SobaAddict70

Still wintry, although it seems to be warming up some. Forecast for Monday includes snow, which I really am quite tired of by now. Rick Bishop from Mountain Sweet Berry thinks ramps might be in as early as April 10th. Can't come soon enough. Market basket for today: miniature potatoes, leeks, squid, scallops, shallots, challah, dried navy beans, baby mesclun, radish sprouts. I might make another trip on Wednesday -- I'm on vacation this week.

Wow that's a lot of cap! Nice score! Beautiful simplicity. I want to try this, although trying to obtain specific types of canned tomato can be difficult over here. San Marzano tomatoes are readily avaliable in Melbourne. Go to a decent Italian deli (my local one sells them: next time you're over I can pick some up in advance, if you like) or to a store that peddles 'ethnic' groceries--i.e. Oasis Bakery. They've marginally more expensive than regular canned tomatoes but not overly so (ie. I pay about $2.50 a can as opposed to the $1 you'd pay for Coles' home brand tomatoes).it's possible with regular canned tomatoes. I was able to obtain canned San Marzano tomatoes because, well, I live near a supermarket that stocks just about everything imaginable. if it were the height of tomato season here, I'd buy fresh toms instead. the type of tomato isn't really important as long as they're flavorful. ETA -- you know Pomi toms? the ones that come in vacuum-packed cardboard boxes? I've used them several times in the past with great success.

Interestingly enough, I actually find that the Bell & Evans organic air-chilled chicken I buy at Whole Foods is my new favorite. And I got some pork twice the week from Heritage Meats at Essex St. Market that was amazing. Tamworth chops and a red wattle shoulder...this was staring at me when I walked in on Tuesday... photo (1).JPG never been to Whole Foods (and as long as one of their co-CEOs continues his opposition with respect to some of the issues cited in this wiki article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Mackey_%28businessman%29, that's not in the cards). I was thinking more along the lines of meat from an Associated, Food Emporium or Gristedes, or Fairway.

Well, it's 12:26 pm on a Saturday. I've just gotten up like maybe 30 minutes ago. I love to sleep in on the weekends, so this is normal for me. As a result, I won't get there until 2 pm. Most of the best stuff will be gone, but that's okay. That's really not the point, as far as I'm concerned. These are the vendors that I like: Paffenroth -- for root vegetables of all kinds, alliums (onions, shallots), herbs and some unusual vegetables that you don't see offered much -- puntarelle, cavolo nero, cardoons, upland cress, purslane, dandelion greens Blue Moon Fish -- for fish, shellfish, whole fish. If I can't get to USGM or if they're sold out, Citarella is my next stop. Cato Corner -- cheese Fifth Floor -- baked goods Flying Pigs -- bacon, pork products, eggs Hawthorne Valley -- cheese, sauerkraut/kimchi/curry carrots, dairy Knoll Krest -- eggs, fresh pasta Lani's -- greens Lynnhaven -- cheese, green garlic pesto when it's available. Migliorelli -- vegetables of all kinds, occasionally fruit Mountain Sweet Berry -- sucrine, ramps, heirloom potatoes Quattro's -- chicken, chicken eggs, wild turkey eggs, lard Ronnybrook -- dairy, butter, yogurt Tonjes -- cheese, dairy Tremblay -- honey Windfall -- micro greens

I don't think anyone has stated on this thread that local = excellent. However, I buy from there when I can because I like supporting farmers and the environment, because of the variety, and because of the quality of some of what's available (you seriously cannot compare supermarket chicken to chicken and eggs from Quattro's or Belle Rouge). I don't eat meat as much as I used to; given the choice between meat from the supermarket or a vendor at USGM, I'll buy from USGM 100% of the time, because I know that the animal was raised sustainably and not in a questionable manner. Your mileage may vary. Anyway, some of this stuff has been rehashed elsewhere on eG, and I'm not interested in going in that direction again. That ship has sailed.

well, I think there's a lot to be said from people who buy at USGM and who are members of eG. this thread can be a great resource for individuals like you, who may need information about what's on hand. this assumes of course, that the information providers are data points you trust, whose tastes may ideally, or hopefully, closely align with those of your own. =P

Steve -- the gnocchi is straight out of Suzanne Goin's Sunday Suppers at Lucques. I think there's a demo in one of the foodblogs I did on eG a while ago that shows how to make them, or you can click on the link in my signature and do a search for it on the blog. There isn't a recipe for the "sauce" -- which is just a bunch of vegetables (leeks, celery, baby peas) chopped up/thinly sliced, and cooked in unsalted butter and olive oil, then seasoned with sea salt, black pepper and fresh mint. The peas were frozen, but everything else was fresh. From around this time to the end of November, ricotta gnocchi appears once every 2-3 weeks for dinner, varied only by whatever vegetables I have on hand. Some ideas are: asparagus, morels and peas fava beans and ramps spinach, turnip greens and smothered onions Sungold cherry tomatoes and corn sweet peppers and chard pumpkin and wild mushrooms wild mushrooms and chestnuts have fun!

