Local Partner Spotlight: 2 Kids Goat Farm

Local Partner Spotlight: 2 Kids Goat Farm

February 16, 2017Holly RodricksBuy Local, Farmer Focus, Local Parnerships1 comment2 Kids Goat Farm, 2016 Winter CSA, Amy Sperat, Barry Sperat, Chevre, Garlic and Chive Goat Cheese, Value Added Item, Vegetarian

About 2 Kids Goat Farm: We met Barry and Amy Sperat of 2 Kids Goat Farm three-and-a-half years ago while they were sampling cheese at Magic on Main in Homer, NY, and quickly learned about all the connections we shared. Between being vendors at the CNY Regional Market and the Fayetteville Farmers market and both having recently started our farms, we became fast friends. Not only that, but we’ve been hooked on their cheeses since the beginning, receiving our own fresh supply every week! The Sperats became farmers a little at a time. After living in the Syracuse area for several years, they bought a home in the country, surrounded by beautiful land. Soon, they acquired a couple of goats as pets for their 2 children. One goat led to another and, before they knew it, 2 Kids Goat Farm was born! They now have a full herd of 30 milking goats, in addition to a variety of other animals. Every goat knows and responds to its own name and is practically part of the Sperat family. Barry and Amy personally produce a wonderful selection of cheeses, soaps, lotions, and lip balms available throughout the CNY area, and we couldn’t say enough about how good their products are! Where to 2 Kids’ Products: You can find 2 Kids’ products in a variety of stores throughout the CNY region, including Green Planet Grocery in Camillus, Side Hill Farmers in Manlius, and The Local Food Markets in Tully and Cortland. Their cheeses are also served at restaurants such as Empire Farmstead Brewery and The Brae Loch Inn in Cazenovia and Dasher’s Corner Pub in Homer. For a full list of retailers and restaurants, click here. About 2 Kids’ Garlic & Chive Chèvre : In your CSA share this week, you will find freshly prepared Garlic & Chive Chèvre, which is a favorite for us at Main Street Farms. Barry and Amy’s favorite way to eat it is crumbled on pizza, burgers, and salad. For an easy, quick dinner, they like to layer it into freshly cooked pasta, return it to the pot, and let it melt into all those nooks and crannies before serving. Click here for the full recipe!

Pasta with Warmed Garlic & Chive Chèvre

February 16, 2017Holly RodricksBuy Local, Eat Local, Fall Foods, Farmer Focus, Recipes, Spring Foods, Summer Food, Winter FoodsNo Comments2 Kids Goat Farm, Amy Sperat, Chevre, Dried Herbs, Fresh Herbs, Garlic & Chive Chevre, Goat Cheese, Herbs, Mushrooms, Pasta, Spinach, Vegetarian

This simple and delicious recipe comes directly from Amy Sperat of 2 Kids Goat Farm. She loves both how easy it is to make and how much flavor it packs in one dish. While the base is simply freshly cooked and drained pasta and goat cheese, get creative and add in other ingredients you enjoy, such as mushrooms, spinach, sun-riped tomatoes, etc., and any variety of herbs. Pictured below is a version with Flour City Pasta‘s traditional Trecce, Heller’s Farm organic Baby Bella Mushrooms, our own freshly minced Garlic and fresh Spinach, and 2 Kids’ Garlic & Chive Chèvre. Let’s just say I’ve already cooked this twice this week because once, clearly, wasn’t enough! It’s one of the easiest & most delicious meals I’ve cooked in a while–a hard combination to find when you’ve got a tight schedule in which to cook dinner! Pasta with Warmed Garlic & Chive Chèvre By Amy Sperat of 2 Kids Goat Farm Makes 4-6 servings. Ingredients: 1 lb. Pasta of choice 4 oz. 2 Kids Goat Farm Garlic & Chive Chèvre (Goat Cheese) Olive Oil, fresh or dried Herbs, Salt, and Pepper to taste Instructions: Cook Pasta according to package instructions. Once done, drain Pasta and return to pot. Drizzle with Olive Oil, sprinkle generously with crumbled Chèvre, Herbs, Salt, and Pepper to taste. Toss together to evenly distribute, and cover pot for 5 minutes. Serve hot! *Image courtesy of https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/b2/25/e7/b225e7c36b77b77cccb165bbde9595b8.jpg.

Roasted Winter Vegetable Goat Cheese Salad

Roasted Winter Vegetable and Chèvre Salad

February 16, 2017Holly RodricksBuy Local, Eat Local, Fall Foods, Farmer Focus, Recipes, Winter FoodsNo Comments2 Kids Goat Farm, Beets, Candy Cane Beets, Carrots, Chevre, Circus Beets, Garlic, Garlic & Chive Chevre, Gluten Free, Goat Cheese, Onions, Raw Pumpkin Seeds, Roasted Pumpkin Seeds, Sauerkraut, Spring Mix, Turnips, Vegetarian, Watermelon Radishes

