Living

Ari Post • July 18, 2013

From the spring through the early summer, farmers markets around the Washington area swell with the season’s bounty. From asparagus and strawberries to fresh lettuce, zucchini and eggplant, there is a certain sensation about being able to simply eat nature’s offerings right out of the ground that is unique from other seasons. Perhaps it is the soft, crisp seasonality of these fruits and veggies, which lend themselves to a myriad of flavor sensations, but the varieties and flavors of local produce are stunning. They awaken a spirit within us of a more primal nature—and one that also wouldn’t mind drizzling olive oil and basil over a sliced red tomato and kicking back with a bottle of Viognier.

Farmer’s markets, simply put, offer the best and freshest produce in the area. And with more than 160 farmers markets in and around the nation’s capital, you’re sure to find one no matter where you are or what day you shop. Farmers empty their trucks of recently harvested produce throughout the week, coming in from Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia with more than just fruits and vegetables, but local honey, homemade jams, fresh flowers, artisan bread, and even local meat and cheese.

Here’s a guide to what to look for from your local farmers in farmer’s markets now, as well as a few recipes from local farmers.
Lydia’s Fields is a Wheatland, Va., based farm that sells their produce at Arlington Courthouse Farmers Market in Va. and the Market at UMD in College Park, Md., as well as supplying restaurants around the area. Marsha, who helps run the farm, has a long list of her veggies to watch right now: kohlrabi, Swiss chard, squash blossoms, escarole, cucumbers, summer squash and eggplant are all on her list, with a few other curveballs. Dandelion greens, for instance, are a dense and bitter green leaf that looks like a weed—in fact, it is a weed—but is known throughout the farming community for its nutritional value, loaded with vitamin A and calcium. If you cook them the right way and pair them with the right ingredients, they become a unique and tasty treat. Because the greens are bitter, they pair perfectly with rich flavors: think goat cheese, egg yolk, bacon, potatoes.

A long-standing favorite of many farmers is also kale—resilient and hearty, it is as nutritiously dense as it is tasty. Red Russian kale is a slightly softer variety which cooks faster and, if you can acclimate yourself, is even edible raw.

Marsha’s recipe for red Russian kale salad is a winner. For the dressing, mix tahini with olive oil, pressed garlic, salt and pepper (think of it as hummus dressing), and squeeze a good amount of lemon over the kale about fifteen minutes beforehand to soften. Mix the greens with the dressing, and toss with roasted pine nuts, dried cranberries or raisins, and even chickpeas for texture, then serve as a starter salad or eat with a hunk of artisan bread for lunch. There’s easily enough flavor and nutrition in there for a light meal.

Francis and Jean of Roland’s Farm operate their small plot in Friendly, Md., and they have been bringing their produce to the Arlington Farmers Market since it opened in 1979 with eight small vendors in the courthouse Judge’s parking lot. Like many local farmers, they remind us of the earth from which our food comes, offering the ripest cucumbers, yellow wax beans, turnips, cabbage, and herbs plucked fresh from the land.

Gardeners Gourmet is a farm in Westminster, Md., that sells their produce at the farmers markets at Dupont Circle and Eastern Market. While they offer a variety of delicious vegetables, and other occasional treats like rhubarb squares, Gardeners Gourmet is renowned for their greens: mesclun, spinach, arugula, indigo frisee, pea shoots, sorrel and many others. The rich lemon-flavored sorrel serves as a unique bed for grilled or roasted fish, and as the juices drip down it form a natural sort of citrus dressing. Pea shoots are wonderful sautéed with eggs, and the spicy indigo is a great addition to a salad mix with real kick.

Abundant stalks of basil, which are present at almost every farmer’s stall, beg for fresh pesto, and most of the market purveyors are happy to discuss their personal variations. Chad, who works for Laurel Grove Farms in Westmoreland, Va., substitutes pine nuts with sunflower seeds—it’s a unique flavor experience, a little easier on the wallet, and wonderfully nutritious. You can try substituting basil for sage, adding olives or sundried tomatoes, or combining a mix of herbs.

