Product Review

http://baumanfamily.com

REVIEW - ingredients are very good - the apricot is very tart, tasting the orange and lemon but not the apricot.  The Pear is very textured, grainy, like a pear and has more of a pear flavor than the apricot has of apricot.  All in all - I think this company attempts to create a wholesome product.  I would like to see the percentage of the main fruit listed to determine the authenticity of the fruit itself contained within. I paid $46+11 shipping for 12, 18 oz glass jars.  A cost of $4.75 per jar which is a good price for a local product.  They are not organic.  That would be nice.  But it appears from the video they do a good job of washing the fruit before they process.  Apple butter is their main product - that includes only apples and apple cider - and that product is really good!  Very thick and apple like.

The Making of Siggi's

What I like about this product is the taste and the ingredients.  It is thick like Greek yogurt - strained - but not as thick as some.  Best of all it is produced by Evans Farmhouse, wonderful, down to earth people and local.  While the product is not organic - the cows are pastured and that allows them to live in their natural environment.
http://siggisdairy.com/
Chobani yogurt, another local producer, is made from milk largely from factory farms that confine their cows 24/7.  The founder, Hamdi Ulukaya has brought some revitalization to the area's job market.   However, reports that "his ex-wife Dr Alyse Giray is suing Ulukaya for $1.5 billion, claiming she gave him money to start and expand his original business in exchange for a 53% stake." Ulukaya says the suit has "no merit"  I wonder when the case will be determined? I hardly think any locals know about this.  But that has no bearing on the yogurt product of course...

If I had to choose a Greek yogurt for taste, the runner up would be Fage, also made in New York State.
We have alot to celebrate with so many yogurts made in New York State.  Here is a list of some:
Agro Farmer - Chobani
Fage
Muller
Byrne
Sheep
Siggis
Evans

Product Review: Chocolate

Whetstone's milk chocolate bar - pretty - waxy tasting - would not purchase again.

Product Review: Local Shiitake Mushroom Farmer

I not grow veggies, care for animals, and try to preserve local foods in ready to eat meals - part of that is purchasing from other local farmers - This week I will pick up 5lbs of "fruit of the fungi" shiitake mushrooms.

From these, I will produce wood fired mushroom, goat cheese, and rosemary pesto Neopolitan style pizzas, mushroom soups, and stir fry of kale and mushroom.  All of these will be frozen as prototypes and as soon as the farm commerical kitchen is in place - we will provide lots more good meals for customers.

Shiitake mushrooms nutritional components include essential amino acids, vitamins and minerals, including iron and an antioxidant called selenium.

Lentinan, one of the main components of shiitakes has been found to be effective in suppressing cytochrome P450 1A, an inflammatory and carcinogenic enzyme and exhibit anticancer activities 

they have beneficial cholesterol-lowering and antiviral tendencies, strong anti-fungal properties and also helps decrease the proliferation of specific cancer cells. 

Selenium is a trace element found in soil and is required to maintain good health in trace amounts. In food, the mineral is found in Brazil nuts, poultry, seafood, and meats, while significant amounts are found in oats and brown rice.

A deficiency of selenium is rare but symptoms can include muscular weakness and fatigue.d a bad odor on your fingernails.

Selenium aids in many of the metabolic pathways and may help treat prostate cancer; ongoing research is exploring the relationship between low selenium levels and coronary heart disease.

Selenium also benefits the skin during healing following burn injuries. Shampoo with selenium may alleviate dandruff problems. For skin care, selenium’s antioxidant properties regenerate vitamins E and C, thereby decreasing the aging of skin.

Major benefits of selenium have been found to improve the immune system against bacterial and viral infections, against cancer cells and herpes virus, cold sores, and shingles. One of the major nutritional benefits of selenium is increasing the HDL cholesterol to LDL cholesterol for a healthy heart.

Product Review Videos: Supermarket Guru

F.A.B. : Artisan Cheese Platter

I am working on a cheese platter of local cheeses for the holidays and any celebration.  Many customers want to buy local but are lacking the resources for a variety of choices all in one place.  Of course, there are farmers markets, now in winter as well as summer, CSAs, orchard and farm stores, health food stores, Amish markets, small artisan purveyors and distributors, even some supermarkets, and online sites.  All give customers a good variety of local farmer, artisan, and baked goods.  But to get a variety of cheeses from small farms and cheesemakers - already tasted and reviewed for balance and diversity in a cheese presentation - that is the aim for this package.  I think the more we small producers come up with creative ways to present and sell our products the more we can capture the consumer interest over the large commercial manufacturers!

