Looking for a simple but delicious last minute Thanksgiving side dish? After eating this off the menu at Match Restaurant, we asked Chef Storch to share his recipe with CTbites. We are working on this in our kitchen right now. I hope you try it in yours. Enjoy Match Restaurant's Pan-Roasted Cauliflorets With Pine Nuts and Raisins.
While many of our readers have family traditions when it comes to Thanksgiving, we, at CTbites, feel it is important to add a newcomer to the recipe box each year. For 2016, we offer you a classic developed by South End's Chef Nick Martschenko. His recipe for Maple Praline Pumpkin Pecan Pie may become your family's go-to dessert. If you decide to cook this in your home next week, let us know what you thought.
It's that time of year...Chili season. Although, truly, is there ever a BAD time for chili? This recipe, from Terrain Garden Café's Chef Jessica Bengtson, offers up a meat-free approach to the traditional chili. She has even provided a list of ingredients you can find at your local farmers' market. Enjoy this recipe for Hearty Bean Chili.
This tangy yet sweet maple mustard roast pork tenderloin recipe brings together seasonal flavors in an easy-to-make-meal, perfect for a Sunday family dinner (or holiday entrée).
This Sunday pork roast idea came about thanks to Avon Prime Meats in Avon, CT. This local market packs a lot into it's 4,500 square feet. Front and center is their meat counter. They sell only Prime (highest grade of beef) or Premium Choice meats.
Many of the meats they carry are traceable to the farm of origin. They also work with local farms offering local, grass fed and all natural meats as well. Sepe Farms, Blue Slope Farms, and Cream Hill Farm are among their local farm partners.
Take a break from the classic paella, and mix up your healthy grains with Marcia Selden's recipe for Quinoa Paella with Shrimp, Chorizo + Chicken. We appreciate a one pan meal and this dish has great rich flavor from the chorizo and saffron. Interesting food fact: Coming from the dried stigmas of the saffron crocus, it takes 75,000 blossoms or 225,000 hand-picked stigmas to make a single pound which explains why it is the world’s most expensive spice. Enjoy this recipe and send us feedback.
Ever wondered what makes that steak taco at Bartaco taste oh so good? We've got the word on the secret seasoning right here. Heat up those tortillas and get the grill going because this is the perfect end of summer dish. For best results, we encourage you to source your Pico ingredients at your local farmers' market.
Tomato season is in fill swing in CT and Barcelona Wine Bar is featuring this gorgeous local bounty. There is nothing simpler than this recipe for Tomato Montadito w/ Goat Cheese but some things are better left simple.
Chef John Craig is cooking up something great again at Clarke, New England's Official Sub-Zero & Wolf Showroom and Test Kitchen in South Norwalk. Nothing says summer like fresh corn and this is a great way to prepare it! For this recipe, you'll use the Convection Broil setting on your Wolf Convection Oven to perfectly melt that mozzarella cheese. This recipe for Clarke's Bay Corn is a simple, delicious side dish for any summer meal.
Summer grilling is in full swing in CT, and with that in mind, Marcia Selden has shared a great recipe that leverages both Connecticut's proximity to some excellent seafood and our favorite culinary friend, the grill. A little flame goes a long way in this dish, Tamarind BBQ Swordfish & Pineapple Skewers. There is nothing better than grilled pineapple, and you can use the excess for a great cocktail. Enjoy!
Embody believes in eating local, keeping things simply and honoring ourselves by eating real food! This summer salad with edible Nasturium flowers makes for a beautiful dish to bring to parties or just to enjoy on your own. Takes only 15 minutes to make! Also, the majority of the ingredients are LOCAL (from the Westport CT Farmers Market) and all are organic.
Cask Republic will be demoing this gorgeous salad at The Westport Farmers' Market July 20th. If you can't get to Westport, feel free to enjoy this healthy summer salad in your own home. We encourage you to shop your local famers' market for ingredients. Tomatoes season has just started in CT. Make the most of it!
Chef Geoff Lazlo, of Mill Street Bar and Table in Greenwich has created this Farm Egg Thin Crust Flat Bread recipe as part of The Westport Farmers' Market recipe program.
The farm egg flat bread was inspired by the beautiful eggs we raise at the Back 40 Farm in Washington, CT. It is essentially the pizza version of a bacon egg and cheese breakfast sandwich, which is why it is perfect for brunch. View additional farmers' market inspired recipes here.
Ávert Brasserie in West Hartford is celebrating Bastille Day with a festival Abounding with French cuisine, musique, dance, and myriad attractions for the whole family. This farm fête populaire invites locals to revel in the flavors, sounds, and joie de vivre of France!
If you would like to host your own Bastille Day party, here is their great recipe for Steamed Mussels with Mustard, Curry and Cream. Yum. Check it out below.
Summer has finally arrived, and with heat and humidity, nothing is more refreshing than a chilled soup. On July 6, Chef David Romero of Tavern on Main in Westport, will be serving up his delicious Chilled Beet Soup with Greek Yogurt and Dill, featuring beets, herbs and yogurt from the Westport Farmer’s Market. Here is the recipe:
Chef Matt Storch will be at The Westport Farmers' Market June 22nd serving up this delicious Vietnamese dish, Bun Thit Nuong Cold Noodle Salad. This is an amazing delicious cold refreshing dish for a hot summer day. If you can't make it to the market, you can enjoy this great recipe at home be following the directions below.
Every week at Clarke, New England's Official Sub-Zero & Wolf Showroom and Test Kitchen in South Norwalk, the staff exemplifies how these extraordinary appliances can enhance your life. The Wolf Convection Steam Oven offers features that can only be appreciated by actually cooking on it. Here's a recipe for Mini Carrot Cakes with Cream Cheese Frosting, which was recently prepared by Chef John Craig at Clarke SoNo to illustrate some of the hidden features (convection humid mode) of this extraordinary appliance. If you own a convection steam oven...do try this at home!
This recipe for Mini Crab Cakes comes just in time for Memorial Day entertaining. Thank you Marcia Selden Catering! We don't know about you, but we like a crab cakes loaded with fresh crab meat and not a lot of extra filler. This one fits the bill. Enjoy these are your next party...or just dinner for two.
Chef Jes Bengsten of Terrain Cafe in Westport is the guest chef at the Westport Farmers' Market this week. She will be showing lucky shoppers how to make a beautiful and healthy dish, Stuffed Roasted Beets with Kale & Carrot Slaw. Don't worry...you'll also get a taste. This is the perfect farewell to the cooler months as we move forward towards summer.
Chef Anthony Kostelis will be one of the many guest chefs at The Westport Farmers' Market for the 2017 summer season. The complete lineup will be released shortly. In the meantime, Chef Kostelis has shared one of the recipes he will be demoing at the market, Kohlrabi & Radish Salad with Goat Feta and Zesty Breadcrumbs, made with local ingredients from CT farms. When you create this salad at home we encourage you to seek local purveyors at a farmers' market near you.
Kohlrabi and Radish Salad with Goat Feta and Zesty Breadcrumbs
Serves 2
Prep time: 20 minutes
Marcia Selden has created a great variation on the classic ‘mai tai’ cocktail. It’s perfect for spring and the bruléed top gives it a unique flavor profile. If you are sadly lacking a sterno brulée gun, and can't borrow one from your neighbor, feel free to drink this one straight up without the flourish.
