The Houndstooth Gourmet

 Once again, I may just have bought way too much at the markets this weekend. I’m trying to be better-I know my addiction/obsession always leaves me yearning for more, and the urge is so very hard to deny when summer is coming to an end, and food looks this damn good.

Hoarding. That’s what it must be. I know that soon I’ll be staring down tubers and brassicas, thinking of braises and soups. So, now I’m trying to squeeze in all the summer produce that I can before it disappears for another year, during which time I yearn for fresh corn on the cob, yet succumb to shoe peg kernels in a bag from the frozen section.

Some highlights from this weekend’s sojourn into locavore world were:

Vera’s Bakery at the Del Ray market has delicious sweets, and now also offers tamales too.

Figs from a farm near Reva, VA. Boxes of figs sold for $4 and yielded well over a dozen-quite a good buy at Del Ray.

Toigo, also at the Del Ray market finally had corn-mirai corn, I believe. This corn yields densely-packed cobs full of plump, juicy yellow kernels that are not overwhelmed with sugar-rather, the corn tastes like, well, corn. And their peaches-I think that Toigo’s are among the best around. The time to strike for this and more is right now.

 At the Old Town market, I always look to Big Riggs for excellent produce at good prices. For $3.50, you can pick from a veritable mound of multi-colored mini bell peppers and fill a box for yourself.

The Alexandria West End market has some of the best prices around. Here, you’ll find tomatoes for $2 a pound, which can be half (or more than half) of the cost at other markets. Look at these beauties!

If you haven’t been to the West End market, do make a visit if you’re in the area. This market is in its third year, I believe. I like how it seems to be evolving into one of the most divers, interesting, affordable and relaxed markets in the area. This weekend, I was pleasantly surprised to see Satay Sarinah had a booth set up. This Indonesian restaurant is located only minutes away, and offered quick “street foods”, such as chicken satay. Delicious chicken satay at that.

Other finds in this quaint market include On the Gourmet, musical performers, yarn spinners, coffees, teas, pastries, breads, local produce, local chocolates and flowers. Bring your dog, and go hungry. Chances are, you’ll both find something tasty!

Until the next At The Market, eat and buy local when you can.

Tags: Alexandria, at the market, farmers markets by Ramona
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It was bound to happen-this is D.C. after all. Summer’s perfunctory heatwave turned what had been July’s pleasant warm days into August’s sweltering, swamp-like soup. Forget sultry, as the character Harry Goldenblatt said on Sex in the City, I was “schvitzing like a pudding at a picnic” this weekend. And that was before 10 a.m. While the heat can be oppresive, the produce is at its best. While market patrons filled the aisles (and oh yes, gotta love those strollers at Dupont), the producer’s tables were brimming with vegetables, fruits and herbs.

The abundance was remarkable.Now. Now is when farmers markets are at their best. Yes, I adore them year round, but summer’s heat draws out sweat, as well as every bit of color, flavor and juice in just about every product that grows to fruition at this time of year.

Bell peppers come in a plethora of colors, corn-whether white, yellow, or both, is sweet with plump kernels, tomatoes of all shapes and sizes actually taste like tomatoes, and vivid flowers lend a  outward sign on the table that this short, fleeting time of year will all too soon yield to Fall leaves and pumpkins. When even now, stores are carrying Halloween gear. Yikes! You know you have to seize the opportunity. Carpe Produce!

At the 14th & U St. farmers market, I snagged a box of cipollini onions from Kuhn’s Orchard (perhaps one of most beautiful stalls to walk in). Cippolini’s are small, sweet, rather flat, disc-like onions that happen to be wonderful when roasted. Here’s my method for preparing them: I peeled the onions, put them on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet,  and gave them a little dousing of olive oil, balsamic vinegar and s+p. Then, the onions roasted in the oven at 350 for about 45 minutes, getting turned once or twice. The onions became tender, and the balsamic thickened as it coated each onion. This is terrific on warm or cold salads, or as a part of an antipasti platter-just pop them in your mouth. You won’t believe how sweet they are!