This is the label I printed for the basket.  

After I printed the label, I came across a little cheese store - La Petit Fromagerie - in Clinton NY.  It has a great selection of cheeses - not all from NYS.  It's nice to welcome and support local small businesses.  So I am initially tasting their offerings with feedback from customers, as I learn more about other artisans before completing the selection process.

My ultimate aim in creating this collection of cheeses is to support small farmers, artisans and bakers - not necessarily in NY - however I make them a priority because the travel distance and energy is still a consideration!  In places like Vermont, Wisconsin, and California - they have been putting resources into small cheesemakers for a longer period of time.  Coach Farm was one of the first Chevre cheesemakers on the East Coast -  but there are still many varieties and styles of cheese not available in this country... note to young farmers we still have room too grow in cheesemaking.


Here are a list of cheeses I've tried, descriptions, and tasting notes:

Chevre, Poplar Hedge Farm - NY - fresh goat cheese made from his small herd goat's milk  fresh - the flavor is not bold  - this is a relatively new cheesemaker - really nice to work with.  
Mt Tam, Cowgirl Creamery -  CA - "smooth, creamy, elegant, 8 oz, triple-cream. It is made with organic milk from the Straus Family Dairy."  rich cheese (triple cream) - nicely done!
Moses Sleeper, Jasper Hill - VT - "similar in flavor to a French Reblochon but with a milder rind from Ayrshire cow's milk" our initial impression is that this cheese qualifies as a brie and melted nicely when baked but there were no memorable attributes - except we are happy to support a local brie product.

Capri Classic Blue, Westfield Farm- MA- "goats milk cheese log external blue chevre powdery blue rind is a striking color that develops on the surface and slowly ripens toward the center." we all liked this cheese very much - distinct and delicious cheese - a staple for every cheese platter! 
Barely Buzzed, Beehive Cheese Co - UT - "milk from Jersey cows, hand-applied rub of French Superio lavender buds and a Turkish grind of "Beehive Blend" coffee from the Colorado Legacy Coffee Company."   subtle yet aromatic flavors of the lavender and coffee rub! we would purchase again -very unique!
Wild Boar, Creminelli Fine Meats- UT- mixture of field harvested Texas wild boar and all natural pork belly, seasoned with cloves and juniper berries  I think everyone liked this at the party - I am a vegetarian - it looks the part of a fine artisan salami!
Forest Berry Preserves, Darbo- Austria- Okay this is an example of BIG - but they started as the Darbo family and now produce in a large manufacturing facility - can't hold that against them - purchased the jam on sale but will seek more local preserves - not hard to find.  I used this jam mixed with dried figs purchased at Clinton's Natural Food Market in bulk - made fig cookies from an Italian cookie recipe - everyone loved them but I have made better - good figs and jam not too sweet!

Cheeses, Descriptions andand Tasting Notes (contd):

Cana de Cabra, Spain  - "A soft ripened goat cheese log from Spain much like the French Bucheron.  The cheese is aged 21 days and is buttery and delicious. As it ages, the flavor intensifies...
I would purchase this again - very and rich texture -a triple cream goat cheese!

Brie, Ferme de Jouvence, France -  "small dairy near Versailles, France. It has an assertive mushroomy flavor, with notes of garlic and hay, and its body is wonderfully luscious and silken." noted Saveur Magazine a very "stinky'" cheese but that could be good - the flavors are very strong - the texture was a pure melted brie -naturally!  I would prefer this cheese young with less aggressive flavors but kudos to the farm in France!

Rogue River blue cheese, Rogue Creamery, Oregon - "wrapped in grape leaves macerated in pear brandy. A creamy, crunchy-smooth texture ... hints of sweet pine, wild ripened berries, hazelnuts, morels and pears.  Rogue River blue is made during the autumnal equinox and before the winter solstice from Brown Swiss and Holstein cow’s milk, certified sustainable by Food Alliance. The cows graze in 1250 foot elevation pastures bordering Rogue River, where they eat a variety of pasture and native grasses, hop clover, wild herbs, Himalayan blackberries and wild flowers, supplemented with grass hay, alfalfa and grain off the ranch." excerpt from their website a very pricey cheese and would not be my first choice for a blue cheese but I will try again and write more!
Selected Items at this writing:
aged goat cheese - Cana de Cabra, Spainfresh goat cheese - Chevre, Poplar Hedge Farm - NY
blue goat cheese - Capri Classic Blue, MAaromatic cow's milk cheese - Barely Buzzed, Beehive Cheese Co - UTcharcuterie - Wild Boar, Creminelli Fine Meats- UTtriple cream cows milk cheese- Mt Tam, Cowgirl Creamery -  CA
Still Searching:
more Northeast cheeses
a good brie made in the US, of possible
replace Spainish cheese with something similar
Sheeps milk cheeses

