Smart and Clean Choices from our Deli

By Todd Giesler, our Man in the the Deli

 

This just in...

 

We have Smart Chickens and New Boar's Head Products!

 

While we in the Deli have been pleased to bring you the best delicatessen meats and cheeses we can find, as well as top-notch chicken to use for entrees in our salad case- it's always a good idea to look for ways to be "upping the ante" whenever possible. The Co op is a member-owned store, and we want to keep our members as happy as possible, and... we shop here, too!

 

So... two good "things" have come our way, lately. First, as you may know by now from previous newsletter postings and from shopping in the Co-op Meat Department, Smart Chicken is the way to go for those who want to find the best chicken available. No doubt about it. This is it.

 

We are now using Smart Chicken, which costs a bit more than the others, but you'll see no increase reflected in our pricing. We're using it in entrees such as Apricot BBQ, Dijon Parmesan, Apricot Olive, and Chicken Marbella. Why do they call themselves "Smart Chicken"? Well,several good reasons why:

 

The Air Chilled Difference—This is a big one. Smart Chicken pioneered a unique chilling method allowing chickens to be cooled individually with purified, cold air. This process preserves the quality of the meat, while also eliminating wasteful water use. This greatly keeps the flavor intact, and has less environmental impact.

 

Smart Living— These birds are sustainably raised by family farmers in state-of-the-art, environmentally controlled houses, giving each of them plenty of room to roam and feed.

 

A Smart Diet— These birds are kept on a strict vegetable and grain-fed diet, with a mix of vitamins and nutrients. All natural, with zero artificial ingredients or growth stimulants, so these birds get a natural growth cycle. You can be assured that they are entirely free of antibiotics and animal by-products.

 

Easy Being Green— All of the Midwestern farms that are Smart Farms are surrounded by corn and soybean farms, which are the feed grains for chickens. How convenient is that!? This provides a lower carbon footprint, rather than hauling the feed to the chickens, at a greater environmental cost. No added water, plus ultra-local food, means a pretty darn environmentally sound idea, to me!

 

I am very impressed with their attention to environmental stewardship, and the commitment to producing the "Higher Degree" of chicken that is just delicious. Our ever popular chicken entrees just got better.

 

 

 The first thing you may think of when considering these new items is "What's different? I thought all Boar's Head products were all natural?" Good question. The big difference is that the seven new items we now offer are completely vegetarian grain fed. (Just like the Smart Chickens).  They also have a shorter shelf life, so they are ultra-fresh, and are meant to be consumed within 2-3 days of purchase.

 

We are now offering the following All Natural Boar's Head items, priced just a little bit more than the rest of the field:

 

Uncured Ham

Smoked Uncured Ham

Roasted Turkey Breast

Smoked Turkey Breast

Tuscan Brand Turkey Breast (with Rosemary)

French Country Turkey Breast (with Lavender) This is my absolute favorite. Very savory, and complex.

Cap-Off Top Round Oven Roasted Beef- A smaller cut of beef than the usual offerings, and just delicious.

 

As with all Boar's Head provisions, here's what else they have "going for them" ;

 

No artificial ingredients, minimally processed

Raised without the use of antibiotics or hormones

No nitrates or nitrites added

Gluten Free

No MSG added

No preservatives

0 grams of trans fat per serving

 

All of the All Natural selections are also American Heart Association certified, meaning they meet the criteria for saturated fat and cholesterol guidelines. Very nice to know!

 

Want more? They also qualify for inclusion in the Feingold Association of the United States, a non-profit volunteer organization whose purpose is to "support their members in the implementation of general public awareness of synthetic additives in behavior, learning and health problems".

 

Boar's Head meats and cheeses are simply the best, and now we carry the "best of the best". Come ask us for a taste of any of these, and we will happily comply.

Tips for Fabulous Gluten-Free Cookies!

Compiled by Sylvie Ryan, our Culinary Educator

What I love most about cooking is the infinite creativity it inspires. Baking, however, is a very precise science, so it’s important to have a specific, well-measured recipe to help you achieve delicious results. And, when it comes to baking gluten-free cookies, I've discoverd some excellent tips that will ensure success!
Mary Frances from the Gluten Free Cooking School blog has tons of incredibly helpful information, and I've listed here 5 of her very best cookie baking tips and a great sugar cookie recipe, too. Be sure to sign up for her newsletter when you visit her blog!

Did you know that gluten is very rarely necessary in a good cookie? This also means that most gluten-free cookies can be made without xanthan gum or guar gum. A little of these ingredients might help with crumbliness, but they are not an essential ingredient like they would be with a bread recipe. Here are 5 more tips that I picked up during my cookie research this week:

1. Remove cookies from the baking sheet and onto a cooling rack as soon as they can be moved without breaking. They will continue to cook while they are on the sheet and, as I can personally attest, will become stuck. Instead, check them to see whether the cookies are ready to be moved every 30 seconds after they come out of the oven.

2. A good general rule is that you should always grease your cookie sheet with shortening, butter, or a non-stick spray (make sure that it doesn't contain flour). Alternatively, you can cover the sheet with parchment paper and bake the cookies on top of that.

3. If your cookies are too domed, try adding baking soda to the recipe in 1/4 tsp. increments. Baking soda will help increase the spread of the cookie as long as the recipe also includes an acidic ingredient like honey, brown sugar, or cream cheese.

