We’re All Ears: Farmers’ Market Corn Chowder

Feeling a little corny? Make this Greenista Girl fall favorite: Corn Chowder. Start by hitting up your local greenmarket to stock up on super fresh, organic veggies. Then get the house smelling yummy with this hearty soup. Perfect for a lazy fall weekend dish.

Farmers’ Market Corn Chowder

• 6 ears organic corn
• 2 tablespoons unsalted organic butter
• 2 tablespoons organic olive oil
• 2 medium organic white onions, diced
• 1 tablespoon organic garlic, chopped
• 2 branches organic thyme
• 1 fresh organic bay leaf
• 10 organic black peppercorns, cracked
• 1 cup organic white wine
• 3 cups water
• 1 cup organic heavy cream
• 3 organic potatoes, diced into 1⁄4” cubes
• Salt, black pepper, and cayenne to taste

1.     Remove corn kernels carefully with a knife by holding the earn vertical and sliding the knife down parallel. Try to keep as many kernels whole as possible.

2.      Once kernels are removed, scrape the cobs with the back of a knife over a pan to extract as much “pulp” and juice as possible.  You should have 4–5 cups of kernels and 1 to 1 1/2 cups of the scrapings.

3.     In a large saucepan, melt the butter and the olive oil, and add the onions, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, and cracked peppercorns.

4.     Cook until the onions are tender and then pour in the white wine and reduce by half.

5.     Add the water, heavy cream, half of the potatoes, corn scrapings, and 2 cups of the corn.

6.     Bring liquid to a boil then reduce to a simmer.

7.     Cook until potatoes are tender, approximately 10–15 minutes.

8.     Puree well and pass through a fine strainer.

9.     Return to a boil then simmer with remaining potatoes and corn until tender.

10.  Adjust thickness by adding more water if needed.

11.  Season to taste with salt, black pepper, and cayenne.

12.  Serve hot.

Written by Greenista Girl Shubhra

Photos by Southern Living

Recipe Adapted from FARMfood: Green Living with Chef Daniel Orr

Canning Tips from Greenista Guest Sasha

To preserve the taste of summer year-round, head to your local farmer’s market. Plums and tomatoes are bountiful during this season and perfect for canning and preserving. With a basic canning set and a block of weekend time, you can whip up tasty jams or comforting pasta sauces to enjoy during the chilly winter months.

Greenista Girl Sasha purchased a canning set from Ball for under $100 – complete with a cooling rack, jars, and lids – and a Pretty Pantry Gifts labeling set to decorate her Christmas gifts. To save money at the farmer’s market, she uses insider lingo and asks for “seconds,” which are slightly bruised product that aren’t put out on display but come with a cheaper price tag, so you can fill up on pounds of fresh goodies for your homemade concoctions. For recipes, check out Ready Made and the latest issue of Whole Living. So get in the kitchen and start mixing!

Written by Greenista Girl Sasha

Photo by SweetPreservation.com

Won’t You Be My Neighbor: Eat Locally

You don’t have to enter the land of make believe to eat locally … just visit your local greenmarket. The average dinner ingredients travel around 1,500 miles from farm to fork … phew! So, by eating locally you’ll reduce your carbon footprint, save on packaging, support local farmers, and it’ll taste better because it’s super fresh. Just check your local government’s website for a list of local farmers or greenmarkets. There also might be a few pick-your-own fruit and veggies farms. Greenista Girl Shubhra tries to eat locally as much as possible and shows you how to whip up an Indian summer treat: The Peach Lassi.

Peach Lassi (serves 2)

• 2 peaches

• 1/2 cup plain yogurt (regular or fat free … don’t forget to make the yogurt)

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1/4 cup water

• 15 ice cubes + ice cubes to half-fill 2 tall glasses

Chop up the peaches with the skin on. Toss the chopped peaches, yogurt, sugar, water, and 15 ice cubes in a blender. Blend until smooth and the ice is all crushed.

Fill 2 tall glasses half-way with ice cubes. Pour the lassi into the glasses and enjoy!

You can also make this drink in advance and store in the fridge up to 3 days.

Written by Greenista Girl Shubhra

Photo by Shubhra

The (Sun) Shining: Solar Powered Farmers Market

Coal powered energy terrify you? Don’t lock yourself in a hotel in the middle of nowhere – just go for solar power. Last week the Albuquerque’s Downtown Grower’s Market launched the first farmers’ market in the US to be powered solely by solar. The city partnered with CleanSwitch to get rolling panels to give energy to the whole place…we’re talking ATMs, espresso machines, and cash registers. There are four, 240 watt solar rollers totaling one kilowatt of power which is converted from dc to ac power – just like our normal outlets. It’s currently just a trial run but hopefully more markets will catch on so we don’t “redrum” the environment.

Greenista Cocktail Factoid: In just one hour, the earth receives more energy from the sun than the entire world uses during a whole year.

Written by Greenista Girl Brianne

Photos by Keetsa and Whole Foods USA