I want to tell you about the most delectable meal I had this weekend.
Having only recently discovered the existence of the Winter Farmers’ Market in Pawtucket, we took a family trip on Saturday. Yum! Here’s my first impression of the market, located inside Rhode Island’s Hope Artiste Village: smiling families and eager vendors; the smells of fresh lemon basil pesto, pungent coffee beans and rich chocolate; the sounds of live music; and a visually sensual display of leafy and surprisingly colorful winter vegetables (who knew cauliflower came in orange and purple?).
What Sofie loved most about the market were the free samples. We tasted watermelon radishes, a variety of cheeses and apples, fresh breads and fruit honey sticks. I bought a collection of winter veggies (bok choy, radishes, carrots, turnips) that came with its own stir fry recipe, fresh spinach pasta from Nonni’s in Tiverton and — because it is Sofie’s new favorite color — the purple cauliflower from Wishing Stone Farm.
These were the ingredients for dinner that night. And oh! what a difference freshness makes! We also had grilled steaks on the side, but the pasta and veggies were so flavorful and filling on their own. Plus we fulfilled our dietary needs by eating according to color. I love that we made an event out of buying local and cooking together.
Here are two yummy vegetable recipes, one from a farmer and one from my sister:
Winter Stir-fry
- 1 turnip / 2 large radishes / 1 small bok choi / 2 small carrots
- 2 Tb butter or olive oil
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp tumeric
- dash of cayenne
Thinly slice carrots (1/4”). Quarter or halve turnip and radish, and thinly slice. Chop bok choi into 1/2” pieces. Keep leaves separate from stems. Heat butter or olive oil in skillet. Add carrots to pan and sauté 5 min. Add turnip and radish, sauté another 5-10 min until they begin to get tender. Add sea salt, tumeric and cayenne. Add bok choi stems, sauté 5 min. Add bok choi leaves, stir and sauté 2-3 min more. Add more seasoning as desired. Serve over bed of rice, quinoa or pasta.
Roasted Cauliflower
- 1 head cauliflower
- 2 Tb olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1/4 tsp chili powder
Preheat oven to 450. Cut cauliflower into florets and place in large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat. Transfer to cookie sheet and bake for 20 min, stirring once at 10 min. Sprinkle with garlic, salt, pepper, chili powder and bake 5 more min. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese in a large bowl and serve.
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