Boniato, or Cuban Sweet Potato

In my weekly quest to try something new from the Farmers' Market, I stumbled upon something I have never tried before: Boniato - or Cuban sweet potato. This is a white fleshed sweet potato. A fellow shopper had mentioned that these were quite rare and we were lucky to have found them, but upon some further research, they apparently grow year round in Florida. The week after I purchased them a colleague of my mom's had brought some in to work from her garden. They must be a next "up and coming" product on the local market.The flesh was not quite a moist as a regular sweet potato, and maybe a bit fluffier once cooked. It wasn't as sweet as a regular sweet potato, but I really liked the light flavor. I cooked them the same as you would cook a regular sweet potato. Once cooked, I mashed with a fork, drizzled with olive oil, then sprinkled with sea salt and basil.

One thing I did discover is that they start to discolor once peeled, so it is best to put into water right away.

James wasn't really impressed, but I look forward to having them again.

Kohlrabi Rémoulade

My challenge to myself every week at the Farmers' Market is to buy a vegetable that I've either never tried or have never used before. These gorgeous kohlrabies caught my eye a few weeks ago and I just had to have them. Now, this was not my first time eating kohlrabi, but I hadn't had them since I was in about the 12th grade, so it was still new enough. While kohlrabi translates to "cabbage turnip" and is related to the cabbage, it actually tastes more like broccoli. There are different varieties ranging from green to purple.I did a search on-line and found many lovely recipes, but as it is getting hot in Florida, I wanted to come up with something cooling, so made Kohlrabi Rémoulade. Not only was it reminiscent to my trip to France a few months back, it also similar to the Celerica Rémoulade I've been making like crazy since they've been in season.

This recipe easy to make, had such a lovely flavor and was very refreshing. I hope you enjoy...

* 2 medium Kohlrabies
* 6 oz mayonnaise - Dukes or freshly made
* 6 oz Greek Yogurt
* 2 tsp Dijon mustard
* 1 good pinch of Herbes de Provence
* celery salt

~ Combine the mayonnaise, Greek Yogurt, mustard, herbes de Provence, and celery salt (to taste).

~ Peel the kohlrabi. I find it useful to cut into wedges before cleaning. You can use a potato peeler, but as there is a fibrous layer beneath the purple skin that needs to be removed, I used a knife and was able to cut them both off in one go.

~ Next - grate the kohlrabi. A large standing cheese grater works nicely. The bits that were too small to grate didn't go to waste as I just cut them into fine strips, which added a nice texture to the shredded kohlrabi.
~ There is a ton of water in the kohlrabi, so as I was shredding I would squeeze out the water and had a towel in the bowl to absorb the access liquid. You could also line a colander with a towel and allow the water to drain. It is very important to drain as much of the water as possible so that your dish is not too soggy. It seemed like such a waste of nutrients, so I used the kohlrabi water on my herb through.

~ Once completed, mix the kohlrabi and sauce in a bowl. If you find it a little too dry (depending on the size of your kohlrabi) - mix in another tablespoon or so of mayonnaise. Refrigerate over night - it will taste so much better the next day once the flavors have time to meld and penetrate the kohlrabi.
We were both completely impressed with the outcome: it was such a cool, refreshing, easy to make dish that will definitely become a staple in our Florida home. This was James' first exposure to kohlrabi, and he was really impressed.

From a nutritional standpoint, the kohlrabi is high in fiber, magnesium, potassium, thiamin, vitamin B6, and is very high in vitamin C. It is also naturally low in fat, sodium, cholesterol, and calories.

My Favorite Way to Start the Weekend in Sarasota: C'est la Vie Followed By The Search For Local Produce

The weekend before last my mom phoned me to ask if I wanted to do one of my favorite local things: go to the Saturday Downtown Sarasota Farmers' Market! It was forecast to be a freezing cold morning, but I wasn't going to miss out. Armed with warm clothing, scarves, and jackets - we set out bright and early to get the first pick of the market. Our bravery quickly waned once we got down there are realized that the sun was being blocked by tall buildings, and that it was very windy. We decided to do what any sensible person would do: go somewhere warm for breakfast!!! There was only one option: my favorite C'est la Vie. Owned and operated by a French couple, with the majority of staff also French, this authentic cafe is perfect for any Francophile. I was torn by a few things on the menu, but since I was reminiscing about my lunch at the Châlet la Pricaz the night before, opted for the Savoyard crepe. This sublime crepe was filled with thinly sliced potatoes, ham, onions, white wine cream sauce and topped with Raclette cheese. A very generous slice of Raclette cheese, might I add. This put a very big smile on my face! With breakfast behind us and the sun starting to show, we braved our way out to the Farmer's Market. The Downtown Farmer's Market was one of the things I messed the most while living in England. Don't get me wrong, they have lovely markets in England, but they don't have that certain je nais c'est quoi as the Sarasota Market. This could be solely down to the fact that ours has perpetual sunshine. It is always such a happy, vibrant place to be. Smiling faces, dogs' tails wagging, colorful produce - it is just such a nice way to start the weekend. I must have been in the 6th or 7th grade the first time I went to the Farmer's Market. There was a vendor that used to make the most delicious sour dough baguettes. Back then in the 80's, sourdough was still sort of an exotic find in this area. We had bakeries with lovely bread, but I don't remember sourdough being as common. Anyway, I remember that it was such a treat to come down and get a loaf that was still piping hot. That was the beginning of my love affair. Today's market is over twice the size of the original, and they no longer close Main Street (thank goodness), and is home to beautiful finds like these...

Now I must confess that I am a little biased towards Worden Farm. They are a totally organic farm in Punta Gorda. Luckily for us they make the drive every Saturday so we can have a superb selection of fruits and vegetables. They are not the only organic stall at the market, but they are one of the most nicely displayed. They are always THE place to go to for French radishes. The last time I was there they had these gorgeous white beets. Unfortunately I had spent all off of the cash I had with me, but I'll keep them in mind for next time.

On the way home we stopped at Jessica's Organic Farm for some of their divine kale. Jessica's is THE place to get kale in the Sarasota area. Also completely organic, they offer a fantastic selection of produce. Tucked away in a residential neighborhood, Jessica's is an absolute gem!

This is the first time ever that I have spotted the large Maryland Gourd at the market! Actually, it was my good friend Gloria shopping for her weekly produce.

Yes, we do look slightly deranged, but it was still freezing! We Sarasotans aren't used to such extreme (cold) temperatures.