Farmers’ Market Porn…burgers, tomatoes, and cherries…oh my!
On Saturday morning Alex and I got up early and headed for the Westside Farmers’ Market in Madison. I knew that there might be tomatoes, sweet corn, and sour cherries so I was antsy to get there early and not miss out on the good stuff. I wasn’t disappointed. WoooHooo…that is one perfect burger. Just looking a the photo makes me hungry. It’s made with ground beef from Jordandal Farm, lettuce and slices of succulent Brandywine tomato, and red onion all from the FM. Yes, you can envy my burger…but don’t hate me for it.
These tomatoes look like fiery jewels. They’re a little bigger than a golf ball and when sliced into wedges and served with Dreamfarm’s Rosebud goat cheese they make for a sweet, zesty flavor explosion. I love them.
I’ve never had gooseberries before and I’m so glad I got them…so far I love them on cereal, in muffins (see below), and eaten as is out of hand. They’re tart with a hint of sweetness. I think I like the red ones best but the green ones are so pretty. Who knew they could be so good. These were grown by the great folks at JenEhr Farm.
These glistening, shiny, seductive orbs of cherrilicous goodness are Balaton Sour Cherries. Once I got back home with my precious ones I whipped up my usual galette dough recipe and stuck it in the refrigerator to chill. A few hours later I seeded the cherries using a partially unbent paper clip, added 1/2 cup of sugar, 4 tablespoons cornstarch, and a teaspoon of vanilla. Once that was all stirred up it became apparent to me that my typical flat galette was going to have no chance in hell of holding in the juicy goodness that these cherries were going to dish out. So I quickly buttered my cast iron skillet, rolled out the dough, and gently rested it in the buttery pan. I added the cherries using a slotted spoon because my research showed that it wasn’t feasible to keep all that juice. I folded in the edges as usual, brushed them with water and sprinkled them with sugar and then I baked it at 400F for 35 minutes.
This was the finest, freshest, most flavorful cherry pie I’ve ever had. The cherry flavor was so intense and appealing and the crust was crisp and tender. I wish I had another piece right now but it disappeared in record time. Cooking it in the skillet was a perfect solution and I’m sure that I’ll use that technique again when I have sloppy fruit for pie.
Finally we have the red currants grown by the JenEhr Farm. I bought these because they were so beautiful but now I’m not sure what to do with them…any suggestions dear readers?
The Burpinator says,
The Silver Palate Cookbook has long been one of my favorites. It was given to me by Deb, GH’s sister, at an impromptu wedding shower in 1987 and it is by far my most used cookbook. So many of my family’s favorite dishes are adaptations from this book.
The Big Bread Sandwich on pages 324-325 is our standard feast for our annual beach day. I do the prep work the day before so that I can easily assemble the sandwich after my coffee. Years ago I stuck to the diagram and recipe given in the book, but too many fillings made for a really slippery sandwich so over the years I’ve adapted this Big Sandwich into the family favorite called the Burpinator…as dubbed by Dexter several years ago and for obvious reasons…it must be pronounced with an Arnold Schwarzenegger accent to be truly authentic.
I start with a sturdy batard, sliced into 3 sections. The bottom section has a dijon mustard, roasted bell peppers, and Willow Creek Farm Kielbasa that I cook the day before, strip off its casing, chill, and then slice. An Italian sausage would be good here too…but the mellow flavor of the kielbasa played well with the peppers and mustard, and it’s what I had on hand. Add some sundried tomato/basil cheddar, and parsley. Brush the next layer with an olive oil/red wine vinaigrette and then pile on the grilled garlic/lemon chicken paillards, more cheese, parsley and then brush the top-inside with vinaigrette too. All of this is wrapped as tight as possible in saran and chills for at least 3 hours so the flavors can come together. It is easiest to slice right through the saran…no slippage.
The sky was blue (see above), the beach was hot, and the water was freezing! Honestly, we sat there baking, sunscreen on, umbrellas offering meager shade, and then just when we couldn’t take it anymore we waded in…the water was so cold that my legs felt like brain-freeze. But once we waded out a bit onto a sand bar we found it to be a bit warmer and we had a good time…in and out of the water all day long. Eat a bite here, drink a bit there…four hours later we packed up and headed home.
On the way home we stopped at Kopps Frozen Custard in Glendale, Wisconsin. They make their own frozen custard and it is incredibly good. So cold, fresh, and creamy…I had the flavor of the day, strawberry, and the berries were fresh and sweet…it was a delight…so much so that I couldn’t take a picture of it. Does anyone know the story behind the cows? They line the back of the parking lot and we don’t understand why there is only one black cow.
I almost forgot to mention that I am the featured blogger this week over at Family Oven. Many thanks to Isaac for thinking of me. Head on over and add it to your recipe resources.
Tangled up in green
Wow…what a difference a month makes around here. Saturday’s market was overflowing with fresh, local produce. We purchased tender mushrooms, fresh and fragrant basil, strawberries, and black raspberries. We picked up our order from Willow Creek Farm and chatted with Tony Renger about corn and soybean prices and ethanol. We were headed out when I realized I hadn’t bought any of the beautiful spring onions…their pungent aroma lingered in the air as we walked past stalls piled high with red and white varieties. I dashed back to get some and also spied these curly, spiral delights of pea tendrils. I had to have them but I wasn’t sure what to do with them.
As dinner time approached I did a quick online search and found that they are commonly used in Asian cuisine…quickly stir fried. Perfect… those spring onions just needed a brief dance in a pan to bring out their full sweetness, and the mushrooms would lead off and add a nice warm flavor note.
The pork chops were rubbed with minced garlic, ginger juice, and soy sauce and grilled (honestly, grilled a bit past perfection as our grill went inferno for a bit). The tangle of pea tendrils and their supporting cast made a nice nest for the pork chop…of course it only rested for a moment, just long enough for this photo, then it was devoured. The pea pods tasted green, the mushrooms prevented it from becoming too green, and the onions and basil added a punch. A success!
Have you seen any unusual items at your local market? How did you prepare them?
