Chef Amy McCray from Eva Restaurant in Tangletown. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.
Is it not a wonderfully pleasant day? It has cooled off tremendously, though the sun is out, and now we can enjoy cooking indoors again for a few days. To help inspire us, Chef Amy McCray of Eva Restaurant will perform another of her great cooking demonstrations today at 4 p.m. at your Wallingford Farmers Market.
Gorgeous heirloom tomatoes from Summer Run. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.
There are few things on earth quite as satisfying as a vine-ripened, garden-fresh tomato. They may not be uniform in color and shape, and they may not ship well across thousands of miles, but they taste incredible. They taste like, well, tomatoes! Makes one wonder how anyone could tolerate eating those so-called “tomatoes” at the Big Box Store that taste like cardboard. Well, you’ll find these particular beautiful heirloom tomatoes at Summer Run today, if you get here early enough!
Italian prunes from Lyall Farms. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.
Italian prunes — yes, prunes — have an early and a late season. We have just entered the early season, and Lyall Farms has them. And I don’t care what the California Prune Board says, these are prunes, not plums! Seems the marketing brain trust in California thought the term “prune” had negative connotations. Frankly, I think the marketing brain-trust in California has negative connotations. This is real food, and Italian prunes are real. In fact, few stone fruit can compare to their dense, deeply sweet flesh that freely comes off the stone. They are perfect eaten as is, but you can also dried them, jelly them, juice them, tart them, can them, and on and on. They are extraordinarily versatile. So enjoy them now, in the early season, then enjoy them again in late September!
Green beans from Stoney Plains. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.
Fresh green beans. Do I really need to sell you on them? I didn’t think so. But I will tell you that Stoney Plains has a great selection of them. Stop by and pickup your favorites, or try something new.
Romanesco from Alm Hill Gardens. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.
Romanesco is in the cauliflower family… and it grows in fractals. This unique vegetable, prized by Romans, roasts or steams up tender and deeply sweet. I love finishing it off with some freshly grated parmesan cheese. You’ll find these magnificent creatures at Alm Hill Gardens. And bring your kids by to see this fractalized wonder of nature!
Fresh bagels from Grateful Bread Bakery. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.
It is hard to get really good bagels in Seattle, but Grateful Bread Bakery does a darned good job making theirs. They bring several varieties with them to your Wallingford Farmers Market each week. Pickup some smoked salmon from Wilson, and you are good to go! Yeah, baby.
Of course, this is just a highlighting of what you will find today for your weekend festivities, and for the rest of the week. There is still plenty of other stuff just waiting for you at your Wallingford Farmers Market this week. For a full accounting of what you will find, click on “What’s Fresh Now!” in the upper right-hand corner.
Tags: bagels, chef, Chef Amy McCray, cooking demonstration, farmers market, food, green beans, prunes, Romanesco, salmon, seafood, Seattle, smoked salmon, tomatoes, Wallingford, Wallingford Farmers Market
wallingfordfarmersmarket.wordpress.com 
Leave a comment