The market is whatever you make out of it. People decry USGM because it's expensive, or because there are vendors that sell potatoes and apples from 3 months ago. Well, there's nothing that says you have to buy the expensive stuff to make something delicious. I'm sure you know this, but it bears repeating -- the key is in knowing how and where to shop, and what to get. For instance, I know that Mountain Sweet Berry always charges premium for sucrine and ramps; and Stokes for edible flowers. If my budget can support that for the week, I'll make room for them. If it can't, there's always next time. And some items pay for themselves. I bought a 2 lb. jar of honey, with honeycomb from Tremblay Apiaries a while ago, for $15. It's a lot of honey, and it's been put to good use. That's more than you can say for the "honey" that's available at a supermarket. As for vendors who sell vegetables from storage, they have to make money somehow. I'm willing to forgive them that, since they do right by me on so many other levels.

add oil (or fat or whatever it is you're using to sauté the zucchini) to a cold pan, along with a lightly crushed or smashed garlic clove. make sure the oil is at room temperature. warm the oil over medium heat. as you're doing this, the garlic will infuse the oil with its flavor and aroma. cook the garlic for about a minute or until it turns pale gold. remove the garlic clove, then add your zucchini and proceed as normal. discard the garlic.

I don't get there at 6 am either, but still have a great experience. FYI, I never buy from the hothouse sellers. What would be the point? Sure you can have tomatoes in January, if you don't mind paying through the nose for them. I'll take them when they're available all over instead of out of season. If I want tomatoes now, I have to look at canned options. Since *I* don't know how to can (yet), that means stuff from Fairway. Learning how to can is a long-term goal, so I can have XXXX (tomatoes, or string beans or corn or whatever) whenever I want them. So, in the winter, it's lots of root vegetables, winter greens, long-cooked grains, nuts and winter fruit. Things like cauliflower, cabbage, turnips, black radishes, heirloom carrots and potatoes, and watercress. Rutabaga, brussels sprouts, celeriac. Chestnuts, mushrooms, apples. It's a different kind of cooking. Part of the experience is adapting and learning. And even if what you're getting isn't top-of-the-line, you can still have fun. I like buying odds and ends like onion flowers, ramp bulbs and rocambole garlic. I can always make something out of nothing.

it was rain, since on the day I took it, it was drizzling. I've never been to Chelsea Market or any indoor farmers' markets here in NYC, so I can't comment about any comparison to those.

so, I was there last weekend. should've updated this thread. here's a pic of some golden turnips. I don't remember the name of the vendor, but they're usually located next to the Stokes Farm stand. they're known for their apples and root vegetables. I think the lens on my camera was smudged, hence the "cloudy" appearance on this photo. Market basket for this week (currently in progress): black radishes, free-range/organic/antibiotic-free chicken, unsalted butter, chicken eggs, heirloom potatoes (two kinds -- Adirondack blue potatoes and German butterball potatoes), carrots, mesclun lettuce, Honeycrisp apples, shallots, kimchi, and cow's milk ricotta cheese. Weather dependent, I might make a trip tomorrow (Saturday). I think fish will be for dinner this weekend. Most of the above (with the exception of the kimchi) appeared in various meals this past week. I actually haven't used up all of the potatoes and carrots though. thankfully, they will last a while. As many of you know, my "schtick" is seasonal cooking. when I go to USGM, I don't really know what it is I will be making until I get there. I take a walk around, see what looks good, then start planning my menus based on availability. Menus tend to be hashed out the day of, but the seed gets planted as many as 3-4 days out. I buy the basics, then fill in holes the rest of the week. I NEVER buy with a pre-determined list on hand, because then, what happens if vendor X doesn't have whatever I need? This is a more organic way of cooking, and it works for me. Also, my menus evolve from one day to the next, from one week to the next, from one season to the next. I love seeing how things change over time, and derive immense satisfaction from seeing this progression. There is a logic of sorts that underlies it, and an intrinsic beauty.

