Chesapeake Bay Foundation Blog

Tiki Turkey Winning Recipes

On the Road with Chesapeake Local Bounty

We were as stuffed as that big ol’ turkey after Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Tiki Turkey Local Potluck. Here are the winning recipes with some visuals to go along:

 

Favorite Dish with Local Ingredients
Marcy Damon's Vegetarian Lasagna 
Her dish received votes under best Local Dish, as well as best side dish, but it was a close call -- she only beat Woody’s Holly Beach Farm Goose Stew by one vote. 

 

Best Side Dish
Allyson Ladley's Mashed Sweet Potatoes  Allyson’s dish also received votes under the best dish with local ingredients. 

 

Best Dessert
Debbie Buchannan's Carrot Cake 
Debbie’s cake was not only fantastic but also decorated wonderfully. (She used carrots in her cake but we suggest the very seasonal local pumkin or squash). She won by a landslide but the runner up was Rob Schnabel’s roasted pears & goat cheese – which also received votes under the best dish with local ingredients and was created on Emeril Green’s "A Local Thanksgiving". 

 

Butternut, Spinach and Hazelnut Lasagne

(modification of Gourmet Dec. 2001 recipe)

Serves 6.

 

For squash filling

1 large onion, chopped

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 lb butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

4 teaspoons chopped fresh sage

1 lb. fresh spinach

1 cup hazelnuts (4 oz), toasted , loose skins rubbed off with a kitchen towel, and coarsely chopped

For sauce

1 teaspoon minced garlic

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

5 tablespoons all-purpose flour

5 cups milk

1 bay leaf (not California)

1 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon white pepper

For assembling lasagne

1/2 lb fresh mozzarella, coarsely grated (2 cups)

1 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (3 oz)

12 (7- by 3 1/2-inch) sheets no-boil lasagne (1/2 lb)

Preparation

Make filling:

Cook onion in butter in a deep 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 10 minutes. Add squash, garlic, salt, and white pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until squash is just tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in parsley, sage, and nuts. Cool filling.

 

Chop spinach into pieces, steam in saucepan or frying pan until wilted. Place in colander and gently press spinach with paper towels to remove excess moisture. (Spinach does not have to be completely dry.)

 

Make sauce while squash cooks:

Cook garlic in butter in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderately low heat, stirring, 1 minute. Whisk in flour and cook roux, whisking, 3 minutes. Add milk in a stream, whisking. Add bay leaf and bring to a boil, whisking constantly, then reduce heat and simmer, whisking occasionally, 10 minutes. Whisk in salt and white pepper and remove from heat. Discard bay leaf. (Cover surface of sauce with wax paper if not using immediately.)

 

Assemble lasagne:

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Toss cheeses together. Spread 1/2 cup sauce in a buttered 13- by 9- by 2-inch glass baking dish (or other shallow 3-quart baking dish) and cover with 3 pasta sheets, leaving spaces between sheets. Spread with 2/3 cup sauce and one third of filling, then sprinkle with a heaping 1/2 cup cheese. Repeat layering 2 more times, beginning with pasta sheets and ending with cheese. Place all spinach in single layer. Top with remaining 3 pasta sheets, remaining sauce, and remaining cheese.

 

Tightly cover baking dish with buttered foil and bake lasagne in middle of oven 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake until golden and bubbling, 10 to 15 minutes more. Let lasagne stand 15 to 20 minutes before serving.

Cooks' note: · Filling and sauce can be made 1 day ahead and kept separately, covered and chilled. Bring to room temperature before assembling.

 

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Pumpkin or Butternut Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Makes 1 three layer cake

 

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 cups sugar

1 cup oil

4 eggs

2 cups pumpkin or cooked and mashed butternut squash

1 cup chopped toasted nuts or chocolate chips (optional)

Frosting

1/2-1 cup butter

8 ounces cream cheese

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 box (16 ounces) confectioners' sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease baking pans.

In a medium bowl, combine first 5 ingredients- mix well. Combine the next 4 ingredients and beat into the bowl with the dry ingredients. If using stir in nuts or chocolate chips.

Bake 350* about 45 min.

Icing: Mix butter, cream cheese, vanilla and confectioners sugar. Beat well.

Ice when cake has cooled completely.

