Gorman Farm Seems To Have Hit Its Stride; The Share That I Got To Sample Was A Real Gift

Cucumbers sliced and seasoned into kimchi

Gorman Produce Farm seems to have really hit its stride.  Check it out if you want local vegetable adventures.

When I started blogging, I thought that I was going to become entranced by community-supported agriculture.  That's a CSA where you pay a farm's fee at the start of the season, then get a weekly share from the harvest.  In the plan, you get great vegetables, and you get surprises to inspire you.

But I never clicked.  Mostly, it's just that my cooking never got inspired by a box of surprises.  I felt bad when I left something unused, and my mind always ran to menus that required a grocery run to augment the CSA box.  But, in part, I don't think I had the best CSAs.  I did two, both when the farms were new.  Farming is hard.  I got some rough produce and some piles of pedestrian stuff.

Gorman Produce Farm in Laurel changed their model a year or two ago.  They closed their daily farm stand.  Now they just sell through a CSA, and I was lucky enough to sample last month when our friends went away on vacation.  The full share that I picked up in Gorman's barn was an absolute delight.

Spinach, parsley, squash, onions, eggplant, cucumbers, garlic flowers and on and on and on.  I filled two large bags with the full share, and the vegetables blew me away.  They were crisp, fresh and full of flavor.  Mostly, I did simple stuff.  Sauteed the spinach.  Made salad with the lettuce.  But I turned the cucumbers into a Korean kimchi oi-sobagi using Maangchi's cookbook that I need to review in the future.

Monday I steamed Gorman's eggplant that had been in my fridge for at least 10 days.  The eggplant was pristine.  That's amazing for any vegetables.  That tells me that the Gorman folks are able to concentrate on the CSA now -- planning their harvests and caring for the vegetables so that customers get premium supplies.

The Gorman Produce Farm website seems to say you can still sign up for a 2017 share.  I don't know the details.  But definitely check it out, maybe for 2017, maybe for next year.  I don't know that CSAs work for my life right now, but it's not many developed suburbs that have an organic farm sitting right in their midst.

Gorman Produce Farm is right off Rte 29 on Gorman Road.  It's really easy to reach from anywhere in Columbia and for anyone who commutes south towards DC.

Ancho Squash Chili Hits The Spot At Roots; Part Of Their Expanded Prepared Food Display

Ancho Squash Chili at Roots

Take my advice knowing that I'm no chili purist, but I really enjoyed a new Roots prepared chili made with squash and ancho peppers.

Again, I'm no purist.  Barbecue and chili tend to kick up comment wars about whether chili can truly have anything but tomatoes and meat.

Prepared foods at Roots

Of course Roots' chili can't have meat.  They serve some, I think.  But the Roots-Great Sage complex in Clarksville is certainly built on the idea of good tasting vegetarian and often vegan dishes.

Roots' ancho squash chili really felt like chili to me.  The right texture -- where it is thick enough not to be stew, but chunky enough to be more than sauce.  I wouldn't have ever guessed it was based on squash.  The lead flavor is that ancho chili, smoky and lightly spicy.  Roots has created an entire kitchen to make prepared foods, and this qualified as a restaurant-quality meal that filled us both with a few slices of bread on the side.

Roots seems to be expanding its prepared food offerings.  I hadn't seen the guacamole and soup section next to the salad bar.  Now they have prepared foods in several refrigerated sections -- sandwiches, quesadillas, soups, and more.  Over recent years, they have added more breads and baked sweets.

I assume it's a smart move to differentiate from Whole Foods.  The new Columbia store must be affecting the organic groceries and other stores.  Roots' prepared items -- including that guacamole -- make it a great stop for quick eats, and it certainly keeps the stores from becoming just competitors selling the same national brands.

What other prepared foods do people recommend at Roots?  We tried some beet hummus.  Lil' Chow didn't take to it immediately, and I cringe at the idea of beet anything when I see the food dropped, thrown and smeared in our kitchen.  But Roots is a great resource in the south county.

Your Next New Food: Spicy Mysore Dosa At Mango Grove Brings Heat To The Crunch

Mysore dosa at Mango Grove

The next new food that you should try are dosas -- the dish that brings the crunch of a crepe and the flavors of Indian food.

I first ate dosas at Mango Grove here in Columbia.  They're a southern Indian dish, so they're not ubiquitous at restaurants that do northern Indian tandoori dishes.

