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!!!