It's an interesting concept that seems to have a very loose connection to ForageSF's mission (if you seek pleasant wild foods, look about you). The SF Underground Market is where home food producers can sell their goods in a public space. Similar to a traditional farmers market that brings you tasty produce and tasty prepared foods--except without the strange-ish condition most farmers markets (apparently) require, that food vendors produce their wares out of a commercial kitchen. Obviously, we're not all fortunate enough to have access to a commercial kitchen, which means that really tasty stuff is happening but only some of it actually makes it to your local farmers market. The rest happens in home dining rooms and potlucks. So, the point of the Underground Market is to bring the really tasty stuff out of the potlucks and into the limelight.
There were hits and misses at today's market (thankfully, ERL's cookie dough was among the hits).
There was also a lot of hat-tipping to Polish cuisine (na zdrowie, my people!).
By that, I mean there was lots of pickled stuff, and a table serving cheese, potato, and morel mushroom pierogi. Unfortunately, the pierogi were kind of a miss. But it got me thinking about my ethnic culinary roots, and I started having flashbacks to...
Christmases
Baked ham, pierogi, kielbasa, kapusta (sauerkraut). Chruściki (a flaky pastry, pronounced "chrushty") and kolaczki (another pastry with jelly in it, no idea on the pronunciation), which my mom hates.
My brother's wedding (held at the Polish Cultural Center in Michigan)
More pierogi, kielbasa, kapusta. Chicken and gołąbki (stuffed cabbage, pronounced "gwumpki"). Zupa ogorkowa (dill pickle soup).
Another meal I had once at the Polish Cultural Center
It had the same stuff mentioned above, plus some starches and a crepe type of thing, and looked like this:
And we looked like this:
(That's my brother, sister-in-law, me, some dude in a hat holding a balloon type of object while riding a dwarf pony, my grandma, my dad, and my mom--the one who hates kolaczki. Click to view larger size--it's worth it.)
So now I'm like, wow! I should really make some Polish stuff, blog about how good it is, and then open my own version of the Polish Cultural Center right here in San Francisco. I'll even pull out the "Teach Yourself Polish" kit I got for Christmas six years ago. I KNOW I could do pierogi better than that chick at the Underground Market who kept describing other foods at the market as "dank" (isn't that a word people use to describe marijuana?). And, I could totally make a mean dill pickle soup with the (amazing!) pickles I got at the market today. Heck, I could make my own frickin' pickles.
And I think I'll start with this, a recipe from the Polish Village Cafe (formerly Zosia's) in Hamtramck, Michigan.
ZOSIA'S DILL PICKLE SOUP
8 c. chicken stock or broth
2 chicken bouillon cubes
2 medium carrots, coarsely grated
2 c. peeled, cubed potatoes
1 c. thinly sliced celery
5 coarsely grated Polish dill pickles (from the jar)
1/2 c. milk
2 T. flour
1 egg
5 T. sour cream
salt and pepper to taste
finely chopped fresh parsley (optional)
finely chopped fresh dill (optional)
In a large saucepan or soup pot with cover, combine chicken stock, bouillon, carrots, potatoes and celery. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook covered, over low heat, til potatoes start to get soft (about 10 minutes). Do not over cook. Add pickles and continue cooking about 15 minutes. In a small bowl, beat milk and flour til smooth and stir in a small amount of the hot soup (to temper) and add to soup. Bring to the boil and cook til slightly thickened. Remove from heat. In a small bowl, beat egg with sour cream til smooth and stir in a small amount of the hot soup. Add to soup and stir til smooth. Keep soup warm but DO NOT BOIL (the soup will curdle). Add salt and pepper to taste and garnish with parsley and dill.
(makes 10 servings)
I'll let you know how it goes.
