The Houndstooth Gourmet

Friday was my first trip this season to the Kingstowne farmers market. Except for the absence of Allenberg Orchards, who will be joining the market in the near future, the market seemed to be in full swing.

A new find for me was Susie’s Cookies. Susie, a fair-skinned, blond hair, blue eyed woman was busy deftly doling out samples of her luscious cookies with a pair of chopsticks. I tried a sample of the Oatmeal Carmelita cookie and was immediately convinced to buy a small box. Using a family recipe and the best oats she can find, Susie make this cookie (it’s more of a bar, really) perfectly gooey, slighty sticky and toothsome from the oatmeal. This is the perfect gourmet cookie to give as a gift, or treat yourself to.

Susie also sells her cookies at the Burke, VA market on Saturdays.

We’re now moving into pea season. At Kingstowne, I picked up a bunch of sugar snap peas that were fresh and crunchy. If you go, look to find them at the farm with a sign indication that they are from Westmoreland County, VA. Their prices are good, and the produce is extremely fresh.

I prepared the snap peas shortly after arriving home, as a before dinner snack. Simply done, I sauteed them in a pan with olive oil, salt and pepper, and finished them with a dose of freshly-grated lemon zest. They were delicious eaten out of hand like potato chips.

Finally, I bought a bottle of honey from Bees n’ Blossoms. The type of honey I got was Tulip Poplar Honey. It’s deep amber and intensely flavored with sweet, thick nectar. A little goes a long way with this stuff! I’m not sure if this it Bees n’ Blossoms first year at the Kingstowne market, since I don’t recall seeing them there last year, and the woman who helped me was new and not sure of the history.

If you like honey, I highly recommend that you seek Bees n’ Blossoms out and try some of their many bee products. It is as marked; Virginia’s Finest.

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

Tags: Alexandria, farmers markets by Ramona
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(flowering chives from New Morning Farm-Dupont Farmers Market_

Wow! What a wonderful weekend we had here in the Washington DC area. These are the days we cling to when the summer turns up the heat and humidity.

Since I was a bit under the weather on Friday, Frank went to the Kingstowne farmers market. Frank noticed a few new vendors at the market. Salsas Las Glorias was selling fresh salsa and tortilla chips. He bought a pint for $6.50, and I can tell you that you won’t find this comming out of a jar. Short of making it yourself-this salsa is the freshest you can get. I believe Salsas Las Glorias is also at the Ballston farmers market on Fridays from 11-3.

Bees n’ Blossoms from Providence Forge, VA sells all things bee pollen and honey. It’s good to see so many local honey vendors thriving. BnB sells honey, honey jellies, honey and wine jellies, herbal honey, creamed honey, honey with bee pollen, bee pollen, bee pollen tea bags and bees wax hand cream. These folks take their honey seriously, and are passionate about the health benefits of bee honey and pollen.

Susie’s Cookies also joined the market with handmade gourmet cookies.

Other market favorites returned, such as Crackpot Gourmet, who supplied Frank with a jar of their new jelly. It’s delicious with a spicy sweet flavor. Smita of Crackpot Gourmet has asked us to help come up with a name for the jelly-Frank and I have some ideas and I’ll let you know the winning name when I hear!

Middleburg Creamery’s truck returned to the market with their terrific ice creams. The owner has sold her little country cafe in Middleburg, but she still supplies the ice cream to the store. She is now focusing on making ice cream and selling it at farmers markets and fairs.

Saturday, Frank and I went to the farmers market at Del Ray. The market was teaming with customers who gathered on the picnic benches to catch up with one another. On the produce front, the mainstays are still asparagus and strawberries. Terrific sweets are sold by Bonaparte Breads, Gracie’s Pastries and Kudzu Cookies.

A nice surprise awaited me at the Alexandria City market-West Virginia’s Spring Valley Farm joined the market and had their first Saturday on May 24. They were quite popular right away. SVF had gobs of strawberries, greens, and even ramps. Of note was their lower prices here as compared to their prices at the Dupont Market. Strawberries were $1.50 less, and ramps were $1 less in Alexandria, compared to Dupont.

Frank and I (along with Tucker) enjoyed a nice breakfast of Emine’s sweet and savory baklavahs along with a large cup of freshly squeezed orange juice.

On Sunday, Frank and I loaded Tucker in the Subaru and headed into DC to go to the Dupont farmers market. The market stalls were overflowing with gorgeous flowers, produce and baked goods. I picked up goldent beets at New Morning Farm, garlic scapes at Next Step Produce, and from Keswick Creamery-a dozen of my favorite eggs and some Ba Ba Blue Cheese. It was a lovely morning at the market. Well, except for the crazy homeless guy who accosted my husband and dog while they waited for me to get coffee from Starbucks.

Check out the post below to see photos of the DC Mall, Monuments and Rolling Thunder which I took after our Dupont Market visit. My favorite picture of a boy looking at the names on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial made it into DCist today. Yay!

Tags: District of Columbia, Washington, Alexandria, farmers markets by Ramona
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The skies opened opened up this weekend, and it’s still raining! Fortunately, it didn’t deter people from going to the markets. The Del Ray market held its full compliment of vendors including Three Way Farm, whose tables were repleat with strawberries, asparagus, rainbow chard and baby arugula. I bought a quart of strawberries, a large bunch of rainbow chard, and baby arugula.

Asparagus is still in season, and a farmer from Culpepper, VA had beautiful, thin-stalked bundles for $2 a bunch. And, I’m still digging spring onions which I found for $1.25 a bundle.

