Saint Patrick's Day in Roswell & Alpharetta

No. No we aren't. 

So St. Patrick's Day is coming up on Monday. Or the day everyone pretends to be annoyingly Irish, whatever you want to call it. I'm not a big fan of noise and crowds and cultural appropriation, so I'll be staying in that night. But if you thrive on crowds, here are some nearby to celebrate. These places will probably have specials going all weekend too.

• Mac McGee's in the historic district is a clean, friendly neighborhood bar with Old World trappings. The food is good and the drinks tasty. If I didn't already have my neighborhood watering hole picked out at The Roswell Tap, I'd be over here all the time. It's welcome addition to Canton street. As an Irish bar, it will definitely be doing up the big day in style.
• 
  
• Just around the corner, the aforementioned Roswell Tap is throwing their annual party. Expect live music and a special Irish themed menu on Friday. You can read my review here.
• 
  
• Over in Crabapple, the Olde Blind Dog Pub has drink specials as well. Sadly, I've never been there, so you'll have to tell me about it.
• 
  
• Harp Irish Pub over by the Publix on Old Alabama is also open for the party. I've only been once and that was years ago. I remember it being a little shabby. But there's always a line out the door for St. Patrick's day, so they must be doing something right.

Any other places I'm missing? Tell me in the comments. 

Like my poorly lit iPhone pictures? I'm on Flickr now!  And you can like me on Facebook!

Supporting North Fulton Community Charities

As the weather gets cold and our thoughts turn to holiday giving, I wanted to take a moment and give attention to North Fulton Community Charities. For 30 years NFCC has supported families in need through out north Fulton. Not only do they run the theft shop on Elkins Road, but they organize a food bank, emergency assistance, winter coat drive and sponsor individual families for holidays. They even have a job assistance program. With federal benefits programs like SNAP being cut recently, needy families are counting more than ever on organizations like NFCC for help.

So what can we do to help? Here at Northside Foods Amalgamated Industries, we are frequent patrons of NFCC. Any time I clean out a closet, I set aside items we don't need anymore to donate to their thrift shop. We also shop there for deals on stuff that can be up cycled, like furniture and clothing.  When we have extra canned goods, they go to the food bank there. It's not much, but a little help is better than none, right?

NFCC anticipates serving over 1300 families in Roswell, Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Milton and Mountain Park this holiday season. These could be our neighbors, friends or co-workers. You never really know who needs a helping hand in our community. I'm setting a goal for myself of donating a few items every week to NFCC between now and January 1st.

NFCC is just one of many food banks and community assistance programs. Even if you aren't in my neighborhood, please consider supporting them.

Like my poorly lit iPhone pictures? I'm on Flickr now! And you can like me on Facebook!

Farmer's Market Season is Upon Us

With spring comes fresh vegetables and markets to sell them at. The Alpharetta Market is in full swing and we've been shopping there for a few weeks now. The Roswell Market is about to open this weekend. Unfortunately, we have to skip both as my husband is running the Warrior Dash in Mountain City, and my job is to hold his wallet and look admiringly at him when he jumps over the fire pit.

The Alpharetta Market is doing really well this year. Several meat vendors have joined, so you can now purchase grass fed beef, free range pork and free range buffalo. Atlanta Fresh Creamery also has a booth, along with an ice cream lady and a few other goodies. The farmers aren't as plentiful as they can be at the Roswell market, but I've still managed to find broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, potatoes and more in the last few weeks.

The Roswell Market? Well, I have no idea. Partly because it hasn't opened yet, but also because the City of Roswell doesn't have any kind of serious web presence for the market. They post announcements on the city's website, but they get buried quickly. And this evening, they posted this video on the city's Facebook page. Sigh. The lack of easy to find, updated information on local markets, farmers and other sustainable, hippy food sources is a BIG pet peeve of mine. Is it really that hard to set up a Facebook for your market/farm?

