In our video tour, the newly appointed Tallula chef explains everything from beets to berries, plus gives his recipes for make-at-home pickles and grilled ratatouille.
Why, yes, that is the smell of summer’s first peaches wafting in the air. What else is in season? We hit the Arlington Farmers Market (N. Courthouse Rd. and N. 14th St.; Saturday 8 to noon) with Tallula and EatBar chef Barry Koslow to find out. He gave us some tips on cooking collard greens, frying green tomatoes, using garlic scapes, and pickling cucumbers. Watch the videos for his advice on everything from beets to berries. Hungry yet? Try Koslow’s recipes for market-fresh pickles and ratatouille.
Get recipes and another video, chock full of more tips, below.
Bread and Butter Pickles
Makes 1 quart
1 cup apple-cider vinegar ½ cup water ½ cup sugar 2 tablespoons sea salt 2 garlic cloves (sliced paper thin) ¼ teaspoon turmeric 1 star anise 1 teaspoon mustard seed 1 teaspoon fennel seed 2 whole cardamom 2 fresh bay leaves 7 pickling cucumbers (cut into 1/4-inch slices)
Combine the vinegar, water, sugar, salt, garlic, and spices in a large pot. Add the sliced cucumbers. Set the pot over medium-low heat. Bring almost to a boil, but don’t allow it to boil. Remove the pot from the heat. Seal the pickles and liquid in sterilized jars for 10 minutes in a hot-water bath.
To sterilize the jars: Wash the jars well in hot, soapy water. Dry them off. Place the jars on a cookie sheet, right side up, and heat in an oven set at 225 degrees for 15 minutes. Turn off the oven and leave the jars in there until you need them.
Grilled Ratatouille
Serves 4 as a side
2 squash, cut into long strips 2 zucchini, cut into long strips 1 small eggplant, cut into long strips 1 small red onion, sliced into rings 1 red bell pepper, seeded and inner membrane removed 2 medium tomatoes, halved ½ cup chopped fresh basil 3 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano Extra-virgin olive oil to taste Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat the grill. When it’s too hot to hold your hand six inches above the grill for more than 5 seconds, it’s ready. Clean and season the hot grill with a grill brush, then with a rag coated with vegetable oil.
In a large mixing bowl, season the vegetables (not the herbs) with salt, pepper, and olive oil. Grill the vegetables until charred and tender, about 5 minutes for the tomato; 8 minutes for the squash, zucchini, and eggplant; 10 minutes for the pepper; and 15 minutes for the red onion. Remove the vegetables from the grill and cool. Cut the grilled vegetables into small, even pieces and combine them in a large pot. Place the pot over low heat. Add the chopped basil and oregano. Season with salt, pepper, and olive oil to taste.
You can also see monthly demonstrations by local chefs at the Falls Church Farmers Market. The next one is by Liam LaCivita from Liberty Tavern on Saturday October 31st from 9am to 11am.
Here is a video that Leland Atkinson from Sinplicity Catering did in September making ice cream: http://vimeo.com/6857929
and here is the photo album of the chefs from Willow making wheatberry risotto!http://www.flickr.com/photos/13160199@N02/sets/72157622383668769/
Local press article: http://www.fcnp.com/archives/4969-chef-series-comes-to-falls-church-farmers-market.html
Come and enjoy all the fruits and vegetables of the season
Posted by: Kathleen , Oct 07, 2009 10:35:42 AM
Very cool to see Barry Koslow wander around my local farmers’ market! Also, I LOVE beets (Dwight Schrute?!) and always get them when I’m out--I never realized how easy they were to cook.
Posted by: Meaghin/cheeryobservations.com, Jul 15, 2009 07:41:33 AM
I love that Washingtonian is going out to area farmers markets. But this and the others havent been terribly informative or interesting. I could’ve done what this guy did.
Posted by: j, Jul 13, 2009 07:29:37 AM
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