Organic Italian Flatbreads

Flatbreads, like a frittata, are a perfect blank canvas for fresh, seasonal fare. The flatbread featured above was the opening course at Guerrilla Dining 2011, though, in truth, it was so good and so filling that it could have served as the entire meal. The cookbook that originally inspired me to make flatbreads suggested serving them alone, with just a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt, or with sliced melons and figs, which I did not have available in my garden at the time. The author of Italian Country Cooking also suggested serving flatbreads with big dollops of ricotta, which, as you can see, I did.

I made the ricotta cheese on the stove the night before my dinner party. Knowing that I wouldn't have time to make the flatbreads as guests were arriving, I rolled out and cooked them earlier in the morning and then wrapped them in aluminum foil. Just before serving, I was able to reheat the flatbreads in the oven at 400 degrees for about 5 minutes, and then my friend Greta helped me plate and serve.

Assembly was easy: one flatbread (pre-cut into sixths for easy handling), a generous helping of freshly chopped cucumbers (see blog on Kooky Cukes), just-picked green onions and chives, and sprinkles of kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. This was all finished with a drizzle of olive oil around the edge of the plate.

Call these organic, farm-fresh, gourmet nachos, if you will! I am already looking forward to June and to making this starter all summer long. It's a light and refreshingly cool treat that beats the heat.

For the flatbread recipe I used, visit the Washington Post. (I do recommend, however, that you use organic flour and olive oil... of course!)

You can also top with store-bought ricotta, or, if you're feeling more adventurous, keep checking back to Pocket Square Farm for my upcoming "courses" in beginning cheese-making! I promise, it's not as hard as you think!

Farm Fresh Frittata

Long, long ago (well, not too long ago, but back in the day when I was a fresh-faced newlywed with little experience in the kitchen or garden), when it came time to hostess a dinner party, I would sift through my brand new, shiny cookbooks, admiring the pretty stylized pictures, and I selected menus based on what I felt like eating and serving in the moment. Or... just based on what I thought I could possibly pull off without poisoning anyone or burning the house down.

Ten years and one major garden obsession later, my priorities have changed. These days when I look up recipes online, I tend to be asking myself, "How many cups of zucchini can I hide in this recipe?" or "I really need to use up some of that lime juice I have on hand!" or "What can I make from two dozen eggs and a basketful of tomatoes and basil?" Disposal--not desire--is the key to recipe selection here at Pocket Square Farm.

Unfortunately, this often results in comments such as:

Husband: "Does this make the 9th night in a row we're eating eggplant?" or

Kids: "What is this green stuff again, Mommy? Do we HAVE to eat it?"

Sometimes the results are, well... less than blog-worthy.

Fortunately, this recipe (which I served at Guerilla Dining last August) was fantastic. And, yes, it even used up those two dozen eggs and many of the aforementioned tomatoes.

Frittata is a word I would have been terrified of in my past life. However, when I found this recipe in the book that inspired my Italian Country Cooking theme, I was pretty sure it was something I could handle. I changed the recipe slightly to incorporate more fresh ingredients from Pocket Square Farm.

The beauty of a frittata is that you can choose to use any fresh, seasonal veggies, herbs, and/or cheeses you have on hand. For example, if I was planning a fritatta for dinner this week, I would incorporate swiss chard, green onions, parsley, and some grated parmesan cheese I have left over from last night's pasta. Feel like Mexican? Try fresh corn and grilled bell peppers seasoned with chopped cilantro and a dollop of sour cream. Same process; different flavor!

Farm Fresh Frittata

Ingredients:

• Farm fresh eggs (1-2 per person you plan to serve, or as many as will fit in your pan)
• 2-3 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
• 3 Tbs. freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 1-2 Tbs. chopped flat-leaf Italian parsley
• small handful of basil leaves, washed and torn
• 1/2 lb. fresh mozzarella cheese (I made this the night before... more on cheese-making later)
• a few firm yet ripe tomatoes, thinly sliced
• kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions:

• Heat the oil in a 9-12 inch oven-save frying pan set over medium low heat.
• Meanwhile, in a separate bowl combine eggs, parmesan, parsley, basil and some salt and pepper (not too much; you can add more later).
• Pour mixture into pan and cook approximately five minutes, until the bottom half of the eggs have set (test with a fork before you move on to the next step).
• Remove the pan from heat. Arrange sliced tomatoes and thinly sliced mozzarella cheese over the top of the egg mixture. Don't be alarmed if they sink in a little. Sprinkle with additional salt and pepper. Place under broiler until cheese is bubbly and melty and eggs are set, about 3-5 minutes.
• Check to be sure eggs are cooked throughout the frittata before removing from oven completely. Let stand for a few minutes so that the melted cheese can firm up. Slice into wedges to serve!

Although I served small slices of this dish as one of many courses at a dinner party, it would do equally well at a breakfast or brunch entirely by itself. Reheated frittata also makes a nice lunch treat! Get creative with your ingredients and who knows--farm fresh frittatas may become one of your family's favorites.

Magic Beans

If you are a returning visitor to Pocket Square Farm, you may remember that I hosted my 2nd annual Guerilla Dining experience in my backyard last August.

