seasonal food – Baltimore Magazine

Canned fruit adds a touch of summer to your day

Jess Mayhugh — Mon, 10 Mar 2014 08:30:00 +0000

We found just the antidote to the wintertime blues—canned peaches.
These aren’t those limp, pale slices you usually find in grocery stores.
These are tree-ripened, golden halves from nearby orchards that have
been processed so we can enjoy them all year long.

For a splurge,
we turn to Toigo Orchards Bourbon Peaches, pictured, $15.99, from
Shippensburg, PA, available at area Whole Foods.

We also really
like the canned peaches in light or heavy syrup ($3.50) from Baugher’s
Fruit Market (289 W. Main St., Westminster, 410-848-7490). You have to
take a country drive to get there. But visiting the family-farm store
with all manner of produce is sure to boost your spirits, too.

LOVIN’ FROM THE OVEN:
Baked peaches are easy and delicious. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Place canned peach halves in a baking dish. Place a teaspoon of brown
sugar inside each half and dot with butter. Bake for 12 minutes. Serve
with vanilla ice cream, if desired. Adapted from cooks.com.

Source

Pick a Peck of Pickles

Mike Smith — Thu, 01 Aug 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Pickles are popping up all over the city as many area chefs and food purveyors turn out their own delicious versions. For Spike Gjerde of Woodberry Kitchen, pickling is a way of life. He pickles and preserves summer’s produce to provide local ingredients year-round at his restaurant. He even pickles broccoli stems, which many other restaurants toss in the trash, he says. When Clementine’s Winston Blick pickles at his restaurant, he thinks of his grandmother’s home cooking. Jason Gallant, owner of In a Pickle, aims for old-fashioned charm, selling his pickles from large, brine-filled barrels at the Baltimore Farmers’ Market & Bazaar and at D.C.’s Eastern Market. And these cooks aren’t just making traditional dill or sweet pickles— they’re pickling a variety of items, including eggs, beets, pumpkins, and rhubarb. The basic ingredients of pickling brine are water, salt, sugar, and vinegar (see recipe). The brine is then poured over raw foods and sealed in a container, which can then be heated, stored in the refrigerator, or vacuum-sealed.

Whatever method is used, pickling fits right into the “craft-food” movement of focusing on locally sourced and prepared foods. We talked to several local preservers about their mission.

Clementine

At the Hamilton restaurant, chef/co-owner Winston Blick makes a lot of food in house—from pâtés to marmalades. Pickles are a specialty, particularly bread-and-butter pickles (based on his grandmother’s recipe) and a beet-and-onion-infused pickled egg. He uses his pickled products as part of the restaurant’s charcuterie plate and even as a garnish for martinis.

“Pickling works well for our vision and overall theme— traditional foods using modern techniques.”

To make his pickles, Blick pours hot brine over thinly sliced cucumbers and seals the contents in a container. He doesn’t preserve these pickles long term because of the high volume he uses during the week. “I’ll also take something seasonal, such as ramps, and pickle it to make it last longer,” he says.

Blick feels strongly about the nostalgia of pickles. “Pickling is a craft,” he says. “And when customers see someone using their hands to make their food, it’s cool. But for me, pickling reminds me of something I enjoyed as a kid.”

Of Love & Regret

Chef Keith Curley has been pickling since the Brewers Hill restaurant opened a little over a year ago. “Pickling works well for our vision and overall theme—traditional foods using modern techniques,” he says.

He uses a quick pickling method, soaking vegetables in brine overnight so the flavors can infuse. Afterward, he vacuum-packs each batch of pickles.

In the early summer, Curley pickles asparagus, cauliflower, peppers, baby carrots, celery, and radishes. He likes to present them on his charcuterie plate. He also makes bourbon-infused pickles and pairs them with Binkert’s sausages and pâté toasts. “Pickles cut through the richness of many of my dishes,” he says. “They add contrast and brightness to the plate. And they’re also just fun to snack on.”

Curley also has pickling plans for the restaurant’s rooftop garden, where he grows peppers and other vegetables. “The more we source our own vegetables here, the more important it is to not waste anything,” he says. “For me, pickling is a beautiful way to extend their life.”

Woodberry Kitchen

The jars of pickled vegetables and other preserved foods lining the walls at Woodberry Kitchen are not meant for decoration. Canning and preserving are the backbone of chef/owner Spike Gjerde’s Clipper Mill restaurant.

Each year, Woodberry Kitchen organizes a “Preservation Workshop,” where employees watch canning demonstrations and receive detailed information about Maryland crop harvests, the history of canning and preserving, and more.

Pickling helps the restaurant stay local year-round, whether it’s preserving Maryland-grown summer cherries or garlic scapes (the curling tops of garlic plants), Gjerde says.

“Pickles contribute flavor and texture for sure,” he adds. “But for us, they play a greater purpose, which is to allow us to offer our guests these vegetables in the off-season and to help us ensure our commitment to offering locally sourced products.”

The Fork & Wrench

Executive chef Cyrus Keefer currently features pickled vegetables on his charcuterie tray. “If we have something rich on the plate, you need something pickled to cut the fat,” he says. “We want a little tanginess from the vinegar in the brine.” Keefer uses vegetables the restaurant grows in nearby plots and from local farms for pickling. He’s also planning to can various produce for year-round use.

He is especially interested in introducing Asian flavors to pickling, such as fennel pickled in the style of kimchee (fermented Korean vegetables), paired with an Italian dish. “No one has been doing this really,” says Keefer. “It’s kind of a different take on the farm-to-table movement.”

In a Pickle

Jason Gallant’s stand In a Pickle is a fan favorite at farmers’ markets in Baltimore and D.C. For him, pickles represent the best of the past. “In the old days, New York’s lower East Side was full of pickle-mongers,” he says. “One place, Gus’s Pickles, had big barrels of pickles in their store. Customers would reach in with their bare hands to grab pickles. That’s why we sell our pickles from wooden barrels—we want to reflect those times.”

While kosher dills are Gallant’s most in-demand pickle, he also sells sweet wasabi pickle chips, Old Bay pickles, half sours, hot-and-spicy pickle chips, and more. “I’ve also made small, test batches of wackier varieties like pickled pineapple and pickled beets,” he says. His “pickle pops,” or pickles on a stick, are also a hit with children and adults of all ages.

Gallant wants to keep his business small, rather than expanding to a storefront. “Farmers’ markets require fewer resources,” he says. “Some joke and call us gypsies. We’re there one minute, and gone the next.”

“I love seeing what other people and restaurants are doing with pickles. I’m the guy who wants to try them all!”

Tanner’s Comestibles

Evan Tanner wears many hats: He’s a bartender at Johnny Rad’s, a drummer in the local band War on Women, and founder of Tanner’s Comestibles. He’s also a self-confessed “pickle nerd.” “I’ve always loved pickles, every kind,” he says.

In 2011, he developed his own brine recipe after much experimentation. He was already pickling by fermenting vegetables when he took the process a step farther. “I started with a home-canning kit,” he says. “Things evolved from there.”

His varieties include habañero bread-and-butter pickles (his most popular) and lemongrass garlic-dill pickles. The jars can be found at stores like The Wine Source in Hampden, Fleet Street Market in Fells Point, and Grand Cru in Belvedere Square. He’s also awaiting FDA registration for his Caribbean jerk-spiced pickled okra and pickled ginger lemongrass edamame.

Tanner is excited about the explosion of the pickling scene in Baltimore. “I love seeing what other people and restaurants are doing with pickles,” he says. “I’m the guy who wants to try them all!”

