Local Roots

Embark on Effortless and Juicy Sambal Chicken Thighs

March 24, 2020 in Recipes

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 thighs are arguably the juiciest parts of the bird. I like them because they have this perfect flap of skin that crisps up in the oven. Here, I’ve oven-baked them with a spicy gravy using Auria’s Maylaysian Kitchen’s hot chili sambal. You’ll love this with a bowl of rice or on a bed of greens.

Spicy Sambal Gravy Chicken Thighs

Serves 2

       Things you'll need:      
   1 pound Local Roots chicken thighs

  2 tablespoons parsley, chopped

     Salt and pepper, to taste
  
  1/4 cup Auria's Hot Chili Sambal

    2 tablespoons olive oil

    1/2 cup water

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Mix the sambal and water in a small cast iron pan or oven safe dish.
Pat the completely defrosted chicken thighs with a paper towel.
Generously sprinkle salt and pepper over both sides of the chicken.
Place the chicken thighs skin side up in the pan over the sambal sauce.
Drizzle the olive oil onto the chicken skin.
Place the pan in the oven for 35 minutes, check the temperature. If the sauce has sizzled off and is not liquidy anymore, add another 1/4 cup of water and stir it around.
Continue to cook the chicken for up to another 10-15 minutes until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
Optional: switch the broiler on high heat and broil for 2 to 3 minutes to crisp up the skin.
Remove the pan from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes.
Garnish with parsley and serve.

Let me know if you try this recipe out!

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

Luscious Pork Chops with Fresh Plums and Sage

March 17, 2020 in Recipes

Pork chops are pretty easy to master at home. If you don’t have an oven-safe pan (like it has a metal handle and not a plastic one), you can still complete this dish on the stovetop. Just watch the temperature! And if you do go the way of the oven, don’t forget the handle will be very hot.

In the case you can’t find fresh plums right now, a dollop of apricot jam or sweet chili sauce will do just as nicely.

Pork Chops with Plums and Sage

Serves 2

       Things you'll need:      
   2 Local Roots pork chops

     Salt and pepper, to taste
  
  2 plums, pitted

    2 tablespoons olive oil

    4 leaves fresh sage, stems removed

Pat the completely defrosted pork chops with a paper towel.
Drizzle the olive oil onto the pork chops and season both sides generously with salt and pepper.
Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F.
Heat a cast-iron or oven-safe pan on high on the stove.
Sear the pork chop on both sides for 2 minutes to brown the outside.
Place the pan in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes.
Continue to cook the pork chop until it reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees F (for medium).
Transfer the pork chop to a plate to rest.
(Not pictured) Using the pan juices, saute the sage leaves for 1 to 2 minutes and pour onto the pork chops.
Serve alongside sliced plums.

Let me know if you try this recipe out!

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

It's a Go! Succulent Baked Chicken Wings with Creamy Mustard

March 10, 2020 in Recipes

Once you know how to oven-bake wings, you can switch out the spices to make your own version. You can also brush on a bbq sauce or finish the wings with a pesto or simmer sauce. The grainy mustard dip goes well with the lemony sumac here. It comes from an old Escoffier recipe for mustard sauce. You can use dijon or honey in place of the grainy, but I like the pop with every bite of chicken.

Oven-Baked Chicken Wings with Mustard Creme

Serves 2

       Things you'll need:      
   1 pound Local Roots chicken wings

  1 tablespoon ground sumac

  1 teaspoon dried thyme

     Salt and pepper, to taste
  
  1/4 cup grainy mustard

    2 tablespoons heavy cream

    1 clove garlic, grated

Pat the chicken wings dry with a paper towel.
Generously sprinkle salt and pepper over all sides of the chicken.
Optional: dry the wings uncovered in a single layer in the fridge for an hour or up to overnight.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Toss the wings in a bowl with the sumac and thyme.
Arrange the wings in a single layer on a sheet pan.
Bake the wings for 40-45 minutes on the middle rack until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
Set the broiler to high and transfer the wings to the top rack for 2 to 3 minutes until they sizzle.
Remove the wings from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, mix the mustard, heavy cream and garlic in a small ramekin.
If the mustard sauce is too strong for you, dilute with more cream, a spoonful of mayonnaise, or sour cream.

