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.

Seneca Lake: U-Pick Raspberries

In late August, I had another opportunity to go up to Seneca Lake for the day (and yes, passed that cute honey stand again). But this visit, I got to do something I had been waiting to do all summer: pick raspberries. I have been known to shell out big bucks for raspberries from the farmers market. So when I passed a small field with a sign saying "U-Pick -- $3 a quart" how could I resist? Little did I know that it had not been a banner year for this particular field. What berries there were were tiny. The farmers, who came out into the late afternoon sun to pick alongside me (they sell most of their berries at auction) said the weather had been terrible. It took me, and my two helpers (thanks mom and dad!) about 20 minutes to fill the quart-size container with little berries, dodging BIG bees the whole time. After some post-picking cleaning, I still had a nice quantity of raspberries to use in my morning oatmeal, top a scoop of frozen yogurt and just eat plain. Here's hoping for better weather and a better crop next year (I'll be back).

Peach Upsidedown Cake (inspired by Alton Brown)

I baked these in a 6-count, 6 oz. jumbo muffin pan but you can also use ramekins. And no, the berries pictured below are not the ones I picked in New York, but are their California cousins.

Ingredients 5 T. Butter 1/4 C. Brown sugar 3 Peaches, peeled and chopped 1 oz. Crystallized ginger, chopped as finely as you can 3/4 C. Flour 1 1/2 t Baking powder 1/4 t. Baking soda Dash of salt Dash of cinnamon 1/3 C. Sugar ¼ C. Plain yogurt ½ C. Milk 1/2 T. Vanilla Method Heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat the muffin pan or ramekins with non-stick spray. Add a small pat (approximately 1/2 T.) of butter to each tin and cover with about a 1/2 T. of brown sugar, 1/6 of the peaches and a sprinkling of the crystallized ginger. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. In a smaller bowl, melt the remaining butter and combine with the sugar, yogurt, milk and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until just incorporated. Pour the batter over the peach ginger mixture and bake for 20-25 minutes. Cool slightly and then invert and serve.

Local Honey on Seneca Lake

I was upstate over the weekend -- this time on the eastern shore of Seneca Lake. The Finger Lakes are a great place to visit in the summer. There's a roadside stand around every corner, be it someone selling corn right out of the field or a small table loaded with squash, tomatoes and a small cash box (got to love the honor system)! But this visit, I found something I'd never seen -- a small roadside honey house. Local honey is in. And honey, let me tell you: this stand was literally golden. Surrounded by wildflowers, the little "lean to" looked like something out of the pages of a magazine (MSL - take note). Inside was a small table with a cash box, a few bottles of honey and a price list. For $5.50, I grabbed two 1/2 pound jars of honey: one pale and golden and one a dark, rich amber. Inside the small cash box was a little pad where people noted the dates of their visit and what they took ("third year visiting!" one entry read). Honey, especially local honey, is supposed to have a lot of benefits (helps with allergies?). I don't use honey very often, but nothing beats the combination of honey with banana and peanut butter. And during hot summer mornings, the combination mixed with a little milk and ice makes a great smoothie. Plus, it's a sweet way to enjoy summer (and the bounty of bees) while it lasts.

Peanut Butter Honey Banana Smoothie

Ingredients

1 Banana, peeled and cut into chunks*

1 T. Peanut butter (preferably natural)

1 t. Honey

.5-1 C. Skim milk (depending on desired thickness)

Ice cubes

Method Add first four ingredients to blender and puree until combined.

Add ice cubes a few at a time or extra milk until smoothie is desired thickness.

*This smoothie recipe works great with frozen banana chunks if you have them/have time to freeze them.

Stuffed Eight Ball Squash with Ratatouille

I actually made ratatouille this morning before I left for work. Yes, I am insane, but it was a cool 70 degrees, I was already chopping vegetables for my brown bag salad, and had a bunch of stuff lingering in the crisper, including $6 worth of Japanese eggplant I got at the farmers market last weekend. So I cranked the oven to 400, combined chopped squash, onion, eggplant and pepper with olive oil, canned diced tomatoes, salt and pepper and let it cook for an hour or so (until I had to pack it into the fridge and head out the door). Hard? No. Hot? Yes. I admit I was a little flushed as I ran down to catch my train. But if you have a gas grill, there is an easier way to enjoy ratatouille this summer. If you turn the burners to medium high and leave the lid down, most grills will heat to 400+ degrees (making it an ideal outdoor oven). So the next time you're preheating the grill for steaks, chicken or burgers, try cooking stuffed eight ball squash as a veggie side dish. Your indoor oven will be glad for the reprieve.

Eight Ball Squash Stuffed with Cheaters Ratatouille

I supposed you could make ratatouille and then stuff the squash, but if you're pressed for time, you can make this "cheaters" version.

Ingredients

1 T. Olive oil, plus extra for brushing squash

2 Shallots, diced

1 Quarter of a fennel bulb, chopped

4 Eight ball squash

1 C. Eggplant caponata (Trader Joe's makes a nice version)

1-2 Slices of whole wheat bread, crumbed

Grated Parmesan for garnish (optional)

Salt

Ground black pepper

Method

Start gas grill, setting burners to medium high.

In a large skillet, heat one tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat, add shallots and cook until translucent.

In the meantime, slice off the top third of each squash at the stem end, wrap the tops loosely in non-stick foil.

Using a paring knife, start to hollow out each squash by running the knife along the edge (leaving about a quarter inch of flesh) and cut out a cone-shaped section; hollow out the remainder of the squash with a measuring spoon or melon baller.

Roughly chop the scooped out flesh and add to skillet along with fennel; cook until most of the water has evaporated.

Remove the skillet from the heat; add the eggplant caponata and bread crumbles.

