Food – Page 28

The remedy for February

“Hi,” the lady in the apron says to me.

I look up from a pile of tangerines. “Hey. How are you?”

“I’m good. You?”

I fall back on my stock answer when I don’t really want to think too much about how I actually am: “You know how it is — the power, the money, the respect, the women. Frankly, it would crush a lesser man.”

“I can imagine. Are you finding what you want?”

And that’s when it hits me: What do I want? I have no problems that a rational man would complain about. And I realize that she’s almost certainly talking about my produce needs, not my emotional ones.

And yet—

What do I want?

I’m overwhelmed by an image. I’m on a bamboo veranda, overlooking the dark cyan* waters of the South China Sea. (*I looked it up later on a paint chip.) An overhead fan whooshes. A gentle breeze carries the scent of salt and white ginger. I’m reclining on something made out of teak.

This is all a bit much to lay on my new friend of 35 seconds, so I ask her where the macadamia nuts are.

Sill distracted by my tropical vision, I end up buying pineapple juice and paper umbrellas. It’s February. It’s time for pancakes and tiki drinks.

The pancake part is easy.

Pancake batter should be thinner than you think, as should the pancakes themselves. Fluffy pancakes are a false standard put forth by Big Pancake; go with the thin ones. You absolutely will not regret it.

The syrup is up to you, but there should be a small pitcher of melted butter. As for the cocktail —

Singapore Sling

2 ounces dry gin
½ ounce kirsch (cherry brandy)
¼ ounce cognac
2 ounces pineapple juice
¾ ounce fresh squeezed lemon juice
1¼ ounces cherry syrup from a jar of maraschino cherries
1 to 2 dashes Peychaud’s bitters
1 to 2 dashes orange bitters
2 ounces plain seltzer

Add all ingredients except the seltzer with ice in a cocktail shaker. Shake until the ice starts to break up.

Pour, with your now-cracked ice, into a tall glass — the type is up to you. A tiki mug would work well. So would a Pilsner glass. You could make a case for a clean peanut butter jar.

Top with the seltzer and stir gently. Garnish with at least five maraschino cherries.

The first sip of a proper Singapore Sling is deceptive. You will wonder if you forgot an ingredient. Considering the pineapple and cherry juices, you’d think it would be sweeter. Should it be this pink?

Do you know what puts negative thoughts like that in the front of your brain?

Stress and anxiety. Also, February.

By your third sip, do you know what are losing their grip and slipping down your cerebral cortex? The Negativity Triplets.

This is what you need.

Featured photo: The Singapore Sling. Photo by John Fladd.

In the kitchen with Justin O’Malley

Justin O’Malley is the chef de cuisine of Greenleaf (54 Nashua St., Milford, 213-5447, greenleafmilford.com), a seasonally inspired farm-to-table restaurant that opened in May 2019. O’Malley grew up in Lowell, Mass., getting his start in the restaurant industry at age 16 as a dishwasher. It was while working at Papa Razzi in Burlington, Mass., that he first met Greenleaf owner and founder Chris Viaud. After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America — and completing an externship cooking in the owners’ suite of Fenway Park in Boston — O’Malley worked at North Andover Country Club for about a year before coming to New Hampshire to join the staff of Greenleaf in August 2021. There he worked his way up the ranks, assuming the role of chef de cuisine in January.

What is your must-have kitchen item?

It’s probably the Vitamix [blender], with all of the purees and different things that I like to do.

What would you have for your last meal?

I would go with a traditional omakase, which is basically like a chef’s table for sushi.

What is your favorite local restaurant?

Probably the Nashua Garden. Every time I’ve been there, they make a solid sandwich.

What celebrity would you like to see eating at Greenleaf?

Kid Cudi [rapper Scott Mescudi].

What is your favorite thing on your menu?

Duck in general is one of my favorite things to mess around with. It goes really well with sweeter flavors.

What is the biggest food trend in New Hampshire right now?

I think I’ve seen a short rib [dish on] every menu [at every restaurant] that I’ve been out to.

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?

Usually something pretty simple. Fried rice is always nice — it’s quick and easy, it’s just kind of tossing everything in a pan.