But they're completely innocuous and accessible to anyone.  The regular masala dosa is a platter-sized crepe rolled around a filling of mashed potatoes.  You break off pieces of dosa and scoop up the spiced potatoes inside.  You dip them in the chutney and the vegetable soup served alongside.  It's filling, but light.  It's crunchy.  It's vegetarian, so you don't need to worry about surprise ingredients.

Now, we have branched into spicy dosas like the mysore dosa at Mango Grove.  it's a regular dosa with the inside brushed with a spicy red sauce.  That's real heat, although nothing fiery like spicy Thai or Tandoor Grill's chili naan.  It's a great contrast with lentils or the jackfruit dish called kathal korma.

I recommend the broad menu at Mango Grove.  They have two kitchens, one veg and one non-veg.   Plus, they have a dosa station right at the entrance where you can watch a chef pour batter and peel off crispy crepes.  Consider a table with a dosa, some Indian curries, and one of the Chinese-Indian specialities.

Special Monthly Buffet At Mango Grove -- Drawing The No-Meat Crowd, Plus Cool Kids

Big plates from Mango Grove's vegan buffet

Anyone can love Mango Grove because it serves some of the best food in Howard County, but they're breaking out the welcome mat for a niche market -- that's still a welcome adventure for everyone.

Okay, they're breaking out the dinner buffet, not the welcome mat.

Mango Grove does a lunch buffet most days with both vegetarian and non-veg options.  But the Columbia restaurant is adding a monthly dinner buffet with all vegan food and attracting a young, cool crowd in the process.  It's a partnership with the Humane League, which advertises the event and gets a donation as well.

We stumbled on August's vegan buffet in mid-month, and it's a feast for about $20.  The buffet shows off what Mango Grove does best -- a mix of straight Indian food like spinach and chickpeas with Chinese-Indian dishes like "broccoli 65" and a noodle dish that is their version of chow mein.

That broccoli 65 is a treat.  Deep-fried and spicy, it's a dish that will please even folks who don't normally like the green vegetable.  But the best dish was jackfruit and potatoes, a savory curry that shows off the jackfruit's sweetness.  A guy at the buffet compared the consistency to pulled pork.  Not exactly, but it is a substantial dish that is really unique.

The monthly buffet is clearly a treat for vegans.  But it's no compromise for anyone.  The food is really good, and you can always order off the menu if you need a dosa or some other dishes.  (Mrs. HowChow got a lassi, then hid it behind the wine list so that she could fit into the vegan crowd, but still have her yogurt shake.)

Mrs. HowChow and I were amused because the Mango Grove crowd definitely took on a different look.  It's always fun to be in a restaurant full of happy chatter.  We're just not used to a crowd of tattooed 20-somethings in an Indian restaurant.  A few older folks, a few kids.  But it felt more like Fells Point than Columbia.  Bravo!

I think the monthly vegan buffet will be the fourth Monday of every month.  That's what I wrote down, although I realize that doesn't match August 11.  Check out the Human League's Facebook page for Maryland.  They posted about the August event, and they say the September one will be on the 22d.  I assume they're publicize future ones.

Spectacular Lemonade At Roots: Jazzing Up With Fruit And Flavors To Refresh Your Summer

I'm a water-drinker.  The fads of flavors and teas left me unimpressed.  But Roots has captured me with lemonades that are worth the splurge.

Mint-lime.  Wheatgrass-ginger-lemon.  Strawberry-basil.  These are Roots house brand made into 16-ounce bottles that go for about $2.  They're full of flavor, done nicely where strong tastes like ginger or basil are measured nicely so that they're energizing, not overwhelming. They're a great reason to check out the Clarksville organic grocery store.

If you go to Roots, check all my posts.  But definitely check out their guacamole.  I'll hold Mrs. HowChow's guacamole over anything, but you can't beat the convenience of Roots' fresh-made version.  They buy great avocados, and that has always been tough for me.

Gorman Farm Tomatoes Have Arrived; Enjoy Summer As It Arrives On The Local Farms

Tomatoes at Gorman

Come enjoy the summer as it arrives on the farms.

Gorman Farm had their first home-grown tomatoes last weekend, and that's the harbinger of great produce to come at farms from Laurel to Woodbine.  This is your chance to check them out.

Gorman is an easy drive from Columbia.  They sell their own produce, along with fruit and vegetables from as far as Virginia and the Eastern Shore.  It was shore corn that I bought Saturday.  Six ears that were absolutely the best that I have eaten this year.  We grilled them for friends with bacon-burgers made from Laurel Meat Market's house blend.

