The major premise of this article is that Farmers Markets are great – but only if you are “well-heeled”.  “Designer varieties” of produce may taste fantastic, but their high cost is out of reach for the average person.  Really?   This seems to me to be an overly simplistic argument and it doesn’t quite ring true.  It hasn’t been my experience, and I see a great cross-section of society at our local market each week.

Personally speaking, the fact that locally grown organic produce tastes so much better than food that is conventionally grown is enough.  The quality of the fruits and vegetables that are field-grown, picked at their peak, and then sold within a day or two from harvest taste so much better than food that is engineered to travel long distances before being sold.  These fruits and vegetables speak for themselves.  And I listen.  For me, taste is everything, and this produce is worth the additional cost.  The premium that you pay for this quality can easily be made up by making smart choices with your other food purchases.

Wente references sources and studies (cherry-picked to be sure) that suggest that organically grown food is no more nutritious than conventionally grown food.  I will concede it is possible that in some cases this may, in fact, be true.  Nutritionally speaking, a freshly-picked organically grown apple and a freshly-picked conventionally grown apple may offer the same value.  This, however, does not take into account the possible negative long-term consequences of a diet that has a high concentration of food that has been sprayed and modified.   The jury is still out and it may take years of studies to settle this issue one way or another.  I guess we’ll see.

Having said that, I don’t think that you are “poisoning’ yourself or your children when you eat food that is conventionally grown.   There is no need for hysterics.  Trace amounts of herbicides, pesticides, and fungicides present in these foods, consumed in moderation, are unlikely to dramatically reduce your life span.  However, it also makes sense to me that children could be more susceptible to the adverse effects of a diet composed entirely of conventionally grown food due to the fact that they eat more in relation to their body weight.  Do your own research, and then make your best decision.  To me, it seems both practical and possible to strike a balance in terms of your weekly food choices.

In response to her point that organic produce is priced out of the reach of average families, well, you have to be creative.  Don’t be a victim.  There are ways to make this happen, including reducing your consumption of expensive, over-processed, tasteless, and nutritionally devoid food products.  If you shop intelligently for the majority of you pantry staples, you can plough the rest of your food savings into buying quality fruits, vegetables, dairy, meat and fish that is offered by people who care about what they are providing.

I won’t address the environmental argument for local, sustainable, organic farming in this post.  I will say that in addition to the superior quality and taste, for myself and many others, patronizing local farmers markets also has to do with re-establishing a connection to where our food comes from.  As an added bonus, there is also the sense of community that permeates the market, something that is in short supply these days, particularly in large cities.

How can it be a bad idea to have a better understanding of where your food is coming from, and at the same time, support the continued existence of locally grown food?  What is the true “cost” of not having a strong, diverse, and local food-chain?

Do yourself a favour this summer and enjoy a field-ripened pepper, some garlic, or a heirloom tomato that has been picked at its peak and brought to market within a day or two.  Taste is paramount.  The argument surrounding the “high cost” of quality organic produce is just a distraction in this debate.

We had the first of the Walla Walla’s last week.  The undisputed King of Onions will be around through to the end of September, but you can never have enough.  I’ve been told that they are so sweet, you can eat them as you would an apple.  Even better, try Maddie’s (Klipper’s preeminent Recipe Czar) suggestion of slicing and enjoying them topped with a piece of cheese.  I would think that a sharply aged cheddar would complement them nicely.  A great addition to your summer salad, these onions are best appreciated raw, although you can, of course, cook with them.  I’ve heard that they are delicious caramelized.

There are always special treasures for the motivated early-bird market shopper.  Broccoli, cucumbers, zucchini, and a small selection of gorgeous beans often sell out quickly.  With produce this fresh and beautiful, you have to do very little to enjoy them.  In fact, the less, the better.

And then, of course, there are the eggs. It breaks my heart to tell a customer that we have already sold out of these beautiful farm-fresh, free-run, organic wonders.  Don’t let this happen to you – get there early.  The market opens at 9 AM.

The scapes were pickled in a brine that had a 5% salt content (50 grams or 1/4 cup of kosher salt to 1 litre of water), along with some fresh tarragon and a tablespoon or so of a modified pickling spice recipe that is also included in the book.  You could instead use a commercial pickling spice, or just make up your own using a combination of spices such as peppercorns, coriander seeds, mustard seeds, ginger, cloves, allspice, bay leaves, cinnamon sticks, etc.  The key point here, though, is the magical 20:1 water to salt ratio of the brine itself.  This provides a salt solution that is mild enough to allow the good bacteria to go about its business of creating the lactic acid necessary for a successful pickle, while at the same time strong enough to keep the “bad” bacteria away.

