Savoring the Simple Pleasures of Winter Crop

As I embark on cooking a complicated dish (Cassoulet and, yes, you'll get the recipe later), I'm reminded that some of my favorite meals in the last few weeks have been the simple ones I've thrown together at the last minute.  Sometimes, I think we get so caught up in the fancy recipes that we forget the lovely, easy things.

The other day I found a  Black Spanish Radish at the Sunset Valley Farmers Market.  I love radishes, but this black variety was new for me.  Instead of cooking it or putting it in a salad, I took the advice of the farmer who told me it was a Belgian custom to slice them and eat them on rye bread with butter. I chose an Organic Mustard Seed Rye from New Bread Rising and had a delicious lunch.  (You'll want to peel the black radish; the skin is tough).

Or, maybe it's the first of season Brussels Sprouts I bought from Engel Farms.  I was so excited to see Brussels Sprouts again that I practically ran to the booth to buy them.  Sauteed with a little of the Dai Due Tasso Ham, they made an incredible, simple dinner.

Of course, the mouth-watering BLM (Bacon Lettuce & Mozzarella) sandwich and rutabaga oven fries I made for lunch one day was pretty delicious, too.  The sandwich was a true farmers market triumph:  bacon from Richardson Farms, the lettuce from Bella Verdi Farms, Full Quiver Mozzarella and whole wheat bread from Phoenix Rising.

I'd never had a Rutabaga before and bought it on a whim.  Kristin Kessler Schell of The Schell Cafe suggested that I make oven fries with it.  I learned a long time ago to listen to Kristin, so I peeled it and cut it into fries, tossed it with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and cranked up the oven to 400 degrees.  After 25 minutes, I had a tasty side for my sandwich.

Tonight's dinner was equally simple but lovely.  I had one more Meyer lemon from the Sunset Valley market and a piece of flounder from San Miguel Seafood.  Clearly, these two items were meant for each other.  I sliced the lemon thin, placed the fish in a dish, sprinkled it with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and placed the lemon slices on top.  After 20 minutes at 350 degrees, I had a flaky, flavorful piece of fish.

I paired it with sweet potatoes and cauliflower cooked in a Korman Curry mix that I bought from Sukhi's Gourmet Indian Foods at the San Francisco Ferry Plaza Market.  The meal was fantastic and it required so little energy and preparation on my part.  Perfect for a busy weeknight.

What about you?  What easy, wonderful meal have you made lately that really showed off your farmers market prizes? Remember, it doesn't have to be hard to be delicious?