This week’s Market Watch features the hunt for local rhubarb, and read on for a recipe for jazzing up greens to appeal to picky kids (or grown ups).

At the Alexandria & District Markets: While strawberries are in abundance at the Del Ray Farmers Market, the first spring peas from Three Way Farm were snatched up within the first hour. I had hoped for rhubarb from the Riva farmers, but they were missing this week, sending the boy and I into the District Sunday for rhubarb and some of my favorite and more exotic fresh herbs available at the Dupont Circle FreshFarm Market. I was also thrilled to find pesticide-free (Spring Valley) and organic (Next Step) strawberries at Dupont. Spring Valley had the final ramps of the season, too, and their colorful salad green mix studded with edible flowers which inspired the recipe below.

Next Step Produce, a certified-organic farm in Charles County, MD, is always the source of some interesting new ingredient. This time, I picked up Erba Stella, an Italian herb with a fresh grassy flavor that is full of vitamins A & C. Armed with pretty lavender chive blossoms and crisp Swiss chard from the Farm at Sunnyside (also organic, and my reliable source for rhubarb), I set about to make greens that would appeal to my anti-leafy green toddler. Sometimes, it’s truly amazing the subtle changes that cause a kid to switch from disgust or indifference to devouring a dish — a lesson learned most recently when I sauteed asparagus in butter rather then my usual method of roasting them with olive oil. Suddenly, the boy was devouring the stalks off my plate and demanding seconds! (Nevermind that he called them “string beans,” sometimes taste is more important than terminology.)

For this attempt at jazzing up some colorful Swiss chard, I added a touch of butter to the cooked chard to help counter any bitterness, and let the boy help me sprinkle the “special edible flowers” into the pan. I can’t say this preparation has moved Swiss chard onto his list of favorites, but he did eat two bites before declaring that he needed to save the rest to “share with Daddy.” I’ll call that a success.

Recipe: Swiss Chard with Chive Blossoms

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch Swiss chard
• 1 handful Erba Stella (optional, could add baby spinach or stick to just chard)
• 5 chives with blossoms
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/2 tablespoon butter
• sea salt

Instructions: Warm olive oil in saute pan over medium heat. Rinse chard and shake to remove excess water. (Even if you’ve pre-washed your chard, rinse it again as the water is needed to wilt the greens.) Tear into 1-inch strips. Tear Erba Stella and chive stems into smaller pieces, and pinch the base of the chive blossoms to release the buds. Add all ingredients to the pan, cover, and cook for 2 minutes or until chard has just wilted. Add the butter and salt to taste, tossing gently to combine. Makes 4 servings. Enjoy!

Need more ideas for chive blossoms?
Try Asparagus Chive Quiche or Chive Blossom Baked Eggs

Alexandria Farmers Market Watch: The weather was gorgeous in Alexandria this weekend, but my farmers market visits were brief due to visiting in-laws and a packed toddler-centric schedule of activities. (Three years in, I’m realizing that Mother’s Day is really not so much about me…)  At the Del Ray Farmers Market, Three Way Farms had strawberries galore as promised, though they were rapidly selling out. At the West End Farmers Market, Westmoreland Berry Farm was out of strawberries well before noon, though they were still selling strawberry shortcake for Mother’s Day. Most of the fresh stuff (strawberries, asparagus, Papa’s Orchard’s apples) did sell out early thanks to the great weather bringing hungry shoppers out in droves. Two familiar vendors, J & W Valley View Farm (VA, strawberries and greens) and Fresh Joseph’s (fresh-squeezed orange juice, scones & mozzarella — odd combination, isn’t it?) returned to West End this week. I snagged my Mother’s Day gift to myself — soft shell crabs from the On the Gourmet truck. (Check out the great write-up of the On the Gourmet crew in May’s Northern Virginia magazine.)

If there was rhubarb at the Alexandria markets, it sold out before I got there, so the ingredients for this market fresh dinner came from the Oakton market last week. Rhubarb season is just beginning though, so there will be plenty more rhubarb inspiration to come. (And rhubarb collins! Stay tuned.) The toddler loved the rhubarb sauce (it does have a slight resemblance to ketchup, after all) and dipped both his pork and asparagus in it. I love the tart, fresh taste of rhubarb with just about anything — I imagine this sauce would also go well with chicken or even fish.

