Baltimore Eats - A Reason for the Season

Recently I read that if everyone in the United States ate locally grown foods just 10 percent of the time, we could save every small farmer in this country! Ten percent of the time? That's one meal out of every ten meals, or a meal three days a month!

Going to the Farmers' Market every week (During the summer months I often go two or three times a week!) is a practice I've been doing for years. Everything available at the markets is locally grown. When I looked for a directory of Farmers' Markets on BaltimoreEats.com (click on Events) I was surprised to see that there are 13 Farmers' Markets right here in our area. With this many markets, eating locally grown food is both easy and convenient.

September is such an abundant time of year; summer's bounty is still plentiful and autumn's harvest is beginning to emerge. There is so much going on right now! The fields are brimming with vegetables. Orchards are bearing -peaches are available early in September; pears and apples begin their season mid-month and will be available through the fall.

My first recipe uses a colorful medley of vegetables that offers lots of flavors, colors, textures and nutritional values -perfect to serve as a luncheon or light supper entree, but also makes a great compliment to steak, chicken or fish. However you choose to serve it, slices of good quality bread, with olive oil for dipping, round out the meal.

Wine Pick?
Langlois chateau cabernet de Saumur 2006 (about $14.99)

Old Bay Seasoned Steamed Vegetables with Melted Cheese
2 cups carrots, julienned (2 large)
2 cups cauliflower florets broken or cut into small bite size pieces
2 cups broccoli florets broken or cut into bite size pieces
1 cup zucchini, quartered and cut into inch thick pieces (1 small)
2 cups yellow squash, sliced into inch rounds (1 medium)
2 cups celery sliced inch thick
1 large onion cut into chunks
1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning, or more to taste
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups shredded cheese, use one solo, or any mixture of, Mozzarella, Monterey Jack or sharp white Cheddar

In a large pot with a steamer, bring water to a boil. Steam the carrots, cauliflower and broccoli until not yet fork tender. Add zucchini, yellow squash, celery and onion. Cook until desired tenderness.
Preheat broiler. Transfer to a 3-quart baking dish, gently toss vegetables, and sprinkle with Old Bay seasoning. Top with Parmesan and shredded cheeses.
Place baking dish under broiler and broil until cheese melts and turns a light golden brown.
Serves 6

Fruit Crisps are a great way to use the fruits in season now -a great dessert choice, they're wonderful homemade comfort food and easy to make. I prefer crisps served warm. Place it in the oven just as you sit down for dinner and they'll be pefect at serving time. Delicious on their own, they are decadent topped with vanilla ice cream, or if you want a lighter version, top with vanilla frozen yogurt.

Fresh Fruit Crisp
4 cups peeled, sliced peaches, pears and/or apples (pears and peaches should be ripe, apples should be the tart variety)
1/2 cup juice (apple, apple cider, papaya or orange juice)
3/4 cup white flour
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter cut into chunks

Preheat oven to 350. Arrange peaches in a 9x9-inch baking pan and top with juice. In a medium bowl, combine flour, brown sugar and cinnamon. Drop butter chunks into flour mixture. Combine using a pastry blender or your fingertips. Sprinkle crumbly mixture over top of fruit. Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly.
6 servings