Restaurant Widow

CSA & Columbus Farm Market Report for September 15th

Ah, the cool weather.  The need to wear a sweater to the market - and keep wearing it throughout marketing - means I can finally accept the fact that fall is on the way, and purchase some squash.  I celebrated with three squash and a pumpkin.  I like the produce this time of year - everything lasts so long that you don't feel this crushing need to cook right now.  I made a (vain) effort to keep things light this week - we've been working a lot and haven't been doing very much cooking. 

I started off the morning later than usual, having turned my 7am alarm off and waking, instead, at 9.  No matter.  I headed to the Worthington market, where I stopped briefly to pick up some Gala apples, sweet red peppers, and red onions at Zemnicki Greenhouse.  I strolled around a bit - we're in that kind of weird time where the tomatoes are waning, there aren't very many beans out (what does it take to get someone to grow beans in this state?!), but it isn't quite cold enough yet for those greens which make me so happy after the first frost.  I didn't even see any Brussels sprouts on my trip this morning, but I suppose I wasn't paying close enough attention.

I swung through the Clintonville market, being on something of a mission to find some fennel bulbs (above), and was pleased to find a few remaining at the Sippel Farm, where they also had single-serving, lunchbox-sized watermelon.  Alas, I resisted, and settled for just the fennel.  I was pleased to see that the Wayward Seed farm has begun selling at the Clintonville market, and I bought a nice little pumpkin from them whose name has of course completely escaped me.  They also had golden kabocha and a great, bluish, knotted Tuscan squash (which is apparently quite tasty, but I didn't want to get carried away).  It was then off to buy some duck eggs.  Alas, I can't remember the name of the farm, but it's just a few stalls north of 2 silos, and the duck eggs are terrific.  The yolks are so firm that the last time I was frying some up, I broke one of the yolks and it didn't spread.  It cooked just like normal, only the yolk was a little misshapen.  They are so rich and decadent, if you try them you might never want to go back to chicken eggs!

Speaking of chicken eggs, our CSA chickens finally decided to start laying again!  In other CSA news, our box this week contained a watermelon (above), lettuce, garlic, onions, wax beans, a golden zucchini, nice red tomatoes, a giant yellow heirloom tomato, and a pint of Sungold cherry, yellow pear, and red currant tomato mix.  I think I'm going to stir all of those together with a little salt and balsamic to take to work with me.  We also received a sprig of dill (my favorite garden aroma, hands down).

And then it was off to buy a few more eggplants and my weekly allotment of Toby Run shitake mushrooms.  I stopped by Wishwell Farms for another jar of their hot pepper relish, which I love, and a few more squash - golden kabocha (above), acorn, and butternut.  It's time to do some roasting! 

And what did you get at the market this week?

Also, today was the gathering of the Columbus Cutters, the Columbus scooter club, so Husband has weeks of listening to me beg for a scooter to look forward to.  Here's the super cool Jeni's Ice Cream Scooter:

CSA Report for September 8th

An abbreviated market day today, just a quick hop to the North Market to pick up my CSA and buy some eggplant.  That's right.  I ate eggplant on 2 occasions this week and liked it.  Next up, some baba ganouj or maybe some caponata.  Who knows what craziness may ensue.

Via Colari was taking place at the North Market today, and it was nice to see so many artists showing up despite the threat of rain.  I was there too early to really take any pictures of artwork - most artists were just getting started - but perhaps tomorrow I'll stop by and take some pictures.  You should go down, though, and show support.

This week's CSA contained Swiss card, lettuce, green and wax beans, garlic, big slicing tomatoes and a box of small cherry and pear tomatoes.

What did you get?

CSA & Columbus Farm Market Report for September 1

 
Each week, I document what I receive in my CSA box and what I purchase at Columbus' farm markets.  If you have questions about what a CSA is, please click here.  For lists of my market reports since 2005, please click here.

Ah, September.  It's funny - this morning as I was driving to the market, I was thinking "August is like being stuck in the doldrums," and then I turned the radio on, and the promo for today's Wait, Wait - Don't Tell Me started off "Ah, the news doldrums of August..."  I guess I'm not the first to make the comparison.

