News and Events
Bradley Farm Spareribs with Sweet-Sour Balsamic BBQ Sauce
Brooklyn customer, Heather T. made the sweet-sour balsamic BBQ sauce from this NY Times article with Ray’s spareribs and says they were outstanding!
Here are the details:
No need for the elaborate cooking methods in the article recipe, just rub the ribs with salt and pepper and roast them at 350 for about 1 hour and a half, turning every 30 minutes. The meet is tender and pulling away from the bone when they’re done.
In the meantime make THE SAUCE. Slather it on the cooked ribs and pop them back in the oven for 10 minutes more. Serve with the extra sauce and plenty of napkins unless you prefer finger licking :) Goes great with some mashed Bradley Farm potatoes!
Balsamic Glazed BBQ Sauce:
1 cup balsamic vinegar, or to taste
1 cup ketchup (didn’t have any so I used some tomato paste and added a little extra h20)
6 oz. your favorite beer
1/4 cup honey
3 tablespoons grainy mustard
1 tablespoon molasses
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce, or to taste
1/4 cup dark brown sugar, or to taste
1/2 red onion, diced
1 large clove garlic, minced
Salt
Place the balsamic vinegar in a large nonreactive saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook until reduced by a third. Add the remaining barbecue sauce ingredients with 1/4 cup water, bring back to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until thick, 30 to 40 minutes. If the sauce starts to thicken too much, add a little water. The sauce should be highly seasoned; adjust to taste by adding vinegar, brown sugar or salt.
Summer 2011: Farm to Table Dinner Series
This summer Ray will be hosting a Sunday communal dinner series at the Bradley Farm Barn in New Paltz. This is your chance to experience a farm to table meal cooked by the man himself – a five course menu prepared by chef Ray Bradley and paired with featured wines.
Tickets are on sale now for the Summer 2011 Farm to Table Dinner Series, to be held June 26th, July 17th, and August 14th! There are only 40 seats per dinner, and wine pairings for the dinner must be purchased separately.
Each dinner will feature a 4 course celebration of the seasonal produce of the month, created by Ray, with a little help from his friends (fans of the former Garden Cafe in Brooklyn, be on the lookout for John Policastro, now living in Ulster County, who has promised to come help!) Featured will be a meat course with Ray’s products and a fish course with fish from Alex of Blue Moon. Dining right at the source, communal style in the barn for 40 diners. Dinner will be served 2-5 PM, but come early, and work up an appetite touring the farm!
For an additional $20, wine pairings are available for each of the dinners (this must be purchased separately).
June 26th will feature wine pairings by Daniel Johnnes, Wine Director for Daniel Boulud’s Dinex Group and 2006 James Beard Wines and Spirits Professional of the Year.
July 17th will feature various local NYS wines.
August 14th will feature wine pairings by Kevin Zraly, just awarded the 2011 James Beard Lifetime Achievement Award, and now in his 35th year of teaching the #1 ranked NYC Windows of the World Wine School.
New Winter Product: Frozen Cheese Pumpkin
Ray has a great new product this winter, frozen cheese squash, available in 16 oz packages. Use it for making soup or baking pies, cookies, muffins – any recipe that calls for canned pumpkin will be healthier, tastier and even look better if you use this.
Here’s an easy recipe to try (thanks, Risa):
photo by Etienne Frossard
Cheese Squash Muffins
1 1/2 c. of flour
1 tsp. baking powder
Whisk together in a bowl.
1 c. Ray’s squash puree
1/3 c. veg. oil
1/2 c. sour cream
1 1/4 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 – 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
Whisk together in a separate bowl until combined, then add flour mixture and stir until just combined (don’t overmix).
Add:
1/2 c. chopped walnuts
1/4 – 1/2c golden raisins (chopped if large raisins)
Spoon mixture into muffin tins lined with paper muffin cups.
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Mix together and sprinkle on top of muffins.