Roasted garlic mashed potatoes
From the kitchen of Justin O’Malley, chef de cuisine of Greenleaf in Milford

For the roasted garlic:
1 bulb garlic
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 pinch each salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut the top off the bulb of garlic, exposing the cloves. Place the bulb on a sheet of aluminum foil and season with olive oil, salt and pepper. Wrap the bulb tightly in foil and roast in the oven until soft and well browned (about one hour).

For the mashed potatoes:
2 pounds russet potatoes
¼ cup unsalted butter
2 cups warm milk
1 bulb roasted garlic
Salt and white pepper to taste

Peel the potatoes and cut them into 1-inch pieces. Place the potatoes into a pot with enough cold water to cover. Season the water with a heavy pinch of salt and place on the stove set to high heat. When the water starts to boil, reduce the heat to medium. Simmer until soft (about 15 minutes). Strain the potatoes and return them to the pot. Place the pot back on the stove over medium-low heat to dry the potatoes (about one to two minutes). Add the butter and roasted garlic. Mash using your favorite method (a potato masher or fork will work). Slowly add the milk until your desired consistency is reached. Season with salt and white pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Featured photo: Justin O’Malley, chef de cuisine of Greenleaf in Milford. Courtesy photo.

Local pours

Mardi Gras wine festival returns to Derry

Early in the fall of 2021, the Rev. Chris Gaffrey of St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in Derry attended a wine tasting at LaBelle Winery — and he left feeling inspired.

“The next day I was talking to some parishioners about it and one of them said, ‘Oh, we should do a wine tasting here,’” Gaffrey said. “I said, ‘Even better: why don’t we get a whole bunch of wineries [to] come together and do a wine tasting here? We can turn it into a fundraiser.’”

The idea sparked so much interest among the church community that they would end up celebrating Mardi Gras the following February with an inaugural wine festival. The event was a resounding success. Two of the five participating wineries, Gaffrey said, would sell out of product before the night was even over.

“Every one of the vendors said to us afterward, ‘Are you doing this next year? Please invite us,’” he said. “We had food, music, prizes [and] games. … Everybody seemed to have a good time.”

Indeed, the festival, set to return for a second year on Saturday, Feb. 18, will feature all five of the wineries from the first event, in addition to a few new faces. It’s happening inside the church’s Aquinas Center and will include a night of wine sampling along with a variety of home-cooked food options, raffle and door prizes, games, live music and more.

“It’s just a great wholesome cultural event … that also highlights our blossoming New Hampshire wine industry,” Gaffrey said. “I’m really excited that it’s basically a pretty good cross-section of New Hampshire winemaking. … We’ve got two from the Lakes Region that are coming down and then one that’s coming from the White Mountains.”

Tickets are available both in advance online and at the door. If you buy them online you also have various add-on options, from Mardi Gras beads and masks to up to four wine glasses. If you like what you try during the evening, there will also be the option to buy bottles of it on site.

“The attractive thing about this for the wineries … is that unlike [at] some other fundraisers or church events, we’re actually able to offer them the capacity to sell,” Gaffrey said. “So if somebody makes a purchase in the wine festival area, either one of the wineries will have a runner or we’ll have somebody helping out to take the purchased bottle to a table … for pickups at the end of the evening or when people leave.”

As for food, Gaffrey said several church members are contributing everything from assorted meats and cheeses to Italian wedding soup and some Cajun dishes like jambalaya — he himself is planning to cook a shrimp gumbo. Frank Howard of the church’s Lazarus Ministry of Praise will provide live music, and attendees will have the opportunity to purchase raffle tickets for a chance to win special baskets that the participating wineries are putting together.

Proceeds from the festival, Gaffrey said, benefit some ongoing church renovation projects, in addition to some outreach programs and initiatives, like its food pantry.

Second annual Mardi Gras wine festival
When: Saturday, Feb. 18, 6 to 9 p.m.
Where: The Aquinas Center at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, 26 Crystal Ave., Derry
Cost: $40 per person, or $70 per couple; tickets are available at the door or in advance online
More info: Visit stthomasderry.org or see “A Mardi Gras Wine Festival” on Facebook
Event is 21+ only. Smart casual or business casual attire are recommended. Mardi Gras masks are optional.

