The College Park Farmers Market will relaunch Sunday under new management, KSM Marketing, which the city council unanimously voted to hire. City officials invested $28,600 in the hopes that the market will become a bigger part of the community by hosting events each week, such as cooking demos.
It’s mid-April, my casually mid-semester collegians. (Where the heck did the semester go?) That means that it’s farmers market time. The Downtown College Park Farmers Market opened Sunday and the Farmers Market at Maryland opens Wednesday. In case you’re unfamiliar, a farmers market is a collection of vendors selling locally grown produce, locally raised meats, and other locally made products, such as bread.
Last year, the university’s market was incredibly convenient, opening Wednesdays at 11 a.m. and featuring an incredibly good selection, with a consistent six to eight vendors. This year, according to its website, the market will feature even more vendors. If you’re not crying internal tears of joy, then you’re not doing food right.
A major part of entering the grand gastronomic domain is becoming acquaintances with new culinary comrades. Here are some of my favorite new friends from the university farmers market last year.
Spring onions. To my knowledge, spring onions are generally picked before reaching maturity. At that point, the bulb is flavorful but significantly less pungent than a mature onion and the greens are still soft and edible.
The crisp white or purple bulb has a delicate flavor similar to a shallot. The greens are about twice as thick as scallions with a slightly more pronounced flavor. Use them anywhere you would use scallions, such as stir-fry. Use the bulb wherever you would use a shallot or mild red onion, such as, say, guacamole.
Purple potatoes. Although we’re used to seeing the typical russet, gold, and red potatoes at the supermarket, potato diversity doesn’t end there. A big trend in gastronomy right now is using so-called heirloom vegetables: misshapen and oddly colored tomatoes, golden or purple carrots, purple or speckled potatoes, etc. Ugly vegetables went out of style last century, but now they’re comin’ back!
Purple potatoes or speckled-purple potatoes don’t taste much different than your mainstream supermarket potatoes; they’re just cool. Get ’em.
Goat. That’s right, my little turtles, goat. Last year’s meat vendor sold vacuum-sealed packages of interesting local meats, including rabbit and goat. I bought an inexpensive cut of goat, let the meat braise all afternoon, made a simple Moroccan-inspired curry and served it all with some homemade flatbread.
Strike up a conversation with the vendor. Ask what would be good grilled and eaten like a steak. Ask what would be good to simmer all afternoon in a nice sauce. If you’re not comfortable making a nice sauce on your own, then peruse a store’s ethnic aisle and find something appealing.
So this is my challenge to you: Buy something at the farmer’s market you’ve never had. If you don’t know what to do with it, Google it! Stay cool and stay casual, my beautiful Terrapins.