Bake in a preheated oven of 350 degrees for 30 – 35 minutes (check at 25 mins) until golden brown and toothpick comes out clean.
Cool in pan on rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on rack.
The Two Great Men/One Great Dinner ~ January 16, 2011
Hugely successful on all fronts, raffle winner Anne and her husband Bill hosted the dinner on Sunday January 16th with lucky friends Petra and Miryan as guests. Ray took the heat in the kitchen and created an amazing six course meal, showcasing everything from his heirloom tomato consommé to rack of pork au jus with carola potato puree, and roasted loin of venison with potato gratin with apricots.
The glasses were never empty as Daniel Johnnes personally selected, decanted, and poured seven incredible wines throughout the dinner. See the full menu (beautifully created by longtime friend of the farm, Mara P).
Desserts, created by Brooklyn customer Risa Bell of 23rd St Treats included a squash cheesecake with candied ginger, and a sampling of pinwheels, chocolate chip, cinnamon coins, rum pepper gingersnap cookies.
And special thanks to another longtime friend, Matthew W. He continues to make sure all the pieces of every project comes together.
photos by E. Frossard
Enough About Ray: Etienne Frossard
What’s your Ray connection?
I must have met Ray at the Grand Army Plaza market in 1998 or 99. In July 2001 I asked him if I could come up to take some pictures at the end of the garlic harvest. A hot day ended with my camera and I covered with a fine brown dust after a good harvest of images of the last garlic being pulled out and of many heads already drying.
My favorite picture is one that Ray is still using on his farm stand, where a couple of chickens are roaming under a multitude of drying garlic heads. Since then I still enjoy taking pictures of his produce on market days or around his farm to better promote the variety of his work.
What’s your favorite Ray product and why?
Ray’s vegetables taste like those that came out of my aunt’s garden and that I would enjoy during my vacations at her house in the French countryside.
It’s that “right from the ground to the table” bright and complex flavors that make you rediscover the most simple dishes and contribute to the best ones. But out of all of them, his heirloom tomatoes are my favorites. There is just nothing like it. Raw or cooked depending on the variety, they are a delight for the eye and the taste buds.
Okay, now really, enough about Ray. Tell us some fun facts, something about you. Anything about yourself you would like to share with other customers/fans of Bradley Farm.
My niece is a children’s book illustrator in France and she had the idea to combine her detailed and colorful illustrations with my New York City images to tell the story of a young sparrow called Emma. The result is a beautiful book in English called “Emma’s Journey” that just got published here by Enchanted Lion Books. Go to enchantedlionbooks.com to learn more about it or newyorkkids.timeout.com for a review
Just in Time for the Holidays: Bradley Farm Gift Certificates!
The holidays are here and so is the challenge of finding the right gifts. If you want to avoid the crowds, and avoid the fruitcakes, how about a gift certificate for Bradley Farm? They can go toward any product Ray sells.
Once you make your purchase, you will be sent the gift certificate by email. They can be used at any market and will have no expiration date, and Ray plans on continuing at Grand Army Plaza all winter.
Bradley Farm Gift Certificate
Click “Buy Gift Certificate” below. You will be directed to a form with further instructions, where you can specify the amount of the gift.
The winner of the 2010 2 Great Men, 1 Great Dinner raffle is…
Anne Gehris! Here’s what she has to say:
I first became Ray’s customer after The Village Voice assigned me a freelance piece about Greenmarkets. I had never shopped regularly at farmer’s markets, but soon I headed up to 97th Street every Friday. It is the highlight of my week. My husband Bill and I will often build an entire weekend’s worth of meals around Ray’s offerings. His dandelion greens are looking good? Let’s turn them into a salad with Ray’s bacon and hard-boiled eggs. A new batch of his pork chops has arrived? Let’s roast them with peaches and Ray’s sage. And those electric yellow chili peppers? Let’s throw them in a soup made of his pumpkins and see what happens. We have become such rabid Ray fans that our 8-year-old makes fun of us: every time we say something tastes good she rolls her eyes and says “it’s Bradley Farm!”
