Anna Blume

I am pretty sure I've seen Bayless's Mexico. One Plate at a Time in your dining room. I had a large pile of mixed oyster, button and shitake mushrooms that needed to be used up, a carton of heavy cream that had been open for a week and some greenhouse tomatoes, one huge, w a cut on the skin. Feeling kind of Mexican, I looked in the index and went aha! All I needed to buy were the poblanos and ears of corn. Since also had cooked a big batch of beans that I wanted to use up, I decided to up the amount of fresh corn and forget about the protein in the filling. The chilies were simply charred, skinned, seeded and stuffed, naked, with sautéed mushrooms, Vidalia (since that's what I had) onions, corn, ribbons of chard (the white-stem variety, young, is much better, Ramona, so now I kind of appreciate Alice Waters' insistence on only that color for her Inaugural fund-raiser) and half of cinnamon-flavored tomato sauce. The rest of the latter is then thinned w broth and simmered for a long time to reduce and become more delicious. Sauce gets poured over the filled chilies and the cream drizzled in generous manner. All baked until bubbly. I think this would be really good w the recipe's shredded, roasted chicken or pulled pork. I tried the recipe because I've made some tacos and enchiladas with oyster mushrooms before that I've really liked. ***************** Tonight: Pasta con le sarde--another "use up what's in the fridge" dish, especially considering how pricey fennel is. This is a Sicilian way to avoid wasting the stalks (and half a bulb) even some of the frilly bits (both a substitute for wild fennel) and eat an aromatic fish (canned, skins on, in water) that is very good for you. (More parenthetical phrases than km!)

Chiles rellenos de pollo y hongos a la crema Corona beans & cornbread Dogfish Head ale Black raspberries

Black raspberry popovers--well, some of them. Dropped perfect berries from Country Pleasures (organic seller at Dupont market) into buttered tin before batter. While they didn't puff up as high as naked batter, delicious w dollop of thick Greek yogurt in center--or quark, I bet.

^ I have similar questions about a very inexpensive 1-qt. ice cream maker from Sunbeam/Jarden (pictured) that is on sale at Target. Fairly recent problems at Sunbeam seem to have been reflected in a shoddy blender I bought at Rodman's a few years ago.

One of my favorites, especially in summer, wonderful beside a thick veal chop from a humanely-raised, poor little baby animal--though a glass of light, sparkling chilled wine will do: Italian appetizer. (Other cultures don't use batter. Tsk.) Even simpler, also an app, from Loomis (French), though you have to plan ahead: Feta & Prosciutto Wraps. Judy Rodgers of Zuni Café loves sage, so her cookbook has lots of suggestions for use. Try googling w her name; hope this post helps. (You can dry the herb, too.)

I just sent a PM. In meantime, I WAS successful in downloading an avatar I've used here in the past--admittedly one that freaked out Al Dente.

While It looks as if some members have been able to download new images, all my attempts have failed. I continue to get the same message about my files being too big. Usually automatic reformatting shrinks jpeg files down to size, but this property may not be kicking in.

FYI: Mountain View has not been selling fava beans at Penn Quarter's market this year because the farm's U St. customers were disappointed that they couldn't buy any last year. Atilla and Shawna should have some this upcoming Saturday at U St. and plan to plant a whole lot more next year. On Sunday, Next Step Produce will be selling the last of their crop for the season.

Last night: Thomas Keller's fresh pea soup Peter Reinhart's cornbread, if vegetarian [extra fresh corn vs. bacon] Former without white truffle oil, tamis or Parmesan lid, though some of the salt I dumped into the roiling boil was flecked w black truffle. (Great technique: peas taste way too salty when cooked, but purée requires no seasoning when blended with vegetable broth which was prepared quickly w reserved pods thrown in during final 10 minutes.) Prettiest green on earth. Cornbread was a response to all the polenta I had leftover from winter. Favorite recipe, especially w buttermilk from Trickling Springs.

