Columbus Foodie

When I saw the announcement for this year’s Slow Food Columbus/Flying J “Shake the Hand that Feeds You” farm to table dinner (September 8th, save the date!) coming across my Facebook feed this morning, I was reminded of last year’s dinner and the fact I hadn’t written about it yet. Easy to overlook, sadly – not because the dinner wasn’t great (it was!) or memorable (very much so!), but because last year, when it was held in early August, I had only been out of the hospital for about three weeks and was still heavily dependent on a walker and wheelchair to get around. So I was a bit less mobile than I had been in previous years, tired a lot more quickly, and had to depend on Paul to be my eyes, hands, and feet as far as my participating was concerned. To say I was pretty much stationary for the event (when I managed to get to the table, I pretty much stayed there) would be quite accurate, but I still enjoyed the socialization (I hadn’t seen a majority of the people there for upwards of a year), the food and the time for quiet reflection in serene surroundings, which all did very much to renew my spirit.

August, despite being one of the hottest and most humid months of the year, is one of my favorites because many of my favorite things are in the midst of their seasons right then – tomatoes, sweet corn, peppers. But more so than anything else, nothing says summer like a sunflower. There’s such a regal beauty in that blossom – where every photo seems like a painting.

And there couldn’t be a more perfect setting for the dinner. Flying J Farm, less than an hour away from downtown Columbus in rural Johnstown, is Dick Jensen’s retreat and livelihood. From his backyard, where the dinner is held, you can see his pastures off into the distance. And this only one small portion of the property, where he farms and raises cattle to provide his farm market customers and CSA members with good, healthy produce and beef.

When kids attend events at the farm, they have a wonderful time checking out the animals and running back and forth across the footbridge. It’s these little nooks and crannies and places to explore that make experiencing a day at the farm both educational and fun for the little ones.

One of the great things about farm-to-table dinners is that decorations are both beautiful AND functional. These particular peaches came from Legend Hills, a nearby orchard . You wouldn’t believe the intoxicating smell – it is one of the scents I most closely associate with summer, and made me want to dive right in.

There was no shortage of wine at the event – several different ones. I’m not much of a wine drinker, but even I was able to find one that I liked. But that’s usually the case when Patrick and Connie of United Estates are doing the picking.

Wildflowers made up the majority of decoration for the tables.

More wine…

And Columbus’ own OYO Vodka was used as the base spirit for some very special cocktails made by mixologist Nicoline Schwartz..

She infused the vodka with hot peppers, which made it a little too hot for my tastes, but my husband thoroughly enjoyed it, as did almost every single person at the event. The peppers were harvested right there at Flying J.

And the longer it sat, the hotter it got – but with this many peppers in the mix, is it any surprise?

The booze kept flowing, and by an hour into the event, most people were thoroughly relaxed and greatly enjoying themselves.

Basil (also picked at the farm).

And the food, oh my. Kevin and son Patrick Caskey (from Skillet, Rustic Urban Food) did all of the cooking, drawing inspiration from what was seasonal and grown on the farm.

The dish I enjoyed the most was this grilled cheese sandwich, which was topped with a slice of some of the most succulent and tasty tongue ever. Delicious.

More wine flowed…

…as did locally brewed Columbus Brewing Company’s Summer Teeth Lager.

Chapter Leader Colleen Yuhn recognized a lot of local farmers/artisans for their contributions to ideals that are extremely important and espouse Slow Food ideals. This one, which was presented to Warren Taylor of Snowville Creamery, was especially fitting.

The first time Slow Food Columbus had a pig roast, they underestimated the amount of time it would take to fully cook – this time around they still used the China Box, but adjusted the time for better results.

Like other farm to table dinners, this one also had a very long table that everyone sits at. We were sitting somewhere in the middle, so the table spanned this distance on both sides. Lots of work goes into making this event run smoothly, so kudos to those who volunteered time and offered donations. It doesn’t go unnoticed.