If you are new to shopping at farmer's markets, you might be interested in this guide I wrote a few years ago.

This is not a reasonable amount of greens...

We hit both the Roswell and Alpharetta farmers markets this weekend. I must say, this is the most impressed I've ever been with the Roswell market on a first day. Last year, it was three guys selling cutsey birdhouses and some strawberries that were too ripe. This year, we bought so much food! We bought farm fresh eggs, dinosaur kale, rutabagas, romaine lettuce, strawberries and scallions. We managed to buy a bit from all of our usual farmers and talk to a few new ones as well. Oh and there's now a guy that'll sharpen your knives for you while you shop. I think the Roswell farmers market is finally starting to come together.

We went to the Alpharetta market next to round out our purchases. We got Chinese broccoli, zucchini, cucumbers, broccoli and mustard greens.

Funny story about the mustard greens. The seller said to us. "Two dollars for a sack full" and held up a recycled, plastic grocery sack. We said "Sure!" We like mustard greens, right? And so he filled up the sack all the way to the handles. Woah! So many greens! And then he pushed down, compressing them to the bottom, and filled the sack again! So yeah, definitely got our money's worth on that. We actually have three different kindss of braising greens in our fridge right now. The mustard greens, the dinosaur kale (rawr!) and some collards we bought last week from a grower in Alpharetta.

The plan is to make caldo verde at least once this week. And I have a great recipe for braising greens that I usually do with collards, but I think will go great with any kind of greens. I have a thought of adding greens to a home made tomato sauce and then poaching eggs in it. That's a trick I discovered a couple weeks ago and it's amazing. But other than that, i am wide open as far as meal ideas go. We have so much fresh produce crammed in the fridge right now, the challenge is to eat it all before it rots.

Farmers Market Season

Miss me? I certainly missed you! Since I am determined that this blog will remain a hobby (I have a bad habit of turning interests into all consuming passions and hobbies into second jobs), I sometimes take extended breaks from blogging. Nothing against you all, sometimes I just don't feel like writing here. For half a year. Ahem.

Moving along! I am breaking my silence today to write about the wonders of Farmers Market shopping. The Alpharetta Farmers Market has been open for two weekends now, and is in a new location in the parking lot behind the Publix on Haynes Bridge Road. The Roswell Farmers Market opens this Saturday in it's new location at City Hall. And a new market in Roswell is opening up this week as well called the Green Street Farmers Market. This one will be located in the parking lot of The Swallow at the Hollow on Thursday afternoons from 3-5 PM.

I went to the Alpharetta market on Saturday was greatly impressed with the early season produce. Obviously the brokers and resellers always have good selection, but a few of the growers were out too. I grabbed strawberries, romaine lettuce and collard greens from growers. I also got tomatoes, cucumbers, broccoli, green beans and onions from brokers. I know from asking that the broccoli and tomatoes were locally grown. Not sure about the others.

I'm looking forward to seeing how the Roswell Market works in its new location. The former spot in Riverside park was much closer to us, but parking was awful. I'm intrigued by the Green Street Market. According to a thread from the 285foodies forum, it's going to have some of my favorite vendors from other local markets. But the hours just don't work for me. There's no way I'll be able to get out of work in time to make it before they close. Granted, I'll be done working in a few weeks (I teach middle school.), but I'm sure I'm not the only one with this problem. Here's hoping Caly Road Creamery and Coles Lake Dairy are selling at other markets this year. Otherwise I will be sad.

If you're new to Farmers Markets, I wrote a short guide to them last year. EcoSalon has a list of the top ten mistakes made by Farmers Market N00bs, which is useful. If you like controversy, the Wall Street Journal has an article about brokers verses growers at Farmers Markets. Personally, I prefer to buy directly from growers when I can. But the brokers at the local markets are all small, locally owned and operated businesses, several of which purchase directly from local farms. So I feel no pain at giving them my business.

Well, that should be enough to keep you busy for a few days.