Let me know if you try this recipe out!

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

Bun-less Lamb Patties with Dill Butter, Plums, and Tomato

March 03, 2020 in Recipes

With the addition of heavy cream and a little bit of waiting (only a little, I promise), you’ll have soft, juicy lamb burgers for dinner. Sure, you can have them on slider buns but they play well with just tomatoes and plums here or if you like, a bed of grains or greens, too.

Lamb Patties with Dill Butter

Serves 2 for a meal or 4 for a snack

       Things you'll need:      
   1 pound Local Roots ground lamb

  2 tablespoons salted butter, softened

  1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped

  2 tablespoons heavy cream

  1 ripe plum, pitted

  2 Roma tomatoes, diced

    Zest of 1 lemon

    Salt and pepper, to taste

Mix the butter and dill together in a small bowl, set aside.
Crumble the lamb into a mixing bowl with your fingers.
Pour the heavy cream and lemon zest over the lamb and toss to coat.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour or up to overnight.
Form the lamb into four equal patties.
Heat a dry frying pan on medium heat. Lamb should be fatty enough to fry in its own juices, but if it looks like burning, add a bit of olive oil to get it going.
Pan fry the lamb for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until they reach an internal temperature of at last 130 to 135°F for medium; 140 to 145 F for medium-well and 150 to 155°F for well done.
Transfer the patties to a plate and garnish each with a dollop of dill butter, a bit of salt and pepper if you like.
Scatter the plums and tomatoes around the patties.

Let me know if you try this recipe out!

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

Local Roots Fall Bounty (2018)

February 26, 2020 in Photographers

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

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

Cut Into This! Green Curry Sirloin Steak with Apples

January 31, 2020 in Recipes

I helped develop and style a series of 5 recipes for Local Roots to help showcase their meat CSA. All of the products at their markets are sourced within 2 hours of New York City, meaning everything is super fresh.

Thai green curry paste is meant to be mixed with coconut milk and simmered away with vegetables or meat. But since I’m unable to eat coconut, I’ve been experimenting with the pastes and powders on their own. They’re a potent mix of galangal, lemongrass, shallots, garlic, chilis, kaffir lime peel, coriander, cumin, and sometimes shrimp paste.

One of my favorite ways to use it is to quickly marinate steaks. I add more garlic because I was using green curry powder to make it a paste. But if you don’t want to add more garlic, a little splash of water will do.

Green Curry Sirloin Steak with Apples

Serves 2

       Things you'll need      
Local Roots sirloin steak

tablespoon green curry (powdered or canned paste)

teaspoon Kosher salt
cloves garlic

apple, cored and sliced

Optional: pickled pepper, chopped

With a mortar and pestle or side of a knife, mash the green curry with the garlic and salt to form a paste.
Pat the steak dry with a paper towel.
Generously smear the steak with the green curry paste.
Let the steak rest for 30 minutes at room temperature or on a plate in the fridge for up to 4 hours.
Preheat a grill pan or cast iron pan on high heat.
Sear the steak on each side for 2 minutes.
Continue to cook until you reach an internal temperature of the desired doneness: 125 F for rare;135 F medium-rare, 145 F medium, and 160 F well done.
Let the steak rest on a clean plate for 5 to 7 minutes.
Slice the steak against the grain.
Serve alongside apple slices and pickled peppers, if using. Finish with a bit more salt to taste.

Let me know if you try these recipes out!

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

Local Roots Summer Brand Refresh (2018)

September 14, 2018 in Photographers

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.

#MadewithLocalRoots: Mustard Crust Fingerling Potatoes

May 14, 2018 in Recipes

I learned an invaluable brunch trick from my time at Home/Made. Their potatoes are tossed in mustard and a variety of herbs before roasting to a crisp. I’ve come up with an easy version that uses up leftover salsa or the bottom of a hot sauce bottle. Serve hot or let it cool for a tangy potato salad for your next cook out.

  
  Things you'll need:
  
  1 pound fingerling potato, split lengthwise

1/2 cup mustard

1/4 cup salsa or hot sauce

4 cloves garlic, unpeeled

1/2 pound arugula

1/4 cup olive oil

Salt

Pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Combine the mustard, salsa and oil in a small mixing bowl. Toss in the potatoes and coat well. Lay the potatoes out in a single layer, cut side down on a baking sheet.