The bread was extremely hearty – in past dinners, the bread was provided by Eleni Christina Bakery. If this is not the case this year, please let me know – I want to make sure they get the recognition they deserve.

Integration Acres (from Athens County, Ohio) made a special batch of goat cheeses.

Other parts of the tablescape were both functional and tasty – these jars of pickles were opened and shared among everyone. I’m not especially a pickle person, but these pickles were downright addictive.

The roast pig needs to be flipped over in the box before it finishes cooking. I managed to snap a quick pic when the box was opened to do the flipping.

As good as the pork was, the beef brisket was hands down one of the most magical dishes of the night – I don’t know if that’s due to the high-quality beef raised at Flying J, or if it is the skill of the Caskeys in preparing food, or a combination of both. Either way, this brisket changed my mind about brisket.

Sides were fairly simple, like these roasted potatoes…

…a chard chopped salad…

…a lovely tomato salad (and have I told you all how much I love summer tomatoes? I have? Well, carry on) …

… and surprisingly, the kale and sweet potatos (who knew they went so well together?)…

…and some sautéed red cabbage.

Everything was so vibrant and beautiful – this dinner, which has become an annual thing, is truly summer’s last hurrah. I wish I could have gotten more pictures of the food, but by the time we all sat down to eat, it was too dark for pictures. But the dishes, here in their serving dishes, should give you a good idea of what kind of things to expect.

This year, the event is on September 8th. Tickets go on sale today at noon right here, and are $75 for Slow Food members, or $100 per person for non-members. It may seem steep, but given the quality and presentation of the food, it’s worth every penny. If you’d like to go, don’t wait to buy your tickets until tomorrow – historically, it has sold out very quickly, so get in while the getting is good. For more information, please check out the Slow Food Columbus site.

Taste the Future has always been one of my favorite food events in Columbus, and it’s one I’ve attended every year since I first discovered it (in 2006 or so). We’re quickly coming up on that time again (this time around, a few weeks earlier than it’s traditionally been held because of Columbus State’s switch to the semester system). So be sure to mark your calendars for Tuesday, August 21st, as this is one event you don’t want to miss.

I did manage to be able to go last year, thanks to CSCC’s generosity. It was an off year for me (I wasn’t fully mobile yet, and pushing myself around in a walker plum tuckered me out in no time flat). And last year, because of threat of rain, it was held in the parking garage, so the lighting was a bit off for getting great pictures. Still, I heartily enjoyed the experience, and here are a few images from the event:

There’s tons of additional pictures, and you can see the rest of the slideshow here:

Once again, Columbus State has been generous enough to provide me with extra tickets which I’m giving away here on the blog. I’m using a different method of letting you enter and choosing the winner this year, which will provide you with tons of extra opportunities for entries, and can track all the entries and choose the winner much more easily. The only one that is a mandatory entry is the question, the rest are optional, but will allow you up to 30 entries rather than just 5. The giveaway ends on 8/17/2012, and winners must confirm attendance by Monday morning (8/20/2012) or another winner will be drawn. Three pairs of tickets will be given away in total. Please don’t enter if you are aren’t planning on being in the Columbus area on August 21st, and all winners must be of legal drinking age. The only method of entering is through the Rafflecopter plugin, so comments on this blog entry won’t count. If you’re having problems entering, please comment to let me know.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck, everyone – and even if you don’t win tickets, I hope to see you at the event! It provides scholarships to Columbus State Culinary students, and is tax deductible. You can get more information about the event (and the dishes the participating restaurants plan on serving) on the CSCC Taste the Future web site.

Update: You can now earn 5 additional entries by following me on Pinterest – simple to do using the widget above.

Admittedly, it’s been ages since I’ve posted – between a flurry of medical and dental stuff I had to deal with, somewhere along the line I got hacked. And bad. I closed the security holes they were exploiting, but cleanup after it all is long and slow, and requires going into each individual entry (and I have 1,100ish) and stripping out bad code. I’ve been working on this a couple of weeks now, and I’m still only up to September 2009. At this rate, I’ll be done…probably mid-August.

