A Few Flavours from Far Away

Curiosity about other markets leads me to read newsletters from afar. One that I like is from the Crescent City Farmers’ Market in New Orleans. Right now it’s baffling, reading that they’re short of crabs but the strawberries are coming along nicely IN JANUARY. But I like the spirit of the market a lot, and they often suggest interesting things to cook. I’m including two of their recipes this week.

In honour of Sean Lowell‘s return with smoked trout, here’s a tasty-looking salad recipe. Kind Organics should have arugula, and you can find almost all the other ingredients around the market, too.
Sean’s plan is to come every second week, but weather is a big factor. If you are hoping to buy fresh fish, let him know, as he will bring only the smoked for now.

Smoked Trout, Potato & Arugula Salad
12 ounces small yellow potatoes or fingerlings, scrubbed
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed, divided
1/4 cup sour cream
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill or other fresh/dried herbs
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 cups packed baby arugula
4 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
4 ounces smoked trout, skinned, boned and flaked (about 3/4 cup)

Place a steamer basket in a large saucepan with 1 inch of water; bring to a boil. Place the potatoes in the basket, cover and steam until barely tender when pierced with a skewer, 13 to 15 minutes, depending on size.
Meanwhile, chop 1 tablespoon capers and place in a large bowl. Add sour cream, vinegar, dill, oil, shallot, pepper and salt. Whisk to combine.
When the potatoes are cool enough to handle but still warm, halve them (or quarter if large) and add to the bowl along with arugula, eggs and trout. Toss gently until just combined. Serve the salad topped with the remaining 1 tablespoon capers and chopped hard-boiled eggs.

Another reminder of southern climes: the amazing Cara Cara oranges that Plan B brought to market last time! I asked Mel, and she thinks they can send another couple of cases with Rodrigo this time, to keep us on the sunny side.

Many of you will recognize Vasile Florin, who helped at Pine River’s table during the growing season. Vasile comes from Moldova, where he has a fruit and nut farm. While Pine River is absent, we’ve agreed to squeeze Vasile in when we can. This week, he’ll bring the following items:
Walnuts in shell and without
Almonds and Chestnuts in shell
Dried Prunes, Dried Sour Cherries, Dried Pears, Dried Quince
Dried fruit mix
Cold pressed sunflower oil

Vasile’s products are not certified organic, because Moldova has no certification body. The economy is such that agricultural chemicals are too expensive for farmers to afford anyway, so the fruits and nuts are all grown chemical-free, but Vasile is also very passionate about healthy natural foods.

Shared Harvest will be coming with good roots. Here’s a recipe from NOLA for them, too:

Roasted Root Vegetable Salad
3 cups (3/4-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash
8 small shallots, peeled and halved
4 parsnips, peeled, halved lengthwise, and cut into 1-inch pieces
4 carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise, and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 medium turnips, cut into thin wedges
5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
5/8 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons honey
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

Preheat oven to 425°. Combine veggies in a large bowl; add 2 tablespoons oil, 3/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Toss well to coat; arrange in a single layer on a large pan. Bake for 40 minutes or until vegetables are browned and tender, stirring every 10 minutes. Remove from oven; cool to room temperature.

Combine remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper, vinegar, mustard, honey, and garlic in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Gradually add the remaining 3 tablespoons oil, stirring constantly with a whisk. Add roasted vegetables; toss to coat. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve at room temperature.

DeFloured will be absent, so we’ll be all in.

This is the last week to START collecting stamps if you haven’t got one of our winter loyalty cards yet.  Soon we will be counting down the weeks….
See you at the market!
Anne Freeman

This week’s vendors:

Ali Harris: rotis, fritters, beverages
Bees Universe: honey, beeswax candles, eggs, bee products
Country Meadows: olives, oil, eggs, cheese
Culture City: fermented condiments and preserves, tempeh
Dufferin Park Bakers: wood-fired oven breads, salads, snacks
Forbes Wild Foods: nuts, mushrooms & other wild foods
Kind Organics: sprouts, salad mixes, teas
Lowell Trout: smoked trout
Marvellous Edibles: pastured poultry, meats, organic vegetables
Monforte Dairy: cheeses from many milks
Plan B Organic Farm: organic produce
Shared Harvest: fresh organic vegetables, herbs
Spade & Spoon: pickles, jams, maple syrup, soup
Vasile Florin: dried fruits and nuts, sunflower oil