There was a lot of great stuff at the Farmer’s Market today, but for the Market Watch column I had to go with artichokes, my favorite vegetable of all time (hence the exclamation point in the title). By the time I arrived, which was about 8:15am, they had been pretty picked over, but I think I got some good ones. You can steam the whole thing, which is pretty good, but with a little cleaning you can get the heart out of it and cook it all manner of different ways. Below, see some of the artichoke dishes I’ve made in the past.

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There’s something therapeutic for me about shelling peas. I’m not really sure why; it’s not something I ever did as a kid. Maybe because in my mind it harkens back to some kind of idyllic childhood, or maybe it’s just because it gives me a more personal connection to my food. When you buy frozen peas, or peas that have already been shelled, it means that more people have handled them, and there has been more time between picking and eating than if you just get the pods.

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Many Park Slope residents were shocked a few months ago when Red Hot, a great Chinese restaurant on 7th Ave, unexpectedly closed with no notice. Especially mystifying was that Red Hot was always busy and full. Many of us figured the rent had just gotten too high.

Then the other day I walked by and say the floors being redone, and wondered what would be filling the space. Yesterday I found out — Red Hot will be reborn as Red Hot II, to open on some unspecified day next week.

Below: Some amazingly delicious vegetarian spare ribs from Red Hot.

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Jess & Garrett continue their search for the best pizza in NY at Franny’s. Click the quote to read the full write-up.

“…Franny’s is the kind of casual but delicious restaurant that makes you ready to pack up stakes and move to the neighborhood.”

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Summer seemed to explode at this week’s Farmer’s Market. Nothing exemplifies this more than the fruit that appeared — cherries, blueberries, and peaches joined the strawberries that appeared a few weeks ago. The peaches are juicy though not quite sweet yet, but the cherries are phenomenal.

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For all my bluster about eating locally and seasonally, I also get really excited about exotic imports. When I saw this article in the NY Times about the legalization of mangosteen imports, I knew I had to have one. Having fallen in love with longans while I was in Vietnam, tropical fruits have a special place in my heart. I saw mangosteen juice at the local market, but it wasn’t the same. Then a co-worker started asking about mangosteens (she saw the juice as well). Finally, Ed Levine posted his encounter with mangosteens, and I felt like all of the pieces had fallen into place. It was time to get mangosteens of my own.

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