If you're from the South? Google for "hard-cooked eggs": 1,7900,000 entries, one of the first from About's Southern Food. For "hard-boiled eggs"? 3,680,000, at least based on who knows what the search engine deems relevant to me.

Next Step Produce at Dupont Circle has sold them for the past three Sundays. Mt. View--source at U St. this past week?--might have some at Penn Quarter on Thursday, but I haven't seen any from this farm yet. Fava beans are one of those things that provide a transition between spring and summer, signaling the end of delicate little radishes that bolt in heat according to my sources, and the expansion of the category of berries beyond straw-. The only reason you may have seen them much earlier in the spring at Whole Foods was because they were coming from California which has a jump start on us. FWIW, I wouldn't sub anything, I'd just make a different kind of salad. For example, green beans have also arrived: Jade, Romano and French filet (haricots verts).

So, as a seasoned volunteer at DCCK, I hurried to the sink to wash hands up to the elbows in hot water and soap. Donned plastic gloves, size S. Put on hairnet since, running late, I forgot a hat. Rushed to station to find familiar faces and help finishing up the task at hand: filling aluminum pans w 50 spare ribs and a little water, covering them w plastic wrap, then labeling the foil cover, sealing and storing the pans in the refrigerated unit nearby. Next? I was told we should repeat process, but this time w summer squash that was wheeled out on a tall (for me) cart loaded w about twenty trays worth. So, I reach not directly in front of me, but high above my head and grab both sides of the pan filled to the brim with rounds of cooked squash. See where I am going yet? If not, you have no more business working in a professional kitchen than I do. I should have reached for the ends of the sturdy metal trays instead of the flimsy, throw-away foil pan. I also should have tied on a plastic apron after tucking in the ponytail. The pan folded. Green and yellow mush city. DCCK, thanks for the loan of tee shirt and khakis which I promise to return on Sunday. ***************** I'll let Daniel fill you in on the really great conclusion to the evening which I am sorry Jackie could not make.

Is Monday a really bad day for everyone? Thursdays are impossible for me, so I hope Daniel doesn't stop alternating Mondays w Thursdays...

Fennel just appeared in markets around town two weeks ago...though as a serious gardener you probably know it's in season. Apples? :shrug: I just bought a few organic pears from Argentina because this past fall's local crop did not do well and I miss them.

This Sunday marks the first day that shoppers with government benefits for food will be able to shop at Dupont Circle, receiving $10 extra, free, each day they visit the farmers market. Those with EBT/SNAP cards [formerly "food stamps"], WIC vouchers or Senior Nutrition Program benefits for farmers markets should look for a tent set up at the corner of 20th St. and Q St, NW, in the entrance of the brick building (Public Citizens). This is the new, northern part of the farmers market where you find orchids, The Egg Man, Quaker Valley, Red Apron, Atwater's (including rye bread), Smith Meadows, and the new composting service, Compost Cab.

Related convenience is also part of their new store in Rockville..though it's the kind of conveyance found at Target, i.e., your cart rides independently. Unfortunately, you have to listen to a creepy, recorded voice hope you have a pleasant shopping experience once you reach the top of the escalator, and as you leave, the same voice hopes you had a pleasant shopping experience. Even the word "pleasant" is one of the last things Hal would have retained in his vocabulary. *********** What I like about the new Rockville store: 1) Quality of pinenuts in bulk section. 2) Plain tomato & cheese pizza just out of oven. Yes! Crust is floppy and wimpy, but when you're hungry and want only a slice, it's good! 3) The machine w chocolate chips and peanuts you can grind to make an antidote to Nutella: chocolatey and nutty, but not cloyingly sweet! Perfect off a spoon or on bananas that have just turned yellow.

Sounds really good to me, too! ************* Dinner for lunch today: Chard stuffed w brown rice, plumped currants, toasted pinenuts, ground bison, onion, garlic scapes and chard stems, all seasoned w Aleppo pepper, pomegranate molasses and a little lemon juice. Butter & olive oil-slathered. Smidgen of leftover tomato sauce in between two layers, then chicken stock, third way up side of gratin dish before baking. Each leaf individually blanched and filling all prepped Wednesday evening, time-consuming process all because I was getting sick of greens-in-a-pan w olive oil and garlic or onions. Conclusion is that as much as I will scarf down just about anything made w pomegranate molasses, chard has got to be my least favorite leafy green.

