By Chuck Martin
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Farmers and vendors sample their dishes at Findlay Market. From left, Divina Garvin, Claire Neltner, Mike Kroeger, Matt Madison and Bob Bauer (Brandi Stafford photo) | ZOOM |

Fresh is best. So to find the best, freshest dishes, we went to the source. We asked farmers and vendors at Findlay Market in Over-the-Rhine to make dishes using their own and others' fresh ingredients, and to bring them to market on a recent Saturday morning for sampling.

Farmer Bob Bauer of West Chester brought baby lettuces, spinach and other greens just pulled from the earth for a simple salad tossed with balsamic vinegar. Nancy Ogg of Shady Grove Farm in Corinth, Ky., surprised everyone with her version of an "early spring roll" - tender lettuce, chard, herbs and radishes bundled with chives and served with spicy, tangy dipping sauce.

"It's like a salad," Ogg says. "But you get all the flavors in one bite."

Matt Madison of Madison's Farm worked late the night before making a garlicky stir-fry using earthy mushrooms he grew on logs in Adams County. Mike and Mark Kroeger of Findlay Market paired their new Mediterranean chicken sausage with an asparagus-red onion salad. The snappy, green asparagus had popped out of the ground at Beirsdorfer's Orchard in Guilford, Ind.

There were sweets on the table, too. Claire Neltner of Neltner's Farm in Melbourne baked a favorite pie mounded high with the farm's juicy ripe strawberries. Pastry chef Divina Garvin of Lebanon brought her Fresh Berry-Mascarpone Oatmeal Crisps, made with strawberries grown by the Madison family and tiny blueberries from R & K Garden in Blue Creek, Ohio.

"Fresh berries have a distinct flavor," Garvin says. The group nibbles and chats a few minutes while standing around the table. Then, the farmers and vendors head back to their market stalls. Even early on a damp Saturday, there are already customers impatiently waiting to buy fresh food.

Fresh-ingredient recipes

Early Spring Rolls with Fines Herbes Dipping Sauce

3 Bibb or butterhead lettuce leaves

3 red lettuce leaves, such as Red Oak Leaf, Rouge d'Hiver

3 snow pea or sugar snap pea pods

3 baby scallions or leeks

1 head baby bulb fennel, sliced into 3 lengthwise strips

1 3- or 4-inch radish or small daikon, quartered lengthwise

3 leaves chervil

3 sprigs baby dill

3 sprigs baby Swiss chard (red-stem if possible)

3 sprigs spearmint

3 long stems chives

FINES HERBES DIPPING SAUCE

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

2 tablespoons chopped chives

1 tablespoons tarragon leaves

1/2 teaspoon hot sauce or 1/2 finely crushed small dried hot chili

1/8 cup cider vinegar

1/8 cup light honey

1/8 teaspoon salt

Chive blossoms, for garnish

Wash and trim vegetables. Slice as directed. (Aim is to have uniform slender sections of each vegetable, whether whole or sliced.)

Lay each lettuce leaf concave side up with green edge away from you. Lay leaf of red lettuce on top of green, slightly to one side. Place lengthwise in right center of lettuce 1 pea pod, 1 leek and 1 each of remaining vegetables and greens, reserving chives.

Fold sides of outer lettuce leaf around vegetables, first from right and then from left, overlapping to make a firm roll. Tie with stem of chives. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Place in a single layer in shallow container on damp paper towels and cover with airtight lid or plastic wrap until serving. (Can be made day before and refrigerated.) Makes 3 rolls.

For the dipping sauce, Place all ingredients except chive blossoms in blender or food processor and pulse to make a smooth uniform sauce. Let stand at least 2 hours before using. (Cover and refrigerate if not using within 2 hours.) Detach chive florets from blossom head and stir into sauce for color. Makes enough sauce for 1 dozen spring rolls.

