Time for a Sanity Check?

Hello Market Friends:

When I was trying to think how to describe the fantastic variety of produce available right now,

an orchestra came to mind. I went looking for an image to go with this idea, and that is when I discovered The Vegetable Orchestra of Vienna! No kidding!

They have performed hundreds of concerts worldwide, and eaten many a hearty bowl of instrument soup afterwards. You can listen to them here (but I will warn you, a leek violin still sounds quite a bit like a leek!).

This ties in quite nicely with my feeling that I need a sanity check around mid-September. Every year it’s the same; I bring home truly crazy quantities of produce, chain myself to the stove, and start roasting, drying, stewing, pureeing and freezing it all for winter. Why do I do this in the twenty-first century, when the supermarket is full of sauces and frozen vegetables and fruit?

• because the activity of putting food aside for winter is a timeless human custom;

• because recreating family recipes keeps the spirit of my mother, my aunts, and my grandmothers in my heart;

• because local organic ingredients translate into delicious dishes;

• because I want to think about the farmers who grew all these things when I sit down to eat winter meals;

• because I feel a sense of responsibility for our market farmers’ success.

This last instinct is a hazardous one! I have learned the hard way in my 18 or so years coordinating the market that I cannot personally take home enough food to keep businesses afloat! That’s where you come in….

I hope you also find meaning in putting some by for the leaner seasons ahead. And if you don’t, you could always invite some friends over for a backyard veggie jam session!

Welcome back to Essa Seedlings and Sprouts! So nice to have tasty fresh sprouts again!

You say potato, and I say potato, but Aldergrove says German Butterball, French Fingerling and Yellow Fingerling, oh yum.

Monforte Dairy has many more fresh soft cheeses on their list; don’t stop at just one…..

Carole Ferrari of Mother Dough is headed to a conference in England, where she will be learning about growing trees and grain together and other cool ideas! She promises a full report on her return, but she won’t be baking for us for a while.

Shanah Tova to those observing Rosh Hashanah! Please note that we may have reduced delivery capacity next week because a number of our staff will be absent.

Wishing you well,

Anne

Grilled Mexican Street Corn (Elote)

Grill up some Mexican street corn for your next barbeque! This recipe features tangy and zesty flavours that will leave your mouth watering and craving more. Makes great friends on a picnic table with some grilled shishito peppers and a heaping bowl of Nectarines.

Ingredients 

8 medium ears of sweet corn, husks removed

1/2 cup of mayonnaise

1/2 cup of sour cream

1/2 cup of cilantro, chopped finely

1/2 cup of Etafay cheese, crumbled

1 clove of garlic, minced

2 tsp of lime zest, finely grated

2 tbsp of lime juice, freshly squeezed

1/2 tsp of ground chipotle pepper

Instructions 

Preheat gas or charcoal grill to 400 F. Remove husks from ears of sweet corn and set aside.

In a bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, garlic, cilantro, lime zest and juice.

Place corn directly onto grill. Grill for 2-3 minutes or until kernels look charred and golden brown. Turn over and repeat until all sides of corn are browned. Remove corn from grill and set aside on a plate.

With a brush or a spoon, coat each ear of corn with mixture. Hold corn by the tips and turn while applying mixture to coat evenly.

Sprinkle with crumbled pieces of Etafay and chipotle pepper. Serve immediately with a side of lime wedges.