Market Supper June 26

We have survived our first real week of heat and humidity. For us it is like an instant diet. We find ourselves eating later, in the cool of the evening, and eating less. This week's market supper is a reflection of the lighter meals that our family enjoys during the summer. The potato cakes let you enjoy the new crop of farm fresh potatoes, while keeping it light by serving on a bed of fresh Minnesota greens. The dessert combines fresh fruit and balsamic vinegar, a pairing that we don't see a great deal of in America, but is a wonderful way to dress up a pint of strawberries. A word on balsamic; you can spend a great deal of cash on a good balsamic vinegar. The best balsamics are more similar to a syrup then a traditional vinegar. I was watching America's Test Kitchen on PBS (one of the very few reasons that I still have a television) and they recommended that if you simmer down the standard grocery store balsamic in a pan on the stove top, that you will end up with a vinegar that is similar in taste and consistency as some of the more high end balsamics.

Enjoy the heat and remember that the good news is that chilled white wine never tastes so good as on a hot muggy day that is finally giving in to the cool of sundown. See you at the market!

Market Supper June 20

Here is the new Market Supper for Grill Week at the Mill City Farmer's Market!!

Market Supper June 10

It is official, this odd MN spring is going to lead to our fresh vegetables coming in a little late this year. However, each week we will have a few more fresh greens and the opportunity to try something new. This week I offer you Bison. Frequently Bison have been called American Buffalo, though they are really not very closely related to actual buffalo, such as the water buffalo of Asia. They are extremely efficient grazers, and this leads to a very lean meat, lower in cholesterol and saturated fat then most beef. The good news on the health side can lead to bad news at the supper table if the cook doesn't understand that the lower fat means that Bison cooks faster and should be cooked at a lower temperature then beef. You can use Bison in replacement of any recipe calling for beef, just be careful not to over cook it, which would lead you to the false impression that Bison is tough. In honor of Father's Day I offer you this Bison Burger recipe for your grill. Keep these burgers at least four to six inches above the medium flame of your grill and monitor them closely to see that they don't burn. Four to five minuets per side should do the trick! A happy Father's day to all the dads out there and See you at the Market!!

June 5th Market Supper

We all love a warm bowl of Risotto in the middle of winter, it nurtures the soul and sooths the ache of walking from our car to the house in sub-zero windchill, but summer pasta can be a delight as well. A light olive oil tossed with the pasta of your choice and whatever fresh produce is in season can make a simple, elegant supper. Top it off and with a fresh salad and some crusty bread and it will be hard not to invite your neighbors to join you. I have four rules for pasta and they are as follows:

~Buy the best pasta you can find. The quality of your pasta makes the difference between tasting homemade and just tasting like take out.

~Salt the pasta water. The best advice that I have heard is "Whenever you think, 'Did I salt the pasta water' . . .salt the pasta water. Pasta takes seasoning very similarly to meat and salt draws out it's flavor.

~Don't waste your good olive oil on pasta water. Have you ever noticed that the oil just sits there on the top of the water? Save your good olive oil for a good piece of homemade bread!

~Don't rinse your pasta after it is cooked and never make it wait. You wash the seasoning off by running it under water. Just strain it and toss it immediately with your sauce.

We hope that you enjoy these recipe's. I especially enjoyed making the Rhubarb Strawberry Basil fool!! It was so quick and it looked beautiful served in martini glasses. See you at the Market!