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.
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.
Hey Jocko! In evaluating the Penn Quarter prices, you have to take a few things into consideration.
* In Penn Quarter, we have very few sources of good produce and prepared food. Balducci’s backed out a year ago, and they would have had a very profitable store. the northern end of Penn Quarter has a new Safeway, but a lot of us can’t get there conveniently. We stock up, and if the pricess are a bit high, we figure that is what we have to pay. So you are right. Stay in Maryland.
* We have excellent stuff here, kind of a smaller mirror than DuPont, but darn good. The crab cakes; Jim’s (up toward E st on the right) very fresh flowers and some produce; The "Lettuce Lady," Mary Ellen (and sister Carol) with very tasty and fresh lettuce; the soups and pastry from quail Farms (I think that’s the name) are wonderful; and the others also. On the negative side, the gellato is very good , but extremely overpriced, and the women there don’t smile and make you welcome
Anyway ... we love it.
Mike
Posted by: mike j., Jul 08, 2009 09:50:35 AM
The Penn Quarter Farmers’ Market is WAAAAY too overpriced. I was there yesterday and spent over $100 for practically nothing. Nothing there is any better than anything that I could get here locally in Maryland. Suffice it to say, I will not be back to get ripped off by vendors who have an exaggerated view of their products.
Posted by: Jocko Rambini, Jun 12, 2009 03:07:37 PM
As if...
The blackbird
lives in a
country like
a rose in the
dreamland,
and even a
pleasure declares
in a moment
that intention
of love.
Francesco Sinibaldi
Posted by: Francesco Sinibaldi, Jun 06, 2009 02:11:19 PM
Who would have thunk it? Strawberries in a grilled cheese sandwich. I don’t usually like fruit with my "food." I was at PS 7’s the other day and had a biteof my friend’s grilled cheese sandwich. It was gooooood. Will have to get my own order when I go back....and I will definitely go back.
Posted by: VADCMD, Jun 05, 2009 12:11:43 PM
Loved the Penn Quarter Market video with Peter Smith; he is such a creative chef. What a difference between his grilled cheese sandwich and what those of us who are mortal might prepare, yet it wasn’t terribly difficult!
Posted by: Jo-Ann N., Jun 05, 2009 12:03:23 PM
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