ad 2.
So many farmers were flying high after the Wednesday NYT piece on the Market! Congratulatory messages were shouted out back and forth and the atmosphere was jubilant! If I never hear the words “wiry Polish-born” again I will be satisfied. I had a lifetime dose today. These farmers are careful readers.

ad 3.
Ahhhh, you want the scoop. Let me tell it as I heard it, in conversation with Tory, the Chef de Cuisine at L’Etoile. He joined me for one round at the Market and we chatted. I was eager to tell him that his recommendation of a favorite spot to eat in NY was fantastic! Perfect! (Blue Ribbon in SoHo. Try it.) But that’s not the scoop. He was eager to tell me about his week-end. [Why is it a scoop? Because Madison Magazine wants to do a story on it in the next issue. I scooped them!] Here’s how it went:

Tory: So, I wasn’t allowed to say this, but I got a call from Spring Green.
n: Spring Green… Spring Green?

Tory: Yep. Teresa was flying up to join John and they wanted a quiet dinner in their condo, just the two of them, on the Sunday before the debate. They wanted something really good and special and they asked if I would come up and cook it for them.
n: You cooked for John Kerry????? How was it? How were they? What did they eat? How was it????? [I don’t get into celebrity stuff, but this week, how can one not get excited about Kerry?]

Tory: First of all, it was embarrassing because they were late and so in waiting for them, I sort of sprawled out on their couch and was watching TV when they walked in. Then, I went to their kitchen which opened out onto their living room and I cooked. They were really interested in where the food came from, in the Farmers Market, in Jim [of Northwoods Farms]. .
n: What did you make for them?

Tory: Tenderloin (from Northwoods) – they like it “medium” and they were thrilled that it was so juicy, also the salad with mushrooms, and a chocolate Vesuvius.

n: I can’t believe you cooked for John Kerry! So, those worries about them not having places to eat in Spring Green were ill-founded?

Tory: Yeah. They asked me to cook for the staff on Tuesday but I couldn’t because of L’Etoile. So they called Lombardino’s.
n: This was your week, Tory. Amazing successes. Were your parents proud?

Tory: Sure, but they asked how come, in the Cap Times story, I sounded like I couldn’t put a sentence together.
n: Parents have the oddest reactions to things. Tell them that Apple didn’t write that article.

ad 4.
You heard it. Go bake a crisp. Plenty of recipes out there. And try Weston Orchard’s apples – they have a dozen varieties at the Market and you can sample all of them. It’s their apples that make L’Etoile’s crisp as good as it is.