I’m enamored with this summer Farmer’s market. I don’t think much can compete with local fruits and vegetables at this moment. A few days ago on my visit to the market the vegetables and fruits were so beautiful and abundant. Amazing flavors and colors took over reason and my palate overtook my mind and I bought way too many greens – I got excited. I feel fortunate to live in a city with where I can pick-up fruits and vegetables a few minutes away that are terrific quality, almost daily. Even growing up in a small village in Austria it was not that easy to get so much of your food from one spot. At the Union Square market in NY leather skin farmers, dairy workers, cheese philosophers, shepherds, micro green hobbyists, tomato fanatics and writers with pickle and pretzel passions meet and offer their goods to us city people.
(cod crusted with millet served with Summer vegetable stew)
I can’t stress the importance of a freshly dug salad! Bibb lettuce is amazing right now and has a rose scent which I can’t explain myself, the lettuce is plump and heavy in weight with gorgeous pale green leaves and just perfect right now. Other vegetables I came across are sweet candy-like peppers which made it into a jalapeno/pepper sorbet, and the least bitter eggplants which did wonders in my mother-in-law’s favorite eggplant parmigiana.
In the restaurant we showcased a summery vegetable stew. Simple and quick cooking methods are the most ideal right now – it’s about making these vegetables palatable not cooking them to a mush.
The following Summer vegetable stew recipe shows off the current local offerings and reminds me of Italian minestrone.
(market vegetables for the stew)
Summer Vegetable Stew
(recipe yields four portions)
2 zucchini, yellow, green
1 eggplant
1 red pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon tomato paste
sea salt, to taste
fresh black pepper, to taste
1 bunch/cup scallions, sliced thinly
1 teaspoon thyme leaves
1 tablespoon parsley leaves, sliced thinly
1. rinse all vegetables with warm water then cut in mouth-sized pieces, discard pepper seeds
2. in a pot (1-gallon sized) heat olive oil on medium heat setting then add cut vegetables, tomato paste salt and pepper – cook for 20 minutes stirring with a wooden spoon every once in a while
3. add herbs to vegetable mixture continue to cook five more minutes then add 4 cups water – bring mixture to boil then steep on low heat setting for 20 minutes.
Chef’s Tip: add rosemary for extra fragrance and/or lovage an herb known for it’s intense parsley like flavor
The day after
I loved this soup when I had leftovers the next day after it was chilled in the refrigerator. I did not even heat it up – just enjoyed it chilled which made the vegetables in the soup more intense.