The first Gorman tomato ended up with leftover grilled corn.  Cut from the cob, mixed with diced tomatoe, then dressed in a spicy vinegar from Secolari at the Columbia Mall.  Used as a salad, then to fill a quesadilla with some of the house-brand intense cheddar cheese that I love at Wegmans.

I've had other people suggest Frank's Produce Stand in Elkridge.  I have barely been there since we lived on Rte 108, but folks highlighted it to me after I wrote about Baugher's Farm Stand in Ellicott City.  They're all places worth checking out -- and eating heavily.

And, of course, the big adventure is picking your own at Larriland Farm in Woodbine.  Last year, we hit the jackpot on tomatoes.  But the fields will overflow with everything from peaches to apples, beets to chard.  Take advantage of the season.  Remember how last winter seemed like it would never end, and get out there to enjoy the fruit of the heat.

Baughers Fruits & Vegetables Has Opened In Ellicott City; Fresh Veggies Off Rte 103

The Baughers farm stand has opened for the season.  It's a stand in Ellicott City that opens in July because they sell primarily vegetables, fruit and other products from their own farm.

Marcia and Steve hooked me up with photos.  Most of the produce is from the farm -- including honey.  They're bringing up tomatoes from Virginia, but we'll get those in season soon.

They're just off Rte 103, just north of Rte 100.  It's an easy stop for fresh vegetables, snowballs and other treats.

Baughers Fruits & Vegetables
4775 Baugher Farm Rd
Ellicott City, MD 21043
(410) 465-7053

NEAR: Baughers Farm stand is just off Rte 103.  This is east of Rte 29 and north of Rte 100.  Very easy to reach from most of the county.

Mark Your Calendar Now For A Day At Larriland; Cherries Were Magic, But You Can Get More

Yellow and red cherries from Larriland Farm

You need to mark your calendar now for a day at Larriland Farm, and you can only hope for something as glorious as last weekend.

Larriland will have a flow of great "pick-your-own" fruits and vegetables through October.  But this weekend they had cherries.

Larriland knows how to handle crowds

That's almost a miracle.  Among the trees, we talked to one of Larriland's owners who described years and years where the cherry trees don't fruit because the weather doesn't cooperate.  This year filled the grove with cherries, but this last week's rain threaten to cause them all to burst.  So the Larriland crew had been applying calcium four times a day to keep everything firm.

That's how we ended up standing inside magical trees on Saturday morning.  Mrs. HowChow had gotten a Larriland email saying the cherry trees would be open on Saturday.  We arrived before the fields open, and there were already dozens of people parked and picking.

The fruit is really fun.  Sweet cherries in deep red and dark yellow.  Trees with hundreds of ripe cherries hanging in arms length.  We picked like maniacs.  We stopped only because our boxes seemed ridiculous, and we ended up with almost 20 pounds.  I should have spent all Sunday putting them away.  I'll need to plan one project -- freeze, jam, bourbon cherries -- for each night this week.

Larriland is one of my favorite places in all of Howard County.  The family-run farm in Woodbine is an easy 30 minutes from most of the county.  They just do everything well.  Signs take you to the fields.  People direct traffic, give you bags, help you know what to pick, and check you out right next to the fields.  They were packed Saturday for cherries and strawberries, and everything was friendly and smooth.

Challah rolls from The Breadery

The cherries will disappear, but you should pencil in a day or two now to make a trip to Larriland.  Blueberries and peaches, then apples, tomatoes and pumpkins.  I post similar advice almost every year after we have a magical day.  Can tomatoes.  Go for the weekend festival atmosphere before Halloween.  It's great for a date, for taking kids, or for meeting friends out in the country.

If you do, don't miss stopping at the big barn in the main part of Larriland.  They sell all kinds of vegetables and fruits, along with some sodas, candies, and the dried fruit candy that you need to try at the register.  They also sell breads from The Breadery in Oella -- including challah rolls that looked like cousins to hot dog buns that I have deemed "the best hot dog buns you'll find anywhere."  I bought two bags in preparation for our next ground meat purchase from Laurel Meat Market.

For years, I have championed the barbecue and smoked fish from the Town Grille in Lisbon.  That's a half-block out of your way from Larriland, and you'll have a terrific lunch there.  Now, I'll add some alternatives with posts later this week.  Jeff from Southern Skies Coffee Roasters turned me on to Sykesville, and I heartily recommend a short detour for lunch and shopping.