Source

Take It Outside

Web Intern — Mon, 01 Jul 2013 00:00:00 +0000

The warmer weather is like a siren song to Baltimoreans to head outdoors—of course, the result is much more rewarding than what the mythological Greek femme fatales had in mind. Our fresh air promises relaxation and fun. Restaurants heed thelure, too, scattering tables and chairs on any space with access to breezes to accommodate diners seeking alfresco options. We’ve found 20 places where we think the ambiance and views make the food taste better than ever. We also talked to a local psychologist about the benefits of being outdoors and found out what local restaurateurs do during those inevitable summer showers.
Hint: Your meal won’t be a complete washout.

Alexandra’s Restaurant

ELLICOTT CITY

The ambient sounds wafting across Alexandra’s patio are the whoosh of sprinklers and the occasional thwack of a golf ball on the green——unless it’s a weekend evening when a jazz ensemble begins tuning up as a member of the waitstaff stops by to mix a pitcher of sangria tableside. Part of a million-dollar renovation of the Turf Valley restaurant——named for the resort owner’s first granddaughter——was a new outdoor space dotted with fire pits, cushioned wicker sofas, and comfortable chairs around umbrella-protected tables. But the best part may be Russell Svoboda’s food. A veteran of the Great Sage in Clarksville, the executive chef balances fresh salads like the best-selling, seafood-laden Chesapeake cobb with interesting bites like Kobe beef sliders and Cajun corndogs——andouille sausage crusted in cornmeal——a welcome snack after 18 holes.
2700 Turf Valley Rd., Ellicott City, 410-480-2400.

The Ambassador Dining Room

TUSCANY-CANTERBURY

About the only thing more romantic than a winter meal near the crackling fireplace in The Ambassador’s elegant dining room is a summer meal in the garden. When the weather turns warm, the walls are literally raised, the flower beds planted, and the fountain cranked up. Those who want to keep the palate sated on a hot day can sip on a cold mango lassi or margarita, or nibble on a raita salad, cool as the cucumbers it’s made from. If a bit of heat doesn’t bother you, by all means go for a masala or vindaloo. Though the restaurant was named for the apartment building in which it resides, The Ambassador also reflects its namesake occupation: It’s a polite and accommodating introduction to another culture.
3811 Canterbury Rd., 410-366-1484 .

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Arcos Restaurant

FELLS POINT

There are plenty of Latin American restaurants in Upper Fells Point, but few transport you as successfully as Arcos——though the destination may not be entirely clear. Is it a San Miguel social club or a college-era spring-break bacchanal? Either way, the enclosed brick patio, with its rugged wooden booths and bar tables, walls decorated with wooden carvings, and colorful murals is the perfect place to quaff margaritas, sangria, or cerveza between nibbles of salty tortilla chips, warm from the oven, swirled in perfectly lumpy just-made guac, or slow-cooked, pull-apart barbacoa (barbecued meat) with rice and beans. The courtyard bridges seasons with heaters and a portion covered by a glass roof. But on clear nights, revelers flock to the open-air section, where a live tree reaches its branches from the bricks into the starry night sky.
129 S. Broadway, 410-522-4777.

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Blue Hill Tavern

BREWERS HILL

On a temperate evening, the upstairs deck delivers the hip vibe of Manhattan or L.A. with low wicker sofas, streamlined bar stools and kidney-shaped bar, fresh cocktails, artisanal drafts, and smoked oysters. And then there’s the view, from the rooftop decks of Canton row houses to downtown Baltimore, or if you’re dining in one of the second-floor alcoves, to the water, with the Mr. Boh sign looking over your shoulder. There’s also a smattering of aluminum tables surrounded by planters out front along Conkling Street in sight of the busy bar inside with its waterfall backdrop. Blue Hill Tavern’s talent is combining down-home charm with upscale sophistication——a place where you can dine on soft-shell crabs delivered fresh from Smith Island, washed down with an elderflower Cosmopolitan.
938 S. Conkling St., 443-388-9363 .

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Bond Street Social

FELLS POINT

It makes sense that one of OpenTable’s top 100 hot spots for 2012 is also a fine place to enjoy the great outdoors. Indeed, the Fells Point restaurant offers all of the necessary ingredients: an expansive brick patio, a harbor view, a convivial party vibe, and, of course, delicious fusion cuisine. The emphasis is on sharing dishes. Savor “social plates” like the piquant chicken Caesar bites, heavenly tuna tartare with wasabi cream, juicy Bond Street burger sliders, and the crunchy Social fish & chips with Old Bay tater tots. For dessert, think liquid. Sip a chocolate or Key-lime-pie martini as you watch the world stroll by. There’s no shortage of interesting characters sauntering around the former seafaring village.
901 S. Bond St., 443-449-6234.

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Café Gia

LITTLE ITALY

The colorful Little Italy bistro adds another dimension to its already impressive dining experience——alfresco meals on a second-floor balcony bedecked with a wrought-iron railing reminiscent of the French Quarter. The view of the row-house skyline in the evening is surprisingly scenic. Who knew Eastern Avenue could be so beautiful? A striped awning, roped in tiny white light, shelters the tables while enhancing the ambiance. The sought-after space is only open for dinner (or special parties), and the 22 seats fill quickly. Chef Gianfranco Fracassetti’s menu contributes to the allure, from the antipasto platter and grilled calamari to the bountiful plates of fettuccine alla Bolognese and shrimp fra diavolo. Cap a romantic evening with espresso and the restaurant’s signature ricotta cake.
410 S. High St., 410-685-6727 .

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Gertrude’s

HOPKINS-HOMEWOOD

A meal under the protection of the permanent tent in The Baltimore Museum of Art’s sculpture garden needn’t be dependent on an invitation to a Hopkins graduation or a wedding reception——though everyday diners may have to wait till those popular events clear out. There’s a reason this sublime spot with terraced fountains, near a collection of sculptures that includes works by Calder, Noguchi, and Rodin, is a highly sought-after spot for events large and small. Chef/owner John Shields, a pioneer locavore, continues to offer Chesapeake specialties, including his famous rockfish, Chincoteague fried oysters, and crab cakes named for his grandmother Gertie. On weekends, the ligh-fare menu is the perfect way to wind down after a stroll through the museum.
The Baltimore Museum of Art, 10 Art Museum Dr., 410-889-3399.

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Kali’s Court

FELLS POINT

Plan ahead if you crave one of the three garden tables at Kali’s Court, the luxe Greek restaurant in Fells Point. Kali’s honors requests for outdoor seating, but we’re told folks who want to dine at 7 p.m. are willing to settle for 4:15 to sit in the lush garden, bursting with flowers and herbs. The owner’s mother Kaliope (the restaurant’s namesake) is fondly remembered for the wild mountain oregano from her native Greece——used to season the restaurant’s famed bronzini——as well as the moon vine, whose white flowers open after sunset, that she planted every year. Guests are also seated at two indoor tables perched near wide open windows at the edge of the garden, and two additional deuces on a New Orleans-style second-floor balcony may just be the best seats of all, with views of the garden below, as well as across the Thames Street cobblestones to the water.
1606 Thames St., 410-276-4700.

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McFaul’s IronHorse Tavern

LOCH RAVEN AREA

Oh, Sanders Corner, you’ve come a long way since your ice-cream and early eatery days. The memories may be sweet from the time you were owned by the same family for more than 50 years, but another era has begun with new owners, a massive remodeling, and fine American cuisine being prepared by executive chef Evan Orser. The summer menu includes items like McFaul’s crab dip, farmhouse mac and cheese, Albright Farms berry-BBQ chicken, Tilghman Island crab cake, or a pork quesadilla made with local Ferguson Family Farm shredded pork. Perched on the edge of Loch Raven Reservoir, the restaurant is surrounded by greenery, visible from expansive windows. The best place for nature-watching, though, is on the covered wood deck. You’ll feel like you’re sitting in the treetops. It doesn’t get more idyllic than that.
2260 Cromwell Bridge Rd., 410-828-1625.

