SobaAddict70

Oven-roasted mussels and heirloom tomatoes, with poached farm egg and sucrine lettuce You can't see it, but the mussels are resting on top of some crostini. The mussels were roasted with: 1 diced heirloom tomato, 1 thinly sliced rocambole garlic clove, olive oil, white wine, sea salt, black pepper and minced onion flowers. Roast for 10 minutes at 400 F. Onion flowers can be subbed in for regular onions and used whereever you want a hint of onion flavor. Parmigiana di melanzane This version DOES NOT contain breaded eggplant. Recipe here: http://memoriediangelina.blogspot.com/2009/07/parmigiana-di-melanzane.html

$5 to $6/pint is about what gets charged at USGM here in NYC, however, that's a lot of heirloom tomatoes for one person. I don't think those are outrageous prices. Farmers have to make a living somehow, especially since the cost of living in New York isn't exactly cheap. and I guarantee you that after Hurricane Irene a couple of years ago, most farms in the tri-state area weren't doing so hot. some had the majority of their cropland DESTROYED by the torrential rains and winds. those who escaped the storm's wrath still had a good percentage of their autumn harvest ruined, at precisely the worst possible moment. for many in this part of the world, the autumn harvest is THE principal money-making season, during which if everything comes out okay, most farms will end up in the black, with enough to tide them over until next year. they can't charge too much or else they'll drive customers away. they can't charge too little or else they won't make a profit -- and that's after you factor in all the incidentals like: paying back any loans that were taken out from the bank (guess who props up farmers when we're not looking), paying their workers and hired help, overhead, the cost of transporting goods to the market, the cost of renting space at the market for the day and vehicle insurance. the price dance is a delicate balance that farmers are all too aware of, so please keep that in mind the next time you're carping about so-called outrageous prices at your markets.

$5 to $6/pint is about what gets charged at USGM here in NYC, however, that's a lot of heirloom tomatoes for one person. I don't think those are outrageous prices. Farmers have to make a living somehow, especially since the cost of living in New York isn't exactly cheap.

I'm guessing that it's not one of those things that sells out early. I didn't show up until 4 pm on Saturday and he still had quite a bit to spare. Should be available from now through early September.

From Rick Bishop's stand at USGM (Union Square Greenmarket). He was selling them for $16 a pound. I bought a little over half a pound's worth and will be using it for a few dinners this week. =========================== Tonight's menu is: Mussels, croutons, poached farm egg, sucrine lettuce Parmigiana di melanzane (eggplant parmigiana) More later.

Continuing The Year of Cooking Seasonally project, a mostly Greenmarket dinner last night (chanterelles and prosciutto were bought at Eataly): "Pork and beans" Wax beans cooked in olive oil with rocambole garlic, parsley and lemon, with prosciutto cotto di Parma. Rocambole garlic is an heirloom variety of garlic, with larger, fatter cloves and a sharper, spicier taste. Normally, garlic bulbs have from ten to twelve cloves per bulb. Rocamboles have from six to eight cloves per bulb. As you can imagine, one clove goes a long way, and they're expensive. One vendor was selling them at $1.50 per bulb at USGM. I used a single clove for all three dishes pictured in this post. Sucrine, cremini and chanterelle salad Sucrine is a French heirloom variety of lettuce known for its succulent sweetness and crisp texture. Substitute romaine lettuce if unavailable. The creminis and chanterelles were sautéed in unsalted butter, along with rocambole garlic, sea salt and black pepper; dressed in lemon juice and chopped parsley; then tossed with chopped sucrine lettuce and finished with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil. Stufato di verdure, fresh carrot pasta This version contains Spanish onion, rocambole garlic, two types of summer squash, Jersey tomatoes, Swiss chard and wax beans, and a couple of anchovy fillets. Same recipe as the one on the blog: http://kitchenseasons.com/2012/06/08/stufato-di-verdure/ Carrot pasta from Knoll Krest Farm at USGM.

