Farmers Markets

[Mottmott]

POKE, I bought some poke! Had to do it, as I'd never seen it before and it is so pretty. It looks a little like asparagus stems topped with the light inner celery leaves. Wish I had a digital camera so I could show you. At the stand (in the Reading Terminal Market), they suggested it was similar to but more assertive than asparagus and suggested sauteing it with garlic.

Has anyone ever tried this vegetable? And how did you prepare it?

[Toliver]

I was taken aback by how my local farmers market has shrunk now that we're in the month of December. Very few vendors so not much to choose from...

Bought:

Organic greens (baby spinach and romaine)

organic Gala apples and some Pink Ladies

organic white turnips that turned out not to have that "bite" to them that some turnips have...but they were quite moist and not at all "woody" as some turnips can be

Fresh rosemary

And a bag of ginger cookies, some apple raisin scones and two pieces of Linzer Tort from Mrs. Messner, the German woman who cans and bakes.

[scottie]

Went crazy:

1 pound Gold Nugget potatoes

Purple carrots

Yellow carrots

Salsify

Parsley root

Shallots

Small yellow onions

garlic

a loaf of San Francisco-style sourdough

2 moulard duck breasts

a package of lamb sausages

5 pounds of lamb bones

a large swath of pork skin

Bone-in pork shoulder

milk and cream

buttermilk and yogurt

fresh thyme and marjoram

Wow. I think that's all. Brought my boyfriend so he could carry it. The potatoes, onions and carrots went into Oxtail Stew. The duck breasts, shallots and cream went into Duck Terrine. The lamb bones are about to become stock. The lamb sausages will be dinner tonight. The pork skin and shoulder are destined for cassoulet.

Not sure I can continue to fund this habit...

edited to add: from the fabulous Union Square Farmer's Market in NYC

Edited December 8, 2005 by scottie (log)