I have been eating this meal almost every day for the past several weeks, and it does not get old! Experiment with quantities and types of root vegetables, to your taste, and to try out different flavored goat cheeses–this salad does just as well with plain or fruit-encrusted goat cheeses. Together, the combination of sweet root vegetables, creamy goat cheese, and tangy sauerkraut is out of this world! Roasted Winter Vegetable and Chèvre Salad By Holly Rodricks Makes 4-6 servings. Ingredients: 3-4 Beets of any variety, peeled and diced 1-2 Watermelon Radishes, peeled and diced 1-2 Turnips, peeled and diced 2-3 carrots, peeled and diced 1 large Onion, peeled and diced 3-4 cloves Garlic, chopped roughly 1/4 cup Coconut Oil or other oil of choice Salt and Pepper to taste 1 bag Spring Mix Sauerkraut to taste Raw or Roasted Pumpkin Seeds to taste 2 Kids Goat Farm Garlic & Chive Chèvre (Goat Cheese) Instructions: Preheat oven to 400º and place rack in middle of oven. Combine diced Winter Vegetables in a large bowl. Pour Oil over mixture, and generously sprinkle with Salt and Pepper to taste. Mix with hands to evenly coat vegetables with Oil, Salt, and Pepper. Spread Vegetables evenly on a large, rimmed baking sheet and bake for 45-60 minutes, until vegetables are tender when pierced with a fork and are beginning to crisp up. When vegetables are almost done roasting, divide Spring Mix between multiple bowls. Layer Sauerkraut on top and sprinkle with Pumpkin Seeds. Scoop a generous portion of Roasted Winter Vegetables on top of salad in each bowl and crumble fresh Chèvre on top of hot vegetables. Serve immediately.

Chili Ginger Winter Stir Fry

February 1, 2017Holly RodricksEat Local, Farmer Focus, Local Parnerships, Recipes, Winter FoodsNo CommentsCarrots, Chili-Garlic Sauce, Crooked Carrot, Daikon, Hot Sesame Oil, Kohlrabi, Minced Garlic, Minced Ginger, Sesame Oil, Silas Conroy, Stir Fry Mix, Vegan, Vegetarian, Watermelon Radish

This week’s local partnership comes to your CSA shares in the form of a fresh stir fry mix, made with veggies grown on our farm and prepared by Crooked Carrot . As a special treat, Silas from Crooked Carrot has shared his own personal favorite way to stir fry. Enjoy! Chili Ginger Winter Stir Fry By Silas Conroy of Crooked Carrot Makes 4 servings. Ingredients: 1 bag of Crooked Carrot’s freshly prepared stir fry mix (made up of thinly sliced kohlrabi, carrots, and daikon and watermelon radishes) 1-2 tbsp. regular or hot Sesame Oil 1 tbsp. Minced Ginger* 1 tbsp. Minced Garlic* Chili Garlic Sauce to taste* Salt to taste Instructions: Heat up Sesame Oil in cast iron skillet. When skillet is nice and hot, dump the whole bag of stir fry mix right in. Add Minced Ginger, Minced Garlic, and Chili Garlic Sauce, and toss together quickly. Because the veggies are sliced so thinly, cook them only briefly, searing them just a little in the hot skillet but allowing them to keep their crunch. Add salt to taste, and enjoy piping hot! *Crooked Carrot makes and sells their own delicious jars of minced ginger, minced garlic, and chili garlic sauce.

Local Partner Spotlight: Crooked Carrot

February 1, 2017Holly RodricksBuy Local, Farmer Focus, Local ParnershipsNo Comments2016 Winter CSA, Carrots, Chili-Garlic Sauce, Crooked Carrot, Daikon, Jesse Brown, Johanna Brown, Kohlrabi, Minced Garlic, Minced Ginger, Sambal, Silas Conroy, Sriracha, Stir Fry Mix, Value Added Item, Vegan, Vegetarian, Watermelon Radish

About Crooked Carrot: Crooked Carrot and Main Street Farms first crossed paths back in 2011 when Silas Conroy met Allan Gandelman at a Business Planning class through Groundswell Center for Food and Farming, but they really hit it off as fellow vendors in the C-Shed at the Syracuse Regional Market. Even before this, Silas had long been right in the middle of food production and preparation, with jobs in every part of the industry. He prepared food in kitchens; he delivered food in trucks, and he grew food on farms. Several years ago, while Silas was co-managing organic vegetable production at Stick and Stone Farm in Ithaca, New York, the farm owners came up with the idea of building a commercial kitchen to prepare their produce. Along with a few friends, Silas was able to bring this dream to life, and in 2011, Crooked Carrot was born. The plan was to run the kitchen for one year, with minimal investment and the goal of learning everything about that part of the industry. Six years later, Crooked Carrot is still going strong, with its own independent location in Ithaca. Now, with partners Jesse and Johanna Brown and a fantastic team, Crooked Carrot Community Supported Kitchen is a full-blown community supported kitchen that naturally processes, ferments, and preserves local, organic fruits and vegetables. One hundred percent of their raw material comes from within 50 miles of Ithaca. Crooked Carrot also serves as a local produce aggregation service for large buyers and provides trucking for food deliveries. Every weekday, 4,000 local elementary students receive fresh snacks from their kitchen. Where to Find Crooked Carrot: Crooked Carrot primarily sells their products in co-ops and grocery stores and through CSAs and farmers markets. You can find them at the CNY Regional Market the Ithaca Farmers market for much of the year. About Crooked Carrot’s Stir Fry Mix: In your CSA share this week, you will find a freshly prepared stir fry starter mix made of kohlrabi, carrots, daikon, and watermelon radish, fresh from our farm fields! Click here to learn how the folks and Crooked Carrot like to cook up their veggies!

Category: Farmer Focus