New Year's Day Brunch

So for those you planning to go out for brunch tomorow (I'm not one of you. I just finished assembling a lovely ham, spinach, cheese strata. It looks cold and dreary and I'm not planning to leave the house until spring.), here's a quick guide to area brunch offerings.

First up! Da' Cajun Kitchen!

I like this place, I honestly do. But it's not my favorite breakfast option, no matter how personable and friendly I find the owners. They do an awesome lunch though. But if you want fast and cheap, go for it. They serve authentic New Orleans style breakfast, complete with beignet and cafe au lait. The beignet are beautiful. Soft, pillowy hunks of fried dough mounded high with powdered sugar. Yum. Better than donuts for breakfast in my book.



Next... Artisan Foods!

I've only eaten here once, and that was a quick stop in for a breakfast sandwich on my way elsewhere. But it has rave reviews from others, so I'm comfortable including it. My breakfast sandwich was scrambled eggs, bacon and cheddar cheese on a house made croissant. The eggs were soft, but not mushy. The bacon was thick and crisp, and my cheese was so hot it burned my hand. They must've brought it to me right off the stove. Amazingly delicious.




The Red Hen!

This is a really solid place for breakfast. The service is excellent and the food is great. My favorite is the huevos rancheros, which are crispy tortillas topped with chorizo and eggs. It's a great mix of textures and flavors.



And finally, because I don't plan to be here all night, J. Christophers.

This is a local chain, with locations in both Roswell and Alpharetta. The Roswell is my favorite location, because it's in a historic building that predates the Civil War and is supposedly haunted. Breakfasts here are okay, but nothing special. I tend to end up here if i can't get to one of my other favorites. But the food is delicious. Nothing is standing out to me, but I haven't eaten there in almost a year. But they tend to be fast and they handle groups well.

Figo

I think I've mentioned before, that the more often I visit a restaurant, the less likely it is I'll post about it here. I have no idea why. But I'm trying to break that habit by posting about one of my current favorites.

Figo is a locally owned chain of made to order pasta. You walk up to the counter and select your choice of noodle and freshly made sauce. The variety is good and all sauces are from fresh ingredients, so far as I can tell. They've also got a great selection of fresh salads. I frequently go there and just order the caprese salad for my meal. My husband's favorite appetizer is a platter of fried seafood and zucchini with a tangy dip. The batter on the seafood is light and crunchy, not greasy.

My only complaint, is that the service at the Alpharetta location is frequently inattentive, bordering on nonexistent. I've poured ice water in my lap, and had to go searching for my own napkins when I was seated next to the service station. On our last visit, our drinks arrived at the table barely moments before our food. But when you can get their attention, the staff is friendly, polite, and willing to answer almost any question. And the food is tasty enough that I'm willing to put up with their inattention. I can't be the only one that thinks so, since they are busy almost every night of the week.

If you go, I highly recommend the Amatriciana sauce, which is a freshly made tomato sauce laced with smokey pancetta. Or try the rich, meaty Ragu’ alla Bolognese over whole wheat penne, for a very filling meal. My husband swears by the sausage and peppers over linguini. the gnocchi are a little gummy for my taste, but the ravioli are delicious with any sauce. This is a place where it really pays to explore the menu and mix and match.

Shopping the Farmers Markets

I have a friend, who is interested in shopping the farmer's markets this year. So we took him with us on our weekly prowl, and I thought I'd post some of my strategies here as well. There was also great article in the Chicago Tribune that I found recently, that has some great ideas too.

From blog

First, get there early. Remember in "Ratatouille" when Collette is yelling about the first pick of the day? This is how you get it. It's not like Publix where they've got another hundred cases in the back, once they run out, they run out. At the Riverside market in Roswell, I've only managed to buy fresh eggs once, because he's always out by the time I make it there. Last year, I missed out on Georgia blueberries several times because I couldn't get there fast enough. I like to walk through the market once, before buying anything, looking for the best deals and at what's in today.

