Visit the Katchkie Farm General Store to purchase a 2012 Veggie Calendar for your favorite cook.

At only $5, this mini-calendar (5″ by 5″) is the perfect gift for any locavore.

There is no doubting that food based television shows have influenced the way we eat and think about food and chefs. And perhaps no show has been more influential than Iron Chef in our culinary cultural consciousness.

Last week, one of our workplace CSAs, WSP Flack and Kurtz, an engineering firm in Midtown Manhattan hosted their very own CSA Cooking Showdown competition. The mystery ingredient? Everything in that week’s CSA share from Katchkie Farm.

The rules were set out from the beginning. After receiving the unknown contents of the bag, each of the three competing “chefs” (engineers by day, CSA chefs by night) were given 15 minutes to wash their produce, 15 minutes to prep their stations and 30 minutes to cook up a meal in front of three high-ranking judges and an audience of their peers.

Chefs were allowed to bring any tools they needed (ingredients and appliances) from their home kitchens, so cuisinarts and blenders were visible on almost every station. Of course, they were working within the confines of an office kitchen, limiting their ability to work with stoves or ovens. From the XL cubicle–lovingly referred to as “Pantry Stadium” for the duration of the cooking showdown competition–chefs could run into the kitchen nearby to use the microwave. Otherwise all foods were raw.

Chefs Lauren, Cheryl and John performed admirably in their allotted time, particularly considering the mini-paparazzi that formed around them and “Chairman” Dennis who was narrating their performance over a speaker system. Nearly 70 of their coworkers surrounded all sides of the cubicle, forming an ad-hoc audience for the show. The judges sat within pantry stadium, interviewed by the announcer while the chefs chopped, blended and stirred away.

After 30 minutes, the chefs came up for air and had three gorgeous dishes to show. Chef Lauren made a salad with a spiced beet slaw on top. Chef John prepared a cucumber (which he brought from home) gazpacho, with jalapeno and greens from the farm. Chef Cheryl put together a trifecta of salads—a warmed (microwaved) kale salad with bacon, a carrot-beet-apple slaw, and a classic green salad. Chef Cheryl’s trifecta, or perhaps her bacon, won the hearts of the judges, and she was pronounced winner shortly after the dishes were presented.

THE KATCHKIE TRUCK serves a menu of farm fresh fare inspired by Katchkie Farm every Monday-Friday during lunchtime. The truck is parked in the Hudson Square Urban Courtyard, located on Spring Street between Hudson Street and Varick Street in New York City.

Menu

Katchkie Farm Veggie Burger
with Katchkie Farm Sliced Tomatoes, Katchkie Farm Tomato Jam and Lettuce on a House Made Chive Roll

Meiller’s Farm Burger
with New York State Cheddar, Katchkie Farm Sliced Tomatoes and Lettuce 

BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich

Katchkie Farm Coleslaw
with Buttermilk Dressing Country

Potato Salad
with Eggs and Dill

Katchkie Farm Heirloom Tomato and Cucumber Salad

Strawberry Lemonade

Last Saturday, Katchkie Farm made its debut at Smorgasburg! As rookies to the combination Greenmarket and Brooklyn Flea mega-market, we were not sure what to expect or what would sell at this one-of-a-kind gathering. The forecast predicted rain, but preparations went smoothly, neighboring vendors were friendly, and – despite the disappointing weather – locavores and foodies flocked to the Williamsburg waterfront in smaller but no-less enthusiastic numbers.

Armed for higher temperatures, we celebrated the peak of strawberry season with our star products of the day: refreshing strawberry lemonade and chilled strawberry soup. Since hail wiped out our strawberries, we bought these gorgeous berries from our neighbor at the market, Jersey Farm. As the hours went by and the wind picked up, we worried that these seasonal options would not satisfy the dwindling crowd, but the bright pink drink caught the attention of many and sales gained momentum. I rapidly ladled the cold juice in to cups as regular Katchkie customers as well as new ones, both children and adults, continued requesting it. Eventually the market cleared out leaving shoppers drenched and table displays wet and ruined. We – along with the other vendors – actually decided to end the day earlier than expected, but we left hopeful.

We hope to see you there this Saturday, June 18^th or at the New Amsterdam Market on Sunday, June 19^th!

Smorgasburg/Williamsburg Waterfront Greenmarket

Saturday 9am-5pm

27 North 6^th street between Kent ave and East River.

New Amsterdam Market

Sunday 11am-4pm

Fulton Fish Market. South street between Beekman street and Peck Slip.

This week’s edition of Crain’s New York featured the Katchkie Farm Corporate CSA. Read their article on it here.

For our own summary, read below! For inquiries about the program, contact alice@katchkiefarm.com

What’s a CSA?

