WIAW 191 – Farmer’s Market

Raleigh Food Explorations continue. I went to the State Farmer’s Market! There are actually farmer’s markets all over the city, with varying schedules, and I’ll get to some of the others as time goes on – but this is the big one. It is sponsored by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (rather the way Greenmarket in New York City is sponsored by the city.) And it has permanent buildings! There’s a long area with a roof – open on the sides so the farmers can park and unload easily, but we are under cover (protecting us all from sun and rain.)

Even at this time of year we bought greens and leeks, turnips and rutabagas, sweet potatoes… I have to get used to the idea that broccoli is a spring crop here – it’s a fall crop in New York!But I do look for radishes and spring onions now, and they were indeed available – change up our salad a little! There were wonderful looking apples – I’d been afraid that leaving New York I’d be leaving fresh local apple varieties, but they had both some I’m used to – Spyjon and Rome – and some I’m not, which I will have to learn about. At the same time, it’s going to take me a while to get used to peanuts and pecans in among the onions and cabbage! I will definitely try them!

What I Ate

I had what has become my usual breakfast – quick grits and a protein shake made with kefir. I feed everyone else, first (up to and including the elder cat) and so make myself my fastest and easiest breakfast… I just don’t feel like starting muffins and waiting for them to bake. I have to figure that out – as well as wanting to eat muffins (which I like) I have some new (to me) kinds of gluten free flours that I want to experiment with. Muffins are the easiest way, I have found, to learn the properties of flour – small quantities, I know what this recipe should do… so we’ll see how I manage this.

This was kind of a rough week for me – a major cold front came through and the migraine clobbered me on Sunday. This is Monday’s food, but I was still a bit shaky – so I had my comfort food… I love creamy New England clam chowder, I’m so glad the Progresso is gluten free, we give it a bit more oomph with a can of clams and clam juice, and a can of corn (that was Rich’s addition – but I like it.) Add tortilla chips and I’m content.

I was much better by evening, but still kept dinner simple. I had some nice tilapia, so just melted some butter and added a little smoked paprika and garlic, then drizzled that on the fish and popped it in the oven. And there were some Brussels sprouts – not from the farmer’s market, though they sold them, but that I’d bought earlier – so I just steamed them. Served it all with quinoa. The parents love fish, so I’ll be cooking it much more often than I had… and sometimes it can be just so easy.

No picture, yet again – of the salad – but I added scallions and radishes, and a little Spring Salad – overwintered greens, very tender – to the salad for variety! Very good.

Laura is partying again – finally with furniture (Isn’t moving fun? not…) so we’ll join her for Jenn’s WIAW party. Come see what everyone is doing!