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.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Sunday, July 20, 2008
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
The Geography of Food
This weekend, the Mrs. went to a craft festival sponsored by a Russian Church in a nearby town. One of the features was food. She told me she was going to bring home some Russian food for dinner. I was intrigued as I had never had Russian cuisine before.
I couldn't wait for her to get home because Iwas hungry missed her. Now, here's the surprise: Russian food is pretty much like Polish or Hungarian food.
We had something similar to pierogi (but they were triangular) and some kind of savory blintz. We also had stuffed cabbage.
Now, I have no idea why this surprised me. This is a part of the world that shared not only the same political and economic structure for 50 years, but it has the same climate, which means certain produce is available. That would be wheat (from the breadbasket of Europe (the Ukraine) and potatoes from all Eastern Europe. Meat is almost like a condiment, and again, this makes perfect sense because the region is rather poor, and meat is expensive as it uses up so many resources.
I did a little research and found quite a few Russian recipe sites.
Here's one with something we really enjoyed yesterday: pasta with mushrooms.
http://www.ruscuisine.com/cooking-recipes/index.php/pasta-dishes/?recipe=146&offset=0
I couldn't wait for her to get home because I
We had something similar to pierogi (but they were triangular) and some kind of savory blintz. We also had stuffed cabbage.
Now, I have no idea why this surprised me. This is a part of the world that shared not only the same political and economic structure for 50 years, but it has the same climate, which means certain produce is available. That would be wheat (from the breadbasket of Europe (the Ukraine) and potatoes from all Eastern Europe. Meat is almost like a condiment, and again, this makes perfect sense because the region is rather poor, and meat is expensive as it uses up so many resources.
I did a little research and found quite a few Russian recipe sites.
Here's one with something we really enjoyed yesterday: pasta with mushrooms.
http://www.ruscuisine.com/cooking-recipes/index.php/pasta-dishes/?recipe=146&offset=0
Thursday, June 26, 2008
The best veggie burger
Plenty of meat analogs are available for someone who craves a burger, but doesn't want to eat meat, whether it is a permanent change or just for the day.
Get real, most of them taste pretty bad. While some may be more burger-like than others, none quite fits the bill.
And on top of that, they are very expensive, and some can be high calorie.
What to do, what to do?
My favorite alternative is a portabella mushroom burger. Once grilled, it can be dressed like a burger
and best of all, it is almost a calorie-free food. 100 gms (about 3-4 oz) has only around 20 calories, it's low in sodium, has a couple grams of protein, and no fat. It can be grilled, or just quickly cooked in a frying pan. Just brush lightly with some olive oil, and sprinkle a little garlic powder on and it's good to go.
As they cook, they become more "meaty." And because it is always a good thing to stretch the food dollar and use everything, save the stems. They can be used in many ways, whether diced and put in stuffing for another dish, or just added to a soup or stew.
While the traditional method of cleaning 'shrooms is by brushing the dirt off them, I always prefer to wash them. Alton Brown dispelled the myth that they act almost like a sponge and in reality, they absorb very tiny amounts of water during washing.
Tonight's dinner was a nice portabella burger on whole wheat with a slice of soy cheese. I'm feeling so healthy.
Get real, most of them taste pretty bad. While some may be more burger-like than others, none quite fits the bill.
And on top of that, they are very expensive, and some can be high calorie.
What to do, what to do?
My favorite alternative is a portabella mushroom burger. Once grilled, it can be dressed like a burger
and best of all, it is almost a calorie-free food. 100 gms (about 3-4 oz) has only around 20 calories, it's low in sodium, has a couple grams of protein, and no fat. It can be grilled, or just quickly cooked in a frying pan. Just brush lightly with some olive oil, and sprinkle a little garlic powder on and it's good to go.
As they cook, they become more "meaty." And because it is always a good thing to stretch the food dollar and use everything, save the stems. They can be used in many ways, whether diced and put in stuffing for another dish, or just added to a soup or stew.
While the traditional method of cleaning 'shrooms is by brushing the dirt off them, I always prefer to wash them. Alton Brown dispelled the myth that they act almost like a sponge and in reality, they absorb very tiny amounts of water during washing.
Tonight's dinner was a nice portabella burger on whole wheat with a slice of soy cheese. I'm feeling so healthy.
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