Fiddlehead ferns, ramps, and so many more favorites are hitting the markets this month. Share them on Foodstand so more of us can find these gems, and figure out what to do with them.

Crazy for Carrots!

Photo credit: One Hundred Dollars a Month

Bugs Bunny was on to something- and your Doc will be happy to hear that you’re adding more carrots to your diet.  You’ve probably seen carrots popping up as a go-to ingredient in your friend’s daily juice, but we’ve got them trending and adding a pop of color all around Foodstand.

Carrots have been known to improve eyesight and reduce the risk of everything from leukemia to cardiovascular disease. Carrots are actually so nutritious that people originally grew them as a medicine, not a food.  They also used to all be purple!

Carrots are some of our favorite unique veggies. When you go to the farmers market, you’ll find 2-legged ones, curly ones, and other beauties. Don’t be afraid to buy them – these are special, not ugly. 

Pro / Lazy tip: You don’t need to peel them! You can just scrub with toothbrush and roast. 

Adapted from: Medical News Today and Heal with Food

Carrot Fritters

Photo Credit: Oh My Veggies

A fun way to serve carrots as an appetizer, or even as a whole meal with a nice side salad. Crunchy, easy to make, and goes well with a variety of sauces. 

Ingredients: 2 cups shredded carrots (about 5 carrots);  1 cup chopped cilantro; 1/2 cup chickpea flour; 1/2 cup diced red onion; 2 eggs, lightly beaten; 2 tablespoons coconut oil

Method: Combine the shredded carrots, cilantro, chickpea flour, and onion in a large bowl. Add in eggs and stir + salt and pepper to taste.  Heat the coconut oil in a skillet, scoop mixture in 1/4 cup portions, and lightly flatten with a spatula.  Serve with yogurt-dill sauce or garlic aioli.

Adapted from Oh My Veggies

Curly Carrot “Noodles”

Photo Credit: The Roasted Root

Okay, so it’s not pasta.  But you can twirl it, and maybe even lady-and-the-tramp it.  You’ll probably need a spiralizer for this one to get those fancy carrot noodles (maybe we have some expert carrot curlers out there!), or you could just grate the carrots.

Ingredients: 5 large carrots; 2 tablespoons peanut butter; 4 tablespoons coconut milk; 2 tablespoons soy sauce; 2 cloves garlic; 1 tablespoon fresh ginger; 1 tablespoon lime juice

Method: Make carrot noodles using spiral slicer or peeler. Combine all other ingredients to make peanut sauce, and mix together until smooth and creamy.  Add chicken and green onions for extra flair if desired.

Adapted from: The Roasted Root

“Peter Cottontail” Cocktail

Photo Credit: Drinkwire
 

You can juice even at happy hour with this refreshing beverage. Bourbon and carrot juice compliment each other to make a fresh, silky, cocktail treat. 

Ingredients: 2 oz fresh carrot juice; 2 oz bourbon; 1 oz lemon juice; 1/4 oz Montenegro amaro; 1 egg white; a few dashes orange bitters; freshly ground toasted cumin

Method: Mix all ingredients, except for the orange bitters and cumin in a cocktail shaker with a handful of ice.  Double strain into a cocktail glass, add orange bitters and cumin on top!

Adapted from: Drinkwire

Carrots trending with Foodstanders

Roasted carrot soup with carrot top pesto. Great way to incorporate carrot tops into a meal. Recipe: cravingsinamsterdam.com

Homemade by Mokalocks

Sibu Carrot Inspiration with a little help from Greenblender)
Carrots, Pineapple, Orange, Mint, Cashews (Raw), Fresh ginger, Hemp seeds, Sibu Omega 7 Pure

Homemade by AJD

Colorfest #irresistable #vegan #delicious #spices #yum
Avocado, carrot, beets, kale, onion, parsnips, quinoa, purple potatoes

Homemade by SimplySeema

Carrot shishito And potato At #misfits
Carrot, potato, shishito

Posted by Rachna

Maple!

Photo credit: Beanilla

Maple syrup – it’s not just for pancakes! We have seen this sweet stuff popping up in unlikely recipes everywhere- and we’re loving it.  You don’t have to be Canadian to indulge your maple syrup obsession either (although Canada does now produce 80% of the world’s maple syrup!)

Maple syrup is trending on Foodstand because of its versatility and ability to bring a unique kind of sweetness.  As a natural sweetener, we can take advantage of maple syrup as a replacement for sugar, while reaping health benefits too. In moderation, maple syrup can keep you looking young and it shares similar health benefits to wine. It contains 54 antioxidants that keep eyes and skin in good shape, and 5 of these antioxidants can’t be found anywhere else in nature.  An added bonus: the maple syrup tapping process doesn’t hurt the maple trees or affect their lifespan at all, so no need to worry about our tree friends. =)

 Adapted from: The Daily Meal

Maple Pesto: It’s the Best-o

Photo Credit: Kirsten Rickert

 The sweet, spicy bite of this pesto is the perfect spread on sandwiches… or crackers… or literally anything.

