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Pat’s Pastured

chefs & restaurantscookingfarmsnews

News Bites: Easy Entertaining, Sin, Pawtucket Wintertime Farmers Market, Moveable Feast with Fine Cooking

by David Dadekian October 25, 2013
written by David Dadekian
Easy Entertaining's Devorah Weinstein

Easy Entertaining’s Devorah Weinstein

Current news releases—Eat Drink RI is not the source for these items—please follow any links for more information.

Easy Entertaining Inc.

International Flair Comes to Local Café: Easy Entertaining Inc. Appoints New Event Coordinator

Easy Entertaining Inc. announced today that Devorah Weinstein has joined the Farm to Table Catering and Events service to further develop and grow the events side of the full-service hospitality business.

Weinstein comes to Easy Entertaining with a wealth of both local and international hospitality experience. With culinary arts degrees from the acclaimed Apicius International School of Hospitality in Florence Italy, and Johnson & Wales University, complemented by an additional degree in Hospitality Management from Syracuse University, Devorah is well-versed in all aspects of the hospitality industry.

Joining Easy Entertaining Inc. in advance of the busy holiday season, Weinstein has transitioned immediately into working with clients. She will be the main point of contact and the coordinator for large-scale event and wedding planning.

Devorah commented: “I am excited to start working at Easy Entertaining and look forward to working with a team of hospitality professionals. I am fortunate to have the opportunity to join a female owned-and-operated company that prides itself on delivering excellent service and top-quality farm to table products to its clients.”

Kaitlyn Roberts, owner and executive chef of Easy Entertaining Inc. said Weinstein’s passion for event coordination and for the clients make her the perfect person for the job. ” With the recent departure of our events person, it was a logical choice to have Devorah fill this necessary roll in our growing company. She is wonderful and personable with our clients and fits in perfectly with our team as well. I am confident that Devorah will play a key role in providing our clients with top notch event planning services.”

For more information please contact 401.437.6090 or email Katie@EasyEntertainingri.com.


Sin's New England Fruitcake

Sin’s New England Fruitcake

Sin

Sin’s holiday menu is out! Every year Sin offers a twist on a classic, this year it’s the Gingerbread House! This year they’re offering a decorated gingerbread house that contains a real gingerbread cake! Enjoy a moist, fragrant gingery cake as well as the ginger house pieces. This special cake is $80. You could also purchase a kit that you can put together with your family. The kit contains house pieces, royal icing, bags, tips, recipe, fondant and a board for $24. Or, you can let Sin do the decorating for you. A decorated gingerbread house is $48. Please provide 48 hours notice for the kit and the decorated house, 72 hours for the cake version. Contact Sin at info@eatwicked.com, or call 401-369-8427. Sin will also be offering last year’s classic, the New England Fruitcake for $35. Check out their full menu on-line at www.eatwicked.com.


Pawtucket Wintertime Farmers Market

Pawtucket Wintertime Farmers Market Opens for 2013-2014 Season
Saturday Market expands to fill two hallways of historic Hope Artiste Village.

The Pawtucket Wintertime Farmers Market, located in Hope Artiste Village at 999 and 1005 Main Street, opens on Saturday, November 2nd for the 2013-2014 season. The Saturday Market will be open from 9am to 1pm, and will run from November 2nd through May 10th. The Wednesday Market, open from 4 to 7pm, will be held from November 6th through January 29th. At both markets customers will find fresh produce from local farmers, prepared food vendors, food trucks and food-related activities.

Saturday Wintertime Farmers Market:
The Saturday Market hosts over 65 local farms and food producers that will fill both the 999 and 1005 Main Street hallways of Hope Artiste Village this year! Stroll through the historic mill building amidst a diverse medley of local farmers and vendors, listen to live music, sample fresh products, and enjoy lunch on the spot from the area’s favorite food trucks – this year located in the center courtyard. In addition, several of Hope Artiste Village’s stores will remain open for shoppers during the market, including New Harvest Coffee in the 999 Main Street hallway and The French Tarte in the 1005 Main Street hallway.

