Feeding Football Fans

february 6, 2016 ...should be pretty easy come Sunday provided you stop by the farmer's market tomorrow. The way I see it there are two ways you can go: prepare a spread for your guests made entirely of market nibbles: a "local" cheese tray featuring nutty Gouda, an artisan blue and a wedge of Mancheli - a Manchego-like sheep's milk cheese from The Cheese Guy; some coarse country pate, saucisson sec and beef brasaola from Larchmont Charcuterie.  Add some roasted peppers and grilled eggplant from Lasagna Preziosa. Of course, no Superbowl spread is complete without dip: enter the dizzying hummus options from Taiim Mobile Shack. Make sure to pick up some of Bien Cuit's svelte baguettes or Bread Alone's country loaves to accompany all of the above. As well as carrots and fennel from D & J or Neversink for slicing and dipping. Mushroom crostini? Always a good idea.

Or - you can go for the long pass and prepare a single (big) dish to be eaten in bowl - screen-side. A huge vat of beef stew, for example. Farm EATS has plenty of grass-fed beef stew meat to go around and, as with all of their cuts of beef, it's tender and packed with flavor. This Sunday would be a good day to try this beef stew with beer and paprika recipe from the Pioneer Woman - for obvious reasons.

Of course, ribs from Farm Eats or Southtown Farms are also an option...as are chicken wings (Southtown Farms) Consider preparing this healthier version of the Buffalo classic.

What about your vegetarian friends? And what about chili? Simmer down: here's a New York Times recipe for  vegetarian chili with winter vegetables that will solve both problems.

Personally, I would finish off this chili with some of The Cheese Guy's raw milk chili pepper cheddar...but that's just me.

Eat savory before half time and put out a bevy of market desserts for the second half. Pie Lady & Son offers up some all-American apple pie and now, cookies, too, including classic chocolate chip and the ever-popular Snickerdoodle which should make the winning touchdown extra sweet as would La Petite Occasion caramels. Her bacon-flavored caramels should be a game-day crowd-pleaser.

Some very good news this week:

Amelia Pollard, the lovely Hastings High School Senior who sells for Taiim and who is as gracious as she is smart, won Best Delegate at the Harvard Model UN this week. We are so proud of her!

And, Ian & Mary Kate Taliaferro have welcomed a little boy this week. Mason was born on Feb. 1st. He weighed in at 6.5 pounds.  Both Mary Kate and baby are doing well. And, as you can see, Ian is over the moon.

See you at the market!