Wednesday was the opening of the Davis Square market in Somerville (I meant to post this on the same day, but Earthboundkitchen was having some technical issues, most of which are now resolved) and it couldn’t have been cruddier weather.  It was in the high 40s and low 50s and it drizzled all through the early afternoon (Davis Square market is open from 12:00-6:00pm).  Even when it wasn’t actively raining it was still gray.  I was there for all six hours of the market and I had a fabulous time.

It was great to see all the patrons who came out despite the inclement weather.  Copley Square had a beautiful opening day and it was no surprise to see dozens of shoppers looking through the farm stands, but it was far more impressive to see the people who were willing to come out in the gray to visit their favorite farmers and do their weekly shopping.

Personally i’ll be at Davis all season long; from today, into the heat of the summer, and then the chill of the fall.  We had about a dozen vendors today, but that number should go up when the summer produce starts to come in later in June and July.  Today was mosly about greens and starts.  We saw Enterprise Farm with the most beautiful mascara lettuce I’ve ever beheld, the Herb Lyceum where I bought the most gorgeous purple sage start, Blue Heron Farms with mezuna, pea shoots, and four of the most friendly farm hands in the state of Massachusetts, Hanson’s Farm with plump bundles of rhubarb which I purchased two pounds of (half for a tart and half for preserving), the Hi-Rise Bread Company where I got the most amazing chocolate chunk cookie and French baguette, and Fiore di Nonn where I bought a lovely hunk of fresh mozzarella.

I was a happy woman when I departed the Davis Square market, despite my frozen toes and numb hands.  There’s nothing I love more on a cold, wet day than a sage rubbed pork roast and with my newly purchased little sage plant I now had all the ingredients.  In case you’re having a gray day too, I’ll share my recipe.

Sage Rubbed Pork Roast (as adapted from Barbara Kafka’s Roasting)

•  3 lbs pork loin, no bones
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled, smashed, and cut into slivers
• 1 bundle fresh sage leaves (about 15 medium leaves)
• kosher salt
• fresh ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup dry red wine (for deglazing)

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees
2. Cut the sage into thin strips and then mince it or rub it into fine pieces
3. With a sharp pairing knife make 1/2 inch cuts into the meat (towards the center of the roast), fairly eenly spaced, all over.   Inter the garlic slivers into these cuts.
4. Rub the roast all over with the sage, kosher salt, and fresh ground pepper.
5. Place the roast in a V-rack or vroiling pan so the juices can drip away from the meat.  Hint, a wire drying rack resting over a baking dish or brownie tray works quite well.
6. Roast the meat for 40-50 minutes, until it reaches an internal temperature of 140 degrees at the thickest part of the roast.
7. Remove the roast from the oven and save the drippings.  Place the roast on a wire drying rack (or just remove the entire drying rack if that’s what you were roasting it on in the first place) and place a pate underneath to catch any more drippings.
8. Place the roasting pan on the stove top.  Skim off any oil that you can.  Heat to medium high.  Add the wine (and maybe some more age if you’d like) and let the liquid come to a boil.  Stir and srape the bottom of the roasting pan with a wooden spoon to remove all the yummy browned bits from the pan.  Cook until the liquid has reduced by half.  Strain through a wire mesh or cheese cloth and pour over the roast.