DC Greens is a 501(c)(3) organization that supports school gardens and Farm to School initiatives in the District of Columbia. DC Greens runs the Glover Park – Burleith Farmers’ Market in upper Georgetown, and channels proceeds from the market back into local food education and access in DC schools.
I was really excited about going to volunteer at the Farmers' Market yesterday. Our DC farmers' markets are always full of kids, fresh produce, and fun. At the end of a busy work week and dealing with deadlines and traffic - a walk through a farmers' market in the nation's capitol can feel like a step back in time to when procuring the best possible ingredients for yourself and your family were the most important things on your to do list.
What surprised me the most about this little market were the goats! It was the baby goats who stole the show! They were right accross from where I was doing my demo. I loved seeing the kids lined up to pet, and sometimes carry, the baby goats around. Alan from Spriggs Delight Farm in Sharpsburg, Maryland came over to my stand and donated some goat's milk feta and ricotta for me to taste. I was supposed to be demonstrating Tabbouli and Strawberry and Mascarpone Parfaits, but I quickly adapted my recipes to take adavantage of my new bounty of artisan cheese.
My traditional Tabbouli quickly turned into a Mediterranean Salad with the addition of the goat feta. I added some of the fresh, hand-dipped ricotta into my yogurt-mascarpone mixture for the parfaits for a thicker texture and added tanginess. When Alan noticed I was using store bought yogurt, he brought me over some fresh goat milk yogurt, and goat chevre, which I also incorporated into the parfaits. In a few seconds my normally "loose" cream turned into a thick, almost frosting-mousse like consistency that made them prettier and tastier. Alan also urged me to make my next cheesecake with 2 parts goat chevre and one part goat ricotta. Even though I haven't tried it, I know it will be delicious.
Take advantage of this month's fresh strawberries with the following recipe. If you can get your hands on some of the artisan goat yogurts and cheeses, try swapping them out for the regular yogurt and mascarpone in this recipe - healthy never tasted so good!
Serving Size: 3/4 cup
Ingredients:
11/2 cups trimmed strawberries, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons (1 ounce) mascarpone
1 cup lowfat vanilla yogurt, drained
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup lowfat almond granola
Preparation:
1. Place 1 cup strawberries, mascarpone, sugar, and cinnamon in a blender and whip until light.
2. Stir in lowfat vanilla yogurt and set aside.
3. Pour 1/3 cup of mixture into 6 clear parfait glasses.
4. Top with 1 layer of remaining strawberry slices (reserving 6 for garnish).
5. Scatter 1 tablespoon granola on top of the strawberry slices in each glass.
6. Top each glass with another layer of remaining strawberry mixture.
7. Garnish with 1 remaining strawberry.
8. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate a minimum of 2 hours or a maximum of overnight before serving.
Healthy Living Tradition:
Five ounces of fresh berries per day can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and lower blood pressure. Freeze this strawberry mixture in popsicle molds for a healthy summertime alternative to fattening ice cream.
I was really excited about going to volunteer at the Farmers' Market yesterday. Our DC farmers' markets are always full of kids, fresh produce, and fun. At the end of a busy work week and dealing with deadlines and traffic - a walk through a farmers' market in the nation's capitol can feel like a step back in time to when procuring the best possible ingredients for yourself and your family were the most important things on your to do list.At first glance, the Glover Park Farmers' Market doesn't seem like much. Tucked in a parking lot accross the street from the "social" Safeway...you might even miss it if you weren't looking for it. Other local markets like Eastern Market in Capitol Hill, the Dupont Circle Market, and the Olney and Silver Spring Farmers' Markets in Maryland get a lot more attention and traffic. Despite it's small size and newcomer status, Glover Park is not to be missed. With everything from fresh produce to local honey, homemade cakes, and some of the most stunning flowers around, Glover Park has everything you need.
What surprised me the most about this little market were the goats! It was the baby goats who stole the show! They were right accross from where I was doing my demo. I loved seeing the kids lined up to pet, and sometimes carry, the baby goats around. Alan from Spriggs Delight Farm in Sharpsburg, Maryland came over to my stand and donated some goat's milk feta and ricotta for me to taste. I was supposed to be demonstrating Tabbouli and Strawberry and Mascarpone Parfaits, but I quickly adapted my recipes to take adavantage of my new bounty of artisan cheese.My traditional Tabbouli quickly turned into a Mediterranean Salad with the addition of the goat feta. I added some of the fresh, hand-dipped ricotta into my yogurt-mascarpone mixture for the parfaits for a thicker texture and added tanginess. When Alan noticed I was using store bought yogurt, he brought me over some fresh goat milk yogurt, and goat chevre, which I also incorporated into the parfaits. In a few seconds my normally "loose" cream turned into a thick, almost frosting-mousse like consistency that made them prettier and tastier. Alan also urged me to make my next cheesecake with 2 parts goat chevre and one part goat ricotta. Even though I haven't tried it, I know it will be delicious.
Take advantage of this month's fresh strawberries with the following recipe. If you can get your hands on some of the artisan goat yogurts and cheeses, try swapping them out for the regular yogurt and mascarpone in this recipe - healthy never tasted so good!
Strawberry Mascarpone Parfaits
This recipe is from my third book, The Mediterranean Diabetes Cookbook.
Servings: 6Serving Size: 3/4 cup
Ingredients:
11/2 cups trimmed strawberries, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons (1 ounce) mascarpone
1 cup lowfat vanilla yogurt, drained
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup lowfat almond granola
Preparation:
1. Place 1 cup strawberries, mascarpone, sugar, and cinnamon in a blender and whip until light.
2. Stir in lowfat vanilla yogurt and set aside.
3. Pour 1/3 cup of mixture into 6 clear parfait glasses.
4. Top with 1 layer of remaining strawberry slices (reserving 6 for garnish).
5. Scatter 1 tablespoon granola on top of the strawberry slices in each glass.
6. Top each glass with another layer of remaining strawberry mixture.
7. Garnish with 1 remaining strawberry.
8. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate a minimum of 2 hours or a maximum of overnight before serving.
Healthy Living Tradition:
Five ounces of fresh berries per day can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and lower blood pressure. Freeze this strawberry mixture in popsicle molds for a healthy summertime alternative to fattening ice cream.
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