One Cozy Place.
Good Morning!
A few notes:
- Today is the last day for Holiday Roasts! You can still add Whole Chickens from Tad at Feather Brook Farm, but today is the last day for lamb, pork, and beef!
- New Add-on alert! Broth from 5 Way Foods has just been added to the store. This local "Real Broth Brewed Right" is available in Beef, Chicken, Vegetable, and Seafood Varieties. Your holidays just got.... brothier? Anyway, it's delicious!
- We WILL BE DELIVERING on Saturday, 12/26 and Tuesday, 12/29. If you wish to skip those days, please do so in advance - it's a HUGE help to us!!
Have a wonderful day,
Erin + Tim
One Cozy Place.
The first time I walked into Magic Bites Bakery, it was an unseasonably grey and chilly afternoon. I had spent the morning at a farm; learning, watching, helping out when I wasn't too clumsy to ruin something. My overalls were wet and muddy. I am afraid to say I looked and smelled like the rear end of a cow.
I spied the bakery out of the passenger side window and slowed to a crawl, like in an 80's movie where the creepy guy with the ridiculous hair sees a beautiful woman walking down the street. I had been wanting to go to this place for months, and here it was! Cow manure cologne be damned! I was going in.
Walking into the bakery was an instant escape from the dreary landscape outside. The smells, the bubbling pots, piles of fresh stuffed pide at the counter.
I spoke with Elif and Atilla Ozkefeli, pictured, about Family Dinner and my hope to feature their products in our shares. They were gracious enough to ignore the hideousness of my general appearance, pointed me to a small chair, and invited me to sit.
They brought samples of their beautiful meze; hummus; muhammara and haydari. There was a bowl of vegan lentil soup that nuzzled its way into my heart and coaxed feeling back into my fingers and toes. A pide, a hand rolled dough stuffed with cheese and herbs that was impossibly delicious. (Confession: they gave me one to bring home for Tim. It lasted 60 seconds in the truck. Sorry, Tim.)
It was the epitome of casual, sincere hospitality.
They explained their cooking style; only fresh, natural ingredients baked every day. Elif as the chef, Atilla running the front of house and being the Sampler in Chief.
Atilla explains:
"It’s a tradition for us to have good food and that’s why we love eating healthy food. For us, everything should be cooked/baked from scratch with healthy ingredients. Following our move to US back in 2015 as a family, the tradition and hobby of food, cooking, and baking become a lifestyle and business.
We make healthy, tasty, authentic, homemade Mediterranean dips, salads, and spreads called Mezes, cooked food with fresh, natural, high quality ingredients with no preservatives, no additives, and no mixtures. Like eating from grandma's kitchen, all made with a little bit of love and magic. We care what we serve, we care who we serve.
As time goes by with new inventions and technology, unfortunately people eat more processed and unnatural food which threatens our health and future. So bringing healthy food to our beloved customers is investing in our own future also."
And when I told Atilla we would be having ground beef this week; he and Elif wanted to share a recipe with you--Izmir Kofte, Turkish Meatballs--below.
I bet it tastes like it was made in Grandma's kitchen, with a little bit of magic and love.
WHAT'S IN THE BAG?
Note: If you order a "Meat and Fish Share" you will just receive the meats listed, not the "dairy" items (eggs, yogurt etc). If you order a "Fish and Seafood Share" you will receive the fish listed, and not the dairy items.
