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By Susan Able, Edible DC
On an eighth-generation heritage farm, flower farmers Andrea and Lou Gagnon, owners of LynnVale Studios in Gainesville, Virginia, hosted a dinner on Thursday evening for two hundred guests in their flower fields. The stunning event and dinner was all part of a national promotional tour to highlight the Certified American Grown flowers program and the farmers who grow them. As explained by the event organizers, Certified American Grown, which is a coalition of American flower farmers, the event was designed to focus attention on fresh, local and sustainable flowers in the same way that a farm-to-table chef sources the freshest regional and seasonal menu ingredients available.
The national dinner series was designed to make locally grown flowers the focal point of the evening discussion. So why do we care about at "Slow Flowers", American-grown flower movement? Well, for many of the same reasons we care about local food. We import 80% of flowers sold in the U.S. These low-cost imports from South and Central America have hurt our U.S. flower industry--59% of U.S. flower farms have gone out of business since 1992. When we lose farms, we lose jobs and farm land. While we may save money on cheap imports (roses are the number one flower import), we create a huge environmental footprint in shipping them--a less sustainable way of having a bouquet than buying locally. Over 200,000 tons of flowers come into Miami International Airport, that is 40,000 boxes of flowers a day that come in on seven daily flights, six days a week. Supporting farmers who grow local flowers is a win-win, natural beauty from our own area that mirrors the seasons and supports a local industry and helps it gain traction again. More information can be found at slowflowers.com, americangrown flowers.org and fieldtovase.com.
"The Field to Vase Dinner Tour puts a face on the flowers, introducing the farmers and highlighting why it is so important that flowers at the center of the table be as fresh, local and sustainable as the food on your plate. That's a powerful experience," said Kasey Cronquist, administrator of the Certified American Grown brand.
And now back to the Field to Vase dinner. The evening also celebrated locally grown food and locally produced wine and beer, with fantastic representation by Crooked Run Brewing out of Leesburg with a grapefruit saison and a 100% chardonnay sparkler from Stone Tower Winery. Catering was fresh and local and kudos to Michael Kozich, Executive Chef and owner of Blue Water Kitchen in Bluemont, VA and his team for a wonderful meal, with flawless table service on a very warm evening. Chef Michael featured a fresh from the garden meal featuring local vegetables and lamb.
Andrea Gagnon gave a tour of the farm and did a floral design demo. Their flowers are sold (and have a huge following!) at the Burke, Dupont Circle and Palisades farm markets. For more information about their farm, events or flowers, go to lynnvale.com.
Want to support the Slow Flowers movement, U.S. flower farmers and buy local? Look for the Certified American Grown brand and logo on your floral purchases.
Susan Able is the Publisher and Editor in chief of Edible DC. In the summer, she’s always recipe testing and can be found running around from farm market to farm market looking for perfect tomatoes.
By Avery Morrison, special to Edible DC
Entering Casey Health Institute (CHI) feels like a peaceful utopia as you enter fresh from the bustling traffic of rush hour. I had braved after-work traffic to attend the last of Casey Health’s Physician’s Kitchen series for the summer (don’t worry, they resume in mid-September. Click HERE for more information.) The Physician’s Kitchen series is run by the physicians at CHI who truly believe in the food-as-medicine approach to diet and health. Each session begins with a lecture and ends with a demonstration and tasting. The topic of the lecture changes each session, but the entire series focuses on the powerful influence of food on the body and how to use food to get and stay healthy. After the classroom setting, there is a cooking demonstration, tastings, and the recipes are shared so that the all the information from the lecture gets hands-on reinforcement.
It starts with using the best ingredients. Almost all the food used throughout the series comes from a local CSA, and CHI is also a distribution center for that CSA. Additionally, they are conscious about food waste; any extra food is sent to Manna, a nonprofit that feeds the hungry in Montgomery County.
