The Garden Apartment

Di(sh)patch from Foggy Bottom: Plum and Mozzarella Crostinis

They have arrived!  By "they" I mean raspberries, of course.  I found a lovely bunch of raspberries yesterday at the D & S Farms booth at the Foggy Bottom Farmer's Market.  In addition to this much coveted fruit, D & S also had blackberries, some adorable yellow baby tomatoes, and zucchinis ranging in size from baby to freak of nature (I bought one of the latter-sized options).  Due to their extreme cuteness, I brought some of the baby tomatoes home as well.

Another highlight at today's market was the Quaker Valley Orchard stand. In addition to raspberries, they were also selling two varieties of cherries on the branch.  As tempting as that was, I opted for already picked box of Rainier cherries. 

After buying a few more items: a delicious baguette from Bonaparte Breads, eggs and a really good looking steak from Highfield Dairy, I headed home to ruminate over my bag of goodies.

Upon arriving at home, I noticed my West Virginia plums from the Saturday Alexandria Farmer's Market. They were starting to show some signs of withering, so it seemed as if dinner should somehow incorporate them.  And those adorable baby tomatoes!  I just had to use them too. Spying the baguette freshly purchased at the market, I got an idea for a rather unorthodox bruschetta-like creation: plum, tomato, and mozzarella crostini. 

This concoction may sound a bit odd, and I have to admit that I was worried about how it would be received when I brought it out for John to sample.  As for John, he looked nervous and perplexed when I presented the plate to him. After one bite, however, we both agreed that it was actually really very good: a nice combination of sweet and savory flavors combined with crunchy and smooth textures in every bite. 

And for the record, the pictures in this market di(sh)patch really don't do justice to the beauty of the creation, but I will post them anyway. 

Plum, Baby Tomato, and Mozzarella Crostini

Ingredients:

• 4-5 medium plums, pits removed and sliced into bite-size pieces
• 1/2 Cup baby tomatoes (any small sweet tomato would work well)
• 1 scallion, chopped into thin slices
• 1 1/2 TB balsamic vinegar
• 4 TB olive oil
• 2 TB fresh basil, finely chopped
• 1 clove of garlic, sliced
• 1 small twig of fresh rosemary
• 1/2 baguette
• about 4 ounces of buffalo mozzarella, sliced into bite size pieces
• salt and pepper

Instructions:

Pre-heat the oven to 425F.  Slice the baguette and place each piece on a foil-lined baking sheet.

In the meantime, whisk the balsamic vinegar, 2 TB olive oil, basil, and a little salt and pepper in a medium bowl.  Add the plums, tomatoes, and scallions.  Set aside.

Heat the remaining 2 TB of olive oil in a small saucepan.  Add the garlic and rosemary.  Simmer for a few minutes.  Do not allow the garlic or rosemary to burn; simply let their flavors release into the olive oil.

Place the baguette in the oven for about 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown.

Remove baguette from the oven and brush each slice generously with the flavored olive oil.  Place a spoonful of the plum and tomato mixture onto each slice.  If desired, drizzle each slice with any remaining flavored oil.  

Add the mozzarella slices to the top of each piece.  Place the crostinis into the broiler for about 2 minutes, until the mozzarella just melts.

Serve immediately.

Strawberry Granita. . . frozen fruit inspiration

This refreshingly simple dessert pays full respect to the main ingredient. Though strawberry season is nearly over, this recipe inspires one to create other summer fruit granitas. . . inspiration is included in this post.

When strawberries first arrived at farmers markets a month ago, I could hardly contain my excitement.  Now that the season is coming to a close, I look forward to the arrival of peaches and melons with equal anticipation. To bid a farewell worthy of the ever delicious strawberry, I made this simple fruit granita-- which will preserve in my freezer longer than the berries fresh shelf life-- if I don't eat it all immediately, that is. 

Most of us are familiar with sorbet. Sorbet is nice. . . if you have an ice cream maker. Given that I live in a small apartment, I only have shelf space for the bare kitchen necessities. For all of you who thought frozen goodness home creations were exclusively reserved for foodies owning ice cream makers, meet the Italian granita. Granita is similar to sorbet, but its texture is less smooth since it is not constantly stirred while it is freezing.

All you need is a blender, a 9 x 13 inch cake pan, three ingredients, a fork, and enough patience to open the freezer every thirty minutes to stir the mixture a few times. I found this recipe at Epicurious.  The formula is easy: a simple syrup is combined with blended fruit, then frozen. 

