Flavors from Afar: Salads at Bloomingdale Farmer's Market

I love my neighborhood of Bloomingdale DC. It feels like a small town community in the middle of the madness of Washington, DC. The neighbors always say hello, it's as diverse as our household, and the colorful row houses makes it a lovely place to go for a stroll.  My lovely neighborhood also includes some of the hottest spots in DC right now: Big Bear Cafe, Red Hen DC, and Boundary Stone.  However, there is something which truly brings food and neighborhood together: the Bloomingdale Farmer's Market. I was flattered when I was asked to do a cooking demonstration at the market, featuring fruits and vegetables of the season.




Millions of Peaches

  I was asked by the management to prepare a dish with the seasonal items. Two of the items dominating the market right now are peaches and tomatoes. The scorching heat and humidity decreases my desire to turn on a range, so I make a lot of salads in the summer. One of my favorite salads is the caprese, which I learned to make with my Sicilian friends in Brussels. Love the layers of basil, mozzarella, and tomatoes. This time, I decided to add a little southern touch to the salad by adding peaches. Instead of mozzarella, I used Vachino cheese, offered by the local cheese stand, Keswick Creamery. The Vachino is a little saltier than the mozzarella but it still has a similar consistency. I found a beautiful bunch of basil from the Truck Patch Farms, one of the main vegetable stands. We also loved their lovely bouquets which include fresh basil and Rhubarb stalks.

Picking just the right peach

As promised, I'm going share how to make this simple and delicious salad. Ingredients: Tomatoes, Peaches, Basil, Mozzarella di Bufala (or any same consistency cheese), salt and pepper to taste, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Cut cheese, tomatoes, and peaches, layer with basil and sprinkle salt and pepper, drizzle with olive oil and vinegar. Usually two tomatoes, two peaches, a bunch of basil, and half a mozzarella ball yields for two. Please let me know if you try it!

I loved the experience of sharing my passion of cooking with the community and also being able to be part of something which makes my neighborhood a great one to live in.

Tomatoes and Squash at Bloomingdale Farmer's Market