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Tagged: In the Kitchen

  • Dad’s Day BBQ: 5 Tips for a Better Burger

    June 13, 2013

    Tags:
    In the Kitchen

    For a fun, informal way to gather family and friends this Father’s Day weekend, we’re hosting a backyard barbeque to celebrate our favorite grill master of all—Dad! When we heard that our Westport chef, Jared Frazer, was garnering rave reviews for his Painted Hills Burger (topped with caramelized onion, mushrooms, gruyère, fried egg, and garlic aioli), we knew just who to ask for some insider tips on making the perfect Dad’s Day patty. We can’t wait to try these out when we fire up the grill on Sunday.

    1. Mix in flavor
    Try grilling pieces of bread and grinding them in with the meat before cooking. It adds a nice 'grill' flavor to the burger.

    2. Make different kinds of pickles
    You can start with any pickle recipe, but instead of using cucumbers, switch it up with zucchini or onions.

    3. Use mayonnaise
    Even if you don’t like mayo, spread a little on both sides of the bun. The fat from the mayonnaise repels moisture and keeps the bread from getting soggy.

    4. Try different greens
    Instead of iceberg or romaine lettuce, try arugula or mustard greens. They add a little spice to the burger.

    5. Customize your burger
    There are no rules to a burger. If you like pulled pork sandwiches, put pulled pork on your burger. If you like breakfast, try a burger on French toast topped with bacon and eggs. The key is to have fun!

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  • A Share of the Farm

    June 11, 2013

    Tags:
    In the Kitchen
    , Grow

    In and around our Philadelphia homebase, early June marks the start of a very exciting season: Community Supported Agriculture, or CSA, season. Every week from June through early November, many of us here at the home office receive a produce share full of the week's harvest from our local farms. From crisp heads of lettuce, pungent garlic scapes, and plump strawberries in late spring, to high-summer's ripe tomatoes, purple eggplant, and zuccini, and finally fall's crook-neck pumpkins, kale, and gnarled root vegetables; each week offers something new to look forward to.

    This year, following the lead of friends here at the home office, we visited Greensgrow Farms, a local urban farm that just celebrated its 18th year operating on a once-abandoned lot in Philadelphia's Kensington neighborhood. From their modest lot and through partnerships with other area farms, the folks at Greensgrow offer an abundance of seasonal produce, dairy, and meat year round, all in a neighborhood that's otherwise limited in its access to fresh produce. Not to mention that they are known for having one of the best CSAs around. We took a look, and maybe a taste or two, from one of their early shares and couldn't wait to share what we saw:

    Zucchini- Dante Spina and Sons, Salem, NJ
    Strawberries- Cassaday, Vineland, NJ
    Radish- Flaim Farms, Vineland, NJ
    Eggs- Sandy Ridge Farm, Elizabethtown, PA
    Asparagus- D. Spina and Sons, Salem, NJ
    Greens- John and Rachel Glick, Quarryville, PA
    Spring Onions- Sunny Harvest LLC, Quarryville, PA
    Chives- Flaim Farms, Vineland, NJ

    Tell us, are you a member of a CSA in your community? We'd love to hear about some of your early favorites from this season's shares!

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  • Foraging 101 with Tama Matsuoka Wong

    June 3, 2013

    Tags:
    In the Kitchen
    , Outdoor Living

    Searching in meadows and between the rows of her garden, forager Tama Matsuoka Wong looks to nature for additions to the table. “Foraging” usually calls to mind a deep-woods hunt for mushrooms, but Tama prefers to seek out more accessible varieties of native greens, as documented in her book, Foraged Flavor. She’ll visit Glen Mills for a hands-on workshop on June 22, so we had a few questions in advance.

    terrain: What sparked your interest in foraging? 

    Tama: I’ve always been interested in the plants around me, and wanted to get to know the ones in my own backyard.  Before I started foraging, I tried planting a vegetable garden, but I didn’t have much time or a very green thumb. I ended up growing mostly weeds, so I decided to pick those instead! 

