In case you've spent the last few weeks locked inside embroiled in a Guitar Hero marathon jam session, I should point out it's getting cold around here.  With the cold comes a shift in the types of produce available locally.  As I walk through the farmers' markets now, I see a lot more apples, onions, potatoes and turnips.  Don't get me wrong, I love apples (in fact, one of the recipes below feature apples) but nothing is more versatile than Winter squash.  Abundantly available during the infinite season of tubers (also known as Winter), Winter squash comes in over 20 varieties and can be cooked in a surprising number of ways.  From savory (soups, pastas, even pizzas) to sweet (cookies, pies and cakes), Winter squash is the go-to food for the Winter.  Even better, Winter squash is in abundance at local farmers' markets this time of year.

The categorization of squash as Winter and Summer squash is a bit of a misnomer.  Summer squashes are mainly found in the Spring and Summer, but their name is derived from their short storage periods.  Winter squash, on the other hand, can be stored for months after harvested (if kept in a cool, dry place), making them ideal for use during the Winter.  Summer squashes are usually harvested before fully ripe, giving them a softer rind and lighter colored flesh. Winter squashes have a tougher rind, making them more conducive to storing for long periods of time.  And almost as if mimicking the colors of Fall, the flesh of Winter squash come in rich yellows and oranges.  The varieties of Winter squash are broken into five main groups:  Acorn, Delicata, Spaghetti, Butternut and True Winter Squash.  Subtle differences in flavors among the varieties of Winter squash allows cooks to use them in an assortment of recipes.  To illustrate this point, I present to you Winter Squash 2 ways.  For the savory side, a delicious stuffed acorn squash and for the sweet tooth, a roasted butternut squash cheesecake.  All of the ingredients for the stuffed acorn squash were purchased at the Dupont Circle farmers' market (except the sausage, a lovely whiskey fennel I picked up at Eastern Market).

Stuffed Acorn Squash
2 large acorn squash
2 large shallots, diced
1 large granny smith (or another tart variety) apple, cored and diced
1 pound of sausage
1 tablespoon of fresh thyme, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Carefully cut each squash in half (the rind is tough, so use a good, sharp knife and be prepared to flex some muscle) and place them face down in a nonstick roasting pan.  Roast for at least one hour or until the flesh has softened.  Set the squashes aside and allow them to cool.  During the squash cooling period, heat the olive oil over medium high heat and saute the shallots and apples until softened.  Remove the shallots and apples from the pan and squeeze the sausages out of their casings and into the pan.  Cook the sausage fully and then add in the apple/shallot mixture.  Add the thyme, salt and pepper and cook for another five minutes.

When the acorn squashes have cooled, carefully scoop out their flesh while preserving their “casing”.  Add the squash flesh to the sausage mixture, stirring to incorporate it evenly.  Spoon the sausage mixture back into each acorn squash casing (there will be more than enough of the sausage mixture to evenly stuff all the acorns) and serve!

Roasted Butternut Squash Cheesecake
For the filling:
4 eight ounce packages of cream cheese, softened
1 ½ cups sugar
¼ cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon vanilla
3 eggs
½ cup whipping cream
1 ½ cups roasted butternut squash flesh, whipped

For the roasted butternut squash flesh:
1 butternut squash, halved with the seeds removed
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 tablespoon pumpkin spice
1/2 tablespoon brown sugar

For the crust:
8 tablespoons butter, melted
25 to 35 Vanilla Wafers

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Place the Vanilla Wafers in a food processor and pulse until pulverized.  Combine the melted butter and Vanilla Wafers in a bowl.  Press the mixture into a greased 9 inch springform pan.  Bake for 10 minutes, checking to make sure the crust does not burn.  Set the crust aside while you make the filling.

Cut the squash in half and place in a roasting pan.  Brush the halves with melted butter and sprinkle with the pumpkin spice and brown sugar.  Roast the squashes for approximately 45 minutes or until the flesh is tender.  Allow the squash to cool before scooping out the flesh.  Whip the flesh until no longer lumpy with a whisk and set aside.

Combine the cream cheese, sugar and cornstarch in a stand mixer and cream together on low until the mixture is smooth.  Increase the speed to medium and add in the vanilla, eggs, squash flesh and the cream.  Continue beating until the batter is smooth and creamy.  Pour the batter into the springform pan.  Place the pan in a water bath (a large shallow pan filled partially with hot water) and bake the cake for an hour.  After an hour, gently shake the springform pan to see if the center jiggles.  If the center does jiggle, continue baking for another ten minutes.  Check again to see if the center jiggles and if it does, continue baking for another ten minutes.  Repeat this procedure until the cheesecake no longer jiggles in the center.  Be careful not to burn the top of the cheesecake by rotating the pan in the oven each time you check the center.  Once finished baking, remove the springform pan from the water bath and allow the cheesecake to cool completely.  Refrigerate the cake for at least 6 hours (preferably overnight) before serving. 

Let’s face it - this time of year is difficult for lovers of fresh, local produce.  A majority of the farmers markets are closed, save for Dupont Circle, Eastern Market, Penn Quarter (until December 18th at least) and the one in Arlington; there are only so many things you can do with potatoes; and what the hell is this odd looking tuber thing in my CSA box?  Believe it or not, there are still plenty of fruits and vegetables in season in the metro DC area.  And I’m here to help you not only find them, but turn them into delicious, hearty meals. 

As I mentioned earlier, one of the biggest farmers markets open year round is the FreshFarm market at Dupont Circle.  Open every Sunday from 9 am to 1 pm (the starting time switches to 10 am in January), the market is a wonderful source for local produce, meats and dairy products during the colder months.  In  December, you can find an assortment of potatoes, turnips, onions, carrots, beets and a variety of greens (from arugula to kale).  While there are fewer vendors at the market during the winter, there are still more than enough from which to choose. 

