7-6-10

DOWNTOWN SEATTLE

PIKE PLACE MARKET

MT. RAINIER

Recovering from the abuse we inflicted on our bodies all weekend long, we were in desperate need of fresh vegetables and fruits. It seemed that all the food we ate all weekend was of the brown/beige color scheme and now we needed a rainbow.

We headed back up to Seattle for the day and wandered around the famous Pike Place Market, where craft stalls, purveyors of food and flowers, and tourists abound. Most famous for the fish mongers throwing Alaskan Salmon inches from your nose, spending time in the crowded market is a great way to waste an afternoon. We stopped at Beecher's Cheese Shop where we tasted several varieties of artisinal cheese. We purchased a few small blocks and served them with fresh french baguettes and olives as an appetizer for our dinner. We also purchased: pencil-thin asparagus, onions, garlic, baby carrots, fava beans, sunburst orange cherry tomatoes, romanesco, fresh basil, homemade saffron/porcini/fire roasted red pepper orzo, bing, rainier, and lambert cherries, rhubarb, and a flat of blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries. Most of the ingredients were local and organic, and all were quite tasty. We prepared the following: orzo with sauteed onions, garlic, fava beans, beet greens, and fresh Parmesan, seasoned with basil and saffron, roasted romanesco, carrots, and asparagus in a lemon-butter-paprika sauce, a fresh salad with home picked greens topped with shredded beets, carrots, tomatoes, sliced cucumbers, and bits of "Oregonzola" and soy/garlic/oil dressing. Dessert, of course, was a fruit crumble with a coconut/rolled oat topping, served with fresh mint.

After a weekend of horrendous food, shopping and making our own food was a huge treat. We're thrilled to have a few more days of access to Corey's kitchen and his CSA box that will arrive tomorrow will no doubt be turned into delicious feasts. Oh, fresh fruits and vegetables, how we love you.