Spatulas, Corkscrews & Suitcases: Farmers' Markets, etc

Farmers' Markets, etc

April 30, 2011

CINCO de MAYO MEXICAN SALSA: Fresh Pico de Gallo with Heirloom Tomatoes and Corn

Similar to Mexican Pico de Gallo, this sugar-free tomato salsa with some garden fresh cilantro and chilies is quick and easy to prepare using readily available market ingredients, kitchen gadgets and tools. Warm tortilla chips and guacamole are the perfect accompaniment to this awesome salsa. Super easy to make and eat right now, or follow the recipe and can the rest for later!

Heirloom Tomato Varieties

It's not summer yet in the Northeast, but you can start thinking about growing your own heirloom tomatoes, or seek out a local farmer's market for the freshest tomatoes they have. Below are some of the most popular heirloom tomatoes available from growers and seed companies. Don't worry if you can't get heirlooms now. Fleshy red-ripe tomatoes from Whole Foods Market or Trader Joe's will do the job too.

Brandywine tomatoes are widely recognized with red and yellow being the most popular colors.
Jubilee tomatoes are a beautiful golden variety.
Green Zebra is a fun tomato to use because of its striking color and stripes.
Cherokee Purple is a deep purple, almost "black" tomato.

Adding fresh tomatoes last to the fresh salsa will not only keep their flesh intact, but their colors bright and vibrant as well. Fold the tomatoes in carefully so as not to bruise or crush them.

Ingredients: Fresh Tomato Salsa Recipe

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large Spanish onion, chopped small
1 large green pepper, chopped
1 large red pepper, chopped
2 large jalapenos, finely minced
28 ounce can crushed tomatoes, unsalted
6 ounce can tomato paste, unsalted
1 Tablespoon lime juice, fresh squeezed
1/2 cup honey
2 drops hot habeneros sauce (Bandana's Habeneros Sauce is good)
4 ounce can green chilies
1/4 cup Bragg's Liquid Aminos, tamari sauce, or low sodium soy sauce
2 pounds corn, fresh off the cob, or frozen (thawed)
3 pounds heirloom tomatoes, fleshy Italian plum tomatoes are best, chopped or halved if small
1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro

Directions: How To Make Fresh Tomato Salsa

In a large stock pot, saute onions and peppers in extra virgin olive oil until crisp tender.
Add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, lime juice, honey, chilies, habeneros sauce and Bragg's Liquid Aminos, tamari or soy sauce.
Cook over very low heat for 10 minutes. Remove from stove, and carefully fold in corn and tomatoes.
Gently add cilantro and stir.
Cool completely and store in refrigerator, or can in a hot water bath for 25 minutes.
Makes 9 pints.

Check out These Favorites!

Apr 30, 2011 2:32:56 PM | Appetizers & Starters, Farmers' Markets, etc, Salads & Dressings, Vegetarian, Veggies

April 30, 2009

BIG RECIPE ROUND-UP!

Lots of Recipes & Articles
Have I been busy or what? I can't believe I haven't done one of these recipe round-ups since Easter! That was over two weeks ago, and I've been writing up a storm ever since! I did do a separate post for Grilled Pizza, and I'll add that here in case you missed it. Speaking of which, we're having Pizza on the Grill again tonight! The pizza choices are; Marinated Flank Steak with Maple Chipotle Sauce, Chicken Alfredo Pizza, Meatball Pizza, and Roasted Veggie Pizza. Sounds good don't they?

Recipes for Weeks Ending April 30th

Grilled Pizza Recipes

Articles for Weeks Ending April 30th

Thank you all for supporting my writing career. All these recipes and articles are part of the BIG picture, which at this point is our boat and electric payment!

Apr 30, 2009 12:26:07 PM | Cheesecakes, Cookbooks, Desserts, Farmers' Markets, etc, Grilled Pizza , Recipe Lists & Round-Ups

August 16, 2008

BLACKBERRIES ~ A CLOSER LOOK

Blackberries Are In Season ~ Let's Celebrate!
There's nothing so luscious ~ for the eyes or the tongue ~ as fresh blackberries straight from the Farmers' Market!

I couldn't resist taking way more pictures than I needed because they were absolutely the most perfectly shaped and sensual blackberries I've ever seen! The aroma was so intoxicating I could almost eat them with my eyes!

So, here's to the Blackberry in all its glory!