This morning's chill had me searching for a sweater, and although I resisted buying any squash yet again, I think I'm ready if some should make their way into my shopping basket in the next few weeks.  Of course, the beginning of Seotember means I'm another year older - there's just no stopping that fact, but as long as each year keeps getting better than the last, I'm content. 

I got up while it was still dark this morning - surely another sign that the seasons are changing, I can't sleep more than 4 hours at a time - and made it to the North Market in time to see the sun rising over the buildings and shining onto the North Market sign, complete with the setting  moon (sorry for the giant picture, I just couldn't resist):

I might need a sweater in the chill, but it's still too hot for the chickens to lay eggs!  Sandy (Sterrett, my CSA farmer) said this morning she spoke with another farmer who got 3 eggs from her 200 hens!  I suppose that is part of the joy of being a farmer.  Fortunately, I have a few eggs leftover from weeks past - farm fresh eggs last so much longer than the grocery store kind - up to 5 weeks (and more, if you're brave. Of course, you can tell if an egg is bad the moment you crack it open, but eggs do last a long time in the fridge).  This week's CSA (pictured, top of post) included a green pepper, lettuce and greens, green and wax beans (again, so pretty even I, green bean hater that I am, might even eat them, pictured below), a few giant heirloom tomatoes, a pint of tiny little orange cherry tomatoes which were stellar last week - can't wait to toss them in some hot spaghetti - sweet corn, and an unpictured sweet red pepper:

I stopped by Toby Run for my weekly shitake fix, and lamented the fact that they won't be around forever.  The 6 months I have to spend without them are really depressing.  I pondered if they would freeze and decided they would become hopelessly waterlogged, and then we discussed dehydrating them.  I'll have to give the a try.  If I were smart, I would have dehydrated all of the stems in order to make mushroom stock.  Why do I always think of these things too late!  He won't be at the market next week, so plan accordingly.

Then it was off to Sommerset herbs, where I (finally!) picked up some fresh tarragon.  Why is it so hard to find fresh tarragon at the markets?  I also bought a wide assortment of their beautiful hot and sweet pepper collection (cayenne, paprika, and Hungarian wax - pictured below)) for a great sounding recipe I'm trying out this weekend for a new cookbook I'm reviewing.  Of course, more on that later.  I also got some Roma tomatoes for turning into tomato chips, which you will hear all about if I am successful.

Every year, I think this is going to be the year I learn to love eggplant.  I don't mean breaded and fried eggplant, just roasted eggplant or something.  This cutie from Toad Hill Organics charmed me by sight at least:

I stopped by to talk to the fine folks at Wayward Seed - they'll soon have squash and sweet potatoes - and to buy some of their great King Richard leeks, a few poblano peppers, and this knobby potato whose name has completely escaped me at the moment.  I think they look like a fabled mandrake:
Inside the North Market, I bought the first Ohio Honeycrisps of the year!  Hooray for my favorite apple ever!

And then it was off to the Worthington Farmer's Market, where I had almost single-minded determination to find some fresh limas (below), fresh kidney beans for next week's "First Night of Football Season Chili." 

I picked up some cherry bomb peppers from Garden Patch Produce, which are soon to be stuffed with some goat cheese and roasted:

A pound of shallots from Sippel Farm (thanks for growing shallots!):

And then down to wait in line at Gillogly Orchard, where I bought my first nectarines and plums of the year, along with some white peaches:

I hope to get some cooking done this week, so hopefully there will be some new recipes to look forward to.  And what did you get?

I'll see you at the markets!

CSA & Columbus Farm Market Report for August 25th

(More pictures tomorrow)

Oh, the heat!  The wilting, energy-zapping, frizz-inducing heat and humidity.  The rain early in the week did nothing to chase off the humidity, it only turned the city into a swamp.  You can sit in the yard and watch the moss grow.  Anything left to its own devices might be covered in mold in minutes.  The evenings melt into steamy, misty, hot dark - there's no relief.  I am so grateful for air conditioning.  Of course, in February, I'll be cursing the black snow, the cold gray ice and freezing drizzle.  Can't win.  Oh well.  The rain has been creating a little havoc on the crops in Northern Ohio (10 inches in 4 days?!), but hopefully in the coming week it will dry out a little - and again - no rain, too much rain, etc.  Farming is a risky business, and this week, I don't envy any of you.  But, I'm glad you're there!