Strawberry Granita

• 1 Cup hot water
• 2 TB lemon juice
• 3/4 Cup sugar
• 3 Cups strawberries, hulls removed

Combine water, lemon juice, and sugar. Stir until sugar dissolves.  Blend the strawberries until smooth.  Add the water and sugar substance to the strawberries and blend again.  Pour the mixture into a 9 x 13 inch cake pan.

Put this in the freezer and chill for thirty minutes. Remove from freezer.  Have a fork standing by.

Move the frozen bits from the outer edges of the pan into the center.  Return the mixture to the freezer.  Chill for 30 minutes.  Remove, and scrape frozen bits to the middle again. Repeat this process one more time.  If the mixture seems adequately frozen at this point, scrape it out with a fork into a bowl. If you can resist eating strawberry heaven right then and there, cover the bowl and return it to the freezer.

Inspiration

So, if I can combine any simple syrup with blended fruit that means. . . I have a whole summer of delicious frozen fruit concoctions to look forward to. Here is my own recipe for another granita:

Cherry and Honey-Balsamic Granita

• 1 Cup hot water
• 1- 2 TB balsamic vinegar
• 3/4 cup honey (I used a delicious local Virginia honey) 
• 3 cups of cherries, pitted

Use the same freezing and stirring process explained in the strawberry granita recipe. 

And more inspiration. . .

Try substituting a dessert white wine or fruit juice for the water in order to make the simple syrup.

Here's another mouthwatering recipe I found at Epicurious for Honey-Dew and Sake Granita. Given that we are due for melons in July and August. . . well, let's just say that my freezer and belly will be full of granita.

And, for the fall, how about a Green Apple Granita?

The possibilities are endless, simple to create, and delicious.

Locally Inspired Food at Vermilion

While sampling a seasonal drink during Vermilion's happy hour last week, our bartender Laura explained the restaurants' strong commitment to supporting local farms. I knew I had to return for dinner this weekend. Our dinner was amazing: the freshest possible ingredients were combined in unusual and surprising ways, all served up by a waiter whose in-depth knowledge of every ingredient wholly impressed us.

Vermilion is located at 1120 King Street in Old Town Alexandria. 

Upon arriving at Vermilion, my husband and I couldn't resist catching the end of their very well priced happy hour (drink specials $2.75- $4.50). After enjoying two tasty King St. Lemonades, we moved to our table in the restaurant: a stylishly curved red velvet booth. Our waiter Jamie greeted us and shared that the menu had recently been changed by Chef Anthony Chittum. 

When asked specific questions about the menu, Jamie impressively explained to us exactly how local each menu item was. We were told that the pork and lamb both came from Virginia, and that the scallops had actually been harvested from the Chesapeake Bay less than twelve hours prior to the evening's dinner rush. In addition, Vermilion has a relationship with two farm co-ops in the local area whose seasonal fruits and vegetables are often featured on the menu. Of course, not everything is locally sourced. Even so, we were again given very specific explanations of where items like ocean trout and halibut came from, how they had arrived at the restaurant, and why they had been selected for the menu. The halibut, for example, had been selected for its quality and because it is a sustainable fish. Clearly, Vermilion's philosophy is to seek out the best possible quality and freshness in ingredients. This quality would be reflected in each menu item we selected.

Because we had been so well informed of the menu, we had a very difficult time deciding what to eat. Everything sounded good. We settled on the evening's tasting menu ($50, four courses; or $70 with wine pairing) and one entree: the blackened pork loin.

The tasting menu began with crispy soft shell crabs. They were served with thinly sliced root vegetables and a green goddess dressing. This surprising and unusual combination was actually very complimentary. (For those of you who are regular readers, John was surprised to discover that he actually liked the beets served on this plate. This is a true compliment to Vermilion.) 

The second taste on the menu was the ocean trout. This was served over a pearl barley "rissi bissi," Virginia ham, and a pea tendril pesto. Again, the flavor combination was fantastic. We both noted that throughout this course every bite tasted a little different depending on each ingredient's proportions on our forks. Towards the end we got a lot of the pesto, which was delicious.

The lamb kabobs arrived next. The tender lamb was a stand-alone dish. Of course, when combined with the tzatziki sauce--which popped with flavor-- it was even better.

Our dinner entree of blackened pork loin was the favorite of the evening. The pork tenderloin was crispy and flavorful on the outside, yet impressively tender and juicy on the inside. This was all served with another creative twist: fennel coleslaw. A South Carolina style pulled BBQ completed the meal.

Finally, the last item on the tasting menu was the angel food cake with strawberries three ways. The strawberry sorbet was so tasty that it inspired me to create my own sorbet at home.