Featured photo: Last year’s Mardi Gras wine festival at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in Derry. Courtesy photo.

From the heart, for the heart

Crafts, Drafts & Barrels tasting benefit returns to Concord

February is American Heart Month, a time to raise awareness of cardiovascular health nationwide. In New Hampshire it also marks the return of a special tasting benefit for the cause.

The fifth annual Crafts, Drafts & Barrels, happening on Friday, Feb. 17, at the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center in Concord, will bring together local restaurants, drink purveyors and other organizations together for a night of bites, pours, live music, raffles and a silent auction, all to raise funds for Concord Hospital’s Cardiovascular Institute.

The event had previously taken place in March, according to Concord Hospital Trust philanthropy officer Moriah Billups, but the decision was made to move it up by a month this year to take advantage of the Valentine’s Day holiday the same week.

“It’s a great opportunity for attendees to taste beer, spirits or wine, but there are also a lot of other things to do,” Billups said. “I think, with it having a lot of opportunities for so many attendees, we thought it would be a good way to pair it with Valentine’s Day. … You can go out with friends or family. It doesn’t have to be a spouse or a loved one. It can be anyone.”

Organizers are taking over the entire space of the Discovery Center for the duration of the event, giving attendees full access to all its exhibits with the exception of the planetarium. Billups added that, weather permitting, the center’s observatory will also be open for viewing.

Admission also grants attendees access to all of the food and beverage samples provided by the vendors. Those who purchased VIP tickets can get into the event an hour earlier than general admission ticket holders — at 6 p.m.

“We try to make sure that every group brings something a little different, so that there aren’t three tables with the same thing,” Billups said of the benefit’s participating vendors. “I’m very excited about Live Juice — they’re going to be bringing some vegan and heart-healthy options. They’ll have a curried chicken salad, some cheese and cracker samples and then a vegan dessert option. … They’ll be located in an area of the Discovery Center that will be focused on hydroponic growing … so we’re doing that to just kind of bring awareness to eating your vegetables and making sure that you’re doing what you can to keep your heart healthy.”

Other eateries will include The Common Man, which will have their house-made chips and French onion dip; O Steaks & Seafood, serving their own macaroni and cheese; and Bone Daddy’s, a Bedford-based barbecue competition and catering team that will serve pork sliders. As has been the case during previous years, Billups added, all attendees will receive a $15 gift card to T-Bones Great American Eatery and a chocolate chip cookie.

Wine and spirits will be provided by Martignetti Companies of Northern New England, with craft beer coming from New Hampshire Distributors — both will offer a diverse range of selections, Billups said. New this year will be mocktails offered by Wood Stove Kitchen, a producer of small-batch all-natural drink mixers in a variety of flavors.

Libation Education ticket holders will attend a special 45-minute class beginning at 5:30 p.m. that will be taught by representatives of Martignetti Companies and Concord Craft Brewing Co. The theme is “He Said Beer, She Said Wine,” and the class will focus on different food pairings for beer and wine. Billups said those who participate can then join VIP attendees around 6:15 p.m.

Live music will be provided by The Lone Wolf Project during the tasting, while a silent auction will be available to all attendees. Billups said most of the prizes are experiential — there will be chances to win everything from four tickets to an upcoming New Hampshire Motor Speedway race in 2023 to a four-course chef’s tasting with Corey Fletcher of Revival Kitchen & Bar. Bidding begins at 6 p.m. and continues until about 8:20 p.m., in order to give general admission ticket holders enough time to see all the available items.

“We have a sparkling raffle which is called ‘Date Night for a Year,’ and so it includes essentially 12 different date night ideas … or they could be during the day too,” Billups said. “Some of those include a one-night stay at the Hotel Concord and some ski passes to Pats Peak.”