Next Step Produce is a family-run farm in Charles County, Maryland that can still be found at the farmers market during the colder time of year.  The husband and wife team of Heinz Thomet and Gabrielle Lajoie use organic farming techniques to grow vegetables, fruits, herbs and flowers that they sell not only through Dupont Circle Farmers Market, but also through a CSA in Vienna and directly from their farm.  You can sign up to receive weekly lists of their harvested vegetables and place an order with them by a specified day.  Arrangements are then made for the customer to pick up their order.   Heinz and Gabrielle are also committed to teaching others about the benefits and techniques of sustainable agriculture.  They offer people the chance to work on their farm, located just 50 miles outside of Washington, DC to learn the principles of responsible and conscientious farming. 

The Farm at Sunnyside is another year round vendor at the local farmers markets, thanks to their four season farm production method.  Like Next Step Produce, The Farm at Sunnyside is a strong proponent of sustainable agriculture and using farming techniques that preserve the land for future generations.  Located in Rappahannock County, Virginia, this certified organic farm sells in season vegetables, tree fruit and eggs from free range hens.  Owned by Nick and Gardiner Lapham, the Farm at Sunnyside also operates a CSA (however, they are currently not accepting new subscribers) and sells their produce directly to restaurants in the Virginia, Maryland and DC areas.  The farm’s idyllic location (at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains) also makes it a favorite farm visit destination for Virginians.  You can find their products at Dupont Circle year round and at Penn Quarter Farmer’s Market until December 18th. 

I stopped by both Next Step Produce and The Farm at Sunnyside recently and picked up some carrots, sweet potatoes, celery and onions.  Along with some garlic and thyme from my own CSA box, I decided to create a curried carrot and sweet potato ginger soup for my week’s lunch.  Because all soup requires a stock or broth of some kind, I opted to use the abundance of vegetables from my CSA to create a vegetable stock for the soup.  This is the perfect time of year to create vegetable stocks because there really is only so much you can do with carrots, celery and onions.  You can then freeze the stock using freezer bags, a freezer hearty container or in ice cube trays.  And since it’s winter, you will need a lot of stock for the many, many, many soups and pot roasts one inevitably makes when it turns cold.

Vegetable Stock

1 large onion, coarsely chopped
2 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
2 carrots, coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
2 sprigs thyme
2 bay leaves (the only item I did not get locally)
Freshly ground pepper
6 cups water

In a large pot, combine all of the ingredients and bring to a low boil.  Reduce the heat and allow the stock to simmer for one hour.  Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature.  Strain out the vegetables and herbs and store the stock for later use.

Curried Carrot and Sweet Potato Ginger Soup

1 large onion, diced
3 cups cubed sweet potatoes
3 large carrots, peeled and diced
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1 tablespoon Hungarian paprika
2 teaspoons curry powder
3 cups vegetable stock
2 teaspoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium high heat.  Add the onions and sauté until tender (about five minutes).  Add the sweet potatoes and carrots and cook for two minutes.  Add the paprika, curry powder and ginger and stir to make sure the spices mix in with all of the vegetables.  Add the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover the Dutch oven and allow the mixture to cook for 35 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Add the salt and pepper and allow the mixture to cook for another 5 minutes. 

Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.  Working in batches, pour some of the soup into a food processor or blender and pulse until smooth.  Repeat the same steps until all of the soup has been blended. 

After work on Thursday, I headed over to the Penn Quarter Farmers Market to pick up some items for a Thanksgiving side dish I had in mind.  To say that it was cold was an understatement (even in mittens, my hands were freezing), but my friend James and I braved to cold nonetheless. 

The Penn Quarter Farmers Market, part of the FreshFarm Market organization of farmers markets in the DC metro area, was established in 2003 and is a stone's throw from the National Mall.  I have frequented the market several times before because of its close proximity to my office and its hours (3 pm to 7 pm), but usually only during the high growing season.  At its busiest, the Penn Quarter Farmers Market has 18 food vendors, ranging from fruits and vegetables to meat and dairy.  Visitors of this market tend to enjoy the convenience of its location to their offices and the hours (like myself), which means they can pick up something fresh from the farm for dinner that night.  I use it as a market to supplement what I am scheduled to receive in my CSA box or to pick up a nice loaf of bread or a pastry from The Bread Ovens at Quail Creek Farm for that evening.  This time, however, I had an express mission to find the remaining ingredients for my stuffing for a Thanksgiving potluck dinner.

I don't usually put mushrooms in stuffing and had no intentions of doing so until I stopped by the Mushroom Stand.  Run by Ferial Welsh, the stand sells mushrooms grown in Chester County, Pennsylvania that are certified organic. The Mushroom Stand only sells mushrooms from Phillips Mushroom Farms and Mother Earth Organic Mushroom Farms which are not mass produced mushrooms from huge agribusiness conglomerations and their quality speaks for themselves.  Even though it was biting cold, Ferial was kind enough to offer me suggestions for mushrooms that would compliment a savory stuffing.  She handed me a sample of a maitake mushroom, telling me it had a mellow, woodsy flavor that would work well in a stuffing.  I had never even heard of a maitake mushroom, let alone tasted one, so I was a bit skeptical.  However, she was dead on in her recommendation.  Not only did it have a refined, earthy taste to it, it wasn't overly chewy like some mushrooms can be - even when cooked. I tweaked the recipe I had in mind a little in my head and continued on in search of bread.

The busiest stand by far at the Penn Quarter Farmers Market is the Bread Ovens at Quail Creek Farm.  Located on the Potomac River in West Virginia, The Bread Ovens at Quail Creek Farm use no preservatives or unnecessary additives in their breads, pastries, cookies and scones.  If you are anything like me, this is a big selling point, as I am a label reader.  If I can't pronounce it, it doesn't go in my body.  I have spoken with various workers at the stand on several occasions about their baking process and their ingredients and have always received the same information.  Their flours come from local millers and their yeast is fresh from breweries in their area (if only I could get in on some of those ingredients).  When I asked which bread would work well as a stuffing, one of the guys pointed to a huge boule (and by huge, I mean it could also double as an ottoman) that I was almost convinced served as an anchor for the entire bread stand.  This would definitely be more than enough bread to create a stuffing for a Thanksgiving meal (or a small army…which sometimes actually describes my family Thanksgiving dinners).  Just as I was getting my change back, the crowd began to swell, so I high tailed it out with my ottoman sized bread.