We look forward to returning to Vermilion again soon. There were many enticing items on the menu which we did not try, including the chilled English pea soup and the scallops & pork belly appetizer (which was highly recommended). Though this restaurant is certainly on the more expensive side, we both felt completely satisfied with the quality, taste, and creativity of each dish. We anticipate the changes which will come with the summer, fall, and winter menus. In the meantime, my experience dining at Vermilion has inspired me to take a few more creative risks in my own kitchen. 

Di(sh)patch from Old Town: Mozzarella omelet with fresh herbs

My trip to the Old Town Alexandria market yesterday was richly rewarded with new treats from some of my favorite vendors. Read on to hear more about Bigg Riggs Farm, Spring Valley Farm and Orchard, Blue Ridge Dairy, and Babes in the Wood.  My recipe for Mozzarella Omelet with fresh herbs is at the end of this market di(sh)patch.

I had only planned to drop by the Old Town market yesterday morning before heading up to Del Ray on my constant quest for local raspberries.  My plan was to purchase some of that Big Riggs ramp mustard I raved about a few weeks ago.  My mother-in-law has been asking for some so that she could try my ramp mustard roasted potatoes. 

When I arrived at the Bigg Riggs stand, I was amazed to see the amount of fantastic produce available: beautiful cherries, fresh salad greens, scallions, strawberries, and new potatoes.  I snatched up most of the above mentioned along with my Ramp Mustard.  I stopped to chat with Calvin of Bigg Riggs about the burst of fruits and vegetables at their stand. Since I visited their stand throughout the winter, I have become accustomed to the sight of all their wonderful jams, jellies, and other preserved goods. Yesterday, I took note of a recent addition at their stand-- strawberry daiquiri mix! After a long chat, he invited me to come out to their West Virginia farm sometime this summer. I look forward to visiting and seeing how things operate out there. 

I was so inspired by the abundance of produce at the Bigg Riggs stand that I decided to venture on throughout the Old Town market to see what the other producers were offering. I will point out again that you should ask a lot of questions when shopping at the Old Town farmers market since some of the vendors do not make or grow their own products.  Everyone I mention in this di(sh)patch is a producer and sells only products produced on their farms.

As I walked through the market, I was delighted to see the Blue Ridge Dairy-- whose products I have enjoyed in the past purchased at the Sunday DuPont Circle market.  I picked up some of their buffalo style mozzarella.  I also bought some of their Honey Yo yogurt-- which would go really nicely with the cherries from Bigg Riggs.

When I arrived at Spring Valley Farm and Orchardstand my jaw may have actually fell open.  They had piles full of bright gold and neon purple cauliflower.  I had never seen anything quite like it. They also had baby zucchini, baby squash, radishes, bunches of multi-colored beets, baby cucumbers, and much more. 

How incredible are these cauliflowers? Apparently these are not the result of any sort of genetic engineering, but rather the result of selective breeding.  And, not surprisingly, studies show these varieties to have higher concentrations of vitamins and nutrients. The orange cauliflower may have up to 25 times the concentration of the white varieties! This is a good example of how accustomed we get to standardized vegetables (tomato= red, carrot= orange, cauliflower= white).  In reality, there are many varieties of vegetables.  I can't wait to try out my rainbow of cauliflower.

At this point, I decided the Old Town market had really satisfied my need for produce, and knew I had better get some meat for the week. I went to Babes in the Wood-- one of my favorite places to purchase pork. I selected a rack of baby back ribs, a product I've really enjoyed in the past. Babes in the Woods goes well beyond the concept of free range. Their pigs are "forest fed" and live in a pigs most natural habitat. They allow no more than 2-3 pigs per acre, which means that their pigs get plenty of exercise. Additionally, their farm has a very low environmental impact because it is not overcrowded like most factory farms. Visitors are welcome at the farm, which is about 40 miles south of Charlottesville. Apparently, most visitors are surprised when they pull in the farm's driveway because the pigs tend to run alongside their cars! Now that's something I have to see!   

When I arrived home, it struck me that I had everything I needed to make a (relatively) local breakfast for this week's One Local Summer challenge. I'm a little over the 100 mile mark with a few of these, but here it goes:

Mozzarella Omelet with fresh herbs

• Three eggs-- Highfield Dairy (120 miles)
• 1 clove of garlic, crushed-- Sunnyside Farm and Orchard (71 miles)
• Fresh basil-- my backyard (0 miles)
• Fresh oregano-- my backyard (0 miles)
• Fresh mozzarella-- Blue Ridge Dairy (44 miles)
• Half of a tomato, diced-- southern MD (35-40 miles)
• Salt, pepper, oil-- not local

Heat the oil in a medium frying pan.  Add crushed garlic and saute for 1-2 minutes. In the meantime, whisk the eggs with a little salt and pepper.  Pour the eggs into the frying pan and add the fresh herbs and tomatoes.When the mixture begins to cook, add small slices of mozzarella.  Cover until egg is completely cooked.  Fold in half and serve.