But I really need to talk about the elephant in the room. Even though my body has completely healed from the trauma of the last year, my mind hasn’t. I have been dealing with tons of depression and anxiety in the aftermath of what I went through. Even though life is slowly getting back to normal, I still can’t go a single day without reliving at least part of it in my mind. A lot of things have happened due to my illness – almost all my hair fell out, so I ended up shaving it all off. So much calcium was leached from my bones when I had malnutrition that I now have osteopenia (weakening of the bones, precursor to osteoperosis) and my teeth became so weakened that I broke two down to the gumline in the span of 4 months. Since these were front teeth, I decided to cut my losses, save the ones I could, and get the rest pulled before they had an opportunity to break. I did this with the intention of getting immediate dentures, but the dentist I went to was so bad that they took more teeth than they were supposed to and the dentures they provided me were unusable (didn’t fit in my mouth at all, had missing teeth).

All this to say that even though I’ve been extremely self-conscious about my appearance before this, now I’m so self-conscious that I refuse to leave the house except for doctors and dentist appointments. I get panic attacks even thinking about going out. I don’t even go to the farmers markets anymore, which is one of my favorite things in the world to do (Paul goes in my place, and is great about taking pictures). I have tons of things to write about – hundreds of drafts, literally. But I’ve just been so overwhelmed by negative emotions lately that I’ve been avoiding blogging because I don’t want them to bleed through to my writing. Many would say this is the time where I should stop blogging, when all of the joy I took in cooking/gardening/travel/going to restaurants is gone.

But that’s not it, really. Somewhere deep within, I’m still passionate about those things. I *want* to cook, to travel, all of those things. But before I can find joy in anything again, I first need to deal with the demons that are left over from almost dying. I need to seek professional help, because I realize that there’s something there that I need to deal with so I don’t become a prisoner in my own home, in a jail of my own making. I’ve seen what PTSD has done to my loved ones who suffer from it, and I don’t want to be an emotional cripple full of regret 20 years from now. There’s a price to keeping people at arms length – you save yourself the trouble of being hurt, but you also become very, very lonely with no real friends to lean on when push comes to shove. I’ve found strength where I least expected (by repairing the relationship I have with my father – the first time we’ve talked, really talked in 40 years), and found the courage to end relationships with family members who not only didn’t have my back. But I could have not made it through the past year without my sister & best friend, Maurya, who quite literally uprooted her entire family to move in here to help me out when I first got home. Her kids added joy to my life like you wouldn’t believe (and my biological clock is pretty much shot, with me turning 40 in like 3 weeks). They’ve since moved on to their own place, and the fact that they’re not here anymore makes this huge ass empty house seem even emptier.

The point being – forgive me for not posting often. Bear with me, please. As long as you see me on Twitter, or Facebook, or Pinterest, things are OK. I’m going to try to deal with my issues professionally, so I can figure out what’s wrong and fix it. I want to be better, I want to have confidence, I want to be around people and not feel uptight and self-conscious and uncomfortable because I feel like I don’t fit in, or that what I’m saying or my opinions are stupid. People tell me that I’m a much harsher critic of myself than other people are, but I no longer feel comfortable (did I ever, really?) in my own skin. So uncomfortable that it’s a barrier to living a normal life.

Food brings people together, I’m convinced of that. But I don’t know the art of conviviality. I invite people to do things, 9 times out of 10 I can’t get even a single person to go with me. The few times that I’ve invited people here, they either stand me up or criticize something about where I live, how I keep my house, etc. I see colleagues in the food blogging world have relationships with each other outside of public events, and I feel left out because I’m not invited or included. I don’t get invites to weddings, or showers, or anything like that. Not a fault on the part of the other people – I understand that it’s something about me that I need to work on.

But I’m tired of superficial relationships. They do take so much energy to maintain, energy that I don’t have to give right now. And I don’t understand the value of going through the motions when I feel like I’m losing ground when I try. The world went on without me when I was ill and afterwards, and it continues to go on without me. I’m still trying to catch up with the things I did in 2010, let alone stuff I’ve done in 2011 or 2012. It really is a lot to process, and I’ve barely even scratched the surface.