From blog

Next, bring bags. Most of the vendors will have thin plastic bags. Some of them are reused bags, some are new. However, it lowers their costs if you provide your own packaging. So I bring my own cloth bags. Also, you want to bring cash. none of the vendors in Roswell or Alpharetta are set up to take debit cards. We usually bring $40 and we spend it all. And you'll make them very happy if you can bring some fives or some singles.

From blog

Don't be afraid to ask what something is, or how to prepare it. I've learned alot of new ways to prepare vegetables since e started going to the markets. I as an infrequent consumer of collards, for example, and beets never made it into my bag. I only knew to simmer collards with onion and ham. And god knows what you did with a beet. Now I know a couple different ways to prepare both of these, because I asked.

Also, you'll want to spend some time prepping your veggies when you get home. We're all used to the convenience of pre-washed and chopped bag o' salad at the grocery store. You have to make this yourself. So right now I have a colander of sorrel rinsed and draining in my sink. Later on, I'll put it in a container, or bag and store it in the fridge, ready to throw in a salad or stir fry. It also helps them fit in the fridge a bit better. I always have trouble with that. Everything will last longer than you'd think. Its fresh from the ground, instead of being hauled across the country on a truck for a week, or flown in from South America. But if you don't get it into a form you'll use, then it doesn't matter how fresh it is.

From blog

You really have to embrace vegetables if you're going to shop at the Farmers Market. They become the star of the show, rather than the accompaniment. We're eating alot of salads and veggie stir fries right now, and grilling squash and peppers outdoors.

If you want an idea of when certain things will be available, you can always ask the vendors, or you can check out this very handy interactive map by Epicurious that will give you an idea of what's available this month. It also includes links to recipes, which can be very helpful when dealing with a glut of unfamilar veggies.

From blog

The Riverside Farmers Market in Roswell will be closed next weekend for the holiday. However, the Alpharetta Farmers Market will be open for business.

Northside Farmer's Markets Up and Running

The Roswell and Alpharetta Farmer's Markets have been up and running now for a couple weeks. I have pictures of both, but I can't find the USB cable that goes with my camera, so you'll have to wait to see to them.

The Alpharetta market has been open for about a month now, and has plenty of produce available. Not all the vendors I recall from last summer are there yet, but a good many are. It's not all locally produced, but it's fresh and great quality. I've also picked up some local honey and some very tasty jams.

The Roswell Market is more of a growers market, and therin lies the problem with it. The growers aren't there yet. I've managed to buy fresh strawberries two weeks in a row, and fresh herbs, but there's really nothing else available, produce wise. There are some adorable arts and crafts though, and Emily G's Jam of Love is there every weekend. If last year's pattern holds, it'll be like this until later in the season, when the real harvest season starts.

Slice

A group of us went out to Slice on Friday, where I got more practice with my camera.

From blog

Seared tuna appetizer that the table shared. This was my favorite of the three we passed around. The tuna was rich and buttery and perfectly seared. I really love how it's plated too, with drizzles of ponzu dipping sauce and siracha hot sauce.

We also ordered fritters stuffed lump crab meat and risotto rice, which were very good. I loved the contrast between the crunch of the outside and the soft interior. There was a red pepper hummus as well, which I didn't like that much. It was oddly flavorless to me. I suspect I'm spoiled by the intensly garlicky hummus I get at Veranda.

From blog

A salad of greens, with Asian pears, walnuts and goat cheese. This belonged to someone else, so no first hand experience with it. However, the owner of that plate said it was delicious.

From blog

My husband ordered this one. Spinach salad with chopped hard boiled egg, panchetta, tomatoes, red onions and balsamic vinaigrette. This is a classic and almost impossible to screw up. I love the "bacon wheel" of the panchetta. Since his food is my food, I got a bite of this and immediately wished I'd ordered one too.