 

Rita Calvert

outreach7@verizon.net

www.ladycalvert.com

"On the Road with Chesapeake Local Bounty"

      ... a multi-media mix of abundance

Butternut Bounty for Thanksgiving (and some special news)

Before I tell my farm visit tale, I want to let you know Homestead Gardens is holding a Farmers Market Holiday Outpost every Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Food products—not crafts or greenery—are being sold from local producers. I'll have the luscious Chape Creamery and Chery Glen cheeses plus Chesapeake Fields delectable snack, which is also extremely healthy (but you can keep that a secret.) Bonaparte Breads is also there with irresistable almond croissants, breads and soups. Around the very cool miniature train display is seating and often there is live music. It's quite a festive destination in itself. Come and hang out!

 

While scouting and exploring for a future farm tour, I had the pleasure of experiencing some of the beautiful winter produce from the largest organic farm in Maryland—One Straw Farm. Lovingly tended by Drew and Joan Norman since 1985, One Straw Farm supplies families, restaurants and wholesalers with the finest certified-organic produce. Joan has also initiated the Faith-Based Initiative with her CSA. She now services eight churches in the Baltimore region. Joan presented me an entire case of my favorite squash which led to every conceivable recipe I could create and test!

 

So let’s get back to cooking winter squash—specifically butternut along—with an outstanding recipe inspiration for the holidays. Originally conceived by Bon Appetit magazine, I wanted to tweak the style to represent more of the Chesapeake Region’s bounty.  We’ll be consuming it for Tiki Turkey Day, the annual Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s staff Thanksgiving meal. This year the “Best Dish Competition” will feature recipes made with as much local product as possible. Let’s see if my favorite recipe gets the prize. 

And yes, we’ll publish all of the winning recipes.

PLUS: I ‘ll be posting another Butternut (or pumpkin or even sweet potato) recipe I created as soon as I test it one more time!

Butternut Squash Gratin With Local Goat Cheese And Pecans 

8 to 10 servings

Squash is often sold already peeled and seeded, making this recipe even easier.

3 1/2 pounds butternut squash (about 2 medium), peeled, seeded, cut into 3/4- to 1-inch cubes (8 cups)

2 tablespoons olive oil

coarse kosher salt

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, divided

3 cups sliced leeks (white and pale green parts only)

1 1/ teaspoons chopped fresh sage

5-ounces soft fresh goat cheese ( about 2/3 cup)

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 teaspoon curry powder

1/2 cup pecans coarsely chopped

Melt 3 tablespoons butter in heavy medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add sliced leeks and chopped sage; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté until tender but not brown, about 15 minutes. Coat 11x7-inch baking dish with remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Spread half of leek mixture over bottom of prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with half of squash and half of cheese. Repeat layering with leeks, squash, and cheese. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Pour cream mixed with curry powder evenly over gratin. Sprinkle with chopped pecans. Bake uncovered until gratin is heated through and cream is bubbling, about 30 minutes (40 minutes if previously chilled).

TO GO: This gratin is a good choice for transporting because it travels well. Either complete the dish at home (wrap it tightly to keep warm) or wait until you get to your destination to add the cream and nuts and then bake.

 

Have some fabulous beta carotene!

 

Best,

Rita

Posted by Rita Calvert. Rita is a chef, educator, and writer and a founding member of Buy Fresh Buy Local Chesapeake Region. Visit her website On the Road With Chesapeake Local Bounty.

On the Road With Chesapeake Local Bounty

A Very Clever Local Lunch Menu

Melon Salad
Maryland Farm Salad with Crab Louise Dressing
Untraditional Maryland Vegetable  Crab Soup
Sweet Zucchini Bread

We got plenty of crab for this Locally Grown Lunch as not only was it the base for the soup but also graced the salad dressing along with chopped hard boiled egg. It was very ingenious to add the crab to the Crab Louie dressing. You can make the soup at home and use a recipe loaded with seasonal vegetables like corn, baby potatoes and summer squash.

Maryland Vegetable Crab Soup
Makes 1 gallon

3 pounds fresh crab claws
2 quarts water
2 bay leaves
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 cups diced celery
3 cups halved baby potatoes
4 cups combinations of corn and diced summer squash
sea salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon marjoram
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon seafood seasoning
1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
1 pound special or claw crab meat

In a large, heavy bottomed kettle, combine crab claws water and bay leaves. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes to make broth. Add  tomatoes, celery, potatoes, vegetables cook approximately 30 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Add remaining ingredients, bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes at a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour. Leftover soup should be kept in refrigerator not more than five days. Makes about 1 gallon.

Posted by Rita Calvert. Rita is a chef, educator, and writer and a founding member of Buy Fresh Buy Local Chesapeake Region. Visit her website On the Road With Chesapeake Local Bounty.

