To Market with Mo: "Please sir, may I have some more?"

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

January has the honor of being the national month of Eye Health Care, Bath Safety, Skating, Shape up US, Hot Tea, Soup (which I want to switch to February, but hey, that's my issue), Fiber Focus, Prune Breakfast (see previous entry), and Oatmeal (again, see Fiber). I could go on, believe it or not, as there are a lot more of these honors, for the month of January. But it is the oatmeal that I want to talk about. Sexy, right? I don't know, I think I can make a case for putting sexy into oatmeal. Or, would it be oatmeal putting the sexy into us? Afterall, oatmeal is so, so good for you. Loaded with complex carbs, fiber, vitamins like B & E, zinc (hello cold fighter, nothing sexy about a runny nose), not to mention a whole lot of other minerals, and last but not least, protein. Consume oatmeal on a regular basis, and you can't help but be healthy, and quite frankly, healthy is pretty sexy. I'm just saying....

Now, your commercial varieties of steel cut, rolled, or dare I say instant, are pretty darn good for you: they can all claim to help aid digestion, stabilize blood glucose levels, lower cholesterol, and reduce your risk of heart disease. Now, do you want to up the healthy factor and the tasty factor (yeah, a lot of oatmeal needs a bit of help in the tasty arena. Hey, I am a huge fan, but we all know it needs to be flavor enhanced a bit) then may I suggest a visit to Green City Market this winter (pssst, the next market day for Green City is February 13th) and a stop at the Three Sisters Garden booth. This is the source for a sweet, nutty, wonderful cross between steel cut and rolled oatmeal, that frankly, is the best I have ever tried. And trust me, I have tried a lot of oatmeal in my day.

Three Sisters Garden is actually run by two, not three, women who decided to hang up their chefs toques, to produce food. So, how cool is it to know that the oatmeal that you eat, will have only been touched by four hands: from sowing, to harvesting, to cutting, to rolling, to packaging. And unlike most oatmeal, which by the time it gets to us has not been in it's natural state for months, if not well, much longer, Three Sisters Garden oatmeal will get to you between 24-48 hours after it has been gently hand 'rolled'. Now that is fresh.

Once you get your Three Sisters Garden oats home, it is best to store in them in the fridge, and use within a couple of weeks. If you can't use them that fast go ahead and store them in the freezer. Now, don't automatically lean toward 'putting them away in the freezer' cause you just don't have time to make 'real' oatmeal in the morning. Do like the Scots and Irish: soak your oats in water overnite, with a wee bit of salt. The next morning heat it up for a few minutes on the stove and voila, hot cereal to start your day. Now if you do have the time to make your oatmeal in the morning, then I would suggest treating it like risotto and stir, stir, stir for a creamy bowl of oats. Not to worry, Three Sisters Garden oatmeal will not turn into a globby, gluey mess, but will still maintain a wonderful 'risotto-like' bite.

To keep my standard winter breakfast (yeah, you guessed it, oatmeal) interesting, I change it up daily. Mix-ins vary from milk or yoghurt, raisins, dates, and other dried fruits, to pumpkin (don't knock it, seriously good, and takes care of your beta carotene consumption for the day), protein powder, honey or maple syrup, and granola (which these oats are a great base for a homemade version). And sometimes, like this morning, I don't even cook the oats, but go the Swiss museli route, and just let the oats soak in some yoghurt, or milk overnite, add some honey and berries in the morning, and breakfast perfection. But after chatting with Tracey from Three Sisters Garden, I am totally inspired to take oatmeal to the savory side...can you say oatmeal with mushrooms, a crumbly dry goat cheese, and tasso ham. Oh my heck, who needs the risotto?!?

See you at the market,

Moira

moira@efete.net

p.s. have a fav recipe you use your steel-cut or rolled oats in? send my way to moira@efete.net

Labels: Chicago Farmers Market, Green City Market, seasonal organic produce, Three Sisters Garden

To Market with Mo: Plum or Prune?

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

"Plums that are purple and plums that are plump, so that each bumpy lump is a plum that is plump"...

Whoa, whoa, whoa, not so fast. Plum. The origins of that word literally meant "any dried fruit." Guess that explains why 'plum pudding' made famous in the lyrics above, is devoid of any plums. So that 'Little Jack Horner' fellow, my guess is that he pulled out a big raisin and not a plum. But wait you say, I thought a prune is a dried plum. I don't know where this all got turned around but plums are of the species prunus, so somewhere along the way someone decided that 'plum' sounded better than 'prune', and what was once dried became fresh.

Name aside, we are talking stone fruits that are showing up at the Farmers Markets now thru October. All varieties are nice and juicy, but the taste can range from sweet, sweet, sweet, to mouth puckering tart. And such a beautiful range of skin color, from bright yellow and green to deep inky purple. But inside? Beautiful golden flesh.

This fiber rich fruit also packs in a load of potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, and vitamin C. And once if becomes a 'prune'? Well, show me the antioxidants baby. And here's an interesting little tidbit, especially for us gals, plums are a huge help to the body in absorbing iron.

