DCFM: Know your food, know your farmers, and know your kitchen.

Dane County Farmers’ Market Cook Off
#DCFMHunt

The stars of the show: Wisconsin Maple Syrup, Dill, and Asparagus

Apparently it’s been 5 long years since my last blog entry, and the DCFM scavenger hunt seemed like a perfect excuse for a new entry. I’m passionate about my brunches (and cooking shows), so I was inspired to come up with a meal that paid homage to brunch featuring a predetermined set of ingredients. I used the second list of ingredients (asparagus, maple syrup, and dill), although I inadvertently ended up using all of the ingredients from the third list as well. Almost all of the ingredients were purchased at the DCFM or at Willy St. Coop. I’ve recently been brewing beer and pickling vegetables, which gave me the idea to incorporate some of these techniques into the meal. I tried to use the ingredients in different aspects of the dish; for example, I used the dill to infuse the vodka and pickle the vegetables. I also used the maple syrup as part of the chicken gravy, in the waffle batter, and in the vodka infusion. This meal was intended for one person (although I ended up with enough for two), so measurements are approximate. I generally like to taste a lot as I go, adjusting seasonings as needed, and fortunately it paid off as this meal was delicious!

Dill and Maple Syrup-Infused Vodka

Ingredients:

• ½ bunch fresh dill
• ½ t. Wisconsin maple syrup (I used home made)
  

  Dill and Maple Syrup-Infused Vodka

• 325 mL Vodka (Death’s Door)

Directions:

1. Place dill and maple syrup in a mason jar.
2. Add vodka and let sit for about a week. It will be stronger the longer you let it sit.
3. Enjoy with your favorite Bloody Mary recipe!

Dane County Farmers’ Market Bloody Mary

Ingredients:

• ½ lime, juiced
• Dash of celery salt
• ½ T horseradish
• 1 pint tomato juice (I like Don’s Produce)
• ½ T Worcestershire sauce
• A few dashes of hot sauce, depending on how spicy you like it
• 2 oz. (depending on how tipsy you want to get) of Dill and Maple Syrup-Infused Vodka
• Garnish (I made home made dill pickled asparagus, cukes, carrots, green onions, and garlic – recipe to follow; also added Marieke Aged Gouda and Hook’s 20 year cheddar and maple syrup candied bacon)

Directions:

1. Add lime juice, celery salt, and horseradish into a glass. Muddle to blend.
2. Pour the tomato juice, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce into the mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine and pour into a glass filled with ice and infused vodka.
3. Garnish with veggies, cheese, bacon, and whatever else suits your mood!

Quick Pickled Veggies

Ingredients:

• 5 cloves of garlic, peeled
• ½ onion, sliced
• 1 cup Champagne vinegar
• 3 t. salt
• ½ bunch fresh dill
• A dash each of celery seeds, coriander seeds, and mustard seeds.
• 1 t. peppercorns
• Whatever veggies you want to pickle! (I used asparagus, cucumber, carrots, green onions, and garlic)

Pickled Farmers’ Market Veggies

Directions:

1. Boil about 2 cups of water in a saucepan, and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Add the garlic and onion and cook for a few minutes.
2. Add vinegar and salt, increasing the heat to a boil to dissolve the salt. Remove the saucepan from the heat.
3. Prepare a jar by adding the dill, seeds, and peppercorns. Add the veggies and pour the brine over the vegetables, ensuring that they are completely covered. Let sit for a few hours or more, and enjoy with your bloody!

Chicken and Waffles

Fried Chicken and Maple Syrup Gravy Ingredients:

• Sunflower oil, for frying
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 T. hot sauce (more or less depending on how spicy you like it)
• 3 chicken tenders (I used about ½ lb)
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1 t. salt
• ½ t. pepper
• ½ t. paprika
• 1 t. garlic powder
• 2 T unsalted butter
• 1 green onion, sliced, plus more for garnish
• ¾ c. chicken broth (I used low sodium)
• Maple syrup (about 1 to 2 T to taste), plus more for serving if desired

Fried Chicken and Maple Syrup Gravy Directions:

Fried Chicken and Waffles with Maple Gravy

1. Add about ½ inch of oil into a large skillet over high heat.
2. Whisk the hot sauce and egg in a bowl, then coat the chicken in the egg mixture.
3. Combine flour, salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder (add spices to taste) and reserve a T of the mixture for later. Then coat the chicken in the seasoned flour, shaking off any excess flour.
4. Put the chicken in the hot oil and fry until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes per side, until the chicken is cooked through.
5. Once chicken is cooked, put on a plate with paper towel to cool slightly and discard the extra oil.
6. Melt the butter into the same skillet that you cooked the chicken in and add the reserved flour to thicken. Add the scallions, stirring with a whisk, then slowly add the broth. Allow the gravy to simmer, whisking until it is smooth. Add a couple drops of maple syrup, to taste. In the meantime, cook those waffles!

Maple Waffle Ingredients:

• 1 egg
• 1 c. flour
• ¾ c. + 4 T milk
• ¼ c. vegetable oil
• ½ T Wisconsin maple syrup
• 2 t. baking powder
• Dash salt
• ¼ t. vanilla

Maple Waffle Directions:

1. Preheat your waffle iron.
2. Beat your egg with a hand mixer, and then add the rest of your ingredients, beating until smooth.
3. Spray the waffle iron with a nonstick cooking spray or butter it.
4. Pour the waffle mix into the iron and cook until golden brown.
5. Top with chicken, gravy, and more maple syrup as desired. Serve with Dill and Maple Syrup-Infused Bloody Mary!

The final products!