Hilton Head Farmers Market

Earlier this month, I escaped the dreary New York weather and spent a week on Hilton Head. Like last year, we spent most of the week cooking and eating in. After all, who wants to leave the wide expanse of beach? I was happy to discover that the island had just started a Friday farmers market. Although market day happened to be near the end of my week's visit, I couldn't resist checking it out. The market is held on Honey Horn Road, near the Coastal Discovery museum. Despite being early in the season (even for down south), there were several vendors selling produce, including "local" strawberries. But for those not looking to buy more groceries to take back to the beach house, there are plenty of other interesting items.

Like fancy jewelry. When's the last time you saw pearl necklaces for sale at your local market? Or a guy in a toga (the vendor from Castra Rota Gourmet Foods was in costume)? I even ran across a vendor that also is present at my local market in Westchester! How weird is that?

Even if you're not in the market for food to take home, the Hilton Head Farmers Market is a great place to dine. Seriously, there were vendors selling everything to pot stickers to pork, beignets to baked goods. And many offering free samples! I tried deep fried peanuts and vegetable scones. We ended up buying a savory crepe from Claudine's Creperie and multiple pastries from The Midnight Bakers, including a pineapple strawberry danish I devoured on site. In my experience, while restaurants on Hilton Head can be hit or miss, everything at the farmers market was a hit. In fact, I would plan a trip next year just to go back. If you go:

The market address, as listed on the website, is 70 Honey Horn Plantation Road. My GPS could not find the address (tried to take me through a gated community) so if using a navigation device, try plugging in "Coastal Discovery Museum" as a point of interest instead.

Paris Finds: Bio Market Blvd Raspail

One of the reasons I love checking out farmers markets on vacation is the variety -- sometimes you find something familiar, sometimes you find something new, but every time you find some kind of tasty treat. The bio market on Blvd Raspail in Paris has a bit of a reputation for being overpriced and full of pushy Parisians. But it also has a reputation for beautiful produce, flowers, souvenirs and treats. Upon arriving, follow your nose and find some galettes tout suite. There are at least two vendors that sell these delicious, freshly fried potato pancakes -- one at the northern end and one mid-market (that sells a galette with cheese!). The one-handed snack leaves your other hand free to pull out your wallet and buy some flowers to brighten your hotel room or holiday flat. Finish your market visit by getting some gifts for the people back home. I particularly like the vegetable soaps stamped with the Eiffel Tower (the "son" scented ones that look like oatmeal soap are my favorite). But carrot perfume doesn't smell so bad either (and how often do you see that!). Then head home to whip up a post-market treat, like these roasted vegetables served over a baguette with cheese. Full disclosure, although the image above was taken at my holiday flat in St. Germain, I did buy the vegetables pre-roasted from the nearby healthy takeout restaurant Cococook (lesson learned, not all flats come with an oven). However, served over a Comte cheese covered sesame baguette from Eric Kayser, it made the perfect (and cheap) Paris supper. Marché de Raspail is near the Sevres metro stop. The Sunday market is organic (bio) but there are also weekday markets on Mondays and Fridays.

Summer nostalgia: Rehoboth Beach Farmers Market

Where has the time gone? Late October already, the foliage in the lower Hudson Valley is at peak and Halloween is around the corner. In other words, a perfect time to share what I did on my late summer vacations. Unlike most people, I tend to take more vacation in September than any other time of the year. Last month, I went from the sandy shores of Delaware to the bustling (yet mostly protest free) streets of Paris to the lazy canals of Amsterdam. First up was the beach, which is an annual event. After Labor Day, the crowds dwindle but the bounty of summer is still to be had, especially at the farmers market. The Rehoboth Beach market is not huge, but seems like it's getting bigger every year. Offering a mix of prepared treats and local produce, it's the ideal place to shop to stock your beach rental kitchen. The first week of September, peaches and corn shared table space with eggplant and pumpkin. But the find of the day were multi-colored heirloom plum tomatoes. When the weather cools off a bit, or when I am staying in a fully air conditioned beach rental, I love to crank the oven to 225 and slowly roast plum tomatoes for five or six hours or so. Just halve the tomatoes lengthwise, place cut side up on a sheet pan, cover with a glug of olive oil and sprinkle of salt and you're good to go. Luckily, I've been able to find plum tomatoes at my local market, even as recent as last week, but I know the season is ending (kind of like summer). The good news is that any plum tomato, even the sad grocery store specimens of January, taste great after a few hours in the sauna/oven. Meaning slow roasted tomatoes provide taste of summer that you can enjoy all year.

