SobaAddict70

Baby golden beet and radish salad The largest of the beets was barely a fraction larger than one of those radishes. The beets were peeled and halved, and the radishes trimmed, then simmered in lightly salted water for 5 minutes, then blanched in ice water. The dressing is 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, coarse sea salt and black pepper. The greens are a mix of mesclun, cabbage flower and radish greens. Smoked bacon, Red Russian kale If you wanted to make this vegetarian, omit the bacon and increase the amount of mushrooms. (This is just kale, garlic and mushrooms cooked in bacon drippings, and were added just as the bacon began to crisp up.) Bacon from Flying Pigs Farm (http://flyingpigsfarm.com/), made from heritage pork. For folks who don't know what "heritage pork" is (and why it's important to preserve these breeds): https://www.localharvest.org/features/heritage-pork.jsp Spaghetti pan-fried with ramps and mint You can view the recipe here: http://www.thekitchn.com/spring-recipe-spaghetti-pan-fried-with-ramps-mint-170317

Poached farm egg, Moroccan spring carrot salad. Moroccan spring carrot salad -- freshly dug carrots, minced carrot tops, "quick" preserved lemon, cayenne pepper, Castelvetrano olives, oil-cured olives with rosemary, sea salt, lemon juice. So you've heard of shad roe, yes? This is it's lesser known cousin (though it's just as delicious and not as expensive). Pan-fried flounder roe, chickweed salad. The roe was seasoned with sea salt and black pepper, then dipped in flour, then milk, then flour again, and fried in unsalted butter. Chickweed salad -- chickweed, hazelnut oil, lemon juice, sea salt, black pepper.

Market basket for this week -- ramps, flounder roe, cod, baby beets, French breakfast radishes, chickweed, cabbage flower, eggs, French bread, freshly dug carrots, Red Russian kale, chives

there is also chestnut gnocchi, which is sometimes pure chestnut but more often than not mixed in with a little bit of potato, to give it some added "heft".

it would depend on the proportion of porcini to the chestnuts, as well as the other ingredients. could be good or not. my initial reaction is that it's one too many ingredients (i.e., the sage might get lost with all the background "noise" provided by the porcini). personally if I had access to fresh roasted chestnuts, I'd make risi e castagne. you can do either a sweet or savory version, depending on your mood.

RRO (rarerollingobject) also posted a recipe for scones that uses seltzer. have to dig it up though -- it's on my "to-do" list eventually.

keith -- that chicken ... oh myyyyy .... fp -- i'm afraid we're still in the grip of winter here (was 34 F this morning) patrick -- nice lamb soup steve -- i do love a good po'boy baselerd -- i might steal that concept for the future kim -- thanks for the kind words. i love deviled eggs. tonight: spring lettuce salad, dijon vinaigrette it doesn't look like much, but trust me, a lightly dressed, well-made green salad is a thing of beauty. as for the vinaigrette, i like these proportions: 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard sea salt and black pepper, to taste minced shallots and herbs, optional. it's a classic for a reason. next: chicken with olives and pine nuts recipe: http://www.lidiasitaly.com/recipes/detail/896 chicken with olives and pine nuts; broccoli rabe, with garlic and lemon; steamed rice broccoli rabe: http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Cime-di-Rapa-Fritte -- i reduced the amount of garlic called for by 75%, and added in the juice of 1/2 lemon before service. more garlic is not necessarily better. btw, the chicken was Murray's (first time for me), and while it compares favorably to USGM-sourced chicken, i prefer birds from Quattro's. maybe it is because i am spoiled or set in my ways. however, if i can't get to USGM, then this will be my #2.