Yes, August. True, August is but a distant memory of balmy evenings spent lazily dining out back under the softly glowing lights. My yard now looks nothing like it did for this event [4 months ago]. Shrubs jut from the ground at sharp angles, victims of my recent pruning bonanza. Graceful tendrils and young grapevine shoots, which once wound themselves delicately along the strings of lights, now hang desperately, arthritic, callused, and crackly against the visible cords and wiring. Their leaves have dried and fallen and blown away. Beneath them, the lawn is less grass and more mud, soggy and dry at the same time. It's not a pretty sight.

So it doesn't seem right--in fact, it feels almost cruel--to speak now of summer dishes, of produce plucked right from the abundant beds and grilled or baked or steamed within hours (and feet) of their harvest. However, I really do feel compelled to share these recipes with you before I can continue down my blogging path, so here we go.

Let's start with the easiest dish I served at Guerilla Dining 2011: the beans.

These are not just any beans; they are magic beans.

No, that is not their scientific name. My children actually came up with this nickname for them. Their true name is Trionfo Violetto, an heirloom pole bean. This is an image of the seed packet I picked up at my local nursery just because the purple color caught my eye, and I wanted to give it a try. I have done several other varieties of green and yellow pole and bush beans in the past, but I am always interested in a little something new.

"Would they really be this purple?" I wondered.

Yep, they are!

Aren't these beautiful? I brought a bowl of the beans out to the dining table to show my guests before steaming them inside because (and herein lies the "magic" part) they actually change color when they are cooked. Yes, indeed. Apply just a little heat and these beans turn right back to boring old green, just like any other bean. Post-steaming, I returned the bowl of beans back to the guests to show them the difference, only to receive gasps and oohs and ahhs over the difference! Personally, I wish they would just stay purple. Isn't it so much prettier?

If you're looking to add a little more color to your veggie patch this spring, I would definitely recommend this variety. A few things to keep in mind, however.

• First, runners on these beans are monstrous! I planted them around poles that were 8 feet tall, and they surpassed the tops and kept on running! I estimate they grew to about 15 feet in height altogether, so be sure you give them lots of vertical space for climbing.
• Also, when these things start to produce, they are fast and furious. It seemed to me that the harvest was more of a one-shot deal over a couple of weeks, rather than some steadier producers like "Blue Lake" or "Kentucky Wonder." For best results (unless you're planning for a large dinner party) I would recommend succession planting over a period of about a month.
• Sadly, these plants also seemed rather disease-prone (like so many heirlooms). Maybe it's just that I'm so near the ocean, but near the end of the harvest the plants became covered with a sticky, white substance (powdery mildew?) that made the beans inedible. I had to pull and toss the remaining plants. Be sure, if you try this variety, to place it in a warm, sunny locale that won't receive too much moisture.
• Finally, if you want to enjoy the unique violet coloring, serve raw!

I will most likely plant these again this spring. I just can't resist that amethyst color. If you're like me, spending cold winter nights indoors dreaming of spring planting, you might want to add these to your 2012 garden plan!

Two Seasons Too Late...

It's been so long since I last blogged that I hardly know where to begin.

How about an algebraic equation?

Okay, so you haven't done math for awhile. You don't remember the order of operations? That's okay. Stick with me here.

If...

t=harried teacher

s= 4th grade student

p= minutes of planning time per week lost to budget cuts

o= my own offspring at home

c=a computer on the fritz

b=raised beds

h= hens/husband (Yes, I did just put them under the same variable!)

...then imagine my life lately as something like this:

4 months x [(t x 35s - 90p)/(o•2 +c+8b+5h)]= zero postings since August

You're right. My mathematics may not be true to form, but as I tell my students, "I don't really care how you do it--as long as you get the right answer!"

Don't quote me on that.

Anyways, I assure you [in case you wondered or even cared] that Pocket Square Farm is alive and well. The hens are thriving through the winter days (they've really suffered this week with all the 80 degree weather, I tell ya'), I've got an early jump on spring in several of my raised beds, and we just enjoyed our first PSF fruit harvest (more on that later).

I really want to share with you some "farm-themed field trips" I enjoyed over the summer.

I've also found some great new recipes and urban farming tips to blog about. Last but not least, Christmas unveiled many new Fave Farm Things to plug... and one new looming object of desire (just wait... it's NOT what you expect).

So, back to that original, jumbled formula.

Add in to that chaotic equation: two weeks of winter vacation (ahhhhhh) and [drumroll]...

...a brand new iMac that ACTUALLY WORKS!

I know. Sigh.

Whether you've been waiting around for me since August or are just visiting Pocket Square Farm for the first time, I hope you'll put on your work apron (or pour yourself a glass of wine, whichever suits your fancy), bookmark me, and stop by once in awhile.

This urban farm girl is finally back to her blog.

Guerilla Dining 2011

Last year I hosted my very first Guerilla Dining experience at Pocket Square Farm.

It wasn't really something I intended to do. Until I read Barbara Kingsolver's book, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, that is. I have always loved Kingsolver's literary prowess. But now I love her contributions to the farm to table movement. She inspired me to start Pocket Square Farm.