Wintertime market-goers can expect a variety of locally grown fruits and vegetables – apples, beets, cabbage, carrots, cranberries, greens, potatoes, radishes, winter squash, and more. Vendors will also be offering: locally-raised eggs, pork, chicken, beef, fish, charcuterie and shellfish; locally-produced applesauce and apple butter, jams, jellies, pickles and cheese; granola, bread, cupcakes, crepes, pies & other baked treats including dog biscuits.

New vendors and products this year include:

  • Mystic Cheese Co, partnering with Connecticut dairies to produce farmstead cheeses.
  • Humble Pies, baking pies in Providence with local ingredients from the market.
  • Wild and Scenic, providing customers with seasonal wreaths and centerpieces for the holiday season.
  • Daniele, Inc., offering locally made, nitrate/nitrite-free dry cured charcuterie, sourced from RI, MA and CT hogs.

Wednesday Wintertime Farmers Market and Workshop Series:
The Pawtucket Wintertime Farmers Market returns on Wednesdays for the months of November, December and January, and will be packed with fresh veggies and fruits, plus locally inspired dinner options. Bring the whole family for cooking demos from many of our community partners and a workshop series that builds community through food, farming, and fun! Workshop topics include: composting, urban chicken keeping, canning, plus a wine & beer tasting event. For the schedule of workshop topics and dates, please visit our website: www.farmfresh.org/winter.

To celebrate the opening of the Wednesday Wintertime Market on November 6th, Whole Foods Market and Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution will host a free screening of the documentary Orchards in the Ocean State at 7:30pm, followed by a Q&A.

Vendors and products at the Wednesday market this year include:

  • Sharon, MA based Ward’s Berry Farm, offering a full range of local produce including rhubarb, broccoli, and winter squash.
  • Rocket Fine Street Food and Mijos Tacos, two local food trucks, rotating every other week with delicious local dinner options.
  • No stranger to our summertime markets, The Coffee Guy will be serving up hot and iced coffee and tea beverages for thirsty customers.

At both the Wednesday and Saturday markets, customers may use cash, checks, credit, debit cards and EBT/SNAP at the market. Those wanting to use a credit card or EBT card can purchase Fresh Bucks – farmers’ market tokens – at the Farm Fresh RI table. Fresh Bucks also make a great gift for friends and family.

And, bring your food scraps to the farmers markets! Farm Fresh Rhode Island will collect your scraps and distribute to local farmers for compost.


Moveable Feast with Fine Cooking

The sixth episode of the first season of Moveable Feast with Fine Cooking features Chef Matt Jennings of Farmstead, Inc. in Providence. It begins airing on Sunday, October 27 at 4:30 p.m. on RI PBS WSBE channel 36. It will air again on Saturday, November 2 at 1 p.m. on Boston’s WGBH channel 2, Sunday, November 3 at 1:30 p.m. on Boston WGBX channel 44 and Wednesday, November 6 at 5 a.m. on Boston’s WGBH channel 2.  Check your television provider for more channel information.

In this episode of Moveable Feast with Fine Cooking, host Pete Evans joins forces with two of the East Coast’s best chefs—Matt Jennings, of Providence, Rhode Island, and Ken Oringer, who now has restaurants in Boston and New York. The chefs and their good friends take Pete on a voyage of discovery around the city of Providence, where they gather ingredients for the evening’s pop-up feast. With pork belly from Patrick McNiff, of Pat’s Pastured meats, and herbs and veggies from Eva Sommaripa’s Eva’s Garden, the trio spins a menu of beet salad, grilled pork belly with razor clams, and panna cotta with locally foraged sassafras. Delighted diners gather on a roof deck with a stunning view over downtown Providence to dig into a feast that’s ripe with local flavor.

You can view a preview clip here.

