Quite possibly the best part of farmers markets is the discovery of new foods.  Now I know, ginger root isn’t some completely foreign ingredient to most, but how many of you out there have actually seen ginger when it doesn’t resemble a bland, kaki, deceased wrinkled foot?  Fresh ginger, on the contrary is yes, still in the shape of a warped foot, but in every other way un-akin to its dehydrated, tan counterfeit.  This luscious root is dewy with moisture, pink around its tangles and lumps, and so fertile that it has yet to be amputated from the stalk– its umbilical source to nutrition.  At first I was so taken aback by this seemingly foreign item at the market several weeks ago that, in truth, I didn’t even want to buy it.  Thinking that maybe it was just too good to be true, I thought I would save $5 that day, and ‘sleep on it.’

Sure enough, the next Friday at Boston’s Copley Farmers Market, I was once again drawn to the stand with the what?! fresh ginger.  So why not, I had spent a week mulling over the notion of fresh, real fresh ginger and came to the conclusion that it was a no brain-er.  I love ginger; I love it in carrot soup, in pad Thai, in salads, in vinaigrettes… I will put use to this ginger, and yes!– one less item to purchase at the grocery store.

Smooshed up against the subway wall during rush hour like a fly to a swatter, I had my ginger in possession and was slowly sinking into the satisfaction of being able to smell the root from the depths of my market bag.  This spark to my olfactory glands made me truly appreciate the quality of this fertile ingredient, and I couldn’t wait to get home and cook with it.

After several applications of this deliciously potent and sparkling-tasting spice in my week’s meals, I think my favorite dish starring ginger was a carrot and beet soup.

Take about five carrots and five beets- peel and roughly chop.  Sauté in soup pot with about a tablespoon of fresh, chopped ginger, olive oil, salt and pepper.  Sauté until soft then add 2 tablespoons dark amber maple syrup and a tablespoon of Dijon mustard.  Add water until veggies are submerged, bring water to a boil then turn down heat to a simmer.  Let cook for 20-25 minutes.  Use and immersion blender or regular blender to emulsify until smooth.  Add cayenne for an extra kick and more salt and pepper to your liking.

-Another soup recipe for another fall evening, Bon Appétit!