Mysteries of the Market

Not one, not two, but five people commented on the flurry of leaves and fronds hanging out of my market bag, the sides of our stroller and Jack's mouth, as my happy little rider munched on a bunch of brilliantly colored carrots at the busy Puyallup Farmers Market. His favorite...the purple one.

This particular trip to the market wasn't the leisurely sort. I was on a mission, purposely searching out produce not regularly found in our kitchen. From left to right, top to bottom, here's what I got: Chinese spinach, eggplant, fava beans, fennel, golden beets and a leek.

As a child, I read the Choose Your Own Adventure book series. At the end of each chapter you were forced to make a decision. You were offered two choices, safety vs. risk. "Turn to page 67 to return to the car. Turn to page 41 to walk into the dark, cold, scary, probably monster infested, really bad idea cave." With trembling fingers, I'd slowly make my way into the unknown.  

As an adult, cooking is an extension of all those childhood stories. Why chose regular spinach when a bright bunch of purple variegated Chinese spinach beckons. Dismiss the potato, go for the eggplant. 

Today I will research how to cook fava beans. Tomorrow the adventure begins.    

Phat Compounds

Being a spoiled little girl certainly had its privileges. Minimal supervision. Lots of toys. But most importantly, my Grandmother fed me well. Very well. Every day I started out with breakfast-in-couch, while I watched my cartoons. When asked what I wanted to eat my first and only response was "cinnamon toast," ah glorious cinnamon toast.

Cinnamon Sugar Compound Butter
Click on picture to link to Recipes page.

Poor Grandma must have made two tons of cinnamon toast for me over my extended 18-year stay at her house. Everyday, she would lug out her giant tub of margarine from the fridge, go cupboard diving through 65 years of dormant spices for the cinnamon and top it all off with a perfectly sprinkled dusting of snowy powdered sugar. Had she known about compound butter she'd have at least five more years worth of morning solitaire under her belt.

Compound butter is nothing more than butter mixed with seasoning to make it more flavorful and then chilled for slicing. You've probably seen it hanging out on top of your steak or contrarily as sweet, honey butter on scones and muffins.

Why should you like compound butters?

It's easy;
You'll look cool; and
Versatility abounds.

Easy as 1-2-3. Start with room temperature butter (1). Don't microwave! Mix in your ingredients of choice (2), place in a covered container and put it back in the fridge (3). Many people use small food processors to mix compounds thoroughly, but if your ingredients are pre-chopped hand mixing will do just fine.

For more sophisticated palettes, cut off a slice of butter from a log you've chilled in rolled plastic wrap and place on top of warm steak, chicken or fish. The ease of this finishing adornment aside, plates will look professional and classy and you will look stylish and chic. This finishing touch takes seconds, but will impress all night long.

Efficient and versatile, compound butter can be used as the fat in a saute or in baked goods, as a pasta dressing, to finish sauces, as a spread and, as mentioned, a garnish.

Compound butters are limited mostly by the imagination, but there are a few simple guidelines to follow for success. Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature before you mix and avoid melting the butter. Start with an unsalted butter and season to your preference. Salted butter takes away the control and who wants unruly butter. Try to eat your creation within a week or freeze it up to a month. Although acid, like lemon juice, will help preserve it.

Summer Zucchini and Tomato Gratin

Next time you're at the farmer's market try to find a stand without tomatoes and zucchini. It's impossible, because the red and green vitamin monsters are in full bloom right now. Take advantage of fresh, clean flavor-packed brilliance and make this recipe tonight!

Summer Zucchini and Tomato Gratin is the best of both worlds - fresh healthy vegetables with perfectly seasoned bread and butter!

Summer Zucchini and Tomato Gratin
Serves: 4
Serving size: ½ cup
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 35 minutes

Ingredients
· 1 tablespoon butter
· 1 tablespoon olive oil
· 1 medium yellow or white onion
· 2 cloves garlic
· Salt and pepper
· 2 young zucchini
· 1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes
· 2 tablespoons parsley
· 1 tablespoon basil
· 2 tablespoons butter, melted
· 1 cup Italian bread crumbs
· ½ cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions
Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Grease a casserole dish with cooking spray.

Over medium heat, melt butter and olive oil together. Cut off the ends of the onion and discard the papery layers of skin. Quarter the onion lengthways and cut into ¼” slices. Add onion to the pan and sweat until translucent, about 4 minutes. Sprinkle in two pinches of salt and a pinch of pepper into the pan. While onion is cooking, smash garlic with the flat side on your knife and discard paper. Dice garlic finely and add to pan. Cook through, about 2 minutes. Watch the heat. Garlic burns before you know it and then it’s gross and your husband makes that fake smile face.

Cut off the ends of the zucchini and quarter lengthways, like the onion. Cut into a large dice, about the size of a gumball. Cut tomatoes in half. The tomatoes and zucchini should roughly be the same size. Chop parsley and basil together. In a medium mixing bowl, combine zucchini, tomato, herbs and onion-garlic mixture. Take a taste of the mixture and make sure you have enough seasoning and enough herbs. If not, add some.

In a separate bowl, combine butter, bread crumbs and parmesan cheese. The consistency should resemble gravel more than sand. Yummy, huh?

Pour the vegetable mixture into the greased casserole dish and top with the bread crumbs. Make sure the crumbs cover the top of the vegetables, but don’t flatten the crumbs. Leave some peaks and valleys. Bake for 35 minutes or until bread crumbs are toasty brown. Remove from oven and let the gratin rest for a few minutes before serving to thicken up sauce.