Wintertime farmers market offers a bounty of veggies for your table

A large selection of produce at the Winter Farmer’s Market. /Cynthia Benjamin

PAWTUCKET – Farm-fresh Brussels sprouts, beets, spaghetti squash, rutabagas, celeriac, greens, radishes, leeks, potatoes and parsnips, oh my!  Summer is over, it’s true, but that’s no reason to settle for less-than-fresh, canned or frozen vegetables, because you live in Rhode Island, home of the largest winter market in New England.

The Pawtucket Wintertime Farmers Market, in the Hope Artiste Village, is open every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. all winter long. The market is fairly bursting with more than 70 vendors and their locally sourced produce, meats, seafood, eggs, dairy products, honeys, syrups, oils, herbs, baked goods, coffees, flowers, wools and cosmetics. Grab breakfast at one of the market’s many restaurants, food trucks or food stands, or just a cup of coffee from The Coffee Guy or New Harvest Coffee Roasters, and you’re ready to browse among the sights and scents of the season’s bounty.

Sniff, poke, squeeze, sample and ogle to your heart’s delight. And if you see something unfamiliar but intriguing, ask the farmers – they’re happy to introduce you to the exotic joys of kohlrabi and celeriac, mustard greens and cremini mushrooms.   

Silas Peckham-Paul, of Wishing Stone Farm in Little Compton, says Brussels sprouts on the stalk are one of their most popular items.

“Everyone starts asking about them after the first cold night of the year. They buy them and then walk around with the stalk sticking out of their bags – it’s a great advertisement.”

Further along, past the vegan pastries, the gluten-free pastries, the wheat-free pastries and the baked doggie treats, Ziggy Goldfarb is selling pickles. Goldfarb, who is the owner and “head pickleteer” of the Fox Point Pickling Co., says he developed his crunchy garlic dill pickles and spicy dill pickles after “a lot of hits and misses.” Business is brisk, he says, adding, “Have a sample.”

Past heaping mounds of shiny apples, ruby cranberries and golden quinces, Harvest Kitchen is selling applesauce made by students in a culinary and job-readiness training program for at-risk youth, and the Providence Granola Project is selling organic, artisanal granola prepared in the kitchen of the Amos House by recently arrived refugees.

Naturally, I want to buy, and cook, everything. But finally I settle on the ingredients for three hearty and simply delicious recipes.

Potato-Leek Soup

6 ounces leeks (just the white part)

6 ounces butter, preferably clarified

6 ounces potatoes, washed, peeled and thinly sliced

20 ounces chicken stock

Salt

White pepper

4 ounces heavy cream

Remove the tops of the leeks (the green part) and trim the bottom. Wash the white part, cut in half lengthwise, place the flat sides on a cutting board and thinly slice from the narrow end.

Sauté the sliced leeks in the butter in a deep pan on medium heat — do not allow them to brown. Add the potatoes and chicken stock and simmer until the vegetables are tender. If foam forms on top of the liquid (this depends on your stock, which can be homemade or from the store), skim it with a spoon.

Strain the soup, reserving the liquid. Purée the vegetables and mix them back into the liquid. If the soup is too thick, add a little more chicken stock until it’s the desired consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper (use white pepper, if you have it, to preserve the soup’s creamy white appearance). Just before serving, add the cream and swirl to incorporate. Serves 4.

Note: When served cold, this soup is called Vichyssoise

Sautéed Brussels Sprouts

Brussels sprouts (about

1/4 pound per serving)

Olive oil (choose a high-quality one with a flavor you enjoy)

Kosher salt

Black pepper, freshly ground

Trim Brussels sprouts, removing yellowed or withered leaves and a thin slice from the bottom. Rinse thoroughly. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add sprouts and reduce heat to simmer sprouts for about 5 minutes or until barely tender (test with a fork). Remove sprouts and immediately plunge into ice water, to stop the cooking process. When sprouts are cool, place in strainer to remove as much water as possible.

Heat a sauté pan until very hot, add olive oil and heat until very hot. Add sprouts and quickly toss so they are coated with oil. Cook on medium high heat until the sprouts are browned or, if you prefer, blackened. Remove from heat, sprinkle generously with salt and pepper, and serve.

Everything Cookies

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, or 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus

1/2 cup wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1 1/4 cups (2-1/2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened

3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 cups oats (quick or old-fashioned)

1 cup granola (break up chunks, if they are large) or trail mix; any types, flavors, ingredients

Optional:  1/2 cup chocolate chips or peanuts

Heat oven to 375 degrees.  In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, salt. In large bowl, beat butter and sugars until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add egg and vanilla; beat well. Add flour mixture and mix well. Gently and thoroughly stir in oats, granola/trail mix, and optional ingredients, if desired. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 8 to 9 minutes for a chewy cookie or 10 to 11 minutes for a crisp cookie. Cool 2 minutes on cookie sheets; remove to wire rack. Store tightly covered. Makes 35-40 cookies.

Cynthia Benjamin is a chef and an editor at The Providence Journal. She is a member of Congregation B’nai Israel in Woonsocket.