I served the omelet with cherries from Bigg Riggs Farm and Honey Yo Yogurt from the Blue Ridge Dairy.

A delicious breakfast.  Now, what to do with the rest of the wonderful produce I bought?

Di(sh)patch from Foggy Bottom, Gai Lan (Chinese broccoli)

What looks sort of like mini broccoli with white flower buds on the top?  Gai Lan, a Chinese vegetable I found at the Sunnyside Farm and Orchards stand at the Foggy Bottom Market on Wednesday.  I couldn't resist asking what it was and, of course, trying some out. The folks at Sunnyside Farm and Orchards were "really excited" about this little vegetable. As it turns out, Gai Lan is not acutally classified as broccoli. Alternately called "kai lin," "Chinese kale," or "Chinese broccoli," it's a vegetable traditionally eaten in many Asian countries.  A quick search on it's nutritional value determined that it's very high in folate (great for pregnant women), calcium, and very low in calories. 

The recommended way to prepare this was a simple stir fry in some oil, garlic, lemon juice and a little salt and pepper.  It was delicious prepared in this simple manner.  The leaves have a slightly bitter flavor (sort of like kale), while the florets have a sweeter flavor.  The texture was nice and cruchy, also.  I do think that if I was to prepare this again, I would try a more savory recipe.  I found an excellent sounding "Gai Lin with Oyster Sauce" recipe at Steamy Kitchen featuring garlic, ginger, sherry, and oyster sauce.  For the time being, the simple stirfry proved to be a quick and tasty side dish served along with some leftover frittata (check out the Houndstooth Gourmet's great recipe) and a light dessert of fresh cherries and strawberries-- all locally sourced.

Now, for the market update. . . .

D&S Farms did have raspberries on Thursday, but I narrowly missed the last bunch by one customer. In all fairness (or rather, unfairness to me) the customer in front of me bought a whole box of raspberries. Sue did tell me that she will have more raspberries at Del Ray tomorrow, as well as blackberries!  She also had several different varieties of cherries.  I bought a delicious bright red variety which was both sweet and tart.  I will be very sad when cherries are no longer in season. 

Highfield Dairy had some delicious looking potato tarts in addition to their goat cheese tarts (which are amazing).  Given that I already had plans to make a potato frittata, I settled on a dozen of their rainbow eggs-- bringing home a carton mixed with brown, light blue, and white eggs. This completely astounded my husband who never realized there were eggs any other color than white or brown.  Different breeds of chickens lay different colored eggs, but the inside of the egg is essentially the same.  I was also informed that Highfield Dairy will be selling fruit sorbet this weekend at the DuPont Circle market.  As a word of warning, it apparently sells out very quickly.

I'm looking forward to a weekend visiting various markets in the area.  There is so much great produce this time of the year that I am feeling very fortunate to be a Washingtonian.

Managing the Market

Ever end up with way too many vegetables after a trip to the farmer's market?  How about a vegetable you didn't know what to do with? How do you plan for the unexpected at the farmer's market?

As the person responsible for all of the grocery shopping in our household, I am sometimes challenged by the fact that I don't exactly shop at the grocery store.  In our home, it's not unusual for the sound of footsteps into the kitchen to be immediately followed by loud groans and complaints including "Why don't we ever have anything to snack on?" or "What's that?" or even "Beets! I hate beets!" 

John hates beets and consumed none of these.

For those of us who frequent the farmer's market, grocery management can be a serious challenge.  My friend Catherine recently shared a story about a trip to the Foggy Bottom Market. In her excitement for fresh produce, she claims to have purchased every interesting vegetable in sight.  Thirty minutes later she carried a very heavy bag full of vegetables and regret all the way back to DuPont Circle.

As for myself, the worst mistake I have made thus far was to purchase one pouisson (small chicken) to serve up as a dinner for two.  I spent hours brining, stuffing, then roasting it.  When it was time to eat, we each enjoyed about 4-5 delicious bites of the chicken before it was all gone.  Woops. Catherine's oversized bag of vegetables really would have come in handy at this point. . . .

What was I thinking? The spatula in that picture actually looks bigger than the chicken.

Obviously, shopping at the farmer's market is not at all like shopping at the grocery store. While most of the differences are good (see my side bar on 10 reasons to eat locally), there are some real challenges. Specifically, it's sort of hard to make an itemized grocery list. There's never any guarantee that what you want is going to be at the market, and it's quite possible that many things you never imagined cooking may tempt you.  This can make shopping based on a recipe difficult-- meaning that sometimes it's a challenge to  buy the "right" items to feed your family throughout the week.

