Welcome to the wonderful world of locally grown and harvested fresh fruit, vegetables, flowers, and even eggs! This happens to be one of the local markets that are held twice a week and I am now officially pledging my love and admiration for all the farmers who grow and harvest such wonderful things. Going to the market is a great way to get inspired to create something in the kitchen.
Adie and I walked into the market bright and early with camera in hand, thinking about what types of items we wanted to snag in order to create a delicious brunch. We were immediately taken by surprise with the vividly red strawberries. They emanated a sight and smell that made us grab a box. Adie, inquisitive as she is, asked what makes for a tasty strawberry. The lovely woman selling the berries told us to pick the small dark red ones. Adie was quick to pluck one and pop it in her mouth. The verdict? Delicious. We decided a French toast with an inspired strawberry sauce would be delectable.
Next on our menu dish was to be a lovely frittata. We came across green garlic, which when cut open is sticky, fresh, and intoxicating. I know garlic doesn’t sound like a popular egg dish addition, but with green garlic as fresh as this, it was divine. The garlic wasn’t too strong at all and had just the right amount of flavor to peak one’s interest into saying, “What is that?” Heirloom tomatoes were also in abundance and were begging to be part of our meal. Basil also seemed a likely candidate to make for a more aromatic frittata.
We walked a few rows down and saw the creamy goodness of cheese. Now, this wasn’t just a couple of cheeses to choose from, oh no. There were tons! We picked one that we thought would complement the delicate flavors without overpowering, so cheddar was in order. Next to the cheeses were eggs. Dozens and dozens of eggs stared us in our eyes. The gentleman helping us pick out the eggs gave us a great tip about picking out eggs. Choose eggs that have a smooth shell. Did you know that? I didn’t and neither did Adie.
As we were leaving, we walked past a local bakery stand that had yummy looking pastries that called to me, but I resisted. They did however sell brioche bread, which was perfect for the French toast.
Adie and I couldn’t help but take note of the freshness of everything in the market. Every vendor we spoke to told us the produce was harvested in the morning. This is one of the main reasons you should take advantage of your local Farmer’s Market; hopefully you have at least one. With the produce being locally grown and harvested by members of your own community, you are able to support your local economy. Large chain markets import produce from other countries, which if you think about transport costs, damage to the environment due to travel by big rigs and trains, and not to mention a significant downfall of produce that has yet to reach its ripening peak, how can you not want to buy local? The freshness is undeniable compared to a Farmer’s Market. Long story short; buy local.
Now, onto the brunch!
French Toast with Maple Strawberry Sauce
The brioche was dipped into a batter of one egg, a splash of half and half, and a dash of vanilla extract. The half and half seemed a bit more luxurious and naughty than milk, but feel free to substitute with a lower fat product. The brioche became extremely fragile once dipped in the batter, perhaps heartier bread might have faired better. Each piece was placed in a pan with a dab of butter to toast on each side.
The sauce was a piece of cake! Wash and hull the strawberries, place them in a small saucepan, add about tablespoon of maple syrup, and smash with a potato masher. We left chunks of strawberries to add texture. This worked perfect. I would recommend letting the sauce reduce by simmering it until you reach the consistency you desire. We were obviously too hungry to wait for any sauce reduction nonsense. Since the berries were so sweet, it didn’t need much to make them perfect. In fact, the maple syrup wasn’t even needed, but we figured it would just add another depth of flavor in the background.
Heirloom tomato, Basil, Green Garlic, and Cheddar Cheese Frittata
Start by preheating the broiler in your oven. The whole process of this takes but a few minutes and you want to be prepared to place the pan in the oven once your ingredients are ready. Prepare the tomatoes by deseeding them first and then follow by chopping them along with the garlic, and basil. Roll the basil into itself and then slice with a sharp knife; this particular cut is called “chiffonade.” This will give you lovely delicate strips of basil. We used a dozen eggs and seasoned with salt and pepper for this recipe, but you can make this with as many or as little eggs as you’d like depending on the size of the frittata you’d like. With a heated skillet, add roughly ¾ of a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and sauté half of the chopped garlic. Sauté briefly and be careful not to let the garlic brown. This is to flavor the oil and give a flavor foundation to the rest of the ingredients. Add the tomatoes and sauté for another minute or so until you feel it’s ready for the egg mixture. Once the egg mixture is poured in, stir just a bit, not too much since we aren’t making scrambled eggs. Sprinkle the remaining garlic, basil, and cheese on top. Place in the over under the broiler for about 6-10 minutes, depending on your oven. You can check by touching the middle of the frittata with your sparkling clean finger to see if it springs back, or just stick a knife in the middle to check for doneness. The frittata should be lightly browned on top and glistening with deliciousness.
If you have any questions regarding these recipes or need help with more specifics, please feel free to contact us through email. We are happy to assist you in making tasty dishes to brighten up your day.
Enjoy!
