Summer Groove

Today I was all excited to stop by the Tuesday afternoon Farmers Market on Kingston Pike (in Bearden in the parking lot at Laurel Church of Christ) because I had big plans to try something new for dinner. My heart was set on picking up garlic curls (which I had gotten a couple of weekends ago and wanted to experiment with a bit more) and green onions and fresh carrots and bok choy -- all to make a wonderful stir fry.

LESSON #1 -- Farmers Market veggies are seasonal and spring seasonal veggies are only here for a very short time. No garlic curls, no carrots, no bok choy. Not today.

Instead, I was stunned to see that squash and the season's first raspberries were out. There were big beets. There was kohlrabi (!! something new to try!!) There were even the first green beans. Lettuces have begun to look like they're at the end of their season, and the spinach I got is bigger and tougher than what I got just two weeks ago.

LESSON #1a -- Farmers Market veggies are seasonal, so you have to plan ahead and be ready to cook with what is coming, not with what WAS.

And so I will.   I've got beets roasting in the oven right now, with plans to make a salad from them tomorrow.  I'll post photos of it then.  I'm researching kohlrabi recipes.  If you know any, please let me know.

I'm filling up on the season's first batch of yellow squash and onions cooked together with a little water, butter, and salt & pepper in a skillet and then topped with a handful of shredded cheese.  Dessert will be fresh raspberries sprinkled with sugar alongside a piece of dark chocolate.

For now, tonight, I'm thinking simple.  I'm just enjoying the taste of plain fresh food.  I'm enjoying the beginning of summer, and planning for what's coming next.



P.S.  When I first started this project, I would not have BELIEVED that I would miss the Second International Biscuit Festival, but because we had to go out of town for a family event, I did. By all accounts it was fantastic. Had I gone, I would have showed you photos of the Blackberry Farm tents, I'm sure, and gone on and on (even more than normal) about the merits of Benton's bacon.  Next year...look out!!!

Lettuce Commence

I've been dealing with some technical difficulties, so I'm just now getting to show you that the Farmers Markets in Knoxville are going strong this year.

Lettuces are amazing -- I've fallen head over heels with Romaine lettuce and am eating a monster sized Caesar salad every other day these days. FRESH romaine is so much better than what we normally find in the grocery stores -- when it is fresh, the stems are absolutely crisp and juicy and the whole salad actually has FLAVOR.

I haven't bothered to try and make a homemade Caesar dressing -- the idea of chopping anchovies has not appealed to me with all the other busy-ness that has been going on. But I'm very thankful to Mr. Newman for making a really decent creamy Caesar dressing that is getting me by just fine! I don't use much, just tossing it with some grilled chicken, chopped hard-boiled egg, other veggies that are handy, some fresh GOOD grated Parmesan cheese, great big croutons ... oh my. It has been heavenly.

Other salads made with some of the amazing lettuces I've tried this year have been just as good -- baby bibb lettuce, spinach, almonds, fresh green onions, chopped hard-boiled eggs, and sliced strawberries with a little sweet dressing is my second favorite, and only takes a minute to fix.



Another note for you salad lovers -- freshly dug radishes are so much sweeter than those that have lingered on the grocery store shelf for weeks.  And really, even if you don't love radishes, if you get the chance, you absolutely must give them a try.

I'm experimenting with these white Japanese turnips, too. Chefs seem to love these things chopped raw straight into salad, but I'll confess that I have mixed feelings about them. It seems that I haven't put them with the right mix yet ... I'll let you know if I ever do!



Best of all so far this year has been the strawberries. Oh. My. The strawberries have been perfect. I've had a hard time doing anything with them other than just eating them, but finally made my first batch of ice cream with them just yesterday. I'll report on IT in another post! But let me warn you -- the key words are "easy" and "yum"...enough said for now.

Another reason I love going down to Market Square on Saturday mornings is that you never know what else might be going on. This morning, in the drizzling rain, we were invaded by a group of Highlanders...it was fantastic! Since it was raining I didn't have my "real" camera with me, so I had to use the cell phone to catch the action.


Highlander Invasion of Farmers Market from Linda M on Vimeo.

They were promoting the Smoky Mountain Highland Games at Maryville College next weekend. How tempting is THAT?

Okay, peeps. Hopefully the technical interruptions are cleared up and I can get on with this project! Thanks for your patience, and stay tuned. You KNOW you want to hear about that strawberry ice cream...