Look for plums that have uniform color, are plump and yield to gentle pressure. Steer clear of any with broken, bruised and wrinkled skin. If the plums you picked need a bit more ripening place them in a brown paper bag, left on the kitchen counter, for a couple of days. Once ripe, plums will keep in the fridge for up to three days.

Plums are so yummy as is, but if you want to try your hand at 'cooking' them, there are many ways to go. Sliced in a salad, in a chilled soup, broiled, grilled or roasted, baked in a cake, crumble or tart, frozen in a sorbet, or cooked down into a jam, chutney or compote. I did come across a great use for plums, especially for those that got whonked with the tomato blight this season. Swap out tomatoes for plums in a BLT sandwich. I was skeptical but oh so glad I tried it.

Since the evening temps have been cooler, I have been putting the oven to use as of late. A big thank you to Martha (as in Stewart) for the following recipe for Plum & Port Crostada. I can't thing of a better way to use the Stanley plums I found at the market this week. And paired with some lemon butter milk ice cream? Two words: absolute perfection, if I do say so myself.

Plum & Port Crostada

(adapted from the Aug '09 Martha Stewart Living or at www.marthastewart.com)

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoon salt (divided)

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into small pcs.

2 tablespoons ice water

1 1/2 cup ruby port

1 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

2 lbs Stanley (or Italian prune) plums, halved and pitted

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon heavy cream, for brushing (or buttermilk I had from making the ice cream)

sanding sugar for sprinkling (regular sugar does fine here)

1. Pulse flour, 1/2 t. of the salt, and sugar in a food processor. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. With machine running, slowly add ice water until the dough comes together. Shape into disk, wrap in plastic and put in the fridge for 30 minutes.

2. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to an 1/8 inch thickness. Fit into an 8" pie dish and leave a 1" overhang. Freeze for 30 minutes.

3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Simmer port and 1/2 cup brown sugar in a saucepan over medium heat until reduced to 1/2 cup (approx. 30 minutes). Transfer to a bowl and cool for 10 minutes.

4. Stir together the remaining 3/4 c. brown sugar, 1 t. salt, plums, cornstarch, cinnamon and port syrup. Transfer to the pie shell. Fold over the overhand to form a crust. Brush crust with cream and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 30 minutes. Reduce oven to 375 degrees. Bake until golden and center is bubbling (Martha says for 1 1/2 hours more, I found 45 minutes to 1 additional hour to be plenty). Let cool.

Labels: Chicago Farmers Market, Green City Market, Plums, Prunes

To Market with Mo: Honey Dew Ya?

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

It hasn't exactly been a typical hot and humid summer here in Chicago. So hot and humid that all I am craving are bowls of cold gazpacho, ice cream, or icy cold, sweet, fleshy melon. Since most melons are about 92% water, I guess this makes sense. Hot? Hydrate. Well, even if we haven't gotten the heat and humidity, the melons are at the farmers markets.

We may not see the thousands of varieties of water and musk melons available, but there are quite a few to choose from at the Chicago area farmers markets: Sweet Baby and Moon & Stars watermelons, to Galia and Sweet Early muskmelons just to name a handful.

Now you say, I know watermelon, but what is a muskmelon? Is a muskmelon a cantaloupe or is a cantaloupe a muskmelon? Cantaloupe, Honeydew, Crenshaw, Persian, Sharlyn, Christmas, Santa Claus, Casaba and the coveted French Charantais, are all considered muskmelons. All of these sweet and aromatic melons, whose flesh range from orange to pale green, are great sources of potassium, beta carotene, vitamin A, and folate. And their cousin the watermelon packs in some vitamin C, and if it is a red-fleshed variety, some lycopene to boot.

So how to find a ripe melon at the market? Your best best is to sweet talk the farmer and have him/her pick out the perfect melon for you,. Trust me, I have yet to be disappointed going this route. You want to test your skills at picking your own? Pick an unblemished melon (if white or pale on one side this is okay, that only indicates the spot where the melon sat on the ground while on the vine) that feels heavy for its size. A couple more steps...For muskmelons do the smell test. If the fragrance is sweet, you have a perfect melon. For watermelons, give a good slap with an open hand. If the watermelon responds with a deep pitched tone, you are good to go.

Melon is perfect all by itself, or with a little salt and lime to really bring out it's sweet juicy goodness, but so many other options: as a salsa, a gazpacho or soup, a sorbet or sherbet, a refreshing aqua fresca or margarita, as a salad with some feta cheese or wrapped in prosciutto (both tasty ways to satisfy the salty-sweet craving). Or in a season that is slow to handover ripe tomatoes, swap tomatoes for watermelon in a tabbouleh or Greek salad.

This past weekend the food world lost an icon. Sheila Lukins, of Silver Palate fame, lost her battle with brain cancer. In her honor, I have been going back to her cookbooks for inspiration. From Sheila's All Around the World cookbook I tried the Chilean Avocado Salad, that though missing form the name, melon has a featured role. Scrumptious. And from my well-worn copy of the The Silver Palate Good Times cookbook, I made the Cantaloupe Gelato and the Pale Almond Gazpacho. Both sublime.

