Don’t you just love Greenmarkets? Honestly, I would rather be at a greenmarket with its fantastic colors and sights than just about anywhere. This year because of the copious rain, but every year to some degree, what shows up at our local greenmarket has been a surprise. Some weeks I have felt like a child with her nose pressed up against the glass waiting for certain things and asking questions, “When will the asparagus be in?” or “How late do you think the blueberries will be because of the rain?”
Let’s hope all this questioning comes across as excitement rather than pestering because, as much as I love Greenmarkets, I adore the small farmers who supply them. It is hard NOT to want to do anything to promote them and praise the painstaking work it takes them to bring fresh, local, beautiful food to us little people. So, when Avery who runs our Tribeca Greenmarket saw this blog a couple of months ago and asked me to do a demo last Wednesday, well I was putty in her hands.
The week before I scoped out what was at the market and asked (more) questions about what would still be there the next week. Cherries came out as one of the clear stars.
Last Wednesday, after putting down the requisite Yummy Mummy tarp, we jumped right in, soliciting passersby to sit down with us and make a roll. The kids were-what else is new?-completely adorable and on top of things. We spilled at least twenty bowls of water over the course of the two hours. That’s sort of what it’s about. The more amusing part was watching the guys and gals in their business suits passing by on lunch break.
“Would you like to make a Savory Cherry Summer Roll?”
Their eyes would dart to the tarp, the water, the only slightly controlled chaos. Then, they would take their sample, their eyes would roll with pleasure and off they would go to bank or prosecute a little more satisfied.
Savory Cherry Summer Rolls
*2 c. sweet cherries, pitted
*2 t. rice vinegar
*2 scallions, chopped
*1/4 c. cilantro, chopped plus more for the garnish
*2 small radishes, washed and thinly sliced
*1 medium cucumber, washed and cut into matchstick size pieces
*salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
*a package of rice paper “skins” (sometimes called “spring roll skins”)
*just boiled-water and cold water
Together: In a small bowl, toss the cherries with the rice vinegar. Let sit for about 5 minutes. Drain the cherries well in a colander placed over a big bowl to catch the juice (use the extra juice to make a delicious dressing for berries or salads).
In a medium bowl, combine the drained cherries, scallions, cilantro, and radishes.
Set up your workspace with two wide, shallow bowls and the stack of rice paper nearby. Place the bowl with the cherry mixture, a plate of cucumber matchsticks, and two dinner plates down next to them.
BIg Person: Pour a little of the just boiled water into the wide, shallow bowls. Add enough cold water so that the water in the bowl is lukewarm and safe for little hands to dip into.
Together Again: Take one sheet** of rice paper and completely emerge it in the water for a few seconds, swishing it around till it turns from opaque to clear. Take it out, placing it on your work plate and spreading it out.
Place a whole cilantro leaf in the middle of the rice paper. On top, arrange 3 cucumber matchsticks. Top that with a tablespoon of the cherry mixture. Use your fingers to shape the cherry mixture into a long, skinny rectangle. Fold the wrapper in half (a circular wrapper becomes a half-moon; a square-shaped wrapper becomes a triangle), tuck the sides into the center and roll to seal. Place your finished rolls on a big platter to serve.
**For smaller children, use two wrappers for extra sturdiness.