Here is my short list of ways to avoid purchasing too many beets and/ or too few young chickens.

My farmer's market shopping management tips:

• Plan ahead if possible. Many markets have websites or newsletters that summarize what you will find at market each week.  In DC, subscribe to the Fresh Farms newsletter for weekly updates on what will be available at each market. Also check out the Seasonal Ingredient Map available at Epicurious for tips on peak seasons throughout the USA.
• Utilize cooking websites with advanced searches.  Epicurious has a great advanced search feature.  Sometimes the strangest combinations of ingredients do actually work together in a meal.
• Take a stroll. Walk around the market one time before buying anything.  Utilizing this technique will help you to compare what's available and compare prices.  This may also give you time to think through a meal or two (preventing you from buying everything).
• Get to know the vendors.  The more you shop at various markets the easier it will be. You will quickly learn which vendor makes the best sausage, which one has organic vegetables, or whose mozzerella cheese you prefer.  Furthermore, talking to the vendors can give you a head's up on which fruits and veggies will be coming to market in the week's ahead-- helping you to prepare for them.
• Don't be afraid to be creative and try new things.  After all, items like heirloom varieties and odd little vegetables are part of the fun and excitement of shopping at the Farmer's Market. Just limit the amount of new things you try each week so that you don't overwhelm yourself (or end up buying too many things nobody likes).

How do you manage the farmer's market?  As a new locavore, any tips you can share are greatly appreciated.

Cherry Clafoutis

A lovely French dessert: simple custard-like batter is baked with fresh cherries.  Delicious served warm, cold, with ice cream, or all on its own.

 

A few months ago, I stumbled upon a recipe for clafoutis at Foodbeam. I had never heard of clafoutis, but I was intrigued.  It looked simple, yet delicious.  And it was French!  Meaning, it must be delicious. Though I had no cherries at the time, I substituted some frozen strawberries and served up the results at a brunch for my friends.  It was a hit.

When cherries appeared at the market last Wednesday, I knew I would be making this lovely dessert again.  Though these sweet cherries are delicious all on their own, they worked very nicely in the clafoutis.

This weekend, I prepared Julia Child's version of clafoutis for a friend's party. I liked some aspects of her dessert. Her version requires a thin layer of the batter to be baked for a few minutes before adding the cherries.  At this point, an extra helping of sugar is doused upon the fruit before adding the remaining batter. While this step certainly improved the clafoutis, the recipe at Foodbeam had a smoother and creamier texture. 

In a moment of genius last night, I made the clafoutis again. This time, I combined my favorite aspects of both recipes, and added a little almond flavoring to the batter. My husband and I agreed that this version was the best yet.  I look forward to making this again when I go home to Michigan in a few weeks, where black cherries will be in season. I'm sure they will lend a deeper flavor to the recipe, and I look forward to comparing the two.

Here's my recipe. Note that I have adjusted it for farmer's market eggs. The eggs I buy at farmer's market are so large that I only used one for this recipe. If you are using smaller eggs, you may need to use two for this recipe.

Cherry Clafoutis for Two (maybe three) people

This recipe can easily be doubled for a larger crowd.  Simply increase the bake time to about 45 minutes.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 Cup Whole Milk
• 1/4 Cup Flour
• 1/3 Cup Sugar, divided into two equal parts
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp almond extract (optional)
• pinch of salt
• 1-2 TB butter, melted
• 1 extra large egg (or two smaller eggs)
• 1 1/2 cups of fresh cherries, pitted
• powdered sugar, to sprinkle on top

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 F. In the meantime, combine milk, flour, half of the sugar, vanilla, almond extract, salt and butter in a blender.  Blend until smooth.  Add the egg and blend again until thoroughly mixed.

Butter a small baking dish.  Pour a thin layer of the batter into the dish.  Bake for a few minutes until a firm layer begins to form on top of the batter.  Remove from the oven.  Spread the cherries on top of the batter, then top with the second half of the sugar.  Pour the remaining batter on top.

Bake for 25-30 minutes.The clafoutis is ready when it is puffy with a light brown crust on top.  The inside can look a little wobbly. Allow the clafoutis to cool slightly, then sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Enjoy this warm with ice cream or served cold. It is delicious either way!

A no-fuss dinner for the boys (+ herb roasted new potatoes)

When my husband informed me that his younger brother and one of his best friends would be hanging out at our place this weekend, I knew that dinner would be pretty easy to plan. With all this testosterone in our small condo, a dinner featuring some sort of salted meat seemed to be in order (with some vegetables on the side, of course).  What better way to get three men to appreciate local foods?