Product Review: Fage

The Greeks ate yogurt with honey - plain and simple.  Many American companies are co opting a health food and loading it with awful ingredients.   Ingredients should contain ONLY milk and active cultures.  If you are eating yogurt as a substitute for desert and need the sugars, etc.  - you are on your own.  "Yogurt" the nutritious one - is a good source of calcium, probiotics, and protein.  Also, knowing how the animals are raised, grazed, and milked is as important to the product result as the product ingredients.  Our first choice should be a small farmer/producer that you can visit or trust method of production and humane animal care.  Here are some suggestions - Simply Greek, Siggi's - see our reviews by clicking the "greek yogurt" LABEL to the right of this blog.

If you do not have access to a small local producer than this yogurt is possibly the best alternative:

Grade A Pasteurized Skimmed Milk, Live Active Yogurt Cultures (L. Bulgaricus, S. Thermophilus, L. Acidophilus, Bifidus, L. Casei).

Product Review: Wheat Bran

-this product is great for muffins  -  the directions on the back of the box does call for regular flour in addition to the wheat bran - so they are not as healthy if you were only using the bran!
-each box makes approx 3 batches - feel free to add things like nuts and dried fruits - these are a good way to start the day.

As a comic once said - muffins are an excuse to have CAKE for breakfast!!!  I am all for it...

3 cups unprocessed wheat bran
1 cup boiling water
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 1/2 cups white flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups buttermilk
Directions:
Mix 1 cup wheat bran with 1 cup boiling water; stir and let water absorb into bran.
In a separate bowl blend sugar and butter.
Measure and combine flour, baking soda, and salt.
Combine the moist bran with the beaten eggs, the remaining 2 cups of bran, buttermilk, blended sugar-butter mixture, and the flour, soda and salt.
When preparing to bake, preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Tapioca Pudding - store bought and dressed up!

I am surprised at a few things about this store bought product 

 1/ that it has "all natural' ingredients and 2/ that it has half the calories of my favorite store bought ice cream - hagan dazs! I never purchase ice cream because - too heavy on the calories and irresistible at the same time.  So this pudding, although not part of my regular diet was a good alternative less fatty treat!  I dressed it up with sliced bananas and macerated dried apricots( in grand marnier) - warming them before topping the pudding... bananas and pudding are great together and the dried fruit with freshly grated nutmeg presented a quick and good desert.

F.A.B.: UpState Harvest Granola

One of the recommended Companies is  UpState Harvest
Why we review it...
-their granola is simple, wholesome ingredients - for real!
-good crunch, freshness
-you can tell alot about a product by its fans
-simple packaging
...slim healthy people ask me for this product.

The price:  $5.79/lb.

The website:
http://www.upstateharvest.com/

contact info
 granola@upstateharvest.com

F.A.B.: Siggi's

One of the recommended Companies is Siggi's

Why we review it...

-nice taste

-smooth, all natural

-small processing facility in comparison to the other large ones

-simple packaging

one of a kind in the US

 Finnish seems lighter than Greek but with the same satisfying custard-y feel  

The price:  $2.29/container

The website:

http://skyr.com/

contact info

Skyr Corporation
135 West 26th Street, 11th floor
New York, NY, 10001
E-mail: info@skyr.com
Distribution: 212-966-6950

F.A.B.: Simply Greek

One of the recommended Companies is Simply Greek

Why we review it...

-mid sized farm wth sheeps grazing outdoors!

-good clean smoothness with no thickeners

please note that some of the larger producers are using guar gum

-simple packaging

The price:  $2.00/small container.

The website:

http://simplygreekyogurt.com

contact info

contact@simplygreekyogurt.com

Simply Greek Yogurt. c/o Maple Hill Creamery. 2800 State Route 169. Little Falls, NY 13365