The bottom line is: the year’s best produce is happening right now. Run to the nearest farmers market and pick it up while you can. The coming weeks will see the arrival of peaches and tomatoes, and with that whole new worlds of culinary delight. What are you waiting for? [gallery ids="101371,153200,153193,153198" nav="thumbs"]

Georgetowner • July 17, 2013

*DEAR STACY:*
**I am in a long distance relationship with a man who works overseas. We dated a long time ago and then broke up when he moved. But we stayed in close contact and my feelings for him never really died. Long story short, we rekindled things a few months ago and now are giving it a go long distance. The problem is that I have very little in the way of financial resources,
so regular visits are out for us. Is this relationship doomed?**

***? Am I Wasting Our Time?***

**DEAR WASTING:**
Long distance relationships are challenging, particularly when they don’t have an end date, such as returning from grad school, ending a military tour, or simply deciding to move to the same locale. It doesn’t sound like that is your
circumstance, so basically you are intimately involved with a person who will not be physically present to you except for on very special occasions. The relationship is not ?doomed,? but you may have to do some defining of this relationship, because it’s not going to look like those around you.

You absolutely can love and be connected to a person who does not live near you. The question is, how do you fulfill one another’s emotional (and physical) needs when you are not meeting regularly? Yes, you can Skype in a restaurant
and you both can commit to watching the same Netflix at the same time. Perhaps that is enough for you. But you both need to sign on for that ? honestly, by naming it as such. The risk is that if you aren?t very specific about what you each expect you can wind up disappointing the other person (E.G. Were you secretly expecting him to move back here? Is he hoping you will get the
hint and find a job overseas?), leading to deep resentment (AKA: relationship poison) over time. Please do yourselves this favor and have that conversation ASAP.

***Stacy Notaras Murphy [www.stacymurphyLPC.com](http//www.stacymurphyLPC.com) is a licensed professional counselor and certified Imago Relationship therapist practicing in Georgetown. This column is meant for entertainment only, and should not be considered a substitute for professional counseling. Send your confidential question to [stacy@georgetowner.com](mailto:stacy@georgetowner.com).***

Georgetowner • July 4, 2013

**Dear Stacy:**
*I am asking this on behalf of a friend (no, really, I am). He was in a long-term relationship with a woman and they thought about marriage, but eventually he realized she wasn?t ?the one.? He broke up with her and she has not left him alone since. It?s starting to become a bit intimidating ? she?s showing up at work, he even saw her talking to his secretary outside the building. She keeps trying to contact him by calling at all hours, emailing him, making rude comments on Twitter. My question is why would a person continue to contact someone who has ended the relationship? He?s been quite clear about his intentions to no longer be in her life. What more can he do?*

***-It?s Not Over ?Til She Gets It***

**Dear Not over,**
The end of a relationship is difficult ? it?s rare to hear of a completely amiable breakup ? but this sounds like a little more than a case of hurt feelings. When we start to feel intimidated by another person?s behavior, we have to recognize that it may take more than ?It?s not you, it?s me? to make the separation complete. It sounds like Ex is stalking Friend. As such, this ventures into legal territory, so I talked to local divorce lawyer Regina DeMeo about what comes next.

?In the legal world, it is critical to have evidence,? DeMeo says, noting that it is important to compile documents, pictures and witnesses (that?s you, Not Over) to the harassing behavior. She recommends that the victim keep a record of all emails and texts, plus a call log and calendar of all incidents.

?Send a stern ?cease and desist letter? letting your ex know that no further contact is wanted, and will be considered harassment,? DeMeo says. After that point, she says to stop engaging the person. ?You need to go radio silent. Delete them from your Facebook and Twitter feeds, block them from your phone and emails?Tell others at work and near home, so they can be aware of situation, and if something happens, they can be witnesses.?

If all else fails, DeMeo advises victims to call the police (making sure to record the name of the officer who makes the report) and go to the courts for legal assistance. The bottom line is that Friend should take formal steps to protect himself.

***Stacy Notaras Murphy [www.stacymurphyLPC.com](http://www.stacymurphyLPC.com) is a licensed professional counselor and certified Imago Relationship therapist, practicing in Georgetown. This column is meant for entertainment only and should not be considered a substitute for professional counseling. Send your confidential question to [stacy@georgetowner.com](mailto:stacy@georgetowner.com).***

Georgetowner • June 27, 2013

The goals of the Maryland’s Best Program — now in its 11th year and run by the Maryland Department of Agriculture’s Office of Marketing — are to promote Maryland agricultural products and to encourage consumers to buy locally produced and grown products in the Maryland and D.C. areas through advertising and marketing promotions.

