Emmer Gnocchi with Chanterelles, Kale & Brown Butter

Chef Peter Birk's gnocchi. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

As prepared by Chef Peter Birk of Ray’s Boathouse for his Eat Local for Thanksgiving cooking demonstration at Ballard Farmers Market on November 21, 2010.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Gnocchi:

Ingredients:

• 1# rio grande russets, boiled and riced
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon each white pepper and salt
• 2 C Bluebird Grain Farms emmer flour

Preparation:

• By hand, stir together the potatoes, emmer flour, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Stir in the eggs and mix until well blended.
• The mixture should come away from the sides of the bowl and hold together. You may need to add 1 to 2 extra tablespoons flour so that the dough is not too soft.
• Bring a large stockpot of salted water to the boil. Roll portions of the dough into long strands about 1 inch wide, and using a bench cutter or knife cut into 1 inch pieces. Drop them into the boiling water.
• Cook until the gnocchi float to the surface, 1 to 2 minutes. As soon as the gnocchi are cooked, remove them with a slotted spoon.

Sauce:

Ingredients:

• 1 recipe gnocchi, see above
• 3 oz butter, unsalted
• 4 oz chanterelles
• 1 leek, julienned
• 1 small bunch kale, torn into smaller leaves

Preparation:

Heat a sauté pan over medium high heat. Add the butter and heat until just golden and a little foamy. Add gnocchi and toss lightly to coat with butter. Add chanterelles, leeks and kale. Combine all ingredients and sauté until all ingredients are slightly softened and butter is beginning to brown. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Baked Apples with Savory Stuffing

Chef Peter Birk's stuffed apples. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

As prepared by Chef Peter Birk of Ray’s Boathouse for his Eat Local for Thanksgiving cooking demonstration at Ballard Farmers Market on November 21, 2010.

Serves 8

Ingredients:

• 4T butter
• 2T olive oil
• 1 onion, minced
• 2 ribs celery, minced
• 1# Italian style sausage, crumbled
• ¼ C chopped parsley
• 6 sage leaves, minced
• 3 thyme sprigs, cleaned
• Salt and pepper
• 1C fresh corn bread crumbs
• 8 ea apples

Preparation:

• Preheat oven to 350°
• In a kettle, bring about 6 cups of water to a boil, pour over chiles in bowl and let steep for
• Melt 2 tablespoons of butter and oil together in a saucepan over medium heat and add celery and onion. Stir occasionally until softened, about 6 minutes. Do not brown.
• Add sausage and cook through. Stir in the herbs and season generously with salt and pepper.
• Transfer to a large bowl and combine thoroughly with the corn bread crumbs.
• Cut off the top third of each apple and scoop out the core, seeds and just enough of the flesh to make room for the stuffing. Divide the stuffing between the apples.
• Transfer the apples to a baking dish. Top each apple with a pat of the remaining butter.
• Bake the apples until they are tender and the stuffing is golden brown, about one hour.

Risotto with Chiles & Rutabaga

Chef Peter Birk's risotto. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

As prepared by Chef Peter Birk of Ray’s Boathouse for his Eat Local for Thanksgiving cooking demonstration at Ballard Farmers Market on November 21, 2010.

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 1-2 guajillo chiles, or other type of large dried chile
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1 large rutabaga, or several smaller ones, peeled and cut into ¾” cubes
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 ½ cup arborio rice
• ½ cup dry white wine
• ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
• ½ cup chopped cilantro
• Salt and pepper
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin

Preparation:

• Preheat oven to 450°
• In a kettle, bring about 6 cups of water to a boil, pour over chiles in bowl and let steep for 30 minutes.
• Toss rutabaga with garlic and olive oil, place a cookie sheet and roast in oven about 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes to so all sides get browned.
• Remove chiles from water and mince.
• Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan over medium heat and add shallots. Stir occasionally until shallots are softened, about 6 minutes. Do not brown.
• Add rice and cumin and stir until rice is coated, about 3-4 minutes. Add wine and stir until wine is absorbed.
• Stir in a ½ cup or so of simmering chile broth, stirring often, until liquid is absorbed.
• Continue adding broth ½ cup at a time, stirring until each addition is absorbed before adding the next. Continue until rice is creamy and the texture al dente. About 20 minutes.
• Stir in remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, cheese, roasted rutabaga, chiles, cilantro
• add salt and pepper to taste.
• If risotto is too thick, thin with a little more chile broth.

Sunday, November 15th: Chef Peter Birk of Ray’s Boathouse & Lots of Tasty Goodness!