I assume you mean Hawthorne Valley Farms. Yes, they're still selling. They're also known for their kimchi and sauerkraut. I have a jar of the kimchi in the fridge, but haven't opened it yet. Might have some with leftover white-cut chicken for dinner tonight. http://hawthornevalleyfarm.org/

I prefer buying from USGM (and other farmers' markets within the grownyc system, if I'm able to get to them), because of the relationships you develop by seeing a vendor once or twice a week. Also, USGM is convenient to me, whereas Chelsea Market is farther west and would require a major schlep.

thanks FP and Kim. nice tacos, Scotty. LOL @ "flava". tonight: Ricotta gnocchi, with celery, leeks, baby peas and mint

tonight: Mesclun salad, with salt-and-beet-vinegar Adirondack blue potato chips and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese Black radish confit, with Swedish lumpfish caviar "Potato salad" -- roasted heirloom potatoes, celery heart, celery leaves, chicken skin "chips", red onion and dressed with carrot raita (Greek yogurt, milk, cumin, carrots, sea salt, black pepper, black mustard seeds) I think reinventing the concept of what a "salad" is is especially vital in winter, when greens are in short supply. FYI, the chicken skin "chips" were baked, not fried. Bake at 375 F for 20 minutes, then season with sea salt and cayenne pepper. Ricotta gnocchi with Marcella's tomato sauce I adore ricotta gnocchi, moreso than potato or chestnut gnocchi. They're very easy -- just ricotta cheese, flour, egg, nutmeg, sea salt, black pepper. I prefer a ratio of ricotta to flour on a 3:1 basis, so the gnocchi end up feathery light. As for the sauce, it's quite simple -- a can of crushed San Marzano tomatoes, one onion sliced in half, 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, sea salt and black pepper. By the way, this sauce is so delicious that you'll want to skip the gnocchi and eat it straight out of the pot.

I made some comments on that blog page back in 2010. :-) [scroll down the page...] I've never *particularly* liked the "turning the heat off and leaving the chicken to sit in the stock" technique. It can turn out to be quite variable depending on the chicken, how much water you used.how much you needed to cover the chicken/size of pot/width of pot vs width of chicken, how long it takes to bring the stock back up to a boil after the "sitting period", etc. I do use it, but alternate with the constant simmer method as well. The ice-water treatment I also often leave out - for my taste it removes too much gelatin (which I like) from the juices that "puddle" slightly under the chicken when allowed to rest on a plate. The sesame oil rub treatment - that can be iffy - depending on which type or brand of sesame oil you use. The "roasted" type is overpowering and overwhelms everything. I find a simple veggie oil treatment is actually much better (for my taste). I frequently dispense w/ the oiling treatment especially if I had added in extra chicken fat (for the subsequent use of the stock + fat to make the chicken rice for it - in terms of "Hainanese Chicken Rice"). Nowadays I even sometimes dispense with the additional 10-minute simmer or shorten it (when doing the constant simmer alternative) and take the chicken out when the temperature reads about 160-165ºF using one of those pie-face stick-type thermometers. The marrow in the bones may still be pink - that's fine by me. they're all valid criticisms to be sure, but remember that I don't eat very much meat these days. so when I make something like this, using $20+ chicken from USGM, I'm not going to deviate from the listed recipe too much, particularly if I don't already prepare it all that regularly to begin with. this is probably the fifth or sixth time I've made the dish, and as written, the recipe works for me. *shrug* your mileage may vary.

Bái qie ji (Chinese white-cut chicken), jasmine rice with chicken liver and red onion, scallion-ginger sauce. Basically, it's poached chicken, seasoned with ginger, garlic, sea salt and sesame oil. If you master the technique, you end up with an extraordinarily juicy and flavorful chicken, and at least 3 quarts of Chinese chicken stock. The jasmine rice is just 1 1/2 cups jasmine rice grains that was sautéed in oil with chopped chicken livers and slivered red onion, then cooked in 3 cups water until done. Recipe here: http://sundaynitedinner.com/chinese-white-cut-chicken/

so I never did get around to collecting the books back when I posted to this topic in 2005. fast forward 8 years later, and I've started down that road, spurred on by a recent trip to the Strand and a PM exchange on Facebook with a friend. so now I have the following: (1) China, (2) Japan, (3) Latin America, (4) Italy, (5) American Cooking: Creole and Acadian, (6) American Cooking: The Pacific Northwest, and (7) Russia (and the spiral bound book). I rarely buy cookbooks. these cookbooks on the other hand, are automatic "must-haves" for me.