Cantaloupe Gelato

1 ripe cantaloupe, peeled, seeded, and cut into chunks

3 eggs

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups milk, scalded

Juice of 1 lemon or lime

Process the melon in a food processor or blender until smooth.

Heat water in the bottom of a double boiler over medium heat. Beat the eggs and sugar together in the top part of the double boiler and whisk in the milk. Cook over the water, whisking constantly to a light custardy consistency (about 7-10 minutes). Cool the custard.

Add the custard and lime/lemon juice to the melon puree and process until smooth.

Freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions.

Labels: Chicago Farmers Market, Green City Market, melon, muskmelon, seasonal organic produce, watermelon

To Market with Mo: Corn is King

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

What is the biggest crop produced here in the US? That my friends, is corn. And those of us living in Illinois are smack in the center of the US corn belt. This time of year I just loves me some sweet, sweet Illinois corn. So sweet is the fresh corn this time of year that I can almost forego my daily sugar fix...ok, let's not go that far.

There are cobs of corn a plenty at the Farmers Markets. Now, before you go peeling back the husks and pinching your finger nail into the corn, and putting it back because it wasn't to your liking, there are more discretionary, and sanitary (personally, I don't want corn that you have poked your fingernail into and I am sure the farmer selling it would like you to leave the husks intact as well so that he/she can sell that ear of corn) of telling a good ear of corn. Just feel the tip of the cob, thru the husk. You are feeling for fully formed, firm to the touch kernels. If you don't feel the kernels, then put it back and try another, no fuss, no muss. Sorry, just had to share some good farmers market etiquette with you. ;)

When you get the corn home you can husk and de-silk it. I just learned a trick for removing the silks from diva of all things domestic, Martha Stewart: microwave the cob, husk and all, for 45 seconds, then remove the husks and the silks should adhere to the husks and not make a mess all over the place.

When corn is this sweet and fresh just cut it off the cob and throw the raw kernels into a salad, soup, pasta or favorite cornbread batter to give some extra crunch and a sweet kick. Craving some corn on the cob? Nothing a quick 1-2 minutes in the microwave, 8-10 minutes in a pot of boiling water, or 12-15 minutes on the grill, then a quick slather of butter, salt and pepper, if that is your thing. Personally, I like just a squeeze of lime on my corn on the cob. Or if you are grilling your corn wrapped in foil, add a bit of olive oil, salt, pepper, some favorite fresh herbs to the foil packet before grilling, no need for seasoning when done. Delish.

Here is an easy corn salsa recipe that is great just with chips, or as an accompaniment to a grilled piece of fish, chicken, pork or flank steak, or topping a taco.

Sweet Corn Salsa

3 ears of fresh corn, husked and hulled

2 red bell peppers (or whatever color you like, I went with purple & brown this week), diced

1 bunch of green onions, trimmed and sliced thin

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 teaspoon cumin

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon chipotle hot sauce

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Mix corn, peppers and onions in a large bowl. Meanwhile heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a small skillet over medium high heat, Add garlic & cumin. Saute approximately 30 seconds. Mix the lime juice, hot sauce and the remaining olive oil and then add mixture to the vegetables. Season with salt and pepper and then add the cilantro.

Labels: Chicago Farmers Market, corn salsa, Green City Market, seasonal organic produce, sweet corn

To Market with Mo: Toe-May-Toe, Toe-MAH-Toe

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

If I were to take a guess what would be the one fruit or veg that people look forward to every summer it would have to be tomatoes. Farm fresh or homegrown, ripened by the warm summer sunshine. Like berries, and tomatoes are actually a berry, I could just eat them right off the vine. So, so, so not your grocery store, hothouse, stand-in for a tomato but the real deal, and the 'real deal' is starring at your local farmers market now thru early Fall (thru November if you are a tomato grown in my yard, then again the only ripe tomatoes on my vines right now are the tiny super sweet 100's. Can you say 'cooler near the lake' effect?).

So many heirloom varieties at the markets right now, from the aforementioned tiny super sweet 100's, to Green Zebras, Pink Brandywines, Purple Cherokees, Mr. Stripeys, Fuzzy Peaches (yep, they are fuzzy), to the big Mortgage Lifters, just to name a few of the 7500 varieties (know globally) that you might find at your local farmers market.

Gratefully, tomatoes don't need much prep or cook time to really enjoy. Sliced and sprinkled with some salt, pepper, fresh basil and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and there's your salad for the evening meal. Or, with the aid of your blender or food processor and a few additional ingredients, gazpacho, for the perfect summer lunch or starter (man, those Spaniards were onto something when they came up with gazpacho). Any who doesn't love a tomato and bread combo? Be it tomatoes and mayo between two slices of white bread, or bruscetta or a panzanella salad? And all of this without having to cook a thing.

Look for tomatoes that are firm and smooth-skinned but have some give, and are split and blemish-free. Now when you get them home please, please, please whatever you do, do not even think about putting your tomatoes in the fridge where they will lose their flavor quickly and become mealy to boot. Back away from the fridge and store them, 'stem side' up at room temperature and in indirect light. Ripe tomatoes are good for a few days like this and if you have any that need a bit more ripening your are good for about a week. Past that, get ready to make and freeze some marinara sauce.

