Let’s call them the forgotten produce of the summer. The eggplants and kohlrabi, radishes and kale. Coveted by a few, but overlooked for the sexier and alluring stuff like peppers and tomatoes with their bright shiny colors.
You can’t even call them the workhorses of the kitchen, that title is reserved for the local carrots, potatoes and onions that have started to appear. So where do these forgotten ones fit in the larger scheme of the market?
Too wide to be a niche market, certainly not a specialty item grown just for a few, these items, I believe, are farmer’s favorites or a nod to a certain section of the buying public.
They don’t necessasrily command a whole table or even a full bushel basket on display. I won’t be ordering 30 pounds of eggplant for the restaurant, although some places in town could, given their culinary profile.
No, these are exotic fillers, oddities for some to recognize and cherish, but for most to ogle and wonder what the heck that sputnik shaped thing is. If you ask the grower, they will kindly tell you. They will offer recipes, maybe tell you a story as to why these things are the way they are.
It often starts a conversation that could lead to you, as the consumer, taking that kohlrabi home, and cooking a meal with it. And in a way that is one of the many jobs of a seller, to expand their market.
You may think a few eggplant here and there, some bok choy next to the chard and the spinach would hardly be a draw, but consider that the rest of the market is filled with the same product. We generally buy from people we know, and with process being somewhat equal across the board, any slight change in product will pique our buying interests.
A savvy marketer will put the eggplant in the middle of peppers, tomatoes and onions to produce a little ratatouille care package. Bok choy and kohlrabi might team up on a table next to green onion and your chilled salad is born. Don’t dismiss the market as a dumping ground for product, the people who grow these fruits and vegetables eat them as well, and can guide you through a season’s worth of dinners with or without the sexy vegetables.
I can see that now I’ve confused you a bit. You’re looking a bit harder at the forgotten ones but aren’t sure you want to spend the money on a hunch. The good thing about markets is that things like kohlrabi and eggplant linger on the sides. There is never very much of any one item, but it’s there for a time before the season ends.
You don’t have to make a huge initial commitment, just take a bit. Kohlrabi is great pickled, wonderful shaved thin and dressed in a salad, and a great addition to the stir-fry that should contain that bok choy. Better yet, combine the bok choy, the kohlrabi and the green onion into a quick kim chee to put on your favorite grilled or barbequed items.
The eggplant is essential for a late summer ratatouille, but don’t forget a fire roasted baba ghanoush or a quick Sunday dinner of eggplant parmesan that can be a sandwich for work the next day. These are not every day items or recipes, but they do provide a break from the routine, and a foray into more global dishes that could expand your repertoire.
You can also spend a bit more time searching out these items, and your exploration doesn’t have to be reserved just for fruits and vegetables. Try some local cheeses that may have intrigued you, but you’re not sure you’ll like. Ask for a sample of that scape pesto, or try a bit of a farm made pork sausage cooking away on the flat-top.
Nose to tail eating is still a small part of what most people like but you’ve never really had pork until you try some shoulder, cooked slowly and finished with some mustard and fresh herbs. Mushrooms come and go through the market as well and while I might be inclined to add these to mainstream items, I’m willing to bet that some of you have never had fresh shiitakes grilled with lemon and olive oil as part of your all vegetarian Sunday dinner.
No matter which lost soul you wish to find each weekend make sure you do a little research. Mark some items to try, talk to your farmers, watch what other people choose and hit them up for some advice.
Markets should never be solitary, lonely places, they should resemble the family dinner table in their inclusiveness and congeniality.
Try hard to find some balance each weekend as you stroll through the markets, old with the new, tried and true with the unknown. Food is and always will be a communal entity, and that means also including the forgotten ones, animal, mineral and vegetables.
John Foster is an executive chef who heads the culinary program at Sullivan University’s Lexington campus. A New York native, Foster has been active in the Lexington culinary scene and a promoter of local and seasonal foods for more than 20 years. The French Culinary Institute-trained chef has been the executive chef of his former restaurant, Harvest, and now his Chevy Chase eatery, The Sage Rabbit.
To read more from Chef John Foster, including his recipes, click here.