Friday, August 10, 2018

Bloomingdale Farmers Market: What's the best chilled summer soup?

From: "Markets & More" <Markets__More@mail.vresp.com>
Date: August 10, 2018 at 11:56:54 PM GMT+2
To: robin@marketsandmore.info
Subject: What's the  best chilled summer soup?


Dear BFM Fans

PSA: Rain or shine, sun or clouds, humidity or not, we are here every Sunday until Thanksgiving. 
 
The  best chilled summer soup is NOT the one you are thinking of.  

A NEW IDEA FOR ALL THOSE ZUKES


In case you missed this from last week because we have never had a recipe this popular. Do you have a glut of zucchini?  Or are you just looking for a new way to serve zucchini? Here is the delicious solution. I am serving this velvety chilled soup for the third time in two weeks: It is definitely the hit recipe of the summer here in Quinson:  Zucchini, avocado, onions, garlic, basil,  parsley, lemon zest, water. Topped with a dollup of yogurt and a basil leaf.

I riffed on this recipe but I use water not stock and here is the most important tip: Grate the zukes and salt them in the pot, cook them until they release their water. (about 10-15 minutes) Don't add the water (3 cups, not 2) until then --to concentrate the flavor.  If you add the water before the zucchini is cooked down, you will dilute their flavor,. Check the fb page for a picture.
What else am I cooking this week?  I am making a version of Lamb Barbacoa that does not use dried chiles or tomatillos because I cannot find them here.  But to up the smoky flavor, I used the traditional technique and charred my onions and garlic and pepper and tomatoes but added ground ancho chiles and some espelette pepper and some smoky pimenton.

The fields around us here are filled with sunflowers! Some of them have escaped into the harvested lavender fields and they look so happy, almost as though they are prancing around.

I have also been eating basil whipped ricotta with a tomato and zucchini saladl.  Here is a good recipe for it.  The Kitchn proclaimed it the best thing they had eaten in 2017.  Try it and let me know if you agree.  

  • Bike House will help you put your bike in great shape
  • Diaper Drop Off will take your old or new cloth or paper diapers
  • Music at the Market will entertain  you
REID's ORCHARD: Kathy says: 

Happy National Farmers' Market Week!
        
It's still raining. A lot. But that is OK, we are working through it and still have lots of yummy things for market this week.  Most of the usual suspects are still around, blueberries, blackberries, and plums if you like small fruit.  We will have lots of all varieties of peaches and some nectarines.  Heirloom tomatoes are in full force, this would be a great week to stock up before they are gone.  We also have several new apple varieties available this week: Summer Treat, Mollie's Delicious and Ginger Gold in addition to Zestar and Pristine. 
                          

KESWICK CREAMERY: Tempted as I am ever single day to eat goat cheese here in Provence, I am so happy that you have the same opportunity at the Keswick stand.  Sarah milks her goats and makes goat cheese and mixed milk cheeses.  Some of them inspired by French cheeses.  Whip the cow milk ricotta until it is smooth and creamy.season with black pepper, drzzle with olive oil and serve on a baguette.  I will be doing that Saturday night.  There are twenty other cheeses and yogurt at the stand. 

TRUCK PATCH FARMS: Salad and Pork Central.  Tomatoes, beets, squash, cucumbers, greens.

GARNER'S PRODUCE:
Bernard comes with great sweet corn, many varieties of eggplant and summer squash (including my favorite pale green ones that are beloved by both the Lebanese and the Central Americans), peppers in many colors and shapes, both hot and sweet. Lots of heirlooms and cherry tomatoes in a rainbow of colors. Seedless and seeded watermelon -- yellow too. Cantaloupes, cukes, blackberries, green, yellow and flat Romano beans, red, white and yellow spuds, sweet potatoes, sweet candy onions, Kale, carrots, basil bunches. Okra. Lemon Balm bunches.

MOUNTAIN VIEW ORGANICS: Attila is a Hungarian descended pepper whisperer, both hot and sweet. He also displays a beautiful spiral of his many tomatoes, Dino loves them for the restaurant.  Squashes, eggplant, Asian greens, spinach maybe, chards, cucumbers. He grows unusual varieties of the summer favorites.  If there are leeks this week or fennel, grill them.  Don't pass up the Greek oregano -- and dry a bunch upside down for later.

NUMBER 1 SONS: Have you tried all NINE of their cucumber pickles -- most are NY Style fermented (be still, my beating pickled heart, says this New Yorker.) but a few are vinegared made with a locally produced cider vinegar. And maybe the dilly beans will be ready this week. And some krauts and some kimchi.  These are the condiments  I keep in my fridge and use at every meal.  And the fermented ones are pro-biotic.  The Salso So Verde is a secret sauce for everything grilled or tacos or rice.  The Kombachas are ery refreshing on a hot day and when is it not hot this summer?  One thing I miss when I am in France...

WHISKED: Jenna's pies win awards every year and her cookies  (now with 3 Vegan choices). The 3 ch oices of quiche make lunch, brunch and picnic very easy.  The personal sized pies feed a very hungry person or two people with an average appetite.  The big ones solve the problem of what to bring to a pot luck.  Seasonal pies and their insanely popular Key Lime.

CUCINA AL VOLO:  Home made Tuscan pasta by an Italian uncle and nephew make for incredibly good fast food as it should be.  Boil the water, salt it, drop in the pasta and they are done 2-4 minutes later.  Grab a sauce and you can have dinner on the table in less than 10 minutes.  And this is resto quality pasta, made in the same kitchens as their well reviewed restaurants.  Picnics call for pasta salad and they have the pasta shapes for that as well.  Add a salad, a Whisked pie or cookie and you are ready for spontaneous invites whenever you want.  I always keep some pasta in the freezer for quick, excellent meals.

PANORAMA ARTISANAL BAKERY:   Two French bakers make our baguettes, croissants, pain au chocolat, pain au raisin and many other breads and breakfast pastries. Both sandwich loaves and boules.  White, whoe wheat, multigrain, sourdough, etc .


PLEASE VOLUNTEER FOR PRODUCE  PLUS

More than 200 people come to market for produce plus every single week.  We could not do it with our city wide farmers market brigade of volunteers but we need more people.  It is a great gig for 4 hours a few Sundays during August and September  nd both the clients and the other volunteers ware wonderful.  Sign up here with DC Greens for a 2 hour training.  The next one is August 14th at the Dupont Circle offices.

Enjoy the market this weekend!


Robin, Teds and the Produce Plus volunteers


No comments: