Rosemary Crusted Apple Dijon Pork Chops

There's nothing quite like the flavorful combination of sweet apples and piquant dijon, especially when paired with salty pork chops. Go the extra step and add a crispy, fragrant rosemary crust to these sweet and savory chops, and you've got a dish that has flavorful depth and textural variety like non other. And when you try our new Hudson Valley Harvest frozen meats, you'll be surprised to see how tasty frozen meat can be-We were surprised ourselves! We like to pair this dish with some crunchy sweet potato latkes and creamy scallion crème fraîche for a refreshing and tart contrast.

Ingredients:

• 1 package of Hudson Valley Harvest Berkshire Pork Chops
• 1 jar of Tyler Florence Apple Dijon Grilling Glaze
• 1 cup Panko
• 3 sprigs of rosemary, chopped
• salt and pepper
• 3 tbsp of Spectrum high heat sunflower seed oil

Instructions

1.  In a ziplock bag, add pork chops, 2 tsp of salt, half of the marinade, and shake. Seal and refrigerate over night.

2. Before cooking, add panko, rosemary, salt, and pepper to a small shallow dish, mix well. Add oil to a medium sized frying pan and turn to medium high heat.

3. While the oil is heating up, allow excess marinade to drip off of the pork chops. Douse both sides in panko mixture and make sure to coat evenly. When they're breaded, gently add the pork chops to your frying pan. Cook for about 6 minutes on each side, until crust is golden and the inside of the pork chops reaches 150°.* Remove from heat and set aside.

4. As the chops are resting, add the remaining marinade to the frying pan and turn to high heat, scraping all the bits off of the bottom. Whisk until sauce has thickened, about 3 minutes, and drizzle on top of pork chops. Serve.

* To avoid crust falling off, make sure not to move the chops until 6 minutes has passed.

Gift Cards!

There's no need to stress about Christmas shopping anymore! We've got gift cards available in any monetary increment you can imagine - as long as you have the funds to back it, of course. And with cows in little celebratory hats printed on the gift cards themselves, what's not to love? We're sure that this gift will make any foodie or neighborhood local righteously happy and will fill the bellies of your loved ones for months to come. You remember how much they love the #4 sandwich, right? I mean who doesn't? Well this is the way to give them a gift that keeps on giving.

Butternut Squash Risotto

You might have seen the newest addition to our produce selection earlier this month. Light yellow and shaped like a bell, these sweet and fibrous gourds from Satur Farms are one of our favorite things to roast during the fall. Baking butternut squash not only brings out their natural sugars and caramel flavors but it also primes the squash to be cooked in savory dishes like this rich and creamy risotto with nutty parmigiano. We recommend serving butternut squash risotto as the main dish, with plenty of wine and some crusty Roberta's bread, of course.

Ingredients:

• 1 large butternut squash, peeled and seeded, diced into .5'' squares
• 3 tbsp olive oil such as our LA Organic – Delicate Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 cups of risotto
• 2 boxes of vegetable stock
• 1 cup of dry white wine
• 4 tbsp salted butter
• 1.5 cups shredded parmigiano reggiano
• 4 sage leaves, julienned
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 shallots, minced

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°. On a large baking sheet, spread out diced butternut squash and toss in olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bake until tender, about 35-40 minutes.

2. In a large dutch oven, melt 2 tbsp of butter over medium high heat and add chopped onions and a little bit of salt, cook until translucent; about 6 minutes. Add shallots, 3 sage leaves, and red pepper flakes and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Add in risotto, and continue to stir until toasted and fragrant; about 5 minutes. Pour in wine and continually stir until liquid is absorbed. Then add a cup of vegetable stock to the dutch oven, stirring the whole time, until liquid is absorbed; repeat three times.

3. Take the baked butternut squash and reincorporate 3/4 of it back into the risotto. Continue to add 1 cup of vegetable stock at a time, while stirring consistently, until the grains are tender, but still firm to the bite. Add in 1 cup of parmigiano and 2 tbsp of butter and stir until melted. Season to taste.

4. Garnish with remaining butternut squash, sage leaves, and cheese. Serve immediately

Belvoir Cordials

Back in the olden days, before genetically modified fruits and veggies overtook the market, people didn't have the luxury of eating fresh produce all winter long. Instead they preserved their harvest so they could enjoy the fresh flavors of summer during the coldest months of the year. And luckily for us, Belvoir Fruit Farms is still using those traditional techniques to bring us these aromatic concentrates that are completely natural and delightfully flavored with elderberry flowers. These fragrant fruit and flower cordials are excellent when splashed into a glass of sparkling water or when mixed with gin or vodka.

