Hamming It Up...

Daniele Foods' Locally Produced Line
Photo Credit: East Side Monthly

  Earlier this week I traveled down to Pascoag, RI to visit Daniele Foods. There I met with Davide Dukcevich and his brother Stefano to learn about their new line of cured meats that is 100% local. It all starts on small local farms, like Blackbird in Johnston, where the pigs are raised then the meat is cured and processed at the plant all right here in little Rhody

  They brothers worked with Rhode Island School of Design to create the art for the packaging and worked with Johnson & Wales to develop recipes as well. The products can be found a local market in Rhode Island (soon to be on the cowtruck!) 

Davide Dukcevich with prosciutto curing behind him
Photo Credit: Projo

The plant that hams currently hang in to cure was built in the earlier 1970's and is busting at the seams as Daniele Foods has grown with their products in the deli cases of markets all over the world.

 Everything began in Triste, Italy in the 1940's. The grandfather, Stefano Dukcevich, and his wife Carolina were refugees from Croatia that escaped to Italy with their young son, Vlado. It was here that they began to make cured sausages with traditional croatian ingredients like smoked paprika. Stefano would pedal the charcuteries from his bicycle to the residents of the village. 

Vlado Dukcevich

  It was Vlado that brought the Daniele from Italy to Rhode Island and bringing with him the flavors of his family's recipes with him to be made at the facility in Pascoag in the 1970's. 

 Recently they broke ground to build a new operations facilty to better handle production and bring everything together. Right now they are operating out of three location that are three miles apart from each other. It will be a state of the art facility using robotics while also keeping tradition in the old world style of curing and producing the meats. 

 While the local prosciutto will not be ready until September the Daniele house brand made an amazing sandwich on Sour Dough from Olga's Bakery with Narragansett Creamery Fresh Mozzarella, Olivia's Organic Baby Arugula and a drizzle of D.E. Vine Balsamic Dressing to finish it off. 

 Looking forward to trying it out on the Top This! Pizza Crust... Just looking at the one from the Black Market Bistro makes my mouth water. 

Black Market Restaurant

Irish Cheddar Soup Served Up Vermont Style

Photo Credit: Leah Haydock 

   This weekend on the drive through Vermont on the journey home we ended up by Simon Pearce just in time for lunch. Their Vermont Cheddar Soup is delicious and addicting with it's rich and creamy texture and powerful flavor. It is made with Vermont's own Cabot Cheddar Cheese which, is available from Munroe Dairy.  If you have ever had the fortune of having the soup before you understand the willingness to wander off the beaten path just a bit to stop in for a bowl of the yumminess and opportunity to wander around the old mill building to watch the glass blowing in progress and listen to the waterfall. 

Simon Pearce

Glass Blowing at Simon Pearce ~ Quechee, VT 

Glass Blowing at Simon Pearce ~ Quechee, VT 

Photo Credit: MiamiAvocado

To make it a meal all you need is a nice loaf of crusty bread for dipping and salad of Olivia's Organics Spring Mix lightly dressed with D.E. Vine Honey Balsamic Dressing. The soup is easy enough to make and keeps well in the freezer.  

 Here is the recipe from the restaurant at Simon Pearce: 

Ingredients

3 quarts water
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 oz. flour

5 oz.butter
1 cup heavy cream (whole milk can be substituted)

2 bay leaves 
1 lb. grated Cabot Sharp Cheddar cheese 
1 cup carrots, grated
1 cup celery, minced
1 small onion, chopped
2 cups half & half
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
Salt & fresh ground pepper

Methods/steps

Blanch carrots and celery in boiling water. Drain well and set aside. Bring water to boil. Melt butter in heavy stockpot, add onions & garlic, soften. Add flour to butter & onion mixture. Stir to combine well, turn heat very low. Stirring occasionally, cook about 15 minutes. Add water 1/3 at a time. Stir with whisk until smooth. Season with thyme, bay leaves, salt and pepper. Cook over low heat, until smooth and creamy. Add grated cheese.

Boil water in separate saucepan, add celery and carrots, cook until just tender. Drain well. Add celery-carrot mixture to large stockpot. Add half & half and heavy cream. Stir well. Serve hot, but do not overheat.

Check out the video of the restaurants former Chef Josh Duda making the soup here. In the video he uses chicken stock instead of water which, will add an even deeper flavor the to soup. If you want to keep it vegetarian you can use vegetable stock. 

Covered Bridge ~ Rebuilt and open after Hurricane Irene