Let This Be Your Summer Of Twist Peppers

"Twist" or shishito peppers at Lotte

Even cooks who burn their food can make delicious, trendy food by grabbing a bag of magic peppers.

On fancy restaurant menus, these are shishito peppers -- a sweet green pepper that chefs dress up with all kinds of flavors.  They're mostly sweet, although a few shishito on every plate with have a spicy kick, less than a jalapeño but more than the sweet flavor in most of the dish.

For you, they're "twist peppers" for $3 a pound in Asian supermarkets like Lotte and H Mart.

This is super-easy, and the terrific side dish goes with anything from burgers to Asian food.  They're just exotic enough to be worth a drive.  But they're basically sweet peppers, so you shouldn't scare anyone off.

Literally, this is the three-step recipe to cook twist peppers:

1) Heat a film of oil in a non-stick, cast iron pan, or a wok.   

2) Add the peppers.  Cook them over medium until the skin starts to blister.  

3)  When they have a few char marks and have softened slightly, toss them in a bowl.  Add a few pinches of salt -- best with some big-grained salt like sea salt -- until you like the taste.  

The cook time is up to you.  I like the peppers to have a little bite, so I take them off as soon as them soften.  If you want shishito ideas with more flavors or more vegetables, check the Internet for articles like this Denver Post post.

Cooking Your Local Produce Brings Inspirations For Your CSA Or Your Farmers Market Shopping

I have to admit that I'm super-surprised that CSAs didn't take over my kitchen.  I have joined them for several years now, and I always figured that the shares would become a theme through HowChow with me writing about the dishes that I made.

It never happened.  I love Gorman Farm in Laurel.  I have posted several times about CSA options around Howard County.  But the new discoveries were few, and I felt bad when the cabbages rotted in the back of my fridge.

All that said, I recommend the adventure to anyone.  The vegetables have been terrific, and I know a bunch of people who get thrills along with good food -- including AnnieRie and Kat who blog about their CSA finds.

With more assistance is my friend Lisa from the Lisa B., Mrs. S. blog with a carry-along companion for your forays into CSAs and farmers markets:

The CSA and farmers market season begins soon. (May 7th here in Howard County.)  If you're new or even just relatively new to CSAs, at one point or another you will likely look at an item in your share and wonder, "How do I even cook that?" The answer is here:

My friend Greta Hardin has written Cooking Your Local Produce, and reading it had me feel like she was in the kitchen teaching me. 

The recipes are easy to follow -- even for the ingredients you may have never cooked before (garlic scapes, anyone?) -- while also offering variations to make the months of kale and collard greens more interesting.  One of my favorite recipes is the Warm Fennel and Purple Cabbage Slaw.  Traditional coleslaw is great, but try this if you're looking for something less sweet-and-sour, more savory and fresh.

This cookbook really shines in its organization.  Instead of sorting recipes by season or dish, chapters are organized by ingredient type.  Leaves and shoots, flowers and fruits, seeds and roots each get their own sections, and the resources in the back can't be beat.  Greta includes an ingredient guide with photos, descriptions, and quick cooking ideas to make those farmers market trips easier.  Follow Cooking Your Local Produce on Facebook to get more cooking tips and inspiration, as well as news about a future app.

If you're in this market, I also recommend Jacob Bishop's Vegetables Everyday that I reviewed several years ago.  He also organizes the recipes by the main ingredient.  He has really smart, interesting and simple preparations that you can follow or doctor with your own inspirations.  And check out the farmers market news and schedule on the county's Web site about the farmers markets.

While I'm Asking: Anyone Catered From Urvi's?

Has anyone catered from Urvi's Kitchen -- an Ellicott City caterer owned by the same people who appear to run Rangoli's restaurant near Arundel Mills?

(Update:  I got an email that said Urvi's and Rangoli aren't related.)

Jessie X spotted the Urvi's Web site and tweeted it at me in January.  We haven't eaten there, but it seems like a big vegetarian menu with many different regional Indian cuisines with a focus on Punjabi and Gujarati dishes  It seems like a cool option if you were having a party, and I was wondering if anyone had ordered from there before.

Rangoli in Hanover seems like a long drive considering how many great Indian restaurants we have in Columbia.  But I'd take recommendations if anyone knows their food as well.  This has been a week of me asking about new places -- like the Wild Cajun Seafood that I asked about Monday.