Ingredients: 1 bunch of fresh basil; 2/3 cup of olive oil; 1 cup of walnuts (or pecans); 1/4 cup maple syrup; 1/2 cup parmesan or pecorino cheese; 1 garlic clove

Method: Blend the basil, garlic, and nuts in a food processor. Add the oil and maple syrup.  Mix in the grated cheese. Add to your favorite sandwich, pasta, or meat dish for some sweetness!

Adapted from Kirsten Rickert

Maple Bourbon Sweet(-er) Potatoes

Photo Credit: Bon Appetit

Ingredients: 1 ½ cups strong hot coffee; 9 tbsp pure maple syrup; ½ tsp instant espresso powder; 3tbs dark brown sugar; ⅓ cup bourbon, 9 tbsp unsalted butter; 5 lbs red-skinned sweet potatoes

Method: Stir coffee, maple syrup, sugar, and espresso powder. Bring mixture to a boil, cook 6-7 minutes. Remove syrup from heat; add bourbon and 2 tablespoons butter. Simmer 40-45 minutes (mixture should be thick enough to coat a spoon, but not sticky). Melt remaining butter in large rimmed baking sheets.  Add potatoes and maple mixture. Bake 30-35 mins at 425°

Adapted from Bon Appetit

Maple trending with Foodstanders

Blueberry cashew cheesecake! Totally vegan and gluten free.

Ingredients: Blueberries, Maple Syrup, Salted Dry Roasted Cashew Nuts, Walnuts, Rolled Oats

Homemade by chefshauna

Nothing says Happy Birthday like a maple bacon cupcake.

Ingredients: Bacon, Maple Syrup

By ChrisCavanagh

Vegan cashew cheese featured in Lemon-Banana “Ricotta” Pancakes. So satisfying and fresh! Gluten-free & Vegan.http://bit.ly/1x6YEYe

Ingredients: Banana, Maple Syrup, Oat Flour, Cashew Cheese

Homemade by foodbymars

Broth. Yes, It’s a Thing.

Photo credit: Eater

Broth is trending in the Foodstand community, so we had to write about it.

In fact, even famed restauranteur Danny Meyer couldn’t resist citing broth as a culprit behind the emergence of casual fine dining. Cars and tires also play an important role. But you can watch him say more about that here. 

The history of broth runs deep. In mid-eighteenth century France, travelers would stop at inns to rest for the night. Eventually, innkeepers began doling out bowls of broth — then called restoratifs. This practice and name gave rise to the word restaurant: a place to restore one’s health and wellness.

As history repeats itself, it is not surprising restaurants like Brodo are popping up, serving up hot broth and asking us to rethink our comfort food. And this weekend, Foodstanders get access to the first ever BROTHFEST in South Street Seaport. Details below. 

If you want to venture on to create your own broth, we’ve got a few varietals for you to try below!

Adapted from: Eater

Veggie Wonderland

Photo Credit: One Green Planet

Make no bones about it, this is a nurturing vegan broth rich in minerals. The sea vegetable arame adds an abundance of nutrients. This recipe can be enjoyed as the base to your favorite stew, risotto, alone while fasting on liquids, or any other time you wish to give your digestive system a rest. Chop the vegetables as small as possible to have the flavor come out with less cooking time.
 

Ingredients: 14 cups cold water; 2 large onions, chopped small; 5 garlic cloves, crushed; 4 large celery stalks, chopped small; 1 large potato, chopped small; 1 large carrot, chopped small; 10 sprigs parsley; 1 large zucchini, chopped small; 1 large parsnip, chopped small (optional); 3 bay leaves; 1/2 tsp black peppercorns; 1 corn cob (optional); 1/4 c diced green onion; 1/2 c arame; 1/4 tsp liquid smoke or smoked paprika, optional; Sea salt and fresh ground pepper

Method: Place the cold water in a large stockpot over high heat. Begin chopping the vegetables and placing them in the pot as you go, along with the arame. Add bay leaves and peppercorns. Cook for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Strain well before using. Add liquid smoke if using, and salt and pepper to taste before serving. 

Adapted from One Green Planet

Gimme that meat

Photo Credit: Jane’s Healthy Kitchen

Here’s a traditional Italian recipe for bone broth from Venice. It is different from American bone broths in that it uses plenty of vegetables, and focuses on the flavorful tail bone or “coda”. Tail bones are high in cartilage and spinal meat, which must be boiled to extract. There’s nothing like homemade soup from real tail bones. Commercial broths are usually made from animal skin with sugar or ingredients like MSG.
 

