Colorful Farmers Market Finds!

This week I managed to find a rainbow of fun fruits and veggies at the farmers market.  Full of color and flavor, there are so many exiting varieties to choose from!   The presentation is as fun to experiment with as the combinations of flavors, and with such colorful produce, cooking becomes a true art.

Beautiful heirloom tomatoes.  Each variety has its own unique flavor, some are more acidic, while others are so sweet that they taste like sugary fruit.  They are fun to slice and arrange, or mix in salads.  Sprinkle with coarse sea salt and their true flavors really come out!

Roman Broccoli and Orange and Purple Cauliflower.  These varieties are delicious sliced and roasted in a pan in olive oil, and a little butter until golden brown.  Sprinkle them with sea salt, pepper, chopped fresh parsley and freshly grated parmigiano cheese.  An all time favorite!

Green Beans!  Yes they are purple...but will magically turn green when cooked.  I like to blanch these beans in boiling water and add a paste made with garlic, salt, and fresh mint.  Drizzle with olive oil and a little red wine vinegar and mmmmmmmm.  They are great to eat left over and cold too.

Concord Grapes!  I bought these beautiful grapes mostly because of their perfect shape and beautiful color.  Silly right?  But I saw them more like an item in a still life painting than as a fruit that I would eat.  I don't often eat grapes or use them in cooking so I wasn't sure what I would do with them.  I decided to make a jam, and I am glad that I did.  It is certainly delicious, full of sweet and sour floral flavor, and gorgeous color.

Peel skins off of the grapes and puree with sugar in a food processor.  Slowly boil grape skin puree and grapes with sugar and lemon juice until mixture thickens slightly and whole grapes break down.

 Push mixture through a strainer to remove the seeds and solids.

Return to a low boil for about half an hour, or until mixture thickens more.  Taste.

 Prepare jars.

Place jam in jars, seal, and boil jars to preserve.  Let sit for a day in refrigerator to set and solidify.

 

Eat!

New Recipe Sunday!

I've been experimenting with some new recipes this week and discovered a few great ones that I'd love to share!

Fried Zucchini Flowers

The first one is one of my all time favorites...fried zucchini flowers.  I first had these while I was visiting Florence, Italy and fell in love with them instantly.  They came to the table on a piece of brown paper, dusted with coarse sea salt and boy did they taste wonderful!  Squash blossoms are a rare find, and are available at local farmer's markets in the summer, or be gathered from your own garden.  They are delicious stuffed with ricotta, or mozzerella cheese, or battered and fried just as they are. 

I found a bunch of 25 flowers at my local farmers market (the last bunch) and jumped for joy! 
Batter recipes can vary, but I like to make a light batter with flour, eggs, water and white wine.  The batter should be runny, but thick enough to coat each flower.  Once they are battered, I place them in about two inches of olive oil to fry, turning them until golden brown.  Once they are finished I sprinkle coarse sea salt on them and eat!  They can be saved for a day or two and warmed in the oven until crispy.  A must try!

Smoked Salmon and Fresh Dill Panini

This panini is a new lunch favorite.  Made with smoked salmon, havarti cheese, fresh dill, cucumber and cherry tomatoes from the garden, on italian bread, drizzled with olive oil and a little coarse salt and pepper, this is a fresh and yummy sandwich!  Grill on a grill pan or panini press until just warm, and cheese is melted.  Eat!

Lemon Verbena and Mint Vodka Lemonade

This is a new cocktail that was inspired by the traditional mint mojito.  I wanted a drink that would be cold, sweet and refreshing, and would give me the opportunity to use one of my favorite lemony herbs, lemon verbena!  I muddle fresh lemon verbena and mint with a little sugar until it forms a paste,  mix with vodka and pour over ice.  I then add lemon soda.  Sometimes for a colorful twist, I will add frozen raspberries or blueberries. 

 

Peaches and Raspberries, what a perfect pair!

It is that time of year again.  The time for picking bundles of berries and peaches at the local farms.  I venture out each year to enjoy the sunshine and the warm summer air, in search of the perfect fuzzy peach, and the biggest and tastiest raspberry I can find!  During this time of year, the fall raspberries are in season, and the yellow ones are my favorite.  They are a little more subtle than the red raspberries, but still full of flavor and sweetness.  I find large red raspberries and blackberries too as I wander up and down the rows.  The peaches are abundant, and their smell fills the warm air as I walk through the trees.  I am in search of the perfect fuzzy peach.  Orange and red, glistening in the sun.  But there are so many perfect ones.  I always leave with more than I intended, walking my way back down the path, past the rows and rows of corn.  I go to my car, so proud of my findings.

I love to use peaches and raspberries in drinks, in baking, and fresh over ice cream!  I also freeze my raspberries each year so that I can use them year round!