Nearly 7-years in the making, the Pittsburgh Public Market will be the first year-round indoor public selling space for the city in 45 years. The last market was demolished in 1965. I had the opportunity to explore the beautiful venue on its second day; giving me the opportunity to meet a few of the local vendors.

There were many wonderful booths of hard working individuals serving and selling their handcrafted goodies with care. Three local farmers in particular caught my attention for their fresh picked harvest, beautiful displays and sunny demeanor.

Rippling Brook Farm:

Their stand was packed full with an extensive variety of late summer and early fall vegetables. Also, their offerings included a variety of meats and dairy products. My conversation with the brother and sister duo who serviced the stand was delightful as they offered me a sample of sweet golden watermelon. They even invited me to visit the farm sometime to see it in action first hand….who knows, I just might take them up on that offer.

Mott Family Farm:

I’m a huge fan of the ability to use strong merchandising to tell a compelling story around the products to the buyer. This farm had that skill with their beautiful displays and unique use of props to draw in customers who became curious about the stand’s offerings. Their displays even sparked a few photography ideas I just might use in future posts.

Pucker Brush Farm:

“I’m sure you can tell I like color just by looking at the baskets,” owner Pam Bryan responded when I commented about her extensive variety of produce. In addition to her usual farming duties, Pam is a sheep farmer. Her large assortments of hand-dyed yarn were like soft bundles of color just waiting to be knitted into winter comfort.

There is something wonderfully satisfying about knowing where food comes from and the people who grow it. The more often I shop locally at places like the Pittsburgh Public Market, the better I feel about the world of food. I encourage you to develop relationships with your local growers the next time you decide to visit a farmers market. It is their stories that could be your secret ingredient to recipe success.

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Who says the flavors of pico de gallo have to be limited to a mere condiment? Summer tomatoes are still producing in large qualities this time of year, and I’m a huge fan of the tiny grape tomato varieties because of their sweetness and hearty texture.

I love the simplicity and versatility of this recipe. Feel free to add more jalapeño pepper if you are looking for more heat. Or consider include a bit of chilled sautéed corn or canned black beans to add bulk to the dish. Be sure to serve this at room temperature so you can take advantage tomatoes fresh flavor.

Mexican Tomato Salad
2 pints grape tomatoes, halved
2 Tbl. (1 medium) jalapeño pepper, deseeded & minced
¼ cup onion, minced
3 Tbl. fresh cilantro, rough chopped
1 tsp. lime zest
2-3 Tbl. fresh lime juice
salt and pepper

Toss the ingredients in a medium mixing bowl until well combined. Season with salt and pepper. Serve at room temperature. Serves 4-5 people as a side.

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I’ve been making baked potato chips for years. But I never considered posting the recipe to CulinaryCory.com because I thought it might be a little too simple for your reading enjoyment. So I decided to ask my Facebook followers what they thought about the idea.

Much to my surprise I almost immediately started receiving enthusiastic comments encouraging me to post away. Then my longtime friend Beth recently gave me a nudge to get cracking with the post because she wanted a guideline to follow. So thank you Facebook followers for your encouragement; this recipe is inspired by you.

While incredibly simple, these baked potato chips are wonderfully satisfying. I like to mix up equal portions of ranch dressing and barbecue sauce for a quick dip on the side. The most important part is to make sure you keep an eye on the baking time. One extra minute in the oven can easily turn your baked perfection into shards of burned blackness.

Homemade Baked Potato Chips
2 medium Idaho or red skin potatoes, washed & unpeeled
cooking spray
salt
favorite dried herb blend

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a sheet pan with foil and generously coat the foil with cooking spray. Slice the potatoes roughly ¼ inch thick lengthwise. A hand slicer works the best for an even slicing. Rinse under cold water and pat each slice dry with paper towels.

Evenly distribute the slices in a single layer on the greased sheet pan. Be sure to not overcrowd the slices as they will stick together during baking. Generously coat the slices with cooking spray and season to taste with salt.

Bake on the middle rack at 425 degrees for 6 minutes. Carefully flip the slices and return to the oven. Bake for an additional 4-6 minutes depending on desired crispness. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with your favorite dried herb blend. Allow to cool slightly before transferring to a plate as they will continue to crisp while cooling. This part is optional: I occasionally like to move the pan to the top rack for the last 1-2 minutes to add more brown color to the slices. Makes 1 serving but can be scaled for larger portions.

Authors Note: DO NOT use the slicing attachment on your food processor. They come out too thick and will not crisp up. Trust me; I made that mistake a couple of times.

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