The frigid, blustery weather during last Saturday's opening of the Mill City Farmers Market necessitated a quick, relatively schmooze-free visit. Delicate pea shoots at Burning River Farm? Check. Gorgeous Hakurei turnips and baby bok choy ("The cutest vegetables, almost too cute too eat," said co-owner Laura Frerichs) at Loon Organics? Yep. An asparagus-and-ramp crêpe at Spoonriver's new fast-food outpost? Absolutely.
Then, despite kicking myself for not wearing a heavier jacket, I got in line at the Prairie Hollow Farm stand and waited patiently while farmer Pam Benike took care of the 14 customers ahead of me (it helped that Greg Bartels, Benike's proud husband, was passing out samples of his spouse's exceptional farmstead Cheddar), all cheerfully enduring the uncooperative weather for a crack at the surprising abundance. The rich selection, which suggested late June rather than early May, reflected a hard-working greenhouse and a sharp forager's eye: nettles, leeks, green garlic, kohlrabi, four varieties of lettuce, an impressive stash of morels and both green and purple asparagus.
Oh, and rhubarb, long, thick stalks streaked cherry and chartreuse, their tart flavor to be exploited into all manner of sauces, compotes, crisps and pies (there's a reason it's called "pieplant" in some circles). Next to Benike's treasure trove of more attention-grabbing ingredients, the giant tubs filled with this plain-old member of the buckwheat family seemed a little, well, ordinary. What can I say? I'm a traditionalist. I bought two pounds, then made a beeline for my warm car.
RICK NELSON
Rhubarb ($4/pound) at Prairie Hollow Farm (www.prairiehollow.com) at the Mill City Farmers Market, 2nd Street and Chicago Avenue S., Mpls., 612-341-7580, www.millcityfarmersmarket.org. Open 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays. For rhubarb recipes, go to www.startribune.com/tabletalk.
