Cookbook author and food writer Meredith Deeds has never met a farmers’ market she didn’t love. When she and husband David lived in Seattle, she visited the famous Pike’s Place market almost daily, and chose from its fresh bounty to find a wide variety of exciting culinary opportunities.
The Deeds family—which now includes teenage sons Quinn, Connor and Kyle—has lived in Edina for almost four years and has thoroughly embraced the Twin Cities farmers’ market scene. Their favorites include the St. Paul Farmers Market in Lowertown, the Minneapolis Farmers’ Market and Mill City Market next to the Guthrie Theatre; Deeds has also visited the Centennial Lakes Farmers Market in Edina.
“Our kids love to see what’s at the market every week,” she says. “We always stop for the hot buttered corn in Minneapolis and love sampling whatever is new. We make a day of it and come home to cook whatever it is we’ve found. Shopping for fresh produce and meat at the market has become an integral part of my boys’ understanding of food.”
Deeds has co-written six cookbooks, including The Big Book of Appetizers (Chronicle Books, 2006) which was nominated for a James Beard Award the following year. Deeds also writes the “Healthy Family” column which runs every Thursday in the Taste section of the Minneapolis-Star Tribune.
She believes preparing healthy meals for your family also means challenging your kids’ palates whenever you can.
“I think my kids might be less picky than most, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t things they don’t like,” she says with a laugh. (Roasted Brussels sprouts are a favorite at the Deeds table).
When Deeds was taste-testing recipes for her best-selling cookbook 300 Sensational Soups—named by “Good Morning America” contributor and cookbook author Sara Moulton as one of the Top 10 cookbooks of 2008—the boys had many new food experiences and some of their favorites surprised their mom.
“I was trying out a recipe for African peanut soup with sweet potatoes, peanut butter and curry powder—it was quite a concoction,” says Deeds. “There was no way I thought they’d like it, but they still ask for it all the time.”
A California native, Deeds literally grew up in the kitchen. Her mother owned a diner in San Diego, and from the time she was nine years old, Deeds was washing dishes and scooping ice cream to make sundaes for customers.
Asked if she’s ever had any aspirations to open her own restaurant, Deeds laughs and shakes her head.
“I’ve seen firsthand how hard it is. I admire those who can do it and I’m very happy to enjoy the fruits of their labors,” she says.
That’s not to say Deeds isn’t firmly entrenched in the culinary world. In addition to writing and teaching cooking (occasionally at Cooks of Crocus Hill in Edina), last October she was named executive director of the International Association of Culinary Professionals, an organization that provides continuing education and networking programs for food writers, cooking teachers, chefs, restaurateurs and others in the foodie world.
Deeds loves connecting with professionals in her industry and organizing events for the association, but is happiest when she is cooking for her family, or better yet, spending time with them around the table.
“I really believe that’s a time when you can learn so many lessons about life,” says Deeds. “We have vibrant discussions about everything under the sun.”
When asked for some of her favorite farmers’ market shopping tips, she was very clear on her cardinal rule: don’t bring a list.
“Buy what looks good to you that day. Don’t try to think about planning a meal. You can figure that out when you get home,” she says. “Enjoy what is perfect at that time of year. It’s all about eating in season.”
What’s perfect now, according to Deeds, is lettuce, strawberries, asparagus and rhubarb, about which she asks, Other summer favorites include raspberries, kale, and zucchini—something Deeds has learned to love since moving to Minnesota, where she says it enjoys more popularity than it does in other places she’s lived.
Another favorite part of the farmers’ market experience for Deeds is meeting the people who work hard to provide high-quality fresh vegetables, fruit, and meat.
“You have the opportunity to develop relationships with vendors, which you would never be able to do at a grocery store,” she says. “Don’t be afraid to ask them questions. They love to talk about what they have to offer.”
For more information about Meredith Deeds, visit her website at meredithdeeds.com. She also recently launched an iPad app, available from iTunes, called “Counter Intelligence” which features a series of more than 75 short videos with recipes and techniques. And look for a feature about the Centennial Lakes Farmers Market in the July edition of Edina Magazine.
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Meredith Deeds shared this recipe for one of her favorite summer desserts.
Almond-Cornmeal Cake with Fresh Summer Berries
1 ¼ cups sugar
8 oz. almond paste
1 cup butter
1 tsp. vanilla
5 eggs
½ cup flour
½ cup cornmeal
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
1 tsp. orange zest
4 cups mixed berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries)
¼ cup orange liqueur (such as Grand Marnier)
Lightly sweetened whipping cream
Preheat oven to 325˚. Butter and flour a 9-inch spring form pan. Pulverize sugar and almond paste together in a food processor. Beat in butter and vanilla. Add in eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix dry ingredients together in a separate bowl. Add to the food processor and pulse just until blended. Bake 1 to 1 ¼ hours or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool, then remove from pan.
While the cake is cooling, mix the berries with the orange liqueur and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
To serve: Cut cake into wedges and place on dessert plate. Garnish with mixed berries and a dollop of whipped cream.
