Each Wednesday we enjoy a Potluck of inspiration at Hot Pink Apron.com.
We bring the conversation starter, you bring the comments stuffed with personal touch.
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With spring comes fresh produce and passionate foodie chats, thanks to the launch of our local farmers’ markets. Have you made it out to greet your local taste purveyors yet? Get out there, show your support, and answer this week’s potluck question…
Jodi: I’ve eaten so much delicious bbq-ed asparagus in the last week, it smells like a tire fire in here. And garlic greens were an interesting local foodstuff that I used for the VERY FIRST TIME (I fried up some kale and garlic greens). And the rhubarb, from my Mom’s garden, is sitting there, challenging me to make something with it. Rhubarb pie? Maybe some muffins?
Reagan: Swiss chard! So yummy. I fry it and eat it doused in butter and vinegar. That sounds weird but I swear it’s delicious!
Caitlin: I haven’t had any time to bake lately, but have been shamelessly enjoying my dad’s rhubarb pies, with rhubarb from their garden. And I’m still working through a backlog of potatoes from my CSA share over the last little while–I swear those little dudes multiply every time I close the cupboard door.
Oh, and Reagan, yes!! A friend of mine shared her grandmother’s secret trick of putting a little vinegar on any stir-fried greens and I am a total convert. Pumps up the flavour and apparently helps with nutrient absorption!
Dana:I love the challenge of matching rhubarb’s tartness with the perfect amount of sweet. This week has been a hectic one at our house so I haven’t had much time to play in the kitchen, but I did manage to grab a few stalks of rhubarb at the local market and whip up an Orange Ginger Rhubarb parfait for dessert. I added chopped rhubarb, zest & juice of 1 orange, 2 Tbsp cane sugar and 3 thin slices of ginger root to a pan. Gently simmered for about 6 minutes until the rhubarb was tender but still holding its shape. With a slotted spoon, I removed the rhubarb, set it aside and reduced the juices even further, into a light syrup. Threw it all in a bowl and topped with a healthy dollop of creamy Greek yogurt and some ginger cookies. So good (and so much healthier than whipped cream & Jell-O)!
Dana’s Orange Ginger Rhubarb Parfait. Rhubarb is delicious, distinctly tart and rocks that lovely shade of PINK – how could we NOT love it?! When preparing, always remove leaves (contains a poisonous oxalic acid), poach in a little water for no more than 10 minutes to maintain a good texture, or roast to intensify flavour. Rhubarb goes great with honey, strawberries, orange, pork, cinnamon, ANYTHING pastry and almonds. Enjoy!
Kirsty:Our local farmers’ market is Sundays in the summer and if I don’t go for some reason — my Sunday just isn’t the same. We have a number of super farmers and I look forward to seeing them all! We have a great crepe booth, kettle corn, peameal on a bun and usually some local made jams etc. We have a really great market! Yay Uxbridge!! It’s always a great social treat as well to catch up with people and friends. And yes to asparagus…. Can’t get enough. It means summer is here!
Amanda: I haven’t made it to a local market in ages. BUT we did have our next door neighbour rock up with a shopping bag full of asparagus (hand picked at her dad’s place – supposedly he has ‘too much’) which we traded for some of our fresh laid eggs. I think this comes close enough.
Ship: I haven’t made it to our Saturday Market yet… Shame on moi! I will get there though… We are about 6 weeks ahead here in the south so we’re already into blueberries, green beans, melons and tomatoes…but my favorite time is early August for okra!
Dana:Oh please, Ship, PLEASE write we easterners a reliable okra recipe! I have tried to appreciate that funky green, I really have tried, but just can’t get past the slime factor. School me.
Ship: It’s all about olive oil and salt & pepper and a pan fry!
Amanda: No, no, NO. It’s all about the curry.
As usual, there’s no shortage of ideas coming from the Apronites.
What local, in-season ingredients are you celebrating/eating this week?
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Jodi – rhubarb is great in jam. Adds a much gooier texture and tempers the sweetness of something like strawberry.
And then load it on some pastry. Loads and loads of pastry. Pastry. Pastry. Pastry! (I think I’m going through gluten withdrawal already.)
There MUST be ways to do good gluten free pastry, because to do good shortcrust you want to AVOID your flour being too gluten-y. Part almond flour (great flavour, but crumbly) part gram flour/cornflour to firm up the dough?
I am the farmer. I am the one who knocks. 🙂
I actually chose the muffins. Delicious! Here’s the link to the recipe I used – http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/cinnamon-rhubarb-muffins.aspx