Very short fingernails, but still manage just like the Pugliese who sit outside w favas, pecorino, bread, and wine and call it a meal. Thomas Keller does not permit his kitchen staff to blanch favas to double-shell them, saying the method interferes w their flavor. I just wanted to see what a few would be like chopped finely and used as a bright green condiment, a bit like pistachio nuts. ************ A bowl of vignarola, sort of. Just a little tesa instead of guanciale. Cooked the [blanched to double-shell] favas around 7 minutes vs. 30-40 and instead of long-stewed, olive green, mushy English peas, crisp, vivid green, blanched sugar snap peas folded into the reheated artichoke, potato, onion and fava braise with lemon juice and freshly, chopped parsley. Mango for dessert.

Shaved fennel salad w lemon and Parmesan shards Roasted purple, cheddar and white cauliflower; plenty of garlic Raw fava beans Prosciutto e melone A couple of stalks of roasted asparagus

Buttermilk pancakes w tart Greek-style yogurt and dollop of homemade strawberry-rhubarb jam w a few raspberries thrown in.

That's what I was going to say, but not just PA. The fraises des bois just came to market from Fredericksburg. Still plenty all around due to late start this spring, though drought on Eastern Shore cut that supply short and current heat wave might zap some still growing.

Best rye around these parts as far as I am concerned/know is the onion rye from Ovens at Quail Creek: Penn Quarter FFM on Thursdays, Arlington on Saturdays. While I am fine w TJ's Dijon for most things, if you're flush, Nathan Anda's little squirt bottles of mustard are pretty amazing, the contents, that is. Wish I know what goes on with the prep, though I can tell you it calls for sitting around to age once made. (There might be an established thread on this business already. They participate in a lot of markets and sell their charcuterie--including dogs--to places like The Passenger.) And if you need sauerkraut and don't have a colleague who ferments her own as gifts, I highly recommend the stinky, jarred veg from North Mt Pastures.

Don, your subtitle was prematurely composed and conjecture merely that. Here's The Cornucopia Institute on the prevalence (90%) of contamination due to sprouts tied to conventional vs. organic production: Click. And JohnB., I don't know you, so I don't know how fully informed you are on food safety and farming practices. I know I wish I knew more. However, you might consider reserving a table at Dino on a night its owner is feeling energized and has a little time to spare to address food safety at small vs. large-scale producers which he feels is more to the point. Ditto (for me) to some degree. For Wendell Berry, the commodification of farming culture is to blame. The agrarian laments how food was safe back in the day, but in our contemporary world, everything the government wants to secure food safety involves expenditure. The farmer is made to buy this and that, pay more for this or that, and then the general public, year after year, complains his/her food costs way too much money at the farmers market.

While I found a couple of recipes online, there was nothing that leaped out at me, so I am asking you if there's a favorite recipe or prep you'd recommend for cold beet soup. Borscht (no cabbage, please) or gazpacho, whatever you want to call it, just as long as I have the ingredients at home and it comes out a deep garnet color vs. personally off-putting pink (that is, dairy-free). Thanks.

In Boulder, Colorado, Alfalfa's had a tray of sunflower sprouts growing in the Produce section. You just snipped off whatever you wanted to buy. Nutty w amazing, crisp texture, the sprout is about the only one I ever loved, especially with avocado and bacon in a sandwich or golden beets in salad. Still wish I could find this kind of setup. Makes more sense for the Rockville WFM to have trays of living sprouts for snazz factor as opposed to those stupid ostrich eggs. Thanks. I just heard the little hourly news clip on NPR w same info which Diane Rehm's guests were unable to hear since they continued to discuss bean sprouts as possible source. Poor farmer whose business gets ruined by premature reports and rumor!