Founding Farmers / Harvest Blog » Food Features

Montgomery Mag Serves Up Founding Farmers’ Brunswick Stew

Jenn — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 15:58:15 +0000

Montgomery Magazine‘s Pamela Shipper offers a thorough look at Potomac’s Founding Farmers, from design DNA to menu philosophy, in a recent article about the restaurant. Making its first appearance in print is Woodstock, the 800- to-1,000 degree Fahrenheit oven that’s the heart of Potomac’s Founding Farmers’ kitchen. It’s a powerhouse oven that’s pretty rare in this area, so we thought you’d like to know what it looks like:

Shipper closes out the article with our Brunswick Stew recipe, which we’ve pasted below as well. Enjoy!

Founding Farmers’ Brunswick Stew
Makes 3 1/2 quarts (serves 6–8)
¾ pound applewood smoked bacon—raw and julienne
¼ cup canola oil
1 cup yellow onion, diced
2 tablespoons shallots, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons minced garlic
¾ cup celery, diced
¾ cup carrots, diced
½ cup fennel, diced
1½ cups leeks, sliced, white part only
2 quarts chicken broth (low salt or no salt)
1 cup tomato juice
¼ cup barley
¾ cup Idaho potato, peeled and diced
¾ cup garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
1 cup tomatoes, ½” diced
¾ cup yellow squash, diced
¾ cup zucchini, diced
1 cup frozen lima beans
½ cup fresh green beans, diced
1½ cup cilantro, rough-chopped
¼ cup basil, rough-chopped
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1½ teaspoons black pepper, fresh mill-ground
¾ cup barbecue sauce
½ pound baby spinach
¾ cup green onions, sliced
1½ each limes, juiced

Optional for heartier stew: 1 pound roasted whole chicken, pulled

Cooking Instructions
Heat a stockpot to medium heat and cook bacon until crispy but not burnt. Add oil and heat. Once oil is hot, add yellow onion, garlic, shallots, celery, carrots, fennel and leeks. Sauté or “sweat” vegetables for 4 to 5 minutes or until translucent. Add chicken broth, tomato juice and barley. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Add potatoes, garbanzo beans and tomatoes and simmer for another 10 minutes. Add yellow squash, zucchini, lima beans, green beans, cilantro, basil, salt, black pepper and barbecue sauce. Simmer for 5 minutes to heat through. Prior to serving, add spinach and green onions, lime juice (and warm, pulled chicken, if desired). Add additional salt to taste.

Best when served with crusty bread.

National Food Day: Order Breakfast and the Coffee is on Us!

Jenn — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 14:24:18 +0000

October 24 is National Food Day, and there’s no better destination for True Food & Drink than Founding Farmers, and everyone knows that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. All this week, through Friday, 10.28, when you visit for breakfast and mention that you saw this post, or the listing on the National Food Day website, you get coffee on us, or a small French Press for the table. Rise & Shine – celebrate all things good about good food

Small print: Offer good only at Founding Farmers flagship location in downtown Washington, DC, 1924 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, just three blocks from the White House. Valid Monday, October 24th – Friday, October 28th, 2011. Guest must mention or show Food Day participation email / website to the server to redeem.

New Cherry Picks Dessert Just In Time for April Blossoms

Jenn — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 18:58:46 +0000

It’s that time of year again; Washington is blooming in pink and our world famous cherry blossoms are sprouting up, here and there and everywhere. There is no better time to explore DC, catch some sights, stroll by the White House, or enjoy an afternoon along the Potomac on the Georgetown Waterfront. After a great day like that, stop by Founding Farmers or Farmers & Fishers to savor in our new spring-inspired dessert, and a Cherry Picks menu item – the Cherry Slump, for $8. It’s a delicious mix of cherries freshly baked and topped with homemade biscuit topping. It’s perfect with some homemade vanilla ice cream, too!

Viewing Party: Founding Farmers on Food Network, March 14 at 10PM

Jenn — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 18:12:43 +0000

On Monday, March 14, Founding Farmers will be featured on Food Network’s Meat & Potatoes. In December, host and carnivore extraordinaire, Rahm Fama learned how we make our popular Yankee Pot Roast and Fried Green Tomatoes. Chef Al Nappo worked his magic in front of the camera, cooking up the slow-cooked beef chuck, roasted with root vegetables and served on top of our buttery homemade whippers. As if that is not enough, chef also dished out a side of his classic crispy Fried Green Tomatoes with creamy herbed goat cheese and Green Goddess dips.

Join us for a viewing party at the Founding Farmers bar on Monday, March 14 from 9:30 to 10:30 pm. Sample complimentary Bacon Lollis as they are dished out throughout the show and meet the man behind behind the magic, Chef Al!

Have You Tried Our Deep Winter Stews Yet?

