Market Fresh

Going to the Green Market is a bi-weekly occurrence for me. Here shoppers not only have access to homegrown produce, meats, cheeses, jams, and honeys but a chance to meet the local farmers, bakers, and harvesters.Communicating with the farmers makes it apparent how much passion goes into the production of the food sold here. Much of the fare is organically grown, and all of it is local, including the grass-fed beef, farm fresh eggs/dairy, and poultry. To add icing to the cake, more than a few farmers donate end-of-day unsold produce to City Harvest, which directs food donations to food pantries and soup kitchens citywide.

I am a fast walker, as is my mom and sisters (it must be hereditary). Walking through the market is one of the few times I slow my pace down. I am one of the annoying shoppers walking at a snails pace stopping to observe every booth and snapping pictures. I borderline stalk the fresh produce. If restraining orders were given out for lurking around and starring at fresh produce too long I would be slapped with one (proudly).

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to participate in a cooking demo at the market. We made a delicious garlic scape and purple potato soup. The smell of the garlic and the free samples lured the shoppers to our tent. Telling by how many shoppers bought garlic scape and potatoes, the soup was a success.

I recommend heading down to your local farmers market, picking up ingredients, and making the following Market Fresh recipe. All of the ingredients can be found at my local green market and hopefully yours too.

HALIBUT TACOS WITH ONION RELISH
INGREDIENTS:
-1 1/2lb halibut fillets, bones removed
-2 tablespoons olive oil
-1/2 teaspoon cumin
-1/2 lime, juiced
-1 tablespoon garlic, minced
-3 tablespoon cider vinegar
-4 tablespoon red or white onions, diced fine
-1/2 lb cherry tomatoes
-3 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped
-10 tortillas
-sea salt to taste

DIRECTIONS
- Pat fish dry and season with salt. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil.
-On a warm skillet, sear the fillet on one side until the edges of the fish before in turn opaque. Flip the fish with a spatula, and cook until the fish is opaque throughout, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle cumin over the fish, transfer to a shallow bowl and flake fish apart with a fork. Squeeze lime over the top.
-While fish is cooking, make the onion relish. Combine garlic, vinegar, and onions and salt. Allow to marinate for at least 10 minutes.
-Rub the tomatoes lightly with olive oil and seat on the hot skillet for about 4 minutes or until the skin begins to darken.
-Heat the tortillas briefly on the hot skillet just long enough to warm though.
-Drizzle some of the vinegar and garlic liquid from the onions over the fish. Place the fish, onion relish, tomatoes and cilantro in center of each tortilla.