The name "farmer's market" can be misleading. It's more like a gigantic grocery store. There is a "grocery" section with pastas, canned goods, flours and sugars, condiments, dried beans and grains, nuts, seeds, chocolates, and of course the huge wall of spices and seasonings. There is an alcohol section with affordable prices on wines and beer. The largest section of store is produce that is split into fruits and vegetables. Here you can find all sorts of atypical produce that is not normally sold in American super markets. Because of this, a lot of people from different backgrounds and nationalities shop here to find ingredients for their culture's cooking. The other two main sections are a fish market and a meat market - which are also huge by normal grocery store standards. There is also a deli counter, dairy department, coffee and tea section, and flowers. And don't skip over the cafe or bakery where you can get a wide range of goodies from samosas to eclairs to my personal fave, fresh squeezed tangerine juice.
This meal consists of items I purchased on my latest trip to YDFM a few weeks ago. I have never eaten or cooked octopus and I knew I could find it there. The purple fingerling potatoes are a favorite of mine. I serve them roasted with an aioli on the side for dipping. The kale salad is topped with toasted pine nuts and freshly grated parmigiano reggiano. The dressing for this kale salad is a homemade caesar, which was also a first for me. Another quick side is roasted cherry tomatoes on the vine. I won't be including any measurements, except where I used other's recipes to make certain elements of this meal, instead I'll share how I made each component of this dish and how it turned out!
OCTOPUS
This octopus is sous vide and the recipe came from Chefsteps. Further instructions can be found HERE.
I really liked the taste of the octopus. It was a touch sweeter than I expected, but still very tasty. The texture was a touch on the dry side, but I think I let it cook too long on the grill to get the char marks. Next time I need to make sure the grill is hotter so that it chars quickly, without overcooking. Grill a few slices of lemon along with the octopus to squeeze over it at the end.
Kale Salad
The dressing for this salad can be found HERE. It was bright and tangy, and I loved it. I will definitely be making this dressing again! I used dino kale because I prefer its texture. To toast the pine nuts, I place them in a dry skillet over medium low heat, tossing every so often until all sides were brown. Toss the chopped kale with the dressing and top with the pine nuts and parmesan. (Use the real stuff and grate it yourself!)
Fingerling Potatoes
I love these purple fingerling potatoes. I cut them lengthwise and season them with kosher salt, black pepper, rosemary, and thyme. Drizzle them with oil and lay flat side down on a baking sheet. Roast at 400 degrees until tender and crispy around the edges. The length of time these need to cook will depend on the size and amount of the potatoes, but it took mine about 30-40 minutes. Serve with the aioli found HERE. The only change I made was to add a healthy squeeze of lemon juice and more salt. It was perfect on both the potatoes and octopus!
Roasted Tomatoes
When I saw these beautiful little tomatoes at YDFM, I knew I had to try to roast them whole on the vine. It makes for such pretty presentation and roasting them intensifies their flavors. Drizzle the tomatoes with oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes or until they just start to burst. Sprinkle an extra pinch of sea salt over them just before serving.
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