Battle Mint, Part 2: Farmers Market Salad with Minted Shrimp

The most recent Culinary Smackdown wasn't a battle at all, as I was the only participant. But here is my mint dish anyway. In case you missed Part 1, I took my inspiration from what I found at a bunch of local farmers markets. Then, given our heat wave, I added one of my favorite cold foods, shrimp.

My farm market finds included okra and some intriguing purple pole beans (they're at the bottom of this photo).

The okra I cut into 1/2 inch chunks, sauteed in a bit of bacon fat, shallot, and chopped mint, then spritzed with vinegar, and let come to room temp. I steamed the purple beans – which turned more green during cooking – and marinated them in olive oil, balsamic, chopped shallot, mustard, torn mint, and salt. Hot veg soaks in marinade well. Then I refrigerated them for my cold dinner dish.

To accompany my salad, I couldn't resist a slice of the toasted garlic scapes ciabatta from Atwood Family Farms that I found at Bellevue Farmers Market, along with my new favorite Kenny's Farmhouse Cheese, their brie, which I eventually sprinkled a chiffonade of mint on to as well.

To dress the cold shrimp, I combined mayo, mustard, smoked paprika, a bit of caper brine, minced shallot and mint, and lemon juice and zest. I added torn mint to my salad greens, dressed them with the mint vinaigrette I'd marinated the beans in, and assembled my plate.

Cookerati, our host for this Culinary Smackdown, says she'll award me the win this time, by default. What other choice does she have? Let me know if you'd like to keep the Smackdown going or if you'd like to take a summer break. There's so much great summer bounty to cook with, but this is also the season of vacations, lots of other tempting activities, and abysmal heat and storms. If you'd like to participate and have any suggestions for the next Smackdown theme, I'm all ears :)

June Culinary Smackdown, Part 1: Farmers Market Inspiration

I thought about titling this post "What If We Threw a Smackdown and Nobody Came?" It's been crazy hot everywhere (except the Pacific Northwest?). We've been contending with storms, power outages, vacations, who knows what in our personal lives, plus lots of summertime opportunities. Our Smackdown host this month, Diana from Cookerati, was kind enough to extend the June deadline for Battle Mint to July 2 since she's been vacationing in Colorado. And I kinda got my Battle Mint entry together, thanks to some farmers market inspiration.

Last Saturday morning I stopped by Bellevue Farmers Market, where Chef Matt Buschle of Virgil's was doing a cooking demo with local product from the market, including chickens from Atwood Village Family Farm. I've gotten eggs and this hearty loaf of garlic scape ciabatta from Atwood before – now I know to check out their chickens too.

I ran into friends from Slow Food Cincinnati, who were covering the Thistlehair Farm booth featured on the Boone County Farm Tour. Matt gifted me with some mint, and I knew it was a sign I'd better get my dish made and a post up.

But first I had to scurry off to meet Katie of Taste and See Cincy, another Smackdown buddy who didn't have time to post this month. Katie and I met at the Boone County Farmers Market in Burlington, KY, which this time of year is open 7 days a week. In the oppressive heat, we hit only 3 of the 15 farms on the Boone County Farm Tour, but our mutual favorite was Thistlehair Farm.

Thistlehair's onsite farm stand is open Thursday and Friday, 10:00-7:00, and we loved our tour of this organic farm, where Vickie and Ed Tewes cultivate lots of heirloom vegetables and are branching out into asparagus and even artichokes - yes, in Kentucky. They also raise bees. This whimsical structure is where they demonstrate pollination.

McGlasson's is also charming, and where I found fresh okra.

I'm headed to the river to visit friend Cindie in the morning and will be back later in the week with the actual dish I made for Battle Mint. Meanwhile, have you ever tried adding mint to a BLT? Mint wakes up this old favorite. And somehow cools you down at the same time.

Happy 4th to all!

Blazes, It's Battle Salad!

I had the best of intentions last weekend, trekking to four farmers markets earlier Saturday morning than I usually get out and about. My grand plan also included attending Taste of Cincinnati. But by 10:15, dripping through my shirt, I realized it was not to be. With temps in the 90s and humidity to match, this Memorial Day weekend felt more like Labor Day often does in the Queen City.

