‘Tis the season for Farmers’ Markets, Fa la la la laaa, la la la laa….
I love shopping at my neighborhood Farmers’ Market…so much beautiful produce, baked goods and other tasty delights to choose from. I bring $20 and I leave with bags and bags of goodies. This year I have joined two CSA’s ** , so each week I get a bag of fruits and veggies and every 2 weeks I get fresh pork from The Piggery CSA, on top of my findings from the Farmers’ Market….Oh man, this is going to be a WONDERFULLY DELICIOUS and HEALTHY summer.
Check out Saturday nights feast, all fresh ingredients from the farmers’ market and my CSA shares, I call this the….Farmers’ Market Feast!
** CSA stands for “Community Supported Agriculture.” It is a way for consumers to buy local, seasonal food directly from a farmer. Individuals support farmers by purchasing a share of products for a season upfront. In exchange they receive weekly boxes of seasonal produce, meat & dairy products. A great way to know exactly where your food is coming from & try new things, local farmers’ are supported and it is very affordable for the consumer.
Beer Batter Fried Zucchini Flowers Stuffed with Ricotta, Parmesan & Basil
2 dozen zucchini flowers
8 Oz ricotta cheese
1/8 cup parmesan cheese
1 small onion, chopped
1 egg
pinch of nutmeg
5 basil leaves, chopped
2 cups unbleached flour
2 cups of beer
salt
oil
For the stuffing, in a small bowl mix the ricotta and parmesan cheeses, egg, basil leaves, nutmeg and a pinch of salt. Set aside. For the batter, in another bowl whisk flour, beer and a pinch of salt.
Stuffing the flowers – gently open the petals of the flower and stuff* each with about 1/2 teaspoon or so of the cheese stuffing, then twist the ends of the flowers to seal. Then gently dip each stuffed flower in the batter and rest on a plate.
Once you have stuffed and battered each flower, heat about an inch of oil in a heavy bottom skillet. Gently place flowers in hot oil and fry in batches, about 6 at a time. Fry for about 2 minutes (or until golden) then flip over and fry for another minute. Place on paper towel lined plate and let cool for about 5 minutes and Serve. YUM!
* How to stuff the zucchini flowers: you can use a small measuring spoon; fill an old clean ketchup bottle or squeezie bottle with the cheese stuffing and squeeze mixture into each flower; or fill a pastry bag with cheese stuffing.
Pork Chops with Blackcurrant Sauce
8 ounces blackcurrants
2 heaping tbsn of brown sugar
1/4 cup water
1 tbsn butter
2 pork chops
oil
salt
pepper
First make your fresh blackcurrant jam, this recipe will give you extra jam for use in other dishes. I used about 1 tbsn in a simple bok choy stir fry with a little honey, salt and pepper this morning, yummy.
Making the sauce/jam: in a small saucepan combine the blackcurrants, brown sugar and water and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Once it boils turn off the fire, grab a bowl and place mesh strainer inside, pour the jam into the strainer and reserve the juice. Set the juice and blackcurrants aside.
Heat a skillet with with about 2 tbsn oil. Season the pork with salt and pepper, then pan fry your pork chops for about 10 minutes on each side. Remove meat from pan and let rest while you finish the sauce. In the same pan used for the pork, pour in reserved blackcurrant juice and add butter, whisk until nice and glossy. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and add about 1 tbsn of jam, whisk. Spoon over pork chops and serve with a delicious salad. YUM!
