Just a heads up - it’s that time of year again!  If you are in the Madison, Wisconsin area and you are starting to plan your Farmers Market season, http://CookingOutOfTheBox.com is here to help!  Check out the 2008 season listing here!

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The day started out dismally, with a cold breeze and even colder termperatures. I had previously had plans of making a light, grilled meal comprised of spring vegetables and grilled chicken, but as the day moved forward I couldn’t shake the cold feeling in my bones and in search of comfort food I went.

Enter Carbonara.

I’ve written about Carbonara before. It’s a rich, filling pasta treatment which will never be mistaken for health food, but, you know, sometimes you just need it - even if you have to behave yourself for a week to make up for it. I had gone to our local Italian deli, Fraboni’s, this weekend and as usual had spent an ungodly amount of money there, so I had much of what I needed on hand to make this. I had picked up a nice orecchiette pasta, some spicy imported pancetta (sliced into thick slabs, pefect for dicing), and a grated blend of romano and parmesan cheeses (a staple in my fridge). I combined it with some frozen peas (still no peas in my CSA box) and with fresh ramps.

Pasta Carbonara with Pancetta, Peas and Ramps:

1/2 pound pancetta, diced (substitute bacon if you wish)
Olive Oil
1 bunch ramps, bulbs sliced (substitute onion and garlic if no ramps are on hand)
Red Pepper flakes - to taste
3 eggs
3 egg yolks
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup grated parmesan/romano cheese
Grated pepper to taste
1 lb pasta
1 cup frozen peas
1 bunch scallions, bulbs and greens sliced

Warm a tablespoon of olive oil to a deep sautee pan. Add diced pancetta and sautee until crisp. Add ramps and red pepper flakes to taste, turn heat to low, stir occasionally, as needed.

In a large bowl, whisk eggs and egg yolks together well. Add cream, grated cheese and pepper. Whisk again. Set aside (this can be done ahead of all other steps, leaving egg mixture to come close to room temperature).

Cook pasta per instructions. As pasta completes, add peas to the boiling water and cook with the pasta for 2 - 3 minutes. Drain cooked pasta, reserving some water. Add pasta and peas to bacon mixture. Stir until incorporated through.

Add hot pasta and bacon into bowl with egg mixture. The heat should cook the eggs through. If sauce becomes too thick or gummy, add some of the reserved pasta water to thin it out. Toss scallions into mixture.

Pour into pasta serving bowl.

Popularity: 20% [?]

Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Ramp, Scallion and Mustard Sauce

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It’s early spring in Wisconsin, and if you get a CSA produce box, chances are that you are also getting ramps. I’m always looking for ways to incorporate ramps into my cooking for the very limited time that they are available. You can read about ramps, and what they are here, if you are interested.I picked up a nice pork tenderloin at the only place that I can bring myself to buy them, Jenifer Street Market. They sell real pork tenderloin, not a tenderloin that has been injected with so many additives and solutions that you can no longer recognize what it is that you are eating. While I was there, I also picked up some Nueske’s bacon. This is the best bacon in the world, trust me!

I wrapped the tenderloin in the smoky bacon and seared it in an ovenproof pan. I added ramps and scallions, including the greens, to the pan, then finished it off in the oven until cooked through. While the tenderloin rested, I deglazed the pan with chicken stock and mustard, tossed some greens with the sauce, sliced up the pork and served it over the greens.

Fast, flavorful, and healthy.

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A couple of weeks ago I mused about making a Ramp Pesto. I posted this in the blog mainly so that I wouldn’t forget about it. Since that posting I keep getting lots and lots of hits from people searching for Ramp Pesto. Who knew?

So this weekend I made a foray to the Dane County Farmers Market and picked up some extra ramps, some green garlic, and some scallions and I decided to combine it all into a pesto sauce.

Ramp, Scallion and Green Garlic Pesto: (Sorry, I don’t really measure, I just add oil, nuts and cheese until it is the right consistency).

- 1 Bunch Ramps - bulbs and greens roughly chopped
- 1 Bunch Scallions - bulbs and greens roughly chopped
- 1 Bunch Green Garlic - bulbs and greens roughly chopped
- Olive Oil
- Grated Parmesan Cheese
- Pine Nuts
- Salt

Put ramps, garlic and scallions in a food processor and process until well chopped. Add olive oil as process or is running until near desired consistancy. Add cheese, pine nuts and salt and chop again. Add olive oil as needed.

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I have been spending a lot of time working on my Cooking Out of the Box blog. It is a blog dedicated to the challenge involved in the participation in a Community Supported Agriculture program (CSA). Why is that taking a priority in my life? Because we get our first box this weekend! It’s been a really long winter, and I can’t wait to get the fresh, organic produce box each week.

In addition to CSA-related info, this blog will also discuss farmers’ markets, etc. In fact, I have replicated my latest post here (which won’t become habit, trust me… so go visit Cooking Out Of The Box now, and bookmark it!)

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There are a multitude of Farmer’s Markets in the Dane County and Madison, Wisconsin area. I hit most of them at some point, and many of them every single week. The beauty of having so many readily available locations scattered throughout the area is that you can pick things up as you need them, without a broad game plan in place with each one that you hit.

Each market has a unique personality of it’s own. Needless to say, that personality changes throughout the growing season as well. As the season goes on, I’ll highlight these markets individually. But here’s my master list of local Farmer’s Markets, with links to each of their sites if they are available.

Don’t see one of your favorite markets listed below? Drop me a comment and I’ll be glad to add it!

Madison Farmer’s Markets:

• Dane County Farmer’s Market: The Granddaddy of all farmer’s markets, this is held on the capital square every Saturday, from the end of April until the beginning of November. It is open from 6AM - 2PM. On Wednesdays there is a mini version, which holds court on Martin Luther King Jr Blvd. Those hours are from 8AM until 2PM.
• East Side Farmer’s Market: 201 S. Ingersoll Street, Tuesdays from 4PM - 7PM
• Hilldale Farmer’s Market: Hilldale Shopping Mall, Wednesday & Saturday, 7AM - 2PM
• North Side Farmer’s Market: Corner of North Sherman and Northport Dr. Sundays 8:30AM - 12:30PM
• South Madison Farmer’s Market: Tuesdays (2PM - 6PM) & Saturdays (9AM - 2PM) at the Labor Temple on Park Street; Thursdays (2PM - 6PM) at Villager Mall on Park Street.
• West Side Community Market: Saturdays, 7AM - 1PM, Sheboygan Ave & Segoe Rd.

Area Farmer’s Markets:

• Fitchburg Farmer’s Market: Thursdays, 3PM - 6PM, Corner of Fish Hatcher & E. Cheryl Parkway.
• McFarland Farmer’s Market: Thursdays, 2PM - 6PM, 5724 Farwell Street
• Monona Farmer’s Market: Sundays, 9AM - 1PM, Ahuska Park, East Broadway
• Oregon Farmer’s Market: Tuesdays, 2:30 PM - 5:30 PM, Waterman Triangle Park
• Stoughton Farmer’s Market: Fridays, 7A - 1PM, Plaza Shopping Center, W. Main St.
• Sun Prairie Farmer’s Market: Saturdays, 7AM - Noon, 300 E. Main St.
• Waunakee Farmer’s Market: Wednesdays, 3PM - 6PM, Waun-a-bowl parking lot

Popularity: 10% [?]