I propose a toast

Yesterday we took our third trip to the PSU farmers market, dodging hail and aggressive dogs. Andie the dog was very excited to smell every square inch of the ground where various tasty things had fallen, so our progress was slow. I still can't believe the diversity of food stalls there. I still have a lot more to discover. We bought fontina cheese from Willamette Valley Creamery, kale, arugula, lettuce mix, icicle radishes, Chinese broccoli, carrots, shallots, basil, shiitakes, and the first asparagus of the season. It was crowded, as usual, but I am getting addicted to buying all this fresh stuff and then planning meals around it.



Our first meal was a pizza that had a pesto base with local basil and walnuts, shiitake mushrooms, fontina and some non-local sundried tomatoes. It was amazing, and the Bridgeport IPA complemented it well. On the side, we served the fresh asparagus, sauteed with olive oil, salt, and pepper. As Max said, I am glad we held out and skipped the Mexico-grown stuff that we had seen in the stores earlier.



Tonight, we had an arugula salad with toasts that were topped with a garlic-walnut-olive oil mixture, some of the Redmondo goat cheese from Juniper Valley, then broiled. A simple meal, but so full of flavor and goodness. Later in the summer I'll make it again and serve it with heirloom tomatoes.

The snow and cold have not put us in a planting mood, so those seeds we bought are still sitting here staring at me. Maybe next week.

It's Spring!...rolls

Saturday was freakishly warm and I spent the day going to the farmers market and then on a hike to Silver Falls State Park with some friends for a birthday celebration. Max and I found some great things at the farmers market including shiitake mushrooms, watercress, cauliflower, and a great hard goat cheese called "Redmondo" from Juniper Grove. The market was teeming with people and dogs, hellbent on enjoying the sunshine.

Tonight I made spring rolls filled with baked tofu, watercress, carrot, radishes, and sauteed shiitakes. We topped them with a peanut-vinegar-shallot sauce and a soy-mustard-chile one. The rolls were crisp and fresh, but not extremely filling, so we made some great dessert. It didn't last long enough for a photo. I heated up last summer's blueberries in a frying pan with a little suagr, a dash of cinnamon and a few tbs of OJ. We poured the bubbly result over soy cream and it was like cobbler without topping--still pretty darn good.

By the way, that lurker under the table is our farmers market assistant and expert crumb-eater Andie. She likes to watch us cook and eat with her big eyes. Her favorite recipes involve grated cheese that is likely to stray into her territory.

Opening day

This morning was cool but not rainy, so it was perfect spring farmers' market weather. I was expecting some baby plants and a few rhubarb stalks, but I was amazed by the diversity of produce and other products for sale. We found lots of great veggies for soup that we'll make tonight and eat with a loaf of rosemary bread. I was really excited to find a brie-like sheep cheese from Ancient Heritage Dairy.

We decided to experiment with some French Breakfast radishes. I don't know if we'll really eat them for breakfast, but it should be fun. I'll try anything that is customarily eaten with butter and salt.

I decided not to get any of the greenhouse tomatoes that we saw at the market. They just depress me and make me miss real summer tomatoes even more.

Now that I can buy small carrots with dirt still on them, it really feels like spring. I loved being out under the trees in the park blocks with all the other people with their re-usable bags. Only a month and a half until the market at Orenco opens. Sigh.

The dog had a pretty good time at the market, but it was probably the most crowded place we have ever taken her, so she was looking a little nervous by the end. She was especially interested in the stalls where people were cooking meat.

Lunch was at Hot Lips Pizza, which we LOVE and miss greatly since it left Raleigh Hills. I tried a yummy slice that had broccoli, cheddar, squash and hazelnuts. Better than it sounds, really.