The Night Market Shines Bright

On June 18^th and 19^th, the Stop Community Food Centre transformed the back alley of the old Honest Eds into the Night Market pop-up mecca for foodies.

Last year’s single-evening event completely sold out and raised a whopping $57,000 for The Stop, a local Not-For-Profit that provides food bank services, community cooking, food advocacy, and education among other food and nutrition services.

Thankfully, their success meant adding a 2^nd night to the 2013 event, and watch as the 2000 tickets flew off the online ticket site in under two hours time.

This was obviously not a typical food event. Over the course of the two nights, Night Market saw about 90 local restaurants, wineries, breweries, distilleries and refreshment companies serving up an all-you-can-eat-and-drink feast to hungry (and lucky) ticket holders. In between sips and nibbles, event goers also got a wiggle their hips alongside the remarkably animated dancing band or just admire the stunning vendor booths created by professional and student design teams from schools like OCAD and Ryerson.

This year, Yorkshire Valley Farms was a proud sponsor of the event, donating over 160 kg of chicken breasts to the chefs looking to use chicken at the event.

The result? When you’re cooking with a premium product from Yorkshire Valley Farm, it’s pretty hard to end up with anything less than tasty, but still, each of the chefs well exceeded all of our lofty expectations! There were tacos, dumplings, wings and more – each dish showcasing the beautiful flavour of YVF, but with such diverse preparations, inspirations and ingredients that the product’s versatility also shown through. Our restaurant partners this year include Babi & Co, Fonda Lola, FeasTO, Hawthorne, 416 Snack Bar and Universal Grill.

Babi & Co.

Padang-Style Pulled Chicken Curry from Babi & Co.

Andreas (red shirt) & the team from Fonda Lola

Carne Asada Tacos from Fonda Lola

FeasTO team

Chicken Lemongrass and Veg Pho Dumplings from FeasTO

Crew from 416 Snack Bar

Koreen Chicken from 416 Snack Bar

Chef Mark Cutrara from Hawthorne Food and Drink

Organic Thai Chicken Satay w/ Chili Almond Sauce from Hawthorne

Universal Grill team

Chicken & Bean Tacos from Universal Grill

And while all of the YVF chicken dishes at Night Market would have tasted incredible in any place, at any time, knowing that it was contributing to a worthy cause made every bite a bit better. This was certainly the case for James Sculthorpe, President of the company, who believes solely in the Stop’s mandate that everyone, regardless of financial or social situation, should have access to good food.

James Sculthorpe, Yorkshire Valley Farms President (left) with Nick Saul,  CFCC President and CEO of Community Food Centres

James got into the organic chicken farming business with the dream of making a whole organic chicken less expensive than a large pizza.  So supporting an initiative that also helps enable families to eat well regardless of budgetary restraints, and that provides healthful, satisfying and culturally acceptable food through their food bank, was a perfect fit for the Farm.

But don’t fret if missed out on some of the Night Market’s delicious chicken dishes. You can pick up a package of Yorkshire Valley Farms chicken breasts, take a little inspiration from the pros and whip up your own healthy version at home!  And while you perfect your own chicken dinners, check out the Stop website for more information about their important initiative and programs, and be on the look out next Spring for information on the 2014 event.

Deviled Fried Chicken

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

2 cups buttermilk
1⁄4 cup Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons onion powder (with green onion and parsley)
5 teaspoons salt
4 teaspoons dry mustard
4 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 1⁄2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 (3- to 3 1⁄4-pound) chicken, backbone removed, chicken cut into 8 pieces, skinned (except wings)
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
5 cups peanut oil, for frying

Special equipment: Deep-fry thermometer

DIRECTIONS

[1] In a 1-gallon resealable plastic bag, mix the buttermilk, mustard, 1 tablespoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tea- spoon dry mustard, 1 teaspoon cayenne, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Add the chicken pieces. Seal the bag, eliminating air. Turn the bag to coat the chicken evenly. Refrigerate at least 1 day and up to 2 days, turning bag occasionally.

[2] Whisk the flour, baking powder, garlic powder, remaining 1 tablespoon onion powder, 4 teaspoons salt, 3 teaspoons dry mustard, 3 teaspoons cayenne, and 11⁄2 teaspoons pepper in a 13 by 9-inch glass dish. With marinade still clinging to the chicken pieces (do not shake off excess), add the chicken to the flour mixture, turning to coat thickly. Let the chicken stand in the flour mixture for 1 hour, turning chicken occasionally to recoat with flour mixture.

[3] Pour the oil to a depth of 11⁄4 inches into a 10- to 11-inch pot. Attach a deep-fry thermometer. Heat the oil over medium-high heat to 350°F. Add 4 pieces of chicken, skin side down. Reduce the heat to medium-low and fry 5 minutes, adjusting heat to maintain oil temperature between 280° and 300°F (oil should bubble constantly around chicken). Using wooden spoons, turn the chicken over. Fry 7 minutes. Turn the chicken over again. Fry until deep golden brown and cooked through, about 3 minutes longer. Using the same spoons, transfer the chicken to a large rack set on a baking sheet.

