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One of our most popular….

October 27, 2011 by Jean

This post is short, sweet and to the point…

Stonewall Kitchen Spicy Corn Relish. 

Without exception, Stonewall Kitchen’s Spicy Corn Relish has been our best selling, and for good reason. The tangy, spicy, sweet flavor of this relish is most unique and absolutely top-notch. Recently I simply added one can of black beans for a perfect side dish.

Super simple and a sure winner! Here’s another version with a few more ingredients to try as well.

I always keep the jars from Stonewall Kitchen and re-use them as drinking glasses. Love them!

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Ladies Night at Good Earth

September 23, 2011 by Jean

Thanks to all of you ladies who were completely undaunted by the rain showers and sparse parking this past Wednesday to come out for Ladies Night. We had just over 200 women fill the store for a relaxing, delicious and FUN evening! We thought that the idea of  a Ladies Night would be well received when we decided to host this event and your enthusiastic response has proven us right. Thanks to your loyal patronage, Good Earth has been able to make a generous donation to the Montgomery General Hospital Pediatric Emergency Department. Here are a few pictures from the evening followed by the recipes for the food we served.

Here are the simple recipes from the night:

BBQ Pulled Pork

Ingredients:

Salt and Pepper

2-3 lb. trimmed boneless pork loin

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

One bottle of Stonewall Kitchen Bourbon Molasses Barbecue Sauce

6 Sandwich Buns

  1. Rub salt and pepper over a 2-3 lb. trimmed boneless pork loin. Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a heavy pot. Brown the roast on all sides.
  2. Remove roast and place in a crock pot. Add 1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar and 1/2 the bottle of BBQ sauce to roast. Cover and cook on low for 10 hours until the pork can be pulled apart with a fork.
  3. Shred the pork, removing excess fat, and toss with remaining BBQ sauce.
  4. Serve warm on a sandwich bun – as an option, top with coleslaw.
Teriyaki Meatballs
Ingredients:
1 bottle Robert Rothschild Asian Ginger Teriyaki Simmer Sauce
1 jar Stonewall Kitchen Red Pepper Jelly
50 – 60 small meatballs
Combine first two ingredients and mix well. Pour over meatballs and cook in a crock pot on low for 3 to 4 hours.

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Easy Polenta Bites

September 6, 2011 by Jean

Polenta is an Italian staple made from cornmeal. Ever cooked it? Ever even heard of it? I must admit, I’d have to say no to both of these questions before recently. Ok, I had heard of it, but had no idea what it was. While there are several varieties of Polenta available, Good Earth carries a delicious Bella Famiglia Heat and Serve Polenta Chub. Picture Italian cornmeal in a package resembling slice and bake cookies. Yep, that’s what we’ve got – and oh it’s good!

Recently I grilled sliced Polenta and had a feast! It makes a great appetizer or side dish and can be topped with just about anything you can imagine…..

Directions:

  1. Slice Bella Famiglia Polenta into 1/2 inch thick pieces. Brush lightly with olive oil.
  2. Grill Polenta slices on medium-high heat. Cook for about 3 to 4 minutes on each side, turning gently with a spatula.
  3. Top each Polenta slice with your topping of choice. The possibilities are endless, but here are a few ideas:
  • sliced avocado, sliced grape tomatoes, chopped scallions and capers.
  • salami nuggets, tomato bruschetta, and shaved parmesan cheese.
  • lump crab meat, chopped shallots, and fresh lemon juice.

Discover your own unique and savory combination – and enjoy! Or should I say buon appetito!

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Freezing Peaches – the easy way

September 1, 2011 by Jean

Without question this has been a fantastic peach season. Since we got our first batch at Good Earth in May, I have been devouring them at a pretty good pace. Alas, peach season is coming to an end so it’s time to stock up and freeze them. There’s nothing like a scrumptious peach cobbler in the middle of a snowstorm in February. 

For years I’ve used a very simple method for freezing peaches. In fact, I thought everyone did it this way until I began talking with customers at the store who admitted to being a bit intimidated by the process. Here’s what I’ve done with great success:

Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in saucepan. Gently place a peach in the water for 30 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, retrieve peach and place in cold water for 30 seconds. Gently peel skin off. Slice peach into eighths and remove pit. Fill 1 gallon freezer bags with approximately 6 to 7 peaches, depending on size. Seal freezer bags airtight and lay flat in freezer. Will keep for up to 6 months. No need to add sugar and preservatives.

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Beer Can Chicken – minus the can

August 10, 2011 by Jean

Looking for a new recipe to use the fresh herbs in your garden? You’ve likely heard of Beer Can Chicken, right? Simply place a whole roasting chicken on top of an opened beer can and cook it. The liquid infuses into the chicken making it both flavorful and moist.  Well here’s a variation of that very popular dish. I call it, “Wow, This Is Good.“

I found a vertical chicken roaster at a local kitchen supply store and purchased it in lieu of using beer cans. Actually, I purchased two. One roasted chicken is never enough to provide for delicious leftover chicken sandwiches. You clearly have a bit more leeway using these roasters instead of beer cans in that they can be filled with any type of liquid or marinade.

