Pickled Iceberg

Iceberg lettuce, the awkward step child of the lettuce family. Once herald as the supreme lettuce, Iceberg has been shamed by the leafier greens. "Crunchy Water" is a general label slapped onto the heads of grassy water.



Crunchy and mild in flavor, iceberg lettuce has been practically demoted to the realm of condiment. Outside of a wedge salad swimming in thousand island dressing, iceberg's main place of use seems to be on top of tacos. So with a little inspiration from kimchi you can transform the lackluster head of roughage into a bit of a versatile condiment.

1 head thinly sliced iceberg lettuce (about 1 quart)
1 1/2 Teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon Sambal chili garlic paste
1/2 tsp ground cardamom

1. In a clean bowl, toss all ingredients together
2. Let rest overnight
3. Stir again, and serve immediately or allow to rest for up to three days

A salty, slightly spiced, grassy flavor, this simple to throw together recipe is perfect for topping a lamb burger. It may sound a bit odd, pickling lettuce, but it consider it like sauerkraut/ kimchi/ acar jawa. It'd be an interesting addition to any taco bar or even mixed in to your normal leafy salad mix.

Keep Eating,

JTFussy

Columbus Winter Farmer's Market

Address: 4300 Indianola Ave, Columbus, OH 43214
Phone:(614) 263-4300

On this cold blistery morning, I found myself needing to do more than elapse all of my time watching episodes of Star Trek. Despite our infatuation with Mr. Shatner, Brandon and I decided to run up to the Charity Newsies building for the Columbus Winter Farmer's Market. A small offering of locally produced produce, preserves, and various baked goods and tea. 

Upon arriving we came across a Lily's Mini Delights. Lily's is a small food cart that produced dozens of little doughnuts as you wait. They are very economical at being $4 for a baker's dozen (13). 

Despite being slightly oily (the temperature may have made the batter absorb more oil), these doughnuts are gluten free, light, and crispy. With just a light coating of sugar and cinnamon, and a friendly staff to guide you these little treats are totally worth stopping by if you notice them out and about. 

Inside of the market we encountered musicians touting folk music and vendors of reishi mushrooms, herbal teas, and sauces too spicy to use outside of extreme moderation. The largest of all the vendor booth belonged to Carousel Watergardens Farm, located out of Marion, Ohio. The usual boxes of vegetables and dry rub mixes were to be found next to coolers of frozen meats, and jars of jewel toned jams.  (After only snapping one photo Brandon informed me of a sign saying that cell phones were not to be used)

We decided not to leave empty handed from the market, so we purchased a few carrots and onions, and decided to try out some of the preserves. We picked a jar of peach jam and a peculiar jar of corn cob jelly. Both jars of preserves were labeled under the name of Cathy's Tasty Treats, and were very tightly sealed.

The Peach Jam was exceptionally sweet and very firm. Not my favorite peach jam I have ever had, but tasty on a bagel where the chewy peach bits would last as long as the dense bread. As far as the corn cob jelly, it should be noted that this was a first for me. With that being said, our apprehensive spoons dove tenderly into our jar and dug out a smooth light amber gel. We tasted and savored the sweet caramel jelly and agreed it to be surprisingly delicious, not a wisp of corn, but a wonderful caramel jelly to be enjoyed on some salty cornbread next to a bowl of  hot soup.

A trip up north for this market was a nice addition to the day, and would definitely warrant a visit in the spring when the bounty of our warmer months come in. The market will be held every first and third Saturday of the month (through March) at the Charity Newsies Building from 10 a.m.- 1 p.m. Make sure you get your doughnuts, and jar of corn cob jelly.

Keep eating,

JTFussy