Farmer's Markets in the winter with Melissa Clark

Believe it or not, Melissa Clark began her love affair with the farmer’s market, in the dead of winter. On Wednesday night, as she read the introduction from her latest cookbook, Cook This Now: 120 Easy and Delectable Dishes You Can’t Wait to Make, I realized that most people abandon our beloved Eastern Market and neighborhood farmer’s markets in the winter time.
 
Yes, options are limited and fewer trucks file in on the weekends, but what better time to experiment with ingredients that you may not be familiar with? You will need to brave the cold when you venture out, but you will be rewarded spending the day in your cozy house trying out some new recipes for yourself or the ones you love.

Tips from the Pro:

• To start off, stay in your comfort zone. If you are used to buying apples, maybe try a different varietal. Instead of noshing on the ever popular gala, how about trying a pie with a Pippin apple? Once you get the hang of stepping outside of your usual boundaries, the possibilities are endless.
• If you see someone buying something you have never seen before, pounce on them and ask them what they are doing with it. The joy of cooking is discovery!
• Passionate cooks make mistakes. If you fail miserably, do not be discouraged to buy that item again.

Melissa, who has collaborated with many chefs (Cook This Now is her thirty-second cookbook), also noted that there is not one perfect “La Technique” in cooking. Each chef that she has worked with has chopped onions, cooked chicken and even salted beans differently. There are a million ways to get there, and all of them are great, you just need to get to dinner.