Saturday at the farmer’s market

I wish I could take you all on a tour of my local farmer’s market this rather drizzly, warm Saturday morning.  It’s the sort of market where you have to take just a LITTLE bit of cash, or you’ll find yourself spending way more than you expected because everything is so tempting.

My cooking life is settled for the next few meals: asparagus soup with my fresh 36-hour Aga chicken stock (I know it sounds crazy, but the stock REALLY did cook for 36 hours in the slow oven and is the richest, darkest chicken stock I’ve ever tasted), Eton Mess for Avery’s sleepover party tonight, with those luscious strawberries, scallop and parsley pasta for us tonight after I’ve cooked the requested carbonara for the girls’ dinner.  What better way than carbonara, to use these sadly-named but gorgeous-tasting little morsels?

And then there will be the pork loin roast tomorrow night… the only question being whether to cook it high and fast and have it a little pink, or low and slow and have it tender and falling apart?

Of course the triumph of any Saturday at the market is the ridiculously caloric, satisfyingly savoury sausage, egg and cheese burger… I’m really sorry I can’t share it with you…

It’s probably for the best that I had my cautious husband in charge of the wallet today!  Also there’s the natural deterrent of a small English refrigerator… I just couldn’t buy any more food.  And those scallops came in handy right away.

Scallops with Spaghetti and Parlsey

(serves 4)

2 dozen scallops

1 lb spaghetti (I pre­fer De Cecco)

1/2 cup olive oil

5 cloves gar­lic minced

1/2 tsp red pep­per flakes

salt and pepper

1 large hand­ful flat-leaf pars­ley, chopped

1 large hand­ful curly pars­ley, chopped

1 cup fresh bread­crumbs, toasted lightly

The sauce will cook in just the time your spaghetti needs to boil, so bring the water to a boil and put in the pasta.

In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil and sim­mer the gar­lic, but don’t let it brown. Place the scal­lops in the oil and cook on high heat until they turn opaque (about two min­utes), turn­ing occa­sion­ally. Add the parsleys, the chilli flakes and salt and pep­per, and toss gen­tly  Turn off the heat.

Drain the pasta and add to the scal­lops, then turn up the heat quite high and toss with the bread­crumbs. Delicious!

It was heavenly peaceful to come home, sit in the garden chair with a bowl of popcorn and a good mystery, share a cup of tea with the mother, then the father, of Avery’s sleepover guests, trading stories of school, moving house, recipes.  The girls giggled uncontrollably in the background as they do, we had supper outside and watched them scuffle and laugh, capering under that mysterious tree – sumac? Japanese Ash?  Never mind, it was a glorious evening.

And next week at the Market, I think I’ll be tempted by the fresh whole sea bass… watch this space.