When I am feeling like something more 'cooked' but don't want to spend too much time in the kitchen, here is the perfect pasta with a 'no cook' summer tomato sauce.

"No Cook" Tomato-Basil Pasta

1 lb spaghetti, bucati or linguine pasta

1 lb. mix of heirloom cherry or grape varieties of tomatoes (cut each in half)

2-3 cloves of garlic sliced thin

3-4 T fresh basil chopped (or mix a variety of summer herbs like marjoram, parsley, thyme or oregano)

2-3 T extra virgin olive oil

Salt (sea or kosher) & cracked black pepper to taste

Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water. Return pot to a medium temperature burner. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the sliced garlic (kick it up a bit more and add a pinch of chili flakes as well) and cook until tender. Turn off the burner. Add the pasta back into the pot of garlic and olive oil. Toss together until pasta is coated. Add the tomatoes and an additional tablespoon of olive oil and toss. The tomatoes will begin to 'cook'. Add the chopped herbs and salt and pepper. If the pasta is seeming a bit 'dry' for your liking, stir in some of the reserved pasta water. Plate the pasta and then top with freshly grated parmesan cheese. And there's dinner.

P.S. for a variation, a bit of crumbled bacon zings this dish up nicely.

Love to hear about some of your favorite tomato preparations and recipes. email me at moira@efete.net

Labels: Chicago Farmers Market, heirloom tomato, seasonal organic produce, tomatoes

To Market with Mo: Beets Me

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

I am counting down the hours until "Julie & Julia" opens at movie theaters this Friday. I am so excited to see Meryl Streep bring to life one of my idols, Julia Child. Surprising, right? Not sure how Julia feels about beets but I have had a very mixed relationship with them thru the years.

As a kid and thru my early 30's I absolutely detested beets. Blech! Just the thought of them made me shudder. Yeah? Well you grow up with them being cooked into oblivion for cold beet borscht and you tell me how much the smell of that will make you want to gobble that up? NOT. That aversion extended into the commercial pickled and canned varieties as well. Nothing worse than a grown woman having a fit in a restaurant because a pickled beet was touching her salad greens, oh so becoming.

All this 'digging in my heels' against beets ended at the Farmers Market. Week after week for years I would be drawn to the beautiful array of beets displayed at the market, deep ruby red, to the candy cane stripe of the chiogga to the orange, golden and super sweet white beets. But still I resisted.

Well, I have Lloyd Nichols, of Nichols Farm to thank for finally giving me the kick I needed to just 'suck it up', buy some beets, roast or grill them up and give them another chance. What can I say but 'thank you Lloyd', I am among the converted. What a different animal a farm fresh beet is, sweet, sweet, sweet, like candy. Just a rough chop (don't even waste your time peeling, the skins are tender enough when this fresh, and who needs the red stained fingers anywho?), a bit of olive oil, salt, pepper and thyme, throw into the oven for an hour (at 350 degrees) or on the grill and voila, a tasty, sweet dose of fiber, folate, potassium, iron, vitamin C, and only 74 calories per cup.

I have now converted quite a number of folks. Perhaps I can even convert our Commander-in-Chief (known to have quite the beet aversion) as well? I will start him off like Lloyd started with me, slowly easing in, starting with roasted beets, then move onto a homemade pickled beet, and then to really enjoy at their purest (this one even I did not move toward until this year, credit food writer Mark Bittman for moving me in this direction), a raw beet salad.

Raw Beet Salad

(as inspired by NY Times article 101 Salads by Mark Bittman)

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/22/dining/22mlist.html?scp=2&sq=bittman%20salads&st=cse

2 cups grated beets (I like orange or golden beets for this recipe)

1/4 cup toasted walnuts

1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese or soft goat cheese

1T sherry vinegar (no sherry vinegar? cheat and use a splash of real sherry combined with some white wine vinegar)

2T extra virgin olive oil

squeeze of lemon

salt & pepper to taste

Arugula

Arrange arugula on a platter. Mix the rest of the ingredients together in a bowl and then serve on top of the arugula.

moira@efete.net

Labels: Beets, Chicago Farmers Market, Nichols Farm, seasonal organic produce

To Market with Mo: l'herbe royale

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Nothing, okay almost nothing, symbolizes summer to me more than basil.  At it's peak right now, basil let's us all know the days are long, warm and sunny.  Just eating basil conjures up the thought of warm, summer sunshine for me.

The 'king of herbs', as it has been referred to for centuries, basil is a native of Iran, India, Southeast Asia, and Northeast Africa but it is most commonly associated with the Mediterranean, especially when partnered with it's favorite mate, tomatoes.  But hey, let's not limit ourselves.

Sweet varieties, like Genovese, and opal can be found at the markets right now but keep your eyes open for varieties like lemon, lime, cinnamon, globe and Thai that work really nicely in Asia and Indian cooking, and when used in fruit and dessert dishes (can we say strawberry-basil ice cream or jam? yum) as well as beverages and cocktails (heck, I am sipping on some sparkling water right now, muddled with lemon and lime basil, and yes, it is very refreshing).  And don't limit yourself to buying pre-cut bundles of basil.  A number of farmers and plant vendors at the markets are selling basil plants.  Don't have any outdoor space?  A sunny windowsill will do just fine to keep you in basil indefinitely -- just keep pinching back your basil plant so that it keeps producing antioxidant-rich leaves and does not get too stalky.