    Foraging near my house lets me have a maintenance-free “garden” that isn’t overly controlled, plus I get to keep learning about plants. I started out by picking edible plants that are documented as safe and easy to identify, so I wasn’t apprehensive about eating them. If you’re nervous about foraging at first, there are also nurseries that sell native, edible plants-- and it can be more responsible to buy varieties that aren’t widespread in the wild.

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  • Feast for the Eyes

    May 31, 2013

    Tags:
    In the Kitchen
    , How-To


    As soon as we saw these sweet, edible violets in saturated shades of purple, yellow, and orange, we knew we would be finding ways to use them in the kitchen all summer long. Though the possibilities are almost endless, a few of our early favorites include mixing them into our seasonal salads and dropping them atop key lime tartlets, a fresh-squeezed glass of grapefruit juice, or frosted coconut cupcakes. On the hottest days, we love freezing them into spheres and watching as the purple petals tint our ice a pretty shade of blue.  

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  • COOK + A Winter's End Fritter

    March 12, 2013

    Tags:
    Recipe Box
    , In the Kitchen

    In a cozy corner of Philadelphia, COOK, a 16-seat kitchen classroom, bustles with nightly activity from our fair city's best-loved chefs, producers, and purveyors. Naturally, we were honored when Chef Rudolf of our own Styer's Garden Café was asked to lead an evening class using his favorite late winter ingredients. The lucky guests were treated to an enviable menu of Chef Rudolf's favorites, but when he showed us his plan for the meal we never made it past the starter: homemade apple fritters. We can think of no better use for the last of the apples knocking around in the cellar, so without further ado…

    Winter's End Apple Fritters

    2 cups all purpose flour
    1 cup sugar
    2 1/4 teaspoon salt
    2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
    2 eggs
    3 1/4 cups whole milk
    2 teaspoons vanilla extract
    2 Honeycrisp apples
    Vegetable oil
    Powdered sugar to dust

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  • Winter Citrus with Honey and Jam

    February 5, 2013

    Tags:
    Recipe Box
    , In the Kitchen


    A visit from Honey & Jam's Hannah Queen is always a welcome addition to the week, especially when she comes bearing her favorite recipe for rosemary citrus tarts. If you're like us, one look at these will send you straight to the kitchen to preheat the oven.

    "Winter is not my favorite season. It’s long, cold, and there’s not nearly enough sunlight for my liking. The fact that citrus - the flavor we associate so closely with summer - is in season during the depths of winter seems reason enough to be happy while you’re freezing. I’ve combined two of my favorite flavors here, sunny lemon and the ever-hearty rosemary, which is still going strong in my little front porch herb garden. My favorite thing about this tart is the contrast of textures and flavors; the crunchy, earthy rosemary cornmeal crust against the bright, tart, smooth, and creamy curd filling. This recipe makes two tarts, but is easily halved. The dough freezes well, and any leftover curd can be kept in the fridge for a week - it’s great on scones or toast!"

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  • What's Cooking with Keith Rudolf

    February 1, 2013

    Tags:
    In the Kitchen


    If you’ve enjoyed a bite to eat at Styer’s Garden Café, you may have found yourself wondering about the chef who created your meal. Recently, we stopped in to chat with Chef Keith Rudolf, sample some treats, and ask him to make a difficult choice—his favorite dish from the menu.

    Keith told us, “I didn’t go to culinary school, I’ve just had the honor of working for some of the best.” At age 21, he landed a job in the kitchen of famed Philly chef Tony Clark, an experience he likens to “culinary boot camp.” He next spent several years in LA at The Standard Hotel before returning to his native East Coast. Three years ago, he joined the terrain family thanks to encouragement from his wife, who brought him to the café and insisted, “You need to be the chef here.”

    When asked what he loves about the Garden Café, Keith had a lot to say. First, he enjoys the opportunity to “develop a living menu with the help of local purveyors and farmers.” He added, “We get so many fantastic products, so we’ve been able to adopt a cooking philosophy that allows the ingredients to speak for themselves. We don’t overdo anything and try to respect each product by preparing it correctly and cleanly.” Along with the fantastic kitchen and front of house teams, the space itself makes coming to work even better. “The décor of our greenhouse is something I love about terrain. It is truly a one-of-a-kind dining room, and our visual team does a wonderful job keeping it beautiful.”