My experimentation as a Guerilla Dining chef last year went reasonably well. My guests (the lovely ladies of my book club) seemed to enjoy their evening; I decided to do it again this year. In the spirit of self-improvement, I tried to plan a meal almost entirely from PSF produce that also fit my theme of Cucina Povera. I admit that I may have bitten off more than I could chew, but I was still reasonably happy with most of the Italian Country courses I served that night.

Actually, I have so much I want to tell you about Cucina Povera; I will have to save that discussion for another blog. The concept of Cucina Povera is centuries old, yet it is more pertinent than ever in today's environmental and economic times.

In the meantime, let me tell you about one of my other greatest inspirations (aside from Barbara Kingsolver). Her name is Greta. Greta is a member of my book club. She is truly amazing. I want to be her when I grow up. Wait... is it too late for that? Greta is the one who encouraged me to start a blog. If you visit her blog, you might begin to understand the depths of my adulation.

Anyway, Greta was once again a guest at my PSF Guerilla Dining Event this year. Despite the fact that she is incredibly busy with four beautiful children (including a new baby), her home, and her blog, she managed to post about it before I did.

Please, if you have a moment, click here to view her very generous commentary and gorgeous photography about that night. (Someday, I'm going to have her teach me how to really take pictures.)

I, in turn, will start posting the recipes.

"Famley" Breakfast, Part 2

If you've recently read about Mother's Day Brunch at PSF, you might remember that I mentioned blueberries.

No, there were no blueberries in the strata.

And the underwear fairy didn't serve them, either.

I did, however, happen to have a lot of blueberries in my garden that week.

I also happen to know that they were just itching to be turned into muffins. Blueberry muffins are my favorite muffins. I realize that they are the most common and mundane muffins you can find, but I love them nonetheless. Particularly with a steaming cup of coffee. But only when they are done right. They have to be light and fluffy. They definitely cannot be heavy or oily. And if they don't have streusel... well, if they don't have streusel they aren't really blueberry muffins at all.

Okay, I may be a blueberry muffin snob. Sorry. I hope you won't think less of me.

Anyways, I needed to find a muffin recipe that was worthy of my organically grown, hand-picked, worth-their-weight-in-gold blueberries. (If you've grown blueberries yourself you know what I mean!) I think this one from allrecipes.com fit the bill. It was pure blueberry bliss!

Yum.

Yum!

YUM!

I think the vanilla, lemon zest, fresh blueberries, and PSF eggs gave it a little something special. And the streusel was just right.

I give this recipe two green thumbs up!

"Famley" Breakfast, Part 1

This year I wanted to do something special for my mom for Mother's Day.

I mean, I try to do something special for her every year. She does deserve it for putting up with me. And I'm not just talking about when I was a child.

But she already has so much stuff: a beautiful house, a closet full of clothes, vacations galore, and time on her hands. She's getting to be hard to shop for these days, and besides, I'm trying to get away from shopping and stuff in general. As I get older (and my kids get bigger and my house gets smaller) I find myself striving to become a minimalist. Do you ever feel like that, too?

Quality time together and good food shared amongst friends, however, always make great gifts in my book. So for Mother's Day, I gave my mom a gift certificate for brunch at Pocket Square Farm. Because May and June were busy months for us, she redeemed her coupon later in the summer.

When I give the gift of a Pocket Square Farm meal, I always try to grow a lot of the ingredients myself. I can't say that I produced all of the ingredients, but I did center the menu around what I had growing seasonally right outside my door: eggs, zucchini, strawberries, and blueberries.

Mason did the decorating while I did the cooking while Camille rummaged around in the dress-up basket while my husband set up the backyard. This production was truly a "famley" affair.

Mason decorated our chalkboard to welcome guests.

My husband set the table with fresh strawberries from the garden.

I got busy in the kitchen whipping up a brunch strata.

I found a recipe online for this Brunch Strata at allrecipes.com. It was perfect for me because it called for 3 cups of zucchini and 12 eggs, which I happened to have on hand. I love to serve stratas for brunch when I know I will have a busy morning; stratas are so easy to make ahead (even the night before) so you can just pop it into the oven and appear to be casually sipping a mimosa when guests arrive. It gives the illusion that you weren't just running around the house ten minutes prior like a crazy person, shouting out orders and stuffing errant toys into every available nook and cranny of your tiny house. Ah, the art of harried hostess pretense.

The Brunch Strata recipe requires that you saute, drain, and pat dry the veggies...

...before adding the eggs and wet ingredients.

The finished strata comes out golden brown.

This recipe makes two full 11 x 7 x 2 inch casserole dishes, so you can serve a big crowd with little effort. We were eating strata for days afterward, and no one was complaining about having leftovers again... and again... and again!

While we dined in the backyard beneath the towering Mercurial Milkweeds, we suddenly [and unexpectedly] were visited by none other than... the underwear fairy!

None of us expected live entertainment during this Belated Mother's Day Brunch!

My mother may have enjoyed her time with the underwear fairy as much as she liked the strata. Regardless, as I'm not one to suggest flitting around with panties on your head, I will say that this strata is one worth trying!