Tag Archives: Farmer’s Market
Toronto Farmer’s Market Network presents “A Symphony of Soil” May 29 7pm
Filed under Local and Community Toronto
So Many Damn Peaches
Summer peaches. A perfectly ripe, juicy, pain in the ass.
Why do I have to buy a whole basket of peaches? Why can’t I buy just two or three at the farmer’s market?
Because none of the farmer’s want to deal with all those damn peaches either. “Take them urban consumers!” they shout at us. (In their heads.)
So my perfect peaches sit on the counter while fruit flies circle and I shove slice after slice into my mouth like some uber-healthy, hot dog eating contest for the “eat local” movement. At which point I’ve only eaten 2 1/2 peaches.
So how do I rescue my delicate bounty from the fate of the green bin?
Luckily, Delmonte comes to the rescue. Peaches in syrup. AHA!
I slice eight peaches. I make a light syrup in a medium pot. (4 cups water, 2 cups sugar).
Once the sugar has dissolved I add the peaches and some mint and basil leaves (my basil plant weeps with gratitude at its usefulness–the poor thing barely sprouts a leaf under my care.)
And then I bring it all up to a simmer, pour in a shot of Triple Sec (from my margarita stash) and pull it off the stove. Let cool and store in the fridge so you can eat them all week. On top of ice cream! YES.
Don’t be distracted by the above picture, keep your focus on the fact that the herby-fresh syrup created from our peachy compote is great for cocktails. Like peach infused Mojitos.
The minty, aromatic liquid is a perfect sweetener for the limey-tart concoction. Mash some of the fruit in there too. God knows you have to use it up somehow.
Duck, Duck, Duck Eggs…
Duck Eggs, $1 each. Three left. East York Civic Centre Farmer’s Market. Wrapped in half a torn carton vacated by previous egg tenants.
Imagine a rather shrill shriek emitting from somewhere inside me, “Don’t touch!”. Then in a calm, firm, Supernanny-approved tone I bent down to eye level and rephrased, “These are duck eggs. We only have three. If you break one I will make you lay it again.” But I smiled while I said it so it seemed friendly.
The yolk was very intense and orange. Boiled for 6 minutes so the yolk slightly firmed but was gooey in the middle. Still good for dipping crusts of toast. 5 minutes would have been runny.
Essentially:
Brought water to boil.
Brought eggs to room temperature by holding in warm water.
Pierced end of eggs with a needle.
Added to boiling water for 6 minutes and then into ice water to stop cooking.
Cut off top.
Licked yolk and salt off fingers.
Filed under Ruminations on the Edible