My final stop was Cibola Farms, a vendor I know quite well from my visits to Dupont Circle Farmers Market.  Cibola Farms is a meat purveyor that sells bison, poultry, pork products and goats (yes, I said goats).  On my first visit to Cibola at Dupont Circle, I spoke with one of the workers for about 20 minutes about their farm processes and slaughter methods.  Their animals are not caged but are instead allowed to roam and graze on actual grass.  Rather than using chemicals or overworking the land with heavy machinery, Cibola Farms uses their hogs and goats to maintain the grass for grazing.  After that very informative discussion (I will spare you the details of their slaughter methods, but trust me when I say they are humane), I have been a regular customer.  I have tried everything from their bison (a slightly sweeter meat than beef but with its own strong flavors) to their pork sausages.  And it was their sage pork sausage that I had in mind for the stuffing.  I picked up a package and called it a day.

On Saturday morning, I gathered the onions, apples, fresh sage and celeriac from my CSA box, along with the bread, sausage and mushrooms from the market and decided to make a small test batch of the stuffing.  My family takes their stuffing very seriously (an entire Thanksgiving meal was ruined once because a family friend had the audacity to show up with dressing, not stuffing…big mistake), something that has been ingrained in me.  Although I won't be able to make it to Georgia for a family Thanksgiving, I will not show up to a potluck dinner with mediocre stuffing.  And since this was a recipe I was making on the fly, I had to be sure all the ingredients worked well together.  I was amazed at how well the celeriac, the root of celery, worked along with the mushrooms and apples, giving a sweetly subtle depth to the heartier flavors in the stuffing.  A perfect addition to any Thanksgiving dinner.

Sausage, Apple and Mushroom Stuffing

2 loaves of quality white bread, torn into bite sized pieces
1 large onion (or 2 medium sized onions), diced
1 celeriac (the root of the celery), peeled and diced
2 apples (whichever apples are in season in your area), diced
32 ounces vegetable or chicken stock (preferably homemade), warmed up slightly
1 container maitake (or shiitake) mushrooms
2 tablespoons fresh sage
1 pound sage pork sausage
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees

Grease a large casserole dish and set it aside.  Spread the bread pieces out on cookie sheets and bake them in the oven 5-10 minutes or until slightly golden.  In a large skillet, brown the sausage and then place it in a very large bowl (the bowl must be big enough to combine all of the ingredients).  Add the onions, celeriac, mushrooms and apples to the same skillet, season with the salt and pepper and cook until softened.  Add the onion mixture to the sausage and then slowly start adding the bread cubes.  Thoroughly incorporate the bread cubes into the other ingredients before adding another handful. 

Once all of the bread has been added, toss in the sage and give the mixture another good stir.  Pour in a portion of the stock and then stir it into the bread mixture.  Continue this process until the bread mixture is moist but not a soggy mess.  Pour the stuffing into the casserole dish, cover it with aluminum foil and bake it for 30 minutes.  Remove the foil from the stuffing and continue baking it for another 10-15 minutes or until it is golden brown (but not burnt).

With Thanksgiving less than two weeks away, some of you have probably already selected the bird for your holiday feast.  Who am I kidding?  Some of you more dedicated foodies probably picked your bird soon after it was hatched and tracked its growth all season long!

For those of you who are still searching for that ideal turkey, however, we're happy to provide you with a pretty extensive list of options.  Last year, Ramona walked you through the essentials of selecting a bird for your Thanksgiving feast.  If you didn't read it then, take a few minutes and check it out.  Once you've got a better handle on what you're looking for, check out the list below to find the purveyor that works best for you.

We found that prices can actually vary significantly from farm to farm and even between the farm and retailers for the same turkeys, so you may want to take convenience into consideration as you make your choice.  Is it worth a twenty-minute (or more) trip to save a dollar or two per pound?

Once you've made up your mind, do yourself a favor and call to confirm the details - you may even be able to place your order over the phone right then and there.  That way, you'll maximize your chances to get a turkey that is roughly the size you want.

If you've got any questions about what we've found, feel free to leave a comment and we'll do our best to resolve them for you.

Enjoy...and save a drumstick for us!

Washington-Area Sources for Fresh Thanksgiving Turkeys:

Local Retailers:

Capitol Hill Poultry
Eastern Market's new East Hall
7th Street between Pennsylvania and North Carolina Avenues, SE
Washington, DC  20003
(202) 544-4435
Cost: $2.79 per pound with a $10 or $20 deposit

One of the two poultry vendors at Eastern Market, Capitol Hill Poultry can be found at the far end of the temporary East Hall.  They'll be bringing in fresh Maple Lawn turkeys in sizes from 10 to 30 pounds for pickup on the Tuesday and Wednesday before Thanksgiving.  They require a deposit or $10 or $20 depending on the size of the turkey you order, and your best bet is to stop in to fill out the request form in person.  Alternatively, you can call in your order at the number listed above.  At roughly a dollar more per pound than Maple Lawn is charging for on-site pickup, this is a pretty minimal markup to get your bird right on Capitol Hill.

Let's Meat on the Avenue
2403 Mt Vernon Ave
Alexandria, VA 22336
(703) 836-6328
Cost: Local = $3.25 per pound; Eberly organic turkeys = $5.45 per pound

Boutique butcher Stephen Gatward's Del Ray shop will be selling both local and organic turkeys and will be taking orders until Thursday.  He expects most of the birds he brings in will be between 10 and 14 pounds, but the earlier you order the better your chances of getting the size you desire.  His local turkeys are free-range, raised without steroids and hormones.  The Eberly birds come from Pennsylvania, and they are the same organic turkeys that Balducci's is selling.