Add-on Grain of the Week - Crackers from Brewer's Crackers
Add-on Bread of the Week - Sourdough from Forge
Add-on Pastry of the Week - Croissants from Forge
HALF SHARE
Omnivore Protein - Ground Beef from Feather Brook Farms; Feta from Balfour Farm
Pescatarian Protein - Sea Bass from Red's Best; Feta from Balfour Farm
Vegetarian Proteins - Lentil Fingers from Magic Bites; Feta from Balfour Farm
Paleo Proteins - Ground Beef and Eggs from Feather Brook Farm
Fruits and Veggies - Beets from Brookford Farm; Lettuce Mix from Queen's Greens; Carrots from Langwater and Clark Farms; Napa Cabbage from Brookford Farm
Grain - Pizza Dough from A&J King
Special Treat - Vanilla Short Bread Cookies from A&J King Bakery
WHOLE SHARE
Omnivore Protein - Ground Beef from Feather Brook Farm; Feta from Balfour Farm; Sea Bass from Red's Best; Hummus from Magic Bites
Pescatarian Protein - Sea Bass and Red Fish from Red's Best; Feta from Balfour Farm; Hummus from Magic Bites
Vegetarian Proteins - Lentil Fingers and Hummus from Magic Bites; Feta from Balfour Farm; Tempeh from Rhapsody Foods
Paleo Proteins - Ground Beef and Eggs from Feather Brook Farm; Sea Bass from Red's Best
Fruits and Veggies - Beets from Brookford Farm; Lettuce Mix from Queen's Greens; Carrots from Langwater and Clark Farms; Napa Cabbage from Brookford Farm; Oyster Mushrooms from Mycoterra; Sweet Potatoes from Laughing Child Farm
Grain - Pizza Dough from A&J King
Special Treat - Vanilla Short Bread Cookies and Chocolate Croissant from A&J King Bakery
DOUBLE SHARE
Omnivore Protein - Ground Beef from Feather Brook Farm; Feta from Balfour Farm; Sea Bass from Red's Best; Hummus from Magic Bites; Pork Chops from Brookford Farm; Eggs from Feather Brook Farm
Pescatarian Protein - Sea Bass, Haddock, and Red Fish from Red's Best; Feta from Balfour Farm; Hummus from Magic Bites; Eggs from Feather Brook Farm
Vegetarian Proteins - Vegan Loukaniko Sausage from Littleburg (amazing on pizza!), Lentil Fingers and Hummus from Magic Bites; Feta from Balfour Farm; Tempeh from Rhapsody Foods; Eggs from Feather Brook Farm
Paleo Proteins - Ground Beef and Eggs from Feather Brook Farm; Sea Bass from Red's Best; Pork Chops from Brookford Farm
Fruits and Veggies - Beets from Brookford Farm; Lettuce Mix from Queen's Greens; Carrots from Langwater and Clark Farms; Napa Cabbage from Brookford Farm; Oyster Mushrooms from Mycoterra; Sweet Potatoes from Laughing Child Farm; Apples from Kimball Fruit Farm; Onions from Clark Farm
Grain - Pizza Dough from A&J King; Granola from Forge
Special Treat - Vanilla Short Bread Cookies and Chocolate Croissant from A&J King Bakery
RECIPES
Winter Vegetable Pizza - Shannon sleuthed this one out for you!
Izmir Köfte - Turkish Meatballs In Tomato Sauce
This is a popular meatball and vegetable casserole that can either be cooked on the stove top or baked in the oven.
It makes a complete main course served with plain white rice or a slice of crusty bread. This recipe serves 4-5 people with 45-60 minutes cooking time.
INGREDIENTS
1lb ground beef
2 medium onions, grated (don’t use the juice )
2 slices of stale bread, soaked in water and squeezed dry or ½ cup of plain bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten
1 bunch finely chopped parsley
6-7 pieces of garlic cloves, squeezed
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
A bowl of water for kneading köfte / wetting hands
1lb medium Yukon gold potatoes, sliced like thin apple quadrants
3 medium cubanelle peppers, deseeded and sliced
5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1lb of chopped tomatoes, or 1 can of diced tomatoes
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 cup water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 180° C / 350° F
Discard the crusts of the bread, soak in the water and squeeze dry or use the bread crumbs. Then crumble them into a large bowl. Add all the köfte ingredients and knead well until everything is mixed evenly and the texture resembles a soft dough. With wet hands, take a piece the size of a large walnut and roll into a large finger shape about 1 inch thick. Continue until all the mixture is used. The meatballs can now be covered and stored in the fridge until required.
In an oven dish, create layers with the potatoes and the meatballs. On top, add the chopped tomatoes, mix water with tomato paste and olive oil, stir well and pour it on the meatballs and potatoes.
On top, decorate with sliced peppers and tomatoes.
Season with salt and pepper and mix well. Cover it with a lid or foil and bake in the oven for about 40-50 minutes, remove the lid/foil and bake for another 10 minutes or until the peppers and tomato slices get some crust.
Serve hot, with plain rice or some crusty bread by the side. Enjoy….