Crafts, Drafts & Barrels raised nearly $85,000 last year. Billups said the goal is to at least exceed that amount this year. All proceeds benefit the hospital’s Cardiovascular Institute, a one-door access service combining cardiac and vascular care that’s also available at Concord Hospital’s locations in Laconia and Franklin.

“Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women, and so we aim to bring awareness to the cause as well as raise funds,” Billups said. “Last year we raised funds for a new operating room … dedicated to the cardiovascular suite. … So it [supports] different resources and equipment for our doctors … and also just programs that help our patients live a better life.”

Fifth annual Crafts, Drafts & Barrels
When: Friday, Feb. 17; general admittance is from 7 to 9 p.m., and VIP admittance begins at 6 p.m.
Where: McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center, 2 Institute Drive, Concord
Cost: $75 per person general admission; $125 VIP admission and $175 Libation Education admission, which includes access to an exclusive 45-minute beer and wine food pairing class with Concord Craft Brewing Co. and Martignetti Companies of Northern New England, beginning at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are available both in advance online and at the door the night of.
More info: Visit ch-trust.org, find the event page on Facebook @craftsdraftsbarrels or call 227-7162
Event is 21+ only. Each attendee also receives a $15 gift card to T-Bones Great American Eatery and a chocolate chip cookie. All attendees will receive access to exhibits at the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center. Depending on weather conditions, the center’s observatory may also be open for viewing.

Participating food and beverage purveyors

• Bone Daddy’s Competition BBQ (@bdbbq)
• Coca-Cola (cokenortheast.com)
• The Common Man (thecman.com)
• Concord Craft Brewing Co. (concordcraftbrewing.com)
• Concord Food Co-op (concordfoodcoop.coop)
• Concord Hospital Catering Services (concordhospital.org)
• Gibson’s Cafe (gibsonsbookstore.com/cafe)
• Granite Restaurant & Bar (graniterestaurant.com)
• Live Juice (livejuicenh.com)
• Martignetti Companies of Northern New England (nhwines.com)
• New Hampshire Distributors (nhdist.com)
• New Hampshire Doughnut Co. (nhdoughnutco.com)
• O Steaks & Seafood (osteaksconcord.com)
• T-Bones Great American Eatery (t-bones.com)
• Wood Stove Kitchen (woodstovekitchen.com)

Featured photo: Scenes from NOFA-NH’s annual winter conference. Courtesy photos.

The Weekly Dish 23/02/16

News from the local food scene

• Diner days: Gibson’s Bookstore (45 S. Main St., Concord) welcomes longtime New Hampshire radio personality and author Mike Morin on Thursday, Feb. 23, at 6:30 p.m to present his newest book, If These Walls Could Talk: Celebrating 100 Years of the Red Arrow, America’s Most Beloved Diner. Released Nov. 1, the book chronicles the 100-year history of the Red Arrow Diner, originally founded by David Lamontagne as a tiny lunch cart in October 1922 on Lowell Street in Manchester, where it continues to operate today as a full-service diner. No admission to the event is required, and for those who can’t make it, signed copies of If These Walls Could Talk may be ordered at gibsonsbookstore.com.

• For the sweet tooth: Oddball Brewing Co. (6 Glass St., Suncook) is partnering with the Little Vintage Venue of Pembroke for its second dessert board and beer night in two weekends, happening on Saturday, Feb. 18, from 6 to 8 p.m. Participants will be guided through the process of how to create their own dessert-themed charcuterie board while enjoying a craft beer pairing from Oddball Brewing Co. The cost is $100 for up to two guests per board and will include all the necessary materials and ingredients to put it together, along with two beers. Boards are courtesy of Red-Tailed Creations of Suncook, and wrap will be available for those who would like to take their ready-to-eat creations home. See littlevintagevenue.square.site for more details or to purchase tickets.

• Coffee break: A new shop due to open in Manchester this weekend will offer a full lineup of espresso-based drinks using locally roasted beans, in addition to a food menu of breakfast and lunch wraps and sandwiches, soups, grab-and-go pastries and more. Cool Beans Cafe — the brainchild of owner Kris Gabbard, whose daughter Madilyn picked the name — will hold a grand opening on Saturday, Feb. 18, according to a recent announcement on its Facebook page. The Queen City storefront is located in the former home of the Siberia Food Market at 100 Willow St., a stone’s throw away from the fork between Willow and Pine streets. Visit coolbeanscafe603.com or check out our story about the shop on page 22 in the Jan. 12 issue of the Hippo. Find the e-edition at issuu.com/hippopress.

