And So It Begins.....

Meet "Black Pineapple", one of the 62 heirloom tomato plants happily living in the Erica's Kitchen garden. I am in love with heirloom tomatoes, that is why I could not resist buying variety after variety of starts from my favorite heirloom tomato farmer Jay. There is something so primal, so empowering, so nuturing and loving and just plain wonderful, about growing your own food. Besides, what's more local than your own backyard?

There's Something Happening Here....

Well it's been a while but I'm glad to be back on the blog. There is much happening
all around in regards to the local food movement and I am ever so grateful to be a part of the vibration. From here on out, this blog will be a symbol of the awakening happening all around, a glimmer of the light that I wish to see in the world each and every day. Blessed Be and Eat Local, It Matters!

Crazy Carrots

Well it's been a while. Time has passed, the season has changed and here we are at the beginning of winter. Thanks to the greenhouses and root cellars at many a local farm, Erica's Kitchen is full of hardy winter greens, lettuce mixes, micro greens and root vegetables, like these beautiful carrots! They are a deep, dark purple on the outside and then bright yellow or lighter purple with beautiful markings on the inside, I'm in love! The Hudson Valley is full of wonderful sustainable farms and food producers, who are helping those of us on a mission to eat locally to continue on our paths, even when they are covered with snow and ice. No farms, no food, it's that simple and simply how it should be.

Simply Alice

Alice Waters is on the front page of the Dining & Wine section of the NY Times today. Alice is someone whom I admire greatly and wish to emulate. When she speaks about food, she seems to always be right on the verge of tears, her passion spilling out with such energy. She is in love with beautiful,sustainable, local ingredients and has done so much over the past 36 years to awaken people to the importance of knowing where our food comes from and that it was produced responsibly and not far from our homes. Alice firmly belives that a great change can be made by simply feeding people a plate of the most beautiful, local ingredients, even if just a single peach. Of course it would be the freshest, most beautiful, locally produced peach at the height of it's season, spilling over with sweet, sticky juice the second you bit into it. But how many people know what a real peach actually tastes like? Nothing like the ones that can be purchased at your local supermarket any month of the year, that's for sure. You might as well eat a cardboard replica of a peach, it would taste pretty much the same! What I love most about Alice though, is that she is just Alice, no bells and whistles, no frills, just simply Alice Waters, a woman in love with beautiful, local food and willing to do whatever it takes to feed people, one plate at a time, a meal that will change their outlook and lives forever.

The Smell of Autumn

Autumn is in the air and there's nothing like the smell of apples and cinnamon wafting through the kitchen on a cool September morning. Local Honeycrisp and Macintosh apples slowly simmering on the stove, infused with a touch of brown sugar and cinnamon, now that's the smell of Fall. The crust is a simple pate sucree, John Boy's Farm duck eggs provide the beautiful yellow hue, the only eggs I like to use for my tarts, they are amazing! I arrange apple slices over the top, brush them with sweet cream butter and then bake. Once the tart is cool, I brush the top with a thin layer of apricot glaze for the shine, and sprinkle on a streusel topping made of butter, flour, nuts, cinnamon and brown sugar. Fresh local apples, combined with a few simple ingredients.....the essence of Autumn on a plate!