Radish Greens Soup w/Salted Radish Butter Crostini

Longmont Farmer's Market Begins May 2, 2009

Rain or shine, we will be there!

Update 5-03-2009:  It DID rain, and it was c-o-l-d! Thanks to all the die hard Longmont Market shoppers/groupies who showed up anyway!! A very humble thanks to Susan and Chris for volunteering this week. I would not have been able to keep up without your help.  I promise to feed you better next week...you are coming back next week...right? 

For quite some time, I have been contemplating my first two recipes of the season. Should I make:

*Braised beef (or pork, although not technically at our market this year..Long Family Farms IS still local)

*Soft scrambled eggs w/herbs and goat cheese

*Braised beans w/spring greens

*Parsnip puree w/ green garlic

*Arugula pesto w/ local pasta

*Hazel Dell mushrooms: 2 ways.. Sauteed w/ garlic, butter and sherry & a cold mushroom relish

However, in the event of rain, I always turn to soup. This Saturday, I will offer something a little different using: Spring Radishes.  The radish is a humble item often ignored on most Crudité platters. But I want to introduce you to a bright and vibrant, radish greens soup paired with the gorgeous blush of fresh radish butter and salt on toasted baguettes. I love these recipes for their flavor, color and most importantly because it is inexpensive and so unexpected. It's going to be a hard sell this time, but I am up for the challenge! 

This WAS a hard sell, but as soon as I convinced ONE brave soul to taste it, (and the Guinea pig did not die or make faces), I was on my way.  We actually sold out of Radishes this week! 

I hope you will give one or both of these recipes a try. Better yet, stop by the Longmont Farmer's Market this Saturday and I will make it for you!  Please note...I generally do not arrive at the Market until 8:30 ish.   I am not as punctual as our farmers.  

Market Radish Green Soup w/ Radish butter Crostini

2 Tbl. Olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 medium potatoes, diced
4 cups raw radish greens (about 2-3 bunches)
6 cups water, vegetable or chicken broth
1/3-cup heavy cream (it's still good without it)
5 radishes, grated
Salt and pepper
Lemon juice (optional)
DIRECTIONS: Heat olive oil in a 4-quart soup pot over medium heat. Stir in the onion, and sautÈ for 4-5 minutes. Next, add potatoes, water/stock and simmer for 10 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Add Radish greens and cook for 5 more minutes,
Allow the soup mixture to cool slightly, and transfer to a blender. Blend until smooth. Return the mixture to the saucepan over low heat. Stir in the heavy cream, season with salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice.

 
Serve with grated radish or Radish Butter & Salt Crostini!


Radish Butter & Salt Crostini 

6-8 Radishes, chopped
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, chopped
1 tsp. Fluer de Sel (or Kosher salt)

Fresh ground pepper

Combine: radish and butter with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and pepper.
To serve: Spread radish butter over toasted baguette slices and sprinkle with additional salt
**Or for vibrant pink color combine radish, butter and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a food processor and mix briefly. **

Enjoy.  See you at the Market!

Chef Deb 

*Longmont Farmer's Market Tours and Dinner*  May 30 @ 1:30 to 4:30 $45 

*Boulder Farmer's Market Tours and Dinner * coming soon!

Longmont Farmer's Market: Green Garlic and Mizuna Soup

Market Groupie.....a not so subtle obsession, and ....

Green Garlic and Mizuna Soup


Mention The Farmer's Market, any Farmer's Market, and my pulse quickens and my adrenaline goes into overdrive! I am sure, in the right situation, I would even jump up and down and cry tears of joy ( I won't, I have teenage daughter's and that would be too embarrassing!). 

I am completely enamored with our local farmers.. ..and I am willing to bet it can be a bit annoying to have someone like me show up each week, fawning over every fruit, vegetable and product, the way I do. 

Yes, I am an unabashed, unapologetic, over-the-top, Market Groupie! The funny thing is, I am like this every time I visit a farm, farm stand or the markets on Saturday. I am patiently waiting for the "Farm Network" shows (it could happen..)...I'd be willing to cast aside celebrity chefs for rock star farmers any day!

I genuinely hope, as my life in food continues, that the simple act of buying local fresh produce never becomes pedestrian. My friends, we may not be in sunny California, but this little part of the world has some honest to goodness, drop-to-your-knees-and-be-thankful, amazing locally grown produce! 

*********

Saturday, April 11th, was my first official visit to the Boulder Farmers Market. As soon as I arrived, I was fortunate enough to speak with BFM Executive Director, Mark Menagh who, within 60 seconds of our meeting, gave me the best bit of "Insider information", if you will. While I wanted to spend time strolling through the market, I was given a quick rundown of the days special selections and the vendors offering them with the added, 'you'd better hurry, their running out". 

My eyes widen at the thought... Gasp! No! 

I MUST  h-h-u-u-r-r-r-r-r-y-y!

I crawled, jumped, weaved and purposely plowed my way through large masses of Saturday strolling/coffee drinking/dog walking/ "Hey! How's your life been? and do give me the War & Peace version" of Market shoppers!

"COME ON!" I was saying, not so quietly. "Don't you REALIZE, they are running out??!!"

 Running out!!

 IF I had been John Elway trying to force my way to a touchdown, I am sure fans would still be talking about my moves. Instead, everyone was just fairly annoyed.

But I didn't care.

They WERE running out.   

No one gets between a Market Groupie and the last handful of seasonally limited and quickly dwindling green garlic and sunchokes.  

No one.  

ahem....Please, accept my apologies if ran over your visiting aunt or grandma last Saturday. I know, I should be ashamed...but, they WERE running out.  

Green Garlic and Mizuna Soup

1-2 bunches green garlic, washed very well, trimmed and chopped, use all

1 small white onion, chopped

2 Tablespoons butter, or olive oil

6 cups water, or vegetable stock

1 bay leaf

2 stems thyme

3-4 cups Mizuna (spinach, arugula, etc.)

1 lemon zest and juice (optional), or 2 Tbl sherry

1/2 cup cream

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat a 4 quart soup pot over medium-low heat, add butter/olive oil, green garlic and onion and gently sweat (cooking with out coloring or caramelizing) until the onions are soft and translucent. Next bring heat up to medium-high,  add water, bay leaf and thyme; simmer for 10 minutes. Add Mizuna, cook for 2-minutes. Remove from heat and take out bay leaf and thyme stems.

Puree soup in small batches. Be careful, soup is still hot!

Return soup to pot on low heat, stir in cream, salt, pepper and heat through.  

To adjust seasonings: add sherry or a few drops of lemon juice and a bit of zest and more salt. 

Enjoy!

See you at the Market!  (LFM Begins May 2!!)

Chef Deb