Winter Is Coming! Can Tomatoes To Keep You Warm -- Even The Ones On Sale At Larriland

Canned tomato sauce with Larriland tomatoes

If you have ever thought about canning, think about picking tomatoes and firing up some pots in the next several weeks.

Winter is coming.  Supermarket tomatoes will become hard, flavorless and have glowing blue eyes.

You can can up some tomatoes -- along with pickles and other vegetables.  I encouraged canning before -- and canning cookbooks.  It's a fun project, and the canned tomatoes are a treat as they pour summer into a mid-winter pasta sauce or pizza.

Today, Larriland Farm in Woodbine even has a sale on tomatoes.  I've never heard of this before.  The full-price tomatoes are spectacular and reason enough to pick at Larriland, then go home to can.  That's what I did with early season plum tomatoes over the summer.  But Larriland has announced a sale on one of its tomato fields.  (You can also get chard, blackberries, apples and more.)

If you can't go today, Larriland says tomato season runs into early October.  Pick another day.  This is a spectacular season to visit as apples and vegetables run into the pumpkins, hay rides and Halloween activities next month.  For more information about Howard County farms, my favorite source is AnnieRie's blog where she writes about harvests and products beings sold.  Check out her posts about farms, including local chickens for sale at England Acres.

Seriously, tomato sauce is a terrific first project.  You can find all kinds of recipes on the Web or in cookbooks.  Basically, you cook down tomatoes with onions and herbs or spices.  Then, you boil sealed jars to sterilize the sauce and seal up the Mason jars.  I really suggest it.  

I also suggest the amusement of early-morning tomato picking.  In mid-afternoon, Larriland fields are full of kids and people chatting.  But we hit up the tomato fields when they opened on a Saturday morning.  Serious pickers.  All adults.  Some who looked like they were going to re-sell at a market.  And everyone seriously pulling red tomatoes off the vines.  We were giggling about how everyone seemed so serious, and we picked probably twice what we needed.  It was peer pressure.  

For basic canning supplies, check out my 2011 post or look in Kendall Hardware in Clarksville or your local grocery store.

Here Come The Salads At Wegmans: RDADoc's Pears & Provolone At The Caesar Station

Wegmans has been open a year, but they're still making changes.  RDADoc celebrated one innovation -- the salad station now open at lunch time and dinner time among the preapred foods:

One of the things that I was most excited about when I heard that Wegmans was coming to Columbia was that I’d be able to eat their "pear and provolone" salad more frequently.  I’ve gotten this salad at the New Jersey Wegmans in the past.  It’s made with field greens, provolone cheese, pears and Wegmans lemon vinaigrette dressing.  It is absolutely delicious! 

When the Columbia Wegmans opened, my biggest disappointment was that they didn’t offer this salad expect for on their catering menu. Over the last year I have purchased it for parties, and it’s always been a big hit! 

A couple weeks ago when I was shopping at Wegmans, I noticed that the counter that use to serve Mexican food and sandwiches had been transformed into a Caesar salad station serving salads by the pound. They offer my favorite "pear and provolone" salad.  They also sell a Caesar salad and a romaine strawberry salad.  I tend to stick with what I know I like.  So the last two times I’ve been to Wegmans, I’ve gotten the "pear and provolone."  Next time, I am going to branch out.

Great Sage Smoothies: Great Smoothies, Great Big Price, Good Call When You Want Cool Lunch

Pineapple-ginger-kale smoothie

I'm hesitant to recommend a $7 smoothie, but Great Sage in Clarksville really does whip up something unusual.

Pineapple, kale and ginger make a delicious drink.  That's a professional drink.  I wouldn't have put them together, but the flavor is bright and exciting without being overly sweet.  And without tasting anything like kale.

Mrs. HowChow stumbled on the smoothies when she wanted a snack on a trip to the Roots Market next door.  We have had them a few times after an athletic Saturday morning.  They're delicious.  They're nutritious.  You could almost justify $7 if the smoothie was your lunch -- although then you need to insist that they actually fill the cup, which hasn't happened every time.

Great Sage has a whole menu of smoothies with all kinds of fruit and even spinach.  Pinapple and ginger has become my signature, but "Black Beauty" -- three kinds of berries and soy yogurt -- has other fans and may be my next try.

Grilled Halloumi At Pars And Nazars: Start Your Summer With The Cheese That You Can Grill

Grilled halloumi with pomegranate molassas

Ladies and gentlemen, start your grills.  Summer is here, and the first thing that you should throw over the coals is . . . cheese.