It would normally take about a week to pickle the scapes (or just about any other vegetable) if you kept them out on the counter (uncovered) during the fall, winter, or spring (at least in Vancouver).  However, the recent warm days have presented somewhat of a challenge.  According to Ruhlman, it is important to ensure that: (a) the pickles are completely submerged in the brine; and, (b) the room temperature is below 23 degrees Celsius.  If not, you are clearing the way for the “bad” bacteria to take over.  So, like an  obsessed soccer/hockey mom/dad, I was constantly ferrying my pickles around the kitchen, from the counter, to the fridge, and back, while paying close attention to the long-term weather forecast, for the better part of two weeks. At this point, you should reboil boil and cool the brine in order to stop the fermentation process.

My newly pickled friends are now ready to enjoy.  I tasted one last night.  I would describe them as vividly green, lightly salted, mildly sour, and with a spicy, garlicky kick.  In other words, a perfect accompaniment for the Classic Caesar.  Last week was also the end of the BC Spot Prawn season.  I picked some up for the Caesars, along with a few extra pounds to freeze for future use.

The Caesars did not disappoint.

And so, the time has come to say goodbye to both the mysterious & unwieldy garlic scape and the sweet king of prawns.  Farewell, dear friends, and godspeed.  I take a measure of comfort knowing that I will be enjoying your preserved goodness for some time to come.

The BC cherry season only lasts for 3-4 weeks – so you don’t want to miss it.  The much sought-after Bing cherries are still a week or two away, but you can’t go wrong with whichever variety you choose to bring home.  In addition to the Vans and Stellas, there will probably be some of the Christilinas at the market this week.

Among the other available offerings, keep an eye out for the Italian zucchini.  You will want to get down to the market early tomorrow though – these tasty zucchini will sell out quickly.

I wish your passion for animals had been redirected into the kitchen rather than at farmer’s markets where you tell the tales of mistreatment of animals. I know a bite of beautifully prepared Foie Gras would be enough to bring you to the ‘dark side’ of culinary experience. You might have to give up your dreadlocks and Birkenstocks (with socks), but trust me….we have a plate at the table for you.

I was visiting the Kitsilano Farmers Market and saw a table hosted by the “LiberationBC group (www.LiberationBC.org). One might think this is a group looking to stop the genocide in the Sudan, maybe support democracy in Iran, or feed the still homeless in New Orleans. Nope, none of the above. Instead this group talks about why you shouldn’t buy animal products because the cuddly little critters aren’t massaged in organic vegan beds at night.

One brochure that popped off the table at me was on Foie Gras. I picked it up. On the cover it said, “Foie Gras: How Much Cruelty Can You Swallow?” The girl at the table, sitting with her girlfriend, smiled at me. I said, “Ummm….I think I can get about 6oz of Cruelty in my mouth at a time.” Her smile (and that of her girlfriend) disappeared. I said to her, “Have you ever tried Foie Gras?” She said, “NO and I never would. It is cruel how they are force fed!” I said to her, ‘How come all the agencies that monitor cruelty to animals don’t agree with you? She replied that “the American Veterinarian Association and other groups are being paid of by the hundreds of Foie Gras producers in the US. It’s all about the lobby you know!” I shared with her that there are only eight farms in the US that are regulated to produce Foie Gras and wondered how many of those farms she or her colleagues had visited. She said that she would never visit those farms.

She said that 14 countries has outlawed Foie Gras production because of its ‘cruel nature’. I think she felt this was her trump card. I then asked her:

1. How many of those companies have stopped importing Foie Gras? Answer: None. They all still import it.
2. How many of those countries have outlawed fur? Answer: None.

She then asked me if I knew that “Pope Benedict XVI denounced Foie Gras (on biblical principals) in 2002?”

I replied, “No I didn’t. Did you know that he wasn’t elected Pope until 2005 and that he is against lesbian relationships? He might not be the best example for you to use.”

Her friend  told me to “fuck off”. It wasn’t very Christian off her, but with victory in my pocket, I left. You may be asking yourself, what’s the silver lining to this story? The brochure they provide lists all the restaurants in Vancouver that have Foie Gras on their menu. I now have a list to work from when we host the “Best Foie Gras in the City” contest later this year.

It could be said that pigs raised on a farm, rather then in the wild is cruel. Or that cows who are fed feed, rather than eating organic grass with a view of the ocean is cruel. Make up your own mind, but don’t be swayed by arguments that can’t be backed up.

I say, “Give us the freedom to complete the circle of life. A duck is fed by humans until his liver swells, and he then become Foie Gras. We humans eat lots of Foie Gras and in turn get Heart Disease. We die, and our bodies are either buried (becoming part of the soil over time) or cremated to ash (which makes good planting). Our remains become part of the ecostructure, and we enrich the soil in which the grain grows to feed the ducks in the future. Again the cycle begins.”

Eating Foie Gras in fact, is one of the most environmental things you can do my friends.

