Market Produce-Jerusalem Artichokes, Okra, Persimmons, Greens

The guys took me on a morning date down to the mid-town farmer's market at t'afia. I have been on the t'afia mailing list for nearly a year, drooling over the local seasonal produce and list of prepared food vendors. It took a year, but we made it out there, and it was a great way to spend a morning. Well, I thought so as I asked the farmers a zillion "what's that" and "how do you eat it" questions. Hubby got the job of chasing the boos around making sure they weren't licking or breathing on food items we weren't going to buy.

T'afia is a Houston Mid-town eatery, run by Monica Pope, that uses local produce to create seasonal and fresh menus. I haven't had a chance to eat there, but one day, one day. On Saturdays the parking lot transforms to a farmer's market with fresh produce, meat, dairy, honey and durable goods outside and prepared food vendors inside. Today we found a coffee booth, cheese table, bakery, Indian baked goods and sauces and a few vendors selling prepared salads, dips, nuts mixes. Plenty of food to taste inside, but my focus was outside with the vendors. Hubby wanted more cheese and found a table of smoked meats. Guess where he was?

At the market I was on a strict produce diet. I knew I had a limited amount of cash, and a limited amount of time to prepare and consume what I bought, so I had to be selective and left many items behind that I wanted to try (like the hybrid butternut zucchini foot long squash that curled around in a spiral and white eggplant). If I'd had a wad of cash and a week to play in the kitchen my bags would have been much fuller. I told myself I could try stuff I didn't get this week next week when we come back, but that's a lie really. We can't spend half of every Saturday at the market, or at least not in this season of our lives.

I learned about Emile Street Community Garden that sounds like an urban gardening co-op. Emile Street, is one of two locations of the Last Organic Outpost. If my family is up for it we can go and offer our labor in trade for produce. The best thing is we get to practice growing from folks who know more about growing than we do. Big boo was distraught when the maroon cored carrots we planted never made it past sprouts. He keeps watering the dirt where they once grew hoping magic carrots will appear. Sounds like a great opportunity to get the boys involved with dirt, seeds, sun, weeding and harvesting. Maybe then (and a house with more dirt that gets sun) we can have a garden.

The biggest surprise is that I like persimmons, we all tried them and concurred. As we left the table little boo chimed "I want some more of that sweet crunchy slice." We bought one years ago at the grocery store, ate it raw and it tasted like mushy banana peel. After reading about them online we froze one. We tried eating that one (after it defrosted), and that was a no-go. In my pre-recovering picky eater days, I would have passed over the buckets of persimmons on the table. Just goes to show that when you buy something from the farmer and ask them the best way to eat it, your experience is so much more pleasant. I shall have to plan an earlier arrival so I can attend the cooking class next time. Here is what Monica did with her persimmons last week in her Plum Cooking class.

There was one table manned by Monica Pope's forager Joe. His job at the market is to help all the small farmers who don't have enough bandwidth to man a table at a market sell their harvest. I could have spent hours with Joe learning about local produce and how to enjoy it, but alas another buyer with two small children were waiting in the wings. I needed to sponge up some tidbits, make a few selections and move along. Big boo was equally impressed with Joe who told us that in Asia parents teach their kids that persimmons will enable them to whistle. Big boo eagerly ate up his persimmon sample at the booth. Upon arriving home, he confessed "I can't wait to gobble those sweet red slices up. Then I'll whistle."

My loot
1 lb of Jerusalem Artichokes (I'm thinking roasted??) From the community farmers
Persimmons (raw, although on turkey sandwiches or pureed in baked goods was suggested)
a bag of sweet potato tops (blanched and sauteed??) From Emile Street
Okra (the tiniest babiest okra you've ever seen, usually i coat in corn meal and fry it, but not sure I can take a knife to these babies) From Emile Street
A dozen farm fresh eggs (poached, soft boiled, in egg toast)
Dried Bay leaves (for soups and weekly pot o beans), from a farmer whose name I don't recall

Hubby's loot
2 packages of Chicken Samosa's and a carton of Cilantro Peanut Chutney from Nisha's Indian Food

I am one happy mama. Happy that my guys take me on dates even when there's something else they'd rather to. Happy to be outside in the morning with my family. Happy to see and buy local food. Happy that I get to figure out how to cook all that new food. Happy to eat it and share it with my family. Happy that Monica Pope, Joe the forager, all the urban farmers and all the great prepared food vendors that make up a place like Midtown Farmer's Market exist in Houston. Happy market day!

For any of readers in Houston, go enjoy a breakfast market morning at Midtown Farmer's Market. It's a great way to enjoy the cooler temps with your family.