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Mr. Rain’s Fun House

FEDERAL HILL

A seat on the outdoor terrace at the American Visionary Art Museum’s whimsical eatery will put you nose to pinwheel with Vollis Simpson’s 55-foot whirligig, positioned at the edge of Federal Hill’s sharp slope. A cocktail or two and a plate of small bites mean a few more revolutions of the signature sculpture—giving the balcony the distinction of being a kind of inside-out rotating restaurant. Equally mesmerizing is the restaurant’s menu, a balance of levity and earnestness. Fun: the house-made boudin sausage with various sides including chili. On the serious side, there’s a rib-eye steak from Painted Hills farm. Mr. Rain’s fits hand-in-glove with Baltimore’s most quirky, and yes, visionary, museum.
American Visionary Art Museum, 800 Key Hwy., 443-524-7379 .

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The Oregon Grille

HUNT VALLEY

Jay Gatsby and Daisy would love it here. Dining on The Oregon Grille’s bluestone patio is akin to attending a ritzy party in the Hamptons. The service is seamless, the menu refined, and the setting pastoral. Diners are seated at white-cloth-covered tables amid a profusion of flowers, lush vegetation, and shade-producing green umbrellas. Unlike the dining room, jackets are not required after 5 p.m. in the courtyard. So relax and chill with a glass of wine or a perfect martini. Savor chef Matthew Siegmund’s seasonal menu from the lovely lobster bisque to filet mignon and Key-lime pie. If you can, sneak away from work for lunch Monday-Saturday. A baby-spinach salad or a burger will never taste so good. And don’t forget Sunday brunch either. You’ll be living the grand life whenever you visit.
1201 Shawan Rd., Hunt Valley, 410-771-0505.

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Regi’s American Bistro

FEDERAL HILL

Regi’s in Federal Hill offers urban dining at its best on a covered patio fronting busy Light Street. Neighbors walk by, greeting friends who’ve managed to score a precious outdoor seat. Everyone is so friendly, including owner Alan Morstein, that you’ll feel like a resident even if you aren’t. We like sampling the farm-to-table fare in the late afternoons before the crowds start roaming the area. The comfy rattan chairs and ceiling fans whirling lazily provide a respite while you enjoy New American cuisine and signature cocktails like the Stoli Strawberry Fields with muddled berries and champagne. For munchies, don’t miss AJ’s tater tots, the smashed veal meatballs with provolone and marinara sauce, and one of the most awesome cream-of-crab soups in town.
1002 Light St., 410-539-7344.

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The Seasoned Mariner

DUNDALK

Forget Ocean City. There’s a beach a whole lot closer for your dining pleasure——in Dundalk, no less——with Bear Creek serving as the postcard backdrop. Reservations are strongly recommended to nab a table on the restaurant’s deck, where a sandy expanse, palm trees, and a wood pier make you feel like you’re on vacation. There’s also a playground for kids, so mom and dad can enjoy adult beverages in relative peace. The mostly seafood menu fits the scene. Enjoy items like crab cakes, fried oysters, Smith Island stew, and shrimp-salad sandwiches while being lulled by the lapping water or watching the motorboats chug past.
601 Wise Ave., Dundalk, 443-242-7190.

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Severn Inn

ANNAPOLIS

When diners go in search of food in Annapolis, they usually are drawn to the touristy eateries near the city dock or other establishments across the Spa Creek drawbridge in Eastport. But there’s another option——Severn Inn, a fine-dining waterfront restaurant with an extended deck that stretches into the Severn River. It also offers incredible sunsets with the Naval Academy in the background. These prized seats go fast, so definitely make reservations. Seafood reigns here. While soaking up the view, dip into the Southern-style crab bisque, oysters on the half shell, “no filler” crab cakes, or wild rockfish. Wash it all down with wine from a well-represented list. And if you’re lucky, you may see Shakira the duck, the restaurant’s unofficial mascot.
1993 Baltimore Annapolis Blvd., Annapolis, 410-349-4000.

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Tabrizi’s

FEDERAL HILL

Adorned with French wicker chairs and close enough to the docked sailboats you could reach out and grab one (but, please, wait till after dinner to satisfy the craving for a boat ride—and jump aboard the Water Taxi, just steps away, instead), the patio spreads from the Harborview restaurant’s dining room along the harbor itself. On a summer Friday, as the concrete is cooling down, a jazz trio might be warming up to accompany a diner’s voyage through the Mediterranean-inspired menu of grape leaves and tabbouleh salad, calamari in chili sauce, or crab meat with saffron aioli heaped on a half avocado. The obliging wine list offers similar warm-weather treats, from a glass of sparkling Cava to a bottle of crisp German Riesling. Warning: This place is insanely popular for waterside weddings on weekends, so call ahead to avoid becoming a crasher.
500 Harborview Dr., 410-727-3663.

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Tark’s Grill

LUTHERVILLE-TIMONIUM

Ahem, there are rules for the patio: First come, first served; no reservations; a requested two-hour limit to hogging a table (our words, not theirs); and no smoking. The flagstone courtyard with the stone fireplace is busy and lively enough to demand such guidelines. Indeed, the place is hopping from lunchtime through after-dinner drinks. But that doesn’t mean the staff isn’t sweet and congenial. They make sure you don’t feel rushed and pace your meal accordingly. Nosh on appetizers like seared rare ahi tuna and fried local oysters before deciding whether to indulge in a full-fledged dinner of crab cakes and baby-back ribs or light fare like a salmon BLT or “Tark’s Custom Blend” burger. If you stop by for lunch, we can’t say enough about the shrimp-salad sandwich. It’s as wonderful as the surroundings.
2360 W. Joppa Rd., No. 116, Lutherville-Timonium, 410-583-8275.

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Waterfront Kitchen

FELLS POINT

The restaurant’s harbor view shouts Baltimore——albeit gently. From tables on the raised wood deck to the lower promenade, diners have a panorama of the old, still-working Domino Sugar plant across the waterway, the refurbished Bond Street Wharf building etched with the signature letters, a Water Taxi stand, and myriad passersby, walking, jogging, pushing babies, or dragging curious dogs. The waddling ducks are a bonus. It’s a glorious vantage point for the seed-to-table fare dished out by chef de cuisine Andrew Kopp. Enjoy appetizers like a plate of three local cheeses, dried fruits, a splatter of honey, and crisp crostini, or charcuterie featuring duck-breast prosciutto and chicken-liver mousse. Entrees range from Springfield Farm organic chicken to Chesapeake Bay rockfish filet. Or simply delight in a Tuesday-Friday happy hour from 2:30-6:30 p.m. with specially priced drinks and nibbles. Either way, there’s no charge for the vista.
1417 Thames St., 443-681-5310.

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Wine Market Bistro

LOCUST POINT

The patio is a dozen tables captured in the quiet center of a repurposed forge at the gateway to Locust Point, meaning a breezy spot even on steamy nights. August, says owner Chris Spann, is actually the restaurant’s busiest time. Summertime diners flock to the outdoors, fortified with wine from the adjacent shop or plucked from the wine list (its minimal markups giving bargain seekers cause to smile). The menu lightens up for warmer months with offerings like shrimp and octopus salad, chilled soups, braised pork cheeks, and fruit desserts. Weekend brunch might start with a smoked-trout salad or pea soup with rosemary-bacon foam and progress to eggs Benedict with cornmeal-fried oysters. The patio occasionally hosts special summer events like grilling and beer tastings.
921 E. Fort Ave., 410-244-6166.

