Hi, friends and happy Tuesday! We’ve got a soothingly beautiful day planned tomorrow so be sure to get out to the Market to enjoy it. Mr. Houston is on the road to recovery and we will hopefully have him back soon.
Chompers BBQ is introducing a festive Christmas Cornbread made with fire roasted poblano and red bell peppers. Try a cup of Nanette’s heartwarming soup and a salad for a quick, nourishing meal; Kandi’s pan-seared salmon salad with green papaya noodles or a lunch from south-of-the-border. Then on to dessert (or perhaps to start with) – chocolatey mint Oreos, crunchy pecan brittle. Frankie makes her brittle thin so it melts in your mouth rather than crack your teeth.
Come Saturday Morning (there I go singing again) Crispin Schroeder will delight us with his tunes from the gazebo beginning at 9:00. So settle in with a fresh cup of coffee and visit with vendors while you await Eric Acquistapace, of Acquistapace’s Covington Supermarket. He will be frying and serving samples of his amazing Cajun Fried Turkey. You may want to order one; it’s the perfect solution to the harried rush of cooking at Thanksgiving which will be here before you know it.
We have a few new vendors in our midst. First, Korean Food – Dong has created authentic Korean fried rice, Korean noodles, and a spicy onion kimchi. He also has several variations of pickled radish. I went home with some fried rice which went very nicely with the baked catfish I made. That small container held a considerable amount because I had enough left over for rice and egg the next morning. Rice and egg is a dish that my mother-in-law used to fix and is one of Mr. Wonderful’s favorites. I haven’t fixed it often because I could never get it quite right. This time, I simply scrambled the eggs, added the fried rice, spooned the mixture into the cups of a large muffin tin, popped it into the oven and in about 10 minutes, I had lovely little rice & egg “muffins”. I didn’t have to worry about seasonings at all; everything was already in the rice.
Please also welcome to our ranks, Enten Farms. Freda’s ducks are sending their eggs just in time for holiday baking. Duck eggs add an incredible richness and fluffiness to cakes and cookies. Whole ducks are also available. Ken Savage is back with lemons and oranges and satsumas! That means grapefruit is not far behind. I know I’m in the minority, but I looove grapefruit! He also has merliton (real Louisiana merliton) and the most beautiful heads of broccoli.
You may get your turkey from Acquistapace’s but you’ll still need side dishes. There’s ground beef (Justin Pitts/Jubilee Farms) and chicken livers (James) for dirty rice. Sweet potatoes – cut them up into bite sized pieces (I don’t bother to peel), coat with some of Althee’s Kumquat Marmalade, and bake for an easy (and a little different) sweet potato dish. Use one of Robin’s pepper jellies, such as lemon, pineapple, or red onion as a glaze for pork roast, broccoli, or green beans. Come to think of it, the kumquat marmalade would make a delicious glaze for duck. Duck a la kumquat anyone?
There’s so much more to the Market – creamed honey, oyster mushrooms, gourmet coffee, freshly squeezed juice, fragrant soaps, Crispin and Acquistapace’s Cajun Fried Turkey – all wrapped up in a glorious Saturday morning! I know, I know…I can hardly believe it myself. If you’re not there, you’re gonna miss out.
Lots of love,
Charlene LeJeune
Abundant Life Kitchen
The Covington Farmers’ Market is open each Wednesday, rain or shine, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Covington Trailhead, 419 N. New Hampshire and every Saturday from 8a.m. to 12p.m. on the side lawn of the Covington Police Station, 609 N. Columbia St. Call (985) 892-1873 for information or visit www.covingtonfarmersmarket.org
