University Eats

Every January local farmers and gardeners, in defiance of winter’s deadening chill, pack the Harmony School’s gymnasium for the winter farmers market put on by the Local Grower’s Guild. The first day of the market’s season was last Saturday, so I walked over there to see what I could find.
 
The market has a great selection of winter greens, such as chard and kale, and some more tender greens like pea shoots and spinach. Turnips, beets and potatoes were in abundance. I ended up buying a head of “living lettuce,” which is sold with the roots still attached and stored in a bowl of shallow water. My particular variety is butter lettuce, known as such because of its glossy, floppy leaves and slight buttery flavor. I also bought a cilantro plant, even though there wasn’t a great selection. I’ve just missed my favorite herb since my old plant died a few months ago. There were some meats, mostly ground beef, but dairy products were more common. Trader’s Point Creamery in Zionsville and Meadow Valley Farm in Rockville were represented.

Meadow Valley specializes in raw cheeses, which are made with unpasteurized milk. If you want to try raw milk cheese, local farmers markets are the best place to get it, since federal law prohibits its transport across state lines. Don’t expect to get fresh cheese either – the law also stipulates the cheese be aged 60 days. Raw cheese proponents claim it’s healthier and tastes better than regular cheese, but I really can’t tell the difference with the Gouda I bought.

Other goods you’ll encounter at the market include those ubiquitous honey straws, home-brewed hot sauces and hand-crafted floral arrangements. Fresh pies and other baked goods, as well as tamales, are at hand if you just can’t wait until you get home to taste the farmers market’s bounty.

I’ve given my macaroni and cheese recipe before – in my very first column, in fact – but if you want a different take, try this version with Gouda instead of American cheese.  

Makes one serving:
1/2 cup of dry macaroni noodles
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/8 tsp. red pepper
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
4 cranks of ground black pepper
2 oz. Velveeta or similar cheese
2 oz. Gouda cheese
1/2 cup milk
1 tbsp. butter

Put the chopped onions in while you’re boiling the macaroni. Meanwhile, let the milk simmer, then add the cheese and spices all at once to the cooked and drained macaroni. Let the mixture sit on a low setting until everything is melted together. You can add more or less red and black pepper and paprika depending on how spicy you want it.