Rain on Saturday? Perfect for a wandering snail....

One of my earliest childhood memories is of hunting for snails in our tiny Santa Monica backyard after a driving rain.

My parents would get down on their hands and knees and disappear into the laurel bushes to find the snails, which they collected in a metal bucket, careful not to break their damp shells. My sister and I, also on our hands and knees, followed close behind, wondering if other kids' parents did this sort of thing.
The snails would go into a bucket overnight, covered with salt to release all of their impurities. My memory is intentionally fuzzy on how the snails actually came out of their shells but I do remember my parents pressing them into more elegant, shiny escargot shells which they had brought with them from France, along with plenty of fresh butter, minced parsley and garlic. And an hour later, dinner was served.

It didn't get more local, or French, than that. And ever since I've started running farmers markets, I wondered how I could find a way to bring escargots to the market. The closest I've come was talking with Ellen Duffy, of Northwinds Lavender Farm, (here this week) who dreams of one day returning to Ireland to start a snail farm. Enter Thierry Ricard, a self-taught chef from Paris, who after traveling through Europe, Africa and the Carribbean, and, most recently, cheffing at Tambour in Park Slope, is looking to bring his French delicacies to the farmers market world. His business card reads: The Wandering Snail.

What does he bring me to try? A tourte aux escargots...a puff pastry "parcel" stuffed with delicate snails in a hearty sauce. Not only is the tourte delicious, but it's delicately presented to me, wrapped in brown paper with butcher's twine, and the word "escargot" written across the top in black marker in beautiful French script. The delicate packaging and dish belie the chef's own packaging: Thierry is a burly guy with a fondness for tattoos and facial piercings. If snails aren't your bag...worry not. Chef Thierry will also have salmon in puff pastry, one of the heartiest quiches Lorraine I've ever tried and vegetarian options as well. Please give him a warm Hastings welcome.

Also visiting us this week is Renaissance Pesto. They are coming down from the Catskills with three types of pesto: their classic basil pesto is made with local basil, aged asiago, pure olive oil and roasted garlic. No nuts! They also make a roasted red pepper pesto and a spicy pesto made with both long and habanero peppers.

Charlotte's Home Kitchen is also back for the second time this month because she can't be here in November. Insert sad face. She is bringing a new creation to make us feel better, though. Her Harvest Moon cake is both gluten and dairy free and is made with Majestic Farms' organic Ashmead Kernel apples, sage and hazelnuts. The vanilla frosting is laced with crisped sage leaves and salt. We'll put her right next to Marcelina Orange Treats since Charlotte is, like everyone else, smitten with Dora's spicy orange marmalade and uses it in her baking.

A reminder to order your turkey from R&M Farm. The sooner you order the better your chances of getting the size bird you want.

See you at the market!