Farmers share their conservation tips

Working at CBF has it’s advantages, but sometimes the news and feedback you get on a wide range of topics is just…impressive. On the BaltimoreSun.com, Ted Shelsby wrote, in his On the Farm section:

“Many farmers hire scouts to search their fields, identify problems, recommend management techniques and implement action to protect crops. Homeowners can take similar management steps before turning to pesticides.”

The more I work at CBF the more I learn just how much we as homeowners, farmers and inhabitants of the Chesapeake Bay region have an impact our soil and water resources; both positively and negatively. I was really impressed with the amount of information that the farmers offered that home owners are able to put in place for a healthier environment and bay friendly home. Some of the tips seem like common sense, but if they were common place we’d all be working towards a healthier land and bay.

Take some time to check out "Farmers Share Their Conservation Tips".

Farm Bill Funds Could Help the Bay -- But Action is Needed

Chesapeake Bay-area farmers who need help to incorporate methods of reducing nutrient pollution from their farms could get that help from the Federal Farm Bill. But it's not a done deal. Watch this story from WJZ-TV to see what's at stake, then join us in contacting your representatives in Congress to urge them to support the farm bill.

Expedition Student Receives Award

Congratulations Brian Gray! Brian was one of 12 students who participated in CBF's Expedition Susquehanna two years ago. Pennsylvania's Snyder County Conservation District just awarded him its Conservation Wildlife Award and was recently named the 2008 Pennsylvania FFA Star in Agri-Science. Way to go, Brian!

Mooooving Over to Grass

Here's a podcast about a great new group called the Maryland Grazer's Network, a mentoring program for farmers interested in selling locally-grown, grass-fed meat directly to consumers. Network leader Michael Heller, farm manager for CBF's Clagett Farm, has pulled together a "dream team" of farmers who will provide others with advice on Bay-friendly, rotational grazing practices and marketing. Listen and share it with your friends, and come on back to share your thoughts.

Other links you might find interesting:

• Clagett Farm
• Chesapeake Bay Foundation: Agriculture & Watershed Issues
• Amazing Grazing! Directory

Return Home

by guest blogger Frank Rohrer, stream buffer specialist in CBF's Pennsylvania office.

Back in December of 2007, I made the trip to the gently rolling hills of southern Lancaster County, Pennsylvania for my annual deer hunt on the family farm. Since I moved north to the mountains of Clinton County, PA over three years ago I don’t get back to the farm much.  Each visit is special because I’m always overwhelmed with childhood memories of baling hay, feeding cows, driving tractors, hunting deer, and fishing in the stream…ah the stream!

As a youngster much of my free time (which is very little when you grow up on a dairy farm) was spent fishing, flipping rocks, catching crayfish, and looking for salamanders in and along Stewart’s Run and a small, meandering tributary that flowed through my grandfather’s farm. What a great way to be introduced to the outdoors. I didn’t know it then, but each time a trout swallowed my bait in that little stream I was actually the one getting hooked on a love for all things outdoors.

So much has changed on the farm during the thirty-two years of my life. My grandparents are long gone now, but Dad keeps the farming tradition alive though much less intensively. The milk house now sits silently through long winters and hot summers. Cows no longer enter the barn for their evening meal and the chores are far fewer. Yes, tobacco still hangs in the shed, corn still grows in the fields and heifers graze in the pasture, but the days of intensive farming for the Rohrer family are now gone. 

Of all the changes I know of on the farm, one of the biggest has been the stream itself. Back in 2002, when my wife Kathy and I lived in the little cottage along the stream, Dad decided to build stream bank fencing and plant trees with CBF’s Farm Stewardship Program. Of course, since I just happened to work for CBF as a stream buffer specialist, I was a major influence with that decision!

So, that year we hired contractors to build 5,400’ of fence, install three livestock crossings, and plant 575 trees and shrubs. The fence and crossing set up allow the livestock to cross the stream and drink in various locations, while at the same time it keeps them out of the majority of the riparian areas. This allowed the streambanks to revegetate and helped to keep the stream cleaner. When my grandfather still milked cows, the livestock had full access to the entire stream and the banks were severely eroded, the water was often muddy, and there was no fish or wildlife habitat at all. In total, 5,820’ of streambanks have been restored and 5.3 acres of forested riparian buffer have been created.