Ithaca Indoor Farmers Market

I was upstate President's Day weekend, and headed to Ithaca to enjoy a veggie bagel sandwich from Collegetown Bagels, hit the local TJ Maxx and check out the indoor farmers market. Now the outdoor market at Ithaca is pretty darn impressive so I wasn't sure what to expect from the "winter alternative."

But I was pleasantly surprised. The indoor market, which has been running since January, is located right downtown in the Womens Community Building (which also happens to be right across from the Dewitt Mall and the Moosewood).

There were a bunch of vendors stuffed into a room the size of a small gymnasium -- offering everything from baked goods to sprouts to meat to jewelry. In addition, some of the favorite prepared food vendors had turned out to tempt shoppers with samosa and tacos. Sadly, Macro Mamas was not among them. So I consoled myself by picking up a small bunch of baby leeks ($2.50), a head of napa cabbage ($3), parsnips, a pair of earrings ($5) and this really good piece of sweet almond brioche for $3 (hey, a half a veggie bagel only sticks with you so long). Since the following day was Chinese New Year (go Year of the Tiger!), I used the napa cabbage in a slaw inspired by a recipe in Eating Well (my new favorite food magazine). The recipe calls for cabbage to be combined with grated sweet potato instead of the traditional orange carrot. I fiddled with the recipe it a bit, cutting the amount of sweet potato in half, adding shredded snow peas, chopped mint and chopped cilantro plus rice wine vinegar for extra kick. Although you could not tell the orange was sweet potato, the end result was pretty tasty and a nice complement to the Chinese-themed meal my aunt prepared. If you happen to be in the Ithaca area next Saturday, be sure to check out the market. Sadly, it's only slated to run until the end of the month. Otherwise, you'll be stuck waiting for spring until the outdoor market opens again.

London: Market to Market

After a hectic holiday, work took me to London the second weekend of January. It was a quick trip, and I literally had 36 hours of free time. But I made good use of the time, seeing a show ("An Inspector Calls"), dining in two of my favorite quick casual restaurants, attending evensong services at Westminster Abby (I think I prefer St. Paul's, but still worth checking out) and of course, visiting two of my favorite markets: Greenwich and Borough. Greenwich, just down the Thames from London, is a really cute college town I got to check out on my last visit (in October). Back in late October, the weather was still nice enough to take the river cruise to Greenwich. However, with the bitter January weather, I decide to take the train. And the one hour journey (tube to DLR) was worth it for the shopping and food. Greenwich market has a ton of stalls selling everything from handcrafts to fashion to accessories. And many offer unique items at reasonable prices. The market is also lined with really interesting stores specializing in clothing, jewelry or home goods, so you could spend the whole day there. On this visit, I picked up two makeup purses at Afxentiou. I discovered the stall on my last visit, the bright graphic prints (one could say almost Orla-Kiely-esque) catching my attention straight away. And since it's a small, London-based company with prices that are most definitely not Orla-Kiely-esque, the purses make great gifts too. I also couldn't resist buying a funky chicken doorstop from refab (despite not really having a door to prop up!). And then there's the food. From Portuguese to crepes to "Louisiana sausages," you could eat around the world from the food stalls. I decided to try a lahmacun wrap. The flatbread was crisped on the griddle and then stuffed with salad, hummus and a yogurt sauce. Nice and compact for eating on the go. Later that day (after training back to London, meandering through Soho and attending services at Westminster), I walked across the London Bridge to Borough Market. Sadly, I arrived a bit too late. By 30 minutes before closing, most stalls had gone or were breaking down for the day, including Kappacasein. With no cheese toastie for me this visit, I followed my nose (and the scent of grilling meat) to a new stand -- Northfield Farm. Northfield operates in the market as both a butcher and food stall. On one side, you can get your raw meat product and the other, cooked meat product. The "cooked side" had quite a menu -- from beef to pork to lamb. Although I was hoping for a sausage, by the time I made it to the front of the line, all they had left was lamb, lamb or lamb. So I opted for a lamb burger with mature cheddar and a sweet curry mustard. Once I peeled off the top bun (too much bread!), I actually enjoyed the burger. The lamb patty had been seared a deep brown on the outside but was still moist inside. And the cheese, although cold and not melty, was a nice touch. The burger really couldn't compare to a cheese toastie, but was a good substitute, especially since I was cold and hungry! The moral of the story is, when visiting either market, go early, go hungry and go to the ATM, as there's a lot of temptation at London's food, bric-a-brac and antique markets! Greenwich Market is open Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Take the DLR to "Cutty Sark for Maritime Greenwich" station. For more information, visit http://www.greenwichmarket.net/. Borough Market is open Thursday, Friday and Saturday but most of the food stalls are only open Friday and Saturday. Although the market closes at 6:00 p.m. on Fridays and 5:00 p.m. on Saturdays, many stalls begin breaking down much earlier. Take the tube to London Bridge. For more information, visit http://www.boroughmarket.org.uk/.

