Butter+Sugar

Go pick up some corn on the cob at your local farm stand or farmers market today!  The season for corn on the cob usually ends around mid-September, so there aren't many days left to enjoy a summer favorite.

It's a great nutritious and delicious addition to your dinner.  The most common variety of corn I have found around the New York markets is the bi-color variety or "butter + sugar" which has always been my first choice.

Butter + Sugar

When I was growing up in Western Massachusetts, my family would pick up corn on the cob every day from our favorite farm stand, Golonka's, (http://www.golonkafarm.com/).  I think that place is still a local favorite, and I must say, I have never found a better ear of corn.

The Union Square Farmers Market has plenty of stalls offering corn on the cob, and I have actually been pleasantly surprised.  Though they're no Golonka, they are the next best thing.

I like to cook all the ears at once in a large covered pot about 1/4 filled with water to a boil for steam.  Bring the water to a boil before adding the shucked corn ears.  The ears that go in first usually get covered with water and the ones on top are out of the water- it's okay, they will all come out great.  I find it's best to cook them for about 6 to 7 minutes- I like a little crunch.  And the best part is, there is no need to use any butter; just let the ears cool down a bit and chow down.

Nutritional benefits:

Vitamin B1 (Thiamin)

Folate

Dietary Fiber

Vitamin C

Phosphorus

Manganese

Vitamin B5

1 cup of corn is about 177 calories

Lunch at Torrisi

My boyfriend and I went for a long run yesterday morning throughout the city.  We started in Brooklyn, crossed the bridge and did a tour of the southern point of Manhattan before making our way up the Westside Highway and then inward towards SoHo.  Pics from our run:

Brooklyn Bridge

One World Trade Center progress

To reward ourselves, I wanted a chicken parm hero (grinder, if you're from New England) from Torrisi.

Torrisi is a recent hotspot in Little Italy on 250 Mulberry Street.  I like that their lunch hours are from 11 - 4pm so I can still grab a late lunch sandwich at 3:30.  They have some strict policies to be mindful of...no cameras inside, no reservations, no substitutions, only one menu offered for dinner- which alluringly changes nightly.  Dinner is served from 6 - 10pm and they begin taking names at 5:30 in-person for the waitlist.  Their nightly menu is updated online everyday at: http://www.piginahat.com

Taken from their website: Our nightly menu is our only offering for the table; there are no menu substitutions available for vegetarians, children, or dietary restrictions.

Lunch is a bit of a different story.It's counter service with tables (around 15-20 or so) available on a first come first serve basis.  We walked in to the tiny restaurant around 12:50pm and a table happened to be open.  My boyfriend claimed the table and sat down while I waited a few minutes to order with the helpful gal behind the counter.  Order, pay (cash or credit card), and leave your name to retrieve your order when they call you.

$11 - chicken parm hero
$11 - house roasted turkey hero (no onion, no mayo)
$ 3 - whipped ricotta (comes in a little dish with some olive oil and herbs on top)
$ 2 - Dr. Brown black cherry soda

There is a counter by the window with carafes of water, glasses, silverware, various condiments, and napkins for you to help yourself to.  There are no "servers" per se, but there is a "maintainer".  The "maintainer" brings out the food to those people who are dining-in, clears the tables, keeps the carafes of water and supplies full, and answers the phone.  He might do other things too, but that was all I noticed yesterday.  With that said, I was very satisfied with the service.

By 1pm the place was a zoo with the line running out of places to wrap around to and most people began waiting outside.  We got our food within 10 minutes of ordering and were out the door after 30 minutes.  We were hungry and it was yummy.  The bread was fresh, the meat was delicious, the portions were on target- all in all, a great sandwich lunch spot, but try to beat the masses if you're want to make it quick.

Food Day: October 24, 2011

Food Day is a nationwide advocacy day with events in all states.

6 FOOD DAY PRINCIPLES

• 1Reduce diet-related disease by promoting safe, healthy foods
• 2Support sustainable farms & limit subsidies to big agribusiness
• 3Expand access to food and alleviate hunger
• 4Protect the environment & animals by reforming factory farms
• 5
Promote health by curbing junk-food marketing to kids
• 6Support fair conditions for food and farm workers

Please sign the petition to EAT REAL to Congress found on the homepage: http://foodday.org/

Get involved and attend an event, or better yet, create an event.  And remember to always "vote with your fork" - Food, Inc.  (Please watch the movie Food, Inc. if you haven't seen it yet!)

Events going on in New York City
Event:                                                  Location:

Meet your farmer at EatalyEataly

EAT NYCVeggiecation

Join the FoodFight!FoodFight

Peach Crisp

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: I love summer produce.

Peaches are overflowing at the farmers markets, so I picked up a some beauties and decided to make a peach crisp.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Ingredients:
4-5 large fresh peaches
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup butter (one stick) not softened!

Slice up the peaches (I always use yellow, though, I'm sure the white peaches would be great too).
Spread them all out on the bottom of a 9" X 9" glass pan, or a similar dimension pan.

In bowl, combine the flour, sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon.  Mix 'em all up.
You could add a dash of salt if you want to as well.

Cut up the butter into small pieces; you should be able to handle it quite well since the butter is cold.  Add the cut up butter to the bowl, work it in a little bit, and ensure everything is mixed up evenly.

Crumble the mixture over the top of the peaches and scatter it all around.

Put in the oven for 45 minutes.

When you take it out, let it sit and set for a few minutes before serving.  Goes excellently with vanilla ice cream, or my personal favorite, fresh whipped cream.

I will say that it's best the first day you make it.  There is no way around it getting a bit soggy as it sits in the refrigerator.  If reheating leftovers the next day, I usually put it in the oven under the broiler for 5-10 mins so it can crisp back up, but watch out for the "crisp" burning.

Summer Lunch

Summer lunches are my favorites because I love having fresh fruits and veggies on my plate, especially summer berries. 

 

Today I had a herb roasted turkey sandwich on whole grain seeded bread with lettuce, tomatoes, and avocado.  There is no need for any spreads when avocado slices are added to your sandwich.  It's a great tasty alternative, and avocado is packed with the "good fats".

Now is a good time to pick up some heirloom tomatoes, blueberries, and raspberries from your local farmers market.  Hurry up!