Meat

Bacon and Cashew Caramel Corn

Published at In Category Blog, Grains, Meat, Popcorn, Recipes Tags: ,

First of all, I hear there’s great consternation and confusion about how to handle those beautiful ears of popcorn in your box. We got popcorn last year, and I gave it all to Marcia Killingsworth – your faithful photographer – because she loves popcorn so much. Come to discover today that she tried to take the kernels off the cob before popping them and gave it up as an impossible job. I’m guessing last year’s popcorn went to feed the squirrels in her neighborhood.

The good news is that I’m keeping all the popcorn in this box for me. Now I get to experiment with it. Everything I’ve read says cook it in your microwave – on the cob – in a bag. Same idea as microwave popcorn, but just on the cob and without the icky stuff I imagine impregnates those microwave popcorn bags. I remember hearing from some CSA members last year that popping the corn in a paper bag worked just fine.

I know there are some folks who have concerns over what’s in our paper bags these days – especially those made of recycled content. Bits of metal? Tiny pieces of plastic?

It’s actually my intention to try the popcorn in my Whirley Pop popcorn popper – the lightweight metal pan with a lid that folds back and a crank to turn a small metal arm that keeps the popcorn from hanging out too long on the bottom of the pan. I’ll probably have to break the cobs in half, but that seems easy enough to do.

Let us know how your popcorn turns out.

I’m so glad to see the popcorn because I’ve been saving this recipe just for its appearance. The aforementioned Ms. Killingsworth is a true fan of bacon. She might be willing to pop a little Riverview popcorn to make this recipe.

***

This recipe comes from Denver restaurant Colt & Gray. Who can resist salty-sweet caramel corn studded with cashews and bits of bacon? The method of popping corn here would work fine with the whole cobs. Oolong is a lovely chef-y addition to the recipe, adding its bit of smoky flavor to the mix. Bacon and Cashew Caramel Corn balls for Halloween anyone?

Makes about 15 cups

Baked Chicken with Peppers

Published at In Category Blog, Meat, peppers, Recipes, Vegetables Tags: , ,

We’ll no doubt have peppers until frost, so here’s one more idea for what to do with them. Mix in a jalapeno or two if your household likes the heat. Did I mention that about 3 weeks ago I made cantaloupe-jalapeno preserves? I had seen a recipe for strawberry-jalapeno jam and I had this bowl of jalapenos just waiting for a use ….. turned out pretty well and I think we’ll be enjoying it on pork chops and tenderloin … chicken breasts …. grilled shrimp …. I can think of lots of uses.

Anyway, this chicken and pepper recipe came from Bertha’s Kitchen, a soul food restaurant in Charleston, South Carolina. It’s a reminder that a slow braise is a wonderful, fragrant thing.

Chilled Corn and Bacon Soup

Published at In Category Blog, corn, Meat, Recipes, Vegetables Tags: ,

I know I’m the mood for a chilled corn soup. This recipe came from the nice people at Good Housekeeping. It uses smoked paprika, one of my favorite ways to get a little smoky heat into a recipe. Lacking smoked paprika, you could use a little adobo sauce from that can of chipotle peppers I know you keep in your pantry. And of course the bacon lends its own smoky nuance.

Country Style Sausage with Fried Apples

Published at In Category Apples, Meat, Pork, Recipes Tags: ,

Yes, you can make sausage. Yes.

This recipe is adapted from “American Cooking: Southern Style” by Eugene Walter. A nice recipe if you don’t have a meat grinder. You can hand chop the pork or use a food processor to finely chop the pork. Just be sure not to process it too much. You want to use a fatty cut like pork shoulder (not pork loin) so you get the ratio of fat to lean needed for sausage. Go to Riverview’s booth at your favorite farmers market and buy some pork shoulder. Come home and make sausage.