Michael Jones and the fine folks at The Greener Grocer want to eat your veggies, and in doing so, contribute to the greater cause of supporting local agriculture, access to produce in underserved neighborhoods and the livelihood of Ohio’s farmers.

Doug Denny and the rest of The Fish Guys (Angelo, Bobby and Shawn) serve up fresh and sustainably sourced seafood seven days a week.

From providing fresh locally raised chicken, bison and rabbit for Columbus shoppers to cooking up some of the tastiest homestyle cuisine in the city at “Kitchen Little”, Annemarie Wong and the staff at North Market Poultry and Game are a North Market staple and a Columbus favorite.

Sarefino’s is home to fabulous New York style ‘za, stromboli, calzones and an awesome assortment of Italian meats and cheeses. East Coasters rave about it and so will you.

Daniel Cooper is the proverbial “kid in a candy store”, it just happens to be one that he owns, operates and where he personally creates all of the confections!

Don Ziliak is the man behind a trio of successful North Market businesses: Pastaria, Pastaria Seconda and Sarefino’s. If you’re looking for homestyle Italian dishes, Pastaria will hit the spot.

This is a fun little seasonal piece by our friends at MediaSource. We sure like it and we think you’ll find it entertaining too!

Pam Tylka is the North Market’s “Popcorn Queen.” Pam’s popping daily and her quadrant of the market is filled with the familiar, delicious fragrance of popcorn. But this is not just any popcorn. Pam’s daily menu includes cheddar, caramel, sweet & salty and classic butter plus whatever seasonal flavor is striking her fancy. It’s the holidays right now so you’ll find delightful flavors like Candy Cane, Peppermint Chocolate, Eggnog and Cranberry Crunch. Fun stocking stuffers of colorful popcorn balls and “naughty coal” are sure to amuse.

Gravlax
• 2 pounds fresh salmon, center cut from The Fish Guys
• 1 large bunch of dill, plus 1/4 cup chopped dill for serving
• 1 cup kosher salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons white peppercorns, crushed
• 1 tablespoon whole fennel seeds
• Zest of 2 lemons
• Pumpernickel bread, for serving
• Mustard Sauce

Directions:
Cut the salmon in half crosswise and place half the fish skin side down in a deep dish. Wash and shake dry the dill and place it on the fish. Combine the salt, sugar, lemon zest, crushed peppercorns, and fennel seeds in a small bowl. Vigorously mix the dry ingredients to “bruise” the lemon zest and sprinkle it evenly over the piece of fish. Place the other half of salmon over the dill, skin side up. Tightly wrap the salmon in plastic wrap. Place a smaller pan on top of the plastic wrap and weight it with some heavy cans. Refrigerate the salmon for at least 2 and up to 3 days, turning it every 12 hours and basting it with the liquid that collects.
Lay each piece of salmon flat on a cutting board, remove the bunch of dill, and sprinkle the top with chopped dill. With a long thin slicing knife, slice the salmon in long thin slices as you would for smoked salmon. Serve with dark pumpernickel bread and a mustard sauce of your choice. You can also serve with chopped red onion and capers, if desired.

Dear North Market Shopper, 

The Market is blessed with hundreds of unique, fresh and local choices. During the month of December and all through the holidays we tend to focus on our favorites. Well, here are a few of mine:

1. Blackstrap Praline Ice Cream from Jeni. Maybe the best ever. While it lasts. When it’s gone, I’ll “settle” for Brown Butter Almond Brittle.
2. Bacon from David and Cheryl at Bluescreek Farm Meats. Not just bacon, this is BACON!
3. A gorgeous piece of the freshest salmon from The Fish Guys and my Gravlax recipe for the easiest, most elegant holiday taste ever.
4. A blue cheese recommendation from Mike at Curds & Whey. He’s got a million of them.
5. A warm bowl of Pho and Thang’s smile on a cold winter’s day from Lac Viet Market.
6. Wayward Seed’s root veggies from The Greener Grocer.
7. A spatchcocked and brined Bowman and Landes Turkey from North Market Poultry and Game.
8. Real Polish Kielbasa from Hania’s Olde World Cuisine.
9. Cheese corn from Pam and memories of Michigan Avenue in Chicago.
10. A holiday beer from Grapes of Mirth. Dave’s got plenty to choose from.
11. Amy Lozier’s Rustic French Bread from Omega Artisan Baking (with some of that blue cheese from Curds & Whey).
12. An incredibly versatile Microplaner from North Market Cookware.

There’s nowhere in Columbus where you can find all of these incredible tastes. And there’s nowhere in town where the passion for great food burns any hotter than North Market.

Here’s hoping that you have a Happy Holiday season and that these tastes add some fun to this time of the year.

Happy Holidays,

Dave Wible