My second One Local Summer Meal required very little other than simple assembly and good ingredients. Pictured here is our meal: Italian Sausage from Smith Meadows Farm; a simple salad with lettuce and veggies from my garden, D & S Farms, and Sunnyside Farm and Orchards; and some roasted new potatoes using  potatoes from Sunnyside Farm and herbs from my garden. In this post you can see the distances travelled for each ingredient, as well as the recipe for the roasted potatoes.

Ingredients:

• Sweet Italian Sausage: Smith Meadows Farm, 72 miles
• Arugula: my garden, 0 miles
• lettuce: D & S Farms, 38 miles
• ugly tomatoes: D & S Farms, 38 miles
• scallions: Sunnyside Farm & Orchard, 71 miles
• garlic: Sunnyside Farm & Orchard, 71 miles
• new potatoes: Sunnyside Farm & Orchard, 71 miles
• rosemary: my garden, 0 miles
• oregano: my garden, 0 miles 
• ramp mustard: Bigg Riggs Farm, 99 miles

Not Local: olive oil, salt, pepper, vinegar

And now, a confession: we ate English peas that I purchased from the Del Ray market on Saturday. I had so many questions about the peas themselves that I totally missed the vendor's name.  I'll take a leap of faith that they were from within 100 miles of here, but will confirm next weekend when I return to the market.

A Rainy Dishpatch: Bok Choy Stirfry

When the skies darkened at 3:00 Wednesday, I watched from my downtown office as people raced through Lafayette Park looking for cover.  The heavy rain and strong winds made my heart sink with fear that the Wednesday Foggy Bottom market would shut down.  I had just read in my Fresh Farms newsletter that cherries (and maybe even raspberries-- raspberries!) would be at market. Forget fears about bad weather, my greatest fear was that I wouldn't get any delicious fresh fruit.

At 5:00 the skies seemed a little bit better, so I decided to take a risk and meander off to Foggy Bottom to scope out the situation. As I approached the metro station, I could see the white tents in the distance. The farmers had toughed out the storm. The thunder rumbled in the distance, and I dashed around grabbing up my favortites, also taking note of the newcomers. 

At D & S Farms I found butter lettuce with the roots still on. Apparently it can last up to three weeks kept in water, but I think I will be eating mine within a few days.  I also picked up some more of those Mr. Ugly tomatoes I raved about this weekend. As I was about to pay for my produce I spotted three containers of sweet cherries. Sweet cherries!  Without a second thought, I grabbed a box.  Sue (of D & S Farms) told me that the sweet cherries won't be around for very long, but that she should have them again on Saturday at Del Ray.  She said that it's possible some of the Pennsylvania farms will have them after our immediate area is finished with them. After taking the cherries home, it was proven that cherries don't last long in my house.  We have already eaten all of them.  I will have to buy a few cartons this weekend. 

Next I got my favorite goat cheese spread from Highfield Dairy, a garlic flavored goat cheese that is delicious with raw veggies or fresh bread. As the rain started to pound down on me again, I ran under the tent of Sunnyside Farm and quickly grabbed several things that looked good: bok choy, fresh garlic, scallions, and new potatoes. Finally, I spotted a vendor with one box of sugar snap peas left while running towards the metro. I quickly paid for them in the pouring rain, then ran to catch my train.

This may seem like a lot to go through for a few bags of fresh veggies and fruit.  I even wondered if I was reaching new levels of ridiculousness. . . . That is, until I got home and began to cook.  I know I preach the "eat local" mantra plenty already.  However, I must tell you: the items I bought at the market Wednesday were some of the freshest and tastiest ingredients I have ever used in my kitchen.  If I did pay more for them than I would at the grocery store (which I'm fairly certain the prices were close), it was completely worth it.

  

Pictured here is my market abundance from today.

When I got home it seemed natural to throw together the bok choy and sugar snap peas into a nice stirfry.  I began by chopping up some of the scallions and garlic.  This garlic-- with the greens still attached-- was by far the freshest garlic I have ever purchased.  The outer skins were barely papery and the inside flesh was actually fleshy and creamy white-- not rubbery and yellow like some of the garlic I've bought from the grocery store. As I was mincing the garlic, John yelled from the living room that he could actually smell it. Depending on your tolerance for garlic, this may or may not convince you to shop at the farmers market.