My intended Battle Salad entry was spurred by a recipe I saw a couple years ago for a blackberry and bacon salad along these lines. I picked up some herbed goat cheese from nearby Capriole Farm, thinking to try my hand at breading and frying it. To gild the salad lily a tad more, I contemplated extending my recent obsession with runny eggs, a technique I have yet to perfect at home in a skillet, although fresh thyme and sherry vinegar are plusses. Time spent photographing results, not so much, since runny eggs run only so long.

What to do when summer weather saps your ambitions and, darn it, you just need to eat a simple supper? Forget about that blackberry puree you'd need to strain the seeds out of. Heck, forget about following any ding dang recipe (my frequent approach here in the Intuitive Eggplant Kitchen). Consider what you have on hand, pay attention to anything that actually makes you want to eat, then wing it. These local strawberries from the inaugural weekend of the Mt. Adams Farmers Market were something I wanted to eat right right away.

Bacon always makes me hungry, so I fried up some Hickory Smoked Bacon I'd bought at Eckerlin's at Findlay Market and decided to incorporate strawberries instead of blackberries for this venture. A couple more farmers market purchases that piqued my tastebuds were a caramelized onion and herb foccacia from Savor at Covington Farmers Market and cheese brats made from a Napoleon Ridge goat (appropriately named Gouda) I met on a visit to the farm a couple months ago. Tricia from Napoleon Ridge partners with some of the best small sausage makers/butchers in the region to process her animals. If you're looking for local and sustainably raised proteins, check out her booth at the Saturday morning Covington farmers market, where she Kentucky-proudly offers up great stuff not just from her own farm but her great network of local/regional small farmers and producers. Here's the salad I ended up with.

Culinary Smackdown Reminder and More May Food Events

Spring is in the air, and local farmers markets are bursting with early season goodness! One way to put some of those great spring greens to use is to join in this month’s Culinary Smackdown: Battle Salad. The Smackdown is a friendly little cooking/blogging contest that is open to all. We’ve had some great newcomers – and winners – in the last few months! It's a fun kick-in-the-pants to try something new, and I always come away with great ideas from everyone else's contributions. Get all the details here from last month’s winner, Grumpy Granny, who is this month’s host and judge. You're by no means limited to greens, and I love that she poses the question: "What's a salad? You definite it. This is your playground." So play away, kiddos!

Despite its popularity the past two years, Farmers Fair in Covington will not be held this year. Instead, a series of individual events is planned, starting with a 25-mile Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food bike ride next Saturday beginning with coffee and breakfast burritos at Findlay Market, stops at Enright/Price Hill Eco Village, McGlasson’s Farm, and Boone Farm, and concluding with lunch at Covington Farmer’s Market. The event is free, but registration is encouraged to ensure enough food is on hand. Details here.

Another offshoot of Farmers Fair is Dinner on the Farm June 1 at Napoleon Ridge Farm to benefit the Community Farm Alliance. It will feature food sourced from NRF and other local farms prepared by Chef Steven Geddes of Local 127 plus local wines from Stonebrook Winery and music by The Turkeys. Transportation will be provided departing from Local 127, where you can kick off the evening with cocktails. I’ve been to Napoleon Ridge, off I-71 just past where it splits from I-75 toward Louisville, and am really looking forward to this! Only 50 seats available.

Here are some other fun food events you might want to put on your calendar.

Jean-Robert’s Table is offering a Springtime in Paris special Thursdays after 8 p.m. through the end of the month, a bargain at four courses for $40 plus half-price wines by the glass and music.

You can head to Viet Nam via the Cincinnatian's Third Thursday Tasting this month, where $60 gets you a two-course dinner for two and bottle of wine.

The Go OTR Summer Celebration next Sat. (5/19) will feature crafts by City Flea, food by A Tavola, Abigail Street, Bakersfield, Lavomatic, Senate (which is doing a BBQ pop-up), Taste of Belgium, Venice on Vine, and probably more.

And don’t forget Asian Food Fest next Saturday (11 a.m. to midnight) and Sunday (11 a.m. to 9 p.m.) at The Banks.

FYI, I always have an eye out for special food events in Cincy and environs. Check out my facebook page for news as I spot it. And stay tuned to the blog for much more I have in the hopper :)

Culinary Smackdown: Battle Literary Food

Our March Culinary Smackdown winner, Katie from Taste & See Cincinnati, challenged us to Battle "Literary" Food this month, leaving plenty of wiggle room for our entries to be inspired by fiction, memoirs, or any non-cookbooks. See what Katie's come up with for this battle here, and check the comments section for links to the other fine entries.

