The Marin Farmer's Market

Hope everyone had a great weekend! I enjoyed a sunny, warm weekend and finally snuck in a trip to the Marin Farmer's Market. After hearing my family rave about it, I had to make the trip. A quick 20 minutes from downtown San Francisco stands a market open 12 months out of the year. I think I found a new Sunday activity! The market, in late February, was gushing with lemons, oranges, leafy greens and root veggies. On top of that, there are loads of vendors pumping out snacks, breads, cheese and meats from Northern California farms.

After I got to visit with my Aunt Patti following my market visit, I went home to put my market haul to use. I grabbed some fluffy butter lettuce and fresh lemons because I have been dying to test out this recipe I found on Food52. 

Butter Lettuce with Lemon Caper Dressing and Tuna
modified from April Bloomfield's recipe; makes 2 salads


for the dressing
1 lemon
2 tbsp capers (minced)
1 tsp caper brine
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 shallot (minced)
pinch crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup olive oil

for the salad
1 can tuna packed in olive oil (drained)
1 head butter lettuce

The whole lemon will be used in this recipe. So let's start there. Cut the top and bottom off so you have a flat surface to put the lemon down. Slice the skin off, like you're peeling an orange, but with a knife. Once all the white skin is gone, cut each lemon wedge out and drop into a bowl.

In a separate mixing bowl, squeeze the remaining juice out of the leftover lemon carcass. To the squeezed juice, add minced capers, caper brine, Dijon mustard, shallot, red pepper flakes, salt and olive oil. Mix to combine. Add lemon wedges at the end.

Now for the salad. Trim the butter lettuce and lay whole pieces down on plate. Cover with a few scoops of the dressing and add the 1/2 the canned tuna to each plate.