Food notes, and a knife

[magid]

I went to the farmer's market, and failed only one resist roll: I got apples. Two kinds of apples, actually, both Ginger Gold and Honey Crisp. I have to figure out when the annual apple-picking excursion will be!

I also saw something at the farmer's market I'd never seen before, labeled "huitlacoche/corn smut". It looked like large, oddly shaped, off colored garlic cloves, but turns out to be a fungus, sometimes also called corn mushroom or corn truffle. Here's a photo on the cob; what I saw at the market was already off the cob. Interestingly, it's a delicacy in Mexico, and considered a blight in the US (mostly). I suspect that will change, especially if farmers can get what was being charged today: $12/lb.

For (my) future reference, the farm school that's at the Tuesday market has half dozens of eggs. The ones I peeked at were five brown and one green egg. Next week if I need eggs...

Last week's find at the Butcherie was rice wrappers, the large circular ones used for spring rolls (the uncooked kind). I got them just because; now I need to find a spring roll recipe. Anyone have a favorite? (One with no cilantro would be ideal, but I can substitute if necessary.)

Meandering around online I found a recipe for acorn bread. It seems a nuisance to make acorn flour, but something that would be cool to do once, anyway. And the uses for the water the tannins leach out into seem quite varied, from a hair rinse to helping calm poison ivy.

From InfiniteHotel via TCB: a knife manufacturer in western MA. Next time I head west, I should check it out.

Comments

[ruthling.livejournal.com]

Those may well be my two favorite varieties of local apples! yum!

[magid.livejournal.com]

I just ate one of the Honey Crisps. Yum, definitely.

[queue.livejournal.com]

When I saw the subject line, my first thought was that you had cut yourself.

I saw something in the Metro this morning about the state's apple crop being reduced by 16% this year because of whatever the weather in the spring was like. I don't know if this will affect availability or pricing of pick-your-own apples.

[magid.livejournal.com]

Heh. This time, at least, I have not injured myself. (Though there's still the chance of severe paper cuts for a couple of hours, then the forecast changes due to greater knife availability :-)

Darned weather. I'd guess it'll mean pick-your-own will be a bit pricier, but hopefully availability will stay the same.

[infinitehotel.livejournal.com]

Huitlacoche is wonderful stuff, tastes sort of like a wild mushroom but with a hint of corn sweetness. Tu Y Yo in Powderhouse serves them in quesadillas and stuffs them into chicken breast with a tasty green sauce. I've never seen it sold anywhere except in cans; which farmers market was selling the fresh stuff?

[magid.livejournal.com]

The farmer's market in Copley; they're there until 6. I don't remember the name of the place, but it's the farm school one that's on the end of booths paralleling the front of the BPL.

[hammercock.livejournal.com]

Yummy! It looks like corn gone horribly wrong (which it is, really), but it's very tasty. I wish I were anywhere near Copley that I could get there to check it out before 6!

[magid.livejournal.com]

If you want me to pick some up for you, I can do that. Or maybe check the Monday Central Sq. market?

[hammercock.livejournal.com]

I didn't see any on Monday, but maybe I could have missed it. But hey, if you're okay with it, it'd be great if you could pick some up for me. I don't think I want a full pound, because I don't know yet what to do with it, but maybe a half pound?

[magid.livejournal.com]

OK, I'll head over after work. I'm headed to Porter after that for a bit; what time would work for me to drop them off?

[hammercock.livejournal.com]

Cool, thanks! Well, I'll be at Diesel for a while this evening, probably at least until 7 p.m. Would meeting me there (or nearby) work?

[magid.livejournal.com]

Yup.

[magid.livejournal.com]

(assuming they're still there, of course)

ps

[magid.livejournal.com]

I checked: it's the Farm School that had it. I didn't check the site to see which other farmer's markets they may go to.