So, I was going to get loads and loads of things for preserving this week, but the heat zapped my will to carry more than 25 pounds at one time.  I was impressed that I managed to drop of my first load in the car at the Worthington market to go back and buy some extra sweet corn for freezing. 

I couldn't stand the thoughts of crowds this week, and so I made it to the North Market at 8am.  It was blissfully uncrowded and I was in and out. 

This week's CSA included skinny little wax beans, Swiss Chard, potatoes,  lettuce, delicious little orange cherry tomatoes (almost spicy), and sweet corn.  No eggs this week.  Maybe the chickens are too hot to work, too.  I also bought some tiny little heirloom squash - silver something?  Can't remember.

There were some shitake mushrooms from Toby Run (finally - I've missed them the past few weeks!), popcorn from Quiver Full Farms, some huge cippolinis and leeks from Wayward Seed Farms, as well as a few poblano peppers (for 2 years now, I've been meaning to stuff those with some lamb and cous cous.  Maybe this week we'll actually do it!).  I stopped by Sommerset herbs for some hot peppers and Black Prince tomatoes.

At this point, I almost called it quits, but I needed peaches and onions - not specialty onions, just big cooking onions, so I kept on keeping on.  I bought the most beautiful sunflowers ever (Sungolds, from Sun Dog) - I have to buy these every year, they make me so happy.  I got lots of complements on them as I was walking around.  The only bad thing about buying flowers at the farmer's market is that you have to carry them around without crushing them for the rest of the market.  Oh well, small price.

I bought my peaches and, alas, the first of the Gala apples at Gillogly.  I bought some heirloom garlic (Susanville artichoke variety, good for roasting and delicious, I had some for lunch in pasta) at Red Brick Farms, and then I bought my sweet corn and called it a day.  I'm going to try to get out to the midweek markets this week to buy some things in bulk.  I need a little rolling cart, I think.  I'd love to buy a hundred ears of corn for freezing, but the thought alone of carrying them from the Pearl Alley market to wherever I find a parking spot downtown makes me need a nap.

Speaking of which, it's time to get ready for work.  Three cheers for Saturday!

CSA & Columbus Farm Market Report for August 18th

First of all, thanks to everyone who showed up for my cooking demo, and for not laughing at me for being nervous and babbling like an idiot (this is where Husband rolls his eyes and says "I'm sure you didn't babble like an idiot" in that worn out but still nice voice)! 

It was a lovely market day, and I was a little sad to have missed all of the marketing (in addition to cooking, I also judged the jelly-making and tomato contests, along with members of the legitimate press).  The heirloom tomatoes I passed made me swoon, but alas, my day was too busy.  I'll have to make up for it next week.  This week's CSA included cherry tomatoes, a nice fat heirloom tomato (hillbilly?), edamame, hot peppers, eggs, green beans and onions.

I haven't been cooking at all lately - if you could see the lists of recipes I want to make for you, restaurants I want to eat in, etc., you would be yelling at me to shake off this August malaise and start cooking! and eating!  Perhaps now that things have cooled down a bit, we can get back out there.  It looks like we're in for a lot of rain this week, and I do enjoy cooking when it's raining, so maybe I'll find some inspiration.

Next week I'll be out at the markets early, early, early - the North Market was really crowded this week.  Hopefully I'll see you there!

2007 So Far, in Red

Busy, busy, busy - in the meantime, here's a little slideshow I put together.  Enjoy.

CSA & Columbus Farm Market Report for July 28th

Yet another lovely day, if slightly humid.  I'm sure the humidity will grow throughout the day until I have full on halo head (a condition which should be perfectly understood by those with naturally curly hair) and a nice shiny face to greet all of my guests.  I can hardly wait.  At least it's martini day (Saturday, the worst day of the week - and the last one where work is involved - is the day which ends with a dirty Bombay Sapphire martini.  The life of a waitress.  Oh well, if I had become a lawyer, Tuesday would be martini day.

So far (knock on wood), no rain on a market day.  This week, I started off at the Worthington Market, where I kept things very, very light (not very much cooking this week).  Some purple potatoes and kale at Garden Patch produce, some sweet onions from Cottage Gardens, my first little box of mixed cherry tomatoes (above) and a huge bag of basil from Mead Acres, that last of the short ribs from Up the Lane Cattle (I'm sorry if you missed it, but there's always next year), and a few peaches:

and garlic from Gillogly Orchards:

I headed to Northridge Organics for some lamb chorizo and some cute Easter egg radishes (below) And that was about it. 