• A bakery farewell: Dulces Bakery, a Manchester shop perhaps best known for its nearly two dozen flavors of tres leches cake cups, permanently closed its doors on Feb. 10 after nearly a decade in business. “It is with great sadness to have to post this,” read a recent Facebook post from the bakery owners announcing the closure. The post includes thanks to the families and customers of owners Jose and Angela Mojica for their support. Dulces Bakery was on Amory Street on the Queen City’s West Side from 2015 to 2017 before moving to the larger space on Chestnut Street. The shop took its name from the Spanis word meaning “sweets” and featured a mix of traditional baked goods from Angela’s native Colombia and Jose’s native Puerto Rico.

Make it a cava

A different way to sparkle on Valentine’s Day

It’s Valentine’s Day, and you want to create an amazing dinner for the one you love, but your food and wine skills need a little help. You want it to be special and not just a DoorDash or Grubhub delivery. You want to be themaster of the meal. After all, it is a special day that deserves that special meal, prepared, and not purchased by you!

For this special day, I chose to go to a venue to shop for that perfect dinner: Angela’s Pasta and Cheese Shop, on Chestnut Street in Manchester. I have patronized Angela’s since their very beginnings on Union Street in 1980, through their move to Chestnut Street in 1994, and I can’t begin to count the number of times I have been there. I have cultivated a taste for the different homemade fresh pasta, along with the variety of imported dried pasta.

If you can boil water, you can make pasta. Pick up a jar of sauce, or better, some Angela’s homemade sauce, fresh bread, and you are on your way! A salad or antipasto completes the meal, which can be finished with luxurious chocolates.

What kind of wine goes with pasta? A dry sparkling wine goes very well with a cream-based sauce like alfredo or if the pasta is simply dressed with extra-virgin olive oil and freshly grated Parmesan. A good cava from Catalonia is the perfect match for this dinner. The cava can be opened along with the antipasto course and will continue to pair well with the pasta. If there is a drop or two left in the bottle, it will work nicely with rich dark chocolate, as its minerality and high acidity will contrast nicely with the rich, creamy, smooth texture and intense flavor of the chocolate.

A 2019 Sumarroca Reserva Brut, available at Angela’s at $19.99, is the perfect accompaniment to this meal. This cava is made from 100 percent pinot noir grapes that grow in the Sant Sadurní d’Anoia region, just a few miles west of Barcelona, Spain.

According to the website for Bon Vivant Imports, a combination of several microclimates throughout the fields where Sumarroca wines come from, generated by warm climatic influences from the Mediterranean coupled with protection from the Montserrat mountains, and more than a dozen different soil types, makes for a wide range of still and sparkling wines from this region.

The bubbles rise in the glass, are persistent and tickle your nose. I agree with Bon Vivant’s description that the wine has aromas of wild strawberries, raspberries and slight floral notes of rose petals with flavors of cranberries and rhubarb. As advertised, this is a very crisp, dry and refreshing cava.

Featured photo: Photo by Fred Matuszewski.

Mocha latte cookies

It’s less than a week to Valentine’s Day! What better way to show someone you care than by delivering (or mailing) a batch of homemade cookies? Even better, these cookies are filled with chocolate, which so many people crave.

The ingredients in this cookie are pretty straightforward. There are just two key notes. First, you must use instant coffee for these cookies, unless you want a cookie that is bitter and hard to chew. Second, although the cookies are topped with only a sprinkle of coffee sugar, it’s definitely an important part of the recipe. It elevates the coffee flavor in every bite.

Head to the store and get all the ingredients you need. This may be the most delicious, and thoughtful, Valentine gift you could give.

