Catch up....

I can't believe it's been 2-1/2 months since posting.  I'm going to cut right past all the reasons why and talk about the egg salad sandwich I picked up at the farmers' market today, among other goodies.


Egg salad sandwiches are a finicky thing.  It's easy to overdo it with the bread.  It's easy to be too bland.  It's easy to be...well, too boring.  Today's sandwich, while applauded for being made with local eggs and bread, was guilty of each of those offenses.  It was easy to make up for it, though, and when I got home I did just that: sliced off the sides of the French baguette to thin out the bread a bit (had I the gumption, I would have toasted the baguette slices), seasoned it liberally with salt & pepper and Riverside Farm scallions, and added additional greens.  It also needed just a tad more mayo.  THAT was a sandwich, and one I would have paid an easy $6 for (the original cost was $4--very reasonable for what I received).

In fact, why not simply go open-faced?

Speaking of Riverside Farm, they have really outdone themselves in the potato department.  I've been procuring russets from them for the last couple of months.  For Superbowl we enjoyed twice-baked spuds stuffed with quark and cheddar from Brookford Farm, onions from Coppal House that I caramelized until melted, chopped scallion, and chunks of Patridge Farm's jowl bacon.  No butter, no frying, no excess cheese.  Just luscious comfort food.

A friend, it turns out, has celiac disease and now must watch out for gluten in his diet.  There are lots of food producers making such products these days, but here locally I was impressed to see how much Buzz's Bakery (aka Buzz Bomb Spice Blends, or Steve Scaturro) has incorporated goods into their offerings: assorted breads, granolas, Valentine's Day goodies....  I will definitely send my friend their way.  Check out Buzz's website, it's excellent.

On a more gluten tolerant note, I was majorly delighted to see Heron Pond Farm had their own wheat berries for offer at today's market.  Wheat berries are the "mother grain" for pastas and breads, but cooked and prepared in salads, they offer a delicious, nutty, chewy, pop experience in your mouth.  I will post the outcome of my first recipe asap, a salad with slices of NH Cider Works/Carter Hill Orchard's mutsu apple, chunks of Sandwich Creamery's coulommier cheese, and toasted walnuts, all dressed with a cider-scallion vinaigrette (local cider and scallions, of course!).  Stay tuned!