Friday Cat Blogging

The New Black

Does this background make the photo's look better?

Note, a few other things. I have no idea why the links/archive part of the blog is WAY down there. When I figure that out, maybe I'll update the links! Also, it appears in the update that I have ditched the Haloscan code somewhere. Instead of trying to fix that, I'm just gonna use the Google comments--not that I get so many comments. But any comments or help on the redesign are appreciated.

Green City Market
September 6, 2006

It's beginning to feel a lot like fall here.

It was so fall-y yesterday at the Green City Market that I am sure I just did not notice it as much last week [ed. too busy shaking down the fresh mozzarella rumors?] It's a great time to shop. There are still plenty of tomatoes, eggplants (both normal and what, abnormal?), corn; berries, but there was all of the things associated with fall including wild mushrooms, squashes and root vegetables.
I'm still not used to how long it takes for red bell peppers to arrive because they seem so summer. The last few weeks, I've got some red bell pepper like things, like Vicki's pimientos, but this is the first week I got honest too goodness red bells--not that I did not also purchase these tiny red sweet peppers from Green Acres. As soon as I got home I roasted the big ones.

Here's some of what else was there this week.
The biggest rutabagas I've ever seen, the wild mushrooms


The bees were in full force!











The obligatory dog shot.

Menus That Change

When I was looking for the link to the River Cafe book below, I found their web site. It has one of the best examples of seasonal/daily menus I have seen.

Here's some more restaurant sites that change often, allowing you to see how the chefs react and use what's around them.

Chez Panisse (updated weekly)
St. John (daily)
Heartland (St. Paul, MN)--warning the menu is a pdf file (daily)
L'Etoile (Madison, WI) (daily-ish)
Vie (a few times a month)

Farmer's Market Find of the Week
Fresh!

Mozzarella. It was real interesting several weeks ago at the Green City Market. A genuine market swept the market. And by interesting I'm not sure if it was that there was market rumors or that it actual reached me, a mere shopper. The rumor, Traders Creamery had fresh mozzarella. Of course by the time it was a rumor, the mozzarella was gone. Since then, or perhaps because of that, I've been a bit obsessed with getting fresh mozzarella at the market. After all it's the peak of tomato season, and this thread has been motivating me anyways. But really, it seems more like finding and buying fresh mozzarella seems like being tipped off by your broker to a real cool IPO. No?

I've mentioned Brunkow cheese before (and coincidentally, Time Out Chicago highlighted them this week as well). They have told me in the past that fresh mozza was just too much week. Until now or shall I say then. The other day. Oak Park Farmer's Market. Saturday Morning. Not cheap ($8/lb), yet this was, well this was the fresh mozz we dream about. I bought two balls. Brunkow uses a bit of vinegar and seals the balls in plastic, so the stuff is not fresh-fresh (he knows), but it still tastes of well contented local cows.

I think there will be some next week.

PS
This book has some great ideas for other things to do with fresh mozzarella. (It's one of my favorites.)