Not a cheese burger.  Not cheese melting on top of something else.  You need to cut half-inch slices of cheese, drop them on the grill, and let them brown for a few moments on each side.

To pull this off, you need to buy yourself the right cheese.  That's halloumi cheese, a brined white cheese so firm that it keeps its shape even over fire.

A spectacular, simple dish:  Halloumi cheese sliced about a half-inch thick.  Grilled for 2-3 minutes per side until the faces have browned slightly.  Then topped with a few lines of pomegranate molasses.  The sweet, rich molasses contrasts with the salty, warm cheese.  With just a block of cheese and a bottle of molasses, you can create an exotic appetizer or start an easy dinner.

Check out both the cheese and the molasses at the Persian Pars Market or the Turkish Nazar Market -- both near Snowden River Parkway in Columbia.

Of course, that's just a start.  We ate halloumi at Zaytinya in Washington, and it was amazing.  Probably pan-seared, which also makes a crisp, warm layer of cheese.  Then augmented with sliced dates, citrus and mint.  Search "halloumi recipe," and you'll find all kinds of ideas -- halloumi in salads, on burgers, or even serving as the "bread" in a grilled sandwich with a white bean paste inside.

If you're grilling, check out the butchers at Pars and Nazar for ground lamb.  Check out the entire Grilling Week series from 2010 that paired local ethnic groceries with Steven Raichlen's Planet Barbecue.  And you could call the markets before you visit.  Pars sells the cheese so quickly that they were out this weekend.  They get more all the time.

Looking For Farms Or Farm Stands?

Spring is the season to start thinking about eating and getting outside.  You can put them together by shopping at farms or farm stands, and AnnieRie helps make that happen.

Annie -- who blogs at AnnieRie Unplugged -- has created a FourSquare map with a bunch of Howard County farms and stands.  The map is a nice place for inspiration, and AnnieRie has been posting about farms around the area.

Jerusalem And Plenty -- Cookbooks Where Everything Is Imaginative, Nothing Is Difficult

Chicken, fennel and clementines

Yotam Ottolenghi just cooks better than I do.

You shouldn't be surprised since he is an internationally-known chef, but I was surprised at how much fun I've had in his cookbooks Plenty and Jerusalem.

Mrs. HowChow bought the books.  I actually passed when I saw them at Sweet Elizabeth Jane in Ellicott City.  The pictures are too pretty.  Ottolenghi is a restaurant chef.  I pass on celebrity chefs, and I've been happy in recent years with Mark Bittman and some ethnic cookbooks.

Mrs. HowChow saw the brillance.  She wanted the eggplant with pomegranates on the cover of Plenty.  She saw lots of vegetables. She saw combinations that sing.  As soon as I opened the books, she added a few dozen stickies to show the dishes that she'd like me to make.

Everything that I've made has been spectacular.  Everything seems imaginative, but nothing has been difficult.  These are terrific books for anyone who wants a healthy mix of vegetables, grains and meat -- but with flavor.

Barley and pomegranates -- really!

A salad of lentils, tomatoes and Gorgonzola.  A hearty eggplant with pomegranates and a buttermilk-yogurt sauce.  Chicken roasted with fennel and clementines.  Jerusalem draws a mix of recipes from co-author Sami Tamimi's hometown.  Plenty collects vegetarian dishes heavy on the Mediterranean, but running from Italy to Indonesia.

These recipes are terrific for me because my simple can be bland.  I can eat lentils straight from the pot, and Mrs. HowChow has had to point out that they're not inspiring even if they're healthy.  Ottolenghi make lentils enticing with some oven-dried tomatoes, that Gorgonzola, and generous dashes of herbs.

That variety runs through the books.  Jerusalem does traditional recipes, but Plenty is a riot of modern variety -- eggs baked over arugula and topped with yogurt, barley tossed in a salad with celery and pomegranates.  Ottolenghi uses spices and herbs available anywhere, but his dishes taste fresh and exciting -- even when the preparation is as simple as "cook the barley, then mix with a bunch of stuff that you chopped or poured from bottles."

These books are some of the best fun that I have ever had with thyme, dill, parsley and chives.  Ottolenghi must live near Lotte or H Mart because he'll suggest three or four different herbs in a recipe.  You can't buy $10 in herbs for just a few tablespoons of each.  So I have bought them at one of the Asian markets -- and planned for several Ottolenghi recipes so I can use the purchase over an entire week.

