There’s nothing better to someone that loves to cook than a really great market.  This morning I went to the farmers’ market here in Evanston and brought farm fresh eggs.  I came home and scrambled a few and I swear I don’t think I’ve ever had such a great tasting egg in my life.  There’s something to be said about fresh.

We also have a place called Fresh Farms International Market that is about a 10 minute drive from my home.  This place has everything.  The deli alone is amazing.  It has every kind of ethnic meat product you’d ever need… sausages, “head cheese”, loaves, pates, etc.  Things that I’m not sure I’d buy, but I can imagine if I was from another country it would be nice to find something that you had at home, but couldn’t seem to find here in the US.  They have aisles for Asian food, Hispanic food, Indian food. It’s a foodie’s dream.

They have amazing produce that actually lasts after you bring it home as well.  My favorite part, however, has got to be the fish market there.  They have everything, even some creatures that are still crawling around.  Yesterday I bought shrimp to make tonight, and I also bought a bag of mussels.  The bag of mussels cost $2.25 and it could serve about 4 people (do not ask how many I ate…).  So, I trudged home with my bag o’ mussels and decided I was going to cook them up… but how?

I followed these steps, and in about 10 minutes (and for less than $5 total) I had a gourmet meal.

Fresh Steamed Mussels

1 bag of fresh mussels from a reputable fishmonger
2 tomatoes, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped small
1 can vegetable broth
salt and pepper

Rinse mussels in the shell under cold water. Tap any open ones on the side of the sink. If they refuse to close, discard them. Scrub them well and remove the tough, fibrous “beard” that any might have sticking out of the shell (very few of mine had this).

Heat remaining ingredients in a large, shallow pan with a lid, until boiling. Add mussels. Steam with the lid on for approximately 2 to 3 minutes, until they open. Discard any that to not open (I only had 1 that did not).

Serve topped with the broth from the pan.

~M