Locavore: Happy summer!

Happy summer! Summer has finally hit and the markets are in full swing with beautiful local produce beginning to overflow the stands!

Today Todd didn't have work so we decided to take a scenic drive to Driggs and check out the Teton Valley farmers market, specifically for the local cheese. Todd and I have both developed a love of good cheese and we were getting tired of the endless blocks of cheddar and mozzarella from our local dairy. We hit the jackpot in Driggs. There were two artisanal cheese makers there and the cheese was out-of-this-world good. We came home with a small wedge of mild raw blue and a semi-hard pecorino. I'm still blown away at how they can fit so much nuance and goodness into such a little wedge of cheese; the craftsmanship and quality is extraordinary.  I was making up songs about the glories of cheese all the drive home, much to Todd's amusement.

Also fruit has began to come to the market and we are ecstatic! One interesting thing that happens when becoming a locavore is the gratitude you feel when each new fruit or vegetable comes to the market. You learn to savor the season and enjoy it as much as you can. Such is the case for cherry season which is currently upon us! I have always liked cherries, and eaten them when I had them, but after a month of greens and more greens, seeing that first glint of sweet red cherries was one of the happiest sights I have had in a long time. A week and five pounds of cherries later we're not sick of them yet and we're looking forward to more tomorrow.

Here's one of our newest favorite recipes that use all the yummy snow-peas on the market.

Stir fried snow-peas with oyster sauce
1 pound snow-peas
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon oil
3 cloves garlic, minced

Wash the snow-peas and shake off excess water. (You want some water still clinging to the peas, as that will help with the cooking process.) Chop the ends off and set aside.
In a small bowl, mix the oyster sauce, water, fish sauce and sugar.
Heat a wok or large skillet over a high flame. Swirl in the oil. Add the garlic and stir briefly, until sizzling and fragrant. Add the snow peas to the pan and stir fry until bright green with a few charred spots, followed by the sauce. Stir and toss the vegetables frequently until the peas are coated. Serve hot with rice or fried noodles.