The farmer’s markets in my neck of the woods are at their peak, harvesting all sorts of goodies and selling out to long lines of anxious customers waiting with baited breath to succumb to their favorite fall flavors.
Last week I made the voyage to the Wednesday Park City Farmer’s Market—’cause I can do that now that I work for myself—with my friend Kelley of Mountain Mama Cooks. It is exactly the type of market I absolutely love: Plenty of local vendors showcasing the very best in food that Utah has to offer with the emphasis on fresh farmed goods while keeping the homemade good vendors at respectable ratio.
Kelley led the charge sharing all of her favorite vendors and pointing out the good ones: “This guy has THE BEST peaches and nectarines in the state”—to the shysters: “He says he’s selling you sorrel, and its a premium price, but its mostly mixed greens.” Buyer beware.
As we strolled past freshly canned jams, fresh pacific seafood (in Utah? YES!) and loads of tomatoes, we came across “the best corn ever.” Needless to say I loaded my canvas bag with a half dozen ears for my corn obsessed husband. And Kelley was right, it was sweet, tender and delish and I instantly had a plan for the dinner table.
We grilled half of the ears to eat with our go-to dinner of Chicken Burgers with Pasilla Peppers and Chipotle Ketchup. With the remaining ears, I stripped them clean and made my new favorite veggie sauté, Smoked Paprika Corn and Bacon and served it up with simple grilled chicken breasts—on the bone for max flavor—and a quick green salad. Jump over and give the recipe a go.
- 4 strips bacon, cut into ¼″ slices
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 4 ears fresh corn, kernels removed from the husk
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon fresh chives, snipped into ¼″ pieces
- Fry sliced bacon in a skillet. Transfer from pan to a plate covered with a paper towel. Reserve 1 tablespoon of bacon fat in skillet and add butter. Add corn, paprika and salt and toss to coat. Cook for 4-5 minutes. Add chives and serve.
Before we get to my Friday Faves, I’m putting together October’s Food Blog Calendar. If you have something of note that you’d like to add—besides your birthday *wink—e-mail, DM me or leave a comment below.
And now, what I liked this past week:
1. MacKenzie’s blog just got added to my RSS feed and my pants are already feeling tighter just at the mere thought of it. My BLT grilled cheese might get moved right out of the family favorites position once I make MacKenzie’s grilled cheese breakfast sand with, ahem, tater tots!
2. I’m pretty good about making a a note of what to buy when I hit the grocery store, but when inspiration strikes and I discover gorgeous beets but can’t remember what else I need to make borscht, it will be awesome to be able to check my recipe box on the go making my mobile phone app download of the week from ZipList. (via Taste and Tell)
3. Jenny proves that tomato soup can show up in the most unexpected—and Andy Warholian—places. Chocolate Cake anyone?
4. Oh yes, I so pinned this because Jen just had to go there .
5. I’m not a huge modern dance fan, but this is one performance you have to see. (via @kayotickitchen)
6. Now that I’m a solopreneur, I needed an invoicing application, stat. After asking advice, checking out reviews and evaluating monthly fees I finally settled on paying a one-time fee and purchased Pancake App. So far I’ve really liked them and the customer service is oh-so-helpful and they did the install for me so no messy FTP install for me. Check it out and if you find you want to buy it, please do so via my affiliate link so I can put a little something back into the blog and next issue of FoodieCrush.
7. How decadent to take an afternoon to make your own cheese? Yep, digging down to my roots.
8. I have pickles on the brain and dilly beans on my to-do list thanks to Melissa’s inspiring canning job of 220 fruits and veggies and I’ll be using this handy canning altitude calculator to make sure I don’t poison my family and friends. (via Food In Jars)
9. I am a huge fan of shopping local and totally appreciate the Big Fair Bake taking place right now in support of fair trade combining lots of baking and nibbling that’s happening in the U.K., maybe soon it will jump the pond thanks to fantastic food bloggers like Kathryn who explain and support it best.
10. Twitter quote of the week: “The trouble with eating Italian food is that five or six days later you’re hungry again.” — George Miller (via @punchfork)
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Glad you found an invoicing solution and I am still wanting one of Kathryn’s cupcakes or YOUR pickles!
Thank you so much for the link Heidi, you’re the best xoxo
Now I want a grilled cheese!!
That is some delicious looking corn!
I want some of that corn for breakfast! That will be happening on Sunday. And thanks a million for the link love. Have a fun weekend. Cheers.
That looks all too delicioso!
Love your links! I am a huge fan of farmers markets and buying local. I am also a huge supporter of label it! I want to know what is in my food – you should sign up! https://www.facebook.com/justlabelit i hate all the stuff with GMO and how bad it is for you – we should all get involved and get things labeled!
What an awesome looking dish! Can’t go wrong with adding bacon!
love that Italian food quote!! Hope you have a good weekend!
Thanks for the link love! Happy weekending to you~
That Twitter quote cracked me up, so funny! Hope you’ll have a great weekend!
I was thinking of making chocolate cake with another unlikely vegetable, so that tomato soup idea caught my eye. Besides I’ve been a Warhol fan since I was 13 when I saw his Retrospect exhibition at the national museum. And I LOVE the idea of THAT corn! Yum!
Love the corn (( essential to have that bacon ))
Isn’t it great to have friends like Kelley who protect you from the shysters??
Sounds like a super fun time at the market!
How did I know that Kelley would know all of the great (and not-so-great) vendors at the farmers’ market? It looks as though that corn is perfectly sweet and awesome. I always learn so much from your Friday fave links.
Love smokey corn and anything with bacon is obviously better. And the pics have me craving this as a side. Love the list too. I’m on the modern dance one now. Wish I was kidding.
Made it tonight as a side dish. Didn’t have smoked paprika, so I added regular paprika with a little cayenne pepper. Also, added garlic powder! It was delicious.