What did I make with them? I made a Peach & Blackberry Galette, but it got eaten so fast that I didn't get pictures of it! You'll have to trust me on that one! Click here for the post on my Peaches & Cherries Fruit Galette and you can follow the same recipe substituting blackberries for the cherries!

My daughter made Blackberry & Raspberry Muffins too. Aren't they gorgeous? Can't you just smell them?

I was going to do more with them, I had all these Blackberry plans, but John ate the rest in one big handful, and then they were gone! THE BUM!

Aug 16, 2008 3:17:20 PM | Farmers' Markets, etc

August 14, 2008

FARMERS' MARKET WEEKLY UPDATE

Goddard Park Farmers' Market Treasures
This post is actually from last Friday - 6 long days ago! I thought I should hurry up and get this posted, since I'll be going back again tomorrow!

Heirloom Tomatoes in all the colors of the rainbow!

Summer is Here!
There's no doubt about it, summer is here in all its glory! The stands were overloaded with the most colorful and fresh produce of the season so far. I love this time of year. The smells of ripe heirloom tomatoes, basil and fuzzy peaches were intoxicating. The sight of crates upon crates of this years corn made me dizzy trying to decide who to buy it from. Customers with change in their pockets, buzzing from stand to stand like bees, were intent on filling their recyclable bags full of everything they could get their hands on. Obviously, this made the farmers very happy.

There's always a bunch of happy kids playing in the center of the circle, running around with bagels in their hands and dogs waiting for the bagels to drop to the ground so they can pounce on them!

On any given week there's about 15 vendors, give or take. This week I counted 20 without the Lemonade truck. Maybe I'm getting there too early in the morning, but I haven't seen the pony rides lately.

Two Vendors That Made An Impression On Me This Week:

Barden Family Orchard
Barden's had the most delicious corn I've had this season! Hand's down, it was THE BEST!
I kick myself for buying only 6 ears! And then I invited company over to have the quiche (see below) I made and we shared the corn to boot!
You better believe I'm going back tomorrow and this time I'll buy 2 dozen ears! They also had beautiful peaches, but when you snooze, you loose! I stared at them, they were so beautiful I ate them with my eyes, then I walked away to look at what the other vendors had. When I got back for the corn, there were no more peaches left! CRAP! I'll be buying some of those tomorrow as well! I'm not writing their info here, because as you can see, their sign says it all!

Earth Essence Herbals
I met an herbalist selling all natural skin care products for the body, mind and spirit. Earth Essence Herbals is a cottage company run by Marlene Wojcik located in Carolina, Rhode Island. I bought a bottle of the most heavenly scented Lavender Floral Water I've ever smelled. It was almost hypnotizing. Her brochure says this Lavender Spray can be used as a perfume, as a spray to freshen up a room, or to spritz on linens. She goes on to say that "Lavender - A natural blend of Lavender Flowers infused in Olive Oil and Grapeseed Oil. The healing properties of Lavender are calming, soothing, and balancing for the skin." She had a very attractive table set up with all sorts of creams, salves, bath salts, scrubs, bath oils, balms and even bug spray! They're all hand crafted products too! The prices were reasonable, no more than you would spend anywhere else. If you can't get to the Goddard Park Farmers' Market on Fridays from 9-1pm, you can call her at 401-364-0594 or check out her website at www.earthessenceherbals.com.

Fresh From The Orchard Apples

Look at These Juicy Blackberries!

Rainbow Swiss Chard

What I Bought Last Week

1) bottle of Lavender Spray $12.00
6) ears of Corn $3.50
1) 1/2 pint of Blackberries $4.00
1) bunch of Rainbow Chard $2.00
1) bunch of Red Onions $2.50
1) very large Leek $2.00
1) bunch of Broccoli $2.50??
2) pounds of early Apples $3.50???
AND 1 Cheese Danish cause I wanted to! $2.00

                                                     Total : $33.50

Darn! I Should Have Bought More Sweet Corn!

Red Onions, Scallions & Leeks

Beautiful, Bright Yellow Sunflowers

Broccoli, Leek and Zucchini Quiche
When I got home, I made a batch of pie crust, sauteed the leeks, red onion, broccoli and zucchini and made a To-Die-For Broccoli, Leek and Zucchini Quiche. I put Vermont Cheddar and fresh grated parmesan cheese in it too. It was a deep dish quiche because I only have one pan, my Pampered Chef stoneware pie dish. That's OK though, because it was so thick and good and John could smell it all the way down the dock when he came home! I'll post the recipe ASAP, but until then, I'll leave you with a very tempting photo of the quiche to hold you over!