October 25, 2013 0 comments
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chefs & restaurantsfarms

Gracie’s Outstanding in the Field dinner in Portsmouth, R.I.

by David Dadekian September 22, 2012
written by David Dadekian
Gracie's Executive Chef Matthew Varga plating rosemary roasted chicken, new crop potatoes, green beans & natural juices

Gracie’s Executive Chef Matthew Varga plating rosemary roasted chicken, new crop potatoes, green beans & natural juices

On Wednesday, September 12, the Gracie’s team moved from Providence to Portsmouth for a spectacular evening with the Outstanding in the Field tour. This year’s dinner was held at Aquidneck Farms on what could only be described as a picture-perfect setting with the table for 150 guests extending down to the western bank of the Sakonnet River. Gracie’s Executive Chef Matthew Varga’s menu managed to far surpass the wonders of the location in it’s perfection, and Pastry Chef Melissa Denmark’s fruit tart may have been one of the best desserts I’ve had all year (I was invited to sit for dinner as a guest of Gracie’s).

Farms represented by Varga’s menu included Blackbird Farm, Pat’s Pastured, Matunuck Oysters, Schartner Farms, Saltwater Farms, Aquidneck Farms and Shy Brothers Farm. The menu was paired with Napa Valley wines from Jonathan Edwards Winery, based in North Stonington, Connecticut, and included the debut of Gracie’s two private label wines, one based around Jonathan Edwards Connecticut Cabernet Franc and the other on Connecticut Pinot Gris.

Here are twenty-eight select photos from the evening. You can also view photos from the 2010 and 2011 Outstanding in the Field dinners. For the full set of 181 photos from this year’s event, please see this Eat Drink RI Facebook album.

Chef Matthew Varga with the Outstanding in the Field table overlooking the Sakonnet River

Chef Matthew Varga with the Outstanding in the Field table overlooking the Sakonnet River

musk melon, Blackbird Farm prosciutto

musk melon, Blackbird Farm prosciutto

Matunuck oysters on the half shell, cucumber mignonette

Matunuck oysters on the half shell, cucumber mignonette

Pt. Judith lobster profiteroles, tarragon aioli, pickled ramps

Pt. Judith lobster profiteroles, tarragon aioli, pickled ramps

Chef Matthew Varga

Chef Matthew Varga

Danielle Lowe and Melissa Denmark preparing salads

Danielle Lowe and Melissa Denmark preparing salads

Danielle Lowe plating the heirloom tomato, mozzarella cheese, garden flavors & verjus

Danielle Lowe plating the heirloom tomato, mozzarella cheese, garden flavors & verjus

Peter Kachmarsky and Matthew Varga grilling chicken

Peter Kachmarsky and Matthew Varga grilling chicken

Cucumbers and radishes in verjus for the salad course

Cucumbers and radishes in verjus for the salad course

Matthew Varga plating the salad course

Matthew Varga plating the salad course

Aquidneck Farms chickens on the grill

Aquidneck Farms chickens on the grill

The finished heirloom tomato, mozzarella cheese, garden flavors & verjus

The finished heirloom tomato, mozzarella cheese, garden flavors & verjus

The Outstanding in the Field table

The Outstanding in the Field table

The Outstanding in the Field table with guests

The Outstanding in the Field table with guests

Saltwater Farms mussels on the grill

Saltwater Farms mussels on the grill

Matthew Varga in a haze of mussel steam

Matthew Varga in a haze of mussel steam

Saltwater Farms mussels, Aquidneck sausage, grilled onions, sweet basil

Saltwater Farms mussels, Aquidneck sausage, grilled onions, sweet basil

Plating the rosemary roasted chicken, new crop potatoes, green beans & natural juices

Plating the rosemary roasted chicken, new crop potatoes, green beans & natural juices

Plating the rosemary roasted chicken, new crop potatoes, green beans & natural juices

Plating the rosemary roasted chicken, new crop potatoes, green beans & natural juices