    Finally, we asked our chef to make a tough call: which dish from the menu was his current favorite? He chose the Venison Rack. “First off,” he said, “the rack itself is a beautiful and delicious thing, but the fact that we’re using oatmeal and making it savory with some root vegetables is a great accompaniment to the lean game meat.” 

    To learn more about our cafés or to reserve your table, please visit the Styer's and Westport restaurant pages.

    Photography courtesy of Courtney Apple.

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  • A Canal House Christmas

    December 19, 2012

    Tags:
    Recipe Box
    , In the Kitchen

    We adore the fresh, seasonal fare crafted by Canal House duo Christopher Hirsheimer and Melissa Hamilton, but we might be even more enamored with the effortless lifestyle that they showcase in their waterside kitchen. Because the holidays can be a bit hectic, we asked this laid-back pair to share some tips for a full and festive season with minimal stress. They offered five ingenious ways to prepare your home for holiday guests in the weeks leading up to Christmas, so the day itself can be spent celebrating.

    Build a Holiday Bar

    Prepare for holiday gatherings by stocking your liquor cabinet. Splurge on some special varieties, pick up your friends’ favorite brands, and add a bottle of unusual gin to your collection. Also, keep a case of prosecco chilled on the porch-- you’ll have something festive to open anytime surprise guests stop in.

    Once you’ve made your selections, arrange everything on a pretty tray in the space where you entertain the most. Finish off your bar with a mixed but complementary assortment of thin, elegant glasses and beautiful pitchers to make your drinks feel especially festive.

    Finally, mix up a batch of homemade milk punch and store it in the freezer inside a pretty pitcher. When guests arrive, simply break up the punch with a wooden spoon before serving. Milk punch tastes even better than eggnog, and looks much more special than nog poured from a paper carton. Find the recipe here.

    Hard Boil a Batch of Eggs

    Keep a stash of hard boiled eggs in the fridge to make spontaneous and simple hors d’oeuvres. Devil the eggs traditionally, or save time by “buttering” the halves with mayonnaise. Top with bacon, scallions, chives, smoked salmon, caviar, sardines, or other savory garnishes. Hard boiled eggs are a versatile starting point for being creative with what you have on hand in the pantry.
    Present an assortment of garnished eggs on a beautiful platter. With their colorful toppings, they look like festive jewels on a holiday table.

    Find the recipe in Canal House Cooks Every Day, available in terrain stores.

    Make a Christmas Eve Ham

    Christopher and Melissa “believe in the ham” as a holiday gift that keeps giving. Cooking a big ham on Christmas Eve is surprisingly simple, and you’ll have enough food no matter how many guests stop by. If you don’t finish it on Christmas Eve, leftover ham is also easy to incorporate into Christmas Day breakfast as a layer for Eggs Benedict, or in sandwiches with freshly-baked biscuits.

    Bake Sugar Cookies for Impromptu Gifts

    Make a big batch of sugar cookies for gifts or party treats. Package the cookies in cellophane bags and tie them with a length of pretty ribbon. Always keep a few of these easy presents on hand, so you’re never short of a gift for a drop-by visitor.

    Preserve Lemons in Weck Jars

    For a simple and practical gift that wows recipients, preserve whole lemons in weck jars. In early winter, Meyer lemons are just coming into season in warm climes like California. Salty and a little sour, preserved Meyer lemons are perfect for adding salt to any recipe. They also add a splash of tropical color to the winter months when displayed in glass jars.
    Preserving lemons is very simple—you just need a jar, the fruit itself, and some kosher salt. Jars of preserved lemons make no-worry gifts because you can keep them for up to a year if you don’t give them all away. Also, the weck jar is as beautiful as the lemons inside, and the recipient can use it again after their lemons are gone.

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