The lecture I attended focused on sweeteners, both good and bad. I come from a family of Splenda and Crystal Light power users and I was in for a big surprise. ‘Artificial Sweeteners are bad’ was something I had heard before, but finally, someone gave me an explanation why. The lector, Dr. Carrie Runde, told us of the negative side effects and the science behind why artificial sweeteners aren’t great for us, but most important for my demanding sweet tooth, she gave us roughly 15 alternatives.
After the lecture, we went back into the kitchen where we tasted raw energy balls and fruit skewers with caramel sauce, both amazing and filling—and great after school snacks or to take for a work lunch. They follow this article.
At the session ended, there was an contest featuring CSA produce as a prize for correct answers regarding food and health. Leaving with a fresh bunch of exotic basil, I vowed to get rid of the Splenda and Crystal Light lurking in my kitchen, and replace it with Stevia and other natural sweeteners. If you are interested in doing the same, I’ve shared a few natural sweeteners and the conversions Casey Health provided at the lecture series at the end of this article. And thanks to Casey Health for sharing the easy recipe for Raw Energy Balls, perfect for a healthy option for school snacks or lunch.
Raw Energy Balls Total Time: 15 min Makes about 1 dozen balls
1 cup raw almonds (or pecans or walnuts) 1 cup pitted dates (or dried apricots) ¼ cup raisins ¼ teaspoon cinnamon ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom ¼ cup raw almond butter (or another nut butter) Shredded unsweetened coconut or cocoa powder
Grind almonds in a food processor until finely ground. Add the dates, raisins, and spices. Grind to a fine meal. Add almond butter and process again until thoroughly mixed. Form into balls and in the Edible DC test kitchen, we liked them rolled in shredded coconut. Cocoa powder works too. Adapted from The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook.
| Sweetener | Amount to replace 1 cup sugar | Adjustments to recipe |
| Agave | ¾ cup | Reduce liquid in recipe by ⅓ to 1/2 . Reduce baking temperature by 25˚ |
| Barley Malt Syrup* | 1 ⅓ cups | Reduce liquids by 1/4 . Add ¼ teaspoon baking soda for each cup syrup to help baked goods rise.** |
| Brown Rice Syrup* | 1 ¼ cups | Reduce liquids by ¼ and add ¼ teaspoon baking soda for each cup syrup to help baked goods rise.** |
| Date Sugar | 1 cup | None |
| Frozen juice concentrate | ⅔ cup | Reduce liquids by ⅓ and add ¼ teaspoon baking soda per cup of concentrate. ** |
| Honey | ½ cup | Reduce liquids by ⅛. Reduce oven temperature by 25 degrees and cook a bit longer. |
| Maple Syrup | ½ to ⅔ cup | Reduce liquid by ¼ and add 1 teaspoon baking soda per cup of syrup. ** |
| Molasses | 1 ⅓ cup sweet molasses | Reduce liquid by 6 tablespoons and add ½ teaspoon baking soda per cup of molasses. *** |
| Stevia | Read labels for powder, liquid or concentrate | Follow suggestions on product label |
| Sugar cane juice | 1 cup (Rapadura, Sucanat, muscovado, turbinado, demerara) | None |
| Xylitol or Zero | Granulated 1 cup | None |
*If you use barley malt of brown rice syrups in baked goods, be aware that a natural enzyme in these sweeteners may liquefy the consistency of the batter. This is more likely when eggs are not used. To prevent liquefying eggless recipes, first boil the barley malt or brown rice syrup for 2 to 3 minutes, cool, then measure and use. **For each ¼ teaspoon baking soda, reduce salt by ¼ teaspoon. ***Do not substitute more than half the sugar in a recipe with molasses, blackstrap molasses is not sweet.
