We were late this time around and still managed to pick up some gorgeous produce! We grabbed two large zucchini from Bill’s Produce and a bunch of basil from Tomten Farm. We are getting to that part of the summer where I get a little panicky and start grabbing all the basil I can find. [...]
I had the fortunate opportunity to stop at the Tomtem Farm stand at the market the other weekend where I picked up a new find, Kermit Eggplant. Not knowing a thing about it (and having never seen it before), I had a chat with the farmers and learned a thing or two in addition to [...]
This tall stalk is what everyone’s whispering about at the market…’ooo, look at that’, ‘which vendor has THAT?!’, ‘what on earth do you do with it?’. It’s Elephant Garlic and can be found at Pleitez Produce. It is actually part of the leek family but resembles garlic in looks and somewhat in flavor. It has [...]
A classic recipe emerged from last Saturday’s trip to the market. Walnut Hill Farm had a plethora of earthy, massive sweet potatoes spilling out of buckets on the table so I picked up a few to work with. I also made a stop by one of my favorite vendors, Alfredo’s Honey, and picked up a [...]
There it sat. The last of this summer’s okra, tucked in a small wooden crate, on the table for a market patron to pick it up and take it home. So, I did. And I did what what has been done to okra in Southern kitchens for generations – I fried it up! Maybe not [...]
With Labor Day come and gone and all the dreary weather lingering around the city, I’ve had rich, comforting, fall foods on the mind. With hopes of sinking into a warm, home-cooked meal, I grabbed a butternut squash from Plietez Produce to put together Butternut Squash Ravioli. This is one of my favorite fall [...]
Since we could all use some comfort food after crazy Irene breezed through, I’ve combined a few of my previous market purchases and creations into one sweet, settle-in-with-the-candles-and-on-the-couch, slow-cook dinner. Brisket is available most weekends at numerous meat and poultry stands, just check the boards. As for this year’s first pumpkin-ish zucchini side dish, stop [...]
It’s poblanos two ways! Towards the back of the market, there is a small, unassuming set-up manned by a husband and wife who just want to sell fresh vegetables from their garden. I stop by Bill’s Produce every week because their prices are reasonable and I haven’t had a single issue with any of the [...]
Having not made dilly beans before, I went in search of different techniques and recipes online. I was really hoping to recreate the flavors from a jar I picked up at a produce stand on the way to the Outer Banks last year. That jar didn’t last long, the beans were crunchy and the brine [...]
If you are like me, you grew up on a southern staple in the summer when fresh, ripe vegetables were so readily available- Squash Casserole. I remember both my Mom and Grandmother simmering squash over the stove for what seemed like hours until it was a beautiful, smooth, yellow compound. Then the fat came to [...]
Blackberries always bring back great memories for me. Growing up near the mountains, July 4th would roll around and we knew it was time to go hunting for ripe blackberries that were in the woods all around us. And while I would like the opportunity to take hours on end to pick blackberries straight from [...]
Like many of you, I got the email ahead of time from Victory Farms saying that they were clearing out the basil. A few others of you also probably got the email from Anna B’s announcing the introduction of gluten-free baguettes to her line up AND that she would be at SOTJ! So Thursday, I [...]
Saunders Brother’s Orchard showed at the Market on Saturday and brought with them a plethora of gorgeous peaches in two varieties. I choose a small bushel of about 8-10 white peaches for the blushing-pink flesh and juicy, sweet flavor. For the topper, I headed back home for fresh lavender from the garden. Everyone has their [...]
A descriptive title for a flavor-filled dinner…this may be my favorite Saturday’s Basket yet. We picked up green tomatoes from Walnut Hill Farm just before they ran out and I am so glad we did because I was ready for a southern fried treat.
After last week’s burger from one of the talented prepared food trucks, Belmont Butchery Meat on the Street, I was on a mission to create my own magical summertime sandwich of perfection. Since I was surrounded by fresh, seasonal, colorful vegetables, my mind focused in on what what I wanted on the burger first. I [...]
Every Saturday I am a little more amazed at how great the South of the James Market really is. This past Saturday proved to be even better with the neighborhood yard sale running in tandem…it meant an early visit and an end-of-market visit for me. The first time around I noticed broccoli was aplenty so [...]
It’s so satisfying to bike over to the neighborhood Farmer’s Market to pick up a few fresh ingredients for breakfast. At South of the James you can find every ingredient needed for a hearty, healthy start-to-the-day.
Aside from the sauce, you can purchase almost everything you need for this recipe from the market. When I saw a tightly wrapped, pale green, beautiful head of butter lettuce at the Victory Farms stand, I knew exactly what I wanted to make. I also picked up a bunch of cilantro from them and grabbed [...]
Welcome home, South of the James Market! If you are like me, the past few months without the Saturday market have been, well, boring. Trips to the grocery store just don’t share the same excitement as rising early, surrounding yourself with neighbors and perusing delectable treats in the sunshine. My first purchase of the season [...]
Since we’ve been saturated by all-things-traditional Thanksgiving, I thought I would write my last summer post about a recipe far from any holiday dish I ever knew growing up. This one is a market favorite because so many vendors have multiple varieties of Eggplant throughout the season and, since it is breaded and pan fried, [...]
Typically I write about the delicious produce or meats that can be found at South of the James but this week is a little different. At my house, we’ve just wrapped up another wedding season which means we’ve gone from one gift season and we’re sliding right into the next! No matter though because in [...]
It was a crisp Saturday morning at the market and there were still plenty of foodies to be found plus a few new selections in the produce department-one of which being a cousin to cabbage, kohlrabi. For those of you not familiar with kohlrabi, it is a crazy looking, softball-sized, bulbous vegetable that resembles a [...]
As mentioned last week, beautiful pumpkins of all varieties have overtaken the market. Wanting to create a new recipe far from the traditional Pumpkin Pie, I picked up this beauty form the Walnut Hill Farm stand on Saturday and got started. What I came up with was light and airy, salty and sweet and had [...]
The basket runneth over this past Saturday! It started with several pumpkins and gourds from multiple vendors, just take a look at the beautiful varieties…
Comfort, comfort, comfort. Is there anyone that doesn’t like to hunker down, throw a few logs on the fire and smell apples and cinnamon in the air? If so, I’ll challenge them to try this combination and defy the odds of a smile making its way to the corners of their mouth. I’ve mentioned a [...]