Mocha latte cookies
Makes 20

Cookie dough
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
¼ cup granulated sugar
½ cup light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1½ Tablespoons instant coffee granules
1½ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
Coffee sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon instant coffee granules

Make the coffee sugar
Combine ¼ cup granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon coffee in a food processor.
Pulse until the coffee granules are the size of grains of sand.
Set aside.
Make the cookie dough
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Combine butter and both sugars in a bowl.
Beat on a medium-low speed, using either the paddle on a stand mixer or a hand mixer for 4 minutes.
Add egg, and beat again, scraping sides to combine.
Dissolve 1½ tablespoons of coffee granules in vanilla extract in a small bowl.
Add to dough, and mix until combined
Add flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, stirring until combined.
Add chocolate chips, mixing until distributed.
Line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper, then scoop heaping tablespoons of dough onto the prepared tray.
Repeat, leaving a couple inches between cookies.
Flatten the cookies slightly using the back of a spoon or your fingertips.
Sprinkle a small amount of coffee sugar on each cookie.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.
Allow to cool for 4 minutes, then transfer to a baking rack to cool completely.

Featured Photo: Mocha latte cookies. Photo by Michele Pesula Kuegler.

In the kitchen with Mike Brieger

Mike Brieger of Northwood is the general manager and chef of Woods Grille (284 First New Hampshire Turnpike, Northwood, 942-9663, woodsgrille.com), which opened in the space formerly occupied by Umami Farm Fresh Cafe in August. A longtime friend of Woods Grille owners Heather and Pete Heigis, Brieger has more than three decades of experience in the restaurant industry, in both management and cooking. The eatery’s menu highlights include “gourmet grille-wiches,” or signature sandwiches featuring your choice of a protein, from a beef burger patty or grilled chicken to a veggie burger or portobello mushroom. Woods Grille is also unique for offering baked Tater Tots in lieu of french fries, complete with several signature dipping aiolis to choose from. Other items include house salads — with the option to turn each into a wrap — and tacos with fish or chicken.

What is your must-have kitchen item?

My cast iron skillet is a favorite for sure, and then I also love to cook with my chef’s knife, my Mac Mighty. It was a gift for my 50th birthday and I love it.

What would you have for your last meal?

I would go to The Beach Plum and get a giant lobster roll. … I usually only get it once a year, but if it was going to be my last meal, it would be that.

What is your favorite local restaurant?

If my wife and I are going out, we’re looking for something really awesome. We like to go down to Portsmouth, either to Cure or we would go to [Ristorante] Massimo and sit at the bar.

What celebrity would you like to see eating at Woods Grille?

This is controversial, but I’m a New Yorker at heart and so the answer right away is Derek Jeter.

What is your favorite thing on your menu?

Definitely our fish tacos. … It’s mahi mahi that’s blackened on the grill, and it’s got a little shredded cheddar cheese, some fresh shredded cabbage, diced tomato and our homemade pickled onions. We top it with a little fresh avocado and our homemade chipotle aioli and people just love it.

What is the biggest food trend in New Hampshire right now?

A lot of people are going toward plant-based eating. Not only just vegetarians, but people who eat meat maybe once or twice a week are avoiding meat for a couple of days to try and improve their healthy eating habits.

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?

It’s simple, but just some good old-fashioned shrimp scampi.

Mike’s amazing short ribs
From the kitchen of Mike Brieger of Woods Grille in Northwood

1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
1 28-ounce can tomato sauce
3 Tablespoons lemon juice
4 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 Tablespoons dried parsley
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 bay leaves
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 Spanish onion, sliced
3 pounds short ribs

Season the short ribs with salt and pepper and brown in a cast iron skillet for a couple of minutes on each side — be sure to brown the ends as well. Set aside. In a large soup pot, combine all of the other ingredients and bring up to a steady simmer. Add the short ribs to the soup pot, cover and reduce the heat to a very low simmer for approximately three to three-and-a-half hours. Stir and skim the fat periodically. Serve over a bed of egg noodles and top with a pinch of shredded Parmesan cheese.

Featured photo: Mike Brieger, general manager and chef of Woods Grille in Northwood. Courtesy photo.

