"What's for dinner tonight?" I am asked once again, a moment that always reminds me of the McDonald's tally of burgers sold, another number added to an already unfathomable figure.
"Well, pulled pork…but I'm not really sure what else. What do you guys want? And what time is it?"
"It's nearly 11."
"Crap! The farmer's market closes in an hour! Gotta get there now. Holler those ideas at me."
I hear a consensus about corn, something about zucchini or cole slaw. But, I still want to do something more, so I hit the road waiting for the market itself to inspire me.
Five minutes later, I arrive at The Oak Park Farmer's Market. As I cross Lake Street, approaching the front of the Congressional Church, the parking lot of which is the current home of the market, I am greeted by a drumming circle, school group and political candidates filling the lawn space and sidewalk just in front of the church, a kind of never the same, always similar make-shift street fair.
Open from the last Saturday in May through the end of October, the market celebrated its 35th anniversary this year. Working in conjunction with the Village of Oak Park, the market aspires to offer to its community and residents—and anyone else wanting to come—all manner farm-fresh produce, as well as a variety of unique, natural, hand-crafted products and goods such as soap, honey, pickles, cheese, and bread. In the alley the ad hoc folk band plays as young and old wander about, talking and listening, usually munching on what I grew up calling "apple orchard donuts," the cake batter kind that are deep fried in vegetable oil and then presented in one of three flavors: plain, cinnamon sugar, or powdered sugar.
On this particular Saturday, I am not here to relax: I'm on a mission. I take my usual first-spin around the small loop, noting that corn is still for sale ( I will buy a dozen ears today for $5.00 ) and that I have a choice of beets, leeks, potatoes, tomatoes, carrots, zucchini, among other items. Then, as I hit the far right corner on my second pass, I see an even more intriguing option: organically-grown jalepeno peppers—$3 for a quart.
BBQ ( pulled ) pork is fairly easy-to-make, crowd-pleasing fare—the kind of offering you might find at a pub or bar. So, what if I play with that idea, think about tonight's meal as inspired by the pub or bar and convert one of my favorite bar foods—jalepeno poppers—into farm fare!
When I moved to Chicago, I was disappointed to find that most poppers here are cheddar-stuffed, as opposed to cream cheese-filled. Perhaps because Chicago is just that much closer to Wisconsin, Detroit is just that much closer to Philadelphia, and while I have been able to accommodate the Italian beef sandwich, make space for it along side my love of the Coney dog, there is no way I am gonna make anything other than a cream cheese-filled pepper.
An experiment ensued: I cut the peppers in half, removed the ribbing and seeds and rinsed them. Using counter-softened cream cheese ( which this past weekend meant nearly liquid ) I filled each hollow and then rolled the little verdant boats in bread crumbs, frying them in a hot pan of canola oil.
Everyone in the family liked them—even those who aren't so into hot foods. The sweet, soft flesh of the pepper balanced well with the smooth, mellow cream cheese, and the little ranch dressing drizzled on top provided a welcome, all-too-familiar tang for our Midwestern palates. The pepper set up for the sweet heft of the pulled pork was appreciated by all, a wonderful start to another successful summer meal.
In this instance, I learned that the farmer's market affords me yet another pleasure, the possibility to re-imagine, to assist a food in making a transition, from one form or context, to another. And, I can guarantee that his won't be the last time I re-imagine bar food as farm fare!
Jalepeno Poppers
Ingredients
—One dozen jalepeno peppers
—One brick counter-softened cream cheese
—Bread crumbs ( 2 TBS ought to be more than enough )
—Canola oil
1. Cut off stem top and remove all ribs and seeds from the jalepeno peppers.
2. Using a knife, fill with softened cream cheese.
3. Roll in bread crumbs, making sure to keep patting the cream cheese top with crumbs until it is fully coated.
4. Pour about an inch of oil into a skillet and heat over medium-high heat on the stove. Toss in a droplet of water to check the temperature—when it spatters with venom, the oil is ready.
5. Using tongs, place the peppers into the hot oil. Let fry on one side for four to five minutes. Rolle the peppers over with the tongs for another 4-5 minutes or until the outer skin exhibits bits of brown.
6. Remove and drain on paper towel.
7. Serve with ranch dressing and a warning: contents may be temperature hot and heat hot. It's a jalepeno popper and you never know what you're gonna get!
