The Observer Newspapers | Let's Go to the Farmers Market

June 13, 2008

Let's Go to the Farmers Market

The Fairfax County Park Authority sponsors a bounty of farmers markets in the Herndon and Reston area each week, and the markets are brimming with fresh summer produce. From herbs to fresh cut flowers, Herndon's market had a colorful splash of peppers, broccoli, new potatoes, lettuce, asparagus, summer squash and succulent sweet strawberries.

The Bright Lights Swiss Chard captured my attention at the most recent farmers market. At first glance, the Swiss chard looks less like a vegetable and more like an ornament with its leafy green tops and rainbow-colored stalks, next to the bins of fresh lettuce, basil, cilantro and leeks. The stalks are bright gold, orange, pink, purple, red and even white, and I highly recommend this vegetable. For many years, my family grew Bright Lights Swiss Chard in our garden, and it was one of our favorite early leafy vegetables.

Bright Lights Swiss Chard has a milder in flavor than its regular cousin green Swiss Chard. The vitamin and mineral profile of this leafy green vegetable contains enough "high marks" to ensure its place on the nutrition "Honor Roll," according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Swiss chard garners excellent ratings for its concentrations of vitamins A, C, E and K, magnesium, manganese, potassium, iron and dietary fiber. Swiss chard also emerges as a very good or good source of copper, calcium, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, protein, phosphorous, vitamin B1, zinc, folate, biotin, niacin and pantothenic acid.

Bright Lights Swiss Chard retains the most color if you chop and steam the leaves and stalks. However, in our family, we chop a large amount of this vegetable and saute it in a non-stick skillet. First add a small amount of olive oil, chopped onion and garlic, and when this is tender, add the chopped chard. Put a lid on the fluffy fresh greens, reduce the heat to medium low and watch the vegetable reduce in size as it cooks (much like cooking any fresh greens). Just before serving, splash some apple cider vinegar over the top, salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately as a colorful side vegetable. It was a sure hit in my home last Thursday evening and goes perfectly with all types of meats or fish.

There is one more note to remember when you visit a truly "local" farmers market—all farmers and producers come no further than 125 miles from Fairfax County. So when you are purchasing items from these farmers, be sure to thank them for getting up at 3 a.m. to load up and travel to Northern Virginia each week.

All of the Fairfax County farmers markets are supervised by the Fairfax County Park Authority through the Community Horticulture office at Green Spring Gardens. The daily operations of the markets are managed by volunteer Market Masters. The markets are open weekly through the fall. Visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/farm-mkt.htm. Here is a listing of farmers markets in the Herndon and Reston areas:

-Wednesdays, Frying Pan Farm Park farmers market, 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Frying Pan Farm Park, 2709 West Ox Road, Herndon

-Thursdays, Herndon farmers market, 8 a.m. to noon, Old Town Herndon, 777 Lynn Street, next to the Red Caboose

-Saturdays, Reston farmers market, 8 a.m. to noon, Lake Anne Village Center, Reston

Here are some of my favorite recipes using this week's market selections.

Carrie's Old-Fashioned Cabbage Slaw with Hot Dressing

1 head cabbage

1 medium onion

1 cup vinegar

1 tsp. celery seed

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup honey

1 tsp. salt

Shred cabbage. Layer cabbage with alternate rows of thinly sliced onion rings. In a separate pan combine vinegar, oil, honey, salt and celery seed. Bring the mixture to boil for 5 minutes. Pour the hot marinade over the cabbage and onions. Cover and let sit in refrigerator of 4 to 6 hours. Serves four. The taste improves with time.

Glazed Carrots

2 cups fresh carrots

2 Tbsp. butter

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 cup real maple syrup

2 Tbsp. orange juice

1/2 tsp. fresh orange rind

Slice carrots on the diagonal. Saute in butter in a non-stick skillet until tender and place in a casserole dish in slightly overlapping rows. Combine maple syrup, orange juice and rind. Drizzle over carrots. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. Baste occasionally.

Indiana Spinach Salad

1/2 cup sugar

2 Tbsp. sesame seeds

1 Tbsp. poppy seeds

1/4 cup finely minced onion

1/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1/4 tsp. paprika

1/4 cup cider vinegar

1/2 cup oil

1/2 lb. fresh spinach, heavy veins removed

1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled, sliced in quarters

2 oz. sliced almonds, lightly toasted

Arrange spinach and strawberries in a large bowl. Place sugar, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, minced onion, Worcestershire sauce, paprika and vinegar in a blender. Add oil in a steady stream with blender on low speed. Blend until dressing is creamy and thick. You can also add a few strawberries to add color and taste. Drizzle dressing over salad and gently toss. Garnish with toasted almonds. Serves four.

Italian Potato Salad

10 new potatoes (red skins preferred)

3/4 cup good-quality Italian salad dressing

1 clove garlic, thinly sliced

1 tsp. each oregano, basil

3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped

1 cup mayonnaise

Salt and pepper to taste

Tomato, for garnish, chopped

Boil potatoes until just tender, but not mushy. Slice in cubes while still warm. Add salad dressing, garlic, oregano, and basil. Cover and chill overnight. About an hour before serving, add chopped eggs, and mayonnaise, and season with salt and pepper. Garnish with tomatoes. If the potato salad seems a bit dry, add more salad dressing or mayonnaise when serving.

Sarah's Broccoli Pie

1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell

2 Tbsp. butter or margarine

2 1/2 cups diced broccoli

1 thinly sliced onion

1 cup or more grated cheddar cheese

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1/4 tsp. dry mustard

Saute onion and broccoli in butter or margarine until tender-crisp. Place broccoli and onion in an unbaked pie shell. Cover with grated cheddar cheese. Beat together eggs, milk and dry mustard. Pour liquid mixture over vegetables and cheese. Bake pie at 375 degrees for 40 minutes until golden brown on top. Cool, slice and serve.

Broccoli Salad

6 lbs. broccoli crowns (not many stems)

1 lb. bacon cooked and crumbled

1 cup golden raisins

1 cup toasted sunflower seeds

1 cup red onion diced

Dressing

2 cup reduced fat mayonnaise

6 Tbsp. sugar

4 Tbsp. cider vinegar

Cut broccoli into bite-sized pieces. Combine salad ingredients in a bowl. Mix dressing in a separate bowl. Combine both salad and dressing. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours prior to serving to allow flavors to combine.