Soup-er flavors

Epsom soup/chili/chowder cook-off returns

Dozens of local soup, chili and chowder makers will be vying for your palate during Epsom Central School’s annual cook-off, which is set to return for its 10th year on Monday, Feb. 13, from 5 to 7 p.m. inside the school’s gymnasium.

Originally conceived as a much smaller fundraiser mostly among the school’s teachers and staff, the cook-off has grown considerably over the last few years. The event did have to take a hiatus in 2021 due to the pandemic, but was able to return in full force last year to a resounding success, school business secretary and cook-off coordinator Stephanie Colvin said.

More than 45 entrants are expected at this year’s cook-off, ranging from community members and teachers at the school to even a local girl scout group that will be participating. They’ll compete across a total of three judging categories: soups, chilis and chowders.

“We’re also doing a junior competition right alongside it during the day, where we’ll have our sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders all making something within their class,” Colvin said, noting that each class is producing two slow cookers’ worth — one will be available at 2 p.m., and the second one during the cook-off in the evening.

For tasters, tickets to the cook-off will be sold at the door and will include access to up to 10 four-ounce sampling cups per attendee for adults and five sampling cups for kids ages 10 and under, along with sides of corn bread. Part of the fun is that you never know which different flavors of soups, chilis and chowders you may encounter at the cook-off in any given year. Many entrants, Colvin added, like to give their offerings unique names.

“There’s a chili entry called Real Firehouse chili … and one called Chicka Chicka chickpea veggie chowder, which is kind of a mouthful,” she said. “Then we’ve got a creamy Parmesan Italian sausage soup, one called an Ultimate white chicken chili, and one called Lavender Haze, so there will be all kinds of different, kind of funky ones.”

A panel of judges gives entrants a score based on a 10-point scaling system and adds them all up at the end of the night. Winners from each of the three categories receive a “Souper Bowl” trophy, and the top vote getter also wins a $50 gift card. Two People’s Choice recipients from each category are awarded ribbons.

Proceeds from the cook-off, Colvin said, help fund various student activities at Epsom Central School, including field trips and clothing needs.

10th annual Epsom Central School soup/chili/chowder cook-off
When: Monday, Feb. 13, 5 to 7 p.m.
Where: Epsom Central School, 282 Black Hall Road, Epsom
Cost: $8 for adults and $6 for kids ages 10 and under (includes access to up to 10 four-ounce samples for adults and up to five samples for kids, plus cornbread). Tickets are sold at the door while supplies last.
More info: See “10th Annual ECS Soup/Chili/Chowder Cook-off” on Facebook, or email cook-off coordinator Stephanie Colvin at scolvin@sau53.org.

Featured photo: Donna Lancaster (left) won first place in last year’s cook-off for her bacon shrimp corn chowder. Courtesy photo.

Organic knowledge

NOFA-NH’s annual winter conference returns — in person!

For the first time in three years, the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New Hampshire will hold its annual winter conference in person. The one-day event is set to return on Saturday, Feb. 11, with a keynote speaking address, a panel discussion, an exhibitor fair and more than two dozen interactive workshops covering a variety of topics related to organic agricultural practices.

The theme of this year’s conference is “The Art of Food & Farming: Skill Sharing for a Brighter Future.” Anyone from farmers, gardeners and home growers to foodies or those interested in learning about organic practices is welcome to attend, conference coordinator Kyle Jacoby said.

One notable change to this year’s conference is its new venue: Southern New Hampshire University’s Manchester campus. The opening panel discussion and the exhibitor fair will take place at the university’s dining hall, while the workshops will be held inside the classrooms of the adjacent Robert Frost Hall. Workshops will run the gamut from growing edible native plants and distilling flowers to fermentation essentials, honey production in New Hampshire and more.

“We definitely try to reach a wide audience,” Jacoby said of the workshops. “I think that’s probably one of the more unique things about NOFA in general, is that deep down, one of the larger goals … is to just really build a food system that sustainable as a whole, and there’s a lot of pieces involved with that, from farmers and home growers [to] just interested community members that are advocates for sustainable agriculture and improved food systems.”