Citrus salad, with candied ginger, honey and pistachio nuts Olive oil-poached squid, with leek greens and crispy roasted potatoes

Ricotta gnocchi with leek greens, Chinese pork sausage and orange zest Leek greens are the dark green parts of a leek that most people tend to throw out. Kind of a fusion-Italian experiment that worked -- leek greens and lap cheong sausage cooked in unsalted butter, seasoned with sea salt, crushed red pepper flakes, sesame oil, Cara Cara orange zest and rice vinegar. Poached shrimp, marinated in olive oil and lemon juice For those of you playing along, this is on pages 65-66 of "Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking" by Marcella Hazan (2012 edition). For those of you without the book -- the shrimp were poached in their shells, in boiling water along with carrot, celery, sea salt and red wine vinegar. When the shrimp were cooked, they were then peeled, then marinated in olive oil, lemon juice, sea salt and black pepper for one hour. Spaghettini with garlic and bitter greens (radicchio, broccoli rabe)

Boozy bread pudding, with crème anglaise Even though you don't see the eggs in front of you, they're in there, like Prego.

patrick -- reminds me of the description of grillades on grits in the T-L FOTW book on Creole and Acadian cuisine. tonight: Ricotta gnocchi, with fava beans, chanterelles and leeks Once you have the basic recipe for the gnocchi down (here: http://kitchenseasons.com/2013/03/25/ricotta-gnocchi-with-tomato-butter-and-onion-sauce/ ), the combinations are endless. I actually prefer them with vegetables instead of sauce. More interesting that way. These were just sautéed in unsalted butter and seasoned with sea salt, black pepper and fresh thyme. The fava beans were simmered in lightly salted water, then added to the pan with the leeks and chanterelles, a minute or two or so before the addition of the gnocchi. Spicy roasted shrimp and broccoli rabe Recipe here: http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/03/26/shrimp-and-broccoli-rabe-done-in-a-flash/ Boozy bread pudding, roasted apples Recipe, adapted from Smitten Kitchen (with the addition of 2 tablespoons light rum, 1/4 cup raisins and 1/4 cup slivered almonds): http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2006/12/new-years-day-2001/ Roasted apples -- 1 large apple, peeled, cored and sliced; 2 tablespoons sugar; 1 tablespoon unsalted butter; nutmeg, cinnamon or allspice. Combine in a small bowl, then spoon into a Pyrex baking dish or roasting pan. Roast at 400 F for 30 minutes, then use as needed.

mm has access to LOTS of morels. *sigh*

That sounds interesting. Unfortunately, it appears my granddaughter is one of the unlucky souls thus afflicted. I'd like that recipe, Soba, if you have it. Or a link... here you go, Jaymes: http://kitchenseasons.com/2013/01/02/all-about-lenticchie-part-1/

Poached farm egg, with fried leeks and smoked bacon The bacon was made from heritage pigs, raised at Flying Pigs Farm (http://flyingpigsfarm.com). Eggs from Quattro's Game Farm (http://hudsonvalleybounty.com/listing/quattro’s-game-farm-farm-store) and leeks from Paffenroth Gardens (http://www.realtimefarms.com/farm/4689052/paffenroth-gardens).

I use Keller's method for roast chicken. I typically get my chicken from Quattro's or Belle Rouge at USGM (short for Union Square Greenmarket). No stuffing. I truss or not, depends on mood. Seasoning and cooking position are in his recipe. Works like a dream every time. Roast poussin, spring vegetables, Chardonnay jus

I've made tabbouleh one of the usual ways -- with couscous, lots of parsley and mint, not as much tomato. Then, there is also a version with lentils and brussels sprouts, for people with celiac disease. It's not traditional though.

Spring is in California, but apparently nature thinks it's still winter in the Northeast. was supposed to snow today, but it rained instead (although it's definitely cold enough to snow, which may still happen). 37 degrees in late March, a week before April. something is wrong with that picture.