From blog

Gah. I hate how blurry this is. Anyways, it's the meatloaf. It's HUGE. The beef is locally raised, grass fed and so full of flavor. There's red bell pepper in this too, which I don't do in my meatloaf, but was pretty tasty.

From blog

Didn't order this one, so no report on taste. It's scallops and risotto. My eating buddy Jeff said it was delicious though. I think I'll order this next time.

From blog

This is what I ordered. Have I mentioned I'm on a diet? I didn't feel left out though, as I love French onion soup. It was very rich and smooth, one of the best I've had. And I got to order dessert guilt free. (Please, no one post in the comments about French onion soup is 98% lard or anything like that. I like my illusions.)

Speaking of dessert...

From blog

Chocolate Crunch Cake. Yum.

From blog

White Chocolate Raspberry Cake. Drool.

From blog

Coca Cola Cake. All the desserts come from Lulu's Bakery in Alpharetta, and I always consider this their signiture dessert. It seems like every place around here that carries Lulu's desserts has this one. And oddly enough, I've never tried it. I'll need to address that at some point.

From blog

Snickers Cheesecake. Yes, those are real chunks of Snicker bar on top.

From blog

And this is mine, Andes mint cheesecake. Well worth skipping the meatloaf and prime rib everyone else was swilling.

Slice also has a great wine and beer list. I had a fantastic red with my meal that I'd recomend if I could recall it's name. It was a varietal I hadn't had before, which is why I chose it. The atmosphere is great as well. The downstairs is like swanky club, with blue lights and a large bar dominating. Upstairs is a quiet dining room, full of warm colors and subdued lighting. It's quite cozy. When the weather gets nice again, I like to eat out in the gazebo next to the koi pond.

I highly recomend this place for an evening out for good food and good drinks.

Farmers Market Comeback

The local farmer's markets are rallying for a brief comeback this month.

First up this weekend, the Riverside Farmers market will be back for Saturday only. I'm unsure of the times, because I've lost my flyer with the information and Google is no help to me. But if I find out, I'll be sure to let you know. Sadly, I don't think I can make it. I have tickets to see King Tut at the Civic Center for my birthday.

Next weekend, the Alpharetta Farmer's Market (who has their own, updated website. Just sayin') will do a special "holiday market" from noon to 5PM. I'm pretty sure I can make that, despite a crazy full holiday schedule creeping up on me.

Sushi Night!

Last night was Sushi Night, something of a tradition in my circle of friends. There is no set day or time for Sushi Night. Someone will just put out a call that says "Sushi Night. What time do you want to meet?" There is never any question of where. For the last several years it has been Sushi Zutto, an under appreciated gem of the north side.

One of my secret foodie dreams is to walk into a sushi bar and request omakase. Omakase is a Japanese word that translates roughly as "We are in your hands". It's a request to the chef to decide what you'll be eating that. The experience is supposed to be excellent, giving you a chance to sample the true artistry of the chef. However, I'm always a bit afraid to try. I'm too picky of an eater to just eat what ever's set in front of me. If I ever get enough nerve, I'll do it at Sushi Zutto. After so many years of coming, I think they know me well enough now to not put anything too challenging in front of me.

Last night was a fairly typical night for us. As we're regulars, they had my husband's water and my mug of green tea on the table before we even sat down. We always order from their all you can eat menu, which is a great value for only $16.95 per person. The all you can eat menu has all the standard selections from a typical Americanized sushi bar. The menu, which I've only glanced at a few times, has a few teryiaki dishes and some more adventurous selections. Unlike many all you can eat places, each order is made fresh just for you. When they are busy, the rolls ca be a bit sloppily done, but usually they are nice and firm with quality ingredients.

The crappy camera phone picture above is of a raw tuna salad they brought us to try last night. Chopped raw tuna, garnished with minced onion, garlic, fish roe and dressed with a vinegrette that tasted strongly of sesame oil. The tuna is fresh and creamy in texture. The roe pops nicely in your mouth, and the onions and garlic crunch. It's a beautiful dish.

