Greetings!   

This week is New Years and all deliveries are on schedule as usual, except our corporate customers at American Greetings.  Your delivery will be Thursday at 1 PM.

This week's centerpiece is a whole chicken.  We also expect to have a nice selection of vegetables this week, as long as the cold doesn't interfere.  Our farmers were able to get most of the root crops out of the ground last week (carrots and parsnips) before the ground froze and the brussels and kale should be OK with the temperatures early this week.  Later this week for our second harvest we may have an issue.  

This week we are looking at exceptionally cold temperatures on Thursday and Friday.  This presents a real challenge in distributing your food.  If you have any food that suffers cold damage, please let us know and we will gladly replace it.  Also, for root crops like the potatoes, onions, and winter squash, I would store them in your refrigerator now.  These crops don't like to go from cold to warm.  In our warehouse right now, the warmest storage zone is the refrigerator at 34 degrees, so we don't have a lot of options for where to put those items.  

In Memory of Elvis:  Fried Peanutbutter and Banana Dessert "Sandwich"

OK, this may be my strangest idea yet.  Right before Christmas I was on Fox 8 to talk about no-mess holiday breakfast ideas.  Once we went off-air, the TV Personalities all came over to devour my display, including the sweet potato pie with peanut butter buttercream.  

I joked with them that they needed to have me back on January 8 for a very special sweet potato pie.  They asked why January 8 and what kind of pie.  I explained that we'd be doing a sweet potato pie with a peanut butter buttercream, fried banana, and bacon crumble. They awed, and asked why that day.  I quizzed them of course.  None of them were aware though that January 8, 1935 was Elvis's birthday and Elvis is known for his favorite sandwich, a fried peanut butter and banana sandwich. 

So, I completely came up with that idea on the spot and opened my mouth.  Because I don't like to follow through on what I say, I had to come up with a solution.  

Because such sandwich is impossible to precook and transport, I decided to do a twist on it for dessert. Working with one of my producers, we took the pie concept and turned it into a torte so that it looks more like a sandwich. 

The torte has a crust on the bottom, a crust in the middle, and a crust on top.  In between the first two pieces is a filling of sweet potato pie and peanut butter cream. In the second layer is sweet potato pie filling and banana cream.  On top, there is a peanut butter icing, peanut butter praline, a crumbled bacon garnish, and a few slivers of fried bananas.  

OK, this is clearly not a healthy offering and this will be a one time only thing.  The torte is made with local organic flour (the soft red winter wheat), Hartzler butter, our Berkshire pork lard, our bacon, and organic evaporated cane juice (sugar).  

Each torte is approximately 5 inch by 5 inch and will be $10.  You can see a photo below and preorder your torte online at http://csalogin.freshforkmarket.com.  

Photos:  http://freshforkmarket.com/2013/12/30/coming-to-a-truck-near-you-this-week/

Pasta Sale

We have some extra spelt rosemary linguine in our freezer.  We want to move it this week.  These are in 1 lb packages (4 bundles), and will be $3 per lb.  

You may preorder or purchase at the back of the truck. Preorder at http://csalogin.freshforkmarket.com 

Kraut

If you need more kraut for your New Year's pork roast, don't hesitate to ask.  We will have 2# jars of it at the back of the truck (or preoroder online) for $6.

Also, consider using your potatoes, onion, and kraut to make perogies.  Although they may take a while to make, I'm sure you will enjoy them.  

Mrs. Bernie's Perogie Recipe

My grandmother taught me how to make perogies when I was a kid.  We then made them together every year for our meat-less Polish Christmas Eve celebration.  In the last 3 years she has suffered from bad arthritis and can't make them anymore, so Allyson and I make them each year. 

Here is the recipe:

Dough:  I've tried two recipes.  Both yield about the same consistency of dough:

Bernies:  5 cups flour, 2 eggs, 1 cup warm water, 2 tablespoons oil, and a 1/4 teaspoon salt.

Recipe 2:  8 cups flour, 4 eggs, 1 cup warm water, 2 tablespoons oil, salt, and 8 oz sour cream

Both recipes tend to work just fine.  I find that recipe 2 takes less adjusting. My grandmother never measured the flour so when she wrote down the recipe, 5 cups was a guess.  Same with amount of water and oil.  The water is the one you'll just have to adjust until the dough feels right. 

In either recipe, start by whipping the eggs with the oil and salt.  In recipe 2, add the sour cream to the eggs and whip together.  

Add the egg mixture into the flour slowly to try to work it around evenly.  Then start working in water slowly to try to incorporate all the flour.  If you need more water, add it a tablespoon at a time until the dough absorbs all the flour but isn't tacky.  Knead it on a floured countertop.  Place in bowl and allow to rest for 20 minutes at room temperature.

Stuffing:  Peel and boil off about 3 lbs of white potatoes.  Strain your sauerkraut but do not cook.  Peel and dice onion and saute until slightly browned.  I like a lot of onion.  Some folks don't. 

Mash your potatoes by hand with butter and milk (or cream).  You want them to be firm and not completely whipped.  Fold in the onion and kraut until evenly dispersed. 

Assembly:  Tear off a piece of the dough. Roll it out on a floured surface and cut a circle about the size of a medium glass (maybe 1.5 to 2 inches).  Roll that out and place a little filling on one side.  Fold the perogie over and pinch the sides together. 

Once you have about 10 made, put them in boiling water for about 2 minutes. They should start to float when they are done.  

Very Important:  The perogies will stick together at this point.  I let them drain slowly in a colander then place on an oiled cookie sheet or bowl.  Oil each perogie to keep them from sticking together.  Once cool, you can wrap them in plastic wrap and freeze.  

To Cook:  The perogie should be pan fried to a golden brown crunch.  I prefer butter over oil.  Melt the butter over medium heat, add the perogies and saute until brown on all sides.  Serve hot with a side of sauerkraut.  

So here is this week's entire list: 

Winter Week 6 Share: 

1 Size Package, No Vegetarian or Vegan Options

1 whole chicken

3 # purple potatoes

1-2 bulbs shallots

1 candy onion

2# mixed parsnips and carrots

1 bag kale, about 12 oz

1 head napa cabbage

1 # brussel sprouts

1 dozen eggs

2 winter squash

Apple Cider