Happy Birthday Dad!!
What a lovely day today. Just for the record, it's interesting to note that this week last year was also lovely. Thanks to the rain we got this week, we had a much-needed boost in growing. The market is in full swing, a few old favorites were back for the first time, and we're off to a great start for the summer growing season. I am ashamed to say I didn't do anything very exciting with last week's CSA. I don't know if it was the heat or what, but I was very lazy with cooking this week. Shame on me!
First of all, an open letter to would-be line cutters: I know you think I'm so nice and polite and everything, but just because I stand quietly in line awaiting my turn like I was taught in kindergarten doesn't mean you can get in front of me (that means you, middle aged woman with the fanny pack who I learned later works in the church down the road). The next time I am cut in line, you will get a lesson in stringing together a 45 second, profanity laden insult so blue it might actually take physical shape and follow you around for the next week. I've been in the restaurant business for years, and I've learned a thing or two about how to bring out the shame. I'm tired of it. Grow up. Don't say I didn't warn you.
Okay! Now, on with this week's shopping!
Today's CSA included zucchini, eggs, salad greens, a head of cauliflower, and some garlic.
Also from the North Market, I picked up my requisite week's worth of shitake mushrooms from Toby Run. I was pleased to see that Quiver Full farm was back this year; they mill their own cornmeal and a variety of wheats. It can be difficult to get locally grown & milled grains, so I always like to support them. They also had a delicious popcorn blend (pictured above), and I bought 2 bags. Husband and I are popcorn fiends, and it seems we are always running out. I also bought my weekly bags of squash blossoms from Comb's Farms; this past week Husband made dinner and simply sauteed 2 zucchini and then added the squash blossoms to the saute at the last minute. It was beautiful and very tasty. You might not think, at first, that the blossoms would add anything, but they do give it this je ne sais quois - it might just be that they're so pretty they make everything taste delicious, and if that's the case well then, so be it. They also provided some arugula.
From H-W Organics, I picked up some nice fat red onions, brown onions, new potatoes, and some sweet peas.
I love to buy things I've never tried before. This week, that was two varieties of microgreens - fennel (above) and arugula (below). I love microgreens, and for those of you who haven't tried them yet, then what are you waiting for? The fennel greens, with the seeds still attached, are intensely fennel-y. The arugula micros are delightfully hot and would make an amazing addition to a roast beef sandwich. I'll have to remember that this week. I'll have to combine them with some of the full-grown arugula and then we can have arugula two ways. I also picked up some tender young collards.
I swung through the interior of the Market to pick up Husband's croissant from Omega, and for some nice thick cut bacon from Blues Creek. Have to have something to cook up with those collards! And some cornbread with the cornmeal from Quiver Full! I'm so glad we have a few days off this week!
I headed up to the Worthington market, scooping up some of Rohini's hot pepper chutney, the last bag of (shelled!) sweet peas from Cottage Gardens, and loads of cherries from Gillogly Orchards. This week I bought some bings and some Royal Anne (what Ms. Gillogly referred to as "Ranier wannabes") cherries, just for eating out of hand (above). Cherries are my favorite fruit for simply eating straight. Well, they are until nectarine season begins. By the way, there will be a few peaches and nectarines this year. Many were lost in the frost, but after speaking with a few farmers, it seems they will have a crop, just a small one. So get there early. And I mean early. By the time I arrived at Gillogly this morning, 1/2 hour after the official opening time of the market, they had already sold out of blueberries!
I bought some ribeyes and short ribs from Up the Lane cattle, some beets from the Golden Beet Farm (where, alas, all of the golden beets were sold to the person in front of me), some zucchini and broccoli from Wenger's Produce, some ground chicken and hot Italian Sausage from Oink Moo Cluck, some purple potatoes (above) and I'm sure something I'm forgetting.
I stopped at Clintonville for a minute because I'd scoured the markets all morning in search of kohlrabi to no avail. My dogged kohlrabi suppliers, Pop & Judy (who also supply the kitties with catnip sachets and Husband and I with popcorn), have retired for the year. Fortunately, the Sippels still had loads of kohlrabi, as well as the first baby squash I've seen so far this year. Alas, I took my out-of-cashedness as a sign it was time to go home, and called it a day.
Then I got home and made this for lunch. Farm fresh new potatoes and sweet peas, tossed in a little extra virgin olive oil with salt and pepper, topped with leftover brisket from Weiland's, and some of those yummy arugula sprouts (perfect with beef, it's confirmed):
What did you get?