Market Poultry
Eastern Market's new East Hall
7th Street between Pennsylvania and North Carolina Avenues, SE
Washington, DC  20003
(202) 543-7470
Cost: $1.99 per pound

The second vendor at Eastern Market, Mel Inman and son are selling local turkeys from Hillside Farm and Eastern Shore for $1.99 per pound in weights ranging from 8 to 28 pounds.  They'll be taking orders through next Sunday.  If you've always wanted a fried turkey but worry about your fire insurance, they will also be selling fried turkeys up to 14 pounds for $1.99 per pound plus a $30 frying charge.  To order a fried turkey, stop in and pay the $30 as a deposit and place your order before next Saturday.

Organic Butcher of McLean
6712 Old Dominion Drive
McLean, VA  22101
(703) 790-8300
Cost: Natural = $3.49 per pound; Organic = $4.49 per pound; Local = $6.99 per pound

Offering two size ranges (8-13 pounds and 13-18 pounds), the Organic Butcher of McLean will be bringing in three different types of turkeys for every taste.  If you want a local turkey, you'll need to get your order in by the 24th.  For an organic bird, you should be able to walk in purchase one right up to Wednesday, the 26th.  Very convenient for anyone whose Thanksgiving plans end up coming together at the very last minute!

National Retailers:

Balducci's will be offering all-natural turkeys from New York's Plainville Farms for $2.59 per pound and organic turkeys from Pennsylvania's Eberly Farms for $3.99 per pound.  They also have several oven-ready and pre-cooked options available.

Marvelous Market has one option for your holiday turkey: a maple-thyme roasted turkey breast for $69.99.

Trader Joe's will be offering brined all-natural turkeys for $1.79 per pound and Glatt kosher all-natural turkeys for $2.29 per pound.  Both will be delivered fresh (not frozen) to their stores, who are keeping sign-up sheets.  Stop in to pre-order.

Whole Foods has natural free-range turkeys for $2.49 per pound and organic turkeys for $3.49 per pound.  Check out their "Holiday Table" section for a wide range of oven-ready options and ask in your local store if you want to know the provenance of their turkeys.

Local Farms:

Ayrshire Farm
c/o The Home Farm Store
1 East Washington Street
Middleburg, VA
(540) 687-8882
Cost: 10-12 pounds = $135; 14-16 pounds = $165; 18-20 pounds = $180

By far the most expensive option out there, Ayrshire Farm's turkeys are "Free-Range, Certified Organic and Certified Humanely-Raised and Handled Heritage Breed."  They are "produced without hormones, antibiotics, pesticides, insecticides, herbicides or artificial fertilizers.  Our birds are free-ranging with full access to the outdoors and are fed 100% certified organic feeds without animal by-products."  If you live in Hunt Country and Middleburg isn't too far a drive for you, this is certainly a top-quality option.  You can order by phone or online (email orders@homefarmstore.com) and pick up in store from 10 AM to 5 PM Monday through Wednesday the week of Thanksgiving.  They require a non-refundable $50 deposit to hold your turkey.

Eco-Friendly Foods
3397 Stony Fork Road
Moneta, VA  24121
(540) 297-9582
Cost: $3.85 per pound<

Eco-Friendly will be bringing their locally and humanely-raised turkeys to the Courthouse and Dupont Circle farmers' markets next Saturday and Sunday, respectively, but you need to pre-order to pick one up.  You can pre-order online by emailing letsmeat@ecofriendly.com with your name, phone number, email address and the approximate weight range you'd like.  You'll also need to pre-pay a $40 deposit, payable via Paypal.

Fields of Athenry
38082 Snickersville Turnpike
Purcellville, VA  20132
(540) 687-3936
Cost: $7.25 per pound

"Truly all-natural, free range, broad-breasted birds" are offered by Fields of Athenry, in weights from 15 to 35 pounds.  You can order via email by filling out this form and sending it to MElaineBoland@aol.com.  Be sure to include a credit card number for the $40 deposit.  You can pick up your bird onsite on Monday 4-7 PM, Tuesday or Wednesday from 9 AM to 7 PM.  A word to the wise - the Organic Butcher of McLean has indicated that some of their local turkeys, which will be selling for $6.99 per pound, may be coming from here.

Jehovah-Jireh Farms
7033 Ed Sears Road
Dickerson, MD  20842
(301) 874-6181
Cost: $3.79 per pound

Jehovah-Jireh will be offering pastured turkeys in weights ranging from 10 to 18 pounds for pickup onsite the week of Thanksgiving.  You can arrange to pick up your bird on Monday or Tuesday from 1 to 7 PM or Wednesday from 9 to 5 PM.  They can't guarantee a specific sized turkey, so you may want to show up as early as possible to improve the odds of getting just what you want.

Maple Lawn Farm
11788 Scaggsville Road (Route 216)
Fulton, MD  20759
(301) 725-2074
Cost: Hens (smaller) = $1.95 per pound; Toms (larger) = $1.75 per pound; Smoked = $4.50 per pound

Maple Lawn Farm provides free-range turkeys to a number of local retailers, but you can't beat the price if you're willing to pick them up on site.  Even with the $3 per bird 'drawing charge' - the charge to clean and prepare your bird for cooking - you're still saving a dollar or more per pound relative to what you'll pay if you buy from a retailer in Washington.  Pickup is available Monday through Wednesday from 7 AM to 5 PM, and you can email your request to maplelawnturkeys@comcast.net.  Check out their site for ordering information.

Springfield Farm
16701 Yeoho Road
Sparks, MD  21152
(410) 472-0738
Cost: Natural broad-breasted white = $2.75 per pound; Pastured broad-breasted white = $4.00 per pound; Pastured heritage or broad-breasted bronze = $5.75 per pound

Springfield Farm raises several breeds of turkeys, including a few of the more prized heritage breeds.  If you're looking to try a taste of classic Americana, these turkeys promise deeper, richer flavors than your average roaster.  To order in advance, you can call or email - just be ready to drive north of Baltimore to pick up your turkey next Saturday and Sunday.  Added bonus: the world headquarters of spice giant McCormick is located in Sparks!  No word on whether they offer tours or free samples, but it's something else to do while you're up there.

