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Can you believe it’s already the end of July? It feels like the Fourth was just yesterday.
The summer heat is here, and now is the time to enjoy “no-cook” dinners. More salads are on the menu this week, as are sandwiches and other easy to put together meals. This is not the time of year to be spending hours at the stove, even if you have air conditioning.
Anyway, enough about the weather. Onto this week’s finds…
Lion’s Mane Mushrooms
The Latin name for these mushrooms, Hericium erinaceus, means “hedgehog,” a nod to its unusual shape and texture. I’m seeing it used as a meat substitute for pulled pork, crab, or even lobster. The flavor is delicate. I saw these “lobster” rolls demonstrated at the Ferry Building Farmers Market a while ago, so my husband and I are going to attempt to recreate these at home.
Lion’s Mane is said to have quite a few health benefits, such as improved cognitive ability and anxiety reduction. All the studies have been conducted on mice, however, so that may or may not apply to humans. Can’t hurt, though, right?
Peaches
Who doesn’t love peaches?
Peaches, in addition to being great for desserts, are also great in savory dishes. The high acidity allows it to work well with rich, fatty flavors, like meats, and the sweetness pairs well with bitter flavors, such as herbs. If you’re feeling adventurous, try replacing the tomatoes in a recipe with peaches, as both these fruits are sweet and high in acidity.
Purple Kohlrabi
I’ve talked about kohlrabi here before; this vegetable was one of the first new-to-me finds at the local farmers market. Look for kohlrabi bulbs that are on the medium to small size. The larger bulbs tend to be woody and not as flavorful, except for the “Gigante” variety (check with the farmer to see if this is the case). Both purple and green kohlrabi taste the same, so I would not worry if you can only find the green-skinned variety. It’s all delicious.
If you’ve never cooked with kohlrabi before, try my Kohlrabi Apple Salad.
Sourdough Bread
Being from the San Francisco Bay Area, I can’t not like sourdough bread. Every loaf of sourdough is different, as each starter has its own personality. This is why sourdough breads from around the country (and world!) taste different – there are different yeasts in the different environments, and that results in different flavors.
After tasting this particular loaf, I think it will be quite excellent for avocado toast, and some of those summer sandwiches I mentioned above.
Eggs
I’ve found that eggs from the farmers market are very comparable in price to the pasture-raised eggs from the grocery store, but they have richer, deeper yellow to orange yolks. Deeper colored yolks are a sign that the chickens are healthy, and have a varied diet.
Contrary to popular belief, chickens are not vegetarians. They love to eat bugs! I mean, they are birds, after all.
Many farmers will recycle leftover egg cartons, so don’t throw them away!
Fennel
You might be put off by the strong licorice scent of fennel, but I assure you, the bulbs do not have as strong of a flavor as the stalks. And that flavor can also be mellowed by roasting the bulbs in the oven.
Peak fennel season is in the cooler months of spring and fall, but it can still be found in the markets in the summer, depending on your area.
