Bloomingdale Farmers Market: Columbia Room comes to BFM - free fresco soda drinks

From: "Robin Shuster"
Date: August 19, 2016 at 5:27:28 PM GMT+2
Subject: Columbia Room comes to BFM - free fresco soda drinks

Big Market, BFM fans:

First we are so excited that the team behind Derek Brown's Columbia Room (and Eat the Rich etc) will be the chef at market Sunday with a cool drink made from market fruits and vegetables and herbs. " Eric Hodge of the Drink Company — the entity behind D.C. favorites Columbia Room and Mockingbird Hill (both James Beard Award-nominated), as well as Southern Efficiency and Eat the Rich — has always loved using the freshest seasonal ingredients to prepare cocktails. When he’s not tending bar, he’s creating, experimenting and concocting the best methods for crafting all of the syrups, sodas, cordials and other ingredients for the cocktails at Columbia Room. Hodge will be at our market this weekend to prepare fresco sodas made from ingredients at the market and almost anything on-hand. Don’t miss it!"11-12:30.

Yes., a cold refreshing fresco soda is just what we will want Sunday.

BIKE  HOUSE IS BACK THIS WEEK just in time to take advantage of next week's cooler temps so that you are not just tempted to get your bike, but your stead rides well.

And there is music in the Music Tent.

LITTLE WILD THINGS HAS A LOT OF NEW  FOR US : buckwheat, scallions, red-veined sorrel, and fennel. The edible flowers mixes, which are ideal for dressing up salads and desserts. And of course there are micro arugula and micro basil and 20 other selections.

CUCINA AL VOLO.  Have you heard that Daniele and Mateo and Roland have opened Osteria Al Volo in Adams Morgan in the old Pasta Mia space? James (MyColumbia Mushrooms) was thrilled with the pasta dish they made with his mushrooms and I can't wait to eat there. And because they now have their very own kitchen again (no more sharing space at Union Kitchen), they will start to bring more soups and prepared foods (and maybe even ice cream in the future) as well as their superb Florentine pasta.

TIP: No time to cook? their fresh pastas cook in less than 4 minutes. Grab a sauce and you can put together dinner in 10 minutes.  Add a salad or cut up some tomatoes and cucumbers and feta.  Finish with a Whisked Pie or cookies.


Great use of summer corn off the cob is in Whisked's Roasted Corn quiche.
 

WHISKED!:  Oven-roasted corn, sliced cherry tomatoes, and freshly chopped basil are mixed into their creamy egg filling, tucked into a flaky crust, and baked until golden. We're moving into late summer produce (think tomatoes, sweet corn, and blackberries), and here at their flavors. Blueberry Lemon. Bourban Pecan. Peach. Peach Raspberry. Salted Caramel Apple. Sea Salt Chocolate Chess. Bacon Cheddar Onion. NEW Roasted Corn, Tomato & Basil. Kale and Feta. Tomato, roasted Garlic & Goast Cheese.

NUMBER 1 SONS: Caitlin writes: NEWS for Chileheads:  Special fermented green sauce! Hotter than Salsa So Verde. NEW: Sour Green Tomatoes The loveliest mini green tomatoes from Amish farms in PA. They're fermented with purple + white onions and smattering of carrots. A bit of Italian spicing. Delicious! This is a small batch that we'll only have this summer.  On the pickle front: Half Sours + Crispy Koshers are back!

MOUNTAIN VIEW ORGANIC: Tomatoes, of course.  But also Asian varieties of eggplant, Attila, the Hungarian pepper whisperer, loves his hot and sweet peppers.  Blues, Red Gold potatoes. Shallots. Onions in yellow, purple and white. Squash and zucchini. cherry tomatoes and beets.  Lots of greens. Mountain View loves growing unusual varieties and everything is certified organic.

TIP: Char peppers on your grill and then pop them in a bowl and cover them for 15-20 minutes so that the peels will steam off. Remove the core and seeds and slice into strips, add olive oil and sliced garlic and you have an instant appetizer, a base for pureed roast pepper dip or a sauce for pasta or rice, or a topping for bruschetta.

TRUCK PATCH FARMS:  Bryan prides himself on his tomatoes. Many, many varieties of Heirloom tomatoes, okra, green beans, many varieties of summer squash. Arugula, mesclun, spinach, kale, chards, eggplants, bunches of basil, cukes.

Meat Department:  Pork: a dozen different sausages, bacons, pork chopssalt pork, chops, pork sirloins, pork steaks, country ribs, spare ribs, butt roast, boneless shoulder roast, boneless and bone-in loin roasts,

A Tip worth repeating: I salt pork and chicken (and all meats) 24 hours in advance, an easy dry brine.  It does not make the meat salty just deeply flavorful.  Add other herbs or a dry rub of spices as well.  Grill.

REID: Great peaches in several colors, wonderful nectarines, berries and all the summer apples.   Did you know they grow 75 different apples over the season?

KESWICK CREAMERY: Although I have been enjoying all the French cheeses here in Provence, I am very eager to have all my Keswick cheeses and especially the yogurt (!) again.  I hope you are adding their feta to tomato and cucumber salads, grilling tomato and cheese sandwiches, making cucumber soup with their amazing yogurt, eating lots of peaches or nectarines and ricotta....

GARNER: Cantaloupes.Gala Melon. Watermelon in yellow and seedless reds. Corn. Many varieties of eggplants, 7 different summer squash, peppers in green and rred, okra, basil, potatoes, primo red tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers for slicing and pickling, beans, chard, garlic, candy onions. green beans. Greens. The Lima beans are American edamames. Bicolor "awesome" sweet corn. Red, white and Yukon spuds. Parsley, Basil and Cilantro.  Make Pesto with them. 

 
PANORAMA : French breakfast pastries like palmiers, almond croissants plus the plain and chocolate crosisants, baguettes, the olive oil buns that grace the 25 dollar hamburgers at Central and the Rustiques they serve you at Citronelle and Cityzen.  Sandwich breads, too.  If they are out of a bread you crave, ask them to save one for you for next week.  Late risers:  they have lots of whole wheat, multigrain and sourdough boules and loaves that sell out early.  So reserve what you want!  Email if you do not see something you want, please.

Please spread the word that Produce Plus is still running and anyone who participates in SNAP, TANFF WIC, SENIOR, MEDICAID and shows a DC Picture ID with a DC address can sign up (it takes less than 2 minutes) and receive $10 in free vouchers for fruits and vegetables at the market.

Teds, Danielle and Robin emailing from Provence