Local food writer and restaurant critic Ron Bechtol will be on hand Saturday to sign copies of “Fearless Critic,” the San Antonio edition at the Twig bookstore, at the Pearl Brewery.

Bechtol is listed as editor, along with a panel of local chefs, critics, wine enthusiasts and others who contributed to the year-long process of developing this comprehensive look at the local dining scene.  (John Griffin and Bonnie Walker, editors of SavorSA, are also listed contributors.)

This is the newest in the tell-it-like-it-is series, which, in addition to covering four of the state’s dining meccas — Dallas, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio — also publishes guides to places as diverse as Seattle, Portland. Washington DC and New Haven.

“The appearance of the San Antonio Fearless guide only confirms what we have known all along — that the city has a thriving dining scene, one worthy of serious critical scrutiny,” says Bechtol.

The signing will be from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. at the Twig. The series editors are Robin Goldstein and Alexis Herschkowitsch. The book is selling for $12.95.  Fearless Critic is planning to publish updates and new reviews on its website and has launched an iPhone app, now available for download.

Who can resist a cup of sunshine at New Braunfels Farm to Market?

The following is the second of two parts.

Weeks before the New Braunfels Farm to Market opened last year, its creator, Ron Snider, wasn’t sure any farmers would show up to sell their just-harvested produce. Two weeks ago, the farmers market on South Castell Street boasted 72 vendors, the largest of any market in the region. Everything from fresh-picked peaches and tomatoes to grass-fed beef, artisan cheeses, fresh eggs and various types of garlic could be found.

More than that, it had plenty of customers picking up melons, mushrooms, Indian cucumbers and Indian breads while clearing out all of the offerings that the bakeries, the tamale vendor and several other booths had to offer. The roster of food stuffs for sale went on to include Cowgirl Granola, fresh-squeezed juices, German kettle corn and aguas frescas.

Plus, there were stands with handmade goods, including soaps and lavender goods, as well as henna tattoos and home-grown herbs.

New Braunfels Farm to Market's Ron Snider with his wife, Carol, and their granddaughter, 15-month-old Charlotte Lowe.

But, as large as it is, Farm to Market is only just beginning. Snider owns the art deco building next door to the parking lot where the vendors now set up their booths, and he is in the process of renovating it so the market has plenty of room to grow. Cooks will then have the necessary kitchen equipment as well as cleanup area, while some of the vendors will have better access to electricity to keep their meats, cheeses, dairy products and other items refrigerated.

The building once housed the Herald-Zeitung, New Braunfels’ newspaper, and Snider hopes to return its exterior to its former deco appearance, which was covered through the years by additions and a few too many Alsatian touches. He’s still doing research on the building, which hasn’t been easy.

“Most of the documented history of the old Herald-Zeitung Building was lost when the paper’s location on Landa Street flooded about 10 years ago,” he says. “I have a copy of the original architects’ rendering done by Phelps and Dewees of San Antonio. I’ve contacted family members and our local archives, but I have yet to find the true construction date or an as-built photograph. The only photos I’ve found to date have one or both of the additions.”

Snider began his career in the restaurant business and, after several detours, is glad to be back among food producers, chefs, bakers, butchers and the whole array of vendors who return every Saturday.  Watch him as he stops to talk with vendors and customers alike. “They have good cupcakes,” he says at the Sweet Dreams bakery booth. “They have good everything.”

Braune Farms of Geronimo is one of the vendors at New Braunfels Farm to Market.

He offers similar praise at every booth, whether it’