Grazing with Fran.
I spent Monday of this week with Fran Busa at his beautiful farm in Lexington, MA. We wandered through the fields, grazing as we went. Eating the freshest cucumbers, beans, peppers and corn you can find. The corn came right off the stalk and we ate it raw; it was perfectly crisp and sweet. Of course, nothing beats an ear of corn that's been coated in a metric ton of melted butter, but this was amazing. The taste and the experience sang of summer. This photo of him was taken right before he said "Damn. That's good."
Fran and his family have been farming in Lexington since the 1920's. They grow just about everything New England has to offer an you have been seeing the beautiful bounty of their efforts in your shares this summer. They care for the land and for the products because as Fran says:
"We eat what we grow and we live where we grow it". It was such a joy to be seeing the products we offer you at their source and the passion Fran and his family put into growing them. Thanks for the love, Fran.
If you love Fran and his veggies, come enjoy them on some pizza and drink some local beers at the In Season Pizza and Beer night!
Join us for all you can eat pizza, beer, and ice cream on Thursday, August 16th! Doors open at 6:30 pm but food will be served throughout the night until 9 pm.
The pizza is made from scratch with fresh ingredients sourced from Family Dinner.
Tickets include:
- All you can eat pizza
- All you can eat salad
- 2 Beers from Idle Hands
- Ice Cream Bar
More info and tickets available here!
WHAT'S IN THE BAG?
Omnivore Protein - Half Chicken from Feather Brook Farms ;Garlic Quark from Brookford Farm
Pescatarian Protein - Haddock from Red's Best; Garlic Quark from Brookford Farm
Vegetarian Protein - Pulled "Pork" from Plant Deli; Garlic Quark from Brookford Farm
Paleo Proteins - Half Chicken from Feather Brook Farms; Eggs from Brookford Farm
Fruits and Veggies - Corn, Romaine Lettuce, Carrots and Tomatoes from Busa Farm
Grain - Pizza Dough from Forge Baking Co
Special Treat - Mini Treats from Forge Baking Co
WHOLE SHARE
Omnivore Protein - Whole Chicken from Feather Brook Farms ; Eggs and Garlic Quark from Brookford Farm
Pescatarian Protein - Haddock and Striper Nuggets (fry me!) from Red's Best; Eggs and Garlic Quark from Brookford Farm
Vegetarian Protein - Pulled "Pork" from Plant Deli; Ravioli from Valicenti Pasta; Eggs and Garlic Quark from Brookford Farm
Paleo Proteins - Ground Beef from Feather Brook Farms; Salmon from Red's Best, Eggs from Brookford Farm
Fruits and Veggies - Peaches, Corn, Romaine Lettuce, Carrots and Tomatoes from Busa Farm; Potatoes from Brookford Farm
Grain - Pizza Dough from Forge Baking Co
Special Treat - Mini Treats from Forge Baking Co
DOUBLE SHARE
Omnivore Protein - Whole Chicken and Steak from Feather Brook Farms; Yogurt, Eggs and Garlic Quark from Brookford Farm
Pescatarian Protein - Sushi Grade Tuna; Haddock and Striper Nuggets (fry me!) from Red's Best; Eggs and Garlic Quark from Brookford Farm
Fruits and Veggies - Berries, Peaches, Corn, Romaine Lettuce, Carrots and Tomatoes from Busa Farm; Kale and Potatoes from Brookford Farm
Grain - Pizza Dough from Forge Baking Co and Ravioli from Valicenti Pasta
Special Treat - Mini Treats from Forge Baking Co; Chocolate from Taza Chocolate
RECIPES
Raw Corn Salad: If you want to skip the butter; this salad is a beautiful side for anything grilled. If you have feta kicking around from last week its a nice touch, but not necessary. Avocado is a lovely addition. You could spread quark on bread an use this as a bruschetta.
BBQ Chicken and Corn Pizza: I love all pizza, but this one is a dream. If you need me, I'll be drooling all over my desk. The Plant Deli pulled pork would shine in this as well.
Simple Roast Chicken Yes, we understand that its hotter than the core of the Earth outside and that the item of turning on the oven makes you want to cry actual tears but if you suck it up for an hour, you will have chicken you can use all week. For example, in that dream boat of a pizza, above.
Pan Roasted Haddock with Mustard Cream Sauce: Mustard and fish seem like an odd couple but the sauces adds a welcome punch to the dish.
Caesar Salad: We can't help ourselves. Whenever there's romaine, we are pulling out this recipe. Its just so damn good. Anchovies, Garlic and mustard. Pucker up, people. Here's a video of April Bloomfield walking us through her preparation. Everything is better in British.
Cooking with Forge Baking Co.
These guys are Masters and their pizza dough is incredible. We asked Jen Park, one of the owners, how to prep the dough. She sent us her "extremely detailed instructions" and we are grateful:
Take dough out of the fridge an hour
before you want to bake (move the dough from the freezer to the fridge the day before you want to bake). Keep it wrapped and let it expand in a warm spot for an hour.
If using a sheet pan:
Preheat the oven to 500*
Use your hands to coat a cookie sheet in lots of olive oil. Unwrap the dough onto the oiled pan and use your well-oiled hands to pat the dough into an oval. Gently push the edges of the dough outwards, following the shape of the pan until the dough reaches the size and shape you want. If you feel resistance, let the dough rest for 10-15 minutes and try again. Use lots of oil (it's delicious) and gentle pressure - don't tear the dough!
Top the dough with salt and pepper and then spread out the toppings of your choice. Lower the oven to 450*. Bake until the edges of the crust look brown and the cheese (if applicable) is melted. For a crispier crust, bake just the dough for 5 minutes before adding any toppings.
If using a pizza stone:
Preheat the oven and stone to 500*
Flour a counter or the peel very well and flour your hands. Unwrap the dough ball onto the floured surface and pat into a flat round. Add more flour if you feel stickiness. Shaping on the peel (or whatever surface you will slide the dough off of) use gentle outward pressure on the edges of the dough to reach the desired shape. If you feel any resistance, cover the dough and let it rest for 10-15 minutes and try again. Don't let the dough tear. Before adding any toppings check to make sure that the dough slides freely on the peel. Add more flour as necessary.
Brush off any excess flour and oil the entire top of the dough with olive oil. Add salt and pepper and any toppings. Slide the dough onto the hot pizza stone and lower the oven to 450*. Bake until crust is brown and cheese is melted. For a crispier crust, bake the dough for 5 minutes before adding any toppings beside oil and seasoning.
TIPS AND TRICKS
Don't Throw That Away I'll Eat It!
In this week's edition of DTTAIEI; carrot tops.
Don't toss those in the compost just yet! The bright green mane that tops your carrots can be cut off, stored in plastic with a damp cloth the way you would other herbs or delicate greens. Use them as a garnish in your fish dishes, on your salads or go whole hog and make a pesto out of them. They can also be the star of the dish like with this recipe for Chickpea and Carrot Top salad.