This is a restaurant that I take sushi novices to, to introduce them to their first California rolls and sashimi slices. I also take sushi veterans there to sample... whatever that thing is that they are eating. I don't pretend to be a sushi expert by any means. I just know what I like and I like Sushi Zutto.

Farmer's Markets Winding Down

The local farmer's markets are starting to wind down now.

The Riverside Farmers Market in Roswell will run until October 25. It's definitely starying to wind down now, but several growers are still bringing some great late summer/early fall crops. I've been eating apples from Native American Farms in Dahlongah all week, and their squash and peppers look fantastic.

The Alpharetta Farmer's Market lists it's closing date as simply "October". Since this is my first run through with them, I suppose that means it'll close up when ever the growers stop showing up. Hanson Farms and Yang Farms both had great looking, locally grown produce when i was last there on the 6th.

It's time to start seriously looking at alternatives for produce, I think.

Around Town

I've been seriously neglecting the restaurant scene lately. So before I go to bed tonight, here's a few quick bites. Oh, and about halfway through writing this, I realized that Chrome's spellchecker wasn't on tonight, so I switched back over to Firefox 3.whatever. So you should all feel very glad you are wading through my near illiterate, unchecked writings.

*Red Salt is now open. I've been eagerly awaiting it since I saw it under cobstruction several months ago. It's taking over the old Canton Street Cafe space in downtown Roswell and is owned by the same people as The Little Alley tapas resturant, also in Roswell. The concept is "gastropub", which is the hot trendy thing in dining right now. It's already got a rave review from The Roswell Neighbor (who actually has a professional reviewer, so yay!) and word on the street is that it's already packed. I'll try to slip in there for lunch sometime this month and check it out. We did peek in the door last weekend and are already impressed with what they've done with space.

*Katie's Bakery is also now open. This is taking the place of the late, lamented Sunrise Cafe on Holcomb Bridge Road. I tried to stop in for lunch last week, but my dining companion got a very urgent phonecall and we had to leave right after out orders were placed. We're planning a redo tomorow, so I'll probably post about it soon. But from what I saw, I was very pleased. Very moderately priced selections for both lunch and breakfast and the complimentary blueberry muffin we snacked on as we ordered was excellent.

*Tip O' The Hat today to the Blissful Glutton, who points us in the direction of an amazing opportunity at The Village Tavern.

Beginning Sunday, Sept. 7 and continuing throughout September, diners can select any of Village Tavern’s hand-cut steaks, including Filet Mignon, Ribeye and New York Strip, and receive a complimentary steak of equal or lesser value, garden salad and baked potato every Sunday after 4 p.m. Corporate Executive Chef Mary Grace Viado, whose recipes have earned her a Governor’s Award in Alabama, uses only the finest ingredients in Village Tavern’s signature Steak Au Poivre and Filet Mignon, both available in eight and 10 ounce servings. The menu also features Certified Angus Beef Prime Rib, New York Strip, Top Sirloin and Ribeye, offering the exact steak to please every guest’s palate. Each steak is served with a garden salad and each guest’s choice of side item, ranging from loaded baked potato and French fries to sautéed vegetables. When perfectly paired with a glass of wine from Village Tavern’s extensive and award-winning wine list or one of the unique specialty martinis and cocktails, this steak special is sure to help everyone’s week start on a high note. Village Tavern’s wide-ranging menu also features fresh fish, pasta, chicken, pizzas, burgers and an array of salads, appetizers and sandwiches, but guests are advised to leave room for delicious desserts!

Village Tavern is located on Westside Parkway, one block north of the Haynes Bridge Road at 11555 Rainwater Drive, Alpharetta, GA 30004. The restaurant serves lunch Monday through Friday, dinner seven days a week and Sunday brunch. For more information and to see Village Tavern’s wide-ranging menu, award-winning wine list and unique selection of signature cocktails, please visit www.villagetavern.com or call 770.777.6490.