Nancy Ogg, Shady Grove Farm

Spring Green Salad with Balsamic Vinegar

Baby lettuces, cleaned and spun dry

Spinach, stemmed, torn, cleaned and spun dry

Parsley, cleaned and dried

Green onions, chopped

Radishes, trimmed and sliced

Quality balsamic vinegar, to taste

Salt and pepper, to taste

Dried cranberries

Maytag or other mild blue cheese

Toasted pine nuts

In large bowl, toss greens, parsley, green onions and radishes with dash of vinegar and salt and pepper. Taste and correct seasonings.

Portion salad in bowls or on plates and garnish with cranberries, cheese and pine nuts.

Bob Bauer, Bauer's Market Farm

Stir-Fried Garlic Mushrooms

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 lb. mixed mushrooms, such as oyster, shiitake or chestnut, rinsed, trimmed, and thickly sliced (about 2 cups)

3 to 4 garlic cloves, crushed

1/4 pound oyster mushrooms, rinsed, trimmed, and thickly sliced

2 to 3 tablespoons dry sherry or vermouth

4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Salt and black pepper, to taste

Heat a wok or large skillet until hot. Add olive oil and butter and heat over moderate heat until butter foams. Add the mixed mushroom mixture, garlic, salt, and plenty of pepper. Increase heat to high and stir-fry 2 minutes. Add sliced oyster mushrooms, sprinkle over the sherry and cook another 3 minutes, or until mushrooms are tender.

Taste and adjust the seasonings if necessary. Remove pan from heat and stir in chopped parsley. Makes 4 servings.

Matt Madison, Madison's at Findlay Market and Ridge Market

Sausage with Asparagus and Red Onion Salad

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 tablespoon heavy cream

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 egg yolk (optional)

Pinch coarse kosher salt

1 pound thick asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths

1 pound Mediterranean chicken sausage or other sausage

1/2 red onion, diced

Make dressing by whisking oil, vinegar, cream, mustard, egg yolk and salt together until creamy. Set aside.

Drop asparagus into pot of boiling, salted water and cook until just tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain and plunge asparagus into ice water to stop cooking. Drain well. Toss asparagus with the dressing and refrigerate until needed.

Grill or pan fry sausages until cooked through. Allow to cool before slicing. Mound asparagus salad in center of platter and top with diced onion. Arrange sliced sausage around salad. Makes 4 servings.

Mike and Mark Kroeger, Kroeger & Sons Meats

Claire's Strawberry Pie

11/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/3 cup melted butter

3 teaspoons sugar

8 ounces cream cheese

8 ounces whipped topping

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/3 cup sugar

1 quart strawberries, rinsed and stemmed

1 16-ounce package strawberry glaze

Prepare crust by mixing crumbs with melted butter and sugar. Press crumb mixture evenly into 9-inch pie tin. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Remove and place on rack to cool.

While crust is cooling, mix together cream cheese and whipped topping until smooth and creamy. Add lemon juice and sugar, continue stirring. When mixed well; spread on bottom of cooled pie crust. Combine strawberries and glaze. Pour into the pie crust. Chill until ready to serve. Makes 1 9-inch pie.

Claire Neltner, Neltner's Farm

Berry-Mascarpone Oatmeal Crisps

8 ounces butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 cups rolled oats

1 cup all-purpose flour

Pinch salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract, or to taste

Melted butter

About 1 pint fresh berries (strawberries, blueberries, blackberries or mixture), rinsed and drained well

8 tablespoons blueberry or other berry jam

4 tablespoon mascarpone cream

In mixer, cream butter and brown sugar until blended. Add rolled oats and mix well. Add flour, salt and vanilla. Turn dough into bowl, cover and refrigerate until needed.

Brush 4 small ceramic dishes or pie tins with melted butter. Pour 1/3 cup berries into each. Add 2 tablespoons blueberry jam to each and spread over berries. Add 1 tablespoon mascarpone to each. Top with enough oatmeal crisp dough to cover dish.

Bake in preheated 350-degree oven 20 to 30 minutes, until golden on top. Serve warm with ice cream. Makes 4 servings.

Divina Garvin, Divine Delights