A LOCAVORE'S WINTER DIARY
December
Carole Clark
ccSCOOP Guest Food Writer
Plan your traditional holiday dinner around locally raised black angus beef, premium venison, splendid pheasant, or go all out with a gala Victorian Christmas feast with the quintessential golden goose!
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For the Columbia County locavore, there are many options for holiday menu planning. Black angus beef, venison, pheasant, and goose for festive entrées can be purchased at local farms and farm outlets. Meeting the farmer who raises the animals, visiting the farm, and discussing food preparation all certainly enhance the enjoyment of the cooking and the feasting. For the vegetarian, there is still a variety of root vegetables for a delicious vegetable roast or stew and a local winter salad mix.
Beef roast is a traditional holiday entrée, and many cuts of organic, grass fed and finished black angus beef are available at Dan Gibson’s GRAZIN’ ANGUS ACRES farm in Ghent. Call ahead to consult about the type of cut and quantity you will need and to place your order: 518 392-3620. Dan recommends a standing rib roast or tenderloin for the holidays. For a complete list of products and directions to the farm, visit grazinangusacres.com. You can buy your beef directly from the farm, or you can buy it retail at The Berry Farm in Chatham, Hawthorne Valley Farm Store in Harlemville, and the Union Square Farmer’s Market in New York City. If you go to Grazin’ Angus Acres and you find no one there when you arrive, there’s a list of cell phone numbers posted on the door. Call, and the farmer will come in from the pasture to help you.
Grazin’ Angus Acres also offers farm tours by appointment. Take the tour to understand what you are buying and to learn Dan’s ideas about raising black angus cattle in a sustainable, eco-friendly environment. Grazin’ Angus Acres beef is served in the best restaurants in the county and can be featured on your table as well. Dan will consult about cooking techniques and share recipes from local chefs.
Venison is another special meat for a holiday celebration. HIGHLAND DEER FARM in Germantown sells natural farm-raised deer that graze on open pasture and eat locally grown grasses, hay, grain, and produce with no steroids, antibiotics, or hormones. Highland Farm has been selling venison to restaurants in the county and in New York City since 1989. Venison is lower in fat and cholesterol than beef, lamb, veal, and chicken. Because the meat is so lean, it has to be cooked very quickly. Highland Farm provides cooking information and recipes. I grilled venison for my guests at Charleston, and it was a favorite winter entrée. If you are creating food gift baskets or food stockings, the farm also makes venison salami that can be an unusual addition. The Highland Farm website highlanddeerfarm.com provides an extensive product list. You can place an order and have it shipped, but it’s more fun to go to the farm. The phone number at the farm is 518 537-6397.
Pheasant is a very special and delicious bird that is easy to prepare at home. Karolyn Shepard and her husband, Mark, raise pheasant, as well as chicken and black angus cattle on their farm, the PUNSIT VALLEY FARM, in Chatham. One pheasant serves two people. Call ahead to place an order: 518 392-3478. Karolyn encourages visitors and will be happy to show you around. She will gladly give cooking instructions and tell you about the preservation of her family farm. Visit the website punsitvalleyfarm.com.
For a Christmas goose, you will have to go just south of the county to QUATTRO FARM, near Millbrook in Dutchess County. Quattro Farm was the source for the goose served at my annual Victorian Christmas Feast at the Charleston. Quattro raises white Embdens geese and sells them in their farm store. The geese range in size from eight to seventeen pounds and must be preordered. For information and to order, call 845 635-2018. Years ago, the New York Times published an interesting article about geese and Quattro Farm entitled “Still Golden After All These Years,” which includes two recipes for cooking a goose. Click on the title to access the article.
Root vegetables are among the only remaining locally grown vegetables still available. The Hawthorne Valley Farm Store has carrots, parsnips, yellow and red onions, Yukon gold and red potatoes, Jerusalem artichokes, and possibly also turnips and rutabaga. Roasted root vegetables can be served as a vegetarian entrée or a side dish. |
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In addition to root vegetables, winter salad and pea shoots from Little Seed Farm can be found at the Hawthorne Valley Farm Store and The Berry Farm. The Hawthorne Valley Farm Store also has red and white cabbage and Savoy cabbage.
Enjoy your holiday food shopping and the preparation of your holiday feast!
ROOT VEGETABLE ROAST
What You’ll Need:
Large pot
Large baking pan or roaster
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons each, chopped dried tarragon and dried thyme
1 tablespoon chopped dried rosemary and dried sage
2 or more tablespoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1½ cups olive oil
6 carrots, cut into 1-inch chunks
6 parsnips, cut into 1-inch chunks
4 turnips, quartered
1 rutabaga, cut into 1-inch chunks
6 Yukon gold or red potatoes, quartered
2 cups scrubbed Jerusalem artichokes, cut into 1-inch chunks
3 onions, quartered and halved
1 small head of garlic, broken into cloves but not peeled
Vegetable oil for oiling the baking pan
Optional: Trimmed Brussel sprouts and 1-inch chunks of winter squash
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a large bowl, mix the herbs, olive oil, salt, pepper, and minced garlic. Set aside.
In a large pot, blanch the vegetables—except the onions and garlic cloves—in boiling water for 10 minutes. Drain thoroughly.
Add the garlic cloves and the onions to the drained blanched vegetables. Then combine the vegetables with the herbed, seasoned oil. Place in a large oiled baking pan.
Cover with foil. Roast in a preheated 375 degree oven until tender, about 30 to 45 minutes. Remove the foil and continue roasting until browned and crispy.
Remove skins from the garlic cloves. Add additional and salt and pepper to taste.
Serves 6
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