Farmer's market booty ~ Ham Pie Sandwiches

15 December 2008

Farmer's market booty

You see that? That's homemade kimchi. I got that kimchi at the farmer's market. I've eaten half the tub already.

The farmer's market is the best thing ever. I love it so much.

You know what else was at the farmer's market? Watermelon radishes.

They are HUGE! John was all, "those aren't beets?" No, although I also got beets.

There were several other kinds of radish too (daikon, black, green), but I only got watermelon radishes. I have an evil plan to roast them, just like I saw on yum yum kidcupcake several weeks ago. Oh man, does that sound awesome? Yes, it does.

In the meantime I had to make something for lunch today, so I chopped up a green onion and half a radish (again, huge) and yes some more leaves of the eternal savoy cabbage which Also came from the farmer's market. Then I made chickpea vegetable pancakes, and they were awesome.

Chickpea pancakes with cabbage, green onion, and radish.

chickpea flour (aka gram flour)
water
cabbage
green onion
radish
salt, pepper

First make a batter. To do this, mix an equal amount of water and chickpea flour in a big bowl. Whisk with a fork (or, you know, a whisk) until the flour is all mixed in evenly. To make this easier, add the flour in increments. I used about 3/4 cup of each, which was adequate for my own individual lunch of 5 medium-small pancakes.


Finely chop your vegetables of choice. The great thing about these pancakes is that they can take practically anything you throw at them. I used one green onion, 3 or 4 small cabbage leaves, and 1/2 a huge radish. You want all the vegetables to be in fine, thin strips.

Toss the vegetables into the batter, along with a little salt and several good grinds of pepper, and stir to mix. This should result in an extremely vegetabley batter, with only a little liquid left not yet clinging to leaves. You can adjust proportions however you like.

Get a decent nonstick pan heated fairly hot, at the temperature you'd normally use for pancakes. When the pan is hot enough to instantly sizzle off a flick of water, scoop a few ladlefuls of batter into the pan. Cook your pancakes on the first side until bubbles rise through the batter and they turn golden around the edges. Then flip them and cook until the second side is brown.

Eat pancakes. I had mine with spoonfuls of plain yogurt, which was great. Other things to eat with pancakes: baba ghanouj, any dal you like, white bean puree, super-garlicky cooked spinach, or a spicy soup like carrot/cumin, carrot/ginger or mustard-seedy tomato.

They are great and easy and cheap and great. Plus you get to use all the deliciousness from the farmer's market! FARMER'S MARKET.

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