Baaaaaa!

march 19, 2016 Wil-Hi Farm is driving down from Tivoli with all things "lamb" from meat to wool. Choose from breakfast sausage, chorizo, Kielbasa,  stew meat, shanks and, of course, rack of lamb and leg of lamb for your Easter or Passover table. I'm always on the lookout for good recipes for ground lamb other than burgers and moussaka. So I was very happy to stumble on this aromatic dish of lamb and orzo from Food52 which gives you an excuse to buy spinach from Neversink Farm and kalamata olives from Kontoulis. (Not that you need one.)

Captain Rick of Pura Vida Fisheries in the Hampton Bays tells me cod season is winding down. Make sure to pick some up this weekend. I often overlook cod - opting for something a little more exotic to take home from the market. But whenever I bite into cod's sweet, flaky flesh I am reminded why entire books have been written about this fish. Yes, it is a bottom feeder and yes it is common - but it is delicious. I never quite understood why so many recipes call for battering and frying it up. I am always grateful  for recipes that don't, in fact,  mask its delicate flavor (Remember that first time you tried that Miso cod at Nobu?).  Since we are fortunate enough to have access to some of the best mushrooms around at the market I was thrilled to find this recipe  in Cooking Light for poached cod with shiitakes that's perfect for this time of year when we crave dishes that are lighter, yet still slightly belly-warming.

Lasagna Preziosa products will be at the market - even if Riccardo is in Burma for his work as a gemologist - promoting the market, natch. Grazie Riccardo!

Some vendors we haven't seen often enough this winter are back tomorrow: Peanut Principle, Saratoga Crackers and Calcutta Kitchens with their Indian simmer sauces. Way to turn rice and vegetables into a meal.

Finally, a hearty congratulations to  Bien Cuit Bakery's Zachary Golper for being nominated for most outstanding baker in the country by the James Beard Foundation. We'll keep you posted when the winners are announced in May.