[4] Reheat the oil to 350°F. Repeat frying with the remain- ing 4 pieces of chicken. Serve the chicken warm or at room temperature within 2 hours, or chill up to 1 day and serve cold.

Excerpted from The Epicurious Cookbook.  Copyright © 2012 Tanya Steel and the Editors of Epicurious.com.  Published by Appetite by Random House, which is a division of Random House of Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.

Chicken Avocado Sandwiches with Lime Mayo

MAKES 32 PIECES

Dress up these sammies for a party with frilly picks and a little pickle or olive.

¼ cup lime juice
¼ cup olive oil
½ tsp each salt, pepper and hot pepper flakes
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 6 oz/170 g each)
16 slices white sandwich bread or whole wheat sandwich bread
2 ripe avocados

Lime Mayo:
⅔ cup light mayonnaise
½ tsp grated lime zest
2 tbsp lime juice
¼ tsp each hot pepper flakes, ground cumin and salt

DIRECTIONS

[1]  In shallow dish, stir together lime juice, oil, salt, pepper and hot pepper flakes; add chicken, turning to coat.
Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.

[2]  Place chicken on greased grill over medium-high heat; close lid and grill, turning once, until no longer pink inside, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool. (Cover and refrigerate for up to 8 hours.) Cut crosswise into ¼ inch (5 mm) thick slices. Set aside.

Meanwhile prepare the Lime Mayo
[3]  Stir together mayonnaise, lime zest, lime juice, hot pepper flakes, cumin and salt; spread on bread slices.

[4]  Peel, pit and thinly slice avocados; sandwich avocado and chicken slices in bread, pressing lightly. Trim off crusts. Cut each sandwich into 4 squares or triangles; secure each with toothpick.

Excerpted from Canadian Living: The Appetizer Collection. Copyright © 2013 Canadian Living.  Published by Transcontinental. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.

Buffalo Chicken Wings

SERVES 4

Neutral-tasting oil, such as safflower, for frying
3 pounds chicken wings
2/3 cup hot sauce, such as Frank’s Red Hot
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, melted
Blue Cheese Dipping Sauce, for serving (recipe follows)
Celery sticks, for serving

DIRECTIONS

[1]   Preheat oven to 200°F. Fill a large, deep skillet with 1 inch of oil; heat over medium-high until it returns to 375°F on a deep-fry thermometer. Working in batches, fry chicken until golden brown and cooked through, 6 to 7 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel–lined baking sheet in oven to keep warm. Adjust heat so oil returns to 375°F between batches.

[2]   In a large bowl, stir together hot sauce and melted butter. Add chicken and toss to coat. Serve wings with dipping sauce and celery sticks.

Blue Cheese Dipping Sauce
1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1 1/3 cups crumbled blue cheese (5 to 6 ounces)

DIRECTIONS

[1]  In a small bowl, stir together sour cream, mayonnaise, milk, and salt. Stir in blue cheese. Refrigerate, covered, until ready to serve, up to 2 days.

Excerpted from Martha Stewart’s Martha’s American Food. Copyright © 2012 by Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publisers. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.

Grilled Chicken with Arugula Salad & Lemon- Caper Vinaigrette

SERVES 4

Lemon-Caper Vinaigrette
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped drained capers
1 tablespoon finely chopped peperoncini (pickled Italian peppers)
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 teaspoons champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Chicken
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 6 ounces each)
1 tablespoon olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Salad
5 ounces arugula (about 8 cups)
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
2 small, thin zucchini
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

[1]  To make the vinaigrette: In a medium bowl, whisk the shallots, lemon zest, lemon juice, capers, peperoncini, parsley, and vinegar together. Gradually whisk in the olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

[2]  To cook the chicken: Heat a grill pan over medium- high heat. Coat the chicken with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the chicken for about 4 minutes per side, or until it is seared with grill marks and shows no sign of pink when pierced in the thickest part with the tip of a small sharp knife. Transfer to a cutting board.

[3]  To assemble the salad: In a large bowl, combine the arugula and tomatoes. Trim the ends of the zucchini. One at a time, lay the zucchini flat on a work surface and, using a vegetable peeler and working from the stem end to the blossom end, shave off long, thin ribbons until you reach the seedy center. Turn the zucchini around and repeat on second, then repeat on the third and fourth sides. Add the ribbons to the bowl and discard the seedy centers of the zucchini.

[4]  Using your hands, to avoid breaking the ribbons, gently toss the salad with enough vinaigrette to coat. Season with salt and pepper.

[5]  Cut each chicken breast half crosswise into thirds. Transfer a cut chicken breast to each dinner plate and heap some of the salad alongside. Drizzle the chicken and salad with the remaining vinaigrette and serve immediately.

Excerpted from Curtis Stone’s What’s For Dinner. Copyright © 2013 by Random House, Inc.  Published by Ballantine Books. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.