The pandemic hit just after the last in-person conference was held in February 2020. Since then, the event has transitioned into a series of virtual workshops, which took place in both 2021 and 2022. While all of this year’s workshops are in person, a select few of them, Jacoby said, will also be live streamed in real time for a virtual audience.

The day will begin with an hour-long panel discussion devoted to New England farms and climate change. From there, each workshop is broken up into three hour-long session blocks — from 10:15 to 11:15 a.m., 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.

Notable speakers will include Sarah Cox of Tuckaway Farm in Lee and Dina Wilford of the Dover-based Vida Tortilla, who will lead a joint workshop and discussion on nixtamalization, a traditional Mexican cooking method used to create masa for tortillas, chips and tamales.

“[Cox and Wilford] developed a connection because Tuckaway Farm produces corn that Vida Tortilla utilizes to make their local goods,” Jacoby said, “so it’s going to be a great collaborative workshop on how to make masa and utilizing a local indigenous variety.”

Scenes from NOFA-NH’s annual winter conference. Courtesy photos.

Troy Hall of Hall Apiaries in Plainfield is also on the schedule to talk about honey production, while naturalist, forager and author Russ Cohen will explore the dozens of native edible plant species. The New Hampshire Food Hub Network, a program of the New Hampshire Food Alliance, will hold an interactive forum of its own on the importance of food hubs.

Additional conference activities will include an ongoing Green Market Fair, featuring informational booths and products for sale from dozens of local vendors and exhibitors. The day will conclude with a 90-minute keynote address from 4 to 5:30 p.m. featuring Kristin and Mark Kimball of Essex Farm in upstate New York.

“They’ve been involved in NOFA-related things before and have definitely been to our conference in the past,” Jacoby said. “One of the things that we really gravitated toward with them was how much they train and have trained and supported new farmers.”

21st annual NOFA-NH Winter Conference
When: Saturday, Feb. 11; event will begin with a kickoff panel discussion from 9 to 10 a.m.; followed by three workshop sessions from 10:15 to 11:15 a.m., 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 to 3:30 p.m., and a keynote speaking event from 4 to 5:30 p.m.
Where: Southern New Hampshire University, 2500 N. River Road, Manchester (a few of the workshops throughout the day will also take place virtually — see website for details)
Cost: $90 for NOFA-NH members and $110 for non-members (includes access to all workshops throughout the day, in addition to the Green Market Fair). Online workshops are $60 for members and $75 for non-members. Access to the keynote event only is $30 for members and $40 non-members. Optional add-on lunches for children are $25. Donations are also welcome.
Visit: nofanh.org/nofawinterconference

Schedule of events

Kickoff panel: 9 to 10 a.m.
• Adapting New England farms to climate change

Workshop Session I: 10:15 to 11:15 a.m.
• Getting involved in New Hampshire politics (also available virtually)
• How to engage children in gardening (also available virtually)
• Biochar and how it can improve soil health
• Religious diversity on the farm
• Keeping a family dairy cow
• Weed management: white thread weeds
• Timber framing intensive session I: mortise and tenons
• Building skills to manage stress and mental health on the farm

Workshop Session II: 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
• The real organic movement (also available virtually)
• Making no-till work in organic systems (also available virtually)
• Your farm story and how and why to tell it
• Making masa and building a local grain shed
• Small space gardening: thinking outside the box
• New Hampshire Food Hub forum
• Edible native plants you can grow or forage
• Timber framing intensive session II: mortise and tenons

Workshop Session III: 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.
• Farmer to farmer gathering with vital communities
• Increasing winter production: How to grow microgreens in a modified cold storage room (also available virtually)
• Resilience farming: Farming with permaculture ethics and ecological patterns in mind
• The essentials of fermentation
• Propagating, grafting and layering hardwood trees and shrubs
• Honey production in New Hampshire
• The art and alchemy of distilling flowers and herbs
• Livestock want browse: Doable methods for use of wild woody perennials

Keynote address: 4 to 5:30 p.m.
• Community focused practices that helped us grow (featuring Mark and Kristin Kimball of Essex Farm in New York; also available virtually)