Cooking With Polly Creates Farm to Table Meal With Help From CNY Farmers

There's nothing better than a meal made with all fresh ingredients from local farmers. We created a farm to table dinner on Cooking with Polly, with a little help from Steve Piacentino.

On the menu was Black Garlic Hummus to start. Karam's Middle East Bakery provided the hummus we just added the black garlic to, but here's a recipe if you want to make your own.

Black Garlic Hummus

INGREDIENTS
2 cups drained well-cooked or canned chickpeas, cooking liquid reserved if possible
½ cup tahini, with some of its oil
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cloves garlic
1 clove Black Garlic
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon ground cumin or paprika, or to taste, plus a sprinkling for garnish
Parsley chopped for garnish

PREPARATION
1. Combine chickpeas, tahini, cumin or paprika, oil, Black Garlic, garlic and lemon juice in a food processor. Slowly add ½ of the chickpea-cooking liquid and ½ of the olive oil to produce a smooth purée.
2. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more salt, pepper or lemon juice as needed.
3. Drizzled olive oil and season with cumin, paprika and parsley for service

Then we made a fresh salad of mixed greens, feta and watermelon radishes with a black garlic balsamic vinaigrette and pan seared chicken thighs that put Coronel Sanders to shame, all from local farms.

Black Garlic Balsamic Vinaigrette

INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 Black Garlic clove
1/2 cup olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
½ teaspoon Honey (optional)

PREPARATION
1. In a blender, combine the balsamic vinegar, Black Garlic and Dijon mustard. Pulse for 30 sec or until smooth.
2. Transfer to bowl. Add olive oil in a slow steady stream, whisking constantly.
3. Season with salt and pepper

Thank you to the local farmers who provided all the fresh ingredients for our Farm to Table meal. Be sure to check out the links below for all the food available at from each local farmer, that can even be ordered online and mailed. Or pick up fresh food at the Oneida County Farmers Market held at Union Station in downtown Utica from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. every other Saturday in February, March, and April before the summer season resumes May 15th.

Participating Farms:
Piacentino Farms - Black Garlic & Chicken
Jones Family Farm - Feta
Three Goat Farm - Salad mix
Kingfisher Farm - Micro green & Watermelon Radishes
Twin Orchards - Idared Apples

Watch Farm to Table on Cooking with Polly.