Chef Peter Birk from Ray's Boathouse, Ballard's venerable seafood restaurant, explains to market shoppers how to make winter squash gnocchi at his Ballard Farmers Market cooking demo on November 23, 2008. Photo copyright 2008 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Chef Peter Birk from Ray’s Boathouse will perform a cooking demonstration today at noon at your Ballard Farmers Market. This cooking demonstration is part of the Eat Local For Thanksgiving campaign, which encourages everyone to pledge to have at least one item on your 2009 Thanksgiving table be from a local farmer. Chef Birk will give you ideas on dishes you can add to your holiday table using ingredients readily available at the Ballard Farmers Market. And hey, why not make your whole Thanksgiving dinner local this year. You can do it entirely from the Market, from the wine to the turkey to the oyster stuffing and mashed rutabagas. Heck you can even get a delicious pie and non-toxic candles to put the finishing touches on your evening.

Sunchokes, a.k.a. "Jerusalem artichokes." from Nash's Organic Produce. Photo copyright 2009 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Try adding a food that our nation’s founders learned to eat from the native peoples in colonial times: sunchokes, which they called “Jerusalem artichokes.” Sunchokes, like these from Nash’s, are quite versatile tubers that can be used much like potatoes. I like adding them to root roasts. Another idea is to steam them until tender, then brown them in thyme butter.

Shucked oysters from Taylor Shellfish make it easy to add fresh, local oysters to any recipe. Photo copyright 2009 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Of course, if you are going to make that aforementioned oyster stuffing, you’ll need oysters. Taylor Shellfish has you covered. Get them fresh-shucked and easy to work with. Or, if your holiday table is more adventurous, get some live oysters, clams, mussels or geoduck.

Sweet potatoes from Lyall Farms. Photo copyright 2009 by Zachary D. Lyons.

For those of us who love sweet potatoes on our Thanksgiving tables, now we can get them at the Ballard Farmers Market along with everything else. This year, for the first time, two farmers — Lyall Farms (above) and Alm Hill — grew sweet potatoes locally. One more crop we don’t have to import, eh?

Cape Cleare, from Port Townsend, is back! Photo copyright 2009 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Cape Cleare, a fishing vessel based out of Port Townsend, has returned to your Ballard Farmers Market. Cape Cleare are those folks who ride their bicycles to Market pulling their trailers with coolers of fish behind them. Cape Cleare fishes in Alaska, and then flash freezes their fish for maximum quality. They’ve got king and coho salmon, albacore tuna and ling cod frozen, smoked and/or canned.

Hazelnuts from Alm Hill Gardens. Photo copyright 2009 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Alm Hill Gardens has certified organic hazelnuts for a short time longer. But remember, they keep well, so stock up while you can!

Caveman Bars are back! Photo copyright 2009 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Caveman Bars are back at Ballard Farmers Market. These local favorites are the perfect pick-me-up snack on the go, or on the slopes. Their new coconut cocoa hazelnut bar, which uses local hazelnuts, is sweet and chewy, and even this non-coconut eater enjoyed it.

Delicate squash from Nature's Last Stand. Photo copyright 2009 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Nature’s Last Stand is one of several farms that have you covered on winter squash, like these delicata and carnival squash, above. And try out their kale mix, too.

Wine and hard cider from Rockridge Orchards. Photo copyright 2009 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Don’t forget the beverages. Be it wine, hard cider or sweet cider, Rockridge Orchards has got what you need in all sorts of flavors to please every palate, and in forms for both the adult table and the kiddie table.

Snooter-doots unique felted wool creations. Photo copyright 2009 by Zachary D. Lyons.

As the holiday season approaches, remember that Ballard Farmers Market is your place for unique, locally-crafted gifts straight from the artists who created them. Check out Snooter-doots — felted wool creations that are truly one-of-a-kind, handmade fun. And what the heck, why wait for the gift-giving holidays. Grab a Snooter-friends “Veggee” for yourself to help decorate your Thanksgiving table!

Ascents scented votives won't pollute the air around your holidays. Photo copyright 2009 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Ascents Candles has a wide variety of essential oil scented, non-toxic candles to adorn your home during the holidays. Don’t pollute the air in your home with toxic fumes from those cheap, imported candles from those big box store in Renton. While they may cost a little more, Ascents’ candles last much longer, so the price kinda works out the same in the end, but your lungs come out way ahead. And if you are looking for unscented votives for your dining room table, Ascents has you covered there, too. Just ask.

Okay, that’s it for me this week. But there is so much more waiting for you today at your Ballard Farmers Market. For a full accounting, click on “What’s Fresh Now!” in the upper right-hand corner.