As I was sauteeing the various ingredients for the stir fry, I grabbed a sugar snap pea out of my wok.  It would not be an exaggeration to say that I was astounded by its sweet flavor and crisp texture.  Clearly these ingredients were about as fresh as you could find without actually growing them in your own backyard (or lack of, as we have already established).  Similarly, the bok choy was very tender and had a slightly peppery flavor. My adventure through the torrential downpour resulted in a very satisfying dinner.

All told, it only took about 20-30 minutes to make this delicious meal.  And just like some of the other recipes you'll find here, the best thing about it was the wonderfully fresh flavors of good quality food.

Without further ado, here's the recipe:

Stirfry with Bok Choy and Sugar Snap Peas

Prep time: 5 minutes ---  Cook Time: 15 minutes--- Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2-3 TB vegetable oil
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, smashed and minced
• 3 scallions, roughly chopped into half inch pieces (set aside green parts)
• One pound of chicken, sliced into thin pieces (chicken is optional: this meal would be delicious vegetarian)
• One Cup of sugar snap peas
• One small head of bok choy, roughly chopped (chop the leaves separately and set aside)
• 2-3 TB soy sauce
• dash of white wine
• salt and pepper to taste

Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper.  Set aside.

Put 1 TB of the oil in a wok.  Sautee the scallions over medium heat for about 3 minutes.  Add 1 TB of soy sauce and the garlic to the wok. Saute for an addional minute.  Remove. This allows the oil to pick up the flavors from the garlic and the scallions before you cook the chicken. This will give the chicken more flavor.

Add more oil to the wok if necessary.  Sear the chicken pieces for 2-3 minutes on each side until the chicken in nicely browned.  Return the garlic and scallion mixture to the wok.  Add the sugar snap peas, one more TB of soy sauce, and a dash of white wine.  Cover and cook for 1-2 minutes. 

Next, add the chopped bok choy slices.  Cook covered for about two minutes and then add the bok choy leaves.  If you would like, you can add the green parts of the scallions at this time also.  In addition, I put some of the green stems from my fresh garlic into the mixture.  You can also add more soy sauce, if you desire a little more seasoning. Cover and cook for about two more minutes until the bok choy leaves are bright green.

Remove mixture from the wok and serve over rice.  Enjoy!

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This was my first time cooking bok choy.  It was so simple to make and delicious served in a stir fry.  I still have one head of bok choy left.  If anyone has suggestions on how to prepare it, I would love to hear from you.

Dis(h)patch from Del Ray: Ugly Tomato Soup, Italian Short Ribs, and Sugar Snap Peas

 On Saturday I marched off to the Del Ray market for my very first time.  I really wasn't sure what to expect, but was pleased to find a bustling, though small, market.  I noticed that some of the same vendors I've found at various Fresh Farms Markets in downtown DC were also there.  Additionally, I was pleased to find that the prices of produce were noticeable lower than many of the markets I've been patronizing in the city. 

Before I report about what I found at market, today marks the commencement of another new experience called One Local Summer.  Beginning today up through the end of August, I will be posting one 100% local meal (exceptions: oil, salt, spices) every Sunday on my blog.  There are 136 people participating in this nationwide and even a few international participants! 

With One Local Summer in mind, I arrived at the market with a very clear objective: I had to be able to create a totally local meal with whatever I bought at the market.  Of course, we already know that I am easily swayed by unique or unusual items at the market.  Here's what I found:

These tomatoes are called "Mr. Ugly Tomatoes."  They were grown in southern Maryland and were advertised with an entire story about a farmer in Florida who tried to sell them to the supermarket quite unsuccessfully.  Most of the farmer's market patrons on Sunday were stopping to gawk at the tomatoes-- I had to bump elbows with a few people just to get this photo!  Of course, I bought several of them, with absolutely no plan on how I would use them, so as I was checking out I threw in a basil plant and some fresh strawberries hoping I would figure it all out.

Next, I purchased a large batch of sugar snap peas and a spring lettuce mixture.  I wandered off to another booth and found some fantastic looking spring onions which I knew I would need (as we use onions in almost everything in this house).

There was just one element missing to this meal: meat.  I stood at the counter of Smith Meadows Farms wondering just what sort of meat would best complement the variety of vegetables I was purchasing.  I decided on beef spare ribs and bought a good looking two pound package.  I was also very tempted to buy some of their amazing looking homemade pasta, but I will have to save that for another time.

After stopping in a few great thrift stores also in the Del Ray neighborhood, I dashed home and began to ponder my ingredients.  It helps that I also have fresh herbs in my backyard (window wells) and a plethora of locally sourced cheeses in my fridge. 

My inspiration ended up coming from a local cookbook store where I recently read a recipe for heirloom tomato soup.  After searching several recipes for tomato soups, I came up with an idea that combined elements from several-- and added a few of my own ideas to the soup. 