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Wit & Wisdom

A Tavern by Michael Mina

HARBOR EAST

Harbor East’s waterfront became a little bit swankier since the Four Seasons Hotel restaurant opened its red-brick patio in May on a swath of landscape that probably has the most riveting view in town. Skirting the public promenade, the 12 tables, 12 seats at the outdoor bar, and scattered couches overlook the harbor, the Baltimore skyline, a nearby bustling marina, and Pier Six Pavilion. Huge, wind-resistant umbrellas provide cover whatever the weather. This is a place you’ll want to linger as you savor cocktails and appetizers or executive chef Clayton Miller’s full menu. For this reason, the restaurant will take requests for outdoor seating and accommodate diners whenever possible. The food, much of it cooked over an indoor wood-fire grill and rotisserie, is as captivating as the surroundings. How can you not be spellbound by wood-roasted bone marrow, wood-fired lamb loin and leg, and award-winning pastry chef Chris Ford’s delectable desserts?
Four Seasons Hotel Baltimore, 200 International Ave., 410-223-1456.

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Woodberry Kitchen

CLIPPER MILL

When you eat outside here, you may be seated near one of owner Spike Gjerde’s preservation efforts. After all, summer is not only a time for the dedicated farm-to-table chef to fill plates with luscious seasonal bounty, it’s also a chance to stock up for the colder months. A solar dryer, resembling a tipped pinball machine, may contain a stash of heirloom tomatoes or fish peppers, even as diners nibble on the fresh-picked versions at a table near towering cornstalks. Woodberry’s outdoor offerings include meals served on the gravel patio (which itself seems to resemble a raised vegetable bed) or cocktails and small plates around the fire pit, roaring when the weather warrants. As one manager puts it, “We just keep cold water and cold cocktails coming.” Of course, there are also plenty of grilled meats, seafood, and loads of Chesapeake Bay oysters.
2010 Clipper Park Rd., 410-464-8000.

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The Food Lovers Guide

Jess Mayhugh — Fri, 27 May 2011 10:30:00 +0000

We love a scavenger hunt, especially when it involves food. And that’s exactly what it was like as we scurried around town, researching our local markets—from farmers’ stalls and gourmet grocers to ethnic shops and organic stores. We discovered an array of new products and ingredients, including a wide assortment of vegan, raw foods, and gluten-free items. Our pantry is now bursting. (For good measure, we even asked chefs and restaurateurs to tell us where they grocery shop.) But even if you’re not interested in cooking, we think you’ll appreciate the abundance of interesting foods in our midst—whether you’re wandering around an outdoor market, ducking into a tiny Italian shop, or making a pilgrimage to Wegmans. Just be forewarned: Our Food Lovers Guide is guaranteed to make you hungry!

The Fresh-Air Approach

Outdoor markets abound in Maryland.
By Maria Blackburn

The vendors at the Baltimore Farmers’ Market quickly become associated with the products they sell. Thomas McCarthy may be “Thomas” to friends and family in Caroline County, but at the sprawling Sunday morning market underneath the JFX, he’s the “bean and pea guy.” Ethan White of J-Mar Stables and Farm in Monkton is known as “the monster carrot guy” for the 3.5-pound orange beauties he sells.

And that’s just the beginning. There’s also the mushroom lady, the doughnut dude, the curry couple, the peach people, the greens guys, the bison boy, and the pork chop girls.

Longtime market shopper Jill Levin reels off her list of favorites. “I’ve got a green bean guy, a leek person, a celery person, a French bread guy, my organic peach people, and a shallot guy,” says Levin, who lives in Sabina-Mattfeldt, a neighborhood near Mt. Washington.

At a time when local and sustainable foods are growing in popularity, and every Tom, Dick, and Whole Foods has a farmers’ market, the Baltimore Farmers’ Market & Bazaar, now in its 34th year, remains the biggest outdoor seasonal market in the region. Its 100 vendors attract as many as 8,000 shoppers weekly. “Farmers’ markets are open all over the place, but there’s no place that has the variety and convenience that we have,” says Carole Simon, the market manager.

But it’s not just the arugula, granola, and “best fish on the planet” that bring market regulars like Scot Spencer of Reservoir Hill to the JFX market. It’s the scene. From the aroma of pit-beef smoke mixed with fried spring rolls, to the sight of young families and tattooed hipsters shopping alongside church ladies in their hats and heels, to the thunderous noise of cars and trucks on the elevated highway above, Spencer can’t get enough. “This is one of the best things about Baltimore,” he says one Sunday as he scoops up a box of apples and loads it into his already full shopping bag. “It’s a real cross section of the city, and it’s always an adventure.”

The atmosphere of the market is something Jack Dawson, aka the omelet guy, appreciates as one of its most distinctive charms. Every Sunday, you’ll find the 72-year-old former journalist, world traveler, and owner of Humpty Dumpty Omelettes standing before his flat-top grill making omelets to order. It gets pretty busy on the line when the market is in full swing.

One morning a few years ago, Dawson was swamped with customers when an occasional customer walked by and jumped in to help him. “She saw I was in desperate straits, and, the next thing I knew, she was working behind the line with me,” he says.

She walked away before he could offer to pay her. When he saw her a few weeks later, she declined the money or even a free omelet. Dawson hasn’t forgotten their exchange, saying, “That, right there, is the spirit of this market.”

To Market We Go!

Don’t miss these other popular farmers’ venues.
By Maria Blackburn

Bel Air
This producer-only market is celebrating its 36th season, selling items from carrots and herbs to ice cream and quail eggs.
The lowdown: 7-11 a.m. Saturdays, the parking lot of the Mary Risteau Courthouse off Thomas and S. Bond streets; 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Tuesdays, the Kelly Ball Field parking lot, 502 Boulton St., www.belairfarmersmarket.com.

Green Spring Station
This Saturday afternoon market—with produce, meats, baked goods, seafood, flowers, and more—offers free parking.
The lowdown: 2-5 p.m. through November 19 at Green Spring Station, Falls and Joppa Roads, Lutherville. 410-828-5447, www.greenspringstation.com.

Hamilton/Lauraville
“Come for the fresh fruits and vegetables, stay for dinner” is the unofficial motto of this three-year-old Tuesday evening market that brings together more than 30 purveyors, selling items including breads, barbecue, jewelry, and quilts.
The lowdown: 4-8 p.m. June 7-October 25, next to the Safeway at Harford Road and Montebello Terrace, hamiltonlauravillemainstreet.blogspot.com.

32nd Street/Waverly
Three words set the Waverly Farmers’ Market apart from the rest: open all year. Founded in 1980, the market has a wide array of produce, baked goods, prepared foods, and flowers. New this year is the installation of an EBT wireless machine that will allow vendors to accept debit cards.
The lowdown: 410-917-1496, www.32ndstreetmarket.org.

Towson
The Towson Farmers’ Market, pictured, kicks off its 32nd season with the debut of several local wineries—including Linganore Winecellars, Basignani Winery, Boordy Vineyards, and Woodhall Wine Cellars—selling their wares for the first time at the market. Other products at this well-attended open-air market include local maple syrup, organic yogurt, free-range chickens, and, of course, fruits and vegetables.
The lowdown: 10:45 a.m.-3 p.m. Thursdays from June 9-November 17, Allegheny Avenue between York Road and Washington Avenue, 410-825-1144.

For a complete list of Maryland farmers’ markets, visit marylandsbest.net and click on Farmers’ Markets.

City Stalwarts

Municipal markets uphold food traditions.
By Martha Thomas

Before there were Giant and Safeway stores or the numerous farmers’ markets, there were the Baltimore Municipal Markets, the oldest continuing city market system in the United States. Today, the City owns and operates five of the six municipal markets. (Lexington Market is run by a quasi-public corporation.)

Big changes are in store for the Broadway Market in Fells Point. Its two cavernous structures will be brought back to life as part of a new development—which will add 160 apartments in buildings flanking the market.

“It’s a cool-looking structure, and it beckons to be something visionary and out of the box,” says David Holmes of South Broadway Properties, the developer of the newly designated Marketplace at Fells Point. Plans involve renovating the south building to house the market’s remaining tenants, and installing a new single enterprise in the north building.

As for the new tenant, nothing was finalized at press time. “It will be centered around food,” Holmes concedes.