Ingredients: 1 – 2 lbs. beef tail bones – grass-fed; 1 lb. organic chicken feet; 2 lbs. beef long bones or knuckles; sliced crossways; 2 carrots, scrubbed and coarsely cut; 2 stalks celery, washed and coarsely cut; 1 onion, peeled and cut in half; 3 cloves garlic, smashed; 1 tsp black peppercorns; 1 – 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar; 3 bay leaves; 2 tsp salt; parsley 1/2 bunch; 1 gallon filtered water or more to fill pot.

Method: Put the ingredients in the pot and add filtered water. Heat on high until it barely begins to boil. Just before it goes into a full rolling boil, turn the heat down. Use a large flat spoon to remove the surface foam. Called “schiuma” in Italian, this contains impurities, and is best removed to make your broth pure and clear. Cover and simmer on very low heat from 8 to 72 hours. When finished the broth will be rich and flavorful. The bones will be disintegrating. Allow it to cool a bit and then strain it into another pot. The finished broth will be beautiful and clear with a layer of liquid fat on the top. Chill it in the pot 4 hours or overnight. Then using a large flat spoon, scrape the fat off the top. If the animal is grass-fed and properly raised without toxins, you can use the fat in other dishes. Spoon the gelatinous broth into storage containers. Or freeze in BPA-free ice-cube trays, and then store the cubes in plastic freezer bags. Frozen broth cubes can be used in a hundred ways, in any savory dish just as you’d use water. Maybe you deserve a delicious bowl of hot broth right now! 

Adapted from Jane’s Healthy Kitchen

Broths trending with Foodstanders

Our friends at Imagination in Space are throwing a one-day celebration of broth and have offered special access to the Foodstand community! Here’s a note from them:

Winter may be cold, but bone broth is so hot right now. Pro B-baller Kobe Bryant swears by its medicinal properties. Magic elixir of youth? Ancient Paleo rediscovered? We’re not sure but what we do know is that it’s DELICIOUS. This Saturday, Big Cheesy alumni Imagination in Space, FAME by Alex Mitow and Time Out New York host the world’s first BrothFest at The Seaport. This one-day festival inside the Sugarcube inflatable pop-up pavilion celebrates bone broth with heavy hitters like the venerable Katz’s Deli, funky newcomer Belle Reve, Caracas Arepa Bar, Spur Tree, Baz Bagel, Bone Deep & Harmony and FAME by Alex Mitow. Each chef is whipping up a special broth, like Belle Reve’s blackened butter broth topped with chilis, Bone Deep’s DIY chimichurri, kimchi or thai basil and FAME’s Kobe beef broth simmered with lemongrass, herbs, dry sake and thin-sliced scallions. (See sneak peak photos of our chefs and broths below!) 

Tickets Here. Use code FOODSTAND for special discount and access

Walnuts

Photo credit: Bohringer Friedrich

In the US, walnuts are harvested in late August through November in California and then stored in cold storage to maintain freshness for consumption throughout the year. Walnuts are trending in the Foodstand community, and we thought you should know about these 10 random things you didn’t know about walnuts:

1. Walnuts are the oldest known tree food — they date back to 10,000 BC!
2. English walnuts (also known as Persian walnuts) originate in Central Asia and were introduced to California in the 1700s.
3. 99% of the commercial U.S. supply and 3/4 of the world trade of walnuts now come from California.
4. Leave the orbitz at home. Walnuts cure bad breath. 
5. More recently the nutritional benefits of walnuts have become well-known, especially their omega-3 fatty acid content.
6. The Greeks called walnuts karyon, meaning “head,” because the shell resembles a human skull and the walnut kernel itself looks like a brain!
7. Like today, a common culinary use of walnuts in the 17th-19th centuries was in salads.
8. California has about 227,000 walnut-bearing acres, which is almost half as many wine grape acres in the state. 
9. You can maintain the fresh taste of walnuts by keeping them cold. Walnuts go rancid when exposed to warm temperatures for long periods of time. 
10. Walnuts also share an interesting history with tree nuts, contributing to one of the most common food allergies seen in children and adults. Less than 1% of people have tree nut allergy, so if you don’t we invite you to indulge below:

Adapted from: Walnuts.org, ACAAI, & Nutrilicious

Walnut Cream Sauce

Photo Credit: Framed Cooks

Pick your protein or vegetables of choice to mix into this decadent, nutty cream sauce. 
 