At The Copper Pot Food Company, Stefano Frigerio has recovered from an earlier loss of many, many jars of sauce, and featured several varieties, including Virgini’s Blended, and Smokey Bacon tomato sauces. I paired the former with his veal osso-bucco tortellini. Stefano’s sauces are clean, simple, and not overwhelmed by flavors that obfuscate the fact that these are tomato sauces. The veal osso bucco tortellini-guess how good that was? So good, that we used our Panorama baguette to mop up every bit from the bottom of the bowl.

Panorama’s sticky buns continue to be a weakness of Frank’s and mine. We split one every time we go to the market. Each bun is perfectly sticky (you’d best have a Wet-Nap with you) on the outside, and yeasty on the inside. We also bought a baguette for future use with a tomato and peach jam that I’ll post about tomorrow for WaPo Wednesdays.

Knowing that I needed a handfull of tomatoes for the jam, we drove back to Alexandria via the Del Ray market, where I was hoping to get my ‘maters from the “seconds” bin at Toigo Orchards.  Fortunately, they did have them at $.99 per pound- about a third of the price that most producers were fetching. I recommend you look for “seconds” bins for tomatoes-especially if you need bulk. The only caveat is that generally, you will want to use your tomatoes very soon, as they tend to be bruised and in imminent danger of skin poppage. Is that a word? Poppage? Anyway, they can go south quickly, so use them up as soon as you can.

Lastly, Sunday I visited the Dupont Farmers Market, where as I remarked earlier, was what I like to call the “two-s’s”. Sticky, and strollers. I have nothing against strollers, but movement is key to trying to keep cool on the asphalt with little to no air circulation. There should be HOS lanes at Dupont-High Occupance Strollers!!  Even the shade afforded by some of the producer’s tents offered little relief from macadum-driven heat. I was tempted to pick up Dolcezza’s ice-filled tub and douse myself with it in a Miles-from-Sideways-fashion-being fueled by heat stroke instead of mid-life angst. I didn’t, but I thought about it.Yeah, so you won’t catch me living South of the Border anytime soon, but you can expect me to give you more updates in the next, At The Market. Until then, eat and buy local when you can. Enjoy the slide show-just clicky on the right arrow!

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

Tags: Alexandria, District of Columbia, farmers markets, Washington by Ramona
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As much as I enjoy seeing seasonal fruits, vegetables and herbs in abundance-I adore finding a good surprise or two at the market. Take this refreshing gazpacho, blended up with market-fresh ingredients from vendors just steps away. That’s what the chef de cuisine from DC’s Hay Adams Hotel was making under a tent tucked away toward the back of the square.

It was nice to see a “Chef at Market”, although I’m not sure that’s what the Alexandria Farmers Market is calling it-I just hope the market keeps it up because they were giving people lots of great inspiration for ways to use what’s for sale . Another fun find- huckleberries. Did you know that huckleberries are the state fruit of Idaho? Who knew? I bought about a pint or more for $2.50. I’m thinking of making a panna cotta with them. I have gelatin and am ready to give it a go!

But first, I’m making a variation on peach melba over ice cream-made with peaches from Bigg Riggs farm in West Virginia. By the way, if you find yourself at Bigg Riggs stand (they are also at the Upper King Street Market on Wednesday afternoons), treat yourself to a bunch of tomatillos. You can simply roast them with some onions, toss with a jalepeno pepper, a bunch of cilantro (go ahead and use the stems too), season and blend with a touch of evoo to make an easy salsa verde!

Stay tuned for the peaches on WaPo Wednesday, and until the next At The Market, eat and buy local when you can.

Tags: Alexandria, farmers markets by Ramona
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This point in the farm market season is probably the most exciting and rewarding to me. I think the bright colors of fruits, vegetables and produce, combined with the shear abundance everything leaves me amazed at what is produced in our region, and how hard people work to bring their bounty to us.

Crowds were thick at the Dupont Farmers Market on Sunday ,while an overcast sky which threatened rain (that did not come) may have led to decreased patrons at the Alexandria West End Market at Ben Brenman Park. At both markets, table after table held cherries and zucchini in seemingly unending rows, while cauliflower was stacked high, and green beans of all kinds were piled deep. Gerbera daisies held blooms upon blooms in saturated hues which popped like technicolor TV back in the day. One of my favorite vendors, Westmoreland Berry Farm, had a table of berries and cherries that looked like a box of Crayola Crayons-I didn’t know which color to pick! I settled for a box of black and a box of red raspberries. Oh, and a word to the wise-refrigerate those berries (in a single layer if possible) immediately as mold grows on them in no time. I wasted most of my precious berries, unfortunately. I won’t make the same mistake next time.