Generously salt and pepper the potatoes. Roast them in the oven for 45 minutes and up to an hour and a half, until their tops and undersides are browned. The mustard should have bubbled off and formed a crust on each potato.

While you wait, toss the arugula with a spoonful of leftover mustard mix. Place in a serving bowl.

When the potatoes are done, pick out the garlic cloves and peel them (or keep them on to make it a game for your guests! Haha!).. Real talk: depending on if your guests like garlic, leave them whole or chop it up and sprinkle over the bowl.

Place the hot potatoes over the dressed arugula, so they wilt.

Tried it? Let me know how yours turns out by tweeting to @Randwiches.

Marinated Heirloom Tomatoes with Spicy Radish Microgreens

May 13, 2018 in Recipes

I love heirloom tomatoes that get so ripe that they practically burst when you cut into them. This dish can sit out all morning during brunch and gets better with every minute. Lay a slice onto toast, have a bit between bites of fatty cheese or bacon. Radish microgreens add a bit of spice and crunch to an otherwise squishy dish.

To make a wonderful dip for toast, add olive oil to the vinegar collecting at the bottom of the bowl after you've eaten all the tomatoes.

  
  Things you'll need:
  
  2 heirloom tomatoes

    1/8 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup microgreen, radish or basil

Salt

Pepper
Optional: Olive oil

Cut the tomatoes into thick slices.
Drizzle with the balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper.
Toss in the microgreens.

Did you try it? Let me know by tagging @Randwiches on social,.

#MadewithLocalRoots: Fresh as Hell Vegan Burgers

April 04, 2018 in Recipes

One way to use up all the leftover winter vegetables in the drawer is to grind them up into burgers! Drawing on the idea of kibbeh, I fold in whole grains of cooked einkorn. Substitute it with any hearty grain like rye berry, medina berry, brown rice, or barley. I call on millet flour and breadcrumb to pull this mix together. Don't be fooled into manhandling these healthy-looking pucks, they are still quite delicate. Beets can take the place of turnips and feel free to use any fresh herb that you have on hand. If you haven't any millet, all-purpose flour works just as well. Instead of poppy seed, you can also use sesame, sunflower or seed mix of your choice.

My favorite way to eat these is not vegan. Try a mix of garlic yogurt and a chermoula (both found in my cookbook!). Or treat them as lovingly as you would your favorite burger.

  
  Things you'll need:
  
small turnips

cloves garlic

cups pac choi

cup kale

cup mint

large carrot

tsp sumac
tablespoons millet flour

tsp poppy seed

cup cooked einkorn

cups bread crumbs

teaspoon salt

Vegetable oil

    Optional: burger fixin’s like buns, lettuce, tomato, onion

Working in batches, break down the turnip, garlic, pac choi, kale, carrot, and mint in a food processor. Fold the vegetables together in a bowl. Mix in the sumac, millet flour, poppy seed, einkorn, bread crumbs and salt.

With clean hands, pack together 12 fat vegetable patties. Make sure the sides don’t crack.

Heat a pan over medium-low heat. Add a swish of vegetable oil to coat the bottom. Fry each patty for 4 minutes on each side. Halfway through frying, you may need to add another glug of vegetable oil to the pan.

What do you like on your burger? Let me know on Twitter.

Devour My Latest Posts:

Archive:

Embark on Effortless and Juicy Sambal Chicken Thighs

Luscious Pork Chops with Fresh Plums and Sage

It's a Go! Succulent Baked Chicken Wings with Creamy Mustard

Bun-less Lamb Patties with Dill Butter, Plums, and Tomato

Local Roots Fall Bounty (2018)

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

Cut Into This! Green Curry Sirloin Steak with Apples

Local Roots Summer Brand Refresh (2018)

#MadewithLocalRoots: Mustard Crust Fingerling Potatoes

Marinated Heirloom Tomatoes with Spicy Radish Microgreens

#MadewithLocalRoots: Fresh as Hell Vegan Burgers

No unnecessary packagingNo pre-portioned ingredients so you can cook beyond a specific recipeQuick commute from farm to you vs. sitting in storage for daysFood transparency with seasonal farm visits

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