Since I only get back to the area a few times a year, I don’t always get time to check out the buffer that I had put so much care and effort into several years ago. This year as I was hunting I decided to take a leisurely stroll along the buffer to really see how it was faring. Although there were trees that didn’t survive, I was so proud to see that there were many trees growing—quite a few of them were well above my six foot tall head. Some ash, maple, and tulip poplar stretched more than twelve feet above the ground.  Dogwoods and viburnums were thriving as well, providing cover and berries for birds and other wildlife.

The thing that struck me the most was the numerous songbirds that were along the stream. A tremendous diversity of birds flitted about all around me as they grabbed seeds from the tall grass, landed on the growing trees, and swooped down to the water. Chickadees, tufted titmice, sparrows of all kinds, and more. The stream buffer has gone from a grazed area with little habitat to a birder’s paradise in a very short time. Being a birder, I was thrilled.

As I walked and gazed over the pasture and farmstead, I was awed by the memories that flooded me…the big hill that we would ride our plastic and metal runner sleds on every winter, thinking nothing of running back up to the top and doing it all day long just as I’m sure my Dad did when he was young…the “deep hole” as we have always called it, where every year the neighbors and Dad and I would gather during the dawn hours of April’s opening day of trout season to try to hook those brown, rainbow, and brook trout, which were courtesy of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission…the old stone farmhouse built in the 1700’s, where every day my grandmother would make grilled cheese sandwiches for my grandfather and I as we rested from the morning barn chores…bringing in new born calves from the meadow as their mother trailed along behind…baling hay in the sweltering 100 degree heat of August…harvesting corn in the much cooler days of November as a hint of old man winter blew into the air…and of course, those delicious dinners served by my grandmother as the family gathered around the coal stove on those snowy Christmas days.  My simple buffer tour had stirred up so many memories from a 120 acre piece of ground! 

As I neared the end of my walk, my mind gradually got back to the real task at hand—hunting deer! One year I filled my deer tag right there in the buffer (I was doing my part to ensure those new trees would survive) but my luck was not to be this year. I went back north that weekend without a deer but I took home something more valuable—new memories and the knowledge that the stream that hooked me so many years ago was healthier than it has been for several generations. As I left the farm that day, I realized that my career today with CBF has brought me full circle with my childhood of yesterday.

To learn more about streamside buffers in Pennsylvania, you can contact the Chesapeake Bay Foundation at 717-234-5550.  If you live in Clinton, Centre, or Lycoming Counties, PA, you can contact the author directly at 570-295-6164.

I'll Get You My Pretty, And Your Little Fish, Too!

Gary Brookins at the Richmond Times-Dispatch has another winner!

With the Green Fund coming up in the Maryland General Assembly special session next week it could just as easily be Maryland afloat.

Right now, legislators have an opportunity to support the Green Fund for clean streams and a healthy Bay. Not surprisingly, there’s a lot of support for it: from environmentalists and watermen to homebuilders, community leaders, and health-care professionals; in fact, 63 percent of Marylanders are willing to pay a $20 annual fee to fund Bay clean-up programs.

It’s a rare moment when opportunity, consensus, and a solution all align at the same time. And we must take advantage of this moment.

As for Virginia, the Commonwealth has made great strides in recent years in funding upgrades to sewage treatment plants. Now the big challenge is reducing runoff pollution, especially from farms. CBF and a coalition of agricultural and conservation groups are calling upon Governor Tim Kaine and the Virginia General Assembly to include $100 million annually for 10 years in the state budget to fund programs that help Virginia farmers reduce runoff. The funding would come from 1/10th of one cent of the current sales tax. If fully funded, the programs could cut 60% of the nitrogen runoff—nearly 12 million pounds a year—needed to meet Bay cleanup goals. This is a huge opportunity to fix one of the biggest pollution problems plaguing Virginia rivers and the Bay.

What do you think? Should cleaning up the Bay be a funding priority?

Coalition Petitions VA Governor to Clean the Bay

CBF has joined a Virginia coalition of farm and conservation groups urging Virginia Governor Tim Kaine and state legislators to finish the job of restoring the health of Virginia rivers and the Chesapeake Bay.

The Virginia coalition, including CBF, the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation and the Virginia Agribusiness Council among others, is calling on Gov. Kaine and the Virginia General Assembly to budget $100 million a year for 10 years to fully fund the cost-share programs. The coalition calls for an annual $100 million budget payment, to be financed by 1/10 of one cent of the state sales tax.

CBF members can help by letting Gov. Kaine and Virginia elected officials know they support this funding by signing CBF’s online petition. Go to www.cbf.org/VApetition. For more information, contact Emily Francis at efrancis@cbf.org.