Left my paycheck in San Francisco. I should carry less cash when cavorting with foodmongers. I am helpless to their wiles. Palo Alto's farmer's market won't open until May this year. Alas! Saturday mornings perusing food stands are a favorite weekend activity. To get my fix, I trekked north to that infamous foodie haven, the Ferry Building Farmer's Market.
So what was enticing this week?
1. Heirloom carrots: from spicy white to deep sweet red, these varied beauties were abundant.
2. Sugar snap peas
3. Asparagus
4. Spinach (for saag paneer, with last week's creamery aquisition; incidentally, I ran into our tour guide from Cowgirl, proffering wheels of triple cream bliss to Ferry Building patronage). Greens of all kinds are great right now.
5. My proudest find: Spring Hill Farms freshly churned butter. Oh god, it's amazing. Deep yellow in color due to spring grazing, this butter is noticably sweeter and smoother than its grocery-bought comrades. Even the frou frou organic European-style Strauss butter seems waxy by comparison. I've been eating it on plain matzah crackers, but this delicacy deserves a lofty purpose. Ideas?
Also in the grocery bag: onions, garlic, ginger, Point Reyes blue cheese, Affi's Aubergine spread, and some organic oranges. I'd love to try the pasture-raised beef and eggs from the market soon, but I'll wait till I am re-employed.
Post-market, I swung by Tartine to grab a bowl of bread pudding and to drop off an application (have to replenish the wallet somehow). Before heading south, I met with Erica at a cafe near her flat -- she had a beautifully presented french toast and berry plate, and I had an open-faced sandwich of grilled chicken, bacon, swiss, and horseradish mustard on wheat toasts. My plate came with home-pickled vegetables, which I had been craving (although the pickled carrots alongside Tartine's croque monsieur are my favorite).
I also have twelve meals worth of leftover chili to consume. I don't know how I am going to eat all of this while it is fresh. I wish I had the appetite of an adolescent boy to justify my cooking addiction. Friends, I implore you: stop by and come hungry!
4 comments:
the butter seems delicious in its solid form so here are some suggestions for that:
- on fresh baked bread (maybe made from your sourdough starter?)
- tea and crumpets?
- on something dry and crumbly, like a plain cream scone
and as for consumption in its melted form:
- browned butter + herbs over pasta
- browned butter + toasted nuts on pasta
- throw a pat of it onto some roasted squash?
and in baked goods
- buttery shortbread cookies?
- butter croissants
- butter pound cake
ha! methinks we are palate-mates. at this very moment i have a loaf of sourdough rising in the oven. im hoping it will turn out though, as i fear the flour in our pantry has gone stale. :(
browned butter sage over homemade ravioli is my favorite. perhaps ill need to pick up some semolina...
argh! but the chili! and the saag paneer! why do i no longer live in a 60-person residence, to mitigate my need for tupperware and culinary restraint! im so bad at restraint!
DID YOU KNOW YOU CAN MAKE CRUMPETS? As in, from basic ingredients and a griddle. Sunday just got booked.
WTF! share the love when you're done. (as in.. take pictures and post the recipe... omg!)
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