Bacon, sucrine lettuce and slow-roasted Campari cherry tomato sandwich, with Dijon-herb aioli on toasted sourdough bread Technically something I made last year, but it's now my #1 'go-to' BLT. #2 uses grilled white peaches instead of the tomato. Bacon from Flying Pig Farms at USGM.

thanks, menu. here's a pic of a couple of wild turkey eggs. these were the ones I referred to in my response to Country (they weren't used until today unfortunately): I've positioned them next to my steak knife so you can see how large they are. (btw, that knife is what I use for just about everything I cook; for hard to cut ingredients like watermelons and acorn squash, I have a regular-sized chef's knife. did I just hear your jaws drop? it's true.) and now, for something out of left field Fried wild turkey eggs on potato chips This isn't as strange as it might sound. It's based on a Parsi dish called wafer par ida. You can view the recipe here: www.monicabhide.com/2010/06/once-upon-a-story-fried-eggs-... (courtesy of Monica Bhide, who some of you may recall as a former manager and staff member on eG) The version that's pictured uses parsley instead of cilantro (as I had none on hand), and ground cumin instead of the ginger-garlic paste.

Oh my, that sounds way too good not to try. Where did you find that recipe? Douglas -- here you go: http://blogs.menshealth.com/guy-gourmet/guy-grub-spaghetti-with-fresh-crab-and-homemade-tomato-sauce/2010/09/28/ The version that's pictured has some differences -- homemade fish stock (with Pernod and fennel), parsley, canned San Marzano tomatoes, dried thin spaghetti, lump crabmeat from Citarella. Otherwise, fairly straightforward.

Douglas -- I'm a little bit envious that you have nasturtium flowers available. Last night: Spaghetti con granchio e pomodoro (spaghetti with crab and tomato) Adapted from Chef Michael White, currently of Nicoletta (New York), Ai Fiori (New York) and Al Molo (Hong Kong), amongst others.

Leftovers, but this was tonight's appetizer: Fava bean and heirloom tomato ragoût

Just saw your comment, Kim. No, I wish bottarga had that quality as it would make things so much easier. There's a thread on it somewhere in the Cooking forum. Most folks shave it, but I prefer to add it to garlic-infused oil. You have to be quick though, if you do it this way, since it will burn if you wait too long before proceeding with your recipe.

Indian takeout from Chennai over the weekend. I ordered rogan josh and they gave me lamb biryani instead. Was too tired to complain but it'll be a while before I order from there again. Meanwhile: "Beets and ramps" This is a very simple salad that consists of roasted golden beets, chopped scallions, sliced ramp bulbs, mint, parsley, lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil, sea salt, black pepper. Ramps won't be available until next year (their season is from mid/late March to mid/late May). You can occasionally find the bulbs at farmer's markets as late as the first or second week of June however. The bulbs are extraordinarily pungent ... somewhere between double to triple the strength of a miniature onion. Zucchini "pasta", with heirloom tomato confit and golden beets This has three components: the zucchini "pasta", the heirloom tomato confit and the beets. The "pasta" consists of nothing more than shaved zucchini that was given a quick sauté in olive oil. The heirloom tomato confit is sliced heirloom tomatoes, olive oil, sea salt, black pepper and a very tiny bit of sugar; this was then roasted at 350 F for one hour. The beets were sautéed in olive oil, with shallots, sea salt and black pepper. Oregano and parsley to finish.

so tonight's creation will be something with beets. it will be, hopefully, something that will allow people to view the vegetable in a whole new light, and away from the main criticism which is that it tastes like 'dirt'. FYI, this is part of The Year of Cooking Seasonally project that I began in January 2012. what do you like to do with beets, besides roast them or turn them into soup?

dcarch -- lamb neck bones. similar to lamb shanks? looks great (and I won't tell your secret ) Fava bean, arugula and pea salad, with cow's milk ricotta cheese, lemon zest and mint Spaghetti with heirloom tomatoes, bottarga and garlic. There really isn't a recipe for this. I had some leftover cooking liquid from Saturday evening's dinner that had a LARGE amount of chopped garlic, some shrimp juices and olive oil. I fried the garlic in the residual olive oil, added some bottarga, chopped heirloom tomatoes and a little fresh oregano, added cooked drained spaghetti and let the pasta absorb some of the sauce. Served with a very tiny amount of grated pecorino romano cheese. There is a tradition in Italian cuisine where you make a pasta sauce using meat drippings from say, a piece of roast beef or lamb. This is more or less the same concept.