Cut basil will store well in the fridge for a few days either in a plastic bag or a glass of water.  Not going to use it right away?  Basil can be stored in the freezer if you blanche it in boiling water, shock it in ice water, dry and then store in plastic bags.  But a favorite and popular way to preserve basil?  Pesto, which has endless possibilities: tossed on pasta or grilled vegetables, slathered on a cob of corn or a sandwich, topping a baked potato, crostini or pizza, and great with grilled polenta, chicken or fish.

Basil Pesto

2 cups of packed basil leaves

4 cloves of garlic (can I just say the garlic at the markets has been great this year!)

1 cup pine nuts or walnuts, lightly toasted

1 cup good quality extra virgin olive oil

3/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese

1/3 cup finely grated romano cheese

salt & pepper to taste

Place the basil, garlic and nuts in a food processor or blender* and process to an almost paste consistency.  With blender or processor on, slowly stream in the olive oil.  Then add the cheese and salt & pepper to taste.  Option: add some hot pepper flakes to give your pesto a bit of a kick.

Not using right away?  Store the pesto in the fridge, in a container with a thin layer of olive oil on top.  The olive oil will help preserve the bright color of the pesto.

Made a huge batch?  Pesto freezes great.  Just put into a freezer bag or freeze in an ice cube tray.  When the pesto has frozen remove the cubes from the tray and transfer to plastic freezer bags.

Do you have nut or dairy allergies?  You can make 'Liam's Pesto.'  Follow the recipe above but reduce the amount of olive oil to a 1/3 of a cup and eliminate the cheese and the nuts.  You could also replace the nuts with sunflower seeds as long as your nut allergies are not affected by the seeds.

*(okay, you want to be traditional instead of quick and convenient?  Make your pesto in a mortar and pestle.  So worth the extra effort)

For more recipes and uses for basil email me at moira@efete.net. 

Labels: Basil, Chicago Farmers Market, Pesto, seasonal organic produce

To Market with Mo: Life is Just a Bowl of....

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

...Cherries.  While up in Michigan last week I couldn't help but notice that the cherries were just dripping from the trees. So I knew that when I got back to Chicago...cherries at the Farmers Markets!  Both sweet and sour varieties are lining the market tables now thru early August.

For years I would go straight for the sweet varieties and completely ignore the sour 'pie' cherries.  Without air conditioning, I avoid baking at all costs during the summer, so 'no thank you' to the need for 'pie' cherries. Boy, was I wrong about that, last year I finally gave them a try and I gotta say, I actually prefer them , straight up as is, over their sweet cousins.  And I have found all sorts of uses that don't require the oven being turned on.

Cherries are a tasty, tasty treat that are really, really good for you.  A natural anti-inflammatory that sits low on the glycemic index, cherries are loaded with antioxidants, vitamins A & C, potassium (1 cup has as much as a small banana), fiber and only 97 calories per cup.

Look for richly-colored firm cherries with green stems.  Sweet cherries will keep for up to a week in the fridge (like berries, don't wash until ready to eat).  The 'pie' cherries are more perishable than 'sweet' varieties so try to use right away, and if you can't they freeze well.  Wash the cherries and 'stone' them, which is a piece of cake with 'pie' cherries, just pop out the pit with your finger, put a single layer of the pitted fruits on a baking sheet and freeze.  Once the cherries are frozen transfer to a freezer bag or container and back into the freezer for later use.

I got a little carried away this week trying cherry recipes, that did not involve baking, but hey

don't let me stop you from baking them into a pie, tart, cobbler, crisp, or cooking up some compote or jam.  I started out mixing up a tart cherry 'Arnie Palmer' using hibiscus tea instead of black tea, hey a girl has to stay hydrated while cooking.  I then moved onto a cherry salsa which was great with grilled chicken  and then had to make some gelato...any excuse.

Here is a recipe for Cherry Salsa.  And, if you really need the Cherry Gelato recipe, email me at moira@efete.net.

Cherry Salsa

2 cups sour cherries (pitted fresh or frozen will work)

1 scant tablespoon of sugar

1/2 small red onion finely diced

1 jalapeno pepper finely chopped (seeds removed)

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt (prefer kosher or sea)

Coarsely chop cherries.  Put into small bowl and stir in sugar.  Let sit about 3 minutes until sugar is dissolved.  Add onion, jalapeno, lime juice, cilantro and salt.  Stir until combined.  Let stand about 20 minutes so flavors can marry.  Serve with favorite grilled meat or fish or just go right for the tortilla chips.

Labels: 'pie' cherries, Cherries, Chicago Farmers Market, sweet cherries

To Market with Mo: I Found My Thrill...Blueberries

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

So off today on our annual '4th of July' week trip to Michigan.  Lots of sun, water, biking, golfing, cooking, eating, visits to wineries and breweries, and best of all?  Michigan Blueberries.