After purchasing Romano/Italian green beans and squash (from a farm in Westmoreland County, VA) and quenching our thirst with quick glass of freshly squeezed orange juice, Frank and I left the Alexandria market and headed into D. C. to the Dupont Market. The Chef at Market on this very busy morning was Will Artley of Evening Star Cafe. Apropos of the typical heat this time of year, Chef Artley wisely showcased his skills by preparing a cold appetizer of Red Apron pepper-crusted beef carpaccio and [sea] salt, blue cheese, strawberry balsamic vinaigrette, tomatoes and greens. It was heaven on a fork, and I will be keeping this dish on file for future use. In fact, here’s the recipe for the vinaigrette if you’re interested, or if you enjoyed a forkful yourself last Sunday:

Strawberry Balsamic Vinaigrette (Chef Will Artley, Evening Star Cafe)

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 1 cup of fresh local strawberries
• 1 tablespoons honey

Directions

1.  Begin by blending the vinegar, salt, pepper, garlic, strawberries andhoney. Once the mixture is smooth, add oil very slowly (while whisking).

2. Chill and serve with a market salad

To assemble the salad, mix your preferred greens and cheese (any blue cheese would work perfectly). Top with sliced tomatoes and beef carpaccio. Toss with vinaigrette.

 Enjoy the slide show, and until the next At The Market, eat and buy local when you can.

Tags: Alexandria, District of Columbia, farmers markets, Washington by Ramona
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Recently, I was fortunate to be invited to The Farm Table at Planet Wine. An intimate dinner for 14 was arranged to bring bloggers and local food writers together to experience Chef Will Artley’s seasonal food, which was smartly paired with wine from their versitile, well-crafted selection.

For those of you unfamiliar with Planet Wine, it is a wine and gourmet shop adjacent to Evening Star Cafe-a gem of a neighborhood restaurant that has garnered praise far beyond the bungalows of Del Ray. Together, these two institutions coalesce to offer a communal table for as many as 14 people. Under the stewardship of Chef Will Artley, local food is showcased with simple refinement, allowing the ingredients, not technique, to shine.

As I entered Planet Wine, the atmosphere was warmed by candlelight, stressed wood, and a cadre of fellow foodies. The communal table, dressed in white linen, was flanked on either side by a panoply of wines. The setting was evocotive of a wine cellar secreted away underneath an earthen floor, flush with fermenting barrels stacked high and aging slow. The evening was rife with thoughtful dishes presented by Chef Will; each refecting his solicitous care of ingredients. What makes Chef Will proud is not his ability to manipulate ingredients, rather, how to make those ingredients shine with the least amount of intervention. “Handle it only once” is his motto.

The menu for our gathering read like a stroll through area farmers markets, regional farms, and the shores of the Chesapeake Bay. Southern influences were also evident, from biscuits that made this damn yankee swoon and ponder  just how one makes them so flakey, to braised greens; a classic Southern preparation. The meal flowed seemlessly from dish to dish, and flavor to flavor:

Virginia Ham Biscuits with Homemade Mustard

Dragon Bay Oyster Shooters

Pancetta Deviled Eggs

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Fried Softshell Crabs with Pickled Ramps and Asparagus Salad and Lemon-Basil Vinaigrette

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Ricotta Gnocchi with Spring Pea Ragout, Baby Carrots and Mint Pesto

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Grilled Red Apron Beef Sirloin with Braised Greens, Roasted Fingerlings, Morels and Green Peppercorn Sauce

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Spring Cobbler with Ice Cream

What made this meal so enjoyable, aside from meeting fellow food enthusiasts and our hosts in a convivial atmosphere, was the synergy which I felt. Somehow, knowing where many of the ingredients were sourced from made the dinner that much more special. I felt the culmination of nearly two years of experiencing local markets, and meeting producers and artisans, and blogging about them. From traveling the region to discover “our” food, to getting to know who is in that kitchen, or in that butcher shop, or behind that cheese counter-it felt like…getting a hug back. And, it felt familiar.

Tags: Alexandria, communal tables, restaurant by Ramona
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