Is This Quiche Making You Hungry Yet?

Your Local Farmers' Market
I can't stress enough with the way this economy is going how important it is to buy local. Everyone is struggling to put food on their table. Buying local is better for your health (you know where it's coming from - think e coli and salmonella), it's better for our local economy (it helps keep the money in our own back yards) and it's better for the farmers (no explanation needed). Shop your Farmers' Market! Everyone wins!

And Last but Not Least, My Dunkin' Donuts Iced Coffee and Cheese Danish!

Goddard Park Farmers' Market, Warwick, Rhode Island Hours: Open Fridays until mid-October - 9:00am-1:00pm

Aug 14, 2008 5:32:30 PM | Farmers' Markets, etc

July 12, 2008

GODDARD PARK FARMERS' MARKET

This Week at the Farmers' Market
The Goddard Park Farmers' Market in Warwick, Rhode Island, is located at the Goddard State Park on Ives Road. It's open from 9:00am - 1:00pm on Fridays from May until October. There's usually between 15-20 vendors, give-or-take on any given week.

Fridays throw me off. The farmers' markets in Vermont were always on Saturdays. I only know of a few in Vermont that weren't on Saturdays. That's why I missed a few weeks at the beginning of the season. Even now, I still have to leave a note for myself the night before or I'll miss it again! Some days I get there early and pay top price for a better selection. Other weeks, I get there late when the vendors are selling cheap so they won't get stuck with whatever they're selling. However, there is virtually nothing left to pick from. You know what they say? You snooze, you lose!

John went with me today because we went to Newport to get the new part for my oven...but that's for another story! We got there around 10:00am. Lots of good stuff to pick from. Some day I'm gonna get a few lobsters from the Lobster Man. They always look so BIG and fresh. But at $16.00 each, they'll have to wait for a special occasion!

The Honey Man was there and John wanted a bottle of real dark local honey. It's good for allergies and whatever ails you and John will love it with his bread & butter in the morning. Honey - $5.50

Speaking of which, the Bread Man was there too. This week he had prices and labels on all his baked goods. I've been going to this Farmers' Market for 5 weeks now and I don't ever recall him having signs or prices on anything until this week. Do you think he reads my blog? Last week I mentioned in my blog that I didn't like having to ask for the prices on everything and that the Farmers' Market we participated in for 10 years always had prices. Maybe he took the hint because this week he was ready for me! Coincidence? Maybe. But I appreciated him making the effort this time. Thank you Mr. Bread Man! I didn't have to dye my hair and wear a low-cut blouse after all! I bought a large Italian Wheat loaf and 2 Spinach Pies with cheese from him this week. And you know what? I STILL cannot find any cheese in these things! Either there is so little I can't see it, or it all melted and I still can't see it. It did, however have some black olives in them that were not on the label. They were really good, but I would like to try the Spinach Pies with Cheese at least once before October comes around! Bread - $4.50; 2 Spinach Pies - $7.00

I wanted another herb plant for my little floating boat garden. I picked out a healthy Lemon Balm plant from the Herb Lady that will go nicely with the Apple Mint I bought last week. I rubbed the leaves and it smelled so good! Lemon Balm - $3.50

The Frozen Lemonade Man was there, someone was getting rich on the pony rides, the Vinegar Lady, the Soap Lady and the Lettuce Man were there and a handful of other produce vendors. I didn't see any strawberries this week. Maybe they're all done. A line of cars were parked all along one side of the road making it very difficult to get in and out this week. Even still, it was a beautiful day to be at the Goddard Park Farmers' Market.

Dang! I knew I missed something! I forgot the basil!
Total spent - $20.50.

Do You See Any Cheese In This Spinach Pie?

Jul 12, 2008 1:51:44 AM | Farmers' Markets, etc

July 05, 2008

FARMER'S MARKET FINDS

Fourth Of July and the Farmer's Market
Yesterday was the 4th of July and the 4th time I've been to my local Farmer's Market. Coincidence? Every week there's something new and fresh. As the summer wears on, the produce and plants change colors, textures and price. It's a great way to mingle with the farmers, bakers and fishermen that produce what we eat.