For any questions, concerns or more info about the CHI CSA, email wellness@caseyhealth.org
Casey Health Institute (and the CSA pick up location), 800 S. Frederick Avenue, Gaithersburg, MD 20877, 301-644-6464, caseyhealth.org
Avery Morrison is a contributor to Edible DC and summer intern. An award-winning student writer, she is a sophomore at UVA and plans to study medicine.
by Spencer Launer, special to Edible DC
Secretary of State John Kerry scheduled to raise the American flag over the U.S. embassy in Havana for the first time since January 3, 1961, and I had to get there first. I wanted to feel the sticky nights before the corporate storm. I wanted to hear the live salsa, son cubano, and jazz before bars are taken over with new Beliebers and their new Bluetooth high-performance speakers. I wanted to taste the Cuban cuisine before the country is infiltrated with McDonalds, Burger King and Chipotle.
I deplaned in Jose Marti International Airport and was overwhelmed by the smell of stale Cuban cigars in the jetway, remnants of tourists’ last attempts to enjoy a freshly rolled cigar in the humid climate that preserves each tobacco leaf perfectly. The customs process was a breeze, and I was already bartering for the cheapest ride into the city.
About an hour after landing I stepped into Casa Mecánico, the casa particular run by Miguel the mechanic and “his woman”. Disclaimer - I do not think Miguel is the sort who diminishes the place of women in society, rather I think his attempt to introduce his wife was lost in translation. He showed us to our rooms and we were eager to go roam the streets.
It wasn’t long before we heard distant music coming from an open bar with no windows, so we went in for a rum. The space was perfect, exactly as I had imagined it should be in my mind's eye. Run down, no polish, questionably clean glassware, and live music featuring the pianist from Buena Vista Social Club. I was sold. The bartender poured me a Havana Club Añejo 7 years, which set me back a whopping $2.50. The rum only needed one ice cube, and could be sipped like a fine añejo tequila--it was so good. The band started playing Chan-Chan and I could have died in cliche heaven.
My stomach started growling and I wanted to get to my goal of the trip and dig into some food. We walked towards the Malecón, Havana's famous promenade along the water, and found a waterfront restaurant for dinner. I ordered chicken and rice, which everyone around me was eating, and the food was awful… overcooked and underseasoned. I wouldn’t let it get me down.
The next morning we had a traditional Cuban breakfast with Miguel at his home. A very plain omelet, bread rolls, tomatoes, papaya and bananas, guava juice, and coffee. It wasn’t anything extraordinary, but it was an authentic local experience. I was zero for two on meals.
In early afternoon I was ready for a light lunch, so we stepped into a restaurant along the water called El Templete. Little did I know I would have my favorite food of the entire trip, and it would only cost me 90 cents. I ordered a cup of black beans and I was blown away at what I received… a cup of beans! They weren't cut down with lard and refried, they weren't dry nor cold--they were perfect. They were seasoned beautifully, cooked to perfection, and garnished with a delicious olive oil that was a great accent for the earthiness of the beans.
I will spare you the play-by-play of the rest of my meals, because to be frank… everything was overcooked and bland. It was as if they were afraid of medium, let alone medium-rare, meats and they were hoarding salt from their dishes.
I will give credit where credit is due, and that is the delicious meal I had at Paladar los Amigos. I was sick and tired of not enjoying my food in Havana, so I finally went to a paladar recommended by Anthony Bourdain (not personally, just google “Anthony Bourdain Cuba”). I had ordered the ropa vieja, and my friend ordered the “breaded chicken”, aka schnitzel. Both were amazing. The ropa vieja was cooked beautifully, the spices were spot on, and the flavors were complex in a subtle way. The chicken was perfectly tender, which is hard to do considering how thin it is. It also tasted as if the chicken was cooked in a garlic olive oil so there was a pleasantly lingering garlic taste at the end of each bite. The accoutrements to the dishes were also cooked and seasoned well.
As disappointed as I was in the food, I was still thrilled about Cuba. The people are warm and welcoming, despite my inability to communicate well. The architecture is beautiful with diverse influence and a rich history. There is music everywhere and everyone dances. The rum is exceptional, and the cigars are that good.