InStyle Magazine also wrote about our line of botanic cordials in this month's issue and listed our phone number, but oddly enough, they made no mention of The Dep itself. So if you're looking for Belvoir Cordials, be sure to stop by or give us a shout so you can try one of our favorite products.

The North 63rd

With all the heavy foods that are so often eaten during this time of year, it's nice to switch it up and sip on something that's super bright and refreshing; something that won't weigh you down, but instead lifts you up. That's why we love this refreshing cocktail that uses fruity pear and eldlerflower presse, florally gin, and earthy thyme. It's a cocktail that you can sip on year round, although we like it best during the chilly nights of winter.

The North 63rd

Ingredients

• 1 bottle of Pear and Elderflower Presse by Belvoir Fruit Farms
• 1 shot of gin
• 2 sprig of thyme

Instructions

1. Combine gin, leaves from one sprig of thyme, and soda in a shaker with a few pieces of ice. Shake vigorously for about 30 seconds, and strain into a glass. Finish with one large ice cube and garnish with a sprig of thyme.

Christmas Special: A Sweet Brooklyn Gift Basket

Here's our second gift basket which is absolutely perfect for any of your loved ones that have an insatiable sweet tooth and a special place in their heart for the neighborhood. With Spatzi's granola, Spoonable caramel, and our favorite salted almond chocolate that's made right down the street at Mast Brothers, this Christmas special is sweet in more ways than one. We can put these sugary goodies in a variety of styled gift baskets; from rustic wood to industrial wire - whichever you'd like. If you're interested to know more about the products, pricing, and/or other holiday gift baskets, stop by the shop or call us at 347-227-8424.

Christmas Special: A Savory Brooklyn Gift Basket

We love our neighborhood a lot. Like a lot. Not enough to be weird, but enough to sell these awesome gift baskets that feature all our favorite neighborhood-y products. From the spicy, vinegary McClure's pickle chips to the tangy Brown Ale spread by My Friend's Mustard; these products highlight the the awesomeness of Brooklyn artisans. Check back for our other neighborhood baskets later this week. And if you're interested in pricing, call the store at 347-227-8424.

GO WILLYSBURG!

Tasting: Spoonable, Brooklyn's Saucy Caramel

 

Come into the shop today (Saturday, Dec 3rd) to try some of our favorite ultra-sweet and semi-salty caramel. Indulge yourself with four exotic flavor combinations; sesame caramel, salty caramel, peppered orange, and spicy chili. Whether you're stirring a spoonful of Spoonable into a piping hot mulled cider, or if you're drizzling some on top of one of our unique ice creams, this made in Brooklyn sweets company will be your partner in a sweet, sweet crime.

Beerfest

Satur Farms Mixed Kale

With vibrant green and punchy purple leaves, this clam shell of mixed kale is not only visual appealing, but it's also super good for you. Unlike store-bought, tough kale, with big veins that are simply inedible, Satur Farms takes the hard work out of eating your greens and does the prepping (de-veining that is) for you. All you have to do is throw it in the pan, cook it down for a bit, and enjoy the natural flavors and health benefits from these tasty leafy greens (and purples!). Personally we recommend cooking them up with a little bacon, garlic, and red pepper flakes, and finishing it with a nice bright zing of lemon juice. We also recommend that you eat it up right away before anyone else can get their hands on it. You'll see what we mean once you make this bright and tangy yet deep and smoky dish.

Rainbow Kale with Lemon and Bacon

Ingredients

• 1 clam shell of Satur Farms Mixed Kale
• 2 tbsp olive oil such as our LA Organic - Delicate Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 2 thick slices of Nueske's bacon
• 1 lemon wedge
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Rinse kale thoroughly, finely julienne one clove of garlic, and cut bacon into half inch pieces.

2. In a large pan add bacon and allow to cook until browned and crisped; about 4 minutes. Add cut garlic and cook for one minute until it starts to get tender. Add red pepper flakes and olive oil and stir for about thirty seconds.

3. Add kale and cover, stirring occasionally until the amount has reduced by half and the greens are tender and slightly wilted; about ten minutes. Salt and pepper to taste and finish with a squeeze of lemon juice.

Siggi's Icelandic Yogurt

Siggi Hilmarsson started making skyr, an old school Icelandic style yogurt, in his tiny NYC apartment after missing one of his favorite childhood treats from his homeland in 2004. Since then, siggi's skyr has blown up in the yogurt industry as one of the tastiest, creamiest, rich, and surprisingly low sugar cultured products on the market. While being made in upstate New York with milk from local, grass-fed, and untainted cows, this brand not only uses real fruit but also refuses to use anything artificial(!). And as you can imagine, siggi's flavors are out of this world; from fresh orange with tiny bits of candied ginger, to the store's favorite - lush pineapple, this brand of Icelandic skyr is something you've got to try. But be weary, this stuff is just mildly addicting.

