End of May

While we were blessed with perfect weather for the first couple of markets, last Friday brought cold temperatures and intermittent rain.  This coming Friday looks like it will be the hottest day of the week.  I hope the weather doesn't stop you from coming down to the market!  The farmers are bringing in the spring veggies, and that is worth the trip.

This week, I picked up two bunches of spring turnips from Solid Ground Farm.  These turnips are different than the waxy winter variety.  They are white and small and resemble radishes.  I eat them raw, sliced as a side dish or like I would eat an apple.  Even though they are great raw, I think I might try this recipe for glazed turnips.  Yum!

I also bought some spinach at the market, and I throw that into anything I am cooking.  Eggs, stir fry, burritos, rice and beans...green goes with everything!  I also mix the turnip greens in with the spinach and cook those, too.  The sweet taste of spinach is excellent this time of year, and it can be stretched by adding other tasty leaves.  Little Raven Kitchen and Gardens had some wonderful greens, as well.  She (Farmer Julie, have you met her yet?) had that mix of greens that are great for cooking or mixing up for a spicy salad.  Perfect!  Those greens could be thrown into a hearty soup on a cold spring day, or in a light salad on a hot spring day.

With the fickle weather in the back of my mind, I also took home a pound of ground beef from Chicoine Family Farm.  I'll make burgers if it's nice, chili if it's not.  Maybe next week I will splurge on one of those cutting boards made by one of their family members.

The most exotic thing I picked up at the market was the half leg of goat from Gray Dog's Farm.  I am a fairly adventurous cook, but after talking to April from the farm this piece of meat seemed much tamer.  Just roast it like any bone-in roast!  What that means in my kitchen is that I will marinate the meat in a mixture of olive oil, a little pickle juice (because I make a lot of pickles and have tons of this acidic ingredient), garlic, herbs, salt and pepper for up to 24 hours.  Then, I will put it in a 375 degree oven for about an hour, or until the thermometer registers 145 degrees (that's the USDA recommendation, anyway).  Of course, I will take the meat out of the oven when it's done and let it rest for 10 minutes before carving it...

All this writing about food has made me hungry!  I hope to see you at the market next week.