Farmer's market -- 23 Sept 2017 (Saffron Day, 2nd of Grape Harvest, Year 226)

[neotoma]

Sons kimchi, tiny bartlett pears, arlet apples, lamb ragu, spinach & ricoota ravioli, smoked paprika pappardelle, pita, Greek chickpea salad, spanakopita, crabapple verjus (suddenly several Tudor recipes become possible!), shishito peppers, figs, and pawpaws.

Ran into temve and ell finally -- they shop much later than I do usually, but I had an early eye doctor appointment. I need to start planning autumn outings, as the Noir City DC film fest is coming up, as well as VelocityDC Dance, the new Synetic Theater season, the Takoma Park Street Festival and probably a dozen other things...

Comments

[malkingrey]

crabapple verjus (suddenly several Tudor recipes become possible!)

It still boggles my mind (in a gentle and pleasant way) that -- thanks to the foodie movement, I suppose -- verjuice is now a commercially available ingredient. I remember how back in my SCA days the cooks were still racking their brains as to what would count as an acceptable substitute.

(Almond milk was similarly problematic. It was one of those ingredients that the source cookbooks just assumed everyone knew how to prepare and had on hand . . . like all those classic French recipes that used to casually call for a basic white sauce with no further explanation, because of course everyone knows how to make a basic white sauce.)

[fabrisse]

Crabapple verjus! For what it's worth, we used to use sweet white wine with white wine vinegar for verjus, I can't recall the proportions I want to say 1 part vinegar to 2 parts wine, but that may be waaaaay out.

Almond milk I knew. Bash about a cup of almonds (some people used blanched, some didn't) in a plastic bag with a hammer, very therapeutic on stressful days. Put bashed almonds into a 1 quart container fill with water and leave at least eight hours. Strain it, pressing the mix to express all liquid. You could change the proportions for almond cream, i.e. less water. Generally tasty and unlike commercial brands, unsweetened.

If I'm humanish this weekend, may I accompany you to one or the other of the farmer's markets. I bet there were fresh beans.

[neotoma]

Oh, that sounds like it would be terrible -- wine does not taste like vinegar, and even mixing them half and half would leave a terrible alcohol taste in the food.

The vinegar comes to the SS market on Saturday, but this Sunday's Takoma market is concurrent with the Takoma Park Street Festival?

Also, would you like a squash? I have several!

[fabrisse]

I can squash. What type?

Verjus is available through the Pepperer's Guild, or at least it used to be. That's where I got mine.

[neotoma]

I have a cookbook of Tudor recipes updated for a modern kitchen, but verjuice was something I just couldn't find -- except from one winery in California, so good luck me getting a hold of it. I was delighted to see it from the vinegar guy.

Hey, it's like the secret of Roman concrete. Just use water and it sets stronger than modern concrete...except no one wrote down they used seawater, which was the missing instruction, apparently.