Author: Diego Maldonado

Spring This Way Please

Muscats.  Morels. Nettles.  Rhubarb.

It’s all coming together.  Bury the wool sweater and snow boots, and let’s get some spring veggies on the menu.

First of the Season

  • Green Garlic
  • Ramps
  • Oregon Morel Mushrooms
  • Stinging Nettles
  • Holland Rhubarb
  • Champagne Mangos
  • Peas
  • Favas
  • Green Garbanzo Beans
  • Hershberg Farm Duck Eggs
  • New Crop Lowman Yellow Grits

Knoll Farm

  • Cardoon
  • Wild Rapini
  • Green Garlic
  • Stinging Nettles

County Line Harvest

  • Spigarello Kale
  • Mixed Baby Heirloom Chicories

Rising C Ranch

  • Meyer Lemons
  • Blood Oranges
  • Seville Sour Oranges
  • Cara Cara Pink Navels
  • Oroblancos
  • Tango Mandarins
  • Kumquats
  • Pumellos
  • Bergamot

Equinox Farm

  • Mesclun Mix

Ripley Farm

  • Chantenay Carrots
  • Yellow Sun Carrots
  • Purple Haze Carrots

Crossroad Farm

Jerusalem Artichokes

Green Sunshine Farm

  • Russian Banana Fingerlings
  • German Butterball Potatoes
  • Yellow Finn Potatoes
  • Bintje Potatoes

Mushrooms, Wild & Cultivated

  • Fresh Oregon Yellowfoots
  • Fresh Oregon Black Trumpets
  • Fresh Oregon Hedgehogs
  • Fresh Oregon Morels
  • Trumpet Royale
  • Chef’s Mix
  • Blue Oyster
  • Velvet Pioppini
  • Maitake
  • King Oyster
  • Honshemeji

In Season Now

  • Gilfeather Turnips
  • Black Radishes
  • Watermelon Radishes
  • Green & Purple Daikon
  • Parsley Root (ltd)
  • Champagne Mangos
  • Fuyu Persimmons
  • Spring Onions with Tops
  • Baby Artichokes
  • Salsify Root

Accoutrements

  • Kutik Farm Creamed Honey
  • Steen’s Cane Syrup
  • Benton’s Country Ham
  • Jacobsen’s Sea Salt
  • Hayden Mills Heirloom Semolina
  • Spicy Chili Honey
    Morgan Mills Stone-ground Cornmeal
  • Kurozo Japanese Black  Vinegar
  • Red & Green Yuzu Kosho

 

Did you know?  Tofu is made from soybeans.  Of course you know that.  But guys, soybeans.  Like peas and favas, it’s got that fresh shelling pea taste.  Ever think about making it part of a spring vegetable dish?  The flavors work together like whoa.

 

 

 

 

 

 

By Diego Maldonado

Magic Mushrooms from Rhode Island

We are excited to bring on board the Rhode Island Mushroom Company.

Before formally incorporating as the RI Mushroom Co., early in 2013, the company started out as a pilot project in an 8’ x 8’ room in the basement of Sweet Berry Farm in Middletown, RI.  On a shoestring budget, using vaporizers from Wal-Mart to create the necessary humidity and shop vacs to clean up the excess water, they expanded into a 9’ x 15’ space where we were able to grow about 400 pounds of mushrooms per week.  Demand quickly outstripped supply, space was at a premium and expansion was needed.  By the end of November 2013, their new computer-controlled greenhouse was up and running, producing a total of 1000+ pounds of Blue Oyster, Golden Oyster and Pioppino mushrooms per week.  With three grow rooms up and running, they’ve gone from humble beginnings to the becoming largest grower and distributor of specialty mushrooms in the Northeast.
We had a chance to chat with Mike and Bob, the two proprietors of RI Mushroom, and ask them some questions about what they do.

What made you decide to go into mushroom growing?

 Mike and I started the company to fill a void that we found in the Northeast for superior quality, specialty mushrooms.

Anything you wish chefs (and servers, and consumers) realized about your product that they might not know?  

We do not uses any pesticides or fertilizers in our greenhouses and all of our farm waste is sent to a local composting company.

 

What is the most satisfying part of what you do?

 We enjoy the personal relationships we have with our local chefs and customers.  In addition, we have close ties to the surrounding community…working with local colleges and universities to improve and promote sustainable agriculture in Rhode Island.

 

 

 

By Diego Maldonado

RI Mushroom Co., Cardoons & Seville Sour Oranges

Of Note-

We just got in our first shipment of mushrooms from the Rhode Island Mushroom Company, and these are some of the nicest cultivated mushrooms we’ve seen.  Of note,  the chef’s mix is now in a 3 # box, featuring blue oysters, yellow oysters, piopinnos, shiitakes, and maitakes.  We’re also bringing in beautiful cases of maitake, pioppino, portabello, shiitake, king oyster, and gray oyster mushrooms from these guys.  Because we are getting them direct and local, that means that it’s a fresher, fuller mushroom at a lower price.

