Get out that recycled tote bag—this summer we’re taking our video camera to farmers markets all around Washington. We’ll have local chefs show you around their neighborhood markets, then we’ll give you their shopping and cooking tips about whatever’s in season. For our first installment, we asked PS 7’s chef/owner Peter Smith to take us on a tour of the Penn Quarter FreshFarm market, where he shops every week. Armed with ingredients from local vendors, Smith prepared a grilled cheese with bacon, arugula, and in-season strawberries for a market demo. See how he did it in the video, then try it yourself with the recipe below.
Related: How to Make Peter Smith’s Primanti Brothers Sandwich
Market Grilled Cheese
Makes 3 sandwiches
Neutral-flavored oil, such as grapeseed or vegetable oil, as needed
¼ pound slab bacon (Smith uses Red Apron Butchery’s pork belly), diced into lardons
1 onion, sliced and caramelized
1 pint strawberries, sliced
½ pound arugula (Smith likes Endless Summer Harvest)
1 pint strawberries, sliced
6 thick slices of bread (Smith uses Quail Creek Farm’s pagnotta)
½ pound Everona Dairy’s Stony Man cheese, sliced
In a sauté pan with a small amount of oil, crisp the bacon lardons. Add the caramelized onions and strawberries and toss to heat. Place the arugula in a large bowl and add the hot bacon, onions, and strawberries. Toss until the arugula is slightly wilted. Butter one side of three slices of bread, then add them butter side down to a sauté pan set over medium heat. Cover each piece of bread with the sliced cheese. Divide the arugula mixture among the bread and top with the remaining cheese. Complete the stack with the remaining slices of bread buttered side up. Cook slowly until golden brown, then flip and continue to cook until the other side is golden brown. Remove the sandwiches from the pan and serve immediately.
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Jessica Sidman covers the people and trends behind D.C.’s food and drink scene. Before joining Washingtonian in July 2016, she was Food Editor and Young & Hungry columnist at Washington City Paper. She is a Colorado native and University of Pennsylvania grad.