It's been awhile since I've made it to The Village Tavern, but it's an excellent, high quality restaurant. They aren't the best and they aren't fancy and definitely not creative. But everything they do is executed with a quiet competence. Steaks are what they do best, so I know where I plan to be this Sunday.

Well, I've got as trip to the Riverside Farmer's Market tomorrow, and hopefully a return trip to Katie's, so I'm off to bed.

Finally! A CSA...oh wait...

A few weeks ago, I finally found a Community Supported Agriculture box we could subscribe to. Laurie and Will from Moore Family Farms in Alabama collect products from around Georgia, Tennesee and Alabama, then redistribute them at various metro Atlanta drop off points. It seems like a pretty slick operation, actually. They offer both "Farmer's Pick" standardized produce boxes, as well as an option to create your own custom order. They also allow you to order weekly, rather than a yearly subscription, and list that week's produce on their site. It's very customer friendly.

They canceled their Alpharetta drop off point shortly after I discovered them and before I could try them, but according to their website they'll have a new one soon. This seems more like custom ordered groceries than a true CSA, but I'm not going to argue with it. Why can't locally produced food be just as convenient as shopping at Publix?

Again, I haven't personally tried this service, so I can't recommend it. Not just because of the lack of neighborhood pick up, but because we're getting great produce from the local farmer's markets right now. Does anyone out there have experience to share?

Alpharetta Farmer's Market- FYI

The Alpharetta Farmer's Market is going to be closed tomorow, since thwy are holding some sort of event in that area. However, the Roswell Farmer's Market at Riverside Park will be open and has some great stuff. So if you're looking for fresh produce, I expect to see you there. It's open from 8AM till noon.

Alpharetta Farmer's Market

In our attempt to find decent produce we can actually afford, we've been keeping a weather eye on the local farmer's markets. Roswell open one up in May right around the corner from us in Riverside Park. But when we went there, there was absolutely no produce. There were fresh flowers, a local bakery, local honey and crafts, but no actual produce. That's sort of insane, in my opinion. The excuse given was that with weather and gas prices being what they are right now, the growers were waiting until they had big loads before they started coming.

So this weekend, we made a trip over to the Alpharetta Farmer's Market. We'd made a quick visit there about a month ago and had seen a tiny amount of produce in, so we assumed that by now there would be a great selection. We weren't wrong.



We got a pound of cucumbers, a green bell pepper, a big head of broccoli, corn on the cob, a pound of peaches, garlic bulbs and a half pound of something called Dragon Tongue beans. We also bought a seedless watermelon and a spice mix from a local spice shop. All this was less than thirty dollars. Considering how short on fresh produce we've been lately because of how much it costs at the grocery store, I think we got a pretty good deal.

I'm particularly interested in the Dragon Tongue beans.



We bought those from Hanson Farm in Cumming, Georgia. They also had a beautiful variety of heirloom tomatoes and other veggies. They are supposed to taste quite a bit like string beans and I plan to sauté these just like I would a green bean.

We hope to start shopping at the Roswell Farmer's Market soon. After all, it's practically within walking distance for us. We'd love to support this market so that it thrives and grows. But scarcity of produce is a killer. I think part of what's preventing it from growing is Roswell's stipulation that all vendors must be from within 100 miles of the market. While I'm all for local food, I'm not sure how many potential vendors there might be in that radius who aren't already committed to being in Alpharetta Saturday mornings.

I'd also like to see one or both of the markets start offering a CSA box program. I think having guaranteed buyers like that would help encourage them to bring their produce to market earlier in the season. Of course, I'm new to the economics of sustainable farming, so I could be completely wrong. It would be nice to know if it's being considered though.