You know what I’m not digging? A $.50 hike in the price of a saltena at Marcela’s Bakery stand. Not that they aren’t worth it, because they are all that and then some. But, so far this season, there are no napkins, no forks and dammit, no firey green jalapeno sauce. What up with that?

A gentlman in front of me asked for the sauce and was told that they will have some next week. We’ll see. At least my saltenas were put in a plastic container. It came in handy right after my purchase, when a bucket of water rolled off the edge of the canopy onto my head and right down my neck!

On Sunday morning, Frank and I got to the Dupont market just before the bell rang. I wanted to be sure I could ge my favorite eggs from Keswick Creamery, along with a feta sampler-a terrific bargain at $5. Speaking of cheese, Everona Dairy debuted at the market. Everona produces artisinal sheep’s milk cheese from their dairy in Virginia’s Piedmont region, where the climate and terroir is perfect for cheese making.

Owner, Dr. Pat Elliott, was on hand to give out samples and answer questions. All of the cheeses looked beautiful, but alas, I had spent my lot and will have to wait until next week to purchase some Everona cheese to enjoy at home. I’m looking forward to filling you in on my purchase!

Surprisingly, Spring Valley Farm from W. VA had ramps, along with New Morning Farm, where I purchased a bunch for $3. It’s been interesting to see how the ramps grow (and become stronger in flavor and scent) larger over the month or so that they’ve been available. New Morning also had long, firm stalks of rhubarb which I purchased at $3.60 a pound. I’m going to combine the rhubarb with strawberries to make a dessert, and use the rest to make a compote which I will pair with pork loin.

So, I have lots of wonderful fruit and produce to work with this week. Stay tuned for recipes and photos!

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

Tags: District of Columbia, Alexandria, farmers markets by Ramona
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Sunday, the Alexandria West End Farmers Market opened for its second season. The market was started last year by market master, Julie Bryant. Bryant is the former owner of Cameron Perks. For those of you who may be unfamiliar with Alexandria’s West End, Cameron Station is a large living community consisting of condos, townhomes and a few single homes. It is beautifully lined with trees and dotted with public sitting and gathering areas. Ben Brenman Park, in the back of the development, is home to the market on Saturday mornings, rain or shine, from 9-1, May-Oct.

I met Bryant at the market yesterday as she was checking in with the market vendors. She informed me that there are 26 vendors scheduled to be at the market this year, which is about a 30% increase over last year’s 15 vendors. She feels that the market has a nice variety of food and art, but would like to see more organic meats offered.

Fortunately, Sunday morning was glorious, if a bit windy. The market appeared to be about 75% full with vendors including juried artists, flowers, herbs, produce, eggs, pastries, cheese and canned goods. I saw several vendors from the Saturday markets in Alexandria City and Del Ray.

Tom the cheese guy was there. He is also at Del Ray. I picked up some Gorgonzola cheese to pair with some of the strawberries I purchased which came from Westmoreland County, VA.

J&W farm also had magnificent strawberries, along with fresh, vibrant greens. I picked up generous bundles of cilantro, parsely, bok choy, spinach, rainbow chard and spring onions. For under $12!

Tanya, of Tanya’s Soul Cakes had pretty pink-topped cupcakes for $1.75. Raspberry buttercream-topped vanilla and chocolate cupcakes were delicious.

Hilldale Farms had Fluvanna Farm Fresh brown eggs. I picked up a dozen pullet eggs, which are eggs from chickens just several months old. I was told that while they are on the small side, the yolk to whites ratio is better than in the larger eggs from older chickens. I’ll report back to  you when I start to crack them.

Fluvanna Farm will also have organic chickens in about two weeks. I hope they are reasonably prices because I would love to try one.

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

Tags: Alexandria, farmers markets by Ramona
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The Alexandria City market was full of vendors and patrons on Saturday morning (Flickr photo set here). When the weather warms, this market really comes alive and I can say, it’s growing on me. Yes, corn and tomatoes are not in season here. Oranges? Never. But they are at the market, and folks love them. Heck, I regret not picking up a bunch of Silver Queen corn from South Carolina. At least I can ask the market vendor directly about where it comes from, and how fresh it is.

Maybe it’s all those dogs around the perimeter of the market, or parents bringing their small kids. It’s a great example to set. Or, the man playing children’s songs on his saxophone. Like a Pied Piper, they are drawn to him.

Where the Alexandria market shines is the vendors who make or raise their own products. There are bakers, canned goods, local honey, jams, and sauces.

Babe in the Woods carries humanly raised heritage pork, and their prices are quite good.

Emine (EM-in-ay), a delightful woman with a large straw hat, has a stand towards the back of the market. She hand makes baklava of all varieties. From sweet to savory, and traditional to imaginative and delicious.

I picked up two pieces from Emine yesterday-an apricot filled, and a curried cabbage with jasmine rice and raisins. Both were terrific, with a slight edge going to the cabbage stuffed baklava. I’m a sucker for a savory breakfast!

Frank picked up a ham, cheese and green onion biscuit from Maribeth’s Bakery. If you find yourself at the Alexandria market, head over to the technicolor umbrellas and tye-dyed shirts. That’s Maribeth’s and she makes delectable breads, scones and biscuits. Real suthun’ biscuits.

I also bought a package of cooked country ham from Calhoun’s Country Hams. This ham was sliced thin-almost shaved. I used it in a salad with endive, shaved Parmesan, pears, and toasted walnuts with evoo and fresh cracked black pepper. This dish was inspired by Patrick O’Connell, at the Inn At Little Washington. His recipe ran in the Washington Post a couple of weeks ago. Here’s the link.

Give it a try-the combination of flavors and textures is terrific.

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

Tags: Alexandria, farmers markets by Ramona
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