I headed over to the North Market, just to sneak in and pick up my CSA box, which, this week, included salad greens, wild greens (dandelion, purslane, lamb's quarters), a zucchini, a cucumber, some shallots, a green bell pepper, and some green beans, in addition to the usual 1/2 dozen eggs.  I completely forgot that last week, we got horseradish!  Fresh horseradish!  More on that later.

And then, I came home and made this ravioli out of Trader Joe's dried cheese raviolis (a sin, according to Marcella, by the way) with garlic confit, purslane, fresh tomatoes and basil, because I was too tired (lazy?) to make anything which actually required work.  I do, afterall, have to actually work tonight. 

CSA & Columbus Farm Market Report, July 21st

A purposefully light market day today.  Why?  Well, to be quite honest, I haven't done very much cooking this week.  I still have quite a few things leftover from last week, and I decided if we ran out of things through the weekend, I'd hit Pearl Alley on Tuesday.  I didn't even set my alarm this morning.  Of course, I don't really need to set an alarm when I have 4 cats standing on me because one of them knocked over the water bowl and everyone else is thirsty. 

The weather we've been having Saturdays this summer!  It is something else!  It's not even going to get to 80 today, so get out there and get some sunshine!  Come on, you can take Harry Potter outside (mine hasn't been delivered yet, which is probably for the best.  It was going to be a tossup between writing and reading).

Every week, I document what I receive from my farm share.  Click to discover what a CSA is.  Click here for the full index of posts, For a handy list of what's growing when, click here.

this week I only hit the North Market.  This week's CSA including some long skinny cucumbers (English?), lots of green beens, salad greens, garlic, eggs, and some more of that lovely golden squash.  I augmented this with some zucchini, also from Elizabeth Telling ("what are you going to do with all of those zucchini?! I was asked - it's only three!), some red white & blue potatoes (below), and some purslane (above).  Did you know?  Purslane is very good for you.  While it is eaten very commonly in other parts of the world, we Americans tend to think of it as a weed - it is, kind of, Farmer Sandy was telling me this morning.  It grows as a weed because immigrants brought it over.  She also informed me that purslane has a higher omega 3 fatty acid content than any other known vegetable.  As omega 3 is most readily available in fatty fish, this makes purslane a great idea for all of you vegetarians out there.  We'll investigate this healthy green later in the week.

I bought some blackberries from a farm whose name I can't remember (my apologies):

I'm sure some of you might be aware that a movie has come out which promises to do for ratatouille what Sideways did for pinot noir.  Well, the truth is, I don't really like ratatouille.  And, I, um, don't like eggplant.  Every year, I tell myself this is the year I'm going to learn to like eggplant, and every year I can't cook an eggplant well enough to make it delicious.  Well, I like eggplant parmesan (who doesn't), but I don't consider battering and frying a vegetable and covering it with cheese to actually be enjoying said vegetable.  It is just a conveying device from the cheese and bread crumbs, let's face it.  At any rate, I bought some really lovely eggplant from Toad Hill Organics, along with a nice batch of baby squash (maybe the cute factor will make this combination - eggplant included - more delicious).  If only there were red peppers ripe yet, I would be giving this ratatouille thing another shot.  A few more weeks.  At least the eggplant is beautiful:

I bought some shallots (yay! shallots are delicious!) and my weekly squash blossoms from Comb's Herbs (I promise, some pictures and recipes soon).

You know what? The coffee place in the North Market - Crimson Cup, I think, inside of A Touch of Earth, makes a really good latte.  It's a nice breakfast.  Just thought I'd throw that plug it.

CSA & Columbus Farm Market Report for July 14th

What a perfect day today.  As friends and I sat outside the North Market today, we were remarking on the fantastic weather we've been having lately.  It's a shame I have to ruin it with work.  Ah, well, electricity sure is nice.

