My ideal Saturday begins with a morning workout and a trip to the local Farmers’ Market. I flew back to Northwestern this weekend and made it a point to take a trip to the farmers’ market located on Oak Avenue and University Place. I had plans to cook lunch with a good friend and created a little challenge: Our meal would be prepared using only ingredients from the farmers’ market. Here’s proof that taking advantage of local and seasonal products is not only environmental and health conscious, but lots of fun, too.
What I bought:
- 1 loaf of sourdough wheat bread – $5
- 1 bunch of wild arugula – $2
- 1 4 oz. package of Wisconsin goat cheese – $4
- 1 head of garlic – $.50
- 1 lb patty pan squash – $2
- 2 small bell peppers (1 red and 1 purple) – $1
- 1 medium cippollini onion- $.50
Total Cost: $15. It may seem expensive, but it’s cheaper than if the two of us had gone out to lunch.
Roasted Red Pepper, Arugula and Onion Panini
When my friend Mike showed me his sweet panini press, I knew we had to use it. This sandwich works well without heating the bread, but if you want a warm sandwich and don’t have a panini press, you can just place the sandwich in a skillet over medium-high heat and weigh it down with another skillet and a few cans.
What You’ll Need:
- 4 thick slices of rustic bread (i.e. sourdough, ciabatta or a boule)
- 8 arugula leaves
- 1 medium cippollini onion (or another sweet onion variety), sliced into ¼ inch rounds
- 2 small bell peppers, roasted*
- 2 oz. goat cheese
- To roast the peppers, turn a gas burner on to the highest heat and place the peppers directly over the flame. Leave the peppers until the side begins to blacken and blister and continue to turn until all the sides look like that.*
- Immediately remove the peppers from the heat and place into a brown paper bag, making sure to fold over the top so that the peppers can steam.
- After the onions are finished, set aside and remove the peppers from the paper bag. Peel the skin from the peppers and slice each pepper into four large slices, cutting the flesh from the ribs and seeds.
- To assemble the sandwich, spread an ounce of cheese each on two of the bread slices and divide the rest of the ingredients in half, layering arugula, onions, and finally the peppers. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and place the second bread slice on top of the peppers and place under the panini press for 5-10 minutes until the bread is crisp and browned. Serve immediately!
While the peppers are steaming, place the onions on the panini press and cook for about 5-10 minutes until they are browned on both sides. You can grill the onions or lightly sauté them in the pan until they are tender and translucent if you don’t have a panini press.
*If you have an electric stove, you can just slice the peppers into long strips and sauté them in a bit of oil until tender.
Sautéed Patty Pans
Patty pan is a delicate squash varietal that looks like a flying saucer and tastes similar to yellow summer squash. I always seek it out when I go shopping at the farmers’ market because it looks so intriguing and tastes delicious even when simply sautéed with a little bit of butter, salt, and pepper. I was thrilled when I discovered some on Saturday, and later turned them into a delicious side dish to serve alongside our paninis.
What you’ll need:
- 1 pound of patty pans, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1/2 cup water
- 1.5 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon butter
- Salt and pepper
- Place the chopped patty pan into a sauté pan and cover with the 1/2 cup of water. Cook covered over medium-high heat until the water has dissolved and the squash is tender.
- Add the oil and garlic to the pan and increase the heat slightly.
- Sauté the squash until they are golden brown and slightly caramelized, about 7-10 minutes.
- Add the butter and a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper. Serve as soon as the butter is completely melted and coats the patty pan.