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs developed around the concept of “investing” in local, small-scale farms. Before the start of the season, members sign up for a “share” in the farm and pay up front so the farmer can plan crops accordingly and purchase seed without taking loans. During the harvest season the farm delivers weekly bundles of produce, giving their “investors” a great value on high quality produce.

What does the Katchkie Farm Corporate CSA consist of?

Modeled on the concept of a traditional CSA, Katchkie Farm’s Corporate CSA expands it for the workplace by collaborating with chefs from Great Performances to pair farm fresh produce with cooking demonstrations developed for working New Yorkers. Each week, month, or however often is convenient for your office, Katchkie Farm will deliver minishares of produce for employees (you choose the amount per employee). That day, a Great Performances chef will come to your office to demonstrate fast, easy ways to prepare the produce.

Benefits

The Katchkie Farm Corporate CSA will expose employees to fresh, local produce and, when conducted in conjunction with Great Performances’ cooking demonstrations, teach them simple ways to prepare delicious meals. The program will help you create and encourage health and wellbeing among your employees and their families, while exposing them to the taste of great seasonal food. By supporting a local, organic farm your company will also be taking steps to decrease the carbon footprint of your food supply and heightening awareness of healthy eating.

Options

We are happy to tailor any program to best fit your needs and provide maximum benefit to your company. You can choose any number of cooking demos to host each month, and pair them with differing increments of produce for your employees. One company might choose to host monthly cooking demonstrations from June through November for twenty employees, coupling them with $10 bags for each attendee. Another company might choose weekly cooking demonstrations but only provide produce for their employees at one of the demos each month.

Reviews of Corporate Cooking Demos from the 2010 Summer Season

“Once I experienced my first Katchkie cooking demonstration using their own seasonal produce, I made an effort to attend as many as I could, and not just because I am vegetarian and love to cook. I like trying new things (such as beets–I actually like them now–and learning to pickle), and these demos were very professionally done but fun. We learned a lot, felt free to ask questions about anything food related, and tasted all the wonderful food. The recipes were easily done at home and the high quality of the ingredients was obvious as everything was delicious. I made the beet appetizer and the pumpkin soup for Thanksgiving and those dishes were the first to disappear.”

-Eleanor G.

“I really loved the Katchkie Farm cooking demos.  I learned to cook with fresh vegetables and–most importantly–I learned to cook with herbs.  I made the butternut squash soup for an elderly neighbor who was under the weather…and now she wants me to make it every week for her lol.   I can’t wait for the cooking demos to start up again!”

-Heidi C.

On July 16, 2011 Katchkie Farm and Great Performances, along with the Columbia Land Conservancy, will host the annual Farm to Table dinner at Katchkie Farm in Kinderhook, New York to benefit The Sylvia Center and the Columbia Land Conservancy.

There are those moments that live in one’s memory throughout the cold winter. When the ground is covered in snow you reminisce about long summer evenings with great food and good company. Katchkie Farm’s annual Farm to Table dinner is just that–an evening filled with music, laughter and local food prepared by the best of New York City’s chefs.

Please join us on July 16, 2011 for yet another wonderful dinner in the fields to benefit two very worthy causes.

For more on the work of the Sylvia Center, click here.
For more on the work of the Columbia Land Conservancy, click here.

Long before I even dreamed of moving to New York City, I knew about Zabar’s. As a recent New York City transplant, particularly one in a culinarily inclined job, I still feel like a sponge, soaking up as much information about New York institutions as my mind can hold. One institution however transcends the rest. I remember my first visit to the culinary mecca on Broadway at 80^th. I found myself in a kitchen lover’s heaven. Packed to the brim with interesting products, mouth watering counters for quality meats, cheeses and breads, and the cooking supplies to outfit my dream kitchen, Zabar’s manages to sell an incredible array of food items without the haughtiness that other fine food stores project. Instead of the new-agey modern vibe of some stores, walking into Zabar’s feels like taking a step back in history—to a New York City of 1941, the year Louis Zabar opened the original store on this site.

On Friday I entered Zabar’s in a new capacity…demoing the Katchkie Farm products that sell at Zabar’s (Tomato Sauce, Katchkie Ketchup, Salsa and Salsa Verde, keep an eye out next time you’re there). Setting up my little shop amid the hustle and bustle of the store was quick; then I was off to heating and serving pasta with our delicious Tomato Sauce. While some were just interested in the tasty food, lots of customers were delighted to learn about the local tomatoes of Katchkie Farm and –most importantly—that they could purchase a ketchup made 100% from pronounceable ingredients.

One woman, both elderly and elegant, was led through the store by Scott Goldshine, general manager of Zabar’s. He introduced her to the Katchkie products and me to her, “Alice, this is Ms. Lauren Bacall.” After a single taste she quickly placed a Tomato Sauce and Katchkie Ketchup into her cart; then asked for another sample. Ms. Bacall was so infatuated with the entire meal she began asking after the pasta we were using for the samples (courtesy of Great Performances). Talk about a celebrity endorsement!

