No one in Columbus this weekend could possibly deny the existence of global warming. It was over 80 degrees today and it was beautiful all weekend. Amazing. Perfect weather for hammocks, picnics and generally being outdoors.
purple plum radishes
Newly in season this week at the North Market was broccoli which I bought from Wishwell farms. I usually got a bit bored of broccoli over the winter because it is one of the vegetables I eat the most, but having not had it for so long, it was like seeing a long lost friend. I also bought my first sweet potatoes of the fall from Wayward farms (the white which are apparently sweeter). I also bought some of their baby beets…. the love affair continues and I am glad to know that I am not the only one. I generally roast mine, this week I tried them with some sage, but rosemary is definitely the winner so far. Only one type of radishes this week – the purple plums that I resisted last week. They are fantastic – great flavor, spicy but not overly hot and good texture too. I also snagged the last quart of brussels sprouts from Rhoads, but it was not sufficient commiseration for missing the raspberries. I am hoping Toni will remember to save me some next week. Other purchases were plums from the Greener Grocer (turned into a compote with vanilla and honey and eaten with yoghurt) and stayman winesap apples. There was a huge variety of peppers and squashes but you could definitely tell that the season is starting to wind down.
A decorative gourd at Elizabeth Telling
Hooray for Blue Jacket Dairy being at the North Market!
Blue jacket dairy cheeses
It isn’t something I would ordinarily choose, but a plate of donuts came past right at the moment when I was thinking how hungry I was, and I was tempted by an Amish cherry fritter from Heil’s Family Deli one of the North Market stalls that I don’t generally frequent. I have to say that it was fantastic (a verdict supported by the two people I ended up sharing it with). I spent the rest of the day raving about it.
cherry and apple fritters
Deli - buckeye style
I was fairly restrained at the market this week. That was, until I got to Jeni’s. I wanted to sample the new ice cream sandwich (I say new, but it is apparently the first ice cream sandwich they made, so mainly just new to me). It is a curry macaroon with banana ice cream and coated in cashews. I was skeptical and mainly intrigued by the curry macaroon, but it was surprisingly good, not too sweet and the curry macaroon very subtle. It was a winner but still nothing can compare to the salty caramel one. I also brought home some of new seasonal flavors: olive oil with sea salted pepitas and goat cheese with cognac fig and almond sauce. mmmm.
The love affair with beets continues.
Garden update: Baby butternut is thriving and coming up for its 2-month birthday. There is a bud, so I am hopeful for a squash blossom. The lettuce is growing like crazy and I love having my own arugula – amazing how much you get from one pack of seeds. Tomatoes are winding down, but there are still quite a few coming and lots of herbs.
Baby butternut
