Vlita

Greek leafy green

Mozzarella

Ovolini (egg size) 4 ounce balls
Bocconcini (bite size) 1.50 ounce balls
Ciliegine (little cherry size) .33 ounce balls

Farmer’s Market Week 3 July 4

The farmers market this week offered a few newcomers for this year.  One stand had squash blossoms, which I passed up knowing I wouldn’t get to them for several days.  I did get some baby zucchini, however, along with some gorgeous broccoli.  I still had the beets and kohlrabi left over from last week, so I tried to play it pretty safe.  I got some cilantro and scallions which adorned by July 4th taco dip, more sugar snap peas and strawberries, which were delicious but were probably already a day past their prime by the time I got them.  I bought some lamb arm steaks from a vendor who is usually in Brookfield, but was here for one week only.  Also, I got my first eggs from Jones farm, which were the very best eggs I’ve ever had.  Gigantic, dark golden yolks with firm whites, very rich and delicious.

Farmer’s Market Week 2 June 27

This week, I bought perfectly, very nearly over-ripe strawberries, knob onions, creminis, peas, beets, kohlrabi and some “Bistro” cheddar cheese, which is flavored with shallots, black pepper & tarragon.

On Monday I utilized the greens from the kohlrabi and beets in the braised greens from the previous week. There were only 7-8 strawberries left, which was good because they were goo by Monday.

Tuesday night dinner was very eclectic – boiled peas with butter, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper (they were a little starchy, but delicious nonetheless). Italian-style turkey meatballs as a sandwich with homemade tomato sauce, chipotle puree and melted provolone on a French baguette.

I’ll still have to get through the beets, kohlrabi, knob onions and mushrooms this week, concentrating on the latter two first.

Peas

17.6 ounces fresh shell peas = 5 ounces shelled peas

Carne Adovada

Native to New Mexico, carne adovada is meat (pork) marinated with New Mexico chiles, oregano, cumin and garlic, then slow-cooked (source: http://www.blue-kitchen.com/2008/08/13/taste-of-new-mexico-carne-adovada/).  Other sources include vinegar, onions and broth.  There seems to be consensus on marinating – 2 days being generally recommended.

Foods to always buy organic

According to the Environmental Working Group, foods most likely to have the highest concentration of pesticides are peaches, nectarines, apples, bell peppers, strawberries, cherries, pears, raspberries, imported grapes, celery, potatoes and spinach. Foods that you peel, such as bananas, peas, sweet corn and tropical fruits are probably ok conventional.

There’s an iphone app available to keep up on this info!