Ingredients: 2 tbsp butter; ¼ c coarsely chopped walnuts; ¼ c chopped shallots; 3 tbsp chopped fresh sage, plus extra for garnish; ¾ c white wine; ⅔ c heavy cream; ½ c grated parmesan cheese; Salt and pepper. 

Method: Prepare your pasta, protein, and/or vegetables of choice. Set aside. Begin sauce by melting butter in skillet over medium heat. Add walnuts and stir until lightly toasted, about 2-3 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon, keeping butter in pan. Add shallots and chopped sage to skillet and stir for one minute. Add wine and cream and bring to a low boil. Simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in parmesan cheese, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour sauce on top of your desired ingredients, garnish with walnuts, sage leaves and freshly ground pepper to serve at once.

Adapted from Framed Cooks

Candied Espresso Walnuts

Photo Credit: Epicurious
 

Protein and bits of caffeine? This could be a win-win for coffee and health aficionados out there. The combination also makes a great entertaining cocktail munchie, workday snack, or seasonal gift. 
 

Ingredients: vegetable oil spray; 2/3 c sugar; 2 tbsp coffee beans (finely ground espresso); 1 tbsp instant espresso powder; 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon; 1/4 tsp kosher salt (coarse); 1 large egg white; 4 c walnut halves (about 12 oz). 

Method: Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray large rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray. Whisk sugar and next 4 ingredients in small bowl. Whisk egg white in large bowl until frothy. Add walnuts; toss to coat. Sprinkle walnuts with espresso mixture and toss to coat. Spread coated walnuts on prepared sheet in single layer. Bake 5 minutes. Slide spatula under walnuts to loosen from baking sheet and stir, rearranging in single layer. Bake until walnuts are dry to touch, about 5 minutes longer. Loosen walnuts from sheet again; cool on sheet. Candied walnuts can be made 2 weeks ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature.
 

Adapted from Epicurious

Walnuts trending with Foodstanders

BELL PEPPERS!

Photo credit: Organic Facts

Bell peppers are a delicious combination of tangy, crunchy, and fresh tasting. While all these peppers originate from the same Capsicum annuum plant, different colors reflect different flavor profiles. For example, green and purple peppers have a slightly bitter flavor, while the red, orange and yellows are sweeter and almost fruity. Red peppers lend themselves to paprika, the smokey, sweet, and chili spice. Bell peppers are also an excellent source of carotenoids and vitamin C, especially when fully ripened. 

In the United States, official bell pepper season is from July to September. However, you can purchase your bell peppers responsibly at the greenmarkets in Union square, Park slope, Carroll gardens and Queens from the lovely farmers at Norwich Meadows Farm, John D. Maduro Farm, and Katchkie Farm. While you’re at the markets, also look for Dolce Nonnas line of artisanal agri-dolce peppers. 

Gorgonzola & Sausage Risotto Stuffed Peppers

Photo Credit: The Brooklyn Ragazza

When we’re in mood for a hearty meal, we hope that stuffed peppers just fall from the sky. But alas, that isn’t possible, so here is one of our favorite renditions of the beloved heartwarming dish — from the folks at Brooklyn Ragazza, using classic Italian flavor combinations like sausage and pepper. 
 

Ingredients: 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 med onion, chopped; 2 c uncooked Arborio rice; 6 c chicken broth (or veg); ½ cup of Pino Grigio (or any white cooking wine); ¾ c grated gorgonzola cheese; 1 c of shredded mozzarella cheese; 1½ c of browned Italian sausage (or flavored tempeh can work too!); 4 bell peppers; sliced lengthwise. 

Method: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare peppers by slicing in half, seeding, and rubbing with a little olive oil. Place in oven for about 20 minutes. Remove and set aside for filling with risotto and baking. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped onion and cook until soft. Add the 2 c of rice all at once, add the wine, stir and simmer for a few minutes. Add the broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring the rice until the broth has been absorbed between each addition. In large sauté pan on medium heat, brown the sausage and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Once the risotto is cooked and creamy, remove from heat. Add gorgonzola cheese and stir to incorporate. Fill each pepper half-way with the risotto and top with a couple spoons of mozzarella cheese. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes. Serve immediately.
 

Adapted from The Brooklyn Ragazza

Roasted Red Pepper Dip

Photo Credit: Smitten Kitchen

We love the vibrant orange of this Smitten Kitchen classic dip — chock-full of healthy nutrients and perfect for entertaining.

Ingredients: 1 15-ounce can of white cannelini or navy beans, drained and rinsed; Red Peppers, roasted; 3 ounces cream cheese, softened; 1 clove garlic, minced; juice from half a lemon; Salt and pepper to taste

Method: Remove the stem and seeds from the roasted red pepper. Slice and combine ingredients. Puree in a food processor until smooth. 

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Bell Peppers are trending with Foodstanders