For people interested in going to Cuba, it is still not easy. Tourism is still banned until 2016, and you must fall into one of twelve categories in order to visit. That being said, it isn’t difficult to figure out how to fit into one of those categories. For more information, visit the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Asset Control here: http://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/Programs/pages/cuba.aspx
If your flights are booked and you are Havana bound, here is my advice:
1. Leave your inhibition in the U.S., because Cubans don’t have any. You won’t be out of place if you are ‘awkwardly’ salsa dancing, so relax your hips and groove on.
2. Stay in a casa particular. It is the best way to learn about the Cuban people, put money directly into their hands, and they will give you the greatest insight into the city. There is no glitz and glamour in these homes, so don’t expect the Ritz Carlton.
3. In Cuba you will eat to live, not live to eat… get over it. Try the paladars. They can be a little more expensive, but they are better.
4. Enjoy the rum! Don’t make the same mistake I did, waiting until the end for a pina colada.
by Andrew Marder, Special to EdibleDC
I'm not hip. Teenagers walk past my house coming or going from middle school, and at no point do they think, "There's the guy I want to be like." I'm the dude wearing the relaxed fit clothes that takes the ball that lands in his yard.
So the other night, those teenagers would have been surprised to see me swimming neck deep in a crowd of hip young things at La Colombe -- I was surprised myself.
The Shaw outpost of this Philly-based coffee roaster was hosting DC's social media elite to introduce its new draft latte and coffee-tinged rum. I did my best to fit in.
"What's your handle," a gentleman with a beautiful Leica draped over his shoulder asked.
"I don't use Instagram."
"Oh."
So while I didn't fit in very well in terms of being an on trend kind of guy, the locals were incredibly welcoming. The Leica slinger turned out to be Tony Gyepi-Garbrah, a super-hip motorcycle, fashion, and food enthusiast who didn't seem to care that I was the owner of the cheapest Windows phone available.
The focus of the evening was on the food and drink. La Colombe's new latte mix cold-brewed coffee concentrate and milk through a nitrous-powered draft tap. The result is something between an iced latte and a cloud. Tiny bubbles trapped like jewels in the cold milk bring a lightness and sweetness to the resulting drink.
Next to the iced latte tap, there's a classic cold brew tap pouring La Colombe's Pure Black. The cold brew process keeps the flavor notes high, allowing fruit and floral tones to shine through. Imagine dialing down the bass on your stereo and picking up all the vocal nuances you'd been missing--I think that defines a good cold brew experience.
Combine the two and you have a black and tan. Toss in a shot of Jameson and you've got one of the smoothest Irish coffees I've ever had the pleasure to drink.
At the other end of the bar, phones and cameras snapped away as the café's Different Drum rum made its way into a Spanish coffee. The rum's tagline is "Rum for the bourbon drinker" and it does taste similar to bourbon, with smoky notes and a sharper, less faux-tropical taste.
La Colombe has tried a few coffee varieties in the rum, and the current version uses an Ethiopian roast known for its stone fruit flavors. In the Spanish coffee, it played nicely with ginger cream, cinnamon, and orange. A few drops of 151 get added to the mix allow you to flame the drink, caramelizing some of the sugared rim before being doused by fresh coffee.
If you want to get folks who take a lot of Instagram shots excited, set something on fire.
Even without the flaming drinks, the whole café buzzed. DC had been blessed with a cool end of summer night, allowing the party to spill out into Blagden Alley. Even with my pockets bereft of social cache, I couldn't help but be intrigued by the interactions.
Representatives from IGDC squeezed in next to local bloggers and photographers. Hannah Yoast turned a handful of sidewalk chalk into a flaming cocktail mural, while RareSweets founder Meredith Tomason explained to me that traditional canele use beeswax-lined copper molds, but that she was using an updated, non-bee method.
Everyone seemed to know everyone without any of them having ever met. It was beautiful. While I was talking to Holly Garner from IGDC, Hannah came over to introduce herself and it was like watching pen pals meet for the first time. And I'm not talking about the my-name-is-Ronnie-but-I've-been-writing-as-Margret-for-six-years-hope-you-don't-mind kind of pen pals.