All to say, bear with me as I try to venture forward. Sometime in August, I’m going to be introducing a new look to go with the venture back into the food blogging world. As easy as it would to be to quit right now, I need to keep going. I need to keep writing to stay sane. You’ll see a lot more posts from Paul, since he’s going to take over some of the posting while I work through all this. He’s judging at the Rib-Off tomorrow at the Ohio State Fair on behalf of the Columbus Foodie team. He’s quite psyched about it, it should be fun for him and I look forward to his report of it (as he photographs/blogs about it, and all the other sights at the Fair, since I probably won’t be going this year since I’m less than a week post-surgery and still waiting on those darn teeth. I’m glad that issue will be resolved by the time Taste the Future comes along (more about that, soon – in the next couple of days I’ll be writing about last year’s event and offering up three pairs of tickets to be given away here on the blog).

And please, if you’ve tried reaching out to me before, but I haven’t been receptive, or if it’s some kind of signal I’m putting out that seems standoffish, please let me know. It’s not you, I promise.

Thanks, as always, to all of you still reading. It’s a lot to process, I know, and much more personal than I usually get on here. But I felt as if I owed you all an explanation. It’s not fair of me to disappear and not explain why I’ve been gone. I’m going to be blogging a lot of pretty old stuff, but I need to get through all of that before I can get to doing new stuff.

Here in our household of two (now that my sister and her family have a place of their own again), we’ve been actively avoiding recipes that are too fussy during the week. Paul has been working nights, and sleeping in the afternoon and evenings before heading to work at 9pm, so needless to say, I don’t feel like the trouble of cooking or putting too much thought or effort into a recipe if I’m the only one who would be enjoying it. Not saying that we dislike challenging recipes – we just save them for the weekends.

Paula Deen recipes aren’t usually known for being healthy, and this particular one is no exception to the rule. There is one thing that is great about this recipe, though – there are plenty of opportunities within to make this much healthier. Using whole wheat pasta (or at the very least, multi grain or added fiber) and whole wheat bread crumbs (Ian’s makes a really tasty whole wheat Italian panko) will up your intake of fiber and healthy whole grains. You could probably even get away with using fat-free half and half, since the sauce will be thickened with flour and will allow a lot more leeway in the texture and mouth feel of the sauce for you to be able to reduce the fat elsewhere. This recipe makes plenty of pasta, and with a few modifications to your meal, it will serve a family of 4 easily if you increase the number of chicken breasts you make from two to four, and if you also serve it with some steamed or sautéed veggies or a salad. Easy-peasy, and this is a great recipe for a busy night. Start to finish, we were able to get this on the table in around a half an hour. This recipe also has the added bonus of using pantry and freezer stores – in one fell swoop, we were able to use chicken, leftover frozen holiday ham, the remainder of a quart of half and half, an already opened bag of egg noodles in the pantry, and the rest of a big wedge of gruyere that I had bought for another recipe. If I make it again, I would probably add some frozen peas to the sauce to add a little more texture and nutrients. I know it’s not a regular ingredient in most chicken cordon bleu recipes, but no one said we needed to follow the rules, right?

Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta
recipe slightly modified from Cooking With Paula Deen

Chicken:
1 c. Italian style panko bread crumbs
¾ tsp. minced fresh thyme plus fresh thyme for garnish
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. ground black pepper
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to ¼-inch thickness
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
¼ c. olive oil

Pasta:
2 tbsp. butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
¾ c. chopped leftover ham (or use deli ham in a pinch)
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. ground black pepper
1 c. half and half
½ c. shredded Gruyere cheese
3 c. hot cooked egg noodles

To prepare chicken:
In a shallow dish, combine breadcrumbs, thyme, salt, and pepper. Set aside.

