I‘ve learnd that my mood can make all the difference when shopping at the farmer’s market. Last week, because I wasn’t feeling well, I bought the bare essentials. Today I saw possibilities at every stand. Still not much in terms of quantity, but everything has a specific use.
I bought a long, thin ciabatta loaf for sandwiches, bagels for breakfast, leeks for stock, savoy cabbage for bangers and mash (which will incorporate last week’s spicy lamb sausage), fava beans, yellow tomatoes (both of which will be incorporated into a salad with some shaved pecorino), and hot red “lipstick” peppers for chile/lime/ginger sauce (to accompany hainan chicken rice).
The “guest merchant” this week was Vadim Akimenko, who will soon be opening his butcher shop, Akimenko Meats, in Cambridge. We talked about rare pig breeds, favorite restaurants (St. John, and Au Pied de Cochon, of course), and tasty salted pig parts. Like me, he knows the pig is a magical animal, and works to maximize the yield from every pig he handles. (Watch the video on his site to see him in action.) I can’t wait to see what he turns out at his shop.