At the Market:: Concord Grapes & Concord Grape Pie

As you might have noticed I took a little baking break, which was partially due what I mentioned in  yesterday's post. Sometimes I am just too tired.  But I am back today with my series At the Market where I am giddy with excitement because table grapes, in particularly concord grapes have arrived.  They actually came to the farmer's market that I frequent in the end of August, earlier than I expected so every Saturday since I have been buying them by the pound wondering just what to bake with them.  I settled on a Concord Grape Pie, a lip smackingly good pie that captures the essence of fall in just one bite. 

At the Market:: Apricots + Browned Butter Apricot Shortcakes with Cinnamon Whipped Cream

Stone fruit season has arrived - peaches, nectarines and apricots are creating a beautiful kaleidoscope of color at the farmers market.  There is nothing quite like biting into a juicy peach or nectarine and letting the sweet floral aroma take over your taste buds.  One variety of stone fruit that I typically never gravitated to was the apricot, it reminded me of the store-bought dried versions that always left a little to be desired.  I decided to give this fuzzy fruit a second chance and I am glad that I did.  Not only are they easy to eat as is, they are a fantastic fruit to incorporate into your summer baking.  I decided to give the traditional shortcake recipe an upgrade by making Browned Butter Apricot Shortcakes and topping 

it with cinnamon infused whipped cream.  This recipe is definitely a crowd pleaser because of the different textures it takes on - the shortcakes are moist with a sugar crusted exterior, the browned butter apricots practically melt in your mouth while the cinnamon whipped cream lends the perfect finish.   

At The Market:: Cherry Skillet Crumble

Last year on a very hot summer day we headed to Upstate New York to go cherry picking. It was one of my favorite memories from last summer.  This year we will not be picking our own, but luckily the farmer's market is bursting with pints of this ruby fruit.  For a recent dinner, I wanted to get off my pie kick (something that is hard to do since I find baking a pie like therapy) and stick within the same family and make a crumble and bake it in a cast iron pan.  If you are like me and you love crumb topping you will love this recipe since there is a nice layer of crumbly goodness sitting atop juicy cherries.  

At the Market:: Gooseberries & Blackberries (Gooseberry & Blackberry Pie)

It is officially berry season! Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries  and my new favorite berry, the gooseberry.  While you can purchase berries all year long (frozen or fresh), there is something extra special about eating them while they are in season and local.  They just taste much better being ripened by the warmth of the sun.  I have been picking up as many cartons as I can carry at the farmers market, since not only are they great to eat raw but they have a great way of making your complexion look better.  When it comes to berries I am not partial to one kind, although I have been eating crates of raspberries and blueberries and as I mentioned a new favorite, the gooseberry.   They look like grapes and have the same juiciness but they have the floral sweetness of a raspberry.  They are great eaten as is or a wonderful addition to a pie or crumble.  Also, blackberries, when in season taste completely different then their over-sized grocery store counterpart that are heavily seeded.  In season, blackberries are incredibly tender and sweet, with not nearly as many seeds.  In order to celebrate the season, I made a Gooseberry & Blackberry Pie, perfect after a summer dinner.  This pie is the perfect ratio of tartness to sweetness!

At the Market:: Fava Beans (Fava Beans & Ricotta)

Fava beans are one of those quick to arrive and quick to leave vegetables that grace us with their presence in the late spring and early summer.  Just like ramps, garlic scapes and rhubarb, you have to act quickly in order to enjoy their goodness.  I was very lucky to get a preview of fava beans while in France and Italy since they were over-flowing in wooden bins at the open-air markets.  Returning home, I anxiously awaited their arrival and low and behind nearly three weeks later they arrived.  My mind was swaying back and forth, what to make exactly - do I go the soup route or maybe even humus, however, I decided to recreate a dish that I recently enjoyed at Il Buco Alimentari (one of my absolute favorite restaurants) in New York.  Split with a friend we enjoyed homemade ricotta with fava beans and a generous drizzle of olive oil and freshly squeezed lemon.  It was mind-blowingly good, so I decided to re-create it.  

At the Market:: Rhubarb

Blogging Over Thyme: Rhubarb Meringue Cups 

I am excited to bring you a new column here today called At The Market where I will highlight seasonal fruits and vegetables that are gracing the local fresh markets and delicious recipes to accompany each find.  I will be baking/cooking as well as finding inspiration from some of the best food sites around.  Today I am excited to start out with rhubarb, the pink-tinged vegetable that is especially delicious in a pie or made into a jam.  Rhubarb is now available at farmer's markets and grocery stores.

Adventures in Cooking: Strawberry Rhubarb & Tarragon Tart Tartan

(Apt 2. B Baking: Rhubarb & Gin Sorbet with Rose Cream)