I just have to ask. How did you get the wild turkey egg? Quattro Game Farm sells them at Union Square Greenmarket, although the season for it has been over since early June. I happen to have two eggs left in my refrigerator, that will be used this week, after which no more will be available until next spring.

so heirloom tomatoes have started appearing with some regularity at USGM, which means that it's time for me to start making this as often as possible: Fried farm eggs, sunny side-up, with heirloom tomato salad and crispy toast. This is my absolute favorite way to eat breakfast in the summer and autumn, especially when heirloom tomatoes are available. You probably can't see it but the tomato salad is beneath each of the fried eggs. I never make the salad the same way twice; this version contains minced shallots, minced ramp bulbs, diced heirloom tomatoes, diced Kirby cucumber, about 1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano, sea salt and black pepper (to taste), about 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil and 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix well, then set aside until ready for use. The tomato salad can be made an hour ahead but is best made just before you're ready to eat. The eggs were fried in unsalted butter, with sea salt and black pepper to taste. All told, this takes about 20 minutes to make, including prep.

Yeah, I'd say this 2nd attempt at a loaf was successful. Scampi al forno, homemade bread

Short ribs, chicken, paella and bacon pr0n!!!! I'll take one of each please. Leftover spaghetti last night, but there were these: Insalata di cremini In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil, sea salt, black pepper and minced Italian parsley. Stir in thinly sliced cremini mushrooms (or can be other types of mushrooms, like oyster mushrooms and shiitakes). Let sit for 5 minutes, then spoon mushrooms atop arugula leaves. Top with shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and serve at once. Time: About 15 minutes, including prep. "Potato salad". This is a variant of this salad that I made back in January: http://kitchenseason...ay-snapshots-2/ The ingredients in the version below consist of Russian Banana fingerling potatoes, zucchini, bottarga (dried mullet roe), garlic, red chile pepper flakes, scallions, salmon roe, extra-virgin olive oil and lemon juice. The potatoes and zucchini were cooked first in lightly salted water, then finished in garlic and chile-infused olive oil that had a teaspoon of bottarga stirred in prior to adding the vegetables. Salmon roe, scallions and lemon juice to finish. Inspired by the bottarga thread, specifically posts by Adam Balic and FrogPrincesse.

oh, how lovely. and I have an idea for dinner this weekend. guess who has mullet bottarga in his refrigerator -- bought from Eataly a few weeks ago.

Eventually.

Thanks folks. Something decidedly more mundane tonight: Onions (about two large yellow onions, sliced) slow-cooked in olive oil. Spaghetti con acciughe e pangrattato (spaghetti with anchovies and bread crumbs). This version has onions instead of the traditional garlic and breadcrumbs from the loaf I baked a few weeks ago. Nothing but anchovies, onions, parsley, olive oil, bread crumbs, spaghetti, salt and a small pinch of red chile flakes. A bowl of this and a glass of red wine equals a dinner made in heaven.

Panaderia's right. I only wish it were as simple as shelling peas. I was inspired by this NYT recipe which is from L’Oustau de Baumanière in Les Baux, Provence: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/25/dining/petits-pois-de-loustau-de-baumaniere-recipe.html?_r=1&ref=dining You'll note that my adaptation is 180 degrees from the original. It contains 1 tablespoon beurre d'Isigny; you can eliminate that and sub in a vegan-friendly fat and it will be 100% vegan. Recipe on the blog.

so I've been working through a lot of stufato (I could seriously live on that stuff for the rest of the summer) and some takeout Indian food from this weekend; however, this was for dinner last Thursday: Petits pois, with chickweed and shallots I don't recommend peeling peas unless you're feeling a touch masochistic. It took me a little over 90 minutes to peel about 1/2 lb. fresh shelling peas... Worth the effort in the end, though I won't be going through that again for the foreseeable future.

Thanks dcarch, but your 'ordinary' is the stuff that mere mortals read about when they flip through a Conde Nast magazine. Stufato di verdure Essentially, a seasonal vegetable stew that some attribute as a specialty of northern Italy, in the same style as a ciambotta. This version has zucchini, Jersey tomatoes, green beans, celery, celery leaves, yellow bell pepper, onion, garlic, basil, olive oil and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. The vegetables cook in their own juices and become like silk. Served with a baguette (not pictured). ETA forgot to mention the yellow bell pepper.