Want to see if there are other sellers that might be more convenient to you?  The Maryland Department of Agriculture offers a more comprehensive list of Maryland farms selling turkeys directly to consumers at http://www.mda.state.md.us/md_products/md_turkey_farms.php.

One of the many benefits of living in the Washington, DC area is its proximity to many farming communities.  Farms abound in Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania, giving the DC area an abundance of opportunities to shop for locally grown, largely organic, produce, meats and dairy products.  Through farmers' markets, community supported agriculture (more about that concept later) and farm stands within driving distance of the District, it's easy to find healthy, quality food at a price that doesn't resemble our national debt.  One such option is the local farmers' market and luckily, DC has many to choose from on almost any given day of the week. 

On Sunday, I decided to trek over to the Bloomingdale Farmers' Market, on R and 1st Street NW, conveniently located next to the Big Bear Café.  Although a relatively new market, Bloomingdale has grown exponentially over the last year, bringing in new vendors to meet the demands of the growing neighborhood.  Robin Shuster, the Bloomingdale Farmers Market manager, has been working hard to add a variety of sellers to the market and her efforts have been successful.  The market now has sellers of all meats (beef, lamb, pork, veal and even goat), cheeses, vegetables, fruits and breads and pastries!

A new vendor to the Bloomingdale Farmers' Market is Keswick Creamery, a dairy farm located in Newburg, Pennsylvania that is committed to raising their cows in a humane and organic fashion.  Their cheeses are made using the freshest of ingredients and the result is in the amazingly sharp flavors of their cheeses.  Their cheeses include cheddars, fetas (including my favorite – their Italian herb feta), bleu cheeses and a pepper jack they lovingly call Dragon's Breath.  In addition to their hard cheeses, Keswick sells yogurt, Quark (a German style cream cheese), whole milk ricotta and a soft cheese of fresh herbs called Bovre. 

As I walked along the market, my eyes were immediately drawn to a lovely display of shiitake mushrooms.  Dennis from Greenstone Fields Farm had a nice little haul of these earthy beauties, along with a big silver tub full of fresh rosemary.  The rosemary was so fragrant, I could smell it the second I came to the stand.  Dennis said the log grown shiitakes were probably the last for the season, so I grabbed a big container, along with a bunch of the rosemary. 

The mushrooms and rosemary would make great additions to an idea for a chuck roast that was forming in my head.  And thanks to Robin's efforts, I could pick up said chuck roast right there at the market.  Truck Patch Farms not only has a slew of vegetables (including brussel sprouts, a variety of greens, tomatoes, peppers and potatoes to name a few), they also sell beef.  Huge chunks of beef might I add.  The smallest roast I could find was over four pounds and FRESH!  Truck Patch, like Keswick Creamery, treats their cows in a humane manner and provides a grass fed, natural diet for them. 

I added the roast to my lovely pile of purchases and then decided it was time for some breakfast.  With that in mind, I headed to the lovely ode to carbs that is Panorama Artisanal Bakery.  I will freely admit my almost slavish devotion to breads, pastries and pretty much anything made with flour.  But the sight of the croissants, danishes and beautifully dark loaves of pumpernickel stopped me.  Sadly, I only stopped because I couldn't decide what I wanted to devour first.  The variety of loaves and pastries that were available was impressive, especially for an outdoor market.  Even better?  Panorama had an assortment of sweet brioches…something I haven't seen in a bakery since my childhood in Germany.  The cheese Danish I purchased was flaky without being delicate and had a subtly sweet filling.  The perfect breakfast snack for such a lovely Fall day.

The lovely roast was the center of my attention when I got it home.  I've played around with variations of pot roast for years and find mushrooms, rosemary and wine to make a lovely sauce compliment to any beef.  The recipe I devised was simple, allowing for the freshness of the ingredients to take center stage.  The result was a tender roast marinated in a rich, woodsy sauce.

Shiitake Mushroom Pot Roast

4 lb chuck roast, boneless
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium onions, sliced
1 container shiitake mushrooms, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons of fresh rosemary, finely diced
32 ounces beef stock (preferably homemade)
1 cup dry red wine
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat.  Pat the roast dry and sprinkle it liberally with salt and ground pepper.  Place it in the Dutch oven and brown the roast on both sides for about three minutes each side.  Remove the roast from the Dutch oven and allow it to rest on a plate.  Add the garlic to the Dutch oven and sauté it for about two minutes before adding the onions.  Sauté until browning and then toss in the mushrooms.  Stir the mixture until the mushrooms have softened.  Add the red wine and the beef stock and then place the roast back into the Dutch oven.  Sprinkle in the rosemary and allow the broth to come to a boil.  Once boiling, remove the Dutch oven from the stove and place it in the oven.  Bake the roast for 2 ½ to 3 hours, depending on the level of doneness you desire.  When the roast is cooked, remove it from the oven and take it out of the Dutch oven.  Place the Dutch oven on the stove over medium high heat and add a tablespoon of cornstarch slowly into the broth.  Stir consistently in order to reduce lumps.  Allow the sauce to boil down to a thick gravy consistency.  Serve the roast with the gravy, which should have lovely bits of mushrooms and onions, on top!

Although the Bloomingdale Farmers Market is still relatively small (especially compared to Dupont Circle and Eastern Market's offerings), it is a welcome addition to the LeDroit Park/Bloomingdale/Shaw area of DC.  The market will remain open until the weekend on November 22, just in time for Thanksgiving.  The market is open every Sunday, rain or shine from 10 am to 2 pm.

