Project Food Blog #6 - Fresh From the Farm Picnic

Sweet, sweet Georgia.

This challenge came at the perfect time. I'm actually away this weekend on my town's annual organic farm tour. The 34 farms that supply my co-op, New Leaf in Tallahassee, FL, are open to allow customers to tour their farms and understand the source of the delicious variety offered in town. It brings in people from all over North Florida and South Georgia with tours all day on Saturday and Sunday, since these farms not only provide product to New Leaf, but to local farmer's market, CSAs, and even Whole Foods.

Cows that supply the raw milk we enjoy.

On Saturday, I spent the whole day touring the farms in Georgia, and I'm actually posting this from the road while in the middle of my Florida farm tour on Sunday.

Getting the arugula for the BLTs.

Being out in the wilderness, breathing fresh air, and literally seeing the source of my foods provides inspiration for a cook like no other. The inspiration for this road trip meal was local, sustainable, organic Georgia produce, supplied directly from the source. I have included the recipes now, and will be speaking in depth about each farm that contributed to this meal over the coming days.

Where our bacon for the BLT comes from.

Today, my friend Sara is with me and was able to share this picnic of Georgia Roasted Peanuts, Fried Green Tomato BLTs with Orange Blossom Honey, Pickled Okra Popsicles, and Georgia Peach Trifles. We stopped to enjoy our picnic at Florida's only organic winery in Monticello. The meal was just as perfect as today. Although the meal is simple, the taste is quite lavish for outdoors. The smoked bacon and Tupelo honey stood out the most in the BLT, while the pickled okra disappeared quickly - it reminds me of my favorite dill pickles. Plus the trifle was divine, with a kick of bourbon at the very end.

A trick I learned from Martha Stewart's magazine is how to pack a picnic meal well. I tie together the drinks and sandwiches in an oversized tea towel, which I actually cut myself from an old tablecloth. The sandwich is wrapped in plastic, then laid end to end with the drink, rolled up diagonally in the tea towel, and finally a loop is tied together with the ends to serve as a handle to carry with you. Plus Sara had the cute idea to put a stick through the loop that serves as a handle for the drink and sandwich; it definitely makes it look like we've been on the road.

And the picnic basket is stuffed full of the Georgia roasted peanuts to prevent any of the glasses from knocking together - and it serves as the appetizer.

I would love to share my picnic with my readers in person, so maybe I'll see some of you on the tour and share some of the leftovers...if we have any.

Fried Green Tomato BLT with Orange Blossom Mayonnaise

Printable Recipe

Fried Green Tomatoes

2 cups peanut oil

1 green tomato

1/2 cup raw milk or buttermilk

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp black pepper

In a small, tall pot, add the peanut oil over medium-high heat. Slice the green tomato thinly, about 1/8" thick.

Dip the tomato slices into the milk, then into the flour. Add the tomatoes two at a time to the oil and fry for 2 min until golden brown.

Remove from the oil with tongs and lay on a plate lined with a paper towel to dry until use.

Orange Blossom Mayonnaise

2 eggs yolks

3 tbsp orange juice, freshly squeezed

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1 cup very light extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup Tupelo honey

In a large glass bowl, add the egg yolks, orange juice, and salt, stirring well. Using a whisk, add the olive oil very slowly, just a few drops at a time, whisking swiftly and only adding more oil when completely incorporated. Once half the oil has been added, the oil can be added more quickly, but not all at once. Lastly, pour in the honey and whisk together. Taste before using to adjust seasonings to your palate preference.

BLT

2 whole wheat rolls

4 tbsp orange blossom mayonnaise

8 pieces of arugula

6 fried green tomato slices

4 pieces bacon

Slice the rolls in half and add 1 tbsp mayonnaise to each side. From the bottom up, add per roll 4 pieces of arugula, 3 fried green tomatoes, and 2 pieces bacon. Serve warm if possible.

~Recipe adapted from Fanny's Garden Café.

Pickled Okra Popsicles

Printable Recipe

1 lb okra

2 cups filtered water

1 cup white wine vinegar

1/4 cup kosher salt

4 tsp red pepper flakes

4 whole garlic cloves

4 tsp yellow mustard seeds

4 tsp whole black peppercorns

8 fresh dill sprigs

4 8oz mason jars

Clean the okra thoroughly and trim most of the stems off. Lay on a towel to dry. 

In a very large, tall pot, boil the four glass mason jars, four silver rings, and the tongs used to move the pieces for 10 min. Use the tongs to move the jars to a towel and add the spices of red peper flakes through black peppercorns. 

Next, bundle together approximately seven pieces of okra and two dill springs per jar. Make sure your hands are clean and press down the okra to ensure a tight fit.

In a small pot over high heat, boil the water, white wine vinegar, and kosher salt. Then pour immediately into each mason jar, leaving at least 1/4" at the top for an air pocket. Use the tongs to dip the mason jar sealing lids into the large pot of boiling water for 30 - 60 seconds, then place on top of each jar, remove a ring from the boiling pot of water and transfer to each jar and screw on tight. Add a towel to the bottom of the boiling water pot, then add the four jars of pickled okra. 

Boil for 5 min, then remove and allow to cool on a towel before transferring to a pantry to cure for at least 2 weeks.

~Adapted from Alton Brown.

Georgia Peach Trifle

Printable Recipe

Pound Cake

3 large eggs

3 tbsp raw milk

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups King Arthur Flour cake flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp kosher salt

3/4 cup finely ground turbinado sugar

13 tbsp butter

Preheat the oven to 350*F. Butter a loaf pan, add a layer of parchment paper at the bottom and butter as well.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and vanilla. In a mixing bowl, add the cake flour, baking powder, salt, and turbinado - all sifted well.

Mix for 30 seconds at low speed, then add half the egg mixture on medium speed for 1 min. Add the rest of the egg mixture in two batches, mixing each for 30 seconds. Spoon the batter into the loaf pan and spread evenly. Bake for 55 min. 

Allow it to cool before serving.

~Recipe by Joy of Baking.

Organic Vanilla Pudding

3 1/2 cups raw milk

1/3 cup + 3 tbsp finely ground turbinado

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/8 tsp kosher salt

2 eggs + 1 egg yolk

2 tsp vanilla

1 tbsp butter

In a large steel bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup raw milk, 1/3 cup turbinado, cornstarch, salt, and eggs.

In a large sauce pan over medium-high heat, add 3 cups raw milk and 3 tbsp turbinado, stirring constantly. Stir for 5 min and remove once small bubbles begin to appear. The milk should be thicker. Pour the milk into the steel bowl very slowly while whisking; the mixture can be added more swiftly towards the end. Add the vanilla and butter, stir well. 

Pour the pudding through a fine mesh strainer into a clean bowl. Cover with plastic wrap touching the pudding and chill for 2 hrs in the refrigerator before serving.

~Recipe by Joy of Baking.

Trifle

2 pound cake slices

2 tsp bourbon

4 slices Georgia peaches

1/2 cup organic vanilla pudding

whip cream

2 tsp pecan pieces

In 2 clean mason jars, Add a 1" square piece of pound cake at the bottom of each. Top the cake pieces with 1 tsp bourbon. Next add 2 peach slices per jar, then pour in 1/4 cup organic vanilla pudding in each jar. Then top with another slice of pound cake. Finally, top with whip cream to fill the jar and pecan pieces. Serve slightly chilled.

~Original by Brie.