August 19th CSA & Market Report

Saturday was a hazy day, as seen in this photo of the Nationwide Building.  First of all, there was a whirlwind trip to the North Market Farmer's Market, where they were having their Market Days festival.  I'm glad they're getting the word out to folks to eat local, but as I was doing my grocery shopping for the week, I didn't have time for any festivities.  I had a lot to accomplish before work.

My CSA box this week included 1/2 dozen eggs, salad greens, hot peppers, sweet corn, an onion braid, eggplant, onions, garlic, the requisite item(s) I forgot, and some tomatoes, including one "Hillbilly Stripe" (a lovely, sweet, red and yellow striped variety) that must have weighed at least 2 pounds.  I was so excited about that I brought it right home and made it into bruschetta and consumed it without even pausing for a pictures.  I'm sorry about that, it really was a beauty.

Also from the North Market, I bought my usual shitake mushrooms from Toby Run Growers, and then I had to whisk away to the Worthington Market.

First stop is for potatoes from Arbor Hill Organics, and then it's on to Garden Patch Produce, which has been one of my Worthington Market mainstays - they sell things like kale and okra which no one else has, and they always have wonderful boxes of mixed cherry tomatoes which I love (seen here in a happy yellow bowl).  They were also selling kits for salsa verde for $4, which included tomatillos, chiles and cilantro, along with a recipe - I thought this was such a great idea.  They also sell tomato sauce kits with herbs and the like.  They also had great bunches of mixed-variety carrots.

Further down the way, I grabbed up more of the baby squash with blossoms still attached at Mead Farms, along with more baby squash, some tiny okra, tomatillos, and eggplant (which I am determined to learn to like one of these days).  I took the blossoms home and stuffed them right away, and they are currently sitting in the freezer, waiting to be fried.

It was about the time I was standing in line at Gillgogly orchard that the rain started; light at first, and then a torrential downpour.  At least it was warm.  It wouldn't have been so bad except that every time the woman in line in front of me moved, a rivulet of rain came running down her umbrella and onto me.  Talk about refreshing. 

But I was undaunted.  Keeping my back to the buildings and stopping under awnings whenever possible, I made my way along the street.  I stopped by Pop & Judy's patch for some ruby red popcorn and a few more chile peppers (I am totally addicted to those this summer, for whatever reason).  Then it was on to Zemnicki, which, although it might sound like a cocktail from the '20s, is actually one of those lovely farms who sell the practical stuff all season long, such as scallions, leeks, sweet and regular onions, peppers - just all those things you really need to have in your pantry to cook something.  They also had some nice plums which I haven't tried yet, and this lovely turnip, which I am hoping to turn into pickles, Japanese-style.

Get out there and see what Central Ohio has to offer!  Or wherever you are!