The White Lushian

Similar to the Big Lebowski's favorite cocktail The Caucasian (aka White Russian), our version of The White Lushian features our favorite milk from upstate. Battenkill Valley Creamery's whole milk is so silky and luscious that it actually holds up as well as regular cream. And with a splash of Bailey's Original Irish Creme, this cocktail mildly exhibits the milky sweetness of ice cream along with some serious alcohol levels that will most definitely have you cruising.

The White Lushian

Ingredients

1 cup of Battenkill creamery whole milk

1.5 oz Kahlua

1.5 oz of vodka

a splash of Bailey's

Directions

Combine ingredients in shaker and pour over ice.

Mother In Law's Kimchi

This crunchy, briny kimchi is brought to you all the way from Jang Mo Gip, a super fucking awesome Korean restaurant in Garden Grove, California. Fermented without preservatives and featuring all natural ingredients along with the best peppers possible, this aromatic and spicy concoction of pickled cabbage is the ultimate in flavor complexity. The underlying heat from the chili peppers most definitely packs a punch, but it's surprisingly mellowed out by a bright vinegary tang. Toss MILKimchi with succulent shrimp for an exotic ceviche; plunge in tomato juice and vodka for a twist on the oh-so-fabulous Bloody Mary; or just eat it straight out of the jar - whichever method you choose, we're sure that you'll come back for more.

The Hi-Pop

The week is finally over. Finally. I feel like I should give a toast or high-five a stranger or something. I don't know what it is about this time of year, but it seriously flies by and stresses me the fuck out. WIth Thanksgiving a few weeks away, and Christmas right after that, the overwhelming pressure from this season makes me go crazy, it's like dumping a truckload of fertilizer on a patch of wild weeds. And since it's Friday and all, and not that I ever really need an excuse to pop a bottle of bubbly, I'm celebrating what's left of my mental stability this week with a beautiful bubbly drink that is just so pretty that it might take my mind off of things. So here it is, The Hi-Pop. With a dash of bitters, a hibiscus flower soaked in floral syrup, and of course, some brut champagne, this potable is quite the Friday night treat.

The Hi-Pop

Ingredients

1 wild hibiscus flower in syrup

1-3 dashes of bitters

a shit ton of Brut Chamapagne

Directions

Place one pretty little flower at the bottom of an empty flute, top with champagne, add a dash or three of bitters and gently stir. Drink up buttercup.

Edinburgh Mustards

These hand-crafted mustards come in a varietiy of bold flavors straight from Scotland. With enticing combinations like Honey & Whiskey, Beer & Black Peppercorn, Chili & Vodka, and Original Wholegrain, these spreads will most definitely compliment cheese trays or holiday platters this season. We also think they make great gifts for the booze aficionados that you roll with, because you can always rely on their drink of choice to guide you in your gift giving. And for the non-drinkers, there's always the Original Wholegrain, of course.

But if you're looking to pair some cheeses for a snack or to impress your friends during their next dinner party (not that you already don't) we'd suggest the Honey & Whiskey Mustard to go with our dynanic Avonlea Cheddar our our fruity Piave. For the Beer & Black Peppercorn Mustard definitely try our chalky and butterscotch-y aged Borenkass. And with the Chili & Vodka Mustard, we'd recommend our salty manchego or grassy, earthy Lou Bergier. And lastly, for the Original Wholegrain Mustard, well you can't really go wrong, but we'd suggest nutty Comte or complex aged Gruyere.

If that doesn't make your stomach growl, well then, you're SOL.

Wild Hibiscus Flowers in Syrup

Preserved in a deep magenta syrup made from Australian cane sugar, these delicate and floral hibiscus flowers are an eye-catching and flavorful addition to a wide variety of libations. Grown in the foothills of The Blue Mountains and maintained by a company that only has around 35 employees at any given time, you can be certain that you're getting the best product possible. The buds are even picked, cleaned, and jarred by hand to ensure that they do not get crushed and can retain their beautiful and natural organic shape.

The Wild Hibiscus Company 's flowers in syrup were even featured on Rachel Ray and the New York Times Magazine, both of which infused them in exotic margaritas to the highlight the bright and tropical flavors of Mexico.

Happy Halloween - Try our Treat!