The program works closely with grocery retailers, restaurants and institutional buyers to help them source locally and show them the benefits of carrying locally grown and produced food. In 2012, a poll conducted by the University of Baltimore’s Schaefer Center found that 78 percent of Marylanders said they would prefer to purchase and consume fruits and vegetables identified as having been grown in Maryland.

We strive to increase consumer preference towards local and help to identify local products so that they can be easily found. We also look to continue and increase our partnership with restaurant and retailer buyers to raise awareness of the great local options in Maryland when sourcing ingredients and food.

This was our primary purpose for helping to sponsor this year’s Chefs Go Fresh tour. Another event which we put on to help restaurants and grocery retail buyers connect with local producers is our Buyer-Grower Event, held every January in Annapolis. Be sure to visit our web site — www.marylandsbest.net — where consumers can search for locally produced agriculture products.

— Stone Slade of Maryland Department of Agriculture’s Office of Marketing

Beatriz Parres • June 20, 2013

It is not surprise that food in airplanes and trains aren’t known for flavorful and succulent taste. Booking a flight or buying a train ticket used to hold an air of excitement for many. For businesspersons, who often find themselves traveling four times a week, a good meal could be the one highlight of a trip.

Unfortunately, the feedback from passengers about the food in trains and planes are usually not positive and often end up in complaints and disappointments. Imagine comments which include: “The chicken was cold. The bread was five days old. There was no vegetarian option.” Most people opt for bringing their own sandwich or not eating at all and waiting to eat at that destinations. Still the idea of eating gourmet during a trip might change the minds of some travelers.

Amtrak has already stepped up its game by hiring top chefs in the United States to be the brain of its culinary advisory team in exchange for frequent traveler miles. With a little bit of salt and a little bit of pepper, the team of 12 top chefs are in charge of coming up with healthier and tastier meals for passengers.

Cooks like Tom Douglas from Seattle and Roberto Santibañez from Mexico are among the gang of 12. They are joined by Michel Richard, well-known in Georgetown for his restaurant Citronelle, which closed due to water damage, and Central Michel Richard still up and running on Pennsylvania Avenue. From France, Richard spent some time in California before moving to D.C., where his cuisine won the heart of the nation’s capital and is a must-go place on the restaurant scene.

The team comes together each spring to brainstorm new dishes for Amtrak’s menu. Their challenge is to come up with meals that are healthier and satisfy all palates. With longer routes, they have more flexibility to come up with more elaborate food, while in shorter routes, they have to be ready to come up with pre-packed meals ready to be heated up or served as it is. This could be the beginning of a gourmet experience when you travel short and long distances.

Georgetowner • June 19, 2013

Dear Stacy:

I know this isn’t likely to get a response when I need it, but it’s still worth asking what you think about the disparity between husbands and wives, regarding gift-giving. The long story is that my husband totally dropped the ball with Mother’s Day. The kids had thrown together some cards from school, but he didn’t do a single thing to make the day special (besides telling me I could “sleep in,” after our kids already woke me up). Now it’s Father’s Day and I, unlike him, am thinking about it far enough in advance to even send a question to an advice column. Basically, I am 1,000 times more thoughtful than he is and I am having a hard time not “planning” to give him a horrible Father’s Day so he can see just how it feels. I know you’re going to tell me to talk to him – but what do I say? “You are a sucky partner, so I’m done making you feel special?”

-Angry in Advance

Dear Angry,
I’m really sorry you had a bad Mother’s Day. Does Husband know you had a bad Mother’s Day? And more specifically, was this something you actually said, not something you implied via passive aggressive pouting? My guess would be that no, Husband has no idea that you were expecting something that did not materialize. So yes, you need to talk to him.

But not now.

You need to wait and breathe and relax now that Father’s Day is over, and get a handle on what it is you want to say. We need to set aside the clichés about men and bad gift-giving (women actually are equally bad, btw, we just don’t get the press the guys do). You say you did not feel special – that is where we start. Many of us arrived at our first Mother’s/Father’s Days without much experience beyond rushing flowers across the country to our own parents, so please give yourselves a break about not being completely sure of what you expect and what you can give on those days. If this is important to you, then it’s important enough to use all the skills we have in the relationship to clear the air. In other words – say something non-accusatory about not feeling special on Mother’s Day. Include a line about wanting to help you both get what you need on those days in the future. Then you two can negotiate what feels right for your marriage.