Brush both sides of chicken breasts with mustard. Dredge chicken in breadcrumb mixture. In a large skillet, heat 2 tbsp. olive oil over medium heat. Add chicken, and cook for 4 minutes. Add remaining olive oil to skillet, turn chicken, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Place chicken on a cutting board to rest while you prepare the pasta.

To prepare pasta:
In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic and ham, cook for 2 minutes. Add flour, salt and pepper and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Gradually stir in half and half. Cook, stirring frequently, for 4 to 5 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Add cheese, stirring until melted. Add hot cooked pasta to pan, tossing gently to coat with sauce.

To assemble:
Spoon pasta onto serving plates. Slice chicken crosswise into ½-inch thick slices, and place sliced chicken over pasta. Garnish with fresh thyme, if desired. Makes two servings.

May is always, always one of my favorite months of the year – if not for the great weather (the cold snaps of early spring are behind us, and the weather is still cool enough to enjoy spending time outdoors), then definitely for the events for food lovers that are held this month. Today I’m going to talk about a couple of my favorites – the Taste of Dine Originals and the North Market Apron Gala.

Last May, I was definitely in a whole different place than I’m in this year – I started out the month with a slim to none prognosis of survival, with the best case scenario was that even if I managed to make it through my acute respiratory distress alive, I’d be tethered to a ventilator for my remaining time on earth, which would probably be no longer than a year because human lungs aren’t designed to handle that kind of stress before other organ systems start to fail one by one. When I woke up the second week of May, I was still a bit delusional about my condition – here I was unable to even sit up in bed without falling over, but still thought somehow that I’d be recovered enough in the next week or two to handle all of my usual May events. What the heck was I thinking? But miracles do happen, for sure, and I’m fortunate enough to not only be fully recovered, but to be able to attend both events that are near and dear to me for a multitude of reasons. And you can see why this year is extra special to me.

Tonight’s event, the Taste of Dine Originals, lets the 50 member restaurants of Dine Originals Columbus put their best food forward, offering delicious examples of what makes them restaurants that I’m happy to patronize. Each one is different, and the variety of restaurants that belong (all independents, natch) are a direct reflection of the awesome mix of people we have in our fine capital city. There are fine dining options to go along with the casual spots, ethnic or as American as apple pie, spots at all price points, spots that are open all day, spots that are only open for a few hours a night. In addition to trying dishes from some of my favorite local chefs, there are also other reasons to go – a new venue, local wines and microbrews, and new this year, Edible Columbus is hosting a Food & Artisan Fair at the event, which offers local farmers and artisan food producers to offer samples and information about their methods, farms and products.

The food is always fabulous at the event – you can see my coverage of previous years here: 2010, 2009.

According to the event planners, “Our signature annual event, Taste of Dine Originals, is one of Ohio’s best food and wine events, featuring tastings and samplings from 50 regional restaurants, 30 vineyards, 2 craft breweries, and a couple of micro distilleries. Whether you’re a seasoned foodie or an intrigued beginner, chefs, brew masters, and winery representatives welcome you as they mix useful knowledge with tastings of signature dishes and interesting beverages. The silent auction features cooking lessons, private dinners, special events, works of art and rare bottles of wine. This year’s event will be held at Capital University’s Capital Center, at 2360 East Mound Street, Columbus, OH 43209. The event will be open from 6-9:30pm. Tickets are $100, proceeds from this event are shared by Dine Originals Columbus and The Buckeye Ranch, which offers mental health treatment and alcohol and drug services for children. Dine Originals Columbus celebrates, supports and promotes the culinary diversity that locally owned and operated member restaurants contribute to the identity and culture of our city. We are committed to strengthening the local economy and enriching our community through education and charitable partnerships. The Buckeye Ranch and Dine Originals both support this community and strive, each in their own manner, to make Central Ohio a better place for everyone.

–

Later this month is the other event that is one of my annual favorites, the North Market Apron Gala – we’ve personally been attending since 2006 (Paul attended last year, although I couldn’t make it). In many ways the event is the same from year to year, but with each passing year the landscape of the North Market has changed – it is a living, breathing entity unto itself which has its own ebbs and flows – as old favorites disappear, new favorites appear in their place. No matter what, each year is worth attending – not only does it help support a vibrant public market, but it’s also one of those events that you can’t go five feet without seeing someone you know. Catching up with everyone while noshing on delicious food? Count me in!