Infused Chicken on the Grill:

sweet basil and beer

Ingredients:

  • 2 roasting chickens, about 4 1/2 to 5 lbs each
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • coarse sea salt and cracked ground pepper
  • 3/4 cup dry white wine (I used Sauvignon Blanc)
  • 3/4 cup beer
  • 2 sprigs each, fresh rosemary, thyme and sweet basil
Directions:
  1. Preheat grill at medium heat. Rinse and pat dry roasting chickens. Rub each chicken with 1 Tbsp olive oil and season with coarse sea salt and cracked ground pepper. Set aside.
  2. Fill one reservoir with wine and sprigs of fresh rosemary and thyme. Fill the other with beer and fresh sweet basil.

    rosemary, thyme and white wine

  3. Place chicken roasters on top of each vertical roaster. Carefully place onto prepared grill and cover. Cook for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours. Juice should run clear when chicken is fully cooked.
  4. Carefully remove from grill. Carefully take chickens off of vertical roasters and allow chicken to stand 5 to 10 minutes before carving.

a captive and willing audience

Fortunately for me, I had an immediate opportunity to try out this recipe with a very willing and hungry group of people. Janelle’s friends were more than delighted to sample the dinner.

The votes were essentially split down the middle in terms of preference. Half favored the beer and basil, the other half the wine, rosemary and thyme.

I found them both very good and flavorful. Of course, the best part is that despite 6 hungry teenagers I still had a bit of chicken leftover for sandwiches the next day.

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DJ’s Corn and Pancetta – Oh My!

July 31, 2011 by Jean

It’s August. It’s vacation time. Literally moments before Dave left for the lake, he told me about a delicious recipe he’d created. I listened intently while taking mental notes of the ingredients and directions. He took off for a well-deserved vacation and I quickly grabbed a sheet of paper and wrote down the details. Here they are:

DJ’s Roasted Corn and Pancetta

Ingredients:

  • 5 ears of corn, blanched and cut
  • 1 small red onion chopped
  • 3 Tbsp Olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp butter
  • 4 oz sliced pancetta
  • Seasonello seasoning to taste
Directions:
  1. Fill a large stock pot with 8 cups of salted water and bring to a boil.
  2. Shuck and clean 5 ears of corn, removing silks. Drop corn into boiling water for 3 to 4 minutes, until just tender. Remove.
  3. Heat Olive Oil and butter in large saucepan.  Add red onions and saute slowly until caramelized on medium-low heat, about 7 to 9 minutes. Remove and set aside. Meanwhile, remove corn from ears into a large bowl with a corn cutter.
  4. Sear pancetta slices in olive oil about 3 minutes per side on medium-high heat. Remove and chop. Set aside.
  5. Return corn, red onions, and sliced pancetta to saucepan. Heat on medium-high. Season with Seasonello to taste. Serve immediately.

Please pardon my teenage vernacular, but it is quite warranted; OMG! The flavor of this dish is simply fantastic. The sweet white corn, the salty pancetta and the buttery olive oil all combine to make this a flavorful dish you will love. This is most definitely a winner!

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Perfect for a Sunday Brunch

July 15, 2011 by Jean

It’s that amazing time of year when delicious fruit is in abundance. Right now Good Earth’s local cantaloupes are simply divine! I’m often asked to pick a ripe cantaloupe for our customers. The best way I’ve found is to look and smell; it should have an orange-gold color and smell nice and sweet. If a cantaloupe is beige-skinned with distinct green veins, it’s not ripe.

Last week Kristin showed me a recipe in the Food section of the paper that I quickly tore out and carried home to make. This would be perfect for a Sunday Brunch, a Bridal Shower, a summer cookout, an evening snack – you get the idea….

Melon Salad with Prosciutto-Basil Dressing

Ingredients:

  • 2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, coarsely chopped
  • about 15 large basil leaves chopped (3 Tbsp) plus more for garnish
  • 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • One 2 1/4 pound ripe cantaloupe, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2 inch cubes; about 5 cups
  • Freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
  1. Combine prosciutto, basil, and oil in small bowl. Use a fork or your fingers to mix the ingredients and separate any prosciutto pieces that are clumping together.
  2. Place the melon cubes in a serving bowl; add prosciutto-basil dressing. Toss then season lightly with ground black pepper.
How easy is that? I loved the flavor of this combo. It has a sort of savory/fruity flavor which is why it seems ideal for brunch.
Here’s my one tweak: I used thinly sliced prosciutto and tried (valiantly) to “chop coarsely.” Not so easy. The great news is that Good Earth sells a chopped prosciutto package which is perfect for this recipe. Trying to chop thin prosciutto slices is as easy as “coarsely chopping” butter at room temperature. Not so much. Go with the already-chopped version.

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