Buy Local ~ Support Your Farmers
I'm a firm supporter of buying local and trying to keep my money fueling the neighborhood economy. These Farmer's Market vendors work long and hard to bring us the best and freshest eggs, seafood, baked goods and produce they can. I know, I was one of them. We had a stand at our local Farmer's Market in Vergennes, Vermont for almost 10 years. I know what it's like to stand in the rain, our shoes soaked through, trying to keep our bread dry and in the sweltering heat, fighting to stay cool and keep the lettuce from wilting. Staying up late to get that last bag of greens bagged and cooled overnight and up early to make the cinnamon rolls. Kudos to these men and women of Farmer's Markets all over the country. You Rock!


Farmer's Market Booty
This week I was looking for a nice loaf of bread. I'm WAY too picky, trying to find an exact duplicate of the breads we used to make. The "bread guys" back their truck up into the circle, pop out a table and sell good things like danish, bagels, 4-5 different varieties of gorgeous breads, pizza strips, and spinach pies. They speak a different language and it's not always easy to figure out what they're saying or what they mean. I get something from them every week, but every week their prices change. Last week the bagels were .50 cents, yesterday they were $1.00. They don't have signs on anything to say what it is or how much it cost. It's always a guessing game for me - the customer - on the other side of the table. Maybe it's Rhode Island, but in Vermont we didn't do business like that. I want to know before I buy. It shouldn't be a painful shopping experience. I know of some market stands in other parts of the country, including Boston, that operate like this. It's all part of the show - the bantering, bickering and bargaining. The rest of the stands here all have prices and labels. I like that.


The Bread Guys
Case in point..."What kind of bread is that?" The other guy, clearly not in charge says, "Not sure?" Like it was a question. I asked, "Is it rye or whole grain?" Again, he shrugs his shoulders because either he really doesn't know, or he doesn't understand a thing I'm saying. I stood for a few seconds thinking I need to move on, but I really like his stuff. He asks his buddy something I can't understand. Then he tells me "I think it is rye bread." Why couldn't the guy in charge tell me that himself? I said, "I'd like a loaf of rye bread please, how much is it?" Again, he shrugs his shoulders. Would it be easier if there were a price tag on it??? He asks his boss how much. And with a wave of his hand he says "$4.00 for these, but for this one you want, is $5.00." Of course it would be! And the pretty blond lady behind me would get a special deal of only $3.50, especially if she bent over to get some change out of her purse! I said very politely, "I'll take the rye, and a spinach pie. How much are those?" Again with the questions. He comes back and says, "$3.50" I told him I want one with cheese. He asks his buddy which one had cheese. He puts it in a bag and I quickly ran away $8.50 poorer for the experience.
The kicker to the story? I get home and bite into this luscious spinach pie to find only spinach. That's right...no cheese! After all that, no cheese! AND, John and I ate the thing before I remembered I had a camera. Duh!

Purple Basil, Cilantro and Apple Mint
Not all vendors are vague and difficult. The herbs I bought from another stand were clearly marked and priced. The lady was helpful and friendly. You could tell she does this as a labor of love. The basil and mint are beautiful and healthy, but the cilantro looks a little sad. I'll have to re-pot them quick to get them jump-started again. It cost me $8.00 for all three. My boat is beginning to look like The Love Boat with a garden off the deck! I love it! They'll look great next to my tomato and green basil that I have.

Garlic Scapes
What the heck are garlic scapes? Have you ever heard of them before? It looks like a cross between garlic and scallions with a little bulb at the end of all the twisty, turney, loopy tendrils...if that's what you call them! I wasn't sure what to do with them. I just bought them because they were weird looking in a sci-fi alien sort of way! Maybe they'll make it to our Sunday night grilled pizzas. mmmm...pizza! Garlic Scapes: $2.00

Red Juicy Ripe Strawberries
Look at these photos. Don't they just make you drool? They were beautiful and tasted as good as they looked! I used them last night in Mixed Berry Shortcakes. Buttermilk biscuits, strawberries, blueberries and raspberries all topped with fresh homemade whipped cream! We ate them way too fast after supper, and I forgot to take pictures! You'll just have to trust me on that one! Strawberries: $4.00

So, that's my trip to the Farmer's Market this week. There weren't many vendors being the 4th of July and all. I'm sure next week will be busier and maybe the bread guys will be selling their bread and bagels for more or less...again! I think I'll dye my hair blond and wear a low-cut blouse ;-)

Total damages: $22.00 I love the Farmer's Market!

