Chicago Farmer’s Market Tour: Part 2, Cook With A Pro

So where did we leave off when I left you all drooling at my photos from the market yesterday? Didn’t catch yesterday’s post? I’ll give you a minute to go read it…or rather, look at the photos.

I left you with these teasers:

  

Thanks to the sponsorship of I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter (ICBINB), we purchased a bounty of fresh and local produce, including:

• corn
• French breakfast radishes
• tomatoes
• red onion
• eggplant
• mint
• basil
• blackberries
• peaches
• goat cheese
• brioche
• arugula

When we arrived at Splice Kitchen, we were filled in on the concept of it. Splice is a commercial kitchen that, with a sanitation license, can be rented out to everyday people to cook larger quantities than a typical home kitchen can handle. There are restaurant-grade appliances, tons of counter space, and a quaint little cafe area up front.

We immediately got to work washing the produce, and Chef Rhonda got to slicing, chopping, chiffonade-ing, and grilling.

She worked to prepare all the aspects of the meal at once so, once finished, we could sit down and enjoy the meal without having to do more prep work. We started with the corn.

It went on the grill, husk and all, and cooked until it was nearly black:

Then, the ears of corn were broken in half, and added to a hot pan with ICBINB. We learned that ICBINB actually has a higher smoke point than butter, which was great to know! Chef Rhonda added some chili powder and cayenne to the hot pan, but not directly to the corn. She wanted the spices to roast a bit before she shook the pan to coat the corn with the roasted spices.

To finish it off, a squirt of fresh lime juice caused a bit of a flambé-type explosion, also causing the corn to develop a delicious caramelization.

Chef Rhonda also made a remarkable salad which included sauteed peaches in ICBINB seasoned with curry, white pepper, salt, and a touch of cinnamon.

She then added these peaches to the fresh arugula, and topped the whole thing with goat cheese we purchased that was coated in herbes de Provence.

Our main course was a simple open-faced sandwich featuring grilled eggplant, tomato, onion, and goat cheese atop fresh ciabatta bread. It never ceases to amaze me how simple things, when grilled or roasted, can taste so complex! The bread was sprayed with ICBINB spray and then lightly grilled, then rubbed with fresh garlic. I highly, HIGHLY recommend this technique. It really made the sandwich something fabulous!

In addition to the corn, salad, and sandwich, Chef Rhonda made a simple dessert featuring grilled mini brioche, topped with fresh blackberries, raw organic orange blossom honey, and mint.

Once all the dishes were complete, we carried them into the cafe area to enjoy our completely fresh, local, organic, and homemade meal together. Tracey carried the main course in… how cute is she??

Our sandwiches and corn were truly a sight to behold:

After we were stuffed to the gills, and exhausted from a hot day at the market, in the kitchen, and the never-ending foodie conversation, we pulled it together to take a group picture (Thanks to Tracey for sending this my way!) And cue the cheesy post with the ICBINB spray….NOW

L-R: Chef Rhonda, Me, Tracey, Jaclyn

Thank you to ICBINB for sponsoring such a fantastic event! I loved having the experience of both shopping and cooking such fresh and delicious food. I’m still enjoying the peaches and blackberries I picked up for myself and Adam, and am looking forward to going back to the market again soon…it was quite an experience!

Make sure you come back tomorrow for a special back-to-school fundraiser/giveaway that’s been a long time in the making!

Tagged as: Chicago, friends, fun, grilling, lime, local, photography, sandwich, simple recipe, vegetables, vegetarian