A bird’s-eye view of Baltimore’s Municipal Markets:

Avenue Market, 1700 Pennsylvania Ave., open 7 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Sat. The market was taken over by the City’s public markets system in 2001. With the adjacent Murry’s, a retail food store, the Avenue has a mix of stalls with prepared foods as well as cell phones, greeting cards, and T-shirts.

Broadway Market, 1640-41 Aliceanna St., open 7 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Sat. The market is undergoing renovations as part of a neighborhood revitalization effort.

Cross Street Market, 1065 S. Charles St., open 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Mon.-Sat. The popular market, pictured, is anchored on one end by Fenwick’s Choice Meats and on the other by Nick’s Inner Harbor Seafood, a popular beer-and-oyster spot.

Hollins Market, 26 S. Arlington Ave., open 7 a.m.-6 p.m. Tues-Sat. Built in 1838, the market remains the neighborhood’s grocery store. There are seafood, poultry, produce, and butcher shops, along with other stalls.

Lexington Market, 400 W. Lexington St., open 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Sat. After visiting Lexington Market, poet Ralph Waldo Emerson is said to have described Baltimore as “The Gastronomic Capital of the Universe.” The privately run market continues to attract visitors to its beehive of stalls, including Faidley Seafood with its famous crab cakes.

Northeast Market, 2101 E. Monument St., open 7 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Sat. Located near The Johns Hopkins Hospital, the market, established in 1885, serves Eastside residents as well as the legions of students and workers in the neighborhood. In 1955, the current brick building replaced the original wood barn. Richardson Farm, a longtime tenant of the market, offers fresh produce and poultry from its farm in White Marsh.

A Guide to CSAs

Here’s what to expect when buying into a local farmer’s harvest.
By Maria Blackburn

Want to buy local zucchini and heirloom tomatoes but can’t make it to a farmers’ market? Purchasing a community supported agriculture (CSA) share not only guarantees access to a steady stream of fresh produce and fruit all summer, but it helps to support a local farm, too.

Here’s how it works: A farmer offers a limited number of shares to the public at the start of the growing season. Then, buyers share in the harvest by collecting a weekly box filled with a sampling of what the farm picked. “The idea of the CSA is that it’s a partnership between the farmer and the consumer,” says Joan Norman, owner of One Straw Farm in White Hall, which has been offering a CSA since 1999. “The consumer helps the farmer purchase seeds, fertilizer, and labor, and, on the flip side, they get fresh produce.”

But before you sign up for a CSA, there are a few things that you should keep in mind:

Plan ahead. If you wait until the farmers’ market season begins to join a CSA, you may already be too late. “Our CSA has a limited number of shares, and we’re usually full by the middle of March,” says Beckie Gurley, co-owner of Calvert’s Gift Farm in Sparks with her husband, Jack, both pictured below. CSA sign-ups usually start in January, but “it’s never too early to tell us you are interested in next year,” she adds.

Gear up for lots of greens. “Spinach, kale, collards, chard, and arugula are all up in June, and in the beginning of your CSA, you’ll eat enough of them to start to feel like a rabbit,” says Norman. Ask farmers for recipes that will allow you to use the greens in new ways, she recommends.

One, two, three, cook. “You have to be prepared to cook dinner most nights,” Norman says. The produce doesn’t come pre-washed, pre-cut, or pre-cooked. You have to do it. “We grow more than just corn and tomatoes and cantaloupes in Maryland, and to use everything you get in your weekly share, you need to be creative in how you cook,” Gurley says.

Start small. Most CSAs offer 24 weeks of produce. If that sounds like too much for you to eat each week, split the share with a friend. “I would rather see you succeed at a small level than fail at a large one,” Norman says.

Find A CSA Near You

Farmer Friends

One Straw Farm in White Hall is the largest certified organic vegetable farm in Maryland, and its CSA is one of the biggest in the area, too. Buyers can pick up their products at more than 40 sites. Cost: $290 for a half share to $570 for a full share for the 24-week program. www.onestrawfarm.com.

Calvert’s Gift Farm’s Members of this CSA must go to the Sparks farm to pick up their shares of organic fruits and vegetables. Cost: $450 for 24 weeks. www.calvertsgiftfarm.com.

Breezy Willow Farm in West Friendship works with other area producers to offer the best selections of the season. Cost: $864 for a 24-week commitment. www.breezywillowfarm.com.

Calvert Farm in Rising Sun has summer and fall CSA options and pick-up sites throughout Maryland, Delaware, and Pennsylvania. Cost: Summer shares are $500 for 20 weeks; fall shares are $200 apiece for eight weeks. www.calvertfarm.com.

Lancaster Farm Fresh Cooperative—a nonprofit organic farmers cooperative of 75 family farms offering various shares. Pick-up sites include Towson and the Irvine Nature Center in Owings Mills. Cost: A full vegetable share is $700. www.lancasterfarmfresh.com.

Grocery Havens

Where to find a variety of foodstuffs to fill your pantry.
By Suzanne Loudermilk & Martha Thomas

We love the big-guy supermarkets as much as the next shopper, but sometimes, we’re looking for different ingredients, special service, vegetarian choices, or more ethnic options. Here are some of our favorite places to explore—and where we can gorge.

GOURMET

Eddie’s of Roland Park
Two locations, including 6213 N. Charles St., 410-377-8040.
What You’ll Find: The local market, in its third generation of family ownership, keeps its customers coming back with attractive displays offering quality produce, meat, seafood, and deli items. Service: If you want to be pampered, this is the place to go. The staff removes your groceries from your cart for the cashier and takes your bags out to your car. Best Bets: Eddie’s showcases local food entrepreneurs like Mama Vida salsas and Michele’s Granola made in Timonium. Incredible Find: “Gourmet to Go” foods for those days you don’t have the time or inclination to cook. Look for entrees like a griled butterflied leg of lamb, broccolini stir-fry, and Asian pork barbecue. Secret Ingredient: Eddie’s Caesar salad, sold in individual containers or for larger numbers.
Price Range: Moderate to expensive.

Gourmet Again
3713 Old Court Rd., Pikesville, 410-484-9393.
What You’ll Find: A fine-foods market with prepared foods, a seafood counter, custom butcher, and deli, all in a small, customer-oriented space. Service: You’ll be well taken care of by the genial staff. Best Bets: The bakery case with tarts, rugelach, cookies, French pastries, and that Baltimore favorite, rainbow cake. Also, don’t miss the 14-inch “Take & Bake Pizzas.” Incredible Find: Urns of Ariston cold-pressed Greek olive oil to fill empty bottles with the liquid gold. Secret Ingredient: Marinated meats, like flank steaks or a fajita mix that make cooking and grilling so much easier.
Price Range: Moderate to expensive.

Graul’s Market
Several locations, including 12200 Tullamore Rd., Lutherville, 410-308-2100.
What You’ll Find: A family-owned-and-operated store that started as a corner grocery in 1920. Its longevity can be linked to its careful selection of dry goods, produce, meats, and prepared items. Service: Personal and friendly. Best Bets: Its bakery turns out delectable cakes for all occasions. Incredible Find: Graul’s signature spreads are great party fare. We especially like the pecan-olive spread and pimento spread. Secret Ingredient: The store has its own brand of jellies, jams, and preserves, pictured below, in luscious flavors like mint with leaves, guava, fig, and damson plum.
Price Range: Moderate to expensive.

Milk & Honey Market
816 Cathedral St., 410-685-6455.
What You’ll Find: Besides the shelves and bins of produce and staples, there is a deli and cafe and a comfortable spot for lingering with your finds. The market, pictured above, is also hosting a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) this summer. Service: Happy and enthusiastic. Best Bets: Coffees, teas, honeys, pastas, and a well-stocked cheese case. Incredible Find: A bundle of lavender and rosemary from Blue Skye Farm in Virginia for grilling. Secret Ingredient: Gunpowder Bison & Trading Co. meats in the freezer section.
Price Range: Moderate.

