June is such a crazy month. Right in the middle of the calendar year, it's also the beginning of summer (we hope) and the end of the school year (hooray!); Father's Day is in there and, best of all, a brand new market is opening.
June 7 is opening day for the new Port Moody market, which will run Fridays from 3 to 7 p.m.
In the garden calendar, spring crops are winding down but the summer crops are not quite there yet. Have no fear, however, as there is still plenty for your taste buds to explore and savour.
While everyone else is thinking strawberries, I am thinking new nugget potatoes - I cannot get enough of them. For every pound of nuggets I eat, I also eat a half pound of butter I'm sure.
My mom taught me to cut a piece of potato, take a smidge of butter and put the two together on the fork before popping it in your mouth. The fact that the potatoes only arrive once a year for a short while is my caloric saving grace.
I am especially excited this year as we are welcoming Golden Ears Cheesecrafters to the Coquitlam Farmers Market and they are bringing their sweet cream, freshly churned butter with them.
So what else is new in early June? How about radishes? Really, radishes? You bet. Market vendors have different types for different tastes. If you are not a fan of radishes because they are too sharp, try the French Breakfast ones from Red Barn - they are quite a bit milder than supermarket radishes. Try roasting them to take away some of the bite. Toss them with olive oil and roast at 350 F for 10 minutes or so, then add some fresh thyme and a little sea salt.
And speaking of radishes and Red Barn, you should stop and chat with Ken. He has a large selection of fresh herbs and bedding plants for planting and eating. If you want to grow your own, he can help. Why not try planting a salsa garden? Tomatoes, peppers and cilantro are all easy to grow and you can have fresh salsa at the drop of a hat.
Most of the ingredients for a Greek salad are at market, too. Floralia Farms from Abbotsford has been an anchor at the Coquitlam market for years. Mixed in with the beautiful hanging baskets are the early varieties of hothouse peppers and cucumbers. Combine them with Red Barn's fresh herbs and Little Qualicum's feta cheese and you are almost good to go. Make it a full meal with a loaf of garlic cheese bread from A Bread Affair, some barbecued chicken from Rockwell (plus lemonade from yours truly) and, yes, fresh bright red strawberries, and you won't have to set foot in a regular store. And best of all, you will have spoken directly with the people who produce your food.
If a Greek salad doesn't thrill you, then try the recipe below.
Your local markets are Thursday in Port Coquitlam, Friday in Port Moody and Sunday in Coquitlam.
Karen Curtis is the Lemonade Lady (www.kicslemonade.ca and kicslemonade.blogspot.ca) at the Coquitlam Farmers Market. Her column runs once a month during market season.
PASTA WITH SEASONAL VEGGIES & SAUSAGE
4 cups penne (or other tubular pasta)
4 cups chopped seasonal vegetables (asparagus, garlic snapes, peppers, spinach)
c extra virgin olive oil
1 clove minced garlic
tsp fleur de sel with herbs d'Provence
freshly ground pepper
2 tbsp KICS Lemonade Syrup or lemon juice
1 tsp anchovy paste (do not leave this out - it is the magic ingredient)
4-5 Redl's beef mild Italian sausages, casings removed
Grated Golden Ears Chipotle Havarti, for serving
In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook pasta according to package directions. In the last 2-3 minutes, add the vegetables and cook until bright green and crisp. (Note: if using spinach, do not add until you are combining all the ingredients.) Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water, drain pasta and vegetables.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together oil, KICS, anchovy paste, garlic, fleur de sel and freshly ground pepper. Set aside.
While pasta is cooking, brown sausage in frying pan, breaking up, until cooked through, about 8-10 minutes.
Return pasta and vegetables to big pot, add sausage and oil mixture. Toss well to combine, adding reserved pasta water as needed to form a thin sauce that coats the pasta.
Serve sprinkled with grated havarti.
