Auntie Em's Kitchen, Catering and Local Organic Produce Delivery

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Produce List for the Week of February 17^th

Cherry Tomatoes

Red Carrots

Leeks

Kale

Swiss Chard

Cauliflower

Turnips

Red Torpedo Onions

Beets

Broccoli

Garlic

Oranges

*List may vary depending on quantity and ripeness of produce.

Auntie Em's Produce Delivery Add-Ons

Email Michelle@auntieemskitchen.com at least 3 days before your next delivery and it will be delivered with your produce!

1 Dozen, Free Range Eggs $6.50

1 Sourdough Boule $3.00

1 Quart Organic Chicken Stew w/ 2 Homemade Biscuits $13.95 (serves 2 generous portions)

Grass-Fed Beef Meatloaf $8.95 (serves 2)

Organic Vietnamese Chicken Meatballs: $15.00 for 12 meatballs - made fresh to order! It is great over rice for a quick meal!

Tunisian Soup with Chard and Egg Noodles

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 pound Swiss chard, stems and center ribs chopped and leaves coarsely chopped (reserve separately)

1 medium red onion, chopped

2 large garlic cloves, minced

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 quarts rich and flavorful chicken stock ; or 5 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth diluted with 3 cups water

1 to 2 tablespoons harissa or other hot sauce (to taste)

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 (19-ounces) can chickpeas, rinsed

4 ounce fine egg noodles (about 1 1/2 cups)

Equipment: an electric coffee/spice grinder

Accompaniment: lemon wedges

Preparation:

Toast cumin in a dry small heavy skillet (preferably cast-iron) over medium heat, stirring, until deeply fragrant and dark brown (be careful not to burn). Cool, then grind to a powder in grinder.

Cook chard stems, onion, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon each of cumin and salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, about 12 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Add stock, harissa, and lemon juice and simmer, covered, 30 minutes.

Add chard leaves, chickpeas, and noodles with 1/2 teaspoon salt and simmer, covered, until tender, about 7 minutes.

Serve soup sprinkled with remaining cumin.

cooks’ notes: Soup, without noodles, can be made 3 days ahead and chilled (covered once cool). Bring to a simmer and cook noodles in soup before serving.

Gourmet, February 2009

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Tunisian-Soup-with-Chard-and-Egg-Noodles-351436

No comments:

Post a Comment

Why I Started Auntie Em's Organic Local Produce Delivery Service

You might have already figured out that these produce baskets are my passion. I opened the restaurant 10 years ago, and have been doing the catering for 14 years now. I hit a point a couple of years ago where the restaurant and the catering pretty much ran themselves. I have the best staff in the world (all friends). I found myself in a place where I didn’t have that much to do anymore. For months and months I tried to come up with something to do. Another restaurant-no way! If I were 20 again, I might have the energy to do it all over. But as you probably know, it is really hard to start a restaurant. I didn’t want to have to do it all over again.

While visiting New York a few years ago, I came up with the idea for the produce baskets. Everything in New York City is delivered! Dry cleaning, groceries, sheets, furniture, plants-everything. I would sit in cafes sipping coffee and watch chefs from all of the local restaurants wheel carts of food to office buildings. This really got me thinking. I would bring the beautiful produce from the local farms to my customers who cant get to the farmers markets. This, I knew was not reinventing the wheel, but I wanted to personalize my service. Give recipes, let customers know what farms their food is coming from, pick all of the produce myself, and really inspire people to start cooking again and get them excited about food. Most importantly, the service would give back to the community. It would support local, small sustainable farms; it would keep the money local, giving it to small local farms rather than a big corporation. Which also means that there are less people in our area having their food shipped in from who knows where. Less demand for food that has no taste, that is sprayed with pesticides, that is grown by giant corporations that only have regard for making money and don’t have a passion for what they are actually doing. Less demand for it means they sell less, produce less and ship less!

I also wanted the service to offer “cute” boxes, and not crummy grocery sacks; something that could be re-used over and over. This, to be honest, was the hardest part. I searched and searched high and low for an appropriate box. I finally designed and had made the boxes that you get today.

I wanted a grass roots company. Not a giant company that needed backers with lots of money to start it. That is how I started my restaurant. When we got more customers I would get more boxes made, and so on. I am happy to report we have a new space to pack the boxes. We grew out of the space that we used in the back of the restaurant. We have tripled the amount of customers that we started with. Yes, my team has grown from one (me) to Tommy and Scott (your delivery people), Michelle (handles new customers and billing) as well as Fabian and Virginia (who helps pack the boxes). The farms and farmers that I buy from are ecstatic. I am helping bring their hard work to more people.

Most of all my customers are happy. I get so many emails about what you are cooking, how much your kids love it, how this produce has totally changed they way you and your families eat and how you are introduced to produce you have never had before.

I set out to do everything I wanted and much more. I have a little community of healthy eating foodies, more friends that I am employing, happy farmers, and my little contribution to a healthier society.

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

No comments: