Of course, this is the weekend to celebrate all things Irish and we'll get to that in a minute, but first, I just wanted to let you know that our fearless fisherman, Capt. Rick Lofstadt, of Pura Vida Fishery, was rescued by the Coast Guard off of Fisher's Island last Sunday after his boat capsized. Capt. Rick called for help before jumping into frigid waters and the Coast Guard arrived within minutes. The captain got lucky. So did the fish from the morning's haul who swam free.
Alas, the boat is a goner. Her name was "All for Joy." The captain, a third-generation fisherman from Norway, says he named her that because he fishes "for the joy of it, not the money." The fishing boat was also named in honor of his seven children who bring him so much joy, he says. It was his three-year-old (now six) who asked that the hull be painted purple and pink. Naturally, he complied.
Worry not. There will be fish on Saturday because the captain has two other boats in his fleet.
And now on to all things Irish and/or green!
Wave Hill Breads is bringing a limited number of Irish Soda Bread loaves to market. If you'd like to pre-order a loaf please call the bakery at 203.762.9595. If not, first come, first served.
In honor of the holiday, our resident demo chef, Marti Wolfson is making green potato pancakes. Green as in leafy winter greens, of course.
Here's the recipe so you can come to the market with ingredient list in hand.
Green Potato Pancakes
By Marti Wolfson
Yields 12-14 pieces
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil - Arlotta
1 large bunch of washed beet greens (or any 4 cups combination spinach, chard, or kale), roughly chopped - SunSprout
2 tablespoons brown rice flour
2 Yukon potatoes, grated - SunSprout
3 scallions, chopped - SunSprout
2 eggs - Letterbox
Salt and Pepper to Taste
Avocado oil for pan searing
Cultured Cream (optional) - McGrath Cheese
Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan on medium high heat.
Add the greens with a healthy pinch of salt and cook until wilted.
Transfer the greens to a medium bowl to cool.
Once the greens are cool, add the potatoes, scallions, eggs, flour and a generous pinch salt and pepper.
Mix with a fork until combined. If the mixture seems too wet add a little more flour.
Heat the same pan in which the greens were cooked in, to medium-high heat.
Add enough avocado oil to coat the bottom of the pan.
Scoop out 1 heaping tablespoon of the batter (about 2-3” wide) and form into a flat round pancake.
Carefully place it in the oil and continue with the rest of the batter.
You will need to cook these in 2 batches, making sure not to overcrowd the pan.
Cook until each side is golden, about 3 minutes each side.
Add more avocado oil if the pan gets too dry.
Transfer the pancakes to a plate lined with paper towel to absorb excess oil.
Serve plain or with a dollop of cultured cream or yogurt.
Prefer to cook up a traditional Irish stew for your clan? If lamb is your jam, try this David Tanis recipe. I have not made this yet, but I've never met a David Tanis recipe I didn't like. Or if you prefer beef stew, and require a Guinness in your stew, this recipe should be right up your Irish alley.
I am very excited about our guest vendor this week: My Fit Kitchen. Anke Albert is a former 5-star hotel executive who learned to bake at her grandmother's knee in Germany. These days she focuses on her two loves, fitness and baking. She likes to bake treats that give energy rather than sap it and has carved out a real niche for herself in the healthy baking arena. Her lemon rosemary "pound" cake (anything but weight-y) is the talk of the Hamptons in the summer. As are her light, crunchy ginger oat and chocolate oat cookies made with rolled oats and no refined sugars. Please give Anke a warm welcome.
See you at the market!