Before I'd managed to zero in a book, I stumbled across some fresh favas at Madison's in Findlay Market, and an idea was born. I snatched some up, eager to play around with a spring ingredient I've never worked with before, and picked up a bottle of Chianti on my way home. Neither would have gone to waste, but I was glad to confirm my recollection that the movie The Silence of the Lambs was based on a book, by Thomas Harris. I confess I've never read the book, and was probably one of the last people in America to see the movie, afraid it would creep me out.

I promise you there is nothing creepy about this dinner I made last night. It is most assuredly free of liver (of a census taker or any other critter) and is instead a celebration of spring produce. My fava beans and a nice Chianti had a splendid supporting cast, including ramps, morels, and fiddlehead ferns, also from Madison's.

I'd never cooked with any of them before. So step one was to read up on the basics of preparing fresh favas and fiddleheads. I came across a couple of different ways of extricating the fava beans.

First, you "unzip" the pod to get at the favas, which are similar to lima beans.

But your prep work is far from done at that juncture. Next you have to get the beans themselves out of their "waxy" outer casing. Some people peel away the casing. I decided to go with a method where you dunk the beans in boiling salted water for 30 seconds, drain and shock them in cold water, and then try to "slip" them out of the casings.

The blanch-first method worked pretty well for me. To open the casings I just used my fingernails (which I wished I hadn't cut the night before). Alas, I did not always manage to slip the beans out whole. These are delicate little things that easily split in half. Still, it remained a time-consuming process to free all the favas. English peas, which I was also using, are lot less work, even though they and their pods are much smaller. Here's a comparison shot (with not-yet-freed favas).

Piddlehead ferns always make me smile. They just look so darn fun and unlikely.

I found this handy primer on how to prep fiddleheads, but mine had no chaff to speak of or unfurled ends longer than 2 inches, so I washed them, patted them dry with paper towel, and figured I was good to go. The most important tip I came across was to make sure not to cook them more than 3-4 minutes. I'm not sure how old mine were, but I cooked them less than that and some of them were a bit bitter.

Ramps, sometimes called wild leeks, look a lot like tiny scallions and give off a pungent garlicky onion flavor. There are two good reasons to use them soon after you find them: 1) they are delicate and will taste better and 2) you will be able to smell them not only in the refrigerator but also outside the refrigerator if you try to store them for a while. I used three, slicing the white portion near the bulb thinly.

I figured it couldn't hurt to use the ramp leaves too, along with the leaves from some lovely radishes I'd found at Northside Farmers Market.

I sliced the accompanying radishes, shucked some peas, made thick slices out of the morels, cut some asparagus, stripped some fresh thyme, and ended up with a whole lot to cook with.

I had in mind my own personal pasta primavera, so I cooked off some whole wheat penne and set forth to cook – but not overcook – my bounty of tender young spring produce. I started with one non-herbivore ingredient, a single slice of lamb bacon. I swear I wasn't even thinking about the tie-in to the title of this book/movie when I purchased it, at the new Dutch's Larder in Hyde Park. (Their grand opening is this Friday, featuring Belgian style beers from Rockmill Brewery in Lancaster, Ohio, and the lamb bacon in question is just one of the items they offer from Smoking Goose Meatery in Indianapolis, whose products are also available at Jungle Jim's and served at Enoteca Emilia in O'Bryonville.)

If you've been following this blog, you probably know I'm always curious to try something new, and there are certain questions I am powerless to say no to. Would you like a loaf of homemade bread? Yes. Would you like to try some local charcuterie? Yes. Would you like to go to a pig-tasting dinner? Yes. Never having contemplated the concept of lamb bacon before, as soon as that option was displayed before me, the answer was another immediate Yes.

So I rendered (and removed) the bacon with a sprig of fresh thyme, added some butter to the drippings, and started gently cooking my unfamiliar veg in the order I guessed would be best to get them done, but not overdone. I overdid the "braised" radishes, and would probably have been better off not slicing them. Sometimes you just have to figure things out on the fly, and that's what I did, removing what seemed ready when I still had other veggies to add to the skillet.