Life is good. Eat it up!

I adore garlic in all of its many forms. This is the first time that I have had the pleasure of using uncured garlic, which has quite a bite if you are using it as you would cured garlic.  Today, I began by first anointing two heads with olive oil and a little salt & pepper, and then roasting them for about 45 minutes in a 350 degree oven.  This was some of the most beautiful roasted garlic that I have ever tasted.

With the stalks, I followed Klipper’s suggestion and made a simple garlic stock, cutting them into 4 inch pieces and infusing them in 6 cups of simmering water that was lightly seasoned with kosher salt for about an hour.  The finished stock was very light and clean tasting, but what brought it to an even higher level was adding the skins from the roasted garlic for an additional 15 minutes. Now that was some pure crack garlic stock goodness!

I then decided to make a Garlic Lover’s Risotto.  I still had some garlic scapes left over after pickling 8 bunches (trip report to follow), so I sauteed them up with some grape seed oil, a little salt, and set them aside.

I made a traditional risotto, first sweating 1/2 a small onion until translucent, then adding 1 cup of arborio rice and cooking until the grains were translucent on the exterior but opaque in the middle (3-4 minutes).  I then added about 1/4 cup of white vermouth.  A few minutes later, I began adding the garlic stock (which was simmering in another pot) one ladle at a time, as the stock was slowly absorbed into the rice.  It took just over 5 cups of the stock and 22 minutes of cooking, stirring frequently over medium heat, to bring out the natural creaminess of the risotto.  Next, I added the sauteed garlic scapes and the roasted garlic, incorporating even more garlicky goodness into the risotto.  A few minutes later, the risotto was al dente, creamy and pretty much done.  To finish, I added about 1/2 cup of freshly grated Parmesan and a few cubes of cold butter (for sexy sheen) and continued to stir until everything was incorporated.

Serves two.  Unbelievably delicious, and I believe that it was a fine tribute to the first garlic of the season.  I only wish I had a better photo of the final dish.  It was so good, I may recreate it this week, and hopefully get a better picture.

Anticipated new Klipper’s arrivals at the June 27th West End Farmer’s Market:

• Golden Zuchhini
• Cherries! (Cristillina and Van varieties)

Here is what I have done so far:

• Sauteed them with butter and EVOO, and seasoned with sea salt.
• Garlic scape, collard green, grape tomato & goat cheese quiche.
• Made a salad dressing.
• Added them to a stir-fry.
• Garlic scape pesto with basil and Italian parsley.

I am always looking for an excuse to bring out my mortar and pestle. It is meditative to smash and grind with purpose.  This is the first of many planned batches of pesto this year.  I used about a dozen scapes, a good handful of both basil and parsley leaves from the garden, some pine nuts, salt and lemon juice to taste, and enough EVOO to bring it to the desired consistency.  As you might imagine, the pesto was VERY garlicky and VERY good!

I tested it out on some fettucini for dinner, and being satisfied, determined that the pesto was worthy of being the star of a Maple-Cured Bacon, Roasted Red Pepper & Shitake Pesto Pizza.  Unsurprisingly, the bacon ended up being the star – but the pesto was a close second.

I still have an abundance of scapes.  On the suggestion of the ever-inspiring farmer and home-cook Annamarie Klippenstein, I plan to pickle the remaining scapes primarily to use in Spicy Garlic Scape & BC Spot Prawn Caesars.  I’ve never pickled anything before, so this should be fun.  I’m using a brine/pickling spice recipe from Michael Ruhlman’s excellent book Charcuterie.  I’ll have to use the fridge because it is a bit too warm this time of year in Vancouver to just leave the scapes out on the counter, so I figure it will be about 2 1/2 weeks before the pickled scapes (and the Caesars!) are ready.

The Klippenstein family is a constant and welcome presence at Vancouver neighbourhood farmers markets from May until October each year.  Somehow, they also find the time to farm 40 acres 350 km away in the Similkameen Valley of the South Okanagan.

I will be providing updates of what is at the market each week from now until late October, primarily focusing on the offerings from Klippers.   Klippers generously compensates me for my time with the freshest of fruits, vegetables, and farm-fresh eggs.  This is in addition to the ridiculous amount of things I learn from the farmers and other market vendors, volunteers, and the regular customers that patronize the market each week.

This week’s bounty:

• Organic Salad Greens with Mizuna, Mustard Greens & Arugula
• Garlic Scapes
• Collard Greens
• Farm-fresh (and I mean FRESH) free-run, organic eggs.  Provided by the happiest of hens.  Trust me, I have seen them myself.  These eggs are one of life’s true, simple pleasures.   Seriously, spend the extra $2 and get yourself some good eggs.
• Cucumber
• Oregano
• Tarragon

I just love this time of year.