We plan to share our raffle prize with two of our most food-obsessed friends: Petra Heist Spiegel, who makes a mean bacon dumpling and volunteers at Red Hook Farm every weekend; and Miryan Kenet, who goes through gallons of olive oil every week delicately frying everything from skate fillets to Marcona almonds.
Thanks again to all who participated – it has been great being able to harness all the goodwill Ray has generated over the years in such a positive way!
Simple Seasonal Sides – Using Ray’s Produce
Seasonal vegetable sides that are perfect for Thanksgiving:
Mash Carola Potatoes
Ray recommends no peeling. Cut and put in water along with 1 clove of garlic. Cook till done, mash with butter, salt, pepper with cream or milk to taste.
Three squashes: Delicata, Butternut, Buttercup
(Ray’s personal favorite this year is buttercup) You can cut in half (the long way) and scoop out seeds. Place on shallow baking pan, in a water bath, with salt and pepper, 350 degrees till soft. Scoop out, can puree with butter, salt and pepper.
Three Squashes: Delicata, Buttenut, Buttercup
Delicata Squash
Wash skin well, cut in half the long way, scoop out seeds, cut again horizontally in thin slices (half moons). Place on cookie sheet with olive oil, salt and pepper, 400 degrees till golden brown.
Butternut Squash
This is Mark Bittman’s from NYTimes 11.17.10 and sounds too good not to mention-
Raw Butternet Nut Squash with Raisins and Ginger – Take squash – peel, seed and grate- combine with 1/2 cup raisins, 1/4 cup vegetable oil, 1-2 tablespoons sherry vinegar, 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger in a bowl, salt and pepper, toss and serve. (Can make in advance and refrigerate)
*For those making a gratin, try mixing potatoes and thin slices of butternut. It’s a great combo.
Cheese Pumpkins
For all baking recipes (bread, pie, muffins, soup) this is the pumpkin to use. It also freezes well. Cut in half, scoop seeds, bake in 350 oven till soft. Scoop out, let liquid drain.
Cape Cod Turnips
You cook just like a potato. These you must peel, and then mash them like you would a potato.
Cape Code Turnips (raw, at the market)
Celery Root
Boil and puree in blender with liquid (veg or chick stock), you can add cream if you like. Or boil and mix with potato in a mash.
*You can also do a roasted medley of turnips, any of the squashes and celery root. Cut into strips or small pieces and roast on a cookie sheet with olive oil, salt and pepper.
Creamed Onions
Don’t peel – salt, pepper, roast in oven, oil and a little water to make moist – 350 oven on sheet pan. When soft (15 min) take out, take off bottom and skin. Put cream or stock (can be done the day before).
Bolero Carrots
No peeling, cut (same size), put in enough water just to cover the carrot, cook, salt and pepper.
Sunchokes
No peeling, bake like a potato in oven, olive oil, a little water in the bottom. Also good raw in salads, sliced thin.
Your Fundraising Dollars at Work!
The Gourmet Guys ( who hail from Rosendale not New Paltz, and want the world to know that) have done an incredible job finishing the front end of the barn. Thanks so much to the following customers who were able to purchase a dinner raffle ticket and make this possible:
Lawrence B, Heather and Brad, Victor P., Katherine B., Paul F., Will and Sandy, Carlos R., Kevin Z., Josh from 97 St., Gabrial C., Alex and Stephi, Curtis C., Kathie C.R., Joan C., Jennifer B., Chrisianthy M., Tammy G., Matt and Jackie, Bill L., Paul and Steffi, LIsa C., Todd E., Risa B., Allison D., Hank U., Harvey L., Louie, Melinda M., Terry and Julie, Anne G., Camille D., Caryl S., Peter M., Amy T., Anne S., Pauline T., Etienne and Marlene, Rena M., Ken and Melissa, Katherine R. , Carol S. and Dick S, Dori F.
