The sun! The sun!
March lends itself to plenty of weather proverbs but my favorite always has been: “March winds are the morning yawn of springtime.” Especially this year, when late winter's whipping winds seemed particularly harsh and bitter.
This morning, as I write this in my kitchen nook, bright sunshine is pouring in through the windows, and I've cast off my wooly winter writing sweater.
Hallelujah! It may not be sunny on Saturday (forecast says clouds) but it will be a balmy 55. I'll take it!
Rebecca is away this week so I'll be holding down the food fort on my own, with our lovely intern, Saffron, and our loyal volunteers. I know January is the most traditional time to make “resolutions,” but I tend to make mine at the start of spring when everything is about renewal. If one of your wishes for 2025 was to be more involved in your community, consider joining our market family. We're ALWAYS looking for volunteers to help with a host of market duties, both on and off-site. Come by the market tent on Saturday and let's chat! While you're there, pick up a new market tote. This season's popular black market canvas tote sports a grass-green logo, perfect for this time of year. (Perhaps those of you who were kind enough to buy our “Barbie pink” bag a couple of years ago are ready for something a little, well, loud?).
And speaking of green... St. Patrick’s Day is around the corner. Monday to be exact. So you are going to get Irish recipes where you celebrate or not. I've chosen some “comforting” recipes, which we could all use right now, whether we pair them with green beer, or not.
First up is this colcannon with crispy leeks, a classic dish of mashed potatoes and greens. Add some smoked trout from Hudson Valley Fisheries and serve with a frisée salad for a complete meal. If you've got eggs, and we will have plenty at the market, why not devote your Sunday morning to making this Corned beef hash and doing the crosswords?
Or make this Irish stew for Sunday supper.
Red Barn Bakery returns this week and will be offering their popular Irish Soda Bread, both with and without gluten.
And if you side with the English, Simple Fine Foods is here with their traditional British “pub” pies like Corish pasties and Cheese and onion.
The holiday can be a big drinking holiday, but if you're trying to limit your alcohol consider treating yourself to some sparkling Kombucha from Om Champagne Tea. All of this “in like a lion and out like a lamb” business can be rough on the skin.
Ash Hopper's Emerald Body Oil is the perfect companion for seasonal transitions. In addition to conveniently being green, this lightweight, organic blend is formulated for sensitive skin, and provides deep nourishment without feeling heavy. For anyone who needs a good therapeutic soak right now (and, really, who doesn't?) they will also be selling the same bath salt blend they sell to fancy resorts, which feature a light essential oil infusion of Bergamot, Palmarosa, Bulgarian Lavender, and Himalayan Cedar. Grab some bath salts and some herbal tea from Teagevity, a bar of Earl Grey dark chocolate from Raw Chocolate Lovem and treat yourself to a relaxing, decadent soak this weekend.
If you are on the go this week and need a quick and easy dinner for the family, I suggest picking up some Grumpy Dumplings, and serving them with some market bok choy.
The monkfish was so beautiful at the last market I bought some to roast. I cut 1/4 inch slits into each fillet and filled them with pieces of garlic. I lay them atop the fennel fronds of the bulbs I had just quartered and dropped in the steamer. I drizzled the fish with some Agape Olive Oil and added s & p, and popped in a 350 degree oven for about 25-30 minutes. Silly me, we were so hungry and it smelled so good, I couldn't be bothered to take an "after" picture. Remember, with the ingredients on offer at the market, simple is often best.
See you at the market!