Local Roots Fall Bounty (2018)

I worked with Claire Matern to help Local Roots refresh their website for their fall CSA. Every season, their inventory changes, so we needed to showcase the latest offerings as well as a few simple recipe ideas.

• Chicken wings with creamy mustard

• Pork chops with sage and plums

• Lamb patties with dill butter

• Chicken thighs with spicy sambal gravy

• Lime Leaf Sambal Beef

Local Roots NYC Markets are a vibrant meeting place every week that pops up in neighborhood bars, cafes, or your place of work.

Think of us as a hybrid market. Similar to a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), you have the option to subscribe to a season's worth of produce, offering you a strong relationship to your farmer.  We offer the same engagement and social nature of a farmers market so you can chat with neighbors and ask our staff about cooking tips. We offer a home delivery option for added convenience.

We think meal-kits can be a great way to get you introduced to cooking and that online grocery shopping is convenient, but here are a couple of things that make us different.

No unnecessary packaging
No pre-portioned ingredients so you can cook beyond a specific recipe
Quick commute from farm to you vs. sitting in storage for days
Food transparency with seasonal farm visits

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If you'd like a discount on Local Roots subscriptions, enter the code RANDWICHES at checkout.

More Than Occasional Magic for The Moth

I had the pleasure of catering the release party for The Moth’s newest book Occasional Magic. The last time I worked with this wonderful nonprofit, they were just settling into their new offices in the financial district of Manhattan. They have since expanded to the rest of the floor with gorgeously designed workspaces and a recording studio.

My team and I had a blast! I created a custom cocktail called the Love Potion: rose and citrus simple syrup mixed with vodka and ginger beer. Just lovely!

Here’s the menu from that night:

• Pickle plates

• Charcuterie boards

• Cheese boards

• Crudités with miso hummus and labneh

• Creamy cheeseburger sliders

• Buttermilk chicken skewers with kale pesto

• Vegan vegetable pies with sesame

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Looking to host a party like this? Please get in touch!

How to Live a BRANDLESS Life

NOTE: Brandless has since folded but the videos are still online!

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I got to help out BRANDLESS with a few short tutorial videos. These four videos showcase products that you can get on their website for just $3.

Did you know you can use a cheese grater for more things than just cheese? Grate lime zest, carrots and chocolate (maybe not at the same time).

Roasted chick peas are not only good for you, but a great side dish, add-on to salad or a snack.

Vegan whipped cream? You read that correctly. Use the leftover can liquid from garbanzo beans (look at us being sustainable!), which is called aquafaba. It acts just like egg whites. You whip it up and plop it on whatever your want.

Care packages aren’t just from moms to college students. Packed everything up nicely and don’t forget to decorate.

Local Roots Summer Brand Refresh (2018)

Photo by Claire Matern

In addition to developing recipes and teaching classes for Local Roots NYC, I was asked to help style products for their summer CSA shares. We spent a full day crammed into the Park Slope kitchen of Claire Matern aka A Cheesemonger’s Daughter.

We're the only Farm Share in NYC that offers 4 seasons of fresh, local produce. Our seasons are 3 month durations except for Spring, which is 2 months long.  When you become a Local Roots member, you get a lot more than food. You join a community of fellow food-loving New Yorkers, help fight climate change by reducing your carbon footprint, and learn what it means to eat local.

We support small, sustainable, certified organic/practicing organic farms whose food we believe is worth bringing to as many people as possible. 

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Modern Mezze with Photographer Riley Ziesig

Riley Ziesig is an analog and digital photographer, videographer and talented musician. I was lucky enough to be introduced to him by my friend Skye. He brought over a couple bottles of red wine, a macro lens and instant film; I put together a fun menu for all of us to enjoy that sunny winter afternoon.

It was fun to make these bountiful mezze platters and I even smashed a pumpkin from the top of a step ladder! Click through for the recipes and details on how I adapted each one.

The Menu & Photos

• Crudites with Candied Lemon Labneh
• Flakey Bread, Bon Appetit
• Crushed Cucumber Lime Pickle, Bon Appetit
• Smashed Roasted Pumpkin
• Lamb with Pistachio Tapanade, Smitten Kitchen
• Chocolate Bark with Dried Fruit, Martha Stewart

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Work with Riley! Let me know if you need an introduction.

Modern Mezze Menu: Crudités with Candied Lemon Labneh

A modified Bon Appètit recipe, original here. | Photos by Riley Ziesig.

Boring snack platters, be gone! Don't just throw a bunch of baby carrots and ranch dressing out at your next party. Dazzle everyone with a board of labneh and vegetables you wouldn't normally see on a crudités platter.

The idea came from a Bon Appètit recipe for labneh, which is Greek yogurt, strained into a cheese. Instead of preserved lemon, I used a few slices of candied lemon. Labneh isn't so widespread in grocery stores yet, but you are in luck, it is very easy to make.

All you need is a mesh strainer, a bowl, yogurt and cheese cloth. 

Place the strainer in the bowl, it will catch the whey that comes out of the yogurt. Line the strainer completely with cheese cloth, make sure there is extra flowing over the sides. Plop yogurt over the cheese cloth, be careful not to fill past the top of the strainer. Wrap the cheese cloth over the yogurt. Leave the whole contraption in the fridge for two days. If your strainer touches the bottom of your bowl, you'll need to pour out the whey into a jar every couple of hours. Whey is great for constituting beans, by the way!

When it is time to arrange your board, go for hearty vegetables that can carry a thick dip like labneh. You also want to strategically place everything so that the dip doesn't flow off the board.

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I love french radishes because they are narrow and have great edible greens. Fennel is fun because the lemon from the dip mellows out the licorice flavor. It doesn't have to be all vegetables, too. Crusty bread is fun to pull apart and scoop.

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I want to see if you try this! Tag @Randwiches on Instagram if you do.