London Calling: Kappacasein at Borough Market

I've been doing a lot of traveling lately, which is why I have been doing less cooking (and less blogging!). In fact, I just returned from a big trip -- across the pond to London. I first visited London as a recent high school grad and have been back several times since. It was great to visit old favorites as well as make new discoveries. And for me, no trip to London is complete without a stop at Borough Market. Tucked under London Bridge, on the South Bank, Borough Market is foodie paradise. With a 50-50 mix of whole and prepared foods, even tourists without access to cooking facilities can eat their way through the market. But for me, there's only one stand to hit -- the "Raclette Guy." Originally affiliated with Neal's Yard Dairy, this visit, I noticed a new name on the stand -- Kappacasein (which Google tells me is a protein that is key to the cheese-making process). A recent Serious Eats post makes it sound like Kappacasein is still associated with the famous cheese shop, which is a relief. Despite the new name (and new prices), the stand still sells two dishes, both featuring gooey, melted cheese: raclette (which I have attempted to make before) and luscious cheese toasties, otherwise know as THE BEST TOASTED CHEESE SANDWICH IN THE WORLD. In my opinion, the key to their success is not the sourdough bread (although I think that is really the only kind of bread one should use for toasted cheese). Nor is it the nice mix of scallion, red onion and garlic sandwiched between the bread. No, it's the cheese. This time, I am pretty sure the cheese was a cows milk variety called Ogleshield and it was delicious, mild and melty. I must find some here in the States. If you visit, once you're done with your sandwich, resist the urge to go back for seconds, and instead wander west along the Thames River and hit the Tate Modern or cool home design stores (including Joseph Joseph and Black + Blum) at the Oxo Tower. Then, retrace your steps back to the market for seconds! After all, you'll have walked off the first sandwich no problem. Look for Kappacasein near the London Bridge side of the green market, directly opposite Southwark Cathedral (which has some stone walls and benches for you to sit and enjoy your sandwich).

Bethany Beach, DE Farmers Market

I am spending part of this week at the shore -- Bethany Beach, to be exact. On Sunday, my mom and I took at walk down the beach to the town's small farmers market.

It was the last market of the season, and it was kind of fun to literally see the fruits of summer (e.g., tomato) alongside the first signs of autumn (e.g., gourds, acorn squash).

It's not like we needed much food. In fact, my parents had literally packed and hauled most of the contents of their cupboards, fridge and freezer. Case in point, they packed two kinds of couscous (Israeli and whole wheat), an immersion blender and a panini press.

But we needed some garlic, and who doesn't love watermelon at the beach? The sweet corn was picked that morning, and the tomatoes were too gorgeous to pass up. The green beans were so thin, "almost like haricot vert" the farmer claimed. And I had never seen the green-and-gold zephyr squash, so of course we had to get some. Finally, the sample of pumpkin mushroom soup convinced us to pick up a few cremini.

Did we go overboard? Perhaps, but I've already enjoyed roasted vegetables and shrimp over orzo and a zucchini-corn-bacon-cheese quesadilla. Despite the sun on Sunday, the weather has turned cool and damp, so soup at the beach now doesn't seem like an oxymoron. The watermelon? Well that might have to wait until the sun shines once again (here's hoping).

Mangia Bologna: Shopping with Carmelita of Cook Italy (Part 1)

I'm pretty luck have a job that offers the perk of international travel. Over the years, I've been to some pretty nice places: Istanbul, Mexico City, Vancouver (actually, most of the international destinations pictured on the right sidebar). However, the one drawback is that my trips often come together at the last minute; leaving little time for planning, much less time to convince a friend to go along. Regardless, I *always* try to take a few vacation days around my trips (otherwise I would never get to see anything but the hotel) and have learned to have fun traveling solo. Last summer, while in Istanbul, I discovered a perfect solo travel activity: cooking courses. I attended a class at Cooking Alaturka and found that culinary tourism is a great way to break up a solo trip, and learn something about the culture and region in the process. Even with minimal time to plan, I knew I wanted to hit Bologna on my trip to Italy. A quick chowhound.com search turned up several culinary courses, but most were multi-day and expensive. However, one in particular popped up a few times: Cook Italy.

