Farmers' market

[rikibeth]

Inspired by la_directora's forays to the Union Square greenmarket, I made a point of getting to the West Hartford farmers' market this morning, with a plan to cook from what I found there.

I was all virtuous and walked there -- planned out a circle route, first Whole Foods to return a deposit milk bottle (wonderful stuff, we don't drink enough milk to make the size bottle Whole Foods offers a reasonable choice though, I did see smaller bottles offered last week at the Billings Forge market which is Monday/Thursday) and buy dish soap, then up to Bruegger's for COFFEE in my 2008 endless mug, then to the market on LaSalle Rd. and back home.

I even took it as an excuse to play with all the features on my backpack -- the wee pocket on the strap that fits my cell phone, and the pocket with a headphone port to hold my iPod, and the side pocket for a water bottle. And I remembered sunscreen.

Sadly, when I got there, the selection was limited. Got a quart of strawberries, a head of red leaf lettuce, a little container of peas, some regular and lemon cucumbers, and two REALLY BEAUTIFUL tomatoes -- one Grandma's Pick and one Mr. Stripy. The only other things available (besides plants) were beets and eggplant, and I don't much like either (I guess I could have made baba gannoush, but meh). I wanted garlic scapes. Where are the garlic scapes?

Still, once I got home, I worked with it. Cucumber/red onion/dill salad (the dill from my AeroGarden toy), salad with the lettuce, a couple of cucumbers, red onion, diced tomatoes, and the shelled peas; then I made a yogurt and herb dressing (didn't have any buttermilk), and some pesto, and eternaleponine's pasta salad, and some deviled eggs.

la_directora, would it be better to briefly steam or blanch the peas? Or are they supposed to be that crunchy?

Still, that salad and the deviled eggs made a lovely dinner tonight.

Maybe the Billings Forge market will have better goodies on Thursday.

Comments

[feste-sylvain.livejournal.com]

Me, I eat the peas raw right out of the pod, and I like them that crunchy. The only reason to change their texture would be to preserve them or to combine them with something else.

[deguspice.livejournal.com]

I agree.. Peas, string beans, carrots, ... should be eaten raw.

[rikibeth.livejournal.com]

I don't mind cooking them (and I like the sweetness they get when cooked) but they shouldn't be OVERCOOKED.