Welcome back farmers!

This is one of those few Saturday mornings I was happy I didn't sleep in. I was up early enough to sneak out before our out-of-town guests woke up so I could do a quick walk/shop through the Oak Park Farmers Market.

It was glorious morning to welcome the farmers back for what I hope will be much better season for our fruit and veggie farmers.

And I was delighted to see some new faces across farmstand tables, including the folks from Three Queens Organics, Oak Parkers and urban farmers who are offering three types of maple syrup (light, medium and dark). [I learned today that the darker syrup is tapped later in the season and has more minerals. It's rich in flavor for sure...great for pancakes. I could see it especially perfect for corncakes or buckwheat pancakes]

Bonus...after you've checked out the syrup at the market, head down to What's Blooming on Harrison to see where the Three Queens art on the bottles comes from, over at Sandra Dawson's studio on Harrison.

At the market, besides the maple syrup, I picked up some mixed baby greens, white turnips and, of course, a dozen donuts for my guests. I regret not also grabbing some of the asparagus. That'll be top of the list next week.

4 Reasons I Enjoyed the Oak Park Food Truck Rally Even Though I Left (Almost) Empty Handed

A few years ago, or maybe on another day, I might have felt differently leaving Oak Park's inaugural Great Food Truck Rally with a child near tears and our tummies empty.

But my expectations are different now.

Another time, I might have had an impulse to scold the organizers or seethe in line like the woman behind me waiting more than 30 minutes for cupcakes, only to be turned away because there was apparently a problem with the permit.

It's understandable that after standing in line for that amount of time that my 9-year-old was visibly upset, ready to get away as quickly as possible before tears betrayed her thinly veiled attempts to hide her disappointment with anger.

Another day, I would have walked away the minute I saw the long lines and, a few minutes later, the favorite food trucks depart because by 1 p.m. (the rally opened at noon and was scheduled to go to 6 p.m.), they'd already sold out.

But I wasn't upset. Sure, there I would have loved to try out 5411 Empanadas and I have no doubt my daughter would have loved whatever she picked from the menu at Cupcakes for Courage.

Instead of feeling angry or disappointed, I left happy.

Here are four reasons why:

--The event was an overwhelming success. The organizers clearly underestimated the appetite Oak Parkers have for the specialty delights offered out of the back of a truck. And I'm excited to see a future event with food truck operators more prepared for the crowds.

-- It's never a bad day when I get to see old friends. It was a bonus that I even got to fit this event into my schedule with three soccer games, a Girl Scout planning meeting, school projects and errands to run. While my daughter patiently waited in line, I gabbed with neighbors and friends, old and new.

-- The shortest line was for the donuts. I know that won't happen for me again this season. When the Farmers Market opens next week, I'll be lucky to ever be third in line for freshly made donuts. And it was more than a consolation prize for my little one to walk away covered in powdered sugar.

-- The music was free. Even though we didn't get to eat food truck fare, the musicians were jamming, the community spirit buzzing and the company more than satisfied my appetite.

Recipe: Salsa Verde with Roasted Tomatillos

This Saturday it was finally warm enough to cook out and eat outside, then light up the fire pit to make s'mores. For supper, we threw a marinated tri tip and some veggies on the grill while the kids played in the backyard.

Besides being outside, the highlight of the meal was the salsa verde. I'm new to this particular form of salsa making, but have truly been enjoying experimenting.

Here's a version I attempted last night that's worth noting.

Salsa Verde with Roasted Tomatillos 

6 tomatillos, husked, washed and cut in half
2 serrano peppers, washed, sliced in half lengthwise and seeded (use gloves or your hand inside a plastic bag to protect from the hot chili oils)
2 cloves of garlic, peeled

1 white onion, peeled & roughly chopped
1 avocado

1-1/2 lime
Salt to taste

Roast the first three ingredients on the grill or in the broiler until slightly charred, about 5-8 minutes. Then put the tomatillos, serranos, garlic, onion and avocado in a blender. Blend until smooth. Add lime juice and salt to taste.

Note: I didn't wait for the roasted veggies to cool before blending. But I did pop the whole puree into the fridge to chill it before serving. This version also had the right amount of heat for me and the kids. Seeding and roasting the serranos tempered the heat quite a bit and smoothed out the flavors. Also, roasting the tomatillos makes them much easier to blend. 

Carnitas, Kale & Sopes with Salsa Verde

I wish this photo did this dish justice. It was my first attempt at carnitas and I (and my family) was very pleased with the result.

It's so similar to making Southern pulled pork. Only with carnitas, instead of a paprika rub and vinegar sauce, I rubbed the pork butt down with cumin and oregano. Oh, and an orange for a little citrus zest. Oh did my house smell devine.

Once the meat was finished, I fried up a family serving in a cast iron skillet, just until one side was browned and crispy.

I served them on lightly fried sopes, black beans, kale sauteed with lime and garlic, a little queso and topped with salsa verde (recipe nabbed from my sister's Facebook page).

I used this Melissa d'Arabian recipe for the carnitas. If I get permission, I'll share the salsa verde recipe. It's really good, though I think I missed a step (seeding the serranos) because this was super duper hot.