Farm Market Crawl: Mount Rainier Farmers Market

This week I hit the Mount Rainier Farmers Market in Mount Rainier, MD, just along the Route 1 corridor. The market is held on Saturdays from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at Civic Plaza, 1 Municipal Place, in Mount Rainier, where a dedicated bunch of vendors sell a range of fresh vegetables, produce, plants and baked goods.

One look at the pastries and breads from Hyattsville’s Uptown Bakery and your shopping bag will be filled in minutes with flaky, buttery croissants—plain, almond or chocolate—sticky buns, Danishes, and cookies the size of a small child’s head. Their sun-dried tomato bread is a revelation when lightly toasted and dipped in extra-virgin olive oil.

Zamora Produce offers their plants, flowers and vegetables each week along with the plumpest, sweetest fresh blueberries I’ve ever tasted.

Howard County’s Love Dove Farms has an eclectic selection of fruits and vegetables including a wonderful mix of Asian greens like pac choi. Yes, you read it right, pac choi, a younger version of bok choy with a slightly bitter twang and great crunch. It’s sold as bunches of individual leaves with tender stems. The leaves are dark green and hearty enough to withstand grilling, which is just how I prepared this Grilled Pac Choi Salad with Peppers & Onions.

The leafy greens can be a bit bitter so I like to pair them with a sweet vinaigrette. Be sure not to slice the onions and peppers too thinly or they’ll fall through your grill gates. Use a grill basket if you need to.

Grilled Pac Choi Salad with Onions & Peppers

Makes 4 side dish servings.

Olive oil

1 medium red bell pepper, cut into thin strips

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

½ pound pac choi or bok choy

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon honey

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and pepper, to taste

Brush the pepper and onion slices lightly with olive oil, then place on hot grill just until they begin to soften and brown slightly, about 5 minutes. Remove from grill and place in a large bowl.

Rinse the pac choi leaves and pat them dry. Brush the leaves with olive oil and place on a hot grill. Grill the leaves just until they begin to wilt and brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Take the pac choi off the grill and place on a cutting board. Roughly chop the pac choi and add it to the pepper and onions.

Whisk together the mustard, honey and vinegar in a small bowl. Gradually pour in the 2 tablespoons olive oil, whisking constantly until the dressing is emulsified.

Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss until evenly coated.