Flying off the shelves: cavallo spigarello, the leafy green that’s related to broccoli, kale, and rapini.  This braising or wilting green could probably also work in one of those rubbed kale salads, but we think it’s best slightly charred with some garlic, chili and anchovy.  This could be a great companion to a meaty winter braise or a big juicy pile of greens under a piece of perfectly cooked meaty fish.

86: Finger limes, fresh red currants, satsumas (will be substituting paige mandarins), most heirloom apples & squash

If you haven’t checked out our new catalog lately, we’ve added a  “Bin Ends“ section, where you can get some very sharp pricing on some great items we are planning to discontinue in order to make room for new things.  We are adding new items all the time, so check back regularly.  Of note: a significant currently available on aged Mahon cheese.  When young, this cheese is soft, but when aged, it’s hard like Parmesan.  This is the latter variety.   This would be a cool way to do a luxe mac and cheese by way of Spain with a cheese that tastes a bit like parm, and a bit like aged gouda.

New items as of this update in orange.

Equinox Farm- Sheffield, MA

Native Mesclun

Knoll Farm- Brentwood, CA

  • Cardoons
  • Wild Rapini
  • Green Garlic

County Line Harvest- Petaluma, Ca

  • Mixed Baby Chicories
  • Baby Carrots
  • Baby Rainbow Carrots
  • Baby Red Beets
  • Baby Gold Beets
  • Baby Candy Stripe Beets
  • Baby Turnips
  • French Breakfast Radishes
  • Spigarello Heirloom Kale

Rising C Ranch- Reedley, CA

  • Blood Oranges
  • Bergamot
  • Paige Mandarins
  • Meyer Lemons
  • Cara Cara Pink Navels
  • Seville Sour Oranges
  • Oroblancos

Rhode Island Mushroom Co.- West Kingston, RI

  • Chef’s Mix Mushrooms
  • King Oyster Mushrooms
  • Pioppini Mushrooms
  • Oyster Mushrooms
  • Shiitake Mushrooms
  • Portobella Mushrooms

The Apple Farm- Fairfield, ME

Golden Russet Apples

Crossroad Farm- Jonesport, ME

Organic Jerusalem Artichokes

Ripley Farm- Dover-Foxcroft, ME

  • Chantenay Carrots
  • Yellow Sun Carrots
  • Purple Haze Carrot

Stick & Stone Farm- Ithaca, nY

  • Black Radish
  • Purple Bora King Radish (Friday)
  • Green Daikon
  • Gilfeather Turnips

Green Sunshine Organic Farm- Hodgdon, ME

  • Russian Banana Fingerlings
  • German Butterball Potatoes

also now in season

  • Kumquats
  • Watermelon Radish
  • Pummelos
  • Medjool Dates
  • Oregon Yellowfoot Mushrooms
  • Oregon Hedgehog Mushrooms
  • Oregon Black Trumpet Mushrooms
  • Fresh Trumpet Royale Mushrooms
  • Romanesco Cauliflower
  • Orange/Purple/Green Cauliflower
  • Baby Artichokes
  • Salsify Root
  • Baby Kale
  • Tuscan Kale
  • Red Watercress
  • Baby Brussels Sprouts
  • Baby Purple Brussels Sprouts
  • Cipollini Onions
  • Fuyu Persimmons
  • Pomegranates (last of the season)
  • Texas Ruby Red Grapefruits
  • Last of the Season Cranberries
By Diego Maldonado

Blood Oranges, Kishu Mandarins, Wild Black Trumpet Mushrooms

Of Note-

Heirloom citrus from Rising C Ranch is in it’s prime right now.  Fresh bergamot and kishu mandarins are now here.  On using bergamot: try it as a substitute for sour orange in a ceviche, change your lemon-poppyseed cake to bergamot-poppy seed tea cake, cure the peel and candy it to dress your Valentine’s day truffles, or make a bergamot curd to fill tiny tartelettes.

Our first Knoll Farm shipment of the year has just arrived, bringing us gorgeous cardoons.  A member of the artichoke family, are great prepared in the same ways as artichokes: think barigoule, breaded and fried batons, dipped in chickpea flour batter and fried, alla guidea, or gratineed with bechamel and breadcrumbs.  (The ultimate contorni, especially if you slap some ham in there.)

If you haven’t checked out our new catalog lately, we’ve added a brand-new “Bin Ends“ section, where you can get some very sharp pricing on some great items we are planning to discontinue in order to make room for new things.  We are adding new items all the time, so check back regularly.  Of note: a significant currently available on aged Mahon cheese.  When young, this cheese is soft, but when aged, it’s hard like Parmesan.  This is the latter variety.   This would be a cool way to do a luxe mac and cheese by way of Spain with a cheese that tastes a bit like parm, and a bit like aged gouda.

