Portland Farmers Market Notes: 8-15-09
What I bought:





I'll see you Saturday at the market!
Paul Gagne
Tasting in Tongues Maine
www.tastingintonguesmaine.com
paul@tastingintonguesmaine.com

- Arugula - Dandelion Spring Farm
- Lady Red Apples - Meadow Brook Farm
- Bok Choi, Salad Mix and Broccoli Raab - Old Ocean House Farms
- Tomatoes - Pleasant Hill Farm
- Blueberries and Peaches - Snell Family Farm
- Garden Chive Chevre - Tourmaline Hill Farm
- Basil - Uncle's Farm Stand
What I did with it:
- Simple Treatment #1: Caprese Salad - sliced tomatoes, basil and mozzarella drizzled with olive oil. Love this stuff!
- The bok choi (as you can see in the picture above) had ivory white, crisp stems, the cells of which were filled with water. This hot humid weather has me craving hydration, so the bok choi was perfect. I didn't want to cook the water out, so I sliced it into large bite-sized pieces and topped it off with quickly sauteed apples. Over this salad I added a dressing that I made in the blender with a little oil, orange juice, fresh ginger and soy. After a sprinkle of black sesame seeds, my eyes as well as my stomach were ready for the feast. (see first picture below)
- Simple Treatment #2: I've mentioned in a previous posting that I like broccoli raab, and this bunch was the greenest, lushest bunch I've ever seen. The leaves were broad and the tops tender. The stalks, like the bok choi, were full of water. The only part I discarded into the compost was the very last 1/2 inch on the bottom. All I did was coarsely chop the raab and sautee it in olive oil and sea salt. Then I served it with grilled kielbasa sausage. (see second picture below)
- Simple Treatment #3: I found some pomegranate-infused red wine vinegar at the grocery store, mixed it with olive oil and tossed the salad mix with it.
- Yet another Simple Treatment (#4): In a blender I mixed a little of the pomegranate-infused red wine vinegar, olive oil, and a dollop of garden chive chevre. The consistency was like yogurt. I tossed the arugula with this dressing and made a sandwich with it and some yellow bell peppers. Perfect summer lunch on a scorching hot day. (see third picture below)
- Simple (but elegant) Treatment #5: The peaches were at the peak of ripeness. I sliced them (unpeeled) into thick slabs and put them in a baking dish. On top of that I put a quart of blueberries. A little brown sugar and butter. Then a sheet of puff pastry (freshly thawed from the box in the freezer - nothing fancy here). I baked this at 375 for about 30 minutes until the puff pastry was golden brown and the juices were just starting to bubble up. A very brief cooling period and a scoop of vanilla-bean ice-cream later, I was a very happy man. (The picture I took - the fourth below - was the next night, after the puff pastry crust got a little soggy. The lesson here - invite a few people over to eat it all fresh out of the oven! The other lesson? Next time I think I'll toss a shot of Grande Marnier in the dish. Or maybe I'll just toss it into me instead. What was that quote from Justin Wilson - "a little Sherry for the cook"?)




I'll see you Saturday at the market!
Paul Gagne
Tasting in Tongues Maine
www.tastingintonguesmaine.com
paul@tastingintonguesmaine.com






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