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Butter the radish, pour the wine

Farmers' Market purchases

Madison’s Westside Community Market opened yesterday and it was an absolute success. I got there at 9:00 and Diana from DreamFarms was already out of eggs but she did have a tasty wedge of feta. At the information booth Vivien was dispensing hellos and news about the apple trees along with the delicious complimentary coffee that the market offers. Everywhere I looked farmers and shoppers were chatting and renewing friendships.

lunch

JenEhr Farm offered a bountiful spread of greens including a blend of mustard greens, bundles of a type of mustard green I’d not seen before, bunches of sorrel, and a lovely, light green leaf with a mild bok choy flavor. I bought some of each, including several bunches of French breakfast radishes.

french breakfast radish with butter and salt

A crusty, deeply flavorful whole wheat batard from Madison Sourdough Company brought it all together on a plate for a seasonal and local lunch. The sausage from Sunnyhill Acres, the feta from Dreamfarm, the radishes and greens from JenEhr a dab of butter here and there, some sea salt, and a glass of crisp white from France…well it was almost local but it was simple, full of flavor and probably one of the most satisfying meals ever. Like a big sigh…spring is here…it seems as though it’s safe to come out of my hole.

perfection

April 19, 2009 | Filed Under Local, Westside Community Market, bread, farmers market, food, quick and easy, soup, salad, sandwich 

comments

9 Responses to “Butter the radish, pour the wine”

  1. lo on April 19th, 2009

    Ah! The dawn of farmer’s marketing! Jen Ehr is one of my favorite farms… and they have the best mustard greens ever! We’re definitely going to have to hit the Madison market one of these days… everything looks luscious… and my body is so CRAVING good, fresh, spring greens! Not to mention radishes!

    That’s one great sammich!

  2. Lulu on April 19th, 2009

    Beautiful pictures, beautiful food. Thanks for sharing!

  3. postcollegecook on April 19th, 2009

    “Like a big sigh…spring is here…it seems as though it’s safe to come out of my hole.”

    Could not agree more. The warm weather months in Wisconsin make it worth the brutal winter (well… I suppose that’s debatable, but I like to think so!) This first fresh taste of spring is like a door cracking open and inviting such lovely possibilities for the next six months.

  4. Sophie on April 20th, 2009

    MMMMM….I want to eat that full plate of lovelyness!!
    Georgous & healthy food! I love markets as well, here in Brussles, Belgium! You can get fresh & lovely food! I buy every food on the market that my father can’t grow in his garden!

  5. Andy on April 20th, 2009

    glad to see your site is going again!

    looks like a nice weekend for the market….was the westside as crowded as downtown?

  6. Angie on April 20th, 2009

    Hi Vanessa! So glad your site is back. I get a happy feeling when I see an e-mail from “What Geeks Eat” in my inbox. I was at the West Side Market, too. What a beautiful day. I have a new spring (no pun intented) in my step!

  7. Trig on April 21st, 2009

    OK – you’ve converted me to French food and wine. More seriously, isn’t simple food prepared with great quality produce so much better than complex food made with lesser ingredients? I’ve been converted to produce-led cooking and I’ll be doing a lot of it myself on a professional basis, starting very soon. All the best to Dave, Alex and Dexter.

  8. MadLisa on April 21st, 2009

    Radishes on good bread with butter and salt? One of my favorites! The other family members not so much–more for me!

    Today is hardly Spring-like, but there’s hope!

  9. Scott at Realepicurean on May 2nd, 2009

    Fantastic and simple, just how I like it. I’m a big fan of sourdough, too.

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