Knoll Farm- Brentwood, CA

  • Cardoons
  • Wild Rapini (ltd)

County Line Harvest- Petaluma, Ca

  • Mixed Baby Chicories
  • Baby Carrots
  • Baby Rainbow Carrots
  • Baby Red Beets
  • Baby Gold Beets
  • Baby Candy Stripe Beets
  • Baby Turnips
  • French Breakfast Radishes

Rising C Ranch- Reedley, CA

  • Blood Oranges
  • Bergamot
  • Paige Mandarins
  • Kishu Mandarins
  • Meyer Lemons
  • Satsuma Mandarins
  • Cara Cara Pink Navels

The Apple Farm- Fairfield, ME

Golden Russet Apples

Crossroad Farm- Jonesport, ME

Organic Jerusalem Artichokes

Ripley Farm- Dover-Foxcroft, ME

  • Chantenay Carrots
  • Yellow Sun Carrots
  • Purple Dragon Carrots

Sugar Hill Farm- Columbia, ME

Maine Heirloom Cranberries

Crown O’ Maine- Vassalboro, ME

  • Watermelon Radish
  • Black Radish
  • Purple Bora King Radish
  • Purple Kohlrabi

Green Sunshine Organic Farm- Hodgdon, ME

  • Russian Banana Fingerlings
  • German Butterball Potatoes

also now in season

  • Kumquats
  • Pummelos
  • Fresh Red Currants
  • Medjool Dates
  • Oregon Yellowfoot Mushrooms
  • Oregon Hedgehog Mushrooms
  • Oregon Black Trumpet Mushrooms
  • Fresh Trumpet Royale Mushrooms
  • Maitake Mushrooms
  • Romanesco Cauliflower
  • Orange/Purple/Green Cauliflower
  • Baby Artichokes
  • Salsify Root
  • Vidalia Salad Onions
  • Baby Kale
  • Tuscan Kale
  • Red Watercress
  • Baby Brussels Sprouts
  • Baby Purple Brussels Sprouts
  • Macomber Turnips
  • Gilfeather Turnips
  • Cipollini Onions
  • Fuyu Persimmons
  • Pomegranates (last of the season)
  • California Quince
  • Texas Ruby Red Grapefruits
By Diego Maldonado

Get your celebration on.

When we celebrate, we like to pop some vintage Krug, shave truffles onto our scrambled duck eggs, and save the caviar for the next morning’s brunch.  Here’s what we will or wish we could take home.

Caviar & Service

kaluga (CA farmed sturgeon roe) $102/oz.
california osetra $89/oz.
israeli osetra $94/0z.
hackleback $42/oz.
for your blini etc.:
german butterball potatoes
maine grains buckwheat flour
vermont creamery cultured creme fraiche
dwight martin’s free-range eggs
maine duck eggs
vermont quail eggs
salmon and trout roes
for inspiration:

 

cured meats

benton’s country ham
iberico hams: bellota and non-bellota, bone-in or boneless, fermin
serrano ham: redondo, fermin
guanciale, la quercia
prosciutto & speck , la quercia
lardo, salumeria billese
mortadella, fra mani
salami toscano, nostrano & salametto, fra mani
meat-AcornTamworthLeg_LaQuercia

Finishing Touches

nut oils: almond, argan, hazelnut, pistachio, pumpkin seed, walnut
finishing oils: australian mustard oil, smoked olive oil, real white truffle oil
fresh black winter truffles, with two-day pre-order
fresh white truffles, with two-day pre-order, ltd.
jacobsen flake sea salt & smoked salt
black lava salt from hawaii
spicy honey infused with scorpion chiles
chestnut and acacia honey from mario bianco
shichimi togarashi
korean mild chili threads
piment d’espelette
aleppo chili
urfa & marash chili
grains of paradise
indonesian long pepper

earthy & Funky

garlic, black fermented
fresh mushrooms: chanterelle (very limited), matsutakes (very limited), hedgehogs, black trumpets, maitake, honshemeji, oyster
really nice frozen porcini mushrooms $15.95/#
macomber turnips, which happen to be A+ with oysters
 puy french green lentils (A.O.C.)
hearts of palm, with two-day pre-order
beets & baby beets, all types
native purple kohlrabi
german butterball potatoes
russian banana fingerling potatoes
full-size heirloom carrots: chantenay, yellow sun, purple dragon
olives, taggiasca
truffle products: carpaccio, flour, honey, juice, peelings, oil, salt
aged shoyu: small batch aged soy sauce from Japan
white shoyu, when you want the briny richness of soy but not the dark caramel notes
red boat fish sauce, bourbon-barrel aged fish sauce, and fish salt
last of the season heirloom squashes
local heirloom radishes: black, watermelon, purple diakon
salsify
native organic sunchokes
crosnes
romanesco cauliflower
IMG_1084-edit

bright

fuyu persimmons
red currants
pomegranates
lemons, preserved, belazu
buddha’s hands
cara cara pink navels
finger limes (limited)
meyer lemons, blood oranges, kumquats
fresh yuzu (limited) and yuzu kosho
french white verjus from Perigord
red verjus from 8 brix
minus 8 vinegar
cepa vieja sherry vinegar (aged 40 yrs in oak barrels)
villa manadori balsamic vinegar
fresh olive company’s rose harissa
balsamic vinegar made from apples
vin jaune vinegar from Jura
 

hearty Greens

county line farms baby mixed chicories
purple & baby brussels sprouts
single variety chicories: escarole, radicchio, trevisano, belgian endive
red or green (cut and cleaned) watercress
frisee
produce-IMG_1228

 

By Diego Maldonado