10-10-10
How do you cook dried black beans grown right here in the Champlain Valley? 20 people found out yesterday in the Local Foods Cooking Class we organized as a 10-10-10 work party in conjunction with thousands of events all over the world to raise awareness of global warming (see a slideshow at 350.org).
Serving up local cornbread.
We made chili and cornbread using all ingredients grown in Vermont (minus the spices). It was really good. We also taste-tested a variety of heirloom varieties of apples grown on Scott Farm in Dummerston and played "guess that root vegetable?" (a great game for people new to cooking...or new to Vermont!) Afterward, we carried the giant vat of chili and the tray of cornbread down to the front of the store, where we gave out about 60 samples and recipes to shoppers and spread the word about the 350 movement.
Participants in our work party cooked an all-local lunch and sampled out the recipes in front of City Market.
I made a list of the farms our ingredients came from. It was a pretty impressive list:
Swiss Chard – Pete’s Greens and Hazendale
Butternut Squash – Rockville Market
Yellow Onions – Hazendale
Garlic – Golden Russet
Tomatoes – Savage Gardens
Black Turtle Beans – Island View
Sunflower Oil – Rainville Farms
Honey – Bee Haven
Cornmeal – Butterworks Farm
All-Purpose Flour – Nitty Gritty Grain Company
Milk – Monument Farms
Buttermilk – Organic Valley (milk is regional)
Eggs – Blue Heron
Meg Klepack was down at the Intervale in the second half of the day leading our other work party, harvesting carrots and beets at Intervale Community Farm for the Food Shelf. I think a lot of people were touched by the local foods message in some way yesterday, be it by cooking, eating, or harvesting. It’s on days like this where I realize our co-op is so much more than just a “grocery store.”
Black Bean & Butternut Squash Chili
2 cups dried black beans (about 6 cups cooked)
3 Tbs. oil
2 yellow onions
3 garlic cloves
1 ½ tsp. salt (plus more to taste)
1 Tbs. chili powder
2 tsp. ground cumin
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground coriander
3 cups butternut squash, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces (1 small butternut squash)
1 bay leaf
2 ½ cups broth (combination water, bean cooking liquid, or homemade stock)
2 medium, fresh tomatoes (or one 15-oz can, diced)
3 cups coarsely chopped Swiss chard leaves
Soak black turtle beans in 3x the amount of water overnight, or for 8 hours. (Or, do a quick-soak: Bring beans and 3x the amount of water to a boil, turn off heat, and soak, covered, for 1-2 hours.) Rinse beans and place in a large pot with 3x the amount of fresh water. Bring to a boil and cook, partially covered, for 1 hour or until beans are tender.
Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté until tender and golden. Add garlic, salt, and spices and sauté 1-2 minutes more. Add butternut squash, bay leaf, broth, tomatoes with juices, and black beans and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until the squash is tender, about 15 minutes. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt as necessary. Stir in chard and simmer until chard is tender but still bright green, about 2 minutes. Ladle into bowls and serve with optional chili accompaniments like sour cream, fresh cilantro or scallions, etc. Serves 6.
Adapted from epicurious.com
Northern Cornbread
1 1/4 cups stone-ground cornmeal
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
2/3 cup milk
2/3 cup buttermilk
1 Tbs. honey
2-3 Tbs. melted butter or oil
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Grease a 9x9-inch pan or a 12-muffin pan or line the muffin pan with paper cups. Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together the eggs, milk and buttermilk. Now combine both bowls and mix just until moistened. Fold in the butter or oil.
Scrape the batter into the pan and tilt (if using a square pan) to spread evenly. Bake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean, 10 to 12 minutes in a muffin pan, 20 to 25 minutes in a square pan.
Adapted from The Joy of Cooking
Serving up local cornbread.
We made chili and cornbread using all ingredients grown in Vermont (minus the spices). It was really good. We also taste-tested a variety of heirloom varieties of apples grown on Scott Farm in Dummerston and played "guess that root vegetable?" (a great game for people new to cooking...or new to Vermont!) Afterward, we carried the giant vat of chili and the tray of cornbread down to the front of the store, where we gave out about 60 samples and recipes to shoppers and spread the word about the 350 movement.
Participants in our work party cooked an all-local lunch and sampled out the recipes in front of City Market.
I made a list of the farms our ingredients came from. It was a pretty impressive list:
Swiss Chard – Pete’s Greens and Hazendale
Butternut Squash – Rockville Market
Yellow Onions – Hazendale
Garlic – Golden Russet
Tomatoes – Savage Gardens
Black Turtle Beans – Island View
Sunflower Oil – Rainville Farms
Honey – Bee Haven
Cornmeal – Butterworks Farm
All-Purpose Flour – Nitty Gritty Grain Company
Milk – Monument Farms
Buttermilk – Organic Valley (milk is regional)
Eggs – Blue Heron
Meg Klepack was down at the Intervale in the second half of the day leading our other work party, harvesting carrots and beets at Intervale Community Farm for the Food Shelf. I think a lot of people were touched by the local foods message in some way yesterday, be it by cooking, eating, or harvesting. It’s on days like this where I realize our co-op is so much more than just a “grocery store.”
Black Bean & Butternut Squash Chili
2 cups dried black beans (about 6 cups cooked)
3 Tbs. oil
2 yellow onions
3 garlic cloves
1 ½ tsp. salt (plus more to taste)
1 Tbs. chili powder
2 tsp. ground cumin
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground coriander
3 cups butternut squash, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces (1 small butternut squash)
1 bay leaf
2 ½ cups broth (combination water, bean cooking liquid, or homemade stock)
2 medium, fresh tomatoes (or one 15-oz can, diced)
3 cups coarsely chopped Swiss chard leaves
Soak black turtle beans in 3x the amount of water overnight, or for 8 hours. (Or, do a quick-soak: Bring beans and 3x the amount of water to a boil, turn off heat, and soak, covered, for 1-2 hours.) Rinse beans and place in a large pot with 3x the amount of fresh water. Bring to a boil and cook, partially covered, for 1 hour or until beans are tender.
Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté until tender and golden. Add garlic, salt, and spices and sauté 1-2 minutes more. Add butternut squash, bay leaf, broth, tomatoes with juices, and black beans and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until the squash is tender, about 15 minutes. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt as necessary. Stir in chard and simmer until chard is tender but still bright green, about 2 minutes. Ladle into bowls and serve with optional chili accompaniments like sour cream, fresh cilantro or scallions, etc. Serves 6.
Adapted from epicurious.com
Northern Cornbread
1 1/4 cups stone-ground cornmeal
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
2/3 cup milk
2/3 cup buttermilk
1 Tbs. honey
2-3 Tbs. melted butter or oil
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Grease a 9x9-inch pan or a 12-muffin pan or line the muffin pan with paper cups. Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together the eggs, milk and buttermilk. Now combine both bowls and mix just until moistened. Fold in the butter or oil.
Scrape the batter into the pan and tilt (if using a square pan) to spread evenly. Bake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean, 10 to 12 minutes in a muffin pan, 20 to 25 minutes in a square pan.
Adapted from The Joy of Cooking