Go try these books. Check them out at the Howard County library.  Buy them from Amazon from one of the associate links.  Just go explore the mix.

Check out all my cookbook reviews.  Most are available at the library if you want to check them out.  (Update: And check out the Fiercely Fresh post about Jerusalem and a butternut squash recipe.)

Variation On A Plan At Shin Chon Garden

Chapchae at Shin Chon

Our standard order at Shin Chon Garden has become so standard that it's the basis of a "Korean 101" post and a bit of a bore.

Don't get me wrong.  You won't ever go wrong with four people eating dolset bi bim bop and some grilling their own meat.  But we go to Shin Chon enough that we wanted to venture into other dishes.

New variation: Order chapchae as an alternative to bi bim bop.

Chapchae is a Korean staple that should be easy for anyone to try.  It's thin noodles served warm and dressed in a light sauce with vegetables and, if you want, a little marinated beef.  We went on a Friday night as a twosome, so we didn't sit at a barbecue table.

Barley tea

I've been trying other restaurants on Rte 40 -- like Tongnamoo House and Han Sung -- but Shin Chon is still our far ahead favorite.  The chapchae was fresh and light, although so filling that we couldn't finish all the noodles, mushrooms and other vegetables.  We paired it with dolset bi bim bop because I save my pork belly orders for nights when I can barbecue at the table.

The standard chapchae comes with a few pieces of marinated grilled meat to mix in the noodles.  If you want a vegetarian meal, just tell the Shin Chon staff.  Vegetarian chapchae or bi bim bop are easy, and a vegetarian pancake would help you fill a table for four.

Seriously, Shin Chon is one of Howard County's best restaurants, so check out the Korean 101 post for step-by-step thoughts for a first visit.  Or skim all the Shin Chon posts.  Shin Chon's waitresses will generally offer ice water for the table.  Ask them for tea if you want hot barley tea.  It's free so you should try it.  You'll get a large plastic glass of hot tea.  Traditional and a way to warm up on a cold night.

Fresh Dates - Like On The Stem -- At Nazar

Fresh dates at Nazar Market

Grab for the season by trying fresh dates on Nazar Market in Columbia.

Fresh dates like dates just harvested and sold still on the stem.  They're firm and golden, nothing like the soft brown dates that I normally buy.  But they're ripe, and you eat the skin and all.

It's a fresh flavor, the full flavor of the date but less sugary.  The skin reminds me of an Asian pear.  You crunch through flesh like an apple -- slightly astringent at the skin, but then the flavor that is surprisingly rich with honey.

Based on exhaustive minutes of on-line research, these appear to be Mariani dates picked at the "khalal" stage.  The LA Times describes them as the "flavor of coconut, sugarcane and cinnamon."  I wish that I has thought of that because it's a nice description, much better than "full flavor of the date."

Nazar is a market with a halal butcher in the shops at Snowden River Parkway and Oakland Park Boulevard.  You enter from Oakland Park, and Nazar faces across the parking lot at Bon Fresco Sandwich Bakery.  Nazar sells lots of Turkish goods -- including candies, juices, sodas, grains, spices and the perfect ground lamb.  Ground lamb was one of the stars of 2010's Grilling Week.

Hot Stuff -- Special Ordered -- At Wegmans

Hatch chiles for special order at Wegmans

The new Wegmans has brought a taste of New York New Mexico to Columbia -- offering to sell you cases of hatch chiles and delivering them in mid-September.

N8tiveNYer emailed me about the special hatch chile sale because she bought some last year when she lived in Virginia.  Wegmans has a large sign at the entrance saying you can order at the catering desk, and N8tiveNYer recommends buying a roasted case and freezing them for the future.

Hatch chiles are a New Mexico specialty, ranging from mild to hot but all coming from the valley running along the Rio Grande.  They're used in traditional southwestern dishes, but also as modern twists in burgers, chicken dishes, and even cookies.

N8tiveNYer thinks that she was quoted $39 for a 25- or 35-pound case.  Wegmans sells them fresh or roasted, and she buys roasted to avoid the mess.  She recommends them for a green chile salsa, although you can start looking for ideas from the Houston Chronicle (chicken-fried steak / cookies), the Aprovecho blog (chicken with cheese and chilis), or the Hatch Chile Heaven blog (chili / burgers / a whole cookbook).