Pound for pound

Liver Sausage, the third time's the charm. August in Columbus.

"I've never been more ready in my entire life

To do this right now

Never

It's all been leading up to this moment

All right now right here

My whole life..

Right here"

Two Friday's ago me and the boys were rolling Northbound on Governor's Highway. At the time I was very down on the Southland, because I had been driving to all corner's of this huge sud-surbopolis looking for something I couldn't find. In the strip mall at the corner of Vollmer I was surprised to see what looked like a mini-circus set up in the lot. It was the Farmer's market in Olympia Fields. I promised the boys they could pat the pony at the petting zoo as I wheeled around to the lot. Amongst the cheese stand, the Labriola bread table and many vegetable vendors, I found the Dickman's. They raise pasture fed poultry, Bonne Femme, found them last year for our Thanksgiving turkey, but I didn't know they worked the market circuit. From their stand the Dickmans sell Chickens, eggs, and other assorted products. Mr Dickman told me they take birds to the processor about every three weeks, and that following Monday was processing day. They would have fresh Chicken all that week. At the time, I was excited, but I was heading out of town and I would not be able to go to Olympia Fields the following Friday. I went home and made mayonnaise with the eggs I bought. Then over the weekend, it hit me, so on Monday I called, and on the phone Mrs. Dickman answered: "Yeah I have chicken livers, we are just heading back from the processor now, how much are you looking for?"

On Tuesday, I went to the farmer's market in Richton Park and picked up about two pounds of fresh, grass fed, chicken livers.

Next stop le potager de saucisson.

Thyme

Fresh bay leaf

Hyssop

Garlic

I didn't use a book on this one, so feel free to adjust for taste.

MAC's Herbed Liver Sausage

921 g (about 2 lbs.) Fresh pasture fed chicken livers

580 g Pork shoulder, diced

160 g Pork fat (from shoulder), diced

32 g Salt

9 g Quatre-épices (white pepper, nutmeg, ginger, clove)

4 g White peppercorns

3 g (1 large clove) garlic, minced

1 g Fresh thyme, chopped

4 Fresh bay leaves, veins removed, minced

the leaves from 1 stem of Hyssop, chopped

2 large cold eggs

25 ml Fino (dry white wine sherry)

Hog Casings

I started out rinsing the livers, the setting them in a colander, over a bowl to drain in the fridge for an hour. I ground the peppercorns fine and combined them with the other spices (not herbs)and salt and mixed them with the cubed pork and pork fat.

Since the day was hot and I needed to keep my ingredients cold, I chilled the grinder attachment and the bowl in the freezer then set the bowl in ice while grinding. I ground the pork mixture first then the livers. I used the small grinding plate.

Using the paddle attachment, I added the herbs, the eggs, and the fino, and mixed until it all came together about two minutes. The consistency is a little runny, but it will be okay.

I stuffed them into hog casings. I suppose you could pack the mixture into a terrine (pronounced loaf pan), but I like the look and the portability of the casing.

I decided to poach the sausage in the oven. I used these really cool roasting pans I got from IKEA . I preheated the oven to 325F., then filled the pan to just under the rack with boiling water. I inserted a temp probe and inverted another pan on top and into the oven.

After about forty minutes the internal temperature read 165F., time for the ice bath.

After about 20 minutes on ice I put the sausage (Still in the rack pan) in the fridge to rest, uncovered, overnight.

The next day I put the Sausage into a Ziploc, because it was time to go to Columbus. As I have mentioned in previous posts, August is our favorite time to go to Columbus. Mom and Dad (and Buzz) have been working on the South side of the house and It has gone from spooky-no-doorbell haunted house to respectable country estate (in the middle of Clintonville).

The kids and Grandpa Bob stayed in the pool the whole time.

Mom made chicken tikka marsala from this month's Cook's Illustrated, and nan.

Once again I had to use a knife to open the sparkling wine (I would be happy to do this at your next party).

For serving the liver sausage, grab some bread, cut desired amount of pâté, squeeze from casing, spread on bread. Isle of Mull Cheddar from Katzinger's makes a nice accompaniment.

Cheers.

Sunshine Markets: The Accidental Foodie in Kauai

A restaurant review in last week's NYT food section mentioned Okinawan purple yams on the menu. According to the article the chef has "A fascination with Asian flavors," huh. I got some pictures of that. Ask my mom what are her favorite things in Kauai, usually at the top of the list are the "Purple sweet potato," and the farmer's market at Kapaa. the Okinawan yam is not as sweet and a little more starchy than regular yams, and heck any vegetable that's purple has got to be good for you. Bake em up a little butter et voilà.

As for the farmer's markets the Sunshine Markets have been around for at least twenty years. I don't remember them from way back but my mom says they are pretty much the same. There are also private farmers markets. The first market we went to was in Hanalei:

I was very impressed with the market in Hanalei, wide selection of produce and the goat dairy which makes some very tasty cheese. We loaded up. But my mom said "Yeah it's good but we need to go to Kapaa."

We rolled to Kapaa Wednesday 3PM (15:00 for the continentals, 9:00 in Ethiopia) for the market.

With Kapaa, I suddenly realized, contrary to what guide books will tell you, up in Hanalei I wasn't "giddin down wid da locals." In fact, if I may digress a little, Hanalei has exploded in the last twenty years, from sleepy hippie hide away to packed mall for the Khaki short and white sock set. Don't get me wrong, whenever I wanted to go somewhere, I invariably ended up in Hanalei,

outside the Big Save in Hanalei. photo credit Ekarhu

but don't be disappointed if you don't see anyone that looks like they have been on the island for more than two weeks. (Notable exception: Tahiti Nui. I don't know about the food, but karaoke night was a hoot.)

Back to the show.

The first thing you notice about the open markets here is that there aren't any big produce trucks. everyone is selling their stuff out of the backs of pick-ups or station wagons. The prices were very reasonable, especially compared to the supermarkets where most of the vegetables come from California. And the Kapaa Market was CHEAPER than the Hanalei Market. Our litmus product was the ice cold coconut freshly hacked for consumption:

Hanalei, five bucks.

Kapaa two bucks.

'Nuff said. At this point, Gentle reader you may be thinking: But wait, Saucisson, didn't say in the previous post that you were staying on a farm, what you need a market for? Oh yeah, let's go pick some fruit.

Hands on Makai Farms. photo credit Ekarhu

On the property we had limes, grapefruit, lychee, tangerines, bananas, and avocados. SO now we had some cooking to do. With cheap basil from the Hanalei market, Bonne Femme made pesto, okay not totally local, but Hawaiian style:

Makai Macadamia Pesto

2 Cloves of garlic
4 c fresh chopped basil
¾ cup macadamia nuts
2 t Hawaiian pure cane sugar
½ c grated Parmesan
½ c olive oil
Juice of lime from yard

Combine in food processor blend until smooth. Salt and pepper to taste.

And what did mom make? Makai lime pie of course.

Cheers.