Thursday, June 5, 2008

Farmers Market Thursday - June 4, 2008



Greens galore
Spinach bunches bigger than your head
garlic scapes
oregano
spring onions
the sweetest radishes to grace the Earth


That's our bounty for this week.

I looked at last week's meal list and laughed. I did make some of the dishes, but often ended up with riffs on what was planned.

The lamb chops and grilled asparagus were heavenly. When I pulled out the pomegranate molasses, however, it had solidified, so a quick switch was made with blackberry vinegar and the results were still food of the gods. I didn't make the pitas, but we still had fresh bread.

Strawberries came in, and so did a wonderful frozen yogurt recipe, via Su Good Sweets, (click on her link to "make your own") so we've been having frozen yogurt with muddled strawberries.

I didn't make the lasagna, but I did make a layered, hot, spinach, green onions and asparagus with ricotta terrine. D loved it.

We've been doing lots with pasta and spinach or pasta and asparagus.

Since we received our share yesterday morning, I made a whole wheat pasta with sauteed spinach, green onions and garlic scapes, mixed with toasted walnuts and feta for a teachers luncheon at C's school, and last night I made whole wheat pasta tossed with the same vegetable sautee, lemon pepper, lemon juice and canned salmon and tuna.

Today we're having grilled lamb chops with an oregano-mint marinade, boiled new potatoes and steamed spinach with lemon juice.

In the next few days, I can see these things on the menu:

Spinach quiche
Spinach-Brown Rice Casserole
Salads of all stripes and forms
Sweet Potatoes baked with spinach and hardboiled eggs (delicious, even if it sounds weird).

We'll probably pick up some rhubarb and more strawberries this Saturday, but that may be it.

I'll be interested to see what my fellow Tantre members come up with.

32 comments:

glamah16 said...

Oh everthing you made sounds so healthy and good. I am trying to consume as much as possible from Mondays delivery and freezing what I can as Im gone Saturday. i wonderif you could have thinned out that pomegrante molasses with a quick drop in boiling hot water or a nuke in the microwave with out the cap?.

Jen said...

You know, Glamah, I probably could have. The problem was that I hadn't stored it properly, and I was kind of worried it had just gone bad. I mean when I say solidified, I mean SOLID as a rock! I'm going to be more careful with my next bottle.

Korie said...

My mouth, it waters.

Tonight CB made us a little warm goat cheese and walnuts over spinach with a drizzle of honey, followed by a cabbage curry, sauteed turkey breast garnished with feta and basil, and boiled sweet potatoes.

And he wonders why I ask him to cook at least once a week.

Jen said...

Wow, Lilac, ask him to cook even MORE frequently!

CableGirl said...

So, I gotta know. What interesting thing are you going to do with the radishes? I never know how to treat them.

anno said...

Sigh. This sounds so fabulous! Amadeus used to serve a brunch dish made of cottage cheese with chopped herbs, garnished with thin slices of radish and curls of prosciutto. I never could figure out how to duplicate it, but boy I miss it. (Digression spurred by mention of "the sweetest radishes to grace the Earth.") What lovely meals you have to look forward to this week!

Jen said...

Well, CG, I mostly use them in salads, because these are really sweet, rather than spicy. They're almost like jicama. At the same time, I've seen recipes for roasting them with butter or olive oil, and the Moosewood had a great salad, similar to what Anno was talking about, which is cottage cheese and radishes and carrots, from what I remember. I may have to look that up!

Anno, these truly are sweet. We get all kinds of radishes from Tantre, but this first batch is not at all sharp. And they'd be a perfect match for cottage cheese - great idea!

Liz Dwyer said...

I want to come eat at your house all week. Do you have your recipe for the spinach & brown rice casserole on the blog somewhere? I want to eat that!

Goofball said...

I like spinach the most in salads (other ways are good too, but just fresh spinach salad is the best) and spinach salad (with cranberries and crunchy chuncks of apple and parmazan cheese flakes) is one of my favourite salads.

Jen said...

Liz, I'll send you the recipe... I haven't posted it here yet, because I haven't made it in AGES. Maybe I'll do it for What's Cooking Wednesday.

Goofball - I love that idea for a spinach salad. Maybe I'll make it for lunch tomorrow. We have dried cranberries, an apple and a hunk of parmesan.

Insane Mama said...

making quiche tonight, I hope it turns out good! Man the radishes look delicious... I love, love radishes

Jen said...

Are you also making spinach quiche tonight? And I second you on radishes. I feel they are truly an undersung vegetable!

Thistlemoon said...

Sounds like a great menu - both what you already made and what you plan to eat! I love getting fresh produce and them figuring out what to do with it! So yummy!

Jen said...

I think it's my favorite way to do meal planning, Jenn. Necessity being the mother of invention and all that.

Mae Travels said...

Great to know that MI strawberries are ready!

Peter G | Souvlaki For The Soul said...

Another great delivery Jen...Great ideas and recipes you have planned. A great look into your kitchen for the next few days.

KellytheCulinarian said...

AHHH! Ours doesn't start until June 21. I'm very sad. I hope my own tomatoes have developed by then.

Jen said...

Mae - they're not all over yet, but Tantre has them and a couple of other places, including Wasem? (whichever is the BIG berry producer). They were setting up on Weds., but I always prefer the small farms strawberries anyway.

Thanks so much for the kind words, Peter!

Kelly, what region are you in? That seems so late! My tomatoes won't be in until the end of July, though.

nyc/caribbean ragazza said...

I also like that sound of that Spinach Brown Rice Casserole.

I don't if I can get brown rice here. I haven't seen it. Hmm. However, the farmers market's near me have plenty of spinach.

Alex Elliot said...

I'm so excited to take the boys to a farmer's market today. Your meals so wonderful!

Jen said...

NYC - I'll get the recipe to you, too, once I find it. And you can easily sub any rice for the brown rice, but obviously the nutrition is better with the brown.

Alex, I'd love to hear their reaction! Do you go with them often?

Momisodes said...

Oh how I wish I lived near a place where I could pick strawberries :) We LOVE those in our house. I have no idea how to prepare radishes. Come to think of it, I'm not sure if I've ever had them! :)

Jen said...

Sandy, radishes are crisp and watery and wonderful! Just don't get the ones that have been sitting in a store forever, because they're so much better fresh.

Heather said...

Aren't the garlic buds wonderful? They soften up so nicely in soup. And the greens, oh the greens. I have three kinds in my garden now, not counting lettuces. I'm trying to grow everything that you'll get in your CSA so I can keep up. :D

Jen said...

I'm so envious that you can grow them, Heather. I can grow them... and serve them directly to the deer!

Sai Hijara - Ferraris said...

What a mouth watering post...seems to me you can't go/do wrong in the kitchen...I need to be at least 10% like you!

Anonymous said...

Isn't "Local Harvest" a great site?
Have a wonderful week, kiddo :)

Jen said...

Mariposa, thanks so much for the kind words!

Yes, Maryann, I love Local Harvest - it's a wonderful resource!

NĂºria said...

Yeap! What a healthy menu Jen! I love greens and now that you can reach your hand to get them you sound happier than during winter days :D

Jen said...

Oh, yes, Nuria. I'm definitely a growing season kind of gal! ;-)

Paola Westbeek said...

Delicious and utterly seasonal- my kind of food!

paola

Jen said...

Mine, too, Paola!