Tag Archive for greenmarket

FFF | July 8, 2010
One comment

Greenmarket Gourmet: Apple & Zucchini Tartine

I have a new love interest that I’m excited to announce, Tartines! Maybe it’s the fact that i’m cooking french food all the time, or that I get so many fresh baguettes from school my freezer is filling up, either way, Tartines are my new go-to lunch choice. Essentially a french open-faced sandwich, Tartine’s can be served hot or cold and can be sweet, savory, or a little of both.

I happen to enjoy them with sweet and savory ingredients melted under the broiler so that the bread is crisp and the cheese, which I always use, is melty and golden. The beauty of these little treats is that you can make them from whatever you have lying around in your fridge or pantry, and they take just a few minutes to prepare. Plus, they look so much more elegant than typical sandwiches.

When I visited the NYBG Greenmarket last week I picked up some sweet Ida Red Apples from the Red Jacket Orchards and these curiously pale green Mediterranean Zucchini from Gajeski Farms.  I had originally thought of making an apple and zucchini tart, but I was short on time and making a pie crust wasn’t in the cards.  Instead the idea of combining these bright and sweet flavored ingredients with the salty and spicy Monterrey Hot Jack Cheese I bought from Millport Dairy sounded like the perfect Tartine.  To top it all off I drizzled some honey to enrich the sweetness of the fruit and sprinkled some chopped basil to give it a clean, fresh finish.  Not only did this come out beautiful, the flavors were so crisp!

I encourage you to give this recipe a try, but feel free to get creative.  If you don’t have apples or zucchini’s, think about using pears or substituting another cheese like brie.  One of my other favorite Tartine’s is simply brie and brown sugar on a piece of bread melted under the broiler, so delicious.

Have fun and bon appetit!

Apple and Zucchini Tartine

Makes 4 Tartines

Ingredients

  • 1/2 apple, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 zucchini, thinly sliced
  • Lemon juice
  • EVOO
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Monterrey jack cheese, thinly sliced
  • 4 slices of french bread, about 1/2 a baguette
  • Honey
  • Basil, to garnish

Directions

  1. Turn on your broiler.
  2. Lightly coat each slice of bread with a little EVOO and place under the broiler 30 seconds, or until lightly toasted.
  3. Place the sliced apples and zucchini in a bowl and lightly coat with some lemon juice and EVOO.  Season with salt and pepper.
  4. Begin assembling the Tartines by layering slices of apple, zucchini, and cheese in a repeating pattern on top of the toasted baguette slices.
  5. Place the Tartines back under the broiler and cook until the cheese starts to bubble and brown.  Keep a close eye on them as they can burn quickly!
  6. Drizzle the Tartines with honey and top with chopped basil.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
Category: Recipes, Seasonal | Tags: , , , ,
FFF | July 8, 2010
2 comments

Nature’s Bounty: Photo’s from The Edible Garden exhibit

Summer has brought more than hot weather to New York City, the sunshine has also welcomed The Edible Garden exhibit at the New York Botanical Gardens (NYBG) in the Bronx.  The Botanical Garden has transformed portions of its spectacular 250-acre landscape into The Edible Garden, featuring numerous vegetable gardens and multiple displays, demonstrations from food and gardening experts, celebrity appearances during four festival weekends, and exciting programs that demonstrate the bounty, economy, and nutritional value of edible plants.

I ventured uptown to the Bronx last Wednesday to explore the celebration of growing and preparing great food and was mesmerized by both the simplicity and beauty of the exhibit.  The Container Garden outside of the Haupt Conservatory (which is closed until November) featured a number of fruit and vegetable plants that were full of fresh produce.  There was also a Culinary Herb Garden, created by Martha Stewart, which filled the air with fragrances from herbs like curry plants, basil, and sage. Kids can also get in on the fun at the Children’s Vegetable Garden where they can learn how food goes from farm to table.

Wednesdays also happen to play host to a Greenmarket at the NYBG featuring fresh, locally grown produce and baked goods. While the number of vendors is nothing to compete with the Union Square Greenmarket, there was a nice variety of fruits and vegetables available for purchase. I picked up a bag full of produce, but my favorite vendor was hands down John King from Millport Dairy in Lancaster County (pictured below).  After nibbling on his assortment of cheeses I settled on the Monterrey  Hot Jack and have been enjoying it all week.

The serenity and fresh scents that surround you as you explore the gardens is something that must be experienced first hand, but I did my best to capture some of the beauty on display in the photo’s below for you to enjoy.  Understanding where our food comes from provides us with a sense of security about what we are eating, but seeing how it grows and what it’s like in the rawest of forms helps us as cooks to know how the flavors of fresh food work together.

Click on any photo below to open up the slide show:

If you are in the New York City area I highly recommend visiting this exhibit before it closes on October 17, weekday admission is less expensive than on the weekends ($10 vs $18), but you will find an impressive lineup of celebrity chef’s stopping by their kitchen stage on saturdays and sundays. To learn more about the exhibit, the NYBG, and how you can purchase tickets, visit their website at www.nybg.org/eg


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Category: Foodie Events, NYC Foodie Adventure, Seasonal | Tags: , , , , ,