This year, the event is being held on Saturday, May 19th from 7-10pm. Tickets are $75 per person and are available online or through the North Market Business Office (2nd floor of the market at 59 Spruce St, Columbus). Call 614-463-9664 for more information.

Here it is the second full week of the 2012 growing season, and this week it was especially crowded because both the Market to Market Ride and the Half Marathon were being held at the same time. Because of that, finding parking was a little more difficult, and the North Market especially was very crowded. Good news for the farmers that sell there, not so good news for us. We finally did manage to find parking (in part because that part of Spruce St. was closed to thru traffic). And this week we had three very special little ones with us – my nephew Brandon and my nieces Autumn and Amber. They had never been to a farmers market and when I tried to explain it to them, they didn’t quite understand it (because they’re used to only seeing fruits and vegetables in the grocery store), so I asked them if they’d like to come along. There was a rousing chorus of “yes!” and off we went.

We went to the North Market first, where we picked up some more strawberries from Rhoads – last weeks, although the first of the season and therefore a little less sweet (because strawberries sweeten best when the temperature is ~80F, according to Mr. Rhoads), still were much much tastier than the berries available in the grocery stores. And while I love the ease of being able to pick up a quart of great berries a the market, I still prefer picking my own, an activity in which I plan to include the young ones in within the next few weeks. After that, I’ll get to teach them about preserving and canning. I’m hoping they’ll have fond memories in the future of the time we spend together on these activities. They’re helping me out with the garden, too – there will be a short update in a few days on how that activity is going. We’re finding it necessary to redo the bones of the garden this year to rot-resistant wood and resin. More about that, and what we’ve planted so far and have yet to plant real soon.

I think their favorite part of the farmers market was sampling a little bit of everything: cheese, pie, salsa, honey, and more. They especially liked the cheese.

The hothouse tomatoes are looking good this year… these will definitely do just fine until August. 

And all of the lovely produce at the markets is just screaming to be made into salad – no better base for that salad than some local spring mix.

I missed out on the creamed honey this week (but Paul definitely didn’t, hence the picture) – I won’t pass this up next week.

Off to Clintonville, where there were three things in great supply – crowds, dogs, and baked goods. We navigated the first two and couldn’t pass up the third. Would *you* be able to pass up a scone like this?

Next week is the first week of the outdoor market in Worthington (and also Race for the Cure, if I’m not mistaken) so we’ll probably be skipping the North Market (or visiting it last), and definitely be hitting Worthington first. So how did you fare at the markets this past weekend? What did you pick up?

I’m finally caught up on going through the backlog of my feeds (100,000 posts and 8 months later, I’m breathing a sigh of relief!) so these roundups should be coming fast and furious now. The new system of posting the recipes as links on Pinterest is a fabulous solution, much easier for people to browse through and bookmark as needed. Once again, if you’re not already following me on Pinterest, you can do so by clicking on this button:

Now up on Pinterest:

April 2011 Roundup of Recipes

Well, I promised that I’d be much better about getting up the farmers market reports in a more timely manner this year – so in the interest of keeping that promise, looks like you’ll see some of this year’s posts before I finish putting up the rest of last season’s…

Happily, today was the first official day of at both the North Market and Clintonville, with my other usual Saturday market, Worthington, set to start next weekend. I was really looking forward to going today, since the whole of my season last year was from the perspective of a wheelchair. Since I’m back to being completely mobile, sans wheelchair, walker, or any assistance of any type, I was able to go back to my usual perspective of taking photos from a standing position, which makes things much, much easier.

We headed to the North Market first, with a handful (about a half dozen or so) different vendors there today, which is less than half the usual number during the peak of the growing season. I was really glad to see that they had strawberries today at Rhoads, so I picked up a quart of these beautiful berries to enjoy later.