ORGANIC/HEALTH

David’s Natural Market
5430 Lynx Ln., Columbia, 410-730-2304.

What You’ll Find: The 12,000-square-foot space is stocked with name brands: Annie’s, Kashi, Celestial Seasonings, and the like, as well as bulk foods. There’s a small section of organic produce and designated gluten-free products. Service: The staff knows its stuff. Best Bets: The bulk-food bins offer dried herbs, sold by the ounce, with small glass spice jars, sold separately, to pack them in. Incredible Find: Free-range eggs in a rainbow of colors: brown, pink, ivory, and blue, from Fran Kessler, an Eastern Shore farmer who delivers them each Friday. Secret Ingredient: Teaspoon-sized cubes of frozen herbs: basil, parsley, and dill (ginger, too)—just right for tossing into a soup, omelet, or stir-fry.
Price Range: Expensive.

MOM’s Organic Market
Several locations, including 7351 Assateague Dr., Jessup, 410-799-2175. (Coming soon to Yorkridge Shopping Center in Timonium.)
What You’ll Find: A store chock full of organic and natural groceries with vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options. The wide aisles make shopping an extra pleasure. Service: A cheerful, informed staff. Best Bets: Beautiful produce like gold beets, baby bok choy, and rainbow carrots; bulk bins of grains and beans; and pet food. Incredible Find: Self-serve canisters of Fair Trade loose tea, including rooibos, Darjeeling, China green, and chai green. Secret Ingredient: Organic kosher whole chickens.
Price Range: Inexpensive to moderate.

The Natural Market
2149 York Rd., Timonium, 410-560-3133.
What You’ll Find: A locally owned health-food store that’s been in existence for 24 years. A bonus is a vegetarian cafe and juice bar. Service: Laidback, helpful. Best Bets: There’s a lot of stuff in this crowded storefront, including bulk flour, organic coffee, a great selection of herbal teas, fresh organic produce, products for special dietary needs, and a comprehensive inventory of vitamins and supplements. Incredible Find: Young green coconuts from Florida. Secret Ingredient: Agave nectar sweeteners.
Price Range: Moderate.

Roots Market
Two locations, including 5805 Clarksville Square Dr., Clarksville, 443-535-9321.
What You’ll Find: A fully stocked grocery store, pictured, that carries natural, organic, and health items, including gluten-free and raw foods, and herbal and vitamin supplements. Service: A knowledgeable staff that will cheerfully answer any questions. Best Bets: Organic produce, including Fair Trade bananas and local hydroponic heirloom tomatoes; seafood like St. Brendan’s Irish organic salmon; and meats like Roseda Beef New York strip steaks. Incredible Find: An amazing organic salad bar. Secret Ingredient: Organicville products: vinaigrettes, mayonnaise, relish, pasta sauces, mustard, and ketchup sweetened with agave nectar.
Price Range: Moderate.

ETHNIC

Asia Food
5224 York Road, 410-323-8738.
What You’ll Find: Just about anything you need for an Asian-inspired meal, including 50-pound bags of rice, tins of curry paste and coconut milk, and several varieties of fish sauce. There’s a small produce section. Service: The owners Mun-ge and Mun-ga Toung and their son and daughter are happy to help. Best Bets: Supplies to make your own sushi: frozen eel and flattened shrimp, sticky rice, eel sauce, nori seaweed sheets, and straw rolling mats. Incredible Find: A variety package of frozen dim sum—pork, shrimp, and vegetable—ready for steaming. Secret Ingredient: Sliced galanga, a rhizome known as Thai ginger.
Price Range: Inexpensive.

Black Olive Agora Market
At the Inn at The Black Olive, 803 S. Caroline St., 410-276-7142.
What You’ll Find: A small Greek grocer, owned by The Black Olive restaurant folks, offering organic fruits and vegetables, fresh breads, sheep’s milk cheeses like manouri and feta, local condiments, wines by the bottle, and takeout foods. Service: The staff is eager to answer any questions. Best Bets: The fresh seafood case with all manner of creatures from the deep, including Dover sole. Incredible Find: Sheep’s milk Greek yogurt. Secret Ingredient: The Black Olive’s Greek salad, of course!
Price Range: Moderate.

Heritage International Foods
8727 Liberty Rd., Randallstown, 410-655-6600.
What You’ll Find: This Caribbean market is crammed with products, including packages of dried, salted fish; spices; dried fruits; and nuts. Service: The staff is not always familiar with the inventory, so if you need help, consult a fellow shopper. Best Bets: An entire aisle is devoted to fruit drinks and such concentrates as Mauby (made from tree bark), passion fruit, and guava. Incredible Find: Frozen snails, $5.99. Secret Ingredient: A box of peanuts to make peanut soup base and ogbono seeds.
Price Range: Inexpensive.

H Mart
Several locations, including 800 N. Rolling Rd., Catonsville, 443-612-9020.
What You’ll Find: An Asian mega-grocery store, pictured, that carries, well, everything, including prepared foods, sushi, and an Asian eatery with seating. Service: The staff is polite but busy. Best Bets: The produce department is inspirational with dandelion greens, Indian eggplants, turmeric and lotus roots, Chinese okra, cactus pears, and so much more. Incredible Find: The fish counter is one of the freshest, most well-stocked in town. Secret Ingredient: A dazzling array of tofus.
Price Range: Inexpensive.

La Favorita
540 Cranbrook Rd., Cockeysville, 410-628-1442.
What You’ll Find: A well-stocked storefront, filled with Latino packaged goods, meats, and produce. Service: A pleasant staff, many of whom speak English. Best Bets: Delectable Mexican pastries like the popular conchas (bread with flavored sugar on top) from El Gallito Mexican Food Store in Reading, PA. Incredible Find: Fresh cactus. Secret Ingredient: Banana leaves.
Price Range: Inexpensive.

Prima Foods
51 Kane St., 410-633-5500.
What You’ll Find: This wholesale food distributor has a small storefront that offers Greek specialties from bulk olives to sacks of semolina flour. There’s imported chocolate, pictured, falafel mix, several types of tahini, and honey. Service: Better if you speak Greek—or ask for owner Gus Bouyoukas. Best Bets: A three-pound block of frozen spinach, phyllo pastry, and a hunk of feta cheese—to make your own spanakopita. Incredible Find: A gyro family pack: pre-cooked meat, bread, and sauce for three sandwiches, packed in a box. Secret Ingredient: Whole octopus.
Price Range: Inexpensive, though rates can fluctuate.

Trinacria Foods
406 N. Paca St., 410-685-7285.
What You’ll Find: An addictive Italian market and deli that is a busy hub filled with pastas, sauces, and more. For more than 100 years, the tiny space, now operated by the third generation of the Fava family, has been a draw in the once-bustling Italian neighborhood. Service: From shy owner Vince Fava to the men and women working behind the counter, you can count on cheerful conversations and knowledgeable cooking advice. Best Bets: It’s a pasta paradise—from spaghetti and linguine to pennette and rigatoni. But there’s lots more, including tomato and meat sauces, prepared foods, bakery goods, homemade breads, sandwiches, and a small wine shop. Incredible Find: A variety of frozen lasagnas. Secret Ingredient: Fresh made cannoli shells and containers of cannoli filling for an assemble-it-yourself Italian treat.
Price Range: Inexpensive.