Stacy Notaras Murphy www.stacymurphyLPC.com is a licensed professional counselor and certified Imago Relationship therapist, practicing in Georgetown. This column is meant for entertainment only and should not be considered a substitute for professional counseling. Send your confidential question to stacy@georgetowner.com.

Robert Devaney • June 11, 2013

The birthplace of George Washington, James Madison, James Monroe and Robert E. Lee, the Northern Neck of Virginia lies between the Potomac and Rappahannock Rivers. Early in America’s history, its plantation-owning society was a powerful leader with river transport so easily at hand but the peninsula was left behind by the railroad and the nation’s expansion. Today, we benefit from this pause in time.

What to Do

On the main road, King’s Highway, easy-going choices await. The George Washington Birthplace National Monument on Popes Creek with home and farm (not original) evoke the 1700s. There is Stratford Hall, home of the Lee family, the Steamboat Era Museum in Irvington and the Reedville Fishermen’s Museum.

Of course, there are marinas and beaches for boating and water sports – it’s all about the water along this peninsula of eastern Virginia’s Tidewater. (There are more than 1,000 miles of shoreline, after all.) A few Washingtonians can recall Colonial Beach’s gambling days when barges floated on the Potomac – all of it is owned by Maryland – to be legal. Although gambling is no longer an option there, the beach, which has updated itself to a point, is well worth a visit.

For more restless members of family, there is the Northern Neck Heritage Trail Bicycling Route – from Colonial Beach down to Smith Point. And there’s still much more to visit: Kilmarnock is a classic hometown one must see. Check out the maritime history in Kinsale and the Mary Ball Washington Museum in Lancaster.

Where to Eat

Love to eat? The Northern Neck features good eating from roadside stops to fine dining at the Tides Inn in Irvington or Sandpiper in White Stone. Westmoreland Berry Farm, an orchard that sells fruit preserves, along with numerous wineries, welcome visitors.

Some visitors even buy a farm and plant a vineyard. One such D.C. transplant – of which there are many – is Steve Madey, who owns the Hague Winery, established in 2008. The retired Navy aviator, Senate staffer and part-time lobbyist bought the old farm in 2000.

For Madey, his lifelong dream began while working on Capitol Hill where he used the Library of Congress to learn about viniculture. His wife Cynthia now has a wine named after her and his son works at a California winery.

“It’s great out there,” says Madey, who has grown his business slowly, because – as he likes to explain – it requires you to “bring money.”

The Northern Neck boasts other wineries: Ingleside, Belle Mount, Oak Crest, Vault Field, Athena and White Fences. The region even has an official wine appellation: Northern Neck George Washington Birthplace AVA. If you like, journey the Chesapeake Bay Wine Trail with a designated driver.

In Montross, sample Angelo’s pizza. For good sandwiches and pastries, try Art of Coffee or the Daily, which is down the road in Warsaw.

Local farms offer produce to weekenders as well as to restaurants in D.C. and elsewhere. Virginia ham? You know it, and someone mentioned Whitley’s peanuts and Joe Lewis’s tomatoes, to name but a few top items.

Where to Stay

Good places to rest over night are the Kilmarnock Inn with its wonderful cruise packages, The Chesapeake Inn and Hope & Glory Inn, a B&B in Irvington featuring vineyards, fine dining and spa treatments.
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Rachel Scola • June 7, 2013

There are always options for events in the area when summer rolls around, the biggest
problem is just deciding where to go. Whether you’re familiar with some of the summer
traditions or are trying to find new places to go, fill up your calendar with the following
outings that can be great for the family or just a date night.

UPPERVILLE COLT AND HORSE
SHOW:

Upperville once again is hosting its annual
Colt and Horse Show. The show has been a tradition
since 1853, making it the oldest horse show
and is loved by any and all who attend. There are
the competitions – jumping and hunter eventsand
social receptions in the evenings. The show
started June 3 and runs until June 9. Gates open
at 8 a.m. every day. Tickets are $10.