3 Foodies per market

We need to hear from YOU!

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 14:18:15 -0400

This is the deal. We need your opinion. No, actually, we need your help. This Challenge for the Ultimate Finger Lakes Burger turned out to be a very difficult contest! As in deliciously difficult. Our foodies were astoundingly creative with their Farmers Market quest for the Ultimate Finger Lakes Burger.

Here is what we need you to do: Check out all nine of the Farmers Market Recipes by clicking on the foodie’s name. The ingredients list includes the Farm or the producer of the product. Go to your local Farmers Market and gather enough to re-create the burger for yourself. Sample, share, taste and enjoy. Then, swing back by our site and vote on your favorite example of the Ultimate FLX Burger.

If you need some help deciding - here is what we like to call ‘the rules’. Use this as a guideline, only. Our real hope is that you will learn a few tricks and come up with your own way of enjoying the growing season in the Finger Lakes.

Geneva's Ultimate Burger Challenge

Sat, 15 Aug 2009 04:09:53 -0400

Geneva’s Farmers market takes place every Thursday morning on Exchange Street. This past Thursday, the weather was that perfect summer day that one dreams about all winter. Blue skies, slight breeze ... perfect.

Owner and Chef Trish Aser of Brown Hound Bistro was our Chef for the morning and she brought with her an understanding of and a true love of Finger Lakes foods.

Our 3 ‘foodies’ were: Gail Lafler, born in Geneva, NY, Cathie Rosario, who works with Gail and doesn’t cook a lot, but sure brought it to this challenge and Dre Elmore who competed in last year’s Slice, Dice and Spice NY Iron Chef Challenge.

VIEW DETAILS AND PHOTOS

Ultimate FLX Burger Challenge in Victor

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 23:19:18 -0400

Chef Michael Bommelje of Warfield’s in Clifton Springs was such a great inspiration at the Victor’s Farmer’s Market. I overheard things like... “Are you sure you would like to add the Allen’s Hill Apple Molasses to the grilled peaches before we grill? Maybe just a drizzle just after... We wouldn’t want the sugars to burn on the grill.”

Subtle tips and secret techniques (secret even to the SDS Team) gave the Challenge a true “cmom ... step it up” edge. Chef Michael was fantastic! Yum!

There IS one thing that strikes a different chord at the Victor Ultimate Finger Lakes Burger Challenge - the Finger Lakes Blossoms Burger. This station had cheese filled edible flower blossoms and even blossoms chopped right into the burger! Yowsa!

Another burger had a peach salsa... to die for! Right at the peak of peach season. Can you imagine anything better? Just wait... she also had a pasta orzo with just picked baby carrots - the difference being the carrots were actually purple! I think they call them ‘Purple Haze’ at the seed producers. More on that later...

The Third ‘foodie’ was actually the first in all of the timelines. First to finish shopping, first to finish the prep work and the first to get the burger mixed and ready for the grill. In this case... I think the clock was holding him back. He knew what he wanted and he just did it! His burger had fresh chopped herbs added to the mix - and I mean fresh!

VIEW DETAILS AND PHOTOS

Canandaigua’s Ultimate FLX Burger Challenge

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 21:41:20 -0400

9:30 am
The produce has been tasted, the producers have been questioned and the selections have been brought to the table. At this point, the foodies are chopping, mixing and juicing their way to what they hope will win the title of the Ultimate Finger Lakes Burger and side.

VIEW DETAILS AND PHOTOS

The Foodies and the Chef

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 21:24:21 -0400

8:30 am
The three foodies showed up on time and raring to go. Nicole Mahoney of A to Z Marketing gave them all the run-down of the rules and guidelines and the budget to be used for shopping the Canandaigua Farmers Market for the next 30 minutes. The Goal: collect all of the ingredients to create the Ultimate Finger Lakes Burger.

Celebrate National Farmers Market Week

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 14:46:19 -0400

This past week (August 2 - 8) marked National Farmers' Market Week in the United States. According to The Huffington Post this recognition began in 2000. In almost ten years, the local food movement has gained a huge foothold and the number of farmers' markets has increased at an astonishing rate across North America. The number of markets listed in the USDA official directory of farmers markets has swelled over 170%.

Is it any wonder that Slice Dice and Spice NY chose to launch the first of 3 Farmers Market Challenges this week? Well, actually... we just learned that it was National Farmers Market Week today. But still - we support it!

“Farmers markets are also a prime example of how local businesses can successfully stimulate local economies. In Iowa, nearly $20.8 million dollars of economic activity was generated by farmers markets and 324 jobs were specifically linked to farmers market in 2004 and the state now ranks among the top ten for number of farmers markets in the country.”

“Greenmarket, a non profit umbrella organization that manages 46 thriving farmers markets in New York City, works with the city government to specifically identify market locations that will best benefit hosting neighborhoods. Thus, market sites in NYC include city streets, parks, or public transportation hubs in high income and low income communities alike. Moreover, as the state faces budget pressures, New York state is now offering mini grants to farmers markets for infrastructure support, investing in the belief that healthy, well run markets make for healthy, well run communities.”

Our friends at Red Jacket Orchards are at the Greenmarket. Kudos to the Nicholson Team!

Source: ~ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/stacy-miller/to-market-to-market-farme_b_246580.html

Canandaigua, Victor and Geneva Markets

Tue, 4 Aug 2009 07:18:41 -0400

the challenge

Mon, 3 Aug 2009 22:08:38 -0400

Are you ready to watch us build the Ultimate Finger Lakes Burger?

A total of nine Foodies have been selected to participate in each of the 3 Slice, Dice and Spice Farm Market Challenges at the Ontario County Farmers Markets in August. Each Foodie will be give a budgeted amount to purchase ingredients that they feel will create the Ultimate Finger Lakes Burger and side dish.

These farm market selections will then be given to an Ontario County Chef (a different chef will be chosen for each of the 3 local Farmers Markets) and each of these Chefs will create three burgers and side using these very fresh from the farm, Finger Lakes ingredients. Then, the total of nine recipes will be posted here on the Slice Dice and Spice NY website where YOU - Joey Q. Public - will be invited to try this recipe at home and vote ~ online ~ for your favorite.

The shopping and cooking demonstrations will be video taped and broadcast on the Slice Dice and Spice NY website and portions will be promoted on You Tube as well. This is a challenge that is live, lively and dependent upon you - the Ultimate Finger Lakes Foodie.

Knife Skills: Cutting a Chiffonade of Basil

Sat, 1 Aug 2009 19:47:21 -0400

How to cut herbs into fine shreds for a beautiful garnish
by Jennifer Armentrout. A basil or mint chiffonade (which means "made of rags" in French) is a flavorful, beautiful accent for dishes like pastas and fruit salads. Here's how to cut a chiffonade:

Stack about ten leaves into a neat pile. With practice, you may find that you can handle more than ten at a time.
Roll the pile of leaves lengthwise into a fairly tight cigar shape.
Use your sharpest knife to slice across the cigar. The closer together the slices, the finer your chiffonade will be.
Fluff the chiffonade with your fingertips to separate the shreds. The cut edges will darken quickly, so use the chiffonade as soon as possible.