If you've overlooked Highfield Dairy in your trips through the Dupont Circle FreshFarm Market, you're not alone.  Highfield doesn't set up a tent, and they don't have a banner to advertise their presence to the crowds.  Week after week, Dan Adams or one of his associates pulls into the market in an old blue pickup truck and sets up a few tables with large coolers full of eggs, yogurt and an array of products made with Highfield's fresh goat cheese.  Hand-lettered signs announce what's for sale and how much it costs.  It doesn't get much more farm-to-table than this.

The star of the Highfield show is undoubtedly that fresh goat cheese.  With a herd of roughly 100 mixed-breed Nubian goats, John Marshall makes a goat cheese that is incredibly mild and creamy.  There is almost no trace of the usual tang (or the less pleasant earthy aftertaste) that tend to be the hallmarks of goat cheese.  Sold in 8-ounce and one-pound tubs ($6.50 or $12, respectively), the fresh chevre could easily be mistaken from cream cheese - even after the first taste!

But Highfield does us all a HUGE favor by taking their cheese to the next level and integrating it into a couple of addictive treats: goat cheese tarts and pierogies.  The tarts are a savory blend of eggs, peppers, tomatoes, herbs and goat cheese in a small pie crust.  They make a terrific breakfast on their own, though they can be paired with Cedarbrook Farm's pasture pure pork bacon or sausage for a really satisfying meal on a weekend morning.  The pierogies are a revelation.  Growing up in a Russian family, I've had my share of the traditional dough pockets filled with everything from mashed potatoes to prunes to sauerkraut...and I'm kind of a fan of the pork and chive filled dumplings from City Lights of China, as well.  Believe me when I tell you that Highfield's goat cheese-stuffed offerings (which are the size of an ice cream scoop, I might add) blow them all away.  They can be frozen, but be sure to thaw them completely before sauteeing in a little hot oil.  The cheese practically liquefies inside the dumplings and the dough crisps up to a beautiful texture.

As good as the pierogies are, I'm a sucker for fresh goat cheese by itself...especially when spread on a cracked pepper cracker.  There's something about the interplay between the creamy tang and the sharp bite of the pepper that works so well.  But I found myself trying something new with this cheese because of its exceptionally mild profile.  Instead of enjoying the cheese on its own, I topped it off with a few fresh raspberries from another market vendor.  The sweetness of the berries took it to a whole new level - it was great!  So simple to put together, but still something that I'd be willing to serve to guests as an easy appetizer.  I'm definitely filing this one away for future reference.

Highfield Dairy can be found at the Dupont Circle market on Sundays - look for them in the PNC Bank parking lot next to the mushroom stand.  Alternatively, you can find them at the H Street NE FreshFarm Market on Saturday mornings between 9 AM and noon.  This smaller market provides a far more relaxed shopping experience where you can still find products from Cedarbrook Farm, Keswick Creamery, Atwater's Bakery and a number of fresh and/or organic produce growers.  In either location, it's worth seeking out Dan for a taste of his creamy and delicious goat cheese.

For more than a dozen years now, Dr. Pat Elliott has been crafting a range of quality, artisanal sheep's milk cheeses just a few hours' drive from Washington in Rapidan, Virginia.  Until recently, these delicious cheeses from Everona Dairy have been hard to find for most D.C. Foodies, as they were sold primarily on-site and at Farmers' Markets in Charlottesville.  Those who were able to chase down a wedge of Stony Man or Piedmont at Arrowine or another local shop were rewarded with cheeses that offer deep, nutty flavors; rich, buttery color and a texture that progresses from firm to pliant as it warms.

Thankfully, this month has seen a welcome addition to the lineups at the Thursday afternoon Penn Quarter market and the Sunday morning Dupont Circle market.  Dr. Elliott and her staff have added these two FreshFarm Markets to their weekly rounds, giving us the chance to try their full range of cheeses direct from the source.

And what a range it is!  In addition to the mainstays (Piedmont and Stony Man), Everona Dairy produces a baby Swiss-style cheese, a wine-soaked cheese they call Pride of Bacchus and a wide range of what could be considered 'infusions' -- varieties of Piedmont featuring add-ins like chives and dill, vegetable ash (for the 'Marble' variety), cracked black pepper, and even sun-dried tomatoes.  In each case, the flavors of the additions are immediately noticeable, and most harmonize easily with the smooth flavor of the Piedmont.  The Tomato Torta caught me a bit off guard, but a second tasting helped me appreciate the surprisingly tasty combination.

On my first visit, I decided to branch out a bit and I purchased a wedge of the Pride of Bacchus.  Unlike softer, washed-rind cheeses, this one lacks a pungent aroma and instead offers a vaguely wine-like nose...like smelling the inside of a retired barrel that had been used for aging.  The cheese itself is dense and snow-white, looking and tasting a lot like an aged Parmesan (but without the hard, crumbly texture).  Tasting the rind, I was surprised to find some flavorful notes mingled with the normal earthiness, yet you wouldn't be missing out if you passed on the rind altogether.  A subsequent visit resulted in the purchase of a section of the Marbled Piedmont, and the vegetable ash served to give the normally nutty Piedmont an earthier flavor.  Its appearance reminded me a lot of Morbier, the soft French cheese with its own layer of ash in the middle, but its taste was more like a Manchego.

So how does a rural doctor end up running a dairy that produces more than 4 tons of cheese a year?  She buys a dog, of course!  As the story goes, Dr. Elliott purchased a border collie pup on a whim back in 1992, and she soon found that she needed something for the energetic dog to do.  Since collies are working dogs, she decided to buy some sheep.  Sheep led to milk, milk led to cheese, and soon enough Everona Dairy was producing award-winning cheeses made from the milk produced by more than 100 Friesians and other sheep she raises on site.

Though none of her cheeses are inexpensive (wedges are priced by weight and tend to run in the $12 to $18 range for 1/4 to 1/3 of a pound), Dr. Elliott's passion and the story behind her entry into the world of cheesemaking stand out and make Everona Dairy a local producer I'm happy to support.