But how could I make spare ribs go with tomato soup?  I scratched my head.  I had really wanted to make the spare ribs Asian inspired, but this just didn't jive for me.  In a moment of brilliance, I decided to try making the spare ribs Italian style, and found a great recipe for "Beef Short Ribs Italian" at www.cooks.com.  Reading through the ingredients I knew I would need to make a few substitutions, and also noticed that it called for a can of tomatoes. Hmm. As fate would have it, my mother-in-law had just given me a can of her homemade tomatoes.  I had plenty of vegetables to serve on the side, so I was good to go.

I began by making the tomato soup so that it could chill and flavor through in the fridge during the day.

Roasted Ugly Tomato Soup with Basil-Feta Pesto

Serves four (appetizer sized)

Soup Ingredients:

• One and a half pounds of tomatoes (most large varieties would work well), halved/ stems removed
• Two spring onions, chopped
• Two cloves of garlic, crushed
• Kosher salt
• black pepper
• 4 sprigs of fresh oregano
• a drizzle of olive oil
• 2 TB white wine (or wine vinegar)
• water (as needed) 

Pesto Ingredients:

• One Cup of fresh basil leaves (packed)
• One-two cloves of garlic
• dash of salt
• 1/8 cup of crumbled feta cheese
• a drizzle of olive oil (more to taste)

Making the soup:

Preheat the oven to 350 F. In a large roasting pan, combine the tomatoes, onions, smashed garlic, Kosher salt, pepper, and oregano.  Drizzle with olive oil.

Place in the oven for one hour.  I checked on it from time to time.  After one hour, add 2 TB of white wine and a little bit of water. Mix ingredients in the roasting pan and return to the oven for another 30-45 minutes.

Remove from the oven.  Remove oregano sprigs and allow the mixture to cool for about ten minutes. For fun, you can separate the roasted tomatoes by color (I separated yellow and red colors) and blend them separately. Place mixture in a food processor and blend until smooth.  You may want to add a little water at this point to get a desired consistency. Pour into small serving bowls (I used wine glasses and poured half yellow soup and half red soup into each one).

*Note: most recipes called for using an immersion blender, which I do not own.  My soup had a slightly chunky texture, which I actually preferred.

Making the Pesto

Most pesto recipes call for Parmesan cheese and nuts.  I had neither locally sourced, but I did have basil and feta cheese.  Why not?  The results were delicious, by the way.

Directions: Combine the basil leaves, garlic cloves, salt, and feta cheese in a food processor.  Pulse a few times, then slowly pour oil in and pulse a few more times.  Remove and store in the fridge until ready to serve.

When our guests arrived last night, I pulled the wine glasses out of the fridge, put a dollop of pesto and a fresh basil leaf on top and then served.

 

Italian Style Short Ribs

We served these alone, but they would be wonderful with noodles or mashed potatoes since there is so much sauce generated from this recipe. Our spare ribs were so meaty that 2 1/2 pounds of meat was enough for four people. 

Ingredients:

• Two 1/2 pounds spare ribs
• 1/2 cup of spring onions (or more to taste)
• 2 garlic cloves, smashed
• 3-4 TB olive oil
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp  dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
• 1 can of tomatoes, drained and chopped
• 2 TB red wine or red wine vinegar
• 1 bay leaf

Preheat the oven to 350 F.  In the meantime, straddle a large casserole dish over two burners and turn both to medium-high heat.  Heat 2 TB olive oil.  Add spare ribs and cook each for 3 minutes on each side until slightly browned. Set aside.

Add remaining olive oil to pan and cook onions for 3-4 minutes.  Add paprika, oregano, and salt.  Cook for 2-3 more minutes.  Add the tomatoes, red wine, and the bay leaf.  Cook for two more minutes, then add the spare ribs and cover with foil.

Place the spareribs in the oven and bake covered for an hour and a half.  Remove from the oven and serve.

I served these alongside some sugar snap peas.  I simply tossed the peas in a little olive oil, garlic salt, and some chopped spring onions.  I threw them in the oven while the spare ribs had ten minutes left to cook.  Both were ready at the same time.

 

Since our neighbors were over for dinner, I wanted to finish nicely with a dessert.  I had a strawberry rhubarb pie in the freezer which I had assembled a few weeks ago.  I baked this while dinner was eaten, then served alongside some of those fresh strawberries. Of course, my neighbor failed to mention that he does not like pie.  Who doesn't like pie?  Seriously. So, in the end only three pieces of pie and all of the fresh strawberries were eaten. 

So that's it: my first One Local Summer meal.  Overall, I'd say it was a success- even with the pie.