Rosemary roasted chicken, new crop potatoes, green beans & natural juices

Rosemary roasted chicken, new crop potatoes, green beans & natural juices

Melissa Denmark plating her dessert

Melissa Denmark plating her dessert

Matthew Varga photographing Danielle Lowe plating dessert

Matthew Varga photographing Danielle Lowe plating dessert

Late summer fruit tart, honeyed Cloumage, lavender caramel (to come)

Late summer fruit tart, honeyed Cloumage, lavender caramel (to come)

Matthew Varga preparing watermelon

Matthew Varga preparing watermelon

Late summer fruit tart, honeyed Cloumage, lavender caramel

Late summer fruit tart, honeyed Cloumage, lavender caramel

Gracie's owner Ellen Gracyalny

Gracie’s owner Ellen Gracyalny

The Gracie's and Outstanding in the Field group enjoying the spoils of victory. Thank you to everyone involved in the wonderful evening.

The Gracie’s and Outstanding in the Field group enjoying the spoils of victory. Thank you to everyone involved in the wonderful evening.

September 22, 2012 0 comments
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chefs & restaurantsnews

Tallulah’s Tacos, “A Farm to Taco Cart” from Tallulah on Thames

by David Dadekian June 2, 2011
written by David Dadekian
Chef Jake Rojas preparing tacos from the cart

Chef Jake Rojas preparing tacos from the cart

Tallulah on Thames co-owners Chef Jake Rojas & Kelly Ann Maurice have started “A Farm to Taco Cart” business called, naturally, Tallulah’s Tacos. The cart debuted at the Coastal Growers’ Market at Casey Farm on Saturday, May 14 to huge success. There was a steady line of people and all of the tacos for the day were sold by just before the market close. Customers clearly could not get enough. Tacos offered include Carne Asada made with beef from Blackbird Farm in Smithfield, Roasted Chicken made with chicken from Pat’s Pastured in Jamestown and a Black Bean vegetarian offering. For a drink they offer freshly made horchata, a spiced rice milk. Everything we tried was very good and, at $3 a taco, freshly made to order from the cart, it’s also a great deal.

Tallulah’s Tacos will be at Coastal Growers’ Market every Saturday through October 29 from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. The taco cart will also be at Aquidneck Growers’ Market on Wednesdays from 2 – 6 p.m. starting on June 8 through October 26. You can follow @tallulahstacos on Twitter for up-to-the-minute information about where the cart may pop up.

Chef Jake Rojas

Chef Jake Rojas

Chef Jake Rojas and Kelly Ann Maurice

Chef Jake Rojas and Kelly Ann Maurice

The tacos are made-to-order with fresh ingredients

The tacos are made-to-order with fresh ingredients

Two Blackbird Farm Carne Asada tacos

Two Blackbird Farm Carne Asada tacos

The menu, Black Bean is also available

The menu, Black Bean is also available

June 2, 2011 0 comments
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cooking

Charcutepalooza February: The Salt Cure: bacon & pancetta

by David Dadekian October 31, 2022
written by David Dadekian
pancetta with slice
pancetta with slice

Pork belly.

I’m going to let those words roll around your tongue for a while. Perhaps I’ll type them again.

Pork belly.

Beautiful words, yes? Before February’s Charcutepalooza challenge was even announced I had acquired a thick, fatty, gorgeous pork belly from a pasture-raised Berkshire pig. It had been delivered on a Friday morning by Patrick McNiff of Pat’s Pastured farm in Jamestown, Rhode Island and then butchered in front of my camera by Chef Champe Speidel of Persimmon Provisions butcher shop in Barrington, Rhode Island. When the photo session was done (the photos will be in the upcoming spring issue of Edible Rhody) I said, “I’m buying that pork belly.” David, who works at Persimmon Provisions, also said, “I’m buying that pork belly.” Fortunately, there’s two sides to every animal, so we avoided pork belly tension. Have I achieved any kind of record for the number of times one can type “pork belly” in a paragraph?