By the end of the day, we had nearly sold Zabar’s out of Tomato Sauce and made a lot of Zabar’s customers (and a few employees) quite happy and full—as any great food product should.

In the farming world, January is a bleak month. It’s a month of cold, a month of monotonous storage vegetables and a month of the farmer retiring from the field to plan the new year of crops.  But for Katchkie Farm, things are a bit different.

Three lovely greenhouses allow us to supply more than just root vegetables at our winter markets. Last Thursday our Port Authority stand boasted fresh spinach, red choi and beautiful heads of butter leaf lettuce, red romaine, red lola and more…enough to make even a fan of summer salads swoon.

We are also taking advantage of this month to plan crops for next year. What would you like to see us plant in 2011? Let us know on Twitter @katchkiefarm or on our Facebook page.

EXTRA: If you’re New York City based but haven’t made it to Port Authority in a while (or even if you have), stop by Zabar’s on Friday, January 21st where we’ll be serving up tastes of Katchkie Farm Tomato Sauce to shoppers!

It’s that time of year again, Sunday December 19 will be the last New Amsterdam Market of 2010. For six months the artisanal foodie market has tucked itself under the Brooklyn Bridge every Sunday (well, it was just once per month until September).
Katchkie Farm has been at the market once per month, selling everything from Blackberry-Basil Lemonade and Zucchini Flatbread to our (now famous) Katchkie Tamales and Spiced Cider. But everything must come to an end. This Sunday we will be serving up our final dish–homemade latkes topped with Tomato Jam–for those brave enough to bare the cold for the market.

Hope to see you there. We’ll be selling Beet Chips, Tomato Jam and Ketchup there (they make great gifts!) in addition to the latkes.

On December 9, 2010, join The Hudson Valley Seed Library and Katchkie Farm at the Horticultural Society of New York for an exhibition of artwork from the Hudson Valley Seed Library’s art packs for 2011. An intimate reception with hors d’oeuvres by Great Performances featuring products and produce from Katchkie Farm will open the show from 5-6:30. Purchase tickets online through the Horticultural Society.

The exhibition showcases for the first time in New York City original artworks commissioned by the Hudson Valley Seed Library for their unique Art Pack seed collection. Each season, the Seed Library looks for a diverse range of artists to interpret the herbs, flowers and vegetables from their catalog for the designs of their seed packets. The focus this year was on the heirloom varieties currently available through the Seed Library. All sixteen artworks from the 2011 collection will be on view.

Drawing from a range of different styles, materials, and experience, Contemporary Heirlooms includes works in a variety of mediums, including collage, encaustics, oil, ink, watercolor and digital art by a diverse selection of artists. The diversity of the artwork and artists chosen is meant to reflect the genetic and cultural diversity of the varieties offered by the Seed Library.

Signed, limited edition giclee prints of the original artworks will be for sale during the course of the exhibition, along with Art Packs filled with seeds and framed seed packs.

On Sunday, November 21, Katchkie Farm will make an appearance at the historic New Amsterdam Market. This will be our second to last market of the season, which we have attended monthly since June.

New Amsterdam is a wonderful marketplace, recalling the open air markets of yesteryear while supporting small food businesses of the region. On November 21, Katchkie Farm will be selling our artisanal products (consider picking one up to bring home for Thanksgiving),  hot butternut squash tamales and pumpkin spiced apple cider to enjoy while wandering the market. As per usual, we will have our famous Katchkie Farm Beet Chips and we will even debut our celery root chips!

This week we will also be selling organic Katchkie Farm microgreens, our gorgeous winter special. Bring home a little baggie of gourmet greens for your Thanksgiving.

Check out the Huffington Post blog by our own Liz Neumark or the  Frommer’s blog about October’s New Amsterdam and we hope to see you on November 21!

We’re moving into autumn, but our summer vegetables haven’t left us yet. This week look for heirloom tomatoes, zucchini, broccoli, arugula, onions, lettuce, leeks, parsley, basil, chard, kale, okra and cranberry beans at market.

Here is a full list of produce in season right now. Of course the variety varies each week in our CSA and at our markets, but if you’re up at the farm, keep an eye out for:

• Basil
• Cranberry Beans
• Beets
• Broccoli
• Cabbage
• Carrots
• Celery Root
• Rainbow Chard
• Japanese Eggplant
• Italian Eggplant
• Baby Lettuce Salad Mix
• Red Lola Lettuce
• Romaine Lettuce
• Red Onions
• White Onions
• Parsley
• Pumpkins
• Yellow Bell Peppers
• Poblano Peppers
• Jalapeno Peppers
• Radishes
• Butternut Squash
• Delicata Squash
• Heirloom Tomatoes
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Sungold Tomatoes
• Black Cherry Tomatoes
• Tokyo Turnips
• Zucchini