FARMERS’ MARKET SUPPER – FRESH BUTTER BEANS

 

Carolina Butter Peas and Okra

 

Farmers’ Markets have never been more popular throughout South Carolina. They are everywhere – even in churches, hospitals, malls and private community town centers. Certified farmers’ markets may occasionally be small, but they make up for size by offering a rainbow cornucopia of the finest seasonal farm-to-table foods available.  Two of my favorite local Columbia markets are the Sandhill Farmers’ Market ( open  Tuesdays from 2:30 P.M.-7:00 P.M.) and the Farmers’ Market at Richland Mall (open Wednesdays from 3:00 P.M. until 7:00 PM). They have fresh butter beans and butter peas in plentiful supply right now. Read on for recipes and tips for cooking these Southern treats! 

CONGRATULATIONS TO SOLSTICE’S BIG WIN IN THE FREE TIMES “BEST OF COLUMBIA” COMPETITION

 

Solstice Kitchen & Wine Bar, located in Northeast Columbia, was nominated “Best Overall Restaurant” and “Best Service” by The Free Times readers.  The Free Times is a local weekly paper that holds the “Best Of Columbia” competition once a year.  Read on to learn more about Solstice’s awards and to try one of Executive Chef and owner Ricky Mollohan’s amazing recipes……….

Columbia’s First “Palmetto Tasty Tomato Festival” Debuts August 8

 

ENJOY CAROLINA TOMATOES!

 

The first annual PALMETTO TASTY TOMATO FESTIVAL will debut in the capital city on Sunday evening, August 8, 2010, from 6PM to 9PM. Continue reading for all the juicy details……..

 

WATERMELON – THE POWER OF RED

 

WATERMELON STRAWBERRY FROSTIES

 

 

“The true southern watermelon……….not to be mentioned with commoner things……………is chief of this world’s luxuries, king by the grace of God over all the fruits of the earth.”            

                  Mark Twain in Puddn’head Wilson

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Watermelon is a Southern icon. No matter which way you slice it, South Carolinians view watermelon as the quintessential hot weather treat. There is no other food that provides the same thirst-quenching relief during the sultry dog days of summer. 

One of summer’s simple pleasures  is eating a juicy watermelon wedge out-of-hand with the sweet, pink juice dribbling down your chin. And who doesn’t enjoy the challenge of ‘precision watermelon seed-spitting’ to see who can land them the furthest.   

 

TOMATO SANDWICHES – A TASTE OF SUMMER

 

In the South, nothing quite says summer like a fresh tomato sandwich. I was able to enjoy this treat every summer as a child growing up in East Tennessee. The sandwiches were loving prepared by my paternal grandmother and I could have enjoy one any time her tomatoes were in season since my grandparents lived next door.  Grandma was an extraordinary gardener and cook, as were all her relatives and lady friends. Her summer kitchen was always filled with red ripe tomatoes. There was something magical about eating those sandwiches, with the luscious tomato juice dripping down my chin.  My little sister and I enjoyed them with glasses of ice tea, while sitting in the midst of grandma’s beautiful, wild backyard garden. If you don’t have a garden to serve tomato sandwiches in,  I promise they will taste just as delicious standing over the kitchen sink. 

FARMERS’ MARKET UPDATE

 

           Update: Thirty-three vendors attended Sandhill Farmers’ Market this week. 

Wyatt and Sam Rennick sell Sweet Southern Kettle Korn

 

The sweet corn and okra are fabulous so don’t miss picking some up next week. The peaches and blueberries are ready; blackberries are finishing up. Look for cabbage, beets,  potatoes, all varieties of summer squash, cucumbers, green beans, eggplants, okra, peppers (banana, hot, bell-green or purple). Local ripe tomatoes, snap beans, cantaloupes and honeydew are ready. Shelled lima beans and peas are also for sale.

A variety of beautiful squash from Conyers' Farm Produce

 

CORN AND TOMATOES – JEWELS OF SUMMER

 

Columbia farmers' market tomatoes

 

Fresh vegetables are the jewels of summer. Farmers’ markets are usually the best place to find colorful vine-ripened tomatoes and the sweetest corn. I found  the beautiful produce in these photos at Sandhill Farmers’ Market off Clemson Road across from Village at Sandhill.  I used them to make the recipes in this post including the Corn Fritters and Corn & Tomato Bake. Stop by your local  farmers’ market and pick up the some of best produce you will ever taste. 

LES DAMES D’ESCOFFIER HOLD CULINARY TAG SALE & RAFFLE

Does the idea of a romp through the kitchens, attics and garages of  Charleston’s top culinary professionals for a unique shopping spree sound irresistible?  

 

 

If so, then join the Charleston Chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier International (LDEI) for a CULINARY TAG SALE on Saturday, June 12, 2010 from 9:00 A.M. to  12:00 P.M.  The event will take place at The Real Estate Gallery at 214 King Street, Charleston, S.C.

LDEI  is a worldwide philanthropic society of professional women leaders in the fields of food, fine beverage, and hospitality.  The invitation-only membership, composed of 27 individual chapters across the United States and Canada, is highly diversified and reflects the multifaceted fields of contemporary gastronomy and hospitality.  

  

The Dames will part with many of their personal culinary treasures and will offer their professional services in order to hold the tag sale.   Proceeds will be used for the chapter’s culinary scholarship fund for South Carolina women.  

FRESH GREENS FROM THE FARMERS’ MARKET

Shoppers obsessed with freshness should visit a farmers’ market for the cornucopia of beautiful produce picked just hours earlier. Vegetables and fruits will maintain their nutritional value and flavor when prepared soon after picking. Summer is a great time to “lighten up” your diet with tasty veggies, adding them to meals in place of heartier cold-weather dishes. Other market products like meat, eggs, milk, cornmeal and cheese also offer tremendous nutritional value.  

Chicken Cutlet Salad with Strawberry Balsamic Dressing

 

Chicken Cutlet Salad with Strawberry Balsamic Dressing

 

If you’re looking forward to the fresh taste of spring, look no further than chicken and fresh fruit when trying out some new, lighter recipes.  Chicken works well with delicate flavors like mint, and is a perfect complement to fresh strawberries.