Going to the farmers market with food writer Meredith Deeds would be a lot of fun. First of all, she has a wealth of knowledge about the locally-sourced produce, meats and more that you find at your favorite market each week. She never brings a list, simply reveling in what looks good now and what might taste really good later. Her enthusiasm would likely be contagious, so you might find yourself unloading a big bag of kale when you get home and wondering … “What was I thinking?” She’d have your answer: kale chips.
Oh, and she’s a big fan of the hot buttered sweet corn at the Minneapolis Farmers Market, so she definitely gets double bonus points for that.
Meet family meal planner (for three teenage boys) and farmers market fan Meredith Deeds in the June issue of Edina Magazine, available June 1 at edinamag.com.
Until then, we’ll hold you over with one of her favorite easy summer dessert recipes, loaded with luscious berries. It’s the perfect reward for eating all your kale:
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.