A splash of sherry vinegar, some salt and pepper, a drizzle of Chianti, and another dab of butter or two all went in at some point as well (upon reflection, some lemon zest or juice would have been worthy additions). Finally, I added the penne to the pan, along with all its assorted partners, swirled in some pasta water, pronounced my dinner done, and was glad for a glass of Chianti.

Into a bowl it went, dolloped with some herbed goat cheese. And one of the best accompaniments any spring dinner could have: a slice of homemade ciabatta courtesy of Jeff of A Dork and His Pork, who has previously graced our Culinary Smackdown. Jeff brought smiles to many Cincy friends and bloggers Sunday morning by playing bread baking angel, and I'm honored he included me. Let's just say that if he ever opens "Sticky" I will be first in line.

Wishing you all a bountiful spring, and courage to try cooking (or tasting) ingredients and dishes that are new to you. Seize the season. And if you're lucky enough to have a generous angel of the baking or farmer ilk in your midst, say Yes!

Arts and Lettuce Sneak Peek and Battle: Literary Food

I've been traveling, eating, working and, alas, not blogging in a while. But all is well, especially after a phenomenal meal tonight at Arts and Lettuce, the monthly underground dinner series prepared by the talented Ryan Santos of Please Catering. It was springtime on a plate through many surprising and delightful courses, and I'll be back with a full report, along with tales of my travels to Tennessee, and more.

Meanwhile, our gracious host of the March Culinary Smackdown – Battle: Spherical Food – Leah, of Eat, Drink and Be Married, recaps the "Battle Balls" entries here. Congrats to Katie of Taste and See Cincy for her win with some insanely tempting popcorn balls and one of the funniest entries in Smackdown history. As last month's winner, Katie becomes host, judge, and theme-picker for the April Smackdown, and this one is mighty intriguing. Check out her announcement post for all the details on Battle: Literary Food here. All are welcome to join in this friendly little monthly cooking/blogging contest.In fact, our most recent winners have been newcomers :)

Hope you are seizing the delights of Spring wherever you are, and sharing a table with friends, family, or, as I did tonight, an intriguing group of people you are meeting for the first time.

xoxo, eggy

Culinary Smackdown Reminder: Battle Spherical Food

As last month’s Smackdown winner for her amazing Corned Beef and Cabbage Pizza, Leah of Eat, Drink and Be Married becomes this month’s Culinary Smackdown host, theme-picker, and judge. With the ball now in her court for this friendly little monthly cooking/blogging contest, Leah has challenged us with a sports-inspired theme, Battle: Spherical Food. Details here.

Leah is off to Paris, but I'm still here holding down the fort as the resident Smackdown Cheerleader.

Everyone is invited to join in, and newcomers are always welcome. If you're interested in entering the fray and wondering what this is all about, you can find lotsa linkage on my sidebar.

I can’t wait to see what everyone comes up with for this one by March 31!

Mourning Moscow, and a Sweet Spot: Ghyslain in Louisville

I was looking forward to a quiet weekend at home to catch up on blogging about my recent travels and tastings. Then came Friday’s tornadoes, which tore through nearby parts of Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio, including the riverside village of Moscow, OH, which my best friend since 8th grade and frequent Culinary Smackdown compadre Cindie has called home for nearly 30 years. I was immensely relieved to hear her voice Friday night and know she, her family, and her dog are safe. But a good friend of theirs was not so lucky – she was killed when her house a couple blocks away collapsed on her. The storm took off the back half of Cindie’s roof, blew out a sliding glass door, and apparently sucked out some contents. A tree did some damage to one of their cars, and she said there is glass everywhere. That was just the preliminary report. Her house has now been “red tagged,” meaning deemed not safe to enter. Moscow is a gutsy little town that 15 years ago endured a major Ohio River flood. But this is even more devastating. Click here for a Cincinnati Enquirer article and video. You’ll find a few of my photos from happier days in Moscow at the bottom of this post. I will remember the lush green,  towering hundred-year-old trees, and care-free days in Moscow fondly. They’re pretty much all gone, at least for now.

While I wait to hear from Cindie with today’s update, I’m trying to distract myself with happier thoughts and bringing you a few photos of the goodies from Ghyslain, one of my recent stops in Louisville.

Located on East Market Street in the vibrant NULU District of Louisville, Ghyslain is a bustling French bistro (menu here) that also offers sweets that will make you swoon. The pastries and chocolates are true works of art.

