Tuesday, July 29, 2008

More tales from the farmer's market

My town started a farmer's market on Sunday mornings. It's not quite as good as the one 5 minutes away in the next town on Saturday mornings, but I'm glad it gives farmers a chance to sell their products in a better environment.
The new market was such a big deal the local TV station had a crew on hand. And, yes, if you looked quickly, the Mrs. was on film waiting to buy pickles.
After seeing her on TV it made me feel like I'm living with a movie star.

The new market is on Main Street in Edison, and the only complaint is different vendors show up, which is good in a way, but bad in another. They have a pickle guy, and we love our pickles. This week we had pickled mushrooms, some new pickles, and gardinara.(sp)
But the new market doesn't have a bread guy like the market in Metuchen has. And the bread guy has focaccia, so none for me this week.
But we did get some wonderful peaches. This year seems to be the best for peaches in a long time. And the Mrs also picked up some wonderful plums and heirloom tomatoes.
We really enjoy the heirloom tomatoes. We slice them up, and use the slightest sprinkle of sea salt. The ones we had were slightly less acidic than the usual tomatoes we get, but bursting with flavor.

Sunday, July 20, 2008

The toast song "Yeah Toast!"

The market is in full swing

The Mrs came back with multi colored peppers today, along with zuchini, mushrooms, and a load of tomatoes. And, of course, more of the best peaches we've had in years.

Tomorrow, she will make spaghetti and serve sauted zuchini and onions over it.

One thing I've found is that really fresh local ingredients can stand on their own. A little extra virgin oil, a sprinkle of hot pepper flakes, and they are good to go. I don't even use sea salt most of the time. And just the smallest amount of shredded Romano cheese, and it's ready.

I'm looking forward to some thick sliced tomatoes on my sandwiches this week.

Whether it will be with mayo, or peanut butter (I'm telling you, this will catch on one day) New Jersey tomatoes are fine eating.

Low in calories, almost no fat, and one of the most versatile ingredients around. Delicious fresh, cooked, or dried, what other fruit has so many uses?

Sunday, July 13, 2008

Fresh, local produce hitting markets

Oh yeah. Here in New Jersey, the farm markets are starting to open with great local produce.

Yesterday, the Mrs. bought some local peaches that were absolutely perfect.

So sweet, with juice that just ran down my chin when I bit into it.

MMM. Nothing, and I mean nothing, is as good as eating fresh local foods.

And peaches are a great fruit.

A small peach (about 3 oz) has around 30 calories, with a tiny amount of protein, and lots of energy producing carbs. It is a complex carb, so it's not like eating sugar, although they taste as sweet.

I also has my first peanut butter and tomato sandwich of the season, on whole grain toast. And, it was wonderful. heart

Sunday, July 6, 2008

MMMM, Fish Tacos

I swear these are great. I've had them from a chain, Baja Fresh, and they are good. They differ slightly from regular tacos (besides using fish) in that they use a lime dressing, and a soft shell.
But this weekend, we ordered them from Rojo's Jersey Mex in Ocean City, NJ. Wow! These were so unbelievable. Instead of a tiny piece of fish, like at Baja Fresh, these tacos used a big piece of grouper. Grouper is a delicious white fish, mild and firm.
While on vacation, we had Rojo's deliver a few Jersey Mexican treats, and my favorite was the fish tacos, obviously.

If you ever have a chance to visit Ocean City NJ area, stop by Rojo's Jersey Mex for a real treat, and terrific fish tacos.

One of my favorite things to do on vacation is try different places to eat. I avoid the chains, and visit the locals. I'm rarely disappointed.