I also picked a small bunch of asparagus at Wish Well Farms, to include in a farmers market spring risotto I’m planning on making tomorrow.

There were also French breakfast radishes to be had, which I’m going to thinly slice onto thick, buttery (made with Snowville Cream, natch) hunks of Omega’s French Country bread.

Over to Clintonville, where I picked up a bunch of tomato, pepper and chard seedlings. Looking forward to doing some gardening in this next week.

Yay to ramps – which I’m going to caramelize and include in my risotto.

They had the cutest little baby kale, too – which I unfortunately didn’t pick any up despite being sorely tempted.

So, that was my market day – did you make it out today? And what did you pick up?

If there’s one thing I remember about growing up in New Jersey, it was that every adventure was punctuated by a visit to a diner. In South Jersey, especially, diners were as ubiquitous as trees. Every town, no matter how small, had at least one (if not more). The ones that I remember from my childhood no longer exist (Presidential Diner, I’m looking at you – and miss you and your Belgian Waffles with Strawberries terribly), but due to their ubiquitous nature, there’s always another diner around the next corner.

Pegasus has existed for a few decades now, but since it was in the next town over (and much of my time living in South Jersey was as a non-driver), I had never been there. It was a mini family reunion, of sorts – I went with my father and his significant other, and also had the opportunity to visit with my Uncle Will and Aunt Susie. It seems as if all of the above are regulars there, as is the norm in most diners – service was quick, friendly, and very accommodating to special requests (extra crispy potatoes, and no olives in my omelette in my case).

About that omelette – it doesn’t look like much, but it has to be one of the best I’ve had in quite a while – a nice balance of flavors, and purely vegetarian. I’ve tried like crazy to replicate it here at home since I’ve been back, to no avail. I guess you need a flat-top grill seasoned with the flavors of many years to get it just right.

One of the things I’ve missed since moving to Ohio is having the option of ordering pork roll (or scrapple) as my side of meat with my breakfast. Yes, I know I can get Taylor Pork Roll at a few of the specialty stores around here, but really – it’s just not the same cooked at home.

The fruit cup, in retrospect, I could have taken or left. I love fresh fruit with breakfast, but this combination has definitely seen better days.

Would I go back? Definitely. Prices were reasonable, service was great, and food was definitely above average.

If you’d like to go: Pegasus Restaurant, 455 Delsea Dr., Malaga, NJ. 856-694-0500. Also on Facebook.

Since we didn’t have much of a winter to speak of this year (not complaining, mind you – it’s the first time in years I wasn’t totally incapacitated by Seasonal Affective Disorder!), it’s been pretty warm for a while now. So much so that without me realizing it, we’re almost at the time of year again where my Saturday mornings are spent at farmers markets picking up local produce, meats and cheeses to create some rather stunning meals.

Last year was a bit of a wash for me as far as the farmers markets went – I wasn’t able to go at all until near the end of July, and when I did go, Paul had to push me around in a wheelchair because I still wasn’t able to walk unassisted. Most pictures I took last year were from a seated position, with me being so totally exhausted by the time I got home that I never got the posts about those visits up at all.

I’m totally planning on starting fresh this year, back to updating right after I get back from the markets, but part of doing that is getting the rest of the posts from last year’s growing season up before embarking on covering this year. So, in the next few days, expect to see a bunch of posts about what I saw at the markets last year, which will also give you an idea on what to expect when going this year since very little changes as far as availability from year to year.

I’m also planning on putting together a list of the different markets that you can attend this year in Central Ohio (and maybe even a list for my Jersey friends, since I’m hoping to spend some time there this summer as well) – so if you know of a market I can add to the list, please add a comment to this post. Last year, I only went to my main three (North Market, Clintonville, and Worthington), so these pictures will be from one or more of those. Unfortunately, I didn’t note which was which. Oops…

Are the rest of you looking forward to going to the markets as much as I am? Which ones are your favorites, and who are your “can’t miss” farmers and vendors?