Run by the colorful Carmelita, Cook Italy offers a slew of courses, including a personalized one-day market tour and cooking lesson in Bologna. I emailed Carmelita on a Saturday night, confirmed the date on Sunday, went to my bank on Monday to send a deposit via wire transfer and departed for Italy that evening. The next foggy Friday morning, I hopped on the 07:30 Eurostar Italia and arrived at Bologna Centrale one hour later.

Bologna is quite a charming small city, even straight from the train station. It was an easy walk to the cafe (Terzi, Via Oberdan 10) Carmelita recommended as the meeting place.

I was Carmelita's only "guest" for the day. Although I worried it might be a little awkward, it was far from it! Carmelita, who has run the business for almost 10 years, is very knowledgeable and passionate about Bologna, food and Italy in general.

After a quick hello and coffee, we set off for the shops. First stop, a quick tour of Eataly Bologna.

Eataly Bologna, which only opened a few weeks before my visit, is an outpost of the larger Eataly in Turin. Carmelita told me the building, which was once a church and movie theater had been extensively remodeled. Picture a Barnes & Nobel meets Dean & Deluca, with extra cafes and food outposts for coffee, lunch or wine. With lots of books in Italian and English, including an extensive cooking section, Eataly is clearly designed for the Bologna yuppie -- highly designed and stylized, but, according to Carmelita, there are a few food gems mixed in with the products that may have earned shelf space more for their marketing and packaging. I was impressed with the interior: the casual spaces designed to grab a coffee or snack, the number of chairs inviting visitors to sit down and flip through a book or two, and the nice basement bathroom! With rumors circulating Eataly is coming to NYC next year, I will be curious to see if the concept is more similar to the Bologna store (likely, due to space issues) or Turin location. But with other shopping to do, we set off, peaking in Gilberto (good for all types of balsamic, according to Carmelita) before checking out the produce stalls. Since I had barely eaten a vegetable on the trip, I asked if our lunch menu could take advantage of the lovely spring produce. And it was lovely. While we're just seeing the first ramps of the season in NYC, Bologna was already enjoying purple artichokes, slender asparagus stalks and fava in velvety pods. The little stalls we visited also had some non-local products, including fruit (plastic wrapped pineapple not grown in Italy). But Carmelita, a fan of tracability, a least in terms of growing region, shunned the strawberries and went for things like morels and zucchini, as well as this interesting citrus fruit with an edible pulp: citron or cedro/cendrone. With the produce in hand, next up was protein. Carmelita took me into her butchers shop (to gawk), but as it was Friday and Lent I was all for a fish lunch (especially after seeing the meat in it's close-to-natural-state). True confession: I never liked fish as a child. In fact, my mother once tried to convince me a scallop was a vegetable so I would try it (it didn't work). But I've since learned to enjoy most shellfish and some other types of seafood. But not sardines, although I can appreciate the beautiful color of these fresh specimens. As well as laugh at the antics of these odd crustaceans (I have no idea what they are, but am glad we did not purchase any after seeing them alive!).

We ended up with some shrimp (two kinds: the tiny salad-type and a few larger ones), clams and what I think was a bluefish, which was filleted in store (unlike what I usually purchase: filleted on a ship somewhere and then flash frozen and sold at Trader Joes).

Before going back to Carmelita's, we made a quick stop at her corner deli. And lest you think this was anything like the corner bodega or your deli at home, let me assure you it was not. "Deli" is too modest a term for this gourmet shop, where we picked up some ricotta and a sample of pork two ways (I did break the Lenten rule for the taste test!).

After all, how could I resist sampling some roast pork from this fine animal (distracted by the citron, I didn't notice it still had its head until after my taste).

Too soon, shopping was done and it was back to Carmelita's very cute apartment to get to work. The final menu included:

*Round zucchini stuffed with ricotta and shrimp, served on sliced citron

*Fresh pasta served with a sauce of clams, garlic and parsley

*Steamed fish topped with morels served over an asparagus and fava bean puree

Hungry yet? Then stay tuned for part two -- the cooking and the eating!