I've been so bad this weekend

And Field Good has greatly contributed to my food sins. This is a French bistro that's opened recently in Alpharetta. My husband went there for lunch on Friday, and insisted on going back on Saturday after a quick trip to the Alpharetta Farmers Market.

I started off so good, ordering the Asian shrimp salad, which they were out of. So I got the crab salad with avocado instead. This was heavenly. It was a nice chunky crab salad on a bed of greens with chopped tomatoes and avocados and a balsamic vinaigrette. My husband had a grilled vegetable panini. Friends that joined us for lunch had hot ham and cheese sandwiches on baguette, and croque monsier. Croque monsier is a ham and cheese sandwich, toasted, the topped with bechamel sauce and cheese, then popped under a broiler until it's brown and crispy.

The problem came with dessert. As all French bistros should, it had a dizzying array of beautiful crafted desserts. It was almost impossible to choose one. I finally ended up with a little dome of chocolate raspberry mousse covered in dark chocolate ganache. I should have brought my camera. It was beautiful. My husband had a miniature peach tart. They had many other desserts too, including a tempting array of pies, pastries and other mousses.

I was surprised that the sandwiches and salads weren't fresh made. Instead, you picked them out of a refrigerator case and they were warmed or topped as needed. But the guy behind the counter (with his French accent) was very willing to jump out and help you make selections and explain unfamiliar menu items.

It doesn't seem like many people have found this gem yet, despite glowing reviews in the AJC and multiple awards from the Taste of Alpharetta festival. I don't think that will last long though. This place has amazing food.

I definitely want to go back and sample more of the menu, including the croque monsier, which sounds so good it should be illegal. I think this will probably turn into our standard dessert stop after an evening out with friends.

Good Barbeque is a Wonderful Thing Indeed

We were running errands today in Alpharetta, so the husband and I decided to drop by Smokejack for lunch. I'd seen a recent review in the AJC and I've wanted to try it since. This is definitely a place I'll go back to. The decor was clean and simple. The service was friendly and attentive. The food was very good.

We started with an appetizer of pimento cheese served with grilled flat bread, saltine crackers and celery sticks. Pimento cheese, or "Pumenah" cheese to pronounce it correctly, is a southern delicacy I never encountered, much less heard of, before I moved to Georgia. Before then, my only experience with pimentos was picking them out the nightmare inducing Oscar Meyer pimento olive loaf my mom bought at the grocery store in Salt Lake City. The idea of mixing those vile things with sharp cheddar cheese and actually eating it completely baffled me.

For those of you that live outside the American South, pimento cheese is this wonderful spread made from freshly grated cheddar cheese, smoky pimentos, and mayo. Sometimes cream is added, or onions, or hot sauce. There's as many versions as there are southern cooks. Smokejack's pimento cheese is rich with finely grated cheese, large chunks of pimento and cream cheese. It melts beautifly across the warm flat bread and pairs well with the salty crackers.

My husband order the beef brisket platter with collards and mashed potatoes. The collards were perfect. Soft, without being mushy and laced with a delicate smoky flavor. His brisket was tender and smoky, if a bit overly sauced. I'm of the opinion that the meat ought to stand on its own, without being smothered in sauce. The sauce was excellent though. It was a good balance between tangy and sweet.

I ordered a pulled pork sandwich with tomatoes and cucumbers on the side. My sandwich came with a Carolina style mustard based sauce in the side. Again, the meat, while tender, didn't have enough flavor to stand on its own. However, the mustard sauce more than made up for that. My tomatoes and cucumbers were delicious. This is one of my all time favorite salads. Just chopped tomatoes, cucumbers and onions in a mix of vinegar and olive oil. I believe there was a touch of balsamic in the dressing, along with the more traditional white or red wine. It was very tasty and I could have eaten a mixing bowl of it.

It doesn't compare to my all time favorite BBQ joint, The Swallow at the Hollow, but I think it's miles above any of the chains around here. If I'm over in the part of town again, or just in the mood for something different, we'll go back.