CHAINS

The Fresh Market
Several locations, including Quarry Lake, 2510 Quarry Lake Dr., 410-580-1930. (Coming soon to 838 Dulaney Valley Rd., Towson)
What You’ll Find: A softly lit food hall, reminiscent of a refined European marketplace, with dark wood beams adorned with hanging baskets of ferns and food attractively displayed. Fresh produce (pictured), cheese, a meat counter, prepared foods, and a bakery fill most of the store. Service: Well staffed and congenial. A woman at the butcher counter happily volunteered cooking tips. Best Bets: It’s almost impossible to stick to your grocery list when confronted with so many options for artisanal sodas, infused olive oils, and more. Incredible Find: Yogurt. There’s a dizzying variety, from Siggi’s ginger-orange from Iceland to Kalona SuperNatural from an organic farm in Iowa.Secret Ingredient: A tiny container of white truffle butter that will jack up your grocery bill considerably but will add pizzazz to your next pasta dish.
Price Range: Moderate to expensive.

Harris Teeter
8620 Guilford Rd., Columbia, 410-290-5902. (Coming soon to Locust Point.)
What You’ll Find: This North Carolina-based grocery chain’s stores are brightly lit and well organized. The Columbia store is stocked with familiar brands—from Coca Cola to King Arthur flour—as well as a handful of store brands, including Harris Teeter Naturals (organic), H.T. Traders (mostly imported foods), and its moderately priced Harris Teeter line. Service: The staff is busy stocking supplies, but they’ll stop and help you. Best Bets: There’s a diverse selection of prepared foods for last-minute family meals: main courses like chicken (rotisserie, Moroccan, or tandoori style), with such options as braised asparagus and baked mac ‘n’ cheese on the side. Incredible Find: A well-stocked canning section. Not only glass Ball jars in several sizes, but plastic containers for freezing, pectin Sure-jell, and wax. Secret Ingredient: A bag of seasoned breading for fried chicken, proof that this is a Southern transplant.
Price range: Moderate.

Trader Joe’s
Several locations, including 1809 Reisterstown Rd., Pikesville, 410-484-8373.
What You’ll Find: A hip market offering a small-store vibe. It’s not a health-food store, but it offers lots of organics. Service: Fun and congenial. The staff wears Hawaiian shirts, and, ahoy, managers are called captains and first mates. Best Bets: Coffees, peanut butters, chocolate bars, nuts, and cheeses. Incredible Find: Sweet potato gnocchi with butter and sage in the freezer aisle. Secret Ingredient: Raw California almonds as a delicious snack or for baking cakes and cookies.
Price Range: Moderate with weekly specials.

Wegmans
Several locations, including 122 Shawan Rd., Hunt Valley, 410-773-3900. (Coming soon to Harford County.)
What You’ll Find: A big-box market with reasonably priced staples, a focus on organics, specialty foods, and numerous to-go stations from soups and sushi to subs and coffee. Get there early on weekends or you’ll be circling a parking lot that resembles the mall during holiday season. Service: The staff looks out for you. On a recent visit, a shopper placed several loose green peppers in a bag. A produce guy spotted him and steered him to a more cost-effective package of peppers. Best Bets: Seafood, meats, deli, and bakery departments. Incredible Find: A Flavors of Africa section includes chutneys, hot and fragrant peri-peri marinades, Madagascar bourbon vanilla beans, and Moroccan couscous. Secret Ingredient: D’Artagnan specialty meats: chicken poussins, venison medallions, duckling, and lamb merguez sausage.
Price Range: Moderate.

Whole Foods Market
Several locations, including 1001 Fleet St., Suite A, 410-528-1640.
What You’ll Find: An array of natural and organic foods from a company committed to sustainable agriculture. Service: The staff takes its customers seriously and strives to make your shopping experience a pleasant one. Best Bets: Check out Whole Foods’s “365 Everyday Value” brand for a variety of good deals. Incredible Find: A bean bar, really! Pick out an assortment of dried beans, including red lentil, garbanzo, and kidney. Secret Ingredient: Panko crumbs in a variety of flavors from lemon and almond to sun-dried tomato.
Price Range: Moderate to expensive.

ON THE HORIZON

Baltimore Food Co-op
2800 Sisson St. in the former Mill Valley General Store space, 410-889-6842, scheduled to open in June or July.
What You’ll Find: A full-service supermarket emphasizing local food. The co-op will be open to the public, but members—who pay a one-time fee of $100 per household with a small annual fee—will receive various discounts on store items and special weekly deals. Predicted Best Bets: Local produce, meats, and dairy products, in addition to some national natural brands.
Price Range: Inexpensive to moderate.

Green Onion
5500 Harford Rd., scheduled to open in June
What You’ll Find: Winston Blick, chef/co-owner of the Hamilton restaurant Clementine, and Rich Marsiglia have partnered to open a corner grocery store about a block from the restaurant. Predicted Best Bets: Local meats, charcuterie, cheeses, breads, the restaurant’s popular desserts, and shelf goods. Incredible Find: Locally made natural bulk laundry soap. Secret Ingredient: Ice cream from Prigel Family Creamery.
Price Range: Moderate.

SPECIALTY

The Market at Belvedere Square
529 E. Belvedere Ave., www.belvederesquare.com.
What You’ll Find: An assortment of vendors—with Atwater’s being the most prominent—offering fresh produce, prepared foods, candy and nuts, sushi, smoked fish, Italian foods, and Grand Cru, a wine shop/bar. Service: Pleasant and courteous. Best Bets: Atwater’s soups, breads, and baked goods; Planet Produce; Ikan Seafood & Sushi; and Neopol Savory Smokery’s savory pies (pictured below). Incredible Find: Fresh sausages at Ceriello Fine Foods meat counter, featuring flavors like Italian Pecorino Romano cheese and parsley, sweet and hot Italian, Italian fennel, and Italian tomato and basil. Secret Ingredient: Locally developed organic “tsp spices,” which are sealed in convenient one-teaspoon packets.
Price Range: Moderate.

Pennsylvania Dutch Market
11121 York Rd., Cockeysville, 410-316-1500. (Open Thurs.-Sat.)
What You’ll Find: It’s a weekend marketplace, pictured, with stalls for food, quilts, candies, and furniture. There’s also a family-style restaurant. Service: Cheerful and polite. Best Bets: Farm-raised turkeys, eggs, milk, and baked goods come from farms in Pennsylvania. Incredible Find: A two-pound roll of farm-fresh butter, wrapped in paper like at an old-time general store. Secret Ingredient: Bags of pastry filling—cherry, blueberry, lemon, and even cream cheese—ready to pipe into a pie.
Price Range: Moderate.

Seven Mile Market
201 Reisterstown Rd., Pikesville, 410-653-2000.
What You’ll Find: The store boasts that it carries the largest selection of kosher products in the country. Along with its produce section, butcher, deli, and prepared foods (potato kugel, anyone?), there are dozens of variations of matzo crackers, an entire aisle devoted to all manner of canned fish: tuna, herring, salmon, kippers, gefilte, and products imported from Israel—including candles for Shabbat. Service: Even in a 55,000-square-foot grocery store, you can feel like you’re visiting a kosher butcher on the Lower East Side. Best Bets: Look for a 12-pound brisket for your next holiday meal. Incredible Find: Vacuum-sealed pouches with ready-to-serve cuts of meat, a great way to enjoy a stuffed chicken breast with kishka without turning on the oven. Secret Ingredient: If you’re a Nutella fan, you’ll love the selection of chocolate spreads—Israel’s answer to peanut butter.
Price Range: Moderate.

Recipe

From the Farmer

Fattoush Salad

What’s in it:
2 medium pita bread rounds
6 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 English cucumber, chopped
4 scallions, chopped
6 radishes, sliced
1 cup packed flat-leaf Italian parsley, chopped
½ cup mint leaves, chopped
1 cup purslane, stems removed, leaves chopped (optional)
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sumac powder (see note)
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice

How to make it:

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Cut open each pita bread into two rounds, transfer to a baking sheet, and toast in the oven until golden and crisp, seven to 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Combine the tomato, cucumber, scallions, and radishes in a large salad bowl. Scatter the parsley, mint, and purslane, if using, on top of the vegetables.