Happy Halloween everybody! We're handing out Monster Munch, our favorite British baked corn snack, to those specially dressed kid-os tonight! With a flavor somewhere between a funyun and a dill pickle, these crunchy chips are just as unique as some of the costumes you'll surely see this Halloween.  

The Bloody Devil

It's Halloween weekend! You know what that means... booze, candy, and an excuse to dress up like a slut some dead celebrity (never too soon!). As for the the typical Halloween libation, you'll surely encounter some weird sherbert-y punch that's just one sugar cube short of giving you the worst hangover in your life - if you haven't already set yourself up for it. But your friends will definitely hate you if you do that. C'mon dude, seriously, they're better than that. This ain't no high school prom. (Unless it's some sort of zombie prom, then it's totally acceptable)

So why not treat them to something nice like this super special ghoulish cocktail - it's got CANDY INFUSED VODKA! Hot Tamales soaked overnight in grain alcohol turns whatever cheap vodka you use into something amazing. It's bright red and has notes of spicy cinnamon and finishes with semi-sweetness. Our tangy blood orange soda doesn't just work perfectly for this Halloween cocktail because of it's name, but because it evens out the bite from the candied liquor. So yeah, come get yourself some.

The Bloody Devil

Ingredients

1 part Blood Orange Soda

1 part of Hot Tamale Infused Vodka

(Drop 10 Hot Tamale Candies into a flask of vodka, shake, let sit overnight)

1 part seltzer

1 lemon wedge

Directions

Combine all ingredients over ice and finish with seltzer. Squeeze a wedge of lemon and stir.

European Gummy Candies

Since Halloween is right around the corner, we figured that we should feature some of our favorite gummy candies from around the world. These bagged delights are just as beautiful, tasty, and unique on the inside as they are on the outside of the package. So whether you're more of salty and spicy licorice-lover, or more of a fruity and tangy kind of person, then we've got you covered. Here's the lowdown on some of our favorite treats.

To begin, let's talk about Bassetts Jelly Babies!

• Jelly Babies, originally called Peace Babies in an effort to end World War I, are sugary gelatinous baby figures that each have their own name and shape. They're sweet to the taste and feature delightful flavors from lime and blackcurrant. They were even said to be a favorite of George Harrison!

• Rowntrees Fruit Pastilles, which are sugar-coated fruit flavored jelly disks, are absolutely irresistible! With flavors of lime, lemon, strawberry, orange, and blackcurrant, and made from real fruit juice, you just bite the big one and chew 'em!

• Haribo Fruit Salad, which are also dusted in sugar, feature delicious flavors like grapefruit, passion fruit, cherry, lemon, lime, and orange. These funky-shaped gummy fruits are not overly sweet and not too sugary, so you won't feel guilty about consuming an entire bag (at least we didn't!). I guess you could say that they are sort of a healthy snack... sort of.

• Katjes Kinder, known for it's cat-shaped appearance, is a hard black candy that is made from real licorice root extract. With a unique flavor isn't overpowering, these German candies are definitely pleasing to the taste buds. Though technically not a hard candy, whether you chew or suck on them is said to be personal preference; no matter what, method you choose - the taste will be memorable.

• Katjes Katzen Pfötchen, which are similar to the aforementioned licorice, are made with a perfect blend of natural herbs and spices. These cat-paw-shaped chews are soft and spicy with the perfect balance of sweet and salty licorice flavor. An absolute must for a licorice lover.

• Saure Johannisbeeren, a tart sugar coated chewy candy, has a ridiculously strong and sour redcurrant flavor. This sweet and sour combination is strange and a little bit overpowering at first but after you eat just one, they surprisingly become completely addicting!

• Yogurt Gums, which are Katjes number one candy, have not changed their recipe since they were first made in 1971 - except for the elimination of unnatural extracts which happened way long ago. Made with a mixture of fruit concentrate and yogurt powder, the delicious flavors of these creamy delights are strawberry, cherry, raspberry, lemon,  pear and sometimes blueberry!

The Spicy Ginger

Alright guys, one week until Halloween! That means it's time to get your costumes ready and more importantly, time to get your alcohol tolerance levels way, way up there. No more of this weak shit. You've gotta be able to party all night and still stay in character - except when the cops try and talk to you, then it's time to run act like you're completely sober and maybe just mildly creepy. So to help you along the way, we've mixed up a spicy and devilish drink that will have you acting real sassy.

The Spicy Ginger

Ingredients

2 oz Fentiman's Ginger Beer

2 oz Migliorelli apple cider

2 oz spiced rum

*cinnamon sticks for garnish*

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a pot and bring to a simmer. Turn heat to low and serve to all your thirsty guests. Throw a cinnamon stick in their cup for some extra fanciness.