Hey, everyone!
One of my favorite things about living in Austin is access to great farmers markets. At this point, I buy probably 90% of my meat and vegetables from the market. There’s something special about being able to buy directly from farmers and ranchers, and to know exactly where my food comes from.
But the thing I love most about farmers markets is that they force me to cook seasonally.
For 99% of human history, we’ve eaten seasonally. Certain things grew at certain times of the year in our part of the world, and that’s what we ate. This made individual foods all the more special when they came into season. Tomatoes weren’t just something you could get at any time, but rather something to be celebrated when they were at their peak in the summer.
Modern supermarkets and supply chains have completely removed us from this idea. The average consumer today hardly thinks about seasonality. Every vegetable is available year-round, and we have easy access to things that don’t even grow near us. We’ve gained an enormous amount of convenience and abundance, but we’ve lost something in the process.
Vegetables taste better when they’re fresh and in-season, and they become something to celebrate. They’re healthier, more nutrient-dense, and haven’t been sprayed with preservatives or traveled halfway across the world to sit on a supermarket shelf.
But my favorite part about cooking seasonally is that it also forces us to get creative.
Most people today choose a recipe, buy all the ingredients at the store, and never worry about whether or not what they need will be available. Cooking seasonally flips the script— you allow the produce itself to dictate what you cook.
This way of cooking can seem intimidating, but it’s incredibly rewarding. You learn to harness your instincts, step outside your comfort zone, and get creative. And in some ways it’s easier. When you’re buying fresh, in-season produce, you have to do so much less to it in order to make it taste amazing. You don’t need fancy techniques or flavor additions— the product speaks for itself.
I really do believe that fresh, seasonal vegetables taste better and that you’ll notice a major difference. I’d encourage you to check out your local farmers market this weekend and give it a try. You won’t regret it.
Myles
Cooking Classes + Courses
I’m looking for feedback on an idea I’m working on.
I’m thinking about two things— online cooking classes, as well as a more intensive online course around the fundamentals of cooking.
The classes would be one-off events, likely via Zoom, where I’d teach a group of people how to make a specific dish.
The course would be a more intensive cohort course where I’d take a smaller number of people on a multi-week journey to learn about the fundamentals of cooking.
Is either one of these something you’d be interested in? If so, can you add your name to this list? Even better— also reply to this email and let me know what you’d like to learn to cook!
What I’m Cooking
Chicken Meatballs with Smoky Chile Tomato Broth
This dish celebrates the fact that cherry tomatoes are in season right now, as well as the fact that there’s a phenomenal chicken supplier at my local farmer’s market.
If you can’t get ground chicken locally, this would be great with Force of Nature’s new chicken ancestral blend.
This dish is actually surprisingly easy— you can even prep the meatballs ahead of time and store them in the fridge until you’re ready to cook them. I served these with cilantro-lime rice and a simple arugula salad.
I posted the recipe on my website— you can check it out here.
What I’m Reading
Six Seasons by Joshua McFadden
This is one of my favorite cookbooks, and it’s an incredible resource if cooking seasonally is your thing.
The book is organized by seasons— six of them to be specific— and details not just which vegetables grow in those seasons, but also how to select, prepare, and cook them. The recipes are phenomenal.
I love to use this book for inspiration when I find something cool at the farmers market but don’t know how to cook it. McFadden imparts wisdom from both his time as a farmer and a chef, and I’ve learned a ton from him.
What I’m Using
We all know and love our cast iron pans, but I think that everyone should also own a plancha (also known as a flat top, comal, chapa, griddle, etc).
This is basically a large flat surface with low edges. It’s useful for burgers, steaks, tortillas, flatbreads, pancakes, and so much more. I especially love using one of these over an open-fire grill, but it’s just as useful on a stovetop burner.
They come in lots of shapes, sizes, and materials. My preference here is for carbon steel, which is lighter than cast iron and heats up and cools down more quickly. Recently I’ve been using my blue carbon steel comal from Masienda + Made In a ton, and this version from Lodge is solid as well.
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