farmers' market: northern spy
You know how for the last few weeks I've been saying it was a light market for me? Not so much this week.
Leeks have been in for a while, but they've either looked a little ratty or they've been the slender baby leeks which are perfect for braising; except I don't braise leeks, I put them in soups and stews or in galettes or on pizza. So the delicate (and expensive) early leeks aren't so tempting. This week, however, there were lovely huge leeks to be had, and I got lots of them.
This week also saw the return of sunchokes. So I also got lots of those. Because, come on, sunchokes! Yum!
The rest of the haul was pretty straightforward: cauliflower, red onions, kale, spinach, mushrooms, potatoes (yukon golds). Also some Italian flat-leaf parsley, and a wonderfully fragrant bunch of fresh sage. I see a mushroom-sage pizza in the very near future... And then of course I got maple candy (a maple leaf, a rose, and a daisy), which I am saving for after lunch.
I also got a half-gallon of apple cider and a marvelous batch of apples. The Northern Spy is in, and I got two pounds because - drum roll please - I'm going to attempt to make a pie. I don't make pie. This is allegedly because I'm not a huge fan of pie, but having done a little soul-searching about this matter I've had to admit to myself that part of the reason I don't like pie very much is that I'm bitter about never having made a really excellent pie. My Kitchenaid mixer, which was wounded in the line of duty and has been out of commission for several months, has been fixed, and I'm ready to try some proper pastry; so sometime this week you'll be seeing a Pie Report.
Anyhow. I couldn't stop at my favorite apple vendor and only get apples for pie, because what if the pie turns out terribly? So I also got...
Oxheart Pippin: Pink and yellow streaks. Very juicy and more sweet than tart (what I call a breakfast apple), with a nice depth of flavor. It's supposed to keep well, so I may get several pounds next week.
Spitzenberg: Bright red with a definite orange cast. Has a rather nut-like flavor. This is a pretty well-known antique apple, but I don't know much about it except that it's often used for pie. I think it grows better in New England than Wisconsin; it seems to be more common out east.
Black Twig: Dark red cloak over bright green; a very nice tart eating apple. Apparently it's often used in cider, though I don't know why it would lend itself to cider more than any other tart apple. Dates from the 1830s in Tennessee.
King David: Small and round; dark purple-red, almost a plum color. Probably a cross between Jonathan and Arkansas Black; dates from the 1890s, Arkansas. Crisp, coarse flesh, and a rather tough skin. Apparently makes good applesauce, and since I now have an applesauce recipe I wanted to try this variety again (it's been a while since I had it) and see if I want to get it in quantity next week.
Now I just have to go to the co-op for whole milk (sunchoke and potato-leek soups) and hulled barley (kale-barley soup) and I can settle in for a day of cooking and vidding.
Leeks have been in for a while, but they've either looked a little ratty or they've been the slender baby leeks which are perfect for braising; except I don't braise leeks, I put them in soups and stews or in galettes or on pizza. So the delicate (and expensive) early leeks aren't so tempting. This week, however, there were lovely huge leeks to be had, and I got lots of them.
This week also saw the return of sunchokes. So I also got lots of those. Because, come on, sunchokes! Yum!
The rest of the haul was pretty straightforward: cauliflower, red onions, kale, spinach, mushrooms, potatoes (yukon golds). Also some Italian flat-leaf parsley, and a wonderfully fragrant bunch of fresh sage. I see a mushroom-sage pizza in the very near future... And then of course I got maple candy (a maple leaf, a rose, and a daisy), which I am saving for after lunch.
I also got a half-gallon of apple cider and a marvelous batch of apples. The Northern Spy is in, and I got two pounds because - drum roll please - I'm going to attempt to make a pie. I don't make pie. This is allegedly because I'm not a huge fan of pie, but having done a little soul-searching about this matter I've had to admit to myself that part of the reason I don't like pie very much is that I'm bitter about never having made a really excellent pie. My Kitchenaid mixer, which was wounded in the line of duty and has been out of commission for several months, has been fixed, and I'm ready to try some proper pastry; so sometime this week you'll be seeing a Pie Report.
Anyhow. I couldn't stop at my favorite apple vendor and only get apples for pie, because what if the pie turns out terribly? So I also got...
Oxheart Pippin: Pink and yellow streaks. Very juicy and more sweet than tart (what I call a breakfast apple), with a nice depth of flavor. It's supposed to keep well, so I may get several pounds next week.
Spitzenberg: Bright red with a definite orange cast. Has a rather nut-like flavor. This is a pretty well-known antique apple, but I don't know much about it except that it's often used for pie. I think it grows better in New England than Wisconsin; it seems to be more common out east.
Black Twig: Dark red cloak over bright green; a very nice tart eating apple. Apparently it's often used in cider, though I don't know why it would lend itself to cider more than any other tart apple. Dates from the 1830s in Tennessee.
King David: Small and round; dark purple-red, almost a plum color. Probably a cross between Jonathan and Arkansas Black; dates from the 1890s, Arkansas. Crisp, coarse flesh, and a rather tough skin. Apparently makes good applesauce, and since I now have an applesauce recipe I wanted to try this variety again (it's been a while since I had it) and see if I want to get it in quantity next week.
Now I just have to go to the co-op for whole milk (sunchoke and potato-leek soups) and hulled barley (kale-barley soup) and I can settle in for a day of cooking and vidding.