I'm over the hype of the farmers market these days, its way expensive and every chef I know claims to be shopping there all the time. At those prices very few below the level of a Per Se can really shop there and then sell the food. If you are trying to keep your price points in the affordable common man range its harder and harder. That said I still love the quality of local produce, I suppose the hunt is a little harder but I still think with a little perseverance one can buy good stuff at the market for not too much money. The selection and variety is also amazing and has dramatically improved since I started shopping in farmers markets 15 years ago. Purslane is a great example. Commonly eaten raw in the Middle East and cooked in stews in Mexico it is considered a super food, rich in calcium, iron, omega-3 and vitamin A just to start. Its also super delicious, a juicy succulent texture and a slight astringent tang. It's frequently available at farmers markets. I cut it up and mix it with slivered red onion or scallion, cucumbers, radishes and a little shaved hard goat cheese, give it a simple dressing of olive oil and lemon juice and there's an amazing tasty meal that's worth braving the farmers market for.
August 28, 2010
Farmers Market Salads
I'm over the hype of the farmers market these days, its way expensive and every chef I know claims to be shopping there all the time. At those prices very few below the level of a Per Se can really shop there and then sell the food. If you are trying to keep your price points in the affordable common man range its harder and harder. That said I still love the quality of local produce, I suppose the hunt is a little harder but I still think with a little perseverance one can buy good stuff at the market for not too much money. The selection and variety is also amazing and has dramatically improved since I started shopping in farmers markets 15 years ago. Purslane is a great example. Commonly eaten raw in the Middle East and cooked in stews in Mexico it is considered a super food, rich in calcium, iron, omega-3 and vitamin A just to start. Its also super delicious, a juicy succulent texture and a slight astringent tang. It's frequently available at farmers markets. I cut it up and mix it with slivered red onion or scallion, cucumbers, radishes and a little shaved hard goat cheese, give it a simple dressing of olive oil and lemon juice and there's an amazing tasty meal that's worth braving the farmers market for.
Grilled Mackerel
In Maine at my mothers house I got my hands on some Boston Mackerel an excellent and underused fish. I grabbed grape leaves from the garden and an array of herbs, lovage, thyme, parsley, verbena, chives and stuffed the bellies with the herbs and lots of salt and pepper. I wrapped them in the leaves and grilled them over hard wood charcoal. Delicious. The only tedious part was gutting them (I neglected to ask the fish monger to do it for me) and tying them. But they were worth it. Mackerel is one of those great super healthy and environmentally friendly fish that no one likes. O well more for me!
