Recipeslut

Is it the hippie in me or is there something about knowing that in some small way I am getting closer to a more conscious, connected. and kind way of living when I get my veggies (and jam) from the farmers market? Are those two kind of the same thing? It’s nice to buy something from a person who was a part of the making of the vegetable, at least more so than the check-out person at the store.

Farmers markets sell produce that you cannot easily find, or are very expensive, in grocery stores, like garlic scapes, celeriac, and mizuna – just to name a few examples that I’ve tried. Garlic scapes are delightful used in place of garlic cloves when you are interested in imparting a more delicate garlic flavor to a dish. I’ve sliced them like scallions and thrown them on the pan in a dish I made up with shiso (I have not found this sexy herb at FMs but first got it from the pick-your-own garden that was a part of our CSA share years ago (CSAs are another story – they are so awesome if you can snatch up a share before they are all sold out)). Celeriac is amazing in place of celery when making chicken soup. Mizuna is a delicate, mild Asian green that is delicious stir-fried.