Brush each hollowed out squash with olive oil and season with salt and pepper; fill to top with eggplant mixture, wrap in non-stick foil.

Place the two foil packets in grill pan or directly on grates; lower the lid and cook for 20-30 minutes or until squash is soft.

Garnish with the cooked squash tops for show, as well as cheese if desired.

Summer baking: Blackberry peach crostada

Summer baking is the ultimate Catch-22; on one hand, there is great seasonal fruit to enjoy, but on the other, it is too darn hot (most days, the mere thought of turning on the oven makes me want to weep). But then all it takes are farmers market peaches and blackberries to make me change my mind. Was upstate last weekend and, over the course of two days, managed to hit two markets and one roadside stand, including the Vestal market, the Ithaca market and a random farmer off route 90 on the eastern shore of Cayuga Lake. While the markets were great, the stand was the mother lode. Although it looked a tad suspect (as all good roadside stands do), the crusty farmer had tender corn, perfect tomatoes, red new potatoes and one loan pint of freshly picked blackberries up for the taking. So I broke my no baking during the summer rule and made a peach blackberry crostada. I like galette and crostada recipes because they are supposed to be "rustic" (which gives me more leeway if the end result does not come out picture perfect). Plus, most crostada and galette recipes call for very little sugar, which allows the natural sweetness of the fruit to shine through (and for you to top with whipped cream or ice cream with low-to-no guilt). So the next time you pass a roadside stand, slam on the breaks, put in in reverse and see what gems you can find (just watch out for the traffic!).

Blackberry Peach Crostada

I cut the butter in this recipe, so if you want a more tender crust, double the amount of butter called for. If you want a more firm (yet still tasty and less calorie) crust, use amount of butter recommended.

Ingredients

2 C. All purpose flour (plus a bit more for dusting work surface)

1/2 C. Cornmeal

1/2 t. Salt

1 T. Sugar (plus extra for dusting crust)

1 Stick butter, cut into tiny cubes and chilled

2/3 C. Ice water

6 T. Sour cream or plain yogurt

1 Pint Blackberries

5-6 Small peaches, peeled and diced

1 T. Cinnamon

1 t. Vanilla extract

1 t. Corn starch

Method

Preheat the oven to 400.

In a large bowl or food processor, combine dry ingredients (flour through sugar).

Add cubes of butter and work into dry ingredients with two forks or by pulsing food processor blade until the butter pieces are no bigger than a pea.

In a small bowl, mix water and sour cream or yogurt; pour slurry over flour/butter mixture and combine until dough ball forms (you may not need it all, or you made need a bit more water).

Divide dough ball into two, flatten and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for one hour, then roll out both dough balls on floured work surface and transfer to parchment-lined cookie sheet(s).

Combine the remaining, tossing gently until the cornstarch is mostly dissolved by the liquid in the fruit.

Dump the half of the fruit mixture in the middle of one dough circle, and the remaining on the second circle (or oval or "shape"); spread out, leaving a one inch border.

Fold the border edge over the fruit mixture, patching as needed.

Brush crust with water or an egg wash (if preferred) and sprinkle a bit of sugar on the edges.

Bake at 400 for 35-40 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

Giant Stuffed Pattypan Squash

Do not adjust your screens. Despite the low resolution (I was forced to use my BlackBerry camera to take pictures for this post), what you see below is not an enlarged image of a tiny pattypan squash. It is in fact A GIANT PATTYPAN! I admittedly love cute vegetables, so when I saw this giant yellow squash from Cowberry Crossing at Saturday's market, I had to buy it. I decided to treat it kind of like a pumpkin, hollowing out and discarding most of the innards, par boiling it for 10 minutes and then stuffing and baking it for another 30 minutes. The squash was really easy to cut, and the soft flesh (which I scooped out with measuring spoons -- first using the tablespoon and then moving onto the teaspoon for the "detail work") did have seeds reminiscent of a pumpkin. I was barely able to submerge the squash in my small saucepan, and in the end, needn't have bothered because after 10 minutes, the squash was almost overcooked. I let it drain and cool slightly before coating it with oil and seasoning the inside with salt and pepper to prepare it for stuffing. By using an oval container that was just bigger than the squash, I was able to preserve the shape (you could also use aluminium foil balls to help prop up the squash in a square or rectangular container). The end result tasted similar to a stuffed spaghetti squash, but with the giant pattypan, you could eat the rind and all -- one way to conquer a monster (squash) .

Stuffed Squash

This recipe makes extra filling, which you'll want to serve alongside the squash so you can maintain the good filling-to-veg ratio while dining!

Ingredients

1 Giant pattypan squash

1 t. Olive oil

Salt and pepper

2 t. Light whipped butter

6 Baby bella mushrooms, sliced

1 Small onion, diced

2 Cloves of garlic, minced

.25 C. Bruchetta sauce (or diced tomatoes and extra oil)

1 t. Oregano

1 t. Dried basil

1 C. Brown rice

1 Link chicken sausage, diced

1 oz. Romano cheese, grated

Method

Preheat oven to 350.

In a large saute pan, melt the butter and saute the sliced mushrooms until caramelized.

In the meantime, cut a circle through the stem end of the squash.

Using a small scoop, hollow out the interior, discarding the seeds and pulp or reserving for another recipe.

Place in a small casserole dish and drizzle one teaspoon of oil over the hollowed-out squash, season interior with salt and pepper.

Add onion, basil and oregano and saute two minutes; add garlic, diced sausage and bruchetta sauce, cook two additional minutes and remove pan from heat. Stir in cooked rice and cheese.

Stuff the squash until full but not overpacked (there will be excess filling). Bake squash at 350 for 20-30 minutes until squash is lightly browned and filling is bubbling.

Let stand for five minutes before serving.