The Farmers Market

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The Farmers Market

Tuesday, 08 July 2008 14:31

Beaufort Tomato Pie

Haricot Vert with Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette

Peach Crunch

Lime Mint Tea

Beaufort has been blessed with an abundance of delicious produce! There’s nothing
tastier than a fresh-picked tomato from St. Helena Island or a juicy ripe South Carolina
peach. How lucky we are to have a great place to shop where we can purchase this
locally-grown bounty! I’m talking about the Port Royal Farmers’ Market. Located off
Ribaut Road near the entrance to the Naval Hospital, the market is open on Saturdays
from 8:00 a.m. until 12:00 noon and from 2:00 until 6:00 p.m. on Tuesdays. The fruit and
vegetables have been fabulous so far this summer. Vendors are also selling flowers and
herbs, plants, honey, fresh baked breads, and jams and jellies. There’s always live
music on Saturday mornings. It’s turning out to be a real social event! I’ve had my
own booth for a couple of days and have been selling fresh baked breads and sweets as
well as individual servings of chicken salad and gourmet iced tea. It’s such fun that I
plan to return as often as my catering schedule permits. This week’s recipes are perfect
for showcasing our locally-grown produce. Come out and support the Port Royal
Farmers’ Market and taste for yourself. See you on Saturday morning!

Beaufort Tomato Pie
1 (9-inch) deep dish frozen pie shell, baked and cooled
2-3 large ripe tomatoes, thickly sliced
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Dried sweet basil
Chives
3 green onions, chopped
1 cup (scant) salad dressing
1 cup (8 ounces) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
Fill pie shell with tomato slices. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, basil, chives, and green
onion. Mix salad dressing and cheese. Spread over tomatoes, sealing to the edges.
Bake for 35 minutes at 350 degrees. Serves 6 to 8.

Haricot Vert with Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette
1 pound fresh small green beans
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cloves garlic, unpeeled
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
Rinse the green beans and snap off ends if needed. Bring a large saucepan of water to a
vigorous boil, then add the beans and the 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Cook until the beans are
just tender. Drain immediately, then rinse in very cold water until the beans are cool.
Drain again. To make the vinaigrette, place the garlic cloves on a small baking sheet
and drizzle them with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Bake the garlic in a 350 degree oven
until the garlic is soft to the touch, about 30 to 40 minutes. Cool to room temperature.
Remove the papery peels from the garlic by squeezing them into a small mixing bowl.
Mash the garlic with a fork into a coarse puree. Add the mustard, vinegar, honey, and
salt and pepper to taste. Whisk well. While whisking constantly, drizzle the 1/2 cup
olive oil very slowly. Set the vinaigrette aside at room temperature. To serve, melt the
butter in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the green beans and saute quickly,
just to warm. Remove pan from heat and toss the beans with the vinaigrette and chives.
Serve immediately. Serves 6.

Peach Crunch
2 cups sliced fresh peaches
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup self-rising flour
1 cup sugar
1 egg
6 tablespoons butter, melted
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place the sliced peaches in a lightly greased 9x13-inch
baking dish. Sprinkle the lemon juice over the peaches and toss gently to coat.
Combine flour, sugar, and egg in a small bowl. Mixture will be dry and lumpy. Spread
mixture over peaches. Pour melted butter over flour mixture. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.
Serve warm. Serves 6.

Lime Mint Tea
8- 1/2 cups water, divided
6 tea bags
2 cups loosely packed fresh mint leaves, chopped
1- 1/2 cups sugar
1- 3/4 cups lemon juice
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
Fresh mint to garnish
Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a large saucepan; pour over tea bags. Cover and steep 5
minutes; discard tea bags. Stir in mint; let stand 15 minutes. Pour tea through a wiremesh
strainer into a bowl, discarding mint. Bring remaining 4-1/4 cups water and
sugar to a boil in saucepan; cool. Stir in tea and juices. Chill; serve over ice. Garnish, if
desired. Serves 10 to 12.

The writer owns Catering by Debbi Covington and is the author of the cookbook, Dining Under
the Carolina Moon. Debbi’s website address is www.cateringbydebbicovington.com. She may be
reached at 525-0350 or by email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .