Happy Spring, Happy Easter!

03/20/2008

Did you know Easter always falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox? It just so happens that this Thursday is the vernal equinox, and Saturday is the full moon. According to garden lore, planting seeds that will grow above ground is best done with a waxing or full moon, and planting seeds that grow below ground is best for the waning or moonless periods. So plant your peas this weekend!

Easter Holiday Dinner Ideas

For your Easter table we’ll have lamb from Niman Ranch. “Niman Ranch lamb is raised on environmentally sustainable, family-owned ranches in California, Idaho and Utah. The animals are pasture fed for most of their lives and finished with only the highest-quality natural grains and dried forage. Our lambs are never given antibiotics or growth hormones, and our ranchers follow sustainable and rotational grazing practices.” Niman lamb tastes fresh, rich without being gamey. Your family and guests will love Niman Ranch lamb!

 
• We have leg of lamb, bone-in and boneless; lamb loins and chops; lamb shanks; and elegant frenched lamb racks. Racks are deliciously easy to cook and make you look like a pro chef. Brown them in a hot pan first, rub all over with garlic and herbs, then roast in the oven for about ½ an hour.

Niman Ranch Applewood Smoked Hams. Sugar-glazed, then smoked over applewood chips for over 10 hours. Fully cooked. Niman Ranch ham: from free range pigs raised with care, antibiotic and hormone free. Williams-Sonoma is proud to carry these, just like us!  Only we’re local and less expensive…

 
• Half hams, both spiral-cut and boneless, are enough for 10-12 people.
 
• Petite hams are great for smaller gatherings, and the leftovers are perfect fried in a pan for breakfast with some maple syrup.
 
• Speaking of breakfast, don’t forget Marczyk’s breakfast sausage! Blended and ground here with Niman pork and just the right amount of sage and other secret spices. Jimmy Dean you better run and hide!
 
• Also, we’ll have Niman Ranch fresh hams for Easter, and the Marczyk exclusive skin-on Scandinavian pork loin: imagine a juicy pork loin, with a layer of flavorful fat, then a vein of moist pork, topped with a crust of crisp pork cracklings. Cooking directions provided.

Fresh Fish Fridays

Marczyk’s get fresh fish daily. As the weather warms, it’s nice to take a break from meat (as good as ours is) and lighten up with fish. In the case now:

 
• Alaskan Halibut
 
• Customer favorite market-made crab cakes

Easter Sweets

 
• Many of you have already discovered our Lake Champlain chocolate bars. Now you can enjoy their Belgian chocolate Easter bunnies, milk chocolate carrots, and peanut butter filled chocolate eggs. A great addition to your Easter basket!
 
• Freshly baked Challah, so good toasted with salty butter; and Hot Cross Buns, an Easter tradition.

What’s Fresh Now?

Organic California artichokes are absolutely perfect, with big fat firm leaves.

Organic strawberries are coming into season, juicy and sweet. Spoon them over “pinch pie” (see recipe) with whipped cream for dessert.

English shelling peas will be in this week! A great way to keep the kids or guests busy while you cook dinner.

Buying locally has always been part of our ethos here at Marczyk’s, and we are proud to report that we have several Colorado grown items, here in the dead of winter: All of our organic potatoes; Hazel Dell mushrooms; red, white, and yellow onions; and the mini sweet peppers are all from Colorado farmers. Thank you for shopping with us!

New New New

Just in time for spring, flowers! Mixed bouquets, bright and fragrant, from Colorado growers.

The famous, the one and only Guanciale! (Guan-chali) Niman Ranch Guanciale is made from pork jowls in the Italian tradition. Unsmoked, salted and cured, its flavor is stronger than other cured pork, but the texture is softer. This will make your pasta sauces really stand out! Pete made a carbonara with this, wow. $11.99/lb.

Recipe

Leftover corned beef a la Jimmy the Butcher: Take a slice of corned beef, put a boiled potato on, add a little horseradish sauce, “smash it into a ball”, and enjoy!

Pinch Pie:

 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
 
• 3 egg whites, room temp
 
• 6 tablespoons sugar
 
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
 
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
 
• Add the salt to the egg whites and beat until stiff. Gradually fold in the sugar and add the almond and vanilla extracts. Make sure your bowl is dry and clean!

For meringue shell, preheat the oven to 225°F, then make the meringue. Drop the meringue on a greased baking sheet. Mash out with back of a spoon and make a hollow in the middle to hold the filling. Bake for 1/2 hour, turn oven off and let cool in oven. Fill with strawberries or other berries.