The Pasta Memoir

First and foremost, Happy New Year to all and thank you to all that have been part of our growth as a local, family business!!!  In August we started making Duck Egg Fettuccine using local eggs from Root-n-Roost Farm (check them out) and at the same time I bought 13 baby ducks (Bakers Dozen as they are know here). 

Well, this morning three of the ducks graced us with duck eggs!!!!  So happy and now looking forward to expanding our sales of Duck Egg Fettuccine.  We actually sent 30 bags down to the Union Square Farmers Market today and I hope folks got there early to grab a bag.  This pasta goes great with mushrooms or a creamy meat sauce.  It is a rich pasta and don't forget a bold red wine!

We will be blogging more often now to keep everyone up to date with what we are doing.  Example.....as of today you can now buy our pasta at Old Barn Hollow in Binghamton. Great store and they are all about local.  We are also available in Binghamton through Extended Harvest.  Check out both websites and if you are in the area, stop by and see what they have. 

Bob

I spent a great day with my 3 1/2 year old son Robert on Thursday up in the mountains hunting for wild ramps (leeks).  We collected quite a bit and on Friday I got more at another spot, but not the same without him.  When we pick the ramps, we take the leaves only and pick about 25% of the patch.  This way the ramps replenish themselves each year and we avoid wiping out this great gift from nature.

We made some wild ramp Pappardelle and orzo.  The orzo is unbelieveable with some olive oil, balsamic vinegar, tomato, salt and pepper....chilled.  This will be one of the sample pasta we will provide at the Villa Roma FOODSTOCK on May 5th along with some wild ramp rotini. 

We are hoping to have wild ramp pasta and ravioli into early June, then we will start with Garlic Scapes from our garlic field.  We will produce more wild ramp orzo to go into early summer.....great chilled as I mentioned or with fish!  Also use orzo as a part of a stuffing in portobello mushrooms or rolled in thin chicken breasts.

We also planted red wheat out back yesterday and this will be our first LOCAL grain for flour in the Fall.  Excited about this and looking to do mre in following years.    

I am never one to complain that I have too much to do, if anything I feel sometimes I'm not doing enough and that is the point where my wife gives me the look to slooooow dowwwwn.  It is hard when there is so much excitement over taking our family business forward and that we are!!!

This blog is going to be about where we are, where we are going and the occassional story of where we have been.  I will also post some great receipes from time to time and photos. 

I personally want to say thank you to everyone who has stopped by the Farmers Markets to talk to us and support Northern Farmhouse Pasta and the other great vendors / farmers that take so much pride in what they do.