4. Any number of things can cause a cookie to spread too much, and the problem isn't specific to gluten-free cookies. If this happens, consider whether your flour measurement was incorrect. Volume measurements (like cups) are notoriously inaccurate, and if you did not measure out enough flour then the fat in the recipe overwhelms the flour and the cookies' structure is not able to form.

5. Cool cookie sheets completely between batches to prevent the pan from warming the dough to much. A warm cookie sheet can cause the cookies to flatten and spread. Use several cookie sheets so that you can rotate through them as you bake batches of cookies.


A Gluten-Free Sugar Cookie for Decorating

1/2 lb (2 sticks) Butter, softened

2/3 cup Sugar

1 large Egg

1/4 tsp. Baking Powder

1/8 tsp. Salt

1-1/2 tsp. Vanilla Extract

2-1/2 c. Mary's Gluten-Free, All-Purpose Flour Mix

Cream the butter and sugar. Add the egg, baking powder, salt and vanilla and mix until well combined. Then stir in the flour until well-blended and smooth.

Divide the dough in half and roll out each half to 1/4 in. thickness between two sheets of parchment paper. Keeping the paper in place, move the dough to the refrigerator and chill for 20 - 30 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Move one oven rack to the upper third of the oven. Grease your cookie sheets.

Take one portion of dough out of the refrigerator. Peel one piece of parchment paper off and then replace it. This is now the bottom side of your dough. Take off the other piece of paper and discard. Cut out the cookies using cookie cutters that are 2 - 3 in. long. Place the cut-out cookie on the cookie sheet about 1 inch apart. Roll out the dough scraps and keep cutting cookies until all the dough has been used. Refrigerate the dough again if it gets too soft to handle.

Bake the cookies just until they are lightly colored and slightly darker at the edges - should be around 6 - 9 minutes. Rotate the cooking sheet halfway through baking for even browning. After they are done, transfer them to a cooling rack as soon as possible.

Onion Soup with Madeira

Onion soup with toasted, cheesy bread or croutons was traditionally served after midnight at Parisian restaurants to please crowds coming out of the opera or theaters. This particular recipe comes from the Ducastaing Restaurant, which was a famous Parisian hang out for actors, writers, and performers.


It never fails that this time of year I crave the comfort and warmth of soups, especially onion soup topped with gooey, yummy melted cheese on toasted bread. I make this version throughout the holidays. It is a tradition in France to have a large pot of onion soup heating on the stove to serve after midnight on Christmas eve, or after a long evening of dancing and food festivities. It is such a convivial way to start the new year. This soup gets better as you reheat it and it's simple to double or even triple the recipe for a larger crowd. It will keep for 4 to 5 days in the refrigerator.

I particularly love the taste of Madeira, which adds a definite sweetness. You may use a dry sherry or port, or even dry white wine instead of Madeira.


Serves 6 - 8

For the Soup:
4 oz. Butter or ½ cup Cooking Oil
3 - 4 Onions, thinly sliced
½ cup Whole Wheat Flour
½ cup Dry Madeira
8 cups Vegetable Stock or Broth
1 cup grated Gruyère cheese
1 Tbsp Sea Salt
Freshly Ground Pepper to taste
Large pinch of Dried Thyme
Large pinch of Ground Mace

For the Garnish:

1½ cup Grated Gruyère
1 Egg Yolk
2 Tbsp Butter
6 - 8 slices toasted Whole-Wheat Bread

Heat the butter in a large saucepan or casserole (Le Creuset is best). Sauté the onions until translucent (about 6 minutes), allowing them to turn slightly golden and caramelized.

Sprinkle in the flour and stir well. Stir in the Madeira and stock or broth. Boil for 20 minutes, then add the cheese, salt, pepper, thyme and mace. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the garnish. Blend the cheese, egg yolk, and butter to a paste. Spread a little on each slice of toast and brown under the broiler (griller) . Serve the soup in individual tureens, floating one slice of cheesy toast on each bowl.



~

Roasted Chestnuts

This recipe is tucked inside a drawer or in the back of a recipe box or dog-eared in a magazine in almost every kitchen. Chances are, it hasn't been tried yet. This is the next best thing to the chestnut vendor on the street.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Cut an X across the round side of each chestnut, otherwise they will explode. Arrange on a cookie sheet and roast until the skins pull back from the cuts and the nutmeats are soft. Time depends on the chestnut, but at least 15-20 minutes. Remove the nuts from the oven, mound in a dishtowel, wrap them up and squeeze, let sit for a few minutes. Open a bottle of beaujolais and pour a glass, (or a cup of wassail), peel the skin off the first chestnut and enjoy.

Marge's Wassail

While wassail is quick to prepare, made hours in advance it will fill the home with a wonderful aroma.

Ingredients:

2 quarts sweet apple cider
2 c orange juice
1 c lemon juice
1 1/2 c unsweetened pineapple juice
1 stick cinnamon
12 whole cloves
sugar or honey to taste

Stir all ingredients in a large pot. Simmer for 15-20 minutes. Do not boil or it will thicken. Strain to remove cloves. Serve hot with or without rum or brandy.  Garnish with a thin fresh orange slice cut on the round.