With Mother's Day just around the corner, I found myself wondering how to honor the holiday in the course of a post about cheese.  Try it for yourself - not so easy, is it?  I thought about finding a recipe for something to make for Mom that features cheese prominently, but nothing really jumped out.  I considered reviewing a restaurant where you could spoil Mom and enjoy a good cheese plate, but I wasn't in love with the idea.  And I toyed with another post recommending cheese-related gifts, but I suspected that would have limited appeal in this case.

Fortunately, fate intervened in the form of a new vendor at the Dupont Circle Farmers' Market - Clear Spring Creamery.  As seen at the Market on Sundays, Clear Spring is a true family business - the whole Seibert clan, including two children and assorted relatives, shows up to sell their milk, yogurt and cheese.  And Clare Seibert, who owns and operates Clear Spring with her husband, Mark, handles all of the day-to-day operations of the Creamery in the time between getting her children off to school and greeting them when they come home.  What better way to celebrate Mother's Day than to talk about the great things that Clare Seibert is making at Clear Spring - including her newest offering, Clare's Camembert?

The Seiberts' farm has been in the family for more than 100 years, but Mark and Clare have only been in the dairy business for about a year and a half.  At that point, they transitioned from a farm that raised replacement heifers for sale to others to a true dairy.  Their herd consists of Jerseys and Jersey-Holstein crossed heifers, and the milk is primarily from the Jerseys.  Because the cows are pasture-fed on a strict rotational grazing system, they get plenty of fresh grasses in their diet and their milk has a high butterfat content - more than 5%.  This makes for a rich, smooth milk that holds up well to pasteurization (they don't sell any unpasteurized milk, for those who might be looking for it).

All week long, Clare gets the children out the door and on their way to school, then she heads to their retrofitted creamery where she processes a portion of the milk from their herd five days a week.  They use small-scale machinery manufactured locally, allowing them to work on a manageable volume of milk for their purposes.  What isn't processed on site is sold to a co-op, and what they keep on site is made into pasteurized milk, chocolate milk, yogurt and cheese.  The processing is frequently an all-day affair; for example, yogurt is started in the morning, allowed to cool throughout the day and then bottled in the evening. 

In most cases, the process has some down-time built into it, which is when Clare manages to take care of household chores and necessary errands.  But the processing takes up a significant portion of her day and her output is limited by the time it takes to make each type of product.   This also impacts the variety of products Clear Spring Creamery can offer - Clare is considering adding one or more fresh cheeses to their product list and fans still ask about the mocha milk that has been available on a few occasions, but the time required for each forces her to think carefully about what products she will make in a given week.

The newest addition to the Clear Spring lineup is a soft-ripened cheese appropriately named Clare's Camembert.  Before they started making cheese, Clare and Mark made it a point to visit as many of the cheesemakers in the nearby area as they could find, learning what they could about the process.  That research has been put to good use - their first effort at cheese making is delicious and it has been selling out for the past two weeks.

Despite the name, Clare's Camembert is most reminiscent of a young double-cream brie - it lacks the earthy, bloomy flavor that I always associate with camembert, but it has a silken, salty taste that is absolutely wonderful.  Even at room temperature, the cheese holds its texture fairly well, providing a spreadable but not liquefied cheese that cries out for crusty bread, apple slices, crackers - anything with a little bit of a crunch.  The rind is thin and unobtrusive, without any of the chalkiness or bitterness that turns people off.

Because of their limited production capabilities, Clear Spring Creamery only produces a few rounds of Clare's Camembert at a time.  They sell out quickly, so try to stop by before noon to increase your chances of getting one.  The rounds were originally priced at $13 each, though they are now sold by weight for $13/pound.  Most of the individually wrapped cheeses weigh in right around a pound each.

Clear Spring Creamery's milk, cheese and yogurt are rich and full-flavored thanks to Clare Seibert's commitment to small-scale production methods and the quality of their grass-fed cows' milk.  Check them out next time you're at the Dupont Circle Farmers' Market, and wish Clare a Happy Mother's Day while you're there.

This time of year is very exciting if you are a fan of our area farmers markets. The bounties of spring begin to arrive at the market stalls, and usher in the best of produce and fruit from Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania.

Over the course of this past weekend, I attended two markets- the Del Ray farmers market in Alexandria (grand opening of the 2008 season), and the Dupont farmers market in Washington D.C. Each market had the traditional harbingers of spring; asparagus, morels, ramps, and rhubarb.

Aubergine-tipped asparagus looked fat, fresh and delicious, selling at $3 for a small bundle. Green, red and crimson rhubarb fetched $2.50 a bunch. Morels from Spring Valley Farm in West Virginia were $16 for a small basket, and ramps cost $6 for a generous bundle.

Sounds a bit expensive? Yes-but this is why you should go and buy some for yourself. There is nothing like waiting for a crop to come into season and knowing it came from within 125 miles of where you live. While I do buy, for example, asparagus and tomatoes in winter (from Costco, gasp!), nothing beats the taste and nutrition of fresh, locally grown produce which goes from farm to fork, or grange to gullet as I like to say. A small box of morels, $16. Supporting the livelihood of our farmers and their workers, priceless. My motto is eat and buy local when you can.

My purchases at the Dupont market on Sunday included morels and ramps from Spring Valley Farm and Orchard. Morel mushrooms are egg shaped and  consist of honeycombs and ridges. They are distinctively earthy in flavor, and a little bit goes a long way. Morels are prized by cooks, and are especially appreciated in French cuisine. Morels grow most prolifically in forests after a fire, and are associated with trees such as Ash, Sycamore, Elms and old Apple trees.

Ramps, or wild leeks, grow in spring from the Carolinas to Canada. They are cherished in West Virginia and many annual festivals are held to herald their arrival. Part of the onion family, ramps have a small white bulb attached to a leafy green end. Often times, an aubergine-tipped sheath covers the white of the ramp, similar to green onions, or scallions.

