This week, with Father’s Day on Sunday, our one local summer “day” was spread out throughout the week. For Father’s Day, the husband and I went out to an Italian cheese and meat course at Cheesetique, followed by dinner at Rustico. Rustico is a great neighborhood restaurant that sources a lot of their products from local farms and producers, and has a massive beer selection. I managed to have a fairly-local meal there, with Chesapeake (Dragon Creek) oysters, asparagus salad with FireFly goat cheese (MD, 173mi.), and the most local beer they had on tap, Southampton Ale (NY, 330mi.). (On tap = less packaging, which offsets some of the miles, right? That’s my story, anyway.)

I visited two farmers markets this week, Alexandria’s West End and Penn Quarter in DC (photos), plus had the CSA bag. We still have a fridge full of veggies to use up before the next CSA delivery on Wednesday as I just can’t pass up all the great summer produce that’s coming into season! Here’s what we cooked this week:

Dad’s Day Brunch: Pattypan squash and Virginia spicy beef sausage hash, chocolate-strawberry stuffed french toast, topped with strawberry red wine sauce. (Non-local but organic chocolate, bread from local bakery.) This squash hash is a great way to lighten the traditional potato-based dish for summer.

Recipe: Squash and Sausage Hash

Ingredients:

• 1 large pattypan squash, diced (any summer squash would work really)
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced
• 2 sausages, sliced
• 1 t olive oil
• 2 T parsley, chopped

Heat oil over medium high heat. Add sausage and brown. Reduce heat to medium and add onion and squash. Cook about 5-7 minutes until squash is tender and golden. Remove from heat, add fresh parsley and serve.

(Toddler tried to like this, but the spicy beef sausage was just too spicy! Will make sure to get a sweet sausage for him next time.)

Dinner 1: garlic scape pesto-marinated flank steak and golden zucchini on the grill (non-local brown rice).

Dinner 2: leftover steak and zucchini salad, with a side of roasted asparagus, egg, and shaved Everona Stony Man cheese.

Dessert: previously mentioned Summer Solstice Shortcake with Basil-Infused Berries. (non-local flour, baking soda and salt)

So far my only local grain find is Maryland corn meal. I need to find some other grains, but I have a feeling whole grains like brown rice are not going to be possible.

Farmers/Producers:

• Parsley, scapes, lettuce – Potomac Vegetable Farms CSA, VA, 23mi.
• Asparagus, berries – Westmoreland Berry Farm, VA, 71mi.
• Stony Man (aged sheeps milk) cheese – Everona Dairy, VA, 83mi.
• Squash, onion – J&W Valley View Farm, VA, 84mi.
• Organic eggs – Hilldale Farm, VA, 111mi.
• Sausage, flank steak – Fauquier County, VA, 67mi. (via Let’s Meat on the Avenue, 1.1mi.)

While our neighborhood farmers market is great for the basics (fruits and veggies, salad greens, mushrooms, cheese & yogurt, baked goods and meat), we don’t get the more adventurous offerings of a larger market. When rhubarb was absent yet again this week, it was the last straw and I ventured all the way into the city to visit the mecca of DC-area markets, Dupont Circle’s FreshFarm Market. I used to go from time to time, but am somewhat ashamed to admit I haven’t made it since the FoodieTot arrived on the scene. With so many wonderful and tempting choices, only a strict timetable kept me from over-burdening my market bag, as I had to get home and prepare brunch for the in-laws. I will definitely be returning more frequently this summer!

In the Market bag: The haul this weekend included real baby carrots, eggs, yogurt, sweet potatoes, zucchini bread, parsley, mixed braising greens (Del Ray) and rhubarb, scapes, chive blossoms, tatsoi, red asparagus, chocolate mint, sweet spring onions, basil, matsu apples, Keswick Creamery Wallaby, peonies (Dupont).

Sunday Brunch: In high school, I once volunteered as a cook on the junior class retreat and the highlight was making quiche each morning. We started with the basic egg/milk/cheese blend and mixed up whatever crazy vegetable and meat combinations we could think of. Ever since quiche has been my go-to brunch main course, as it is such a low-maintenance (and vegetarian-friendly) egg dish. Fresh chives were a bright touch to this asparagus quiche. I was disappointed to discover the red asparagus turns green when cooked, but it still had a sweeter taste than your traditional green stalks. The Wallaby cheese, an aged Monterey Jack-styled offering from Keswick Creamery was a flavorful but not over-powering cheese. I accompanied this with rosemary sausage hash browns and minted strawberries in a honey-balsamic dressing. Read on for the quiche recipe. (more…)