No need for a trip to the state that produces 32% of all blueberries consumed in the United States to enjoy Michigan blueberries, as they have made their appearance, this week, at Chicago area Farmers Markets and will be at the markets through September.

Is there a more perfect fruit? No peeling, no pitting, no coring, no cutting, or no cooking necessary.  Just wash and pop in your mouth for a burst of pure perfection.  Not only is the taste perfection but these little berries are full of vitamins B6, C, E, and K, fiber, and loads of antioxidants.  They are low in calories, coming in at just 84 calories per one cup of berries, and they are fat and cholesterol-free.

Look for plump, dry, smooth-skinned berries that are dark blue to deep purple in color.  Any hint of red and the berries are not fully ripened.  You will want to store them in an open container and not a closed bag or container where moisture can form, in the fridge, where the berries will keep for up to two weeks.  And whatever you do, don't wash the berries until you are ready to use them.

Blueberries freeze really well, as long as you don't wash the berries prior to freezing (washing before freezing will toughen the skins).  Put a single layer of unwashed berries on a baking sheet and put in the freezer.  Once the berries are frozen, transfer to a sealable container or freezer bag.  When ready to use, just take out the berries you need, rinse and drain.

If you can hold off eating all your berries as is, they are perfect in pies, jellies & jams, syrup, muffins, pancakes, smoothies, vinaigrettes, salads, and as a topping to your morning cereal or yoghurt.

One of my favorite ways to enjoy blueberries is in a Blueberry Lemon Pound Cake (Bon Appetit, July 1990) but not always keen on turing on the oven or consuming lots of butter in the heat of the summer, so here is a sublime, simple and beautiful dessert.

Blueberry Soup

1/2 cup sugar

juice of one orange and 1/2 a lemon

1 cup of grape juice or a fruity white wine

1 cup of water

pinch of cinnamon

2 cups of blueberries

1 cup of plain yoghurt

Combine and bring sugar, orange & lemon juices, wine, water and cinnamon to a boil in a saucepan.  Boil for one minute, stirring the whole time.  Add the blueberries and coold for another minute.  Remove from the heat and cool completely.  

Puree the mixture in a food processor (or blender) and chill.  Pour into bowls and swirl in a dollop of yoghurt prior to serving.

(P.S. this recipe also works well as 'grown-up' frozen ice pops with or without the yoghurt)

Labels: blueberries, blueberry recipes, Chicago Farmers Market, Michigan blueberries, seasonal organic produce

To Market with Mo: Turnips Take Their Turn

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Turnips. Oh, I can just see your faces, all scrunched in distaste at the mere mention of the word 'turnip.'  Now don't be hatin', what did the poor turnip ever do to you?  Always getting a bad wrap...well time for the turnip to get a 'redo.'

Admittedly, the turnip hasn't exactly been my 'go to' veg of choice.  Periodic appearances in soups and, and well, not much else (assuming this stems from bad memories of eating severely overcooked over-cellared turnips). But with the appearance of the beautiful baby turnips at the Farmers Markets this spring all that is a changin'.

This humble root veggie, and member of the cabbage family, is not only tasty but is a pow-pow-powerhouse of health: the root is low in calories, high in fiber and vitamin C and the leafy green tops are packed with vitamins A, C, K, folate, calcium and lutein (a big preventer of cataracts and cardiovascular disease).  Tender with a nice crunch (the older and larger versions tend to have a spongy texture) the baby turnips are sweeter with a less pungent bite.  I would liken more to a radish and mild enough to enjoy raw in salads or as part of a crudite platter.  And the greens, long a favorite in Southern kitchens, are similar to mustards, they bite you in their raw state but mellow when cooked.

In the Fall turnips are large and recognizable by their purple topped white root. This Spring look for baby turnips that are no larger than 3 inches in diameter, smooth skinned, firm and in an array of colors: white, yellow, orange, pink and red. This past week I found both white and pink baby turnips with perfectly unblemished tender green tops, a plus since I wanted to cook both the root and the greens.  I did not expect a big taste difference but you should definitely taste the different varieties -- the white was mellow and sweet and the pink had a radishy bite.

I played around with a number of preparations and found the tiny spring turnips to be quite versatile:

-raw as a crudite (yummy paired with sliced fennel),

-sauteed in butter alone or with sugar snap peas, carrots and radishes,

-as a simple salad - paper thin slices of turnips tossed with warm rice wine vinegar, a bit of honey, pinch of salt and a dash of red pepper,

-roasted with olive oil, butter and some red wine vinegar,

-pureed with milk, butter and thyme.

And since the weather is still feeling more March/April than June, I opted for comfort sides to my roasted chicken last nite: turnips mashed with potatoes and greens sauteed with bacon.