Jenn — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 00:35:15 +0000

Old Man Winter is still teasing the nation and Founding Farmers’ Deep Winter Menu, featuring four delicious and hearty stews, is sure to warm your toes and soul. The stews are served along side our homemade crusty grilled bread and a composed winter side salad. Try the Pennsylvania Ave Senate Bean Soup with great northern and kidney beans, creamy mashed potatoes and crispy pork belly. Just another reason to visit Founding Farmers this frosty winter.

As Seen on CNN: Thanksgiving Leftovers The Farmer’s Way

Jenn — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 15:21:35 +0000

You’ve spent days, maybe weeks, planning the perfect Thanksgiving menu. The day after Thanksgiving when the food coma wears off, you may find yourself with a refrigerator full of leftovers and a house full of ravenous family members. If that’s the case, Founding Farmers has several unique and tasty home recipes to satisfy your famished loved ones using many Thanksgiving favorites.

Farmers Thanksgiving Leftover Recipes: (click images below to download)

- Sweet Potato Pancakes with Cranberry Maple Syrup
- Ham & Turkey Stuffing Griddle Cakes with Cranberry Aioli Sauce
- Turkey Pot Pie Ravioli
- Turkey Pot Stew

Watch an interview with Chef Al as he prepares some of these dishes for CNN’s Sandra Endo:.

If you’re planning to eat Thanksgiving at Grandma’s farmhouse, and find yourself yearning for a great leftover-like-meal on Friday, Founding Farmers will be serving brunch Friday through Sunday of the holiday weekend, including the Sweet Potato Pancakes with cranberry maple syrup. Holidays should always be this delicious!

Washington’s Best Food and Cocktail Pairings at Spirit of the Festival

Jenn — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 22:04:53 +0000

Herb-crusted rotisserie chicken paired with the Dolores Dulces cocktail, a soon-to-be menu feature

Founding Farmers is one of just five restaurants to be showcased at the inaugural prelude event to the International Wine & Food Festival in February. On November 30, Chief Mixologist Jon Arroyo and Executive Chef Al Nappo will team up at Spirit of the Festival and use Patron XO Café to create a unique cocktail and food pairing. This week, the duo gave DC food journalists and bloggers a first taste of the pairing.

The Dolores Dulces cocktail features Patron XO Café, cognac, cherry brandy, egg white and a garnish of fresh grated nutmeg. The rich and delicious concoction pairs nicely with Chef’s herb-crusted rotisserie chicken with Maryland kale, cabbage and pears sautéed in Patron XO Café. Founding Farmers will feature the Dolores Dulces for a limited time after the competition.

Enjoy a Farmhouse-Inspired Thanksgiving at Founding Farmers

Jenn — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 14:54:19 +0000

Founding Farmers will offer a farmhouse-inspired three-course meal on Thursday, November 25 from 12:00 to 8:00 pm. The menu is $35 per adult, and $20 per child 12 and under, exclusive of beverages, tax and gratuity. Family-style farm tables seat up to 12 guests. Reservations can be made online or by calling 202.822.TRUE (8783).

The Thanksgiving menu will showcase several new items to be added to the Winter menu, including Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Bourbon-Caramel Butter, Green Bean Casserole with Roasted Garlic-Mushroom Crust, Broccoli-Rice-Cheddar Casserole, Sautéed Maryland Kale with Green Cabbage and Rosemary and Sautéed Green Beans with Lemon Zest.

Founding Farmers Selects New Organic Maple Syrup

Jenn — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 22:36:59 +0000

At Founding Farmers, we are always looking for new ingredients to enhance our menu and support American family farmers.

This week, we proudly introduce Coombs Organic 100% Pure Maple Syrup. Coombs Family Farm in Vermont purchases maple from hundreds of small family farmers dedicated to sustainable organic agriculture. Farmers harvest and process the maple from pesticide-free forests in ways that both protect the trees and reduce energy consumption. Coombs Syrup also carries the USDA organic seal, but most importantly it tastes smooth, rich and delicious.

Our dedicated breakfast and brunch patrons expect to enjoy the highest quality products at Founding Farmers, and we believe Coombs Maple Syrup meets taste and quality expectations. I look forward to your next visit and invite you to try the new maple syrup for yourself.

-Chef Al Nappo

Thanks to Amanda from Metrocurean for recommending Founding Farmers as one of her favorite breakfast spots.

Fresh from the Farmer’s Market

Jenn — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 16:24:39 +0000

If you enjoyed the trout at Founding Farmers last Friday, you also helped support a local farmer’s market.

Chef Nappo participated in Chef’s Day at Capital Harvest on the Plaza, the farmer’s market outside the Ronald Reagan Building. In addition to the wasabi peas and spiced nuts used to make a crust for the trout special, Chef Nappo also purchased dried sausage and currant tomatoes. It was a delicious way to bring seasonal ingredients from farm to market to table.