If I hadn't been full from lunch across the street at Taco Punk, I would have tried Ghyslain's gelato. But I settled for bringing home a few candies and a pastry, which were every bit as delectable on the tongue as to the eye.

Ghyslain also has two locations in Richmond, Indiana, should you find yourself traveling in that direction, and you can mail order some of their chocolates – including a family of their turtle-shaped chocolate-caramel-nut turtles – via their website. The Louisville location has some patio seating, a great place to rendezvous with old friends – or meet new ones, as I was lucky to do when I happened to run into Joyce Pinson of Friends Drift Inn and her friend Rhoda, who I was scheduled to have dinner with at nearby Harvest. You can read Joyce's hilarious recap of our criss-crossing journeys and meet-up here.

Warm, sunny, food-filled days with friends are always a pleasure. And I have decades of memories of them at Cindie and Odie's. That's not apt to happen again in that particularly lovely spot on the Ohio River anytime soon.

Great memories of teaming up with Cindie and Odie at their house for our first effort at the Culinary Smackdown, Battle Lobsta.

We were tickled with our win for Battle Picnic Basket.

Cindie and I joined forces to bring the Culinary Smackdown back last summer. And had a blast taste-testing for Battle Bacon in her kitchen. Just 11 months ago we were hanging out on the deck after Easter dinner.

I am grateful to all my friends who have checked in on me and asked after Cindie this weekend. Also glad that, as far as I know, my KY blogger and farmer friends are OK. Please keep the folks impacted by these storms in your thoughts and prayers. There is a long road ahead.

Culinary Smackdown: Cabbage with Sausages and Grapes

Herewith my usual last-minute entry for the Culinary Smackdown, hosted this month by Grumpy Granny. I'm delighted by what my long-time Smackdown peeps contributed this month for Battle Cabbage. And to welcome some fabulous newcomers to this friendly foodie fray! Click on over to GG's host post here to find links to everyone's entries in the comments. Stay tuned for her announcement of this month's winner, who will win bragging rights, the opportunity to post a Culinary Smackdown winner badge on their sidebar/wall, and in turn become next month's host, judge, and "theme-picker."

This month I borrowed from a Mario Batali recipe that had me at the thought of cooking grapes for the first time. I substituted ingredients all over the place, failed to measure anything, and still managed to whip up something I'm not disappointed to call supper.

I had a sweet white onion on hand, so didn't go out of my way to buy a red onion.

I found seedless red grapes, which I suspect are different than Batali's recommended "wine or purple grapes."

I went foraging in the freezer for sausages and came up with some Roasted Red Pepper Italian Sausages from Carfagna's – a wonderful market and butcher shop that is as much of a must whenever I visit Columbus as, apparently, are stops at Jungle Jim's and Ikea whenever KY food bloggers come to Cincinnati.

I had the last little bit left in a bottle of red wine vinegar, and didn't worry whether it measured 4 tablespoons or not.

And then there was the cabbage. Foolish me, I picked up bok choy, thinking the delicate little head sitting next to it was Savoy cabbage when (I learned after googling images after my shopping trip) it was the called-for Napa cabbage after all. Oh, well. My honkin' big bok choy would not go to waste.

Although the recommendation of grilling the sausages sounds like a fine one, I browned mine in a Dutch oven while I sliced my onion and cabbage and plucked the stems from my grapes.

After removing the sausages, I wilted the onion, then added the sliced bok choy gradually (thickest to thinnest) to compensate for what I guessed would be its cooking time variance from Napa cabbage. Impatient and on the clock, I put the lid on the Dutch oven to hurry the cabbage cooking time along. Then added the grapes, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper, and bok choy greens. Topped with the sausages, here's dinner tonight.

Warning: Cooked grapes are hot! But I really liked my quick taste of this combination. Now I'm off to taste it for reals, with a glass of red wine, and settle in for the finale of Top Chef. I would be a happier camper if I could be rooting for Chef Ed Lee tonight. But after eating at his restaurant, 610 Magnolia in Louisville a couple of weeks ago, I can't complain.

I'll be around to check out the rest of the Smackdown entries later. And you can betcha a big post about 610 Magnolia is in the works. Plus more from other great KY restaurants I've visited in the past 1+ month.

Happy Smackdown, happy Leap Day, and thanks to all my talented and marvelous bloggy friends!

xoxo, eggy