Farmer's Market Scramble

Excerpt from the Northerly Magazine Spring/Summer 2020 Issue 06.

“May begins my favorite Saturday morning routine. With basket in hand, we head to downtown Saint Paul, stopping in at Buttered Tin for a thyme biscuit. Between bites of buttery biscuit, we take in the quiet morning streets, with the gentle hum of brunch-goers and clinking dishes in the air. Walking a few blocks down to the market, we take in the view of tables filled with plant starts, the first crisp lettuces, and freshly harvested oyster mushrooms. People are milling between the aisles, excited by the first greens of the season. Mingled conversation on where to plant the basil, what they could make with green onions this week, and small gasps when someone spots the first bunches of rhubarb. The farmers say hello, offer a smile, excited about the beginning of the market season. I love it here. It is where spring wakes up and summer shines in all its glory.

My husband and I visit a local market every Saturday. We started this ritual when we moved to Saint Paul as newlyweds and would bike downtown from our Como apartment. It has become something I cannot miss, a bright spot in our week. I love being able to shop seasonally and locally, getting to know the people who grow and care for the food we purchase. From opening day in May to the chilly days of November, we love what comes home with us from the market.

On a Saturday in August we drive a bit further to the Mill City Farmer’s Market in Minneapolis. Basket in hand, I find my excitement uncontainable as we walk the stands, exclaiming every few feet at what I see tucked into the little blue cartons. A large bin is packed tightly with squash blossoms, bees buzzing between the fuzzy blooms. Vibrant purple micro greens, a perfect French cantaloupe, a foraged lobster mushroom, all wonderful and new. Summer at markets has a way of showing me the unexpected, the exciting, the unknown through food, which invites me to be curious, to be adventurous. Enjoying a farmer’s market is one of the greatest simple pleasures of this season, and worth the trip to split a buttery biscuit and walk the aisles, leaving with a basket heaping with new adventures…” See the full article in Northerly Magazine.

The Mill City Farmer’s Market was filled with incredible produce that day in August and inspired us to create the perfect Sunday brunch. It started when I spotted the beautifully golden chanterelles at Prairie Hollow Farm’s stand. I took my time picking out the perfect bunch, excited for what meal it would inspire. We made our way to the Lowertown Bakehouse stand, and upon seeing their perfect sourdough loaves, we knew a chanterelle scramble on toast was on the menu. We purchased an incredibly creamy sheep's milk ricotta from Shepherd’s Way Cheese and a dozen petite little eggs from Sunshine Harvest Farm to complete our scramble.

This scramble combines crispy buttery mushrooms atop pillowy soft eggs and crusty, tangy bread. The ricotta is folded into the eggs right as they finish cooking to add pockets of cheese and rich flavor to the scramble. Try different mushrooms throughout the year as they become available - we love this dish with a mix of yellow oyster and shiitake mushrooms as well. A side of market canteloupe makes a perfect summer brunch. I cannot wait to head to the market to make this meal again.

Farmer’s Market Scramble

Ingredients

Makes 4 toasts

1-pint chanterelle mushrooms (or other in-season mushrooms - oyster and shiitake are great options)
2 tbs. Butter, divided
4 large eggs
4 oz. ricotta cheese (we used sheep’s milk, but cow’s milk will work as well)
Salt & pepper
4 thick slices of sourdough bread; toasted and buttered
2 green onions, sliced thin on a diagonal

Recipe

Mushrooms

1. Add a drizzle of olive oil to a small skillet on medium heat.

2. When the skillet is warm, add mushrooms in an even layer in the pan.

3. Cook over medium without stirring them until juices start to release, about 5 minutes.

4. Add 1 tbs butter to the skillet and cook an additional 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

5. Mushrooms are finished when there is no liquid in the pan and they are crispy and golden brown in places. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Scramble

1. Crack the four eggs in a medium bowl, add a healthy pinch of salt, and whisk until whites and yokes are fully combined (the cheese will add additional salt).

2. Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium-low heat.

3. Once warm, melt 1 Tbs. butter, then add your eggs.

4. Using a soft spatula, gently push and stir the eggs constantly, forming soft clusters of eggs.

5. Continue cooking until there is just a bit of runny egg left. Drop your ricotta in in dollops, gently folding it into the eggs.

6. Once eggs are fully cooked and cheese is combined, remove from heat and add a few grinds of fresh black pepper.

7. Top each sourdough toast with scramble, mushrooms, and thinly sliced green onion.

8. Serve with a wedge of market canteloupe or other in-season fruit.