yes, but my point is that those two locations that you note are located on City-owned or state-owned property, so the cost to set up shop there is less than what it would be if a farmer's market were in a building owned by a private entity. the SI Ferry Terminal is owned by the NYC DOT (Department of Transportation). the Port Authority is a state entity, operated jointly between the states of New York and New Jersey. edited to add that GrowNYC is a not-for-profit corporation, therefore their operating costs must certainly be quite small for them to remain solvent. rental and leasing costs are a significant expenditure -- so any farmer's market in an indoor space under the auspices of their program will very likely be located within a City- or state-owned location. this link provides more information, including the tidbit that the Council on the Environment of New York City, GrowNYC's predecessor, was a non-profit corporation under mayoral control: http://www.newvillage.net/Journal/Issue2/2greenmarket.html Yes thanks, I'm aware of the ownership and background of the PA and the SI Ferry Terminal. :-) I wonder why there aren't more opportunities to make use of City- or State-owned properties, so to say. (I also used to pass through the PA on a not infrequent basis back in the day, and I've used the SI Ferry Terminal at other times with my car) more opportunities by whom? GrowNYC seems to do an excellent job of accomplishing its mission. re ownership -- we don't know each other, so I'm not going to automatically assume you know the ins- and outs- of things in the City. was just providing extra information in the event you didn't.

liuzhou -- and to think that I once knew how to speak Mandarin. of course, that was in another lifetime in some galaxy far, far away. mm -- I too wondered about your lighting setup. sometimes "simple" is exactly what you need. tonight: non-complicated dinner, because of some unneeded stress from a person who shall remain nameless. Fried farm egg, challah toast, fried leeks with Chinese lap cheong sausage

yes, but my point is that those two locations that you note are located on City-owned or state-owned property, so the cost to set up shop there is less than what it would be if a farmer's market were in a building owned by a private entity. the SI Ferry Terminal is owned by the NYC DOT (Department of Transportation). the Port Authority is a state entity, operated jointly between the states of New York and New Jersey. edited to add that GrowNYC is a not-for-profit corporation, therefore their operating costs must certainly be quite small for them to remain solvent. rental and leasing costs are a significant expenditure -- so any farmer's market in an indoor space under the auspices of their program will very likely be located within a City- or state-owned location. this link provides more information, including the tidbit that the Council on the Environment of New York City, GrowNYC's predecessor, was a non-profit corporation under mayoral control: http://www.newvillage.net/Journal/Issue2/2greenmarket.html

in NYC, space is at a premium, so all of the grownyc markets are outdoors in public spaces such as parkland or a public plaza (like for example, the one at Rockefeller Center which is only open during the summer months), or in front of City Hall (which is open nearly all year-round, just not on as many days as USGM). if a farmer's market were located INDOORS in NYC, it would have to be in a building that's zoned for either commercial use or mixed-usage. I don't see that happening anytime soon, primarily because of rental costs. such buildings are currently located in fairly high rent areas, whereas being outdoors reduces that cost significantly. when you have businesses that are, for the most part, on very thin profit margins -- some farms are just recovering from Hurricane Sandy, while others were wiped out by the double whammy of Irene and Sandy -- an indoor grownyc farmer's market is out of the question. that doesn't mean there aren't indoor farmer's markets in NYC; it's just that I don't know of any personally.