Smashed Turnips & Potatoes

1 lb baby turnips, greens removed, peeled and cut into 1/2" pieces

1 lb potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2" pieces (I used butterball variety from Nichols Farm, yum)

3 T butter

2 T sour cream or yoghurt

1 c. chicken broth or cooking water

salt & pepper to taste

Cook the potatoes and turnips in a large pot of water until tender. Drain the vegetables, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water (if you are not opting to use chicken broth). Put the drained vegetables back into the cooking pot. Add butter, sour cream, broth (or water) and start mashing to your likeness -- some of us prefer chunky mash and others a smoother mash -- your cooking so it is your call.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Labels: Chicago Farmers Market, cooking w/herbs, mustard greens, Nichols Farm, seasonal organic produce, turnips

To Market with Mo: Eat Your Pea...Tendrils Please.

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Meandering thru the market this morning I was drawn to, okay admittedly alot of things, but need to find some focus, a pile of beautifully bundled greens with delicate curling tendrils.  Ah, the precursor to peas (who will be making their debut in June) - pea tendrils.  So fresh and green and shouting Spring, their time at the farmers markets is NOW, so stop eyeing the lovely mini tarts across the aisle and get back to choosing the perfect bunch of pea tendrils.

Pea tendrils are the shoots and leaves of the snow pea plant.  A spring delicacy that has the subtle sweetness of the pea, but crisp.  Look for tendrils that are young and tender.  How can you tell they aren't too mature you ask. Hint: if they have flowers on them that is pretty good indication that the stems and tendrils might be tough.  No worries, just remove the tougher stems and tendrils.

Pea tendrils do note keep well (hence, sadly, not seeing them on too many restaurant menus) so if you pick up a bunch from the market I would advice preparing that day or at the latest the next.  Trust me on this, it is heartbreaking to fins the forgotten, withered bunch of pea tendrils at the bottom of the crisper drawer.

And honestly, preparation couldn't be easier.  Use pea tendrils as you would other greens: sauteed in butter, stir-fried, in soups, or raw as or in a salad with a light vinaigrette. A favorite in Chinese kitchens, where pea tendrils are referred to as dau miu, simply stir-fried in hot oil and garlic until just wilted and ta da - done.

Taking my own advice, for once, I got my market treasures home and, inspired to make a simple stir-fry, I bumped it up with a few more market finds.  The following results ina great lunch, plain or served over rice or a nice side for dinner.

Pea Tendrils, Greens and Shiitake Stir-Fry

1 bunch pea tendrils

1 bunch red mustard greens

1 bunch of chinese broccoli or broccoli rabe

1 cup sliced mushrooms (I used an assortment from the River Valley Kitchen's 'surprise' bag)

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

1 tablespoon oyster sauce

splash of dry sherry

Trim stems of pea tendrils, mustards, and broccoli rabe.  I left the greens whole but you can give them a rough chop if you like.

Heat oil in large fry pan or wok until hot, hot hot. Add green garlic and mushrooms and cook for approximately one minute.  Add the oyster sauce to coat the mushrooms.  Add all of the greens and cook until just wilted.  Finish with a pinch of salt and a splash of dry sherry.

Serve as a side or over white rice.  

Labels: Chicago Farmers Market, dau miu, fresh food sources, Green City Market, mushrooms, mustard greens, pea shoots, pea tendrils

To Market with Mo: 'Tis Rhubarb

Monday, May 18, 2009

May 18, 2009

Confession. I HATED rhubarb as a kid. As much as I loved pie (and all sweets) I couldn't get past where I had to harvest the rhubarb from: a large manure pile behind our barn. Why would I consume something that grew in a manure pile? NOT.  Did not matter how incredible my mom's pie was and that strawberries were involved, the suspect rhubarb stopped any bite of pie from entering my mouth. And trust me, I was not a picky eater as a child...or now.

A long ago gift of rhubarb plants, for my garden, from my father-in-law helped me get past my aversion.  And so I gave the stalks a try. 

Besides asparagus, rhubarb is another indicator that a long winter is behind us, and the world around will turn shades of new green and the days will be warmer and longer.

"Pie Plant" as rhubarb is affectionately known, is botanically a vegetable but 'swings both ways' as fruit & veg, and has edible stalks that vary in color from green to deep red (do not eat the leafs as they are toxic to humans).  Believe it or not the green stalked have a more robust flavor...red just happened to become more popular thru the years...prettier I suppose.

Popular as a pie, a cobbler or crisp, stewed or as a jam, rhubarb stands up well to savory sides, salads and main course dishes.  When the first stalks of rhubarb arrive at the Farmers Market I quickly get them home, chop them up, put in a pot with equal parts of sugar, a few dashes of cinnamon and ginger and a sprinkle of water to cook it all down until it is nice and jammy. Perfect on a slice of toast and even better on a scoop of vanilla ice cream.  But after a conversation with Joel from Green Acres, at Green City Market this past week, I was inspired to go savory. The following recipe is the result.

Rhubarb Shallot Vinagrette*

2-3 medium stalks of rhubarb

1 tablespoon of sugar

1/2 cup plus scant amount olive oil

1 1/2 tablespoons minced shallot

1/3 cup white wine vinegar (NB: if you run our of white wine vinegar the flat champagne buried forgotten in the back of the fridge stands in remarkably well)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut rhubarb into 1 inch pieces. Coat with olive oil and sugar. Place on baking sheet and cook for 15 minutes or until soft.

