November 8th, 2008 Newsletter

Bardstown Road Farmers’ Market

Sarah’s Corner

From our friend Sarah Fritschner

Kirschnemann mentioned “. . . our practice of farming in a way that continues to exhaust nature is similar to a financial system that allowed people to continue to borrow money they couldn't afford.”

And like Alan Greenspan, perhaps, many who support this type of agriculture will be shocked – shocked, I say – to discover that all those people depleting nature only want to line their pockets, aren’t really interested in shareholders, and have never pretended to be interested in the common weal.

Kirschnemann suggests that like other movements -- farmers markets, community-supported agriculture, organic agriculture – consumers and farmers, not government, have driven change. “As it turns out,” he said, “this means we are increasingly no longer farmers and consumers, but together we are food citizens -- people in local communities exercising their civic duty where food is concerned.”

To participate in and drive change, we must each find our own comfort level. But for all of us, the first and perhaps easiest move is to vote with our food dollar, buying from local farmers in whatever way suits our style – farmers markets perhaps, or CSA, or a little of both.

The time to vote has past, but the time for change is just beginning.

One of my friends who subscribes to a CSA and shops at farmers markets makes the following dish using a combination of shelf staples (beans) and fresh foods.

JJ’s sausage and kale soup

JJ loves smoked paprika and uses it on everything, but this soup tastes great without it. If you’re looking for smoked paprika, you can find it at specialty shops like Lotsa Pasta.

14 ounces (or so) sausage, preferably smoked

1 teaspoon olive oil

7 cloves garlic, minced

½ teaspoon sweet smoked paprika

½ teaspoon hot smoked paprika

1 large or 2 small bunches of kale, washed and chopped

7 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

3 medium red potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

2 16-ounce cans navy beans 

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine sausage and olive oil in a deep, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, to brown the sausage.  Remove and set aside. 

In same pan, cook garlic and kale until the garlic is soft and kale is bright green.  Add both kinds of paprika.  Add chicken stock and simmer 15 minutes.  Add potatoes and simmer 10 to 15 minutes more, until potatoes are just tender.  Add beans and browned sausage and heat through.  Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with crusty bread. 

Farmers market chili

¼ cup olive oil

1 pound stew beef or bison, cut into bite-sized chunks

1 pound ground lamb or beef

1 medium onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)

2 red peppers, chopped

2 green peppers, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon cayenne

2 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes

2 16-ounce cans black beans, drained

2 cups reduced-sodium beef stock

1 ½ cups frozen corn 

Grated cheese, sour cream and/or hot sauce, for garnish

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a wide, deep, heavy pot such as a Dutch oven. Brown stew beef, remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.  Brown ground lamb, remove with a slotted spoon and set aside

Add 2 more tablespoons oil to the pot and, over medium-high heat, cook onions and bell peppers, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes more, or until the onions and peppers are reduced in size and very soft.

Add spices, tomatoes and beans.  Add beef stock, using a little more or less as needed to get the thickness you want.   Simmer for at least 45 minutes.  Taste for seasonings; add salt and pepper to taste. Add beef stock or water if you want to thin the chili. Add corn, cook 15 minutes more.  

Serve with grated cheese, sour cream and hot sauce.  This chili freezes well. Serves 8.