Uhh...I used Chelsea Market simply as an example (albeit a famous one) of an indoor market. Fine - so you regard the place with curled lip - are there indoor Farmer's Markets or similar produce markets other than supermarkets (which you seem to dislike too) that you know of and can suggest/recommend for general info? BTW, I go to my local supermarkets or normal groceries (and especially my local Chinese grocery) more than to Farmer's Markets around here especially in winter, when I find local produce to be inferior. An exception would be fat-stemmed, squat, sweet winter spinach, when I can find it. Not the skinny etiolated ones. Oh, it always helps to have a fat wallet too, whether in winter or summer, at a Farmer's Market...and you also need to fight for parking space with BMWs and Lexus's (neither of which I drive) and other such chariots, and dodge big dogs (or avoid stepping on toy dogs) (in summer) that are clearly pampered and probably eat more and better than a working-class family. :-) I'll try this one more time, then I'm done with this. There's the Union Square Greenmarket: at its finest, it is packed with vendors selling an excellent array of produce and animal products, many of them locally/sustainably grown. There are vendors who sell things other than produce, but the produce and animal goods (ostrich jerky!) are the big draw for most people who shop here. I haven't come across an indoor market in NYC that is roughly equivalent to the USG, but there must be one; Chelsea Market is not it, and the 'market' in its name is just a nomenclature choice. I don't regard it (or supermarkets, which I actually enjoy, because: no tourists!) with a curled lip, but I do find the tourists entertaining to watch (I don't tease or feed them, either here or at the USG). Speaking of pictures and green markets, one of the best shopping/photo ops in NYC happens if you hit the USG just after sunrise, with the light slanting low over the freshly unpacked goods. Union Square is relatively empty, things are still and glowing, and the vendors are not yet worn out from standing around all day. Beautiful. Thank you. We appear to be talking past each other. I'll try this once more too - I understand that USG/USFM is chock full of vendors selling wonderful local produce etc especially "at its finest", as you say. What I was asking about was indoor markets - or indoor spaces, protected areas with a roof and heat where vendors sell stuff, if you will, other than USFM/USG in winter that also sold local produce. Note I used the simple phrase "indoor market" when I referred to Chelsea Market in my last post although I then did use the phrase "Farmer's Markets" when I asked about other places [obviously other than CM or USG]. I was not fixating on Chelsea Market as the epitome of such a place nor did I call it a FARMERS' market. I simply called that place by its given name. Anyway, you have answered my question from your perspective and I thank you for that. Yes, I've been at Union Square at dawn (or at sunset) several times before although not on Market days. It can be nice depending on the day. ETA: Actually, I've been there at USG on Market days too, on reflection, but I was almost always driving through en route to another place like Stuy Town or other places and had no inclination to stop & browse. I think I did stroll through USFM once when showing a friend around NYC but that was years ago. I don't remember being bowled over at that time on that occasion. there are plenty of indoor spaces that sell foodstuffs in NYC, but none that to my knowledge are indoor farmers' markets open in the same fashion as any of the grownyc markets. the grownyc markets have specific rules about what can and cannot be sold there. a space like Citarella (which is really an upscale gourmet food emporium, so you have $15 for a 34 oz. bottle of extra-virgin olive oil as opposed to a similar sized bottle that sells for $7-9 at my local corner grocery store, if on sale) or Fairway (a glorified supermarket known for stocking anything imaginable) tends to have food from all over, like seafood from China or the Philippines. there is the Hunts Point Produce Market in the Bronx, but that's not a place that's generally open to the public, and in any event, what they sell is maybe less than 5% local food. someone suggested Whole Foods upthread -- they might be a source; however I will never step into one for reasons that have nothing to do with food.

bonito is not vegan though. you'll do better with dried shiitake mushrooms as Baselerd notes.

Dejah -- looks awesome. Kim -- the cakes look great. liuzhou -- the greens are bok choy or choy sum, yes? FP -- I'm jonesing for spring vegetables (and spring-like weather). but I'll take the pencil asparagus in the meantime. ben -- looks vaguely Chinese, and delicious. scotty -- you're killin' me, man. LOL. mm -- did you shell peel the peas? I might repeat my experiment from last year, come to think of it. tonight: Black radish and scallop "carpaccio" If I had the opportunity to do this again, I'd probably freeze the scallop slightly to ensure a firmer texture. Not bad for hand sliced though. Navy bean and baby mesclun salad, with pancetta and red onion The beans were soaked for 5 hours, then cooked for 90 minutes in 4 cups water along with sliced carrots and fennel, sea salt and bay leaves. They were combined with crispy pancetta, thinly sliced red onion, fennel greens, lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil, sea salt and black pepper, then tossed with baby mesclun lettuce. Spaghetti with scallops, anchovy and radish sprouts Yes, you're probably thinking Soba's gone off the deep end. It was something I picked up from the market today. They're spicier than your normal sprouts. The sauce consists of olive oil, garlic, anchovy, tomato paste, probably 1/2 cup finely minced parsley and 1/3 cup radish sprouts. The scallops were cooked separately, then plated at the last minute.

np, patrick. there ARE people though on this board who ARE anti-locavore. I'm just stating for the record that conversation is tired and kind of old hat. FYI, those vendors are around on Saturday and presumably other days during the week. I don't have much experience on a weekday, although Madura is great for mushrooms.