Sunday, August 31, 2008

Market Report - August 31

It kills me that tomorrow is the first of September! But looking at the market, you can see that the the harvest is beginning and the produce is changing. The market was packed this morning, even at 8:00 a.m. I guess everyone's either having a big meal tomorrow, or they took the State's advice and stayed home from the beach.
There were lots of late-season grapes on offer. Growing up, we had grape arbours at our house and this time of year, the grapes would fall and ferment. The bees would get drunk and fly around stinging everyone. Not fun!
Some of the root veggies are coming in, and there was a really good display of beets. All of the green had been lopped off and it looked like a bunch of spiky-heads lined up.
The lines for the peas are back in full force. I am not a pea/bean person, so I fail to see the excitement, but they're popular. There were black-eye peas, crowder peas and black beans, amongst others. Once they're gone, you've got to wait until the next week.One of the prettiest things this week was a dahlia as big as a dinner plate. Beautiful cream colour and just huge!
Another sign of the impending change of seasons was the variety of squash beginning to arrive. I loved these striped bi-coloured ones.But these are the most obscene ones, and flesh-coloured to make them even more realistic!
Last, but not least, a beautiful punnet of Damsen plums. I remember these from childhood when my father used to make Damsen jam from them. Thanks, as always, for reading!

Monday, August 25, 2008

Market Report - August 24

The market seemed a bit quieter this week, perhaps because of everyone trying to squeeze in one more weekend at the beach before school begins.

As Kitchenography was trying to choose which of the amazing mushrooms to buy, I was furiously snapping pictures of their amazing and interesting shapes and colours. The ones I found most interesting were the "hen-in-the-woods" variety.
I think that this summer with its early rain and late heat has really produced huge crops of tomatoes and peppers. The varieties are quite stunning, from big red bell peppers to small red chili peppers.
With my great new camera, I am delighted to see the "inner life" of flowers and captured this dahlia's colours and inner whorls and swirls in great detail.
See you next week at the Market!

Sunday, August 17, 2008

Market Report - August 17

Well, this is the first week that I've seen fresh apples at the market. With the cool weather we've been having the last week or so, it's amost beginning to feel like autumn.
I didn't buy any apples, but did buy some beautiful yellow peaches. When we were children, my father used to make fried peaches, with a little white Karo syrup on them. But what made them taste so good was that he'd make bacon first, and then fry the peaches in the same pan. I am thinking that might make a good Sunday supper, like when we were children.
The melons are in full force now, with loads of different varieties. During the summer we spent in the Costwolds we had the most lucious melons which looked like honeydew melons on the outside, but canteloupe on the inside. We ate them by the basket, but of course, we've all forgotten the name of them. I wonder if it's the French Melon that I bought this morning...

See you next week!

Friday, August 15, 2008

Zen West

My old friend from work, Jefe and I decided to go out to lunch and since Zen West is close to our office, we headed over there. It was empty when we got there at noon, and we got a table next to the window.

The server brought us a basket of tortilla chips and some salsa and we dug in. After one bite, I realized that the oil used in cooking the tortillas was rancid. I mentioned this to Jefe, but he didn't think that he could taste it. Needless to say, I refrained from eating any more chips.
After about a 25-minute wait, our food was finally delivered, missing the guacamole that Jefe had specifically ordered. The kitchen had put Jefe's lunch under the broiler to melt the cheese, but in doing so, they completely dried out the black beans until they were cracked.
I had two tacos, one soft and one hard. The hard one was completely stale. It was crunchy, but in a bad way. The soft taco was pretty good and the meat was nicely done. For $23.00, including two drinks, an ice tea and a "coke", which the server told us was a coke-like product, not even the real thing, I think we over-paid by about 75%.

Monday, August 11, 2008

Market Meet Up

Both on this blog and on Elizabeth Large's blog, there's been a bit of interest in having a Market Meet-Up at the Sunday Market, Down Under (the JFX). Since lots of people are out of town in August, or getting their children ready for the new school term, I made the executive decision to hold the MMU on Sunday, September 14. Are you in?

Kitchenography and I usually get there at 8:00 and meet at Reid's. We will have to figure out a way for everyone to identify themselves... Any suggestion?

More details later!

Sunday, August 10, 2008

Market Report - August 10

This morning, Kitchenography and I were joined by fellow Balti-blogger and baker, B-More Sweet. Like me, B-More had her camera, and I think we took some of the same shots.

Today, there were loads of tomatoes of all sorts of heirloom varieties and stripes...like these green zebra ones. I wasn't sure if these were the same as last week's yellow/red striped ones, but not as ripe, or whether they're a different variety.
I saw the first of the fresh garlic, which was picked months ago, but has now aged and cured. Garlic chicken, anyone?
Lots of varieties of beans now, and the Pea Man was back with shelled lima beans. Of course, there was a long line. To me, succotash is one of the most vile foods.
I am not sure what these tiny little flowers/berries were, but the way they were used in an arrangement was very interesting.
After the market, we had a nice breakfast at Bonapartes on Thames Street in Fells Point. I like the idea of a breakfast of coffee and a roll, but the service there leaves me cold. We're thinking about doing a Baltimore Food Blogger Meet-Up @ The Sunday Market, on September 14th. Let me know if you're interested. More details will follow.

Sunday, August 3, 2008

Market Report - August 3

It's hard to believe it's August already, but looking at the produce at the Sunday Market, it tells the story.
There are tons of tomatoes everywhere and loads of different varieties. My favourites were the pretty orange and red zebra-striped ones. My mother had some a friend grew and she said they were wonderful. There were also some tiny little yellow cocktail tomatoes. The red one in the basket is a regular cherry tomato, so you can see the size difference.
Still lots of squashes in a huge range of shapes and colours.
Lots of peppers in every colour from pale green to deepest aubergine.
The corn is in and there are literally truck-loads of it. I was looking for the yellow-and-white Ambrosia, and saw this beautiful white corn.
See you at the Market next week!