Crumble the toasted pita bread on top and sprinkle the salad with salt and sumac. Whisk olive oil and lemon juice together, and pour into the salad. Toss lightly, and serve immediately. Serves 4-6.

Note: Sumac powder is available at Middle Eastern markets.

From One Straw Farm in “Dishing Up Maryland” by Lucie L. Snodgrass

Recipe

From the Farmer

Spring Greens With Cheese

What’s in it:
2 pounds arugula, borage, chicory, dandelions, or mustard greens (or any combination of these), tough stems removed
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
Cayenne pepper
Salt and black pepper
2 ounces (½ cup shredded) Fontina cheese

How to make it:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Steam greens in batches over simmering water for 2 minutes. Rinse in cold water and squeeze out excess water.

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add garlic and sauté over low heat for about two minutes. Add greens, pinch of cayenne, and salt and pepper to taste; cook and stir for two minutes. Remove from heat, and let greens cool.

Divide greens into six portions and shape each into a ball. Place balls in a baking dish and make an indentation in the center of each ball, forming a little nest. Fill the indentations with grated cheese. Transfer the baking dish to the oven, and bake the nests for five minutes, until the cheese is melted. Serves 6.

From Calvert’s Gift Farm in “Dishing Up Maryland” by Lucie L. Snodgrass

Where Insiders Shop

Sean Dunworth
Owner, Regions Restaurant, Catonsville Gourmet
We go to the Catonsville farmers’ market on Wednesdays and Sundays. We buy most of our produce there, including the pattypan squash and zucchini, local asparagus, and sweet and baking potatoes. We also like Han Ah Reum Mart [aka H Mart] on Rolling Road for Napa cabbage and baby bok choy since we make stir fry as a family at least once a week. I buy my bread at Atwater’s bakery in Catonsville.

Gia Blatterman
Owner, Café Gia
We go to the farmers’ market in Harbor East and the Jones Falls farmers’ market at Fallsway. I love DiPasquale’s in Highlandtown and Trinacria on Paca Street for cheese, infused oils, and infused balsamic vinegar. I also go to Ceriello [Fine Foods] in Belvedere Market. They have an awesome little spot.

Alfie Himmelrich
Owner, Stone Mill Bakery
I like Mastellone for mozzarella and Wegmans for fresh clams. I go to H Mart for Asian groceries, including lemongrass; Scittino’s in Catonsville is the best Italian market ever. I buy the Peruvian chicken at Pollo Amigo on York Road and go next door to the Mercado Latino for Latino specialty items. The best Hispanic market is Cinco de Mayo on Eastern Avenue.

Recipe

From the Farmer

Baked Penne With Bison Italian Sausage

What’s in it:
1 (12-ounce) box penne pasta
1 pound Bison Hot Italian Sausage, sliced
1 cup chopped onion
½ cup white wine
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced
tomatoes with garlic
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
2 cups shredded
mozzarella cheese

How to make it:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook pasta 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain. Place sausage, onion, and olive oil in a deep skillet. Cook over medium heat until evenly browned.

Add white wine to skillet; cook for 1 minute, stirring to deglaze pan. Stir in tomato sauce and tomato paste. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Toss with cooked pasta, and place in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle top with cheese. Bake for 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Serves 6.

From Gunpowder Bison & Trading Co., Monkton, Maryland

Check out our exclusive map of the JFX Farmers’ Market! [pdf]

Source

Meat Market

Web Intern — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 00:00:00 +0000

It’s oddly comforting, in our low-fat, low-salt era, to see beefy people lined up to buy pork sausage.

Before any major food holiday—but especially Easter, which falls on March 23 this year—devotees of Ostrowski’s kielbasa politely form queues that start in the tiny store and wend their way up South Washington Street in Fells Point. Mostly male, blue collar, and middle-aged, these are folks who grew up in East Baltimore and were weaned on the stuff.

Thomas Harlow, a typical Ostrowski’s customer, waited about 20 minutes for Polish sausage on the Friday before Christmas. He used his time in line to share his life story with anyone who would listen, while his wife, Patricia, and miniature schnauzer, Heidi Ho, waited in his double-parked truck. Heidi Ho, wearing a festive holiday sweater, barked constantly through the open window—aroused, no doubt, by the heady aroma of garlic that poured out every time someone opened the door.

Harlow, a self-employed mason and amateur musician, lives in Dundalk. A short, stocky man of about 50, he guessed he has been making Ostrowski’s runs for about 20 years. This was his second trip in a week to buy sausage for himself, friends, and elderly neighbors. “It’s the best,” he says with conviction.

Those waiting for their numbers to be called enjoyed a free sample of the aromatic concoction, fresh and warm from the smokehouse and glistening in all its greasy splendor under the shop’s lights.

Presiding over this scene was John Ostrowski. Now 60 (and change), Ostrowski was born into the family sausage business and has never worked anywhere else. At one time, he said, his family even lived over the store.

About 40 years ago, he inherited the operation his grandfather started in 1919. Ostrowski may know his sausage, but he’s a little fuzzy on details such as dates and sales figures. With some prodding, he will estimate that about 15 percent of his volume comes from Easter sales, and another 10 percent from Christmas, with maybe 7 or 8 percent from Thanksgiving customers.

Throughout the day, Big John (as he’s known) moves back and forth between the small, ground-floor sausage factory and the retail store, which sells Polish condiments, maps, and gift items, in addition to sausage. Two women operate the shop, and two male employees help in the sausage factory during the holidays. Their good-natured attacks on one another are constant.

Big John can even joke about an ongoing dispute with his nephew, Victor Ostrowski, who owns a competing sausage business a few blocks away. John Ostrowski didn’t mind much, he said, until Victor started selling his sausage in local grocery stores, which confused the public. Many of John Ostrowski’s customers have phoned him in recent years to tell him his quality was slipping, he said, after tasting the store-bought kielbasa.

John Ostrowski contacted a lawyer, but he was told that because Victor Ostrowski has a legal right to use the family name, there’s no way to stop him. So John Ostrowski relies on word of mouth and declarations on the company website to set the record straight: John Ostrowski’s kielbasa can only be bought at his store at 524 S. Washington Street. (Attempts to reach Victor Ostrowski for comment were unsuccessful.)

Big John’s crew can make about 300 pounds of sausage in one batch. He uses pork that’s 20 percent fat (you need the fat for flavor) and a proprietary blend of herbs and spices—mostly garlic, salt, and pepper. Ostrowski’s mild sausage contains white pepper. About two years ago, he introduced the bolder gypsy variety, which contains cracked black pepper and more garlic than the mild.

The sausages are formed in long rings and hung to dry on stainless steel rods supported by sawhorses. Fresh sausages soon go into the fridge, and the rest sit in the smokehouse for three to seven hours. During periods of high demand, they can smoke up to 1,000 pounds of sausage at once. In fact, a few days before Christmas, Ostrowski drove to the store from his Lutherville home at 2 a.m. to turn on the smoker, so he could serve that morning’s customers.

“Everyone’s got a recipe for sausage, and they all think theirs is the best,” says Ostrowski. “But they [customers] come here.”

Last Easter, two men drove all night from Georgia to buy from his shop, he says. And it’s common for people to drive from Virginia and Pennsylvania for their holiday sausage. The folks at the East Coast’s largest Polish-American Festival (held annually at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa in Doylestown, Pennsylvania) anointed Ostrowski’s sausage as the winner of the festival’s much-heralded kielbasa cook-off.

Brad Meerholz, 28, is a more recent convert. The Bel Air resident, who works in Fells Point, said he tasted Ostrowski’s kielbasa a few months ago and offered some to a friend. That friend liked it so much he served it at his engagement party.

Meerholz, who was waiting in line to procure some of the spicy stuff for himself and that same friend, echoed the opinion of longtime customer Harlow:

“It’s the best I’ve ever had.”

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