Feeling Grateful

We have gotten our first printed press! I am beyond honored to have been included in Westchester Magazine's feature in their 914 Inc. publication "4 Westchester Entrepreneurs Run Successful Businesses From Home"

When the pandemic started in March of 2020, the restaurant world as we knew it was shattered. As it became clear that restaurants would have to make drastic changes to survive, I knew it was time to explore other ways to create an income utilizing my now well developed culinary talents. I launched Jody's Kitchen with 4 varieties of soup at the Hastings Farmers Market in late September of 2021, unsure as to how it would go. I sold out in less than 90 minutes. Just over one year later, I have created a loyal following for my soups and other products that have become part of my weekly repertoire. These include two soup accompaniments, (a hand made gluten free cracker, organic sourdough croutons), my growing line of Sea Salt Spice Blends, and of course the Hastings Famous "Tipsy Cherries". I continue to be humbled by positive feedback from my customers, and grateful for the parade of happy faces that visit my Farmers Market stand in all kinds of weather.

I look forward to continuing my Farmers Market presence. I will be in Hastings, Irvington and at The TaSH (Tarrytown Sleepy Hollow) throughout the winter and look forward to embracing new opportunities that arise as the journey continues.

Check out the story with the link below. And THANK YOU for all of your support.

https://westchestermagazine.com/life-style/business/westchester-home-businesses/

BOWLS FULL of GOODNESS

In both my personal and professional lives, I have enjoyed being a creator of "clean" food. Nutritious, seasonal eating has always been a part of my life, and I'm grateful to be able to share my delicious creations with you!

Whole grains such as quinoa, farro, millet and brown rice, with all of their health-giving properties, are a delicious back drop for what I call "Bowls Full of Goodness". Add in some nicely prepared local and seasonal veggies and greens, maybe some nuts or seeds, and a tasty dressing, and that's a satisfying meal. The combinations are endless. As with my soups, I will be utilizing seasonal vegetable offerings from local Farmers Markets, which will ensure these bowls are fresh and unique weekly.

The component tying these ingredients together will be one of my many tried and true dressings. In restaurants over the years, I have created and perfected dozens of dressing recipes, which I look forward to sharing with you, with grains, greens and veggies in delicious combinations.

These Bowls Full of Goodness can certainly be a meal on their own, but they can also be part of a larger meal. Did you find some perfect salad greens, a beautiful piece of cheese, or a nice cut of fish or meat at the market? Use this Bowl as a component in a lovely Market meal! The dressing is packed in a separate recyclable container in a generous portion. The bowls holding it all are compostable, as are the lids.

Don't worry, I will continue to produce soups as well! Warmer weather will bring lighter soups, and more that can be eaten room temperature or even cold. When the weather cools down again, we will go back to heartier offerings, based what the market gives us. I'm excited to continue enjoying the blossoming and greening of another Hudson Valley Spring, complete with warming temperatures, rain showers, and bright sunny days!

See you at the Market, with much gratitude for your continued support!

What Are Spiced Sea Salts?

I have to admit, I do like salt. As a chef, salt is something you are constantly using, tweaking dishes with it, adjusting levels of it. In my many years in professional kitchens, I have learned about and used many different types of salts. I have had the experience of harvesting sea salt and watching it dry out. It's a beautiful process! Sea Salts, maybe you have seen in your daily grocery shopping, have become very mainstream. I am thrilled about this! Having grown up next to salt water, I can tell you that sea salt is decidedly different than kosher salt, and certainly a completely different product than iodized salt. So now we have all this fancy salt. My next experiments with it started sort of by mistake. One busy night in a kitchen somewhere far, far away (not really, but it sounded fun) a container of Turkish Aleppo pepper I had on my station for adding to one of my dishes that night tipped over into my "finishing" sea salt container. Ooops. A happy mistake that turned out to be! I mixed them up and haven't looked back! The fruity spicy flavor of the Aleppo made me think some citrus zest would elevate it's flavor even more. And it did! This became a go to for me (and for some of my co-workers who would try to steal my jar of it....) It adorns my husband's breakfast eggs and avocado (almost) every morning.

photo: Jody Hunter

This happy mistake made the creative juices start to churn, and I developed a few other combinations over the years that have become my sort of "ride or die" seasonings. The Mediterranean Herb Sea Salt is based on one of my favorite combinations known as Za'atar, hailing from the Middle East. I have a great affinity for Middle Eastern flavors -- earthy, herby, fruity and tangy. The mix I have settled on includes lemony sumac and toasty sesame seeds, which I have mixed with a variety of dried herbs and beautiful flaky Maldon sea salt from England. This combination is delightful on anything from olives, to soft cheeses (make your goat cheese fancy!), to a seasoning for turkey burgers.... It's great mixed with some olive oil and drizzled on flatbreads or pizza.

Another combination that has become a staple is the Savory Himalayan blend. Pink Himalayan sea salt is just so beautiful! It has a velvety texture, which I love. I have combined this with some of my favorite dried herbs and spices, such as coriander, rosemary and smoked paprika, to name a few. It has become a great kitchen companion as a dry rub for meats, or for seasoning soups and stews! It is especially good with earthy flavors and textures such as mushrooms, root vegetables and hearty grains like Farro.

Top: Aleppo Citrus/Left: Mediterranean Herb/Right: Savory Himalayan

Now for a little vacation.... Here is beautiful Salt Pond on Saint John in the US Virgin Islands, where you can see the salt "bloom" in action! My parents happen to live nearby this (lucky me, I know!) and harvest a little when the bloom happens, which they then dry in a sunny spot. It's delicious and very special to me.

I hope you, too, can become inspired by my sea salt combinations! Think of them as an elevation of your home cooking, a little tweak of flavor that is exciting and new!

As always, I look forward to seeing you at the Market! This weekend in Hastings, I will be bringing some very comforting soup varieties, which you can find on my site www.jodys-kitchen.com/shop along with all of the sea salts and some other goodies!