by Mitch Samples

Hello and happy first weekend of the Cary Downtown Farmers Market. My name is Mitch Samples; I have been in the food industry in for over 30 years and currently work in Morrisville at The Chef’s Academy, a culinary college. This year the market would like to offer a new column named ‘Chef’s Corner’ in which we will present recipes and tips tailored to what is likely available at the CDFM each week.  I will do my best to forecast what the vendors might offer, but remember just like predicting the weather, my guesses may not 100% reflect what truly coalesces that week. When this happens, give nature a big high five for faking me out, and tuck the recipes away for when the ingredients are available.

March 2018 has truly lived up to its lion and lamb nature. Colder than average temperatures, and a couple of surprise snowstorms have pushed the start of the season later, leaving us with slightly less variety than we typically might have this month.  Despair not however, there are still more dishes you can prepare from the items available at the market this week than there are days in April. The first half of the month will be flush with greens such as arugula, spinach, kale, and chard. There will be plenty of shoots, microgreens of all flavors, if we get lucky perhaps radishes, beets, shiitake mushrooms, and possibly some green tomatoes and broccoli. In honor of this leafy bounty, let’s start the year with a few fresh recipes you can make with produce found at the market this weekend. Remember to round these dishes out with some sustainable eggs, or meat, which are available at the market almost year round.

When most people think of lettuces the usual trend is toward salad or wilted greens, which are great in the high heat of summer, but with Spring’s fluctuating temperatures we are going to need a dish that can offer a little bit of comforting warmth: Farmer’s Market Lettuce Soup.
Yes, it’s a thing, and a really good thing too.

Farmer’s Market Lettuce Soup 

serves 4

2 T Butter or Olive Oil
1 Leek, or 4 Spring Onions
4 Cloves Garlic
2 Cups Chicken or Vegetable Broth
½ Pound Lettuce Greens (pretty much anything goes here, whatever type you like)
¼ Cup Chopped Parsley
Salt and Lemon Juice to taste

1. Melt butter in a soup pan and sauté onions and garlic until soft but not caramelized.
2. Add stock and bring to a boil.
3. Reduce to a simmer and add the greens.
4. Simmer until greens are wilted. Time will vary depending on the type of greens you have.
5. At this point you want to puree the whole pot.  This can be done in batches in a blender, but my preferred method is to use a small immersion blender and puree everything right in the pot.
6. Season with salt to taste and just a touch of lemon juice.

Here you can add a touch of cream or serve as-is, there are no rules other than your preference.   Serve this soup either hot or cold, garnished with microgreens, pea shoots, or thin sliced radish.

Grilled Chard Salad 

2 servings

1 bunch Swiss Chard
3 T Olive Oil
1 T Lemon Juice
Salt and pepper to taste
2 eggs, soft poached

1. Preheat charcoal or gas grill
2. Toss chard in 1T olive oil with a pinch of salt and pepper
3. Separate leaves from stems
4. Grill stems until supple and slightly caramelized.  Remove from grill and reserve.
5. Grill leaves until wilted and slightly charred.
6. Toss grilled leaves and stems in lemon juice and remaining olive oil.

Arrange grilled chard on plates, top with soft poached and some Vegan Bacon (Whaaat!?).

Vegan Bacon (Whaaat!?)

Shiitake Mushrooms
Canola Oil
Salt to taste

1. Remove stem from shiitakes and reserve for stock.
2. Slice tops into ¼ inch strips.
3. Heat 1 inch of canola oil to about 350 degrees in a cast Iron skillet.
4. Fry mushrooms until golden and crispy, remove from oil and place on a rack to drain.
5. Season to taste.
6. Be careful, these things are addicting.

If you have any questions concerning these recipes, or any other culinary questions don’t hesitate to ask me at mtsamples@gmail.com