Charcutepalooza

I put the belly in my refrigerator, planning on spending some time that weekend curing it. I have often made un-smoked slab bacon (essentially slab pancetta) and had come very close to a recipe I liked the last time I had done it, so I had hoped to perfect it with the nine-plus pounds of belly now wrapped in plastic in my refrigerator. Clearly the pork belly has mystical powers because it was revealed on Saturday morning that the February Charcutepalooza challenge was The Salt Cure. How often do you find yourself with a large cut of pork belly and the possibility of winning a prize by curing that pork belly? I know what you’re saying: not often enough.

First thing I did was split the belly into two pieces. The extremely thick end weighed in at about 3 1/2 pounds and that was set aside for bacon. The rest, which was still pretty thick and proved a bit difficult to roll, I cured with the pancetta recipe straight out of Michael Ruhlman and Brian Polcyn’s Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking and Curing. I still haven’t completely decided if I’ve perfected my bacon cure yet, but if you like your bacon a little on the spicy/savory side, you can give this a try:

Bacon Cure

Print
Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat
Rating: 5.0/5
( 1 voted )

Ingredients

  • salt cure (how much and what color I leave to you to decide, my bacon never leaves a refrigerator or oven, so I used a cup of kosher salt)
  • 1 Tbs Ecuadorian whole black peppercorns
  • 1/2 Tbs whole coriander
  • 1/2 Tbs whole cumin
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1/2 Tbs Herbs de Provence
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup

Instructions

Toast and grind the whole spices, crumble the bay leaves and mix it all up in a zip top bag with the pork belly. From there follow the directions in Charcuterie. I use Ecuadorian black peppercorns because they have a bit of heat. I wouldn’t say hot like cayenne, but definitely more heat than you’d get from Tellicherry peppercorns. I get them from The Spice House. If you don’t have them you could use standard peppercorns and a dash or two of ground cayenne or perhaps a few shots of Tabasco.

Before closing, a quick story about my wonderfully faithful and protective black Labrador named Bayou (yes, she was born in Louisiana). I hang most of my charcuterie out in the open in our basement. Each time I hang a piece of meat, Bayou wanders down to the basement and sniffs every square inch of the floor, hunting for something she knows smells delicious, but she can never find it. I’m not sure if I’ll be upset or proud on the day Bayou finally figures out that all she has to do is look up.

Photos and captions will tell the rest of my curing tale. Thank you again to Mrs. Wheelbarrow and The Yummy Mummy.

Berkshire pork belly after curing for bacon, prior to roasting
Berkshire pork belly after curing for bacon, prior to roasting
Berkshire pork belly after curing for bacon, prior to roasting (reverse view)
Berkshire pork belly after curing for bacon, prior to roasting (reverse view)
pork belly cured for bacon, seen after roasting, fresh from the oven
pork belly cured for bacon, seen after roasting, fresh from the oven
close-up cross section of bacon
close-up cross section of bacon
the bacon now having cooled
the bacon now having cooled
full view of bacon cross-section
full view of bacon cross-section
cooked bacon, soon to be inside grilled cheese sandwiches, alongside a jar of glowing bacon fat
cooked bacon, soon to be inside grilled cheese sandwiches, alongside a jar of glowing bacon fat
bacon fat, strained through cheesecloth
bacon fat, strained through cheesecloth
portion of pork belly cured for pancetta
portion of pork belly cured for pancetta
belly rolled, tied and ready to hang
belly rolled, tied and ready to hang
pancetta tie job 1
pancetta tie job 1
pancetta tie job 2
pancetta tie job 2
close-up of rolled belly and trussing
close-up of rolled belly and trussing
hung
hung
finished pancetta, cut in two
finished pancetta, cut in two
one half of the rolled pancetta
one half of the rolled pancetta
one thin slice
one thin slice

One more time: pork belly

October 31, 2022 0 comments
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