Market "Less" Saturdays

03 Nov

03Nov

It's eight o'clock on Saturday morning and usually at this time I'm making my way down to Spanish Street to shop at the Cape Riverfront Market. Since the market is seasonal and is taking a sabbatical until next May, I'm now spending my Saturday mornings watching cartoons - just kidding. I'm actually typing up some of the recipes I made this past week from produce I bought last Saturday at the market's finale. Tasty local produce done simple.

KALE CHIPS
Kale Chips are so easy, so good, and better than potato chips - health wise that is. (Nothing beats a potato chip for flavor). I bought some Kale at the market and decided to chip them. I remove the tough stem, place the kale in a large mixing bowl and add olive oil and a little bit of salt (the kale will shrink when baked so go easy on the salt). Just single file the pieces on a large baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes at 275 degrees. Remove from oven and enjoy - I like eating them when they are still warm.

HONEY CARROTS & GREEN ONIONS

Roasting carrots in the oven with a little honey and olive oil are so delicious. I just remove the skin, brush the carrots with an olive oil and honey mixture, and bake them for about 30 minutes at 350^. Fork tender and slightly sweet, these carrots make a perfect side dish. I also like to take green onions, brush with olive oil and bake for about 20 minutes. I especially like the charred green part of the onion - scrumptious square.

SPICE IT UP SALAD
Creating a salad is like creating art or adding a bunch of ingredients to a lettuce mix. For the last month or so, the Laughing Stalk vendor had the freshest spicy mix which I have put on BLT's, pizza, and sometimes I just add some fresh lemon juice to the leaves and snack. When I make a salad, I tend to use ingredients I have on hand and see how it goes. One of my favorite creations was when I added roasted beets, radishes, tomatoes, and pickled red onions to the spicy lettuce. And I bring it all together with a simple homemade mustard vinaigrette - good eating' gone wild!

REDSKIN POTATO SALAD
Not all potato salads are created equal, and I rarely find good potato salad when I go out to eat - exceptions being McAlister's Deli and Minglewood Brewery in Cape. So I make my own with just a few ingredients. I boil redskin potatoes until they are tender, but still have a crunch. Once cooled, I put the 'skins in a large mixing bowl and add chopped hard-boiled eggs, minced bread and butter pickles, onion, and celery. Next I stir in a good mayo (Hellman's or Duke's), a dab of dijon mustard and then season with salt and pepper to taste. After I mix it all up carefully - I like chunks of potatoes, not mashed - I cover the bowl and let the salad refrigerate for at least a couple of hours to let the ingredients blend into a most perfect potato salad. Serve cold with a favorite sandwich or fried chicken - or eat the salad by itself. Yum!

Goodbye for now Cape Riverfront Market - I'll see you in May!

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Cape Riverfront Market

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