Jul 5, 2008 5:56:01 PM | Farmers' Markets, etc

July 02, 2008

BASIL PESTO ~ Fresh From the Garden

GARDEN FRESH BASIL PESTO
I was missing my gardens real bad a few days ago, when it dawned on me, that I could still make homemade pesto whether I had a garden or not! I don't have to grow the basil myself. I can buy the basil from the Farmer's Market in town or from the local farm stand. DUH! It's just starting to flower here in Rhode Island, and I'd rather have it before it flowers. I think it tastes better!

I bought this great big bunch for $1.99 right out of the garden. I went to Morris Farms and asked if they were picking basil yet. The lady said, "Wait just a moment, I'll go right out and pick you some!" Before I could argue the logistics and my time constraints, she hopped on her old Schwinn bicycle and headed off into the field to pick me some basil! I didn't wait too long when I saw her peddling back to the stand. The basket hanging off her handle bars was full of the most fragrant and lush dark green basil that you could imagine! She asked, "Is this OK?" Uh, yeah!

I took my coveted basil home. It smelled up the whole car. It was full of sand from the hard rain and hail we got earlier that week. I put it in a sink full of cold water and rinsed it about 4 times, then let it air dry on a clean towel. The boat smelled heavenly, like an Italian restaurant! It made my mouth water. I wanted to make every recipe I could think of that used basil as an ingredient! BUT, I bought it for pesto. Darn! I wished I'd bought 5 bunches.

I took out my mini food processor and had to make it in three batches. Normally, it would have taken only one trip around the inside of the bowl. No matter, it was quick and easy and I was done in no time. I started out with a huge bunch and all I got out of it was about 6 ounces! But it was fresh and concentrated and yummy and cheap!

That night, I made a fantastic Grilled Pesto Pizza, no red sauce, just pesto and cheese. It was mouthwatering and we salivated as it was grilling. I opened a bottle of 2004 Australian Mad Fish Shiraz. We drank it as we waited at the head of the dock for that tempting pizza to come off the grill. It was everything I hoped for and then some! We ate the whole thing, then we ate another one!

BASIL PESTO is very easy to make, easier to freeze and even easier to use in all sorts of recipes. When I had my gardens back in Vermont, I used to grow around 25 plants each year. That yielded me soooo much basil that I had pesto for the entire year until I harvested it again! I started out by freezing it in ice cube trays and if you have a little Betty Crocker kitchen, that's good enough for you. But we used it for catering as well as for ourselves. I packed the finished basil in plastic pint containers, stacked them in rows and froze the whole lot. The night before I needed pesto, I took it out of the freezer and let it thaw in the fridge. Presto, Chango, I had pesto!

I used pesto for pasta salad, pizza, bruschetta, soups, salad dressings, appetizers, spaghetti sauce and anything else I could dream up! When you see basil at the Farmer's Market or at your local farm stand, buy a bunch of bunches and make your own pesto. You'll be glad you did and will never spend ridiculous money on store-bought pesto again!

GARDEN FRESH BASIL PESTO RECIPE

1 large bunch fresh basil (about 4 cups loosely packed leaves, stems and branches removed)
2-4 garlic cloves to taste
2-4 Tablespoons really good olive oil
1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup pine nuts (optional)

This recipe can be varied according to taste. Use a different cheese, more cheese, nuts, whatever you have on hand. It's your pesto, make it the way you like it!

I know, it looks like a HUGE bowl of pesto, but it's only 6 ounces because I had to make it in my mini prep processor! This recipe will make double that!

DIRECTIONS:

Rinse the basil as many times as necessary to remove all sand. Pat it dry with paper towel or let it air dry.
Place the leaves in the bowl of a large food processor. (You may have to do this twice depending on the size of the FP.)
Pulse until the leaves have been chopped quite a bit.
Add garlic and pulse again.
With the FP running, add the olive oil one Tablespoon at a time through the opening. Turn the machine off and scrape down.
Add the parmesan cheese and pine nuts and pulse again until you get the consistency you want. Some people like their pesto coarse, others like it pureed. You decide.
Remove to a container with a lid on it and cover lightly with a piece of plastic. As soon as the air hits the pesto, it starts to turn brown. It doesn't look very appetizing, but there's nothing wrong with it. You can stir it back in or scrape it off...but what a waste that would be!
Freeze tightly covered for many months or refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
Make something good and invite me over!

Remember the Pasta, Pesto & Peas recipe I posted for Barefoot Bloggers a few weeks ago? You can make that with your homemade pesto too!

Jul 2, 2008 4:18:27 PM | Farmers' Markets, etc

Spatulas, Corkscrews & Suitcases