Farmers’ Market

spring radish & pea sprout salad

May 30, 2011

Salads like this one scream “Spring in Minneapolis!” to me. Loudly, like that, with italics.

Minneapolis in the Springtime can be sassy. Tornadoes? We get them. Pouring rain? Yeah, hi. Amazing bright, sunny mornings full of hope? Those too. It keeps things interesting and when those bright mornings happen you do something.

You wake up, after ten glorious hours of sleep to the sound of Dan making coffee.

You declare that you’d like to make the most of this sunshine while it’s here and go for a walk.

Dan suggests walking down to the Farmers’ Market. You nod happily and put on your comfy, bit-too-big yoga pants. You pull your unwashed hair back, put on some sunglasses, and grab that coffee mug. Let’s do it.

Walking to the river and the market you talk about life and big picture things. Your husband indulges you because he knows you love talking about this stuff (where will we be…? what will we be doing…? what will happen to…?)

The market is full of all those things that scream “Spring in Minneapolis!” and you can’t help but grab a couple.

You don’t linger too long. Instead you head home with your radishes and pea sprouts and you make this salad for lunch.

This is Spring in Minneapolis.

This salad is fresh and full of maximum Spring flavour. The dressing is light and zingy, with just the right amount of punch from the lemon and red wine vinegar. You don’t want to go too heavy on the oil.

The salad itself is a work of flavour-pairing magic. Pea sprouts taste sweet and just like peas – not bitter at all, as we expected – they pair perfectly with crunchy, slightly spicy radishes and fresh cucumber. The tangy feta brings it all together with a little creaminess and saltiness. Eat it with a large hunk of fresh bread and butter for lunch or alongside a juicy, just-grilled steak.

Spring Radish and Pea Sprout Salad

Ingredients (serves 2)

For the salad

  • 2 cups pea sprouts
  • 1/2 bunch (or about 5) radishes, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cucumber, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup feta cheese, diced or crumbled

For the dressing

  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • splash red wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • salt and black pepper

Directions

  1. In a medium bowl, toss pea sprouts, radishes, and cucumber with lemon juice, vinegar and oil. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle feta cheese on top and serve.

ramp pesto

May 11, 2011

Ramps. Have you heard of them? How about wild leeks? Okay, because they’re the same thing. Just so we’re all on the same page. I hadn’t heard of them until moving to Minnesota, where they happen to be abundant this time of year.

This weekend marked the first day my local farmers’ market opened for the season. Cue: unabashed delight. Totally one of my favourite things to do in the summer months is to hop on my bike or set off walking down to the Mississippi river and behold all the sights, smells, and sounds of the market. If you come and visit I’m likely to drag you there: you have been warned.

Ramps are garlicky with a real tang to them, hence the lack of garlic in the pesto, since it’s not needed. Fresh Parmesan and toasted walnuts add some creaminess to make this pesto truly dreamy. Do as you would with any other pesto here: stir it into spaghetti, spread it on toast with some melty mozzarella and fresh tomatoes as below, or add it to steaks a la chimichurri. It’ll keep in the fridge, covered, for about a week.

Ramp Pesto

Ingredients

  • 2 bunches of ramps, washed, ends trimmed
  • 1/2 cups Italian parsley
  • 1/2 cups walnuts, toasted
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, or more to taste
  • salt and pepper

Directions

  1. In a food processor or blender, combine toasted nuts, ramps, parsley, cheese, and lemon until well-combined. While machine is running, pour in olive oil in a slow, steady stream, until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
  2. Store covered in the refrigerator, for up to one week. Makes about 1 cup of pesto.

radish butter

May 9, 2011

I used to hate radishes. My parents loved adding them to salads and I always just thought, “Ugh, why?“. They were spicy in that way which makes your eyes water and your throat feel funny.

But somehow…I’ve come around. I like to think of it much in the same way that I came around to parsnips and red wine. Time allows your taste buds to develop and basically grow up. Grown up girls should eat their radishes. Take that message with you and go forth to make this butter.

It’s simple as can be – just grate your radishes and mix them into soft butter, ready to spread onto crunchy slices of baguette or toast. Sweet butter, crisp, peppery radishes, and a sprinkle of salt; it may be the perfect spring time snack. You heard it here first.

Radish Butter

adapted from Martha Stewart

Ingredients

  • 4 medium radishes (about 1 bunch), cleaned, root ends trimmed
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
  • Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
  • Toasted baguette or bread, to serve.

Directions

  1. Grate radishes on the large holes of a box grater; place on paper towels, and squeeze out excess liquid. Combine radishes and butter in a small bowl; mix well.
  2. Spread onto toasted baguette or your wholewheat bread, toasted; season with salt and pepper.

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