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...