Farmers markets---the real markets where wholesalers move produce by the truckload---often have good restaurants and North Carolina seems to be particularly good at it. That's why I decided to get up early and drive to the state farmer's market for breakfast. When I saw the two pigs guarding the restaurant parking lot---this is one of the pair---I knew I had made the right choice.
Since I had come this far for breakfast, I decided to go all in and order the sampler. The festivities started with this very nice beaten biscuit.
The sampler lived up to its name. Each portion was relatively small but it all adds up, trust me. The ham was the standout in my view: salty, hammy, chewy, and tender. The sausage was outstanding---see the gravy below. The scrambled eggs were perfectly done. The pancakes were good but I decided to concentrate my efforts elsewhere. I really enjoyed the apples, too.
I also teed up a new biscuit and slathered on the gravy. Just look at it---filled with bits of sausage and silky smooth. It was delicious and beautiful.
I made candied ginger a few years ago. It's not something I would do every day but I had a lot of fun doing it. I recently acquired a pressure cooker and it inspired an interesting idea to me: why not make candied ginger in the pressure cooker? It should be very soft and flavorful. Here is the result. I peeled two large ginger roots, cut them into small cubes, and put them in the pressure cooker with heavily sugared water. The traditional method first boils the ginger in plain water to soften it and then again in sugar water to candy it. The resulting candy was very tender but still with the characteristic ginger texture. It was also sweet without being overpowering. The traditional method leaves a lot of sugar crystallized around the ginger. The pressure cooker gives a much more subtle result. The ginger stays moist even after it cools but you can dry it in the oven at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. That inspired me to dip it in chocolate. While I was in the b...




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