of your county or local municipality; you should contact your county offices to determine if a DBA is appropriate for you.

When are Cottage Food products subject to sales tax?

The Cottage Food amendments are to the Michigan Food Law. The amendments do require that the Cottage Food Operators meet all other provisions of law regarding businesses, including tax law. MDA recommends that you contact the Michigan Department of Treasury for further information on what food products are considered taxable. Their website is available through this link, Contact Treasury.

In general, sales tax is not charged on prepackaged foods that are not for immediate consumption.

If you have additional questions, please contact MDA-Info@michigan.gov; please include your zip code in your request.

Mozzarella Cheese Making

(picture from) http://corriehaffly.wordpress.com

I came across this great post about homemade mozzarella cheese making and want to share it. Check it out.

http://corriehaffly.wordpress.com/2009/12/18/making-mozzarella

CB

Spinach Quiche Recipe

Knowing how to make a quiche is big on my list of cooking skills. The recipe for quiche is a basic pie crust, filled with a savory custard of eggs, milk and cheese, and your favorite vegetables. Like pizza, quiches can have a huge variety of ingredients. This makes quiche an important go to meal item when thinking about local food because it can be made from year round staples (egg, cheese, milk, flour, and butter), and seasonal vegetables. I tend to make quiches for dinner, but they are usually served as a sunday brunch item. Quiche is usually made in a pie pan, but I made this recipe in large casserole. To lighten up a meal with quiche, I serve it with some sliced fruit, and grapes in season.

Spinach Quiche: Serves 6-8

ingredients:

For the crust:

1 3/4 cup All purpose flour
1 stick of chilled butter
1 egg
splash of water or milk

Procedure:

Cube the butter and add it to the flour in a food processor with a metal blade. Pulse a few times until the butter and flour resemble wet sand. Add the egg and a little water and pulse for a few seconds until the dough forms a ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate until ready to use.

Filling:

1 pint half and half
6 eggs
1 can of roasted peppers(or two large peppers roasted) drained and chopped
2 onions diced
3 cloves of garlic
2 bags of frozen spinach
1 1/2 cup of shape cheddar grated
1/2 cup grated parm
pepper
3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

Procedure

Saute the onion in a little olive oil or butter for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for another minute. Add the spinach and cook until warm.

In a bowl combine the eggs, half and half, and cheese cheddar. Mix in the onion, garlic, spinach and the roasted red pepper. Add the smoked paprika, and pepper.

preheat oven to 350 degrees

Take out your pie dough, and place on a clean flour surface. Flattened into a rough rectangle shape, and roll out the dough to a thickness of 1/4 inch. There should be enough dough to fit your casserole dish. Lay out the dough on the pan and make sure it goes up the sides. Pour the custard into the dough covered casserole. Smooth the filing to make sure the veggies are evenly dispersed. Spread he parm cheese on top in an even layer.

Place in the center rack of the oven and bake for one hour or until brown on top and bubbling.

Let cool for 15-30 before serving. Can be served at room temperature.

Slow Food Huron Valley Potluck

Here is my meal at the Slow Food of Huron Valley Potluck and recipe contest. Potlucks, especially those hosted by gardeners/farmers and local food cooks are my favorite. You never know what people will bring, and I always leave with a recipe or two. There were 40-50 people and there was everything from soups, stews, kraut, bread, pizza, desserts and more with a local ingredient theme.

I submitted a recipe for pumpkin ice cream. It was the first time I made this ice cream and I felt it could have been creamier and lighter. The pumpkin puree throw me, but it still came out tasty, just not what I was shooting for.

The follow are a few picture of the recipe contest winner. I forget some of the names and the winning dishes. (opps)

Winners received a huge squash and a chicken. The event was cosponsored with Tantre Farm,  Mill Pond Bread and Old Pine Farm. There was a table in the back some great local food resources, farms, and food products. (I am working a local resources listing for this blog…be out soon).

Dessert Winners: Banana Bread

Some more picture of the food and the event

My Pumpkin Ice Cream

Apple Heritage Museum: Amadeaus Scott

The Apple Heritage Museum is a traveling collection of the history of the apple and its uses in Washtenaw County. Exhibits include apple coring, peeling, and cider making equipment, maps and inventory of local apple trees, and a recipe collection.

The museum is run by Amadeaus Scott and has exhibited at the Ann Arbor Farmers Market.

At todays exhibit, Amadeaus had apple pie. In talking to her about the project, she hopes to eventual have a space for the museum. I for one would visit a museum that offered free apple pie samples to visitors. In fact what museum would not benefit from offering pie.