Saturday, October 23, 2010

Finally - A Trip to the Farmers Market

Finally - I made it to the Seaport Farmers Market. It's been so long that my friends called me "stranger"! Honestly, I was so excited, I didn't know where to begin. Somehow, after a cup of Steve 'O Reno's coffee to wake me up and get me to focus, I managed to bring home a wonderful stash of goodies. Aren't you pea green with envy?
The last time I was there was late September (it feels like an eternity ago) and I saw the first Fall pumpkins, no bigger than a kolrabi...
... today, I was greeted by these beauties at 6:45 AM! You can see that it was pitch black out when I arrived. No wonder I needed coffee. And now... let me take you on a tour.

The first two stops Sweet William's Sausages, and Getaway Farm always look better when cooked, so stay tuned to find out what I do with them... the sausages - lamb pesto & turkey fennel; the meat - Chris is out of hangar steak, so I'll have to preorder for next time. No problem - flank steak will be perfect.

On to The Fish Shop, where Peter Boudreau educated me on sustainable fishing, and knew the provenance of everything on ice. I ended up with halibut fillet so fresh it almost flapped! Well, okay, fins are gone, but it was caught yesterday by line fishing and Peter filleted it last night.
I made this awesome Lemon Pepper Crusted Halibut from The Ocean Wise Cookbook: Seafood Recipes That Are Good For The Planet, where you can learn all about sustainable fishing and simple ways to enjoy the rewards. You can read my review here.
Brussels sprouts will go beautifully roasted with pancetta
Russet apples - I love them so much, I might not even share!
Eggs from Ran-Cher Acres and Bread from Julien's is always a given and I couldn't wait to get home for some breakfast... fried eggs - check out that gorgeous colored yolks and crusty toasted sourdough to sop it up.
...dessert... for breakfast, you say? Yes when it's fresh honeycomb spread on more toast!
Which still leaves a visit to Waldegrave Organic Farm for some gorgeous winter mix salad greens and...
Check out these watermelon radishes. So stunning to look at and quite mild in flavor. They'll be perfect as a crudites with some thick wonderful dip.

Well, time for a snack.. some Ran-Cher goat cheese and bread? or a Grilled Rosemary Ham & Cheese on more of Julien's crusty bread.

What's your favorite Fall delicacy?

7 comments:

Trissa said...

The watermelon radishes do look stunning - are they more radish or watermelon in flavour?

Ruth Daniels said...

Trissa, they are definitely radish in flavour - just a very mild version. The only thing "watermelon" about them is the vibrant color.

Thanks for dropping by.

Lana said...

What great photos! And, yes, I am green with envy:) The only Farmers market near by is on Saturday mornings, and I have to work:)
Husband does not like the crowds and will not go without me. Plus, who knows what HE would choose!
I loved those apples - haven't seen them around here, but remember them from my childhood in Serbia. Not the prettiest, but very tasty.
And the radishes would knock the socks off my 10-year old who is a radish fiend.
We have a Persian store in the neighborhood and they always have great produce at very affordable prices. Right now there are winter squashes, 6-7 kinds of pears, several types of apples, persimmons, pomegranates, raw almonds, quinces, guava (I have no clue what to do with guava), and the last remnants of figs.
(I have always enjoyed your blog:)

Ruth Daniels said...

Ben, given that I really don't like crowds, it's the best time for me to get there. I'd love to spend time in some Mexican markets.

Lana, thank you for the wonderful comments. You are such a beautiful writer - no wonder I love you blog, bibberche so much.

Goody said...

That's it-I'm moving to Canada ;)


Our farmer's markets have all ended for the year, and I pulled up the last of my own garden tonight ahead of the frost. When our market was still in swing, I was willing to get up in the pre-dawn hours to drive an hour for first grab at the sour cherries. I have the preserves to last through the winter, but I'm already counting the days until spring. I guess given my dislike of cold weather I should reconsider that decision to move to Canada...oh but for some fiddleheads and dulse!

Goody said...

...which I realise are all spring items. See! I can't even accept we're in fall! Denial I tell you.

Ruth Daniels said...

We are lucky enough to have a year-round Farmers' market here in Halifax. In fact, the new building is going to be open Wednesday and maybe Sunday in addition to Saturday. Not sure when, but I'm up for that.

As for denial... it's still early here so I'm enraptured with "new" fall veg, but soon enough I'll be craving fiddleheads myself.