Although the ramp is thought to be strong in onion and garlic flavors, I found my ramps to be quite sweet and mild. They can be used in the same manner as onion and garlic, in preparations as simple as scrambled eggs, or tossed with pasta and freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese.

Here is a recipe for Ramp Crepes. If you have a crepe pan, or 6-9 inch non-stick skillet, you can make crepes. Crepes can be filled with most anything you desire. I would suggest smoked salmon and red onions, plain ricotta, shrimp scampi, ham and Gruyere, or sauteed mushrooms.

Crepes can be made up to 3 days ahead of time (refrigerated and covered with plastic wrap) and heated in a 200-degree oven, covered in aluminum foil. Crepes can also be frozen for up to 2 months.

Ramp Crepes

Makes about a dozen crepes

Ingredients

• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 cup All-Purpose flour, preferably bleached
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons melted butter, plus 2-3 tablespoons for coating the pan
• 8 ramps, ends trimmed and rough chopped

Directions

In a blender, add eggs, milk, water, flour, melted butter and salt. Blend for 10 seconds, or until smooth. Add ramps and pulse 5-6 times.

In a crepe pan or non-stick skillet, add a pat of butter over medium high heat and spread to coat fully. Ladle in enough crepe batter to coat the bottom of the pan. Swirl pan to evenly distribute the crepe batter. Cook on one side until just golden. Use a spatula to keep the edges from sticking, making sure that the crepe will release for turning.

Gently flip the crepe over using by a long thin wooden stick or wooden tongs, or flip over in the air to be caught by the pan. Cook on the second side for about 30 seconds, or until the crepe releases easily from the pan.

Remove crepe to a platter and stack as you cook the crepes.

Serve immediately, or store as described above.

Most of the local cheesemakers who sell their products at farmers' markets throughout the DC area consciously focus on one or two specialties (small-batch goat cheese, mozzarella from Jersey cow's milk, etc.), allowing them to fill small niches in the average shopper's basket.  Keswick Creamery*, on the other hand, seems to aspire to be all things to all shoppers.  The funny thing is, they seem to succeed. 

Despite its relative youth (Keswick was founded in 2001), the creamery has continued to expand its line of cheeses to include something for just about everyone.  Looking for a semi-firm cheese studded with an assortment of hot peppers?  Try the Dragon's Breath.  Looking for a blue cheese with a sense of humor?  Step up to the Blue Suede Moo.  Looking for a dry, aged cheddar?  The Carrock is likely to please.  Looking for a moist yet crumbly feta cheese that blows the store-bought varieties away?  Not only does Keswick have it, they also have it flavored with tomato & basil, Italian herbs, and herbs de Provence!

No trip to the Dupont Circle FreshFarm Market is complete without a stop at Keswick Creamery's stand.  They are generous with their samples, allowing customers to try everything from quark (a yogurt-like spread that is hugely popular in Germany) and fresh yogurt to blue cheese dressing, marinated feta and most of their cheese offerings.  And they are competitive with their pricing - not just within the market, but compared to larger producers, as well.  That's nothing to sneeze at, as most folks who frequent the markets do so knowing that they will be paying a small premium for the fresh, local goods they can find there.  But Keswick's cheeses can hold their own against many of the national brands in terms of value almost as well as they do in terms of quality.

On my most recent visit, I picked up Keswick Creamery's Feta Sampler.  Talk about value!  For $5, I received samples of three different flavors of their feta cheese - original, tomato & basil, and Italian herbs.  Each cheese came vacuum-sealed in its own package, allowing me to use them as I chose instead of forcing me to use them all at once.  The cheese crumbles easily, but it is moist and tastes fresh and tangy.  This is a far cry from the pre-packaged, pre-crumbled feta on offer in grocery stores, and I definitely appreciated the absence of that chalky residue that seems to accompany most of them.

To further compare Keswick's feta with its mass-produced counterpart, I reached for some of the store-bought stuff I conveniently had on hand and laid it out side-by-side with a few crumbles from the block of plain feta I purchased at the Farmers' Market.  You can see them in the photo to the right of this paragraph, though it's not quite as sharp as I would have liked.  The most obvious point of comparison you can see is the color - a rich, buttery tinge to the Keswick feta on the left compares quite favorably with the white and dried out look of the feta from Harris Teeter.  But there was another easily observed difference when viewed up close.  The textures were decidedly different, with the Keswick feta having a soft and natural look to its crumbles while the other's chunks seemed more rigid and less cohesive.

Pleased to see that the locally produced option measured up quite favorably to the comparably priced, mass-produced alternative, I wasted no time in putting it to good use.  Although I normally prefer to plate my cheese selections and enjoy them as a pre-cursor to a meal, I figured the feta would work better as a component in a dinner made almost entirely from locally-grown ingredients. 

I started with a fresh chicken purchased from Capitol Hill Poultry at Eastern Market.  We brined the chicken and roasted it with some sweet potatoes purchased from Toigo Orchard's stand at the Dupont Circle Market.  I paired the feta with some diced yellow pepper (from Trader Joe's, the one non-local ingredient) and served it atop the Loudon Lettuce blend from Endless Summer Harvest, who also sell at Dupont Circle.  My wife and I were thrilled with the depth of the flavors that came from quality ingredients simply prepared.

Keswick's wide range of dairy products offers plenty of choices and lots of reasons to keep coming back for their samples week after week.  Though not everything they sell represents as great a value as their feta sampler, you can rest assured that quality and flavor are prevalent throughout their product line.  You can find Keswick's cheeses at several FreshFarm Markets in DC - look for them at Dupont Circle on Sunday mornings year-round, Foggy Bottom on Wednesday evenings from April to November, and H Street Northeast on Saturday mornings from May to October.

* = EDIT:  Turns out the folks at the FreshFarm Market site and in the Atlas of American Artisanal Cheeses had a bad web address for Keswick.  I have edited the first paragraph to include a link to their actual website, http://www.keswickcreamerycheese.com/.  Thanks to Sandy for bringing it to my attention!