still winter here in NYC. and it's not supposed to snow in March. *grumble* Insalata di patate d'inverno (Italian potato salad (winter version)) -- radicchio, olives, capers, heirloom potatoes, red onion, celery Roasted grapes, fennel seeds, ricotta cheese Spaghetti, with fennel, anchovy and fried breadcrumbs Honeycrisp apple crumble, butter pecan ice cream

I use sea salt for most things, fleur de sel for finishing. I'll be making citrus salt soon before the weather changes, and homemade celery salt later in the year. citrus salt for finishing; celery salt for seasoning and finishing.

thanks, C. sapidus. Steve -- great guanciale. #IWantSome patrick -- Dominican food is great stuff. tonight -- three new dishes, one of which goes on permanent rotation. Roasted winter fruit salad, with Chinese lap cheong sausage and leek greens Roasted winter fruit salad -- grapes, Cara Cara oranges, extra-virgin olive oil, sea salt, black pepper, fresh thyme. Roast at 350 F for 15 minutes. Dressing -- 1 teaspoon fennel confit liquid (see below). The leek greens are raw and were sliced into a chiffonade. Nice onion flavor that's not overwhelming. Fennel confit Adapted from this recipe, with changes below: http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-fennel-l-28972 1/2 fennel bulb, sliced; 2 shallots, thinly sliced; 1 lemon, quartered; 1 tablespoon unsalted butter; 1/3 cup olive oil; sea salt, black pepper, peperoncini, fennel seeds. In a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, add butter and olive oil; melt butter. Add fennel, lemon and shallots. Season with salt, pepper, peperoncini and fennel seeds. Cover tightly, then braise for one hour or until the fennel is soft and almost falling apart. You can serve as is, or process in a food processor until smooth. Garnish with chopped fennel greens. It's a little sweet, a little savory and quite lively. I'll be using it all week. And the confit liquid will make a killer vinaigrette base. This will become part of my repertoire btw. Green chard, with garlic, raisins and pine nuts This is a variation of the tapa that typically contains spinach. Arctic char, with cockles and scallion broth The char and the cockles were cooked separately, then plated. Scallion broth consists of shallots that were sautéed in olive oil, to which was added chopped scallions, white wine and 3/4 lb. cockles; these were steamed until the cockles opened, about 3-4 minutes.

unpopular poet -- this pic might give you an idea, along the lines of what patrick mentions. Broccoli rabe and heirloom beans with sourdough-garlic croutons and cheese you can view the recipe here (note that I tend towards the lacto-ovo end of the vegetarian spectrum, so eggs and dairy figure quite prominently in my diet. the reason why I mention that is because, if you omit the butter and cheese from the recipe, it won't impact things all that much.): http://kitchenseasons.com/2009/05/01/slowly-simmered/

"Eggs and oysters" -- fried oysters, poached farm egg, Swedish lumpfish caviar, sautéed watercress Sautéed watercress, wasabi furikake Spaghettini with scallops in garlic and parsley sauce From "Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking (2012 edition, pages 185-186)

kim, thanks. I think beet vinegar has its uses, but I have to experiment more. Unfortunately, that means I'd be eating beets for a week, and I'm not terribly interested in doing that. The container that's in the fridge has about half a cup of vinegar that will keep indefinitely. At some point, I'll remove it from the fridge, bottle it and put it in my pantry. By the time November rolls around, I expect that sucker'll be used up. I never quite got the taste of beet sweetness to come through though. Maybe I need to dramatically increase the proportion of beet peels to the red wine vinegar next time. The color though, is fantastic. It's a deep magenta-purple that doesn't become easily diluted, even with the introduction of water. As for the taste, it's vinegary and a little bit earthy. I wouldn't use it by itself, but combined with something else, like a citrus reduction, or honey, or a syrup. As you can see, I eat salads just about every dinner, so I'll be putting it to good use. "Quick" dinner last night: Rotini pasta, with celery braised in tomato sauce That's about four stalks celery, chopped up, leaves included; briefly simmered in lightly salted water for 10 minutes, then cooked in olive oil with garlic and anchovy, and a couple of ladlefuls of leftover shaksuka tomato sauce from earlier in the week.