Saturday, Jun. 28, 2008

Healthy meal comes together out of quick trip to farmers market

OAKDALE -- It's a poor decision that I've made far too often, joining the line of cars at the fast food drive-through rather than my neighbors walking among fresh produce at the farmers market.

An ultimate cheeseburger, big bag of fries and vanilla shake is a quick, tasty dinner -- and, laden with 2,500 calories, a greasy invitation to an early heart attack.

I didn't turn right into the Jack in the Box on Thursday night, however. I turned left in downtown Oakdale, quickly found a parking spot and decided to go green.

Green as in fresh basil leaves, eight-ball squash, sweet peppers, French breakfast radishes, leeks and Armenian cucumbers.

The block-long extravaganza is as much a culinary showcase of homegrown produce as a social gathering, with farmers and health-minded customers sharing nutritional tips and recipes.

"It's great to share ideas, and I get some good suggestions, too," said Rachael Harris, who owns Harris Homegrown of Waterford and grows herbs and vegetables. "French breakfast radishes, for example, are great for the greens and the radish. Not too spicy, but many people don't realize that."

I chopped the greens in a salad, sliced a bulb for a tangy topping and used sweet blueberries from Rogelio Martinez's Knights Ferry farm to counter the radish -- but wait, I'm getting ahead of myself.

My goal was to stroll through the market and buy all I would need not only for a nutritious dinner, but within a modest budget. It's an adventure anyone in the region can enjoy, with nearly a dozen farmers markets held each week across the valley.

For about $23 in ingredients, I was able to piece together a five-course meal for two that took 30 minutes to prepare: salad, appetizer, fruit compote, tri-tip sandwich, followed by a basil palate cleanser and two desserts.

Does that sound too fancy? I'm an Oakdale guy who raises goats on the side and I pulled it off in one night, so it must be simple.

Even better, it was grown within 20 miles of Oakdale and I put my money directly in the hands of the producer, removing the cost of a middleman.

A foot-long Armenian cucumber, sliced and drizzled with olive oil and chopped tomatoes for an appetizer, was from Bettencourt Farms in Ceres. The tri-tip and carrot cake were made by House of Beef and Bloomingcamp Ranch, both of Oakdale, and the brown eggs (for the dressing and on the salad) were laid by Rhode Island reds at E&B Gourmet Farms in Ceres.

Steve Bettencourt sold his first squash when he was a freshman at Turlock High -- 30 years ago, he proudly points out -- and he's constantly adding new produce.

"People love to eat things that are new, so I always have surprises like this eight-ball squash and the Armenian," Bettencourt said. "The eight-ball is great for stuffing because it's like a bowl."

What's a meal without a sweet treat? So I made a fruit compote of plums, nectarines, berries and apricots. OK, so I went to a store for the heavy whipping cream, but everyone gets one mulligan.

What I loved about the market was the willingness of farmers to let me sample the fruit, so I was confident it was fresh and juicy.

I bit a plum from Rodin Farms of Modesto and juice spewed. I tore a chunk from a white nectarine and syrup clung to my hand. I halved a plump apricot and a sweet aroma aroused my senses.

"The plums are coming now," said Matthew Smith, still sweaty from unloading the bins of produce from his truck. "I think people enjoy different fruit ripening at different times, so they've got a nice variety to choose from."

While fresh is fun, there's nothing wrong with adding some sugar and spice to make a dessert.

The slice of blueberry pie from Bloomingcamp, while not the most nutritious part of the meal, was an appropriate reward for a culinary challenge well done.

Bee staff writer Richard T. Estrada can be reached at restrada@modbee.com or 578-2300.