I got up nice and early to head to the Worthington Market for my Arbor Hill Organics red thumb potatoes (there were precious few this week, but there will be more next week); their baked goods also looked really lovely, too, but I resisted.  There are so many things growing right now, almost too much to recount!  But I shall do my best.  I bought some baby squash and the last remaining basket of baby squash with the blossoms still attached!  From the Golden Beet Farm, some lovely red carrots (above); delicious, but the exciting beauty is only skin deep.  From Cottage Gardens, some nice fat sweet red onions, and some skinny hot ones.  Ribeyes were to be had from Up the Lane Cattle (the last of those, alas, for the season), Cherries and blueberries from Gillogly Orchards, some lamb chorizo and from Northridge Organics, some kohlrabi and garlic from a forgotten source (below), some peaches! and leeks from Zemnicki, and lastly, some poblano and Hungarian wax peppers from Wenger Produce.

And then, like a whirlwind, it was off to the North Market, where the crowds ensured a very brief visit - just for my weekly Toby Run shitakes mushrooms, more squash blossoms from Comb's farms, popcorn from Quiver Full, and my CSA box.  This week's box contained cucumbers - burpless and regular (I had never heard of "burpless" cukes before, but who knows) - golden squash, which looks like an orange zucchini (below) and supposedly tastes like a delicious zucchini. (The truth is, I don't really like yellow summer squash very much, considering how much I love zucchini)  I also received broccoli, scallions, eggs, greens, and green beans.  Husband will be very happy.  I see some green beans and bacon in my future.

What did you get?

CSA & Market Report for July 7th - It's 070707!

Each week, I document my Farmer's Market adventures.  To learn about what a CSA is, and for links to other local farm markets, and lists of previous CSA & market reports, please click here. 

This is my favorite week of the year.  Not only does the sweet corn come in, but so do the new potatoes.  I got up extra early to head to Worthington for my favorite potatoes:

It's getting hot outside.  As I mentioned to a farmer this morning, we say that every year, as though it has come as a surprise.  Sort of like when we get nothing but rain and ice in the wintertime.  As though, this year, we had expected something different. 

So, this morning it was up and at 'em, a quick stop for coffee, and I was off.  The very last of this year's sweet peas and some flowers even (which will, sadly, be the first thing I've planted this year), from Cottage Gardens.  I bought two packs of ribeyes from Up the Lane cattle, because they are almost out of steaks for the year!  Oh no!  Fortunately, they will be having another slaughter in October in preparation for this years winter market! 

That's right - as there will be a winter farm market this year, every other week, beginning the week before Thanksgiving and going through April, there will be 1-2 markets Saturdays a month through April.  These markets will be held at 777 high street, in the town hall of the Griswold Senior Center.  Exciting!  Now there will be a resource for buying locally produced food in the wintertime. 

But on with the marketing.  I bought some kohlrabi from Oakleaf farm, and of course, my weekly dose of cherries - bing and Royal Anne - from Gillogly Orchards, along with some blueberries (finally made it out early enough for the blueberries!).  I bought my first baby squash of the year from Mead acres (below).  I also bought some of those yummy sweet (and appropriately named) "Candy" onions (above) from a farm whose name escapes me at the moment.

Then it was off to the North Market.  Shitake mushrooms from Toby Run?  Check.  Squash blossoms freshly picked this morning just for me along with shallots from Comb's Herbs?  Check.  Witty banter and general complaining about restaurant life with Todd from Wayward Seed Farm?  Check.  Oh, and some more of those yummy young collards?  Check.  Green bell peppers from Wishwell?  Check.  Husband's croissant from Omega?  Check.  Mango Tango smoothie from Bubbles?  Check.  Pick up North Market newsletter which included blush-inducing compliments about yours truly?   Check. (thanks nice people!)  Marvel at my own efficiency?  Check.  Stop through Pistachio to lament imminent departure (August 7th, alas) and pick up Husband's weekly dose of canelé and cookies in vain attempt to woo new line cooks who hate me?  Check.

This week's CSA box (pictured top of post) included broccoli, zucchini, 1/2 dozen eggs, radish pods (great for salads!), dill, some teeny tiny little carrots (below), garlic, new potatoes, and a bag of lettuce mix.  Note to self: seriously?  eat some salad this week.  This year the greens are even prewashed.  NO EXCUSE!!

Okay, must sign off now because this girl has some serious potatoes to eat.  I'll tell you all about it. 

Okay, last thing: I'm working on a roundup of your dining advice.  I'll have it very soon.  Have a great weekend!  Don't forget to tip your waitresses!