Like all things, the party eventually wound down. I grabbed a pastry for the road and trekked back to my house full of confiscated footballs. I'll be back for the lattes soon enough, though.
Also, I may have installed the Instagram app on my phone. Is FoodGuyFromDCWhoWritesMainlyButAlsoTakesPictures too long a handle?
Andrew Marder is a writer living in Hyattsville, MD. He enjoys playing with his son, having dinner with his wife, and sitting quietly with good friends. When he's not awake, he's asleep.
by Susan Able, Edible DC
This time of year I realize that I'm in the middle of a "tomato progression" with various stages of emotion and culinary expression as the season ticks along. When the first ripe local tomatoes appear, I eat them joyously-just as they are. Cherry tomatoes by the pint, heirlooms sliced up with a bit of salt, and of course, the great simple tomato sandwich. That salty sweet acid flavor is just so missed over the winter (And yes, I'm one of those people who just has to eat local farm tomatoes. I know, but I just can't eat the ones in the grocery in the winter.) So simplicity rules for June. Then as the summer goes on, other salads and variations appear and there is still no satiation. I just dread the tomato dessert of the winter and have to stock up on tomato eating experiences before they are gone.
About mid-July I start looking around for other ways to use them in easy recipes that showcase their sunny flavor. The Washington Post's annual Top Tomato recipe contest always inspires me. This week I went back to a 2013 recipe for Savory Tomato Cornbread Cobbler, the recipe is here.
I confess to adapting it, with a happy outcome. There was one little zuchinni and one little sweet pepper languishing without purpose on my counter, so I chopped them up, added them to the mix and they were great. I also didn't have a cast iron pan, so I used an oven safe fry pan and it turned out just fine. It's a great recipe, and a nice foil to grilled steak or other meats.
Second recipe started this way. There was a half a loaf of bread from the amazing Annapolis bakery, Bakers & Co. that was kicking around too without meaning until I thought of croutons. And when you have great garlicky croutons and a couple of great tomatoes staring at you, what else can it mean but panzanella? But I also had some wee little Japanese eggplants that had been meant for something but had gotten forgotten in the weekend melee. Panzanella is a welcoming salad, and the eggplants were warmly greeted after a good roasting. Honestly, this time of year, recipes that can take on the little veggies hanging out on your counter are just good to have in your back pocket--and easy ones to whip up at that. Enjoy!
Tomato Eggplant Panzanella Salad
I’ve made panzanella many times, in various ways. Besides really needing crusty great croutons and super ripe tomatoes, you can add this or that (cucumbers, zucchini, peppers), but don’t forget the homemade dressing and the basil.
Croutons
1⁄2 loaf good dense bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 minced garlic cloves
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons melted butter
Salt and pepper
Vinaigrette 1 teaspoon finely minced garlic 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard 3 tablespoons sherry or red wine vinegar 1/2 cup good olive oil 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Salad 1 medium or two Japanese (thin) eggplants, sliced into 1 inch cubes 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 tablespoon melted butter 1 medium red onion, very thinly sliced 3 cups halved cherry tomatoes Salt and pepper ½ cup basil leaves cut into chiffonade Shaved Parmesan Possible additions: 1.5 cups chopped roasted chicken
Directions 1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. 2. Toss bread cubes with garlic, olive oil, butter, and salt and pepper. Cook in hot frypan until lightly brown and crispy. Set aside in a bowl. 3. Toss eggplant with olive oil, melted butter, and salt and pepper to taste. 4. Roast in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until tender and golden brown. 5. To make viniagrette: combine ingredients in a clean jar and shake vigorously, adjusting salt and pepper to your liking. 6. To prepare salad: Combine all the salad ingredients and croutons. Toss with vinaigrette and garnish with basil.
Susan Able is the Publisher and Editor in chief of Edible DC. In the summer, she's always recipe testing and can be found running around from farm market to farm market looking for perfect tomatoes.
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