Here’s some news you can use from our vendors:

After a week off, Louise from The Bakery At Riverside Farm returns loaded with sourdough varieties. Sour Cream Blueberry Muffins made with local Picketts Harbor berries are on the list too.

Summer is fig-tastic at It Started With A Fig. Stop by for samples (and to purchase) these tasty, versatile all-natural homemade jams.

Iron Goddess Tea Room is serving up another free tasting event at 10:30. The theme is Oolong teas, and they will be featuring two brand new Taiwanese Oolong teas – Nantou Four Seasons Oolong, a great everyday drinking tea, and Alishan High Mountain, a fine grade tea from a very special region in Taiwan.

Plan your summer parties the week with local fresh catches from Jubilee Seafood. All items are picked up locally and are fresh; preorder to reserve your favorites. In addition to clams, oysters, crabmeat, dry-pack sea scallops and more, look for some frozen Eastern Shore softshell crabs. Check their Facebook page for any last minute catches.

Mattawoman Creek Farms is taking preorders of their bulk organic slicing tomatoes for pickup at Saturday’s market. Look for other delicious things, too.

It’s the dog days of summer, and produce is coming in fast. At New Earth Farm look for sweet peppers, hot peppers, shishito peppers (see Patrick’s recipe below), kale, chard, onions, scallions, eggplant, pasture raised eggs and more.

The Orchid Station only blooms at OBFM once a month, and this Saturday is it. Kathy has a good selection of beautiful, blooming plants. Customers can call ahead with any special requests.

NOTABLES

Stroll over to Station 14, just a block south on Cypress Street, for the Merchant Market. Shop for great gifts and fantastic finds, with proceeds benefiting the Virginia Beach Volunteer Rescue Squad. The event takes place from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the station, 740 Virginia Beach Boulevard, right next to the library. For more information, visit www.VBVRS.org

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Why did the tomato blush? … Because he saw the Salad dressing. 

RECIPE

SAUTED SHISHITOS 

Shishito isn’t the name of a mid-80s Phil Collins song, it’s a small, finger-long, thin-skinned Asian pepper, with an entirely edible pod. It can be eaten raw in salads or on sandwiches, but it is typically served blistered by frying, grilling or roasting and eaten as an appetizer or snack (or try them in an omelet or on a pizza.) The shishito is fruity and mellow-flavored, except when it isn’t; about one in every ten peppers are hot and spicy, making it like an edible game of chance. 

In a large sauce pan, add a few tablespoons of olive oil and heat over medium heat until the pan and oil are very hot, but not smoking. Add a handful of shishito peppers and toss them frequently. You want to keep them moving about in the pan so they blister where they are in contact with the heat, but do not burn.

Cook and toss for 10-15 minutes. Remove from the pan immediately to a medium bowl, add a squeeze of fresh lemon, a sprinkling of sea salt, and toss.

Serve immediately with a cool dressing like ranch or Green Goddess. If you’d like my recipe for Green Goddess, email me, PatrickEvansHylton@gmail.com and put “Green Goddess recipe” in the subject line.

Recipe from Chef Patrick Evans-Hylton

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www.VirginiaEatsAndDrinksMagazine.com

VENDORS

The Bakery at Riverside Farm

Beach Biscotti

Bergey’s Blossoms

The Butter Brothers

The Creative Wedge

Croc’s 19th Street Bistro

Cromwell’s Produce

Dave and Dee’s Homegrown Mushrooms

Elizabeth Eats

The Farm Life

Flour Child Bakery

Full Quiver Farm

Give, Treat, Love

Grace and Gratitude

The Green Cat Cafe

Iron Goddess Tea Room

It Started With A Fig

Jubilee Seafood

Lamia’s Crepes

Mattawoman Creek Farms

Micro Greens Virginia Beach

My Vegan Sweet Tooth

The Neighborhood Harvest

New Earth Farm

The Orchid Station

Pelon’s Baja Grill

Pendulum Fine Meats

The Prissy Pickle

Tasha’s Own

Three Ships Coffee

Udder Chaos Farms

Vy’s Pies

Whole-ly Rollers

Zinnia Girls