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.

Today is Tuesday. I have decided that since I went yesterday and today, I’m going to make it there every day, no matter where it is. It is so wonderful that in the space between where I work and where I live right now, there is a market open each day of the week.

I went to the Harvard one today for the first time; it is between the Science Center and Memorial Hall, at the crook in the road where Oxford Street becomes Kirkland Street. It had about 6 stands – 2 of which sold cookies and other sweets! It is smaller than any of the other ones around but do not underestimate its size – it had everything I could have wanted to get even tomatoes that weren’t available at yesterday’s much bigger Central Sq. market. There were squash of all kinds, lettuce, hardy greens like kale, MIZUNA (so yum!), garlic, onions, carrots, and the list goes one. There were also bunches of assorted flowers for sale for only $2 – what a simple and sweet way to show your wife or girlfriend that you are a whimsically romantic kind of individual! I found these lovely flowers at the Silverbrook Farms stand, a farm in Dartmouth, NH, one I had never seen before at the other local markets. Their nice presentation of veggies attracted me at once. I’m a sucker for wicker baskets overflowing with leafy greens, stacks of zucchinis, an elevated bed of flowers, and such. Then the woman in line ahead of me asked for eggs! My goodness! I would love to buy eggs from a farmer. That’s a plan for next week.

My husband muttered yesterday that he married a hippy. That’s right…going to buy fresh, organic food, sold outside in the shade by people who are excited to be there is infectious. The only thing that might be better than getting my produce there is getting it from my own garden. One of these days, I hope that dream comes true.

Tonight was a simple meal, as are all my meals: Ground Turkey with Mizuna over Rice: Fry up 1 lb. ground turkey, seasoning with S&P, onion and garlic powders. Let it cook on medium high heat until once side is nice and browned, then turn to cook the other side. Once turkey is done, add mizuna. These greens are delicate so they almost instantly wilt in the pan. Cook for about 60 seconds, stirring to mix it into the meat. Serve over rice. So delish.

I LOVE THE FARMERS’ MARKET! Here is a website that lists all of them in MA:

Massachusetts Farmers Markets

This is the first week I’ve made it to the farmer’s market when they have a nice selection of veggies. I got some nutty cousa squash, globe zucchini, and pattypan squash. The pattypans were tiny and I just sliced off the tops and bottoms and grilled them whole, along with the rest of the squash. I also had some chicken breast that I cut into strips and grilled with lavender, rosemary and thyme. We had the usual baby red potatoes, boiled then grilled for starch. Paul tried his hand at making the salad dressing tonight; a simple balsamic and EVOO for the herb salad with a healthy handful of fresh dill and parsley. Everything was FRESH and f*ing delicious.

It was super easy:

2 globe zucchini, cut lengthwise and into 1/2 inch slices
2 cousa squash, cut in 1/2 inch slices, diagonally
5 mini pattypans, with the tops and bottoms trimmed off
S&P
EVOO

Mix everything together in a bowl. Use hands to mix EVOO and S&P in real nice. Grill it up for 6 minutes, turning once.

1 1/3 lb no hormone fed, organic chicken breast, sliced into strips
1 Tbs. dried lavender buds (get from a culinary source like your local food co-op that has it in bulk, NEVER from a crafts or florist shop)
1 tsp. dried rosemary
1 tsp. dried thyme
S&P
EVOO

Grind the herbs in a mortar and pestle, then sprinkle on chicken, add S&P, EVOO and mix well by hand in a bowl. Grill for 7 minutes.