My mantra this season for traversing the local farmer's market is "try something new" when I can. By "new" I might buy something I'm used to but try a new cooking method or way of preparation. This is how I discovered that young fava beans make for great grillin' - and you can eat the pod AND beans inside. Or that sometimes the overlooked fish at the meat counter looks much better under a cornmeal crust and served alongside garlicky aoli.
Right now, one such fish in season is the sand dab. These are small white fish with really big bones in the center which require a lot of patience and care. Once the bones have been removed we soak the fillets in milk and then batter them in a cornmeal, paprika, salt, pepper combo. We then give them a quick deep fry. There, I said it. Deep fry.
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| Tasty, crunchy sand dabs |
It's something I rarely do, but every once in a while I pull out my vintage "fry daddy" when the occasion calls for it. I was only slightly concerned when my significant other asked if I had a fire extinguisher nearby (I don't) and if I was concerned about whether this contraption would work (I wasn't). This one came to me by way of eBay - I also have the smaller version...the "fry baby" (how ridiculous!)
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| Vintage Fry Daddy - it's the best! |
Other things popping up at the local Bay Area farmer's markets include: loads of raspberries, some decently tart blueberries, lots of apricots and peaches (these seem a tad under-ripe, may be due to the weather) and green beans. Perhaps because of the extended and rainy weather this year all fresh fruit and veggies seem that much more welcome on my dinner table so I say...let's get this garden pah-tay started!
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