Put rhubarb (be sure to scrape al the yummy caramelized bits off the baking sheet as well) in food processor or blender. Puree rhubarb. Add shallots, vinegar, salt and pepper and blend together. Slowly stream in the olive oil. Viola, vinagrette!

*Drizzle on a perfect head of butter lettuce (Iron Creek Farm has beautiful heads of the lettuce right now) for a simple salad.  Or try the salad I made for lunch today: Thinly sliced raw asparagus, french breakfast radishes (from Green Acres), leftover roasted heirloom potatoes (from Nichols Farm) , diced shallots or green onion, salt & pepper to taste, all tossed with the Rhubarb Shallot vinagrette and topped with some roasted chicken and garnished with radish sprouts (from Tiny Greens). Yum.

Labels: Chicago Farmers Market, Green City Market, Moira's Blog, Rhubarb, Rhubarb Shallot Vinagrette, seasonal organic produce

TO Market with Mo: Asparagus has Sprung

Monday, May 11, 2009

Tuesday,  May 12, 2009


Spring has sprung and ushered in the official opening of the Farmers Market season in Chicago!  And the first thing to catch my eye on my first market visit of the season? One of the oldest cultivated plants in the civilized world: Asparagus. 

Long considered a delicacy and one of the first signs of spring, how asparagus fell into obscurity during the Middle Ages is beyond me, but my gratitude to Louis XIV for rediscovering and popularizing in the 18th century.

At Chicago's Green City Market asparagus from Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana and Illinois are overflowing the farmer's stands.  Green and my personal favorite, purple (which has a fruitier flavor) are available at the Farmers Markets now thru the end of June.

Pick out firm asparagus stems that have a uniform diameter, closed tips, and cut ends that are not woody and dried out.  Farm fresh pencil thin, medium and larger diameter are all wonderfully tasty but contrary to popular belief the larger diameter are the tenderest (and I find stand up to grilling and roasting much better).

I love asparagus steamed, sauteed, stir-fried, pickled, microwaved, as soup, but most of all, grilled or roasted.  Grilling and roasting bring out asparagus' sweetness.

Here is an easy and lite breakfast, lunch or dinner entree that conjures up al fresco dining in Spain. I like to sprinkle a pinch of Black Truffle Salt after plating the dish...in a word: devine.

Buen Provecho!

Roasted Asparagus & Eggs

(serves 4) 

1 bunch of medium diameter asparagus

1 Tablespoon & scant drizzle of olive oil

1 teaspoon coarse salt (kosher or sea)

cracked black pepper (to taste)

4 large fresh eggs (try the duck eggs from Mint Creek Farms - delicious)

2 oz. shaved manchego or parmesan cheese

Balsamic Vinegar (to drizzle)

Black Truffle Salt (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a rimmed baking sheet toss asparagus with 1 T olive oil. Season with salt & pepper. Bake until asparagus is lightly browned and tender, about 15 minutes (timing will vary depending on thickness of the asparagus. Closer to 10-12 minutes for pencil thin spears).

Heat a scant amount of olive oil in a fry pan over medium heat. Crack eggs into pan and cook until just set sunnyside up.

Divide asparagus among four plates. Top each plate of asparagus with an egg, shaved parmesan, a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and a small pinch of black truffle salt.

links:

www.chicagogreencitymarket.org

www.mintcreekfarm.com

Labels: asparagus, Chicago Farmers Market, Green City Market, Mint Creek Farms., Moira's Blog, seasonal organic produce, To Market with Moira

To Market With Mo

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

My favorite season in Chicago is almost here: outdoor Farmers Market season! I love to wine and dine out as much as anyone but, getting to the source and seeing produce fresh from the farm? Inspirational. For me that beats a plated dish anyday (ok, almost)...Farmers Market season is mood altering for me....mopey and sad when the season ends....and beyond giddy when the season starts in May.

I love to cook. More precisely, cooking when inspired by visits to the Farmers Market. I can barely sleep on Friday evenings (yes, I go to the a Saturday morning market, bright and early) just waiting to get up and go to the Farmers Market for the first pick of farm fresh produce. Everything beautifully displayed by the farmers that grew them - gorgeous.

So as someone who prefers to get your meals served to you, and not from your kitchen, you are asking, “why the heck would I go to the Farmers Market?” Let me tell you...for the opportunity to experience what fresh picked produce actually tastes like. So many things to enjoy without having to turn on the stove or the oven - strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, peaches, apples and a tomato that wasn’t grown in a hothouse. Ah, but I digress...if nothing else go to spy your favorite chef shopping for the meal you have a reservation for.

We can’t always dine out. We still want to eat healthy and delicious food. And we want to eat ‘green’. Come join me every week as I find inspiration at the Chicago area Farmers Markets: meeting the farmers, sharing my finds and tasty executable recipes.

The Green City Market kicks off the outdoor Chicago Farmers Market season this Wed, May 6th (http://www.chicagogreencitymarket.org).

See you at the Market!

Moira

Labels: Chicago Farmers Market, cooking w/herbs, cooking with herbs, efete recipes, fresh food sources, Green City Market, localvore, Moira's Blog, organic, seasonal organic produce, To Market with Moira