Community Supported Fishery

This was a new idea to me, but one that makes plenty of sense. A friend in the Boston area tipped me off about the Cape Code Fish Share. Participants buy shares that consist of a variety of fish, sustainably fished off Cape Cod. Share are offered in six week sessions several times a year, based on the fishing seasons, and they come in multiple sizes. There are pick-up sites around the Boston and Cape Cod areas, plus a couple here in the Pioneer Valley (Amherst, Northampton, and Easthampton for the current share session). If you like fish and seafood (some share options include lobster and scallops) - and especially if you like fish but have shied away from it because it's hard to know how it was fished or where it came from - check this out!

Grilled Ham Steak

If you love ham but find a whole ham is a lot to cook for any old night, get your hands on some ham steaks. Many local pork farmers offer these - essentially 1/2-3/4 inch cross slices out of the whole ham. A single ham steak will typically feed 2-4 people. An added bonus - they are great on the grill!

No recipe is really needed here. Make sure you bring the steak to room temperature before cooking, then grill over a medium-hot fire for 4-5 minutes per side and serve.

Ham steaks are great served straight with no condiments, but you can also pass mustard at the table or any glaze you'd serve with a baked ham, though I personally think the savory or tangy ones work better with grilled ham than the sweet ones.

Mustard Grilled Steak

It hasn't been so warm the last week, but the sunny days have lured us outside nonetheless and tempted us to the grill. I really liked this simple steak preparation with spicy mustard. I used a chili pepper spiked mustard that we have, but a regular spicy brown mustard would work as well - use something grainy if you have it, and add a dash of cayenne or chili powder if you like. The steak, of course, comes from our share of a grass-fed cow from Freeman Farm. Leftovers makes nice steak sandwiches the next day.

Steak(s)
Spicy mustard
Chili powder or cayenne (optional)
Salt (coarse salt if you have it)
Freshly ground pepper

Take the steak(s) out of the fridge about an hour before you plan to cook it (or any amount of time you have, up to an hour). Pat it dry and place it on a plate. Spread both sides with mustard, about 1/2 tsp for each person's serving. Add a dash of chili powder or ground cayenne if you'd like a little extra chili pepper kick. Sprinkle both sides generously with salt and add a bit of freshly ground pepper. Let sit until ready to grill.

Grill the steak over high heat, 4-5 minutes a side for medium rare. Let it rest for a few minutes when done, then serve hot.

Greek Spinach Pasta with Lamb or Goat Sausage and Chickpeas

Still too early for asparagus, but local spinach is not too hard to come by. I keep finding new ways to puree it with pasta because it's about the only way I can get my four-year-old to eat the stuff. And it also makes for some tasty sauces. This one has a Greek flair, enhanced by the use of lamb or goat sausage. I used goat sausage from Hillman Farm.

1 lb cut pasta such as penne
Olive oil
1 large shallot or small onion, minced
1/2 - 3/4 lb spinach, stemmed and rinsed
1 tsp dried oregano
1 Tbsp lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
1 lb lamb or goat sausage, casings removed
1 1/2 - 2 cups cooked chickpea

Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water. Drain and toss with a little olive oil when done. While the pasta cooks, prepare the rest of the dish.

Heat a little olive oil in a large skillet. Add the shallot or onion and saute for about 2 minutes. Add the spinach and saute over medium-high heat until wilted but not mushy. Remove from heat and puree in a food processor. Add the oregano, lemon juice, a splash of olive oil, and salt and pepper and blend until smooth. Set aside.

Reheat the skillet and cook the sausage, breaking it up as you go. Add the cooked sausage and chickpeas to the pasta, then stir in the sauce until everything is well coated. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if needed. Serve hot.

Serves 4-6.

Lamb Stew with Barley, Spinach, and Beans

Early spring is a good time to eat your greens. Local farmers are still producing them in greenhouses, and probably ramping up production as the weather warms up a bit. But if you still have a stash of root vegetables left, you could use some of them here, too. Balsamic vinegar and a handful of raisins add an unexpected sweet and tangy note to the stew, which plays nicely off the lamb and nutty barley.

Olive oil
1 lb stew lamb, cubed
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar, more to taste
Chicken stock
Salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2-2 cups cooked kidney beans
1/2 cup barley
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 lb spinach, stemmed and coarsely chopped

Heat a little olive oil in a soup pot or Dutch oven. Add the lamb and brown well over high heat. If there's a lot of excess fat, pour it off. Add the garlic and onion and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add the 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar and enough chicken stock to generously cover what's in the pot. Deglaze the bottom of the pot with the liquid, scraping up all the stuck-on browned bits. Add salt and pepper, kidney beans, and barley, and lower the heat to a simmer. Simmer the stew for 45-60 minutes, until the lamb is tender.

When the lamb is tender, add the raisins and spinach and simmer another 5 minutes or so. Taste and add another splash of balsamic vinegar if desired. Serve hot.

Serves 4-5.

Chipotle-Garlic Braised Pork Chops

These are easily in the running for the best pork chops I've ever made. I've been playing with the idea of braising them for a while now, something I've not tried before, because when pan frying or grilling I often have trouble hitting the right level of doneness; so often they seem to go from not quite done to dry. Braising solves that problem by finishing the cooking process in a flavorful sauce so the chops stay moist.

This is best made in a braising pan, but a large skillet will do the job as well. Just make sure to use a nice heavy pan for good heat distribution.

Try serving these with Sorrel Mashed Potatoes, Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes, or Goat Cheese Polenta.


3 good sized pork chops
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp chili powder (not cayenne, something milder)
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Olive oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, seeded and minced
2 cups chicken broth, warm

Get out the chops an hour or so before you plan to start cooking them, if you can manage it. Combine the salt, chili powder, and black pepper and mix well. Sprinkle this all over the chops and let sit for a while.

Preheat your braising pan over medium heat for a few minutes to get it nice and evenly hot. Add just a little olive oil and turn to the heat to medium-high. Place the chops in the pan, close together but not overlapping. Cook without touching for 2 minutes, until nicely browned on one side. Turn over and cook on the other side for another two minutes. Remove the chops to a place.

Add a little more olive oil to the pan, then add the garlic and onion and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add the chipotle and the chicken broth. Deglaze the pan, scraping up all the browned bits stuck to the bottom, which will be full of flavor. Simmer the sauce over medium heat until reduced somewhat, then add the chops back in. They should be no more than about halfway covered with liquid. Turn to the heat to low and simmer for 10-12 minutes, turning the chops once halfway through. Remove from liquid and let rest for a few minutes, then serve.

The braising liquid is delicious, if slightly spicy. Spoon a little over each chop when serving, and if desired, also over mashed potatoes, polenta, or whatever other accompaniment you have.

Serves 3.

Sorrel Mashed Potatoes

The first, small harvest out of the garden is pretty much always baby sorrel leaves, with the first chives ready a few days later. These are both perennials that come up first thing in the spring. Sorrel has a bright, lemony flavor that works both raw and cooked. I put some in the salad and chopped a bit more for the potatoes.

2 lbs potatoes, cubed (peeled only if desired)
1-2 Tbsp butter
1-4 Tbsp milk
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup finely chopped sorrel leaves

Cook the potatoes in a pot of salted boiling water until tender (about 15-20 minutes). Drain and return to the pot. Mash well, adding the butter, milk, salt and pepper as you go. When the potatoes reach the desired consistency, stir in the sorrel. Serve hot.

Serves 4-6.