Recipe: Roast Pork Tenderloin with Rhubarb Barbecue Sauce

Ingredients:

Pork:

• 1 3-pound pork tenderloin*
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon oregano

Sauce:

• 1.5 cups rhubarb*, sliced
• 1 spring onion*, white bulb portion (reserve green stalks for garnish/salad), finely chopped
• 1-inch piece fresh ginger, grated
• 1/8 cup white balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup honey*
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Instructions: Mix together pork seasonings and rub into pork tenderloin, coating evenly. Cover and place in refrigerator while preparing rhubarb sauce. (Bring out 10-15 minutes prior to cooking to bring to room temperature.)

Combine all sauce ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a gentle boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat to low and cook until rhubarb is falling apart, about 20 minutes. Cool and blend with stickblender or food processor until smooth.

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Heat oil in cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Sear pork for 3 minutes on each side, until browned. Brush with a generous amount of rhubarb sauce and transfer to over. Cook 12 minutes. Remove from oven and cover with foil. Allow to stand 10 minutes before slicing. Slice and serve with additional barbecue sauce. Makes 4-6 servings. Enjoy!

* Farms of origin:

• Valentine’s Country Meat, Va. (pork)
  
• Westmoreland Berry Farm, Va. (spring onion)
  
• Kuhn Orchards, Pa. (rhubarb)

What’d you find at the markets this weekend? Cook for mom? (Or yourself?)

Fresh off a week of rain, the strawberries were shiny, bright and juicy, definitely the star attraction this week at market.

In the market bag: 2 qts strawberries, spring onions, cremini mushrooms, Toigo chipotle salsa, tomatoes, English peas, red Russian kale, mozzarella, and green garlic pesto. (I’m envisioning a garlic-tomato-shroom pasta this week.) The spring onions were used in my peanut satay chicken for Sunday’s (indoor) barbecue (yes, more rain!). The strawberries were featured in strawberry rhubarb crisp this week – a quick and easy dessert perfect for entertaining.

Recipe: Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

Ingredients:

• 3c rhubarb (about 6 stalks), ends trimmed and sliced about 1/4″ thick
• 2 c strawberries, sliced
• 2 T cornstarch
• 1/3 c each sugar and honey
• 1/2 c butter, softened
• 1 c flour
• 1 c brown sugar
• 1 c oats

Instructions:
Toss rhubarb, strawberries, cornstarch, sugar and honey and pour into lightly oiled rectangular baking dish. Mix remaining ingredients and spread evenly over fruit mixture. Bake at 350* for 45-50 minutes, until fruit is bubbling and top is golden. Best served with vanilla ice cream, but a glass of fresh milk will do.

This post is my entry in the “Make it from Scratch” carnival hosted this week by Surely You Nest.

The fresh tastes of early summer are equally good in cocktails as they are in meals … here are some of my favorite beverages so far this summer.

Rhubarb Mojito

To make a pitcher, muddle 2 limes and a handful of fresh mint at the bottom. Add 2 c rhubarb syrup, 2 cups rum, ice and top off with seltzer. Garnish with a rhubarb stick, of course.

Strawberry Basil Mojito

Muddle two berries and a basil leaf at the bottom of your glass. Add 1 T basil syrup*, ice, 1.5 oz rum and top with seltzer or club soda.

*Basil Syrup

Bring 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar to a boil, add a cup of fresh basil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Strain, cool, and refrigerate.

This week at market: strawberries, honey mushrooms, English peas, asparagus, rhubarb (finally!), spring onions, apple cranberry cider, yogurt, smoked gouda, rosemary sausage. Plus boneless pork chops from the butcher, pasta and honey goat cheese from Cheesetique, and a loaf of challah from the bakery.

As a Mother’s Day treat to myself, I made an all-rhubarb meal Sunday evening. Dinner was pork chops with rhubarb barbecue sauce, and roasted peas. To drink: rhubarb collins with the last of my beloved Cascade Mountain (OR) gin. And dessert: strawberry rhubarb goat cheese tart. It was divine, and a cheery taste of spring despite the pouring rain outside. The rhubarb barbecue sauce was the perfect sweet and sour counterpart to the pork. Aside from the gin, vinegar, olive oil and salt, this was an all-local dinner as well. Click below for the pork recipe, & beverage and dessert photos. (more…)