Jen has moved!

Just wanted to let you know Jen's Dish has moved!!
You can read Jen's culinary musings on wordpress now.
Hope you'll come by for a visit and say hi!!

Jen's Dish

It's been awhile!!

I know, you haven't heard from me in quite some time. It's not like I haven't wanted to write, I have just been very busy with my full-time job. One of the best parts of my busy week is managing the Wintertime Farmer's Market in Pawtucket, RI every Saturday. This market has an amazing vibe. I liken it to hosting the biggest and best party of the week. A party that everyone wants an invite to. No invitations needed for this party, everyone is welcome, just bring an appetite!

What will you find at the market this week? Pea greens, Queso Blanco, Oysters, Grilled Cheese, Apples, Cider, and more. I recently made a video that gives you a just a taste of what the market is all about. I hope you'll stop by some Saturday and say hi!

Well, after trying to upload the video direct to this blog, I realized it is too big. So please visit my site on You Tube and watch, Scenes From a Winter Market.

Happy Thanksgiving from Jen!

It is 6am and i am wishing and hoping for a Butterball radio station. It isn't that i need help with my Turkey. Think i am all set in that department. It is just very early and still dark outside, and as I unwrap my Turkey to get started, I would love to listen to others talk about food ad Turkey! NPR will have to do I guess.
What's on your menu this morning? As soon as the Turkey gets to room temperature, i will be rubbing an herb mixture under the skin (marjoram, thyme, sage and some s&p)and then coating the outside with butter. I will then stick the 20 lb. (I know, it is HUGE Turkey for 8 adults: lots of leftovers!)Turkey in a 350 degree oven (turning 180 degrees 3 times) for about 5hrs.
Is the coffee ready yet?
My sides today are surprisingly basic: mashed potatoes, butternut squash, green beans, honey glazed carrots, herb stuffing and my own cranberry sauce(please check out the video-up above and to the right-that I made) with orange zest and ginger. My Grandmother is bringing her famous Broccoli and cheese casserole. My Mom has made 2 pies: Apple and Pumpkin and my Great Grandmother Lida Baker's rolls. An heirloom recipe that was passed down to us from my Great Aunt Amanda who lived just shy of her 101st Birthday!
Mm mm...that is a lot of food! Hope I haven't forgotten anything! Oh yes, it is my daughter Zoe's 4th Birthday today!!!! So we will be having a small birthday cake as well.
I am very thankful for my family, friends: old and new, for you, the readers of my blog and listeners to my show!
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Sushi and Celebration

I love dinner parties. I would host one every week if i could. But alas, my husband isn't as keen on them as I (perhaps it is the amount of dishes I use.) Thankfully, we get invited to other people's dinner parties every so often and that satiates me for a little while.

Recently our friends Erin And Raoul had us over to their house to celebrate Raoul's birthday and the election of Barack Obama as our new President-Elect.

Erin started the evening out with some chilled Veuve Clicquot (I never turn down champagne!) and hand rolled Sushi(Norimaki). It was her first time making Sushi and she did a splendid job. Nori rolls are perfect party food and very simple to make.

A few years ago I received a cookbook entitled Easy Sushi(pub. Ryland Peters & Small)by Emi Kazuko. I highly recommend this book. The pictures are gorgeous and the recipes are easy to follow.

We easily finished off the champagne and sushi and went on to fondue! This was no ordinary cheese fondue. This was hot-oil fondue with marinated beef and shrimp. The oil sizzled as we added our fork pronged meat and shrimp. The beef and shrimp cooked in no time and we proceeded to dip them into a teriyaki style sauce. Yummy!!!

We ended the evening with Pomegranate Martinis and Belgian Chocolates.
Aw, I could get used to this!

In addition to rolling a mean norimaki, Erin Starr is a very talented artist whose work will be exhibited at Gallery Z's Holiday Show this Thursday Nov. 20th from 5:00 to 9:00 They will be serving food from Bacaro Restaurant.
Hope to see you there!

Invest in Rhode Island's Future: Protect Open Space and Farmlands

VOTE TO APPROVE QUESTION 2
Tomorrow, November 4th, is election day. I want to inform you of a very important question on the Rhode Island ballot.

Question 2 - the Open Space and Recreation Development Bond - is crucial to the survival of Rhode Island agriculture.

This Bond will provide a $2.5 million state investment to match federal funding, foundation grants and donations to provide a total of over $10 million for the state's land conservation programs that:
· Save Rhode Island's vanishing farmland - and with them, locally grown foods
· Protect our communities' special open spaces and natural areas
· Create and expand parks when opportunities arise such as Rocky Point and private in-holdings in state parks
· Protect our drinking water and watersheds from pollution

Please take just a few moments to learn more about this very important issue!
The open space and recreational development bond will preserve state parks and natural open spaces, including the shorelines that make our Rhode Island so scenic and unique. The bond also addresses specific concerns of Rhode Island farmers and eaters.

Here is a bit more information about the bond and how it will affect our state's agricultural community, from our friend Rupert Friday of the Rhode Island Land Trust Council:

"Rhode Island has lost 80% of our farmland since 1945. Today, only 45,800 acres remain in production - less than 7% of the land in the state. Our remaining farmland is the basis for $100 million in Rhode Island's economy each year. It is also essential to defining the character of our communities and our quality of life. Rhode Island has the highest farmland prices in the nation and there is strong pressure to develop this land into new subdivisions.

Today, less than ¼ (25%) of our remaining farmland is protected. In 1985, the state began a visionary Farmland Protection Program to reign in the loss of farmland, save our agricultural heritage, and keep our agricultural economy viable. Since 1985, the state's farmland protection program has protected 81 farms and 6232 acres of productive farmland. Over 25 more farmers (nearly 2000 acres) have applied to protect their farms, been approved by the state program and are awaiting funding. The new Federal Farm Bill is providing $3-5 million each year to Rhode Island for farmland protection. The 2008 Open Space Bond is essential to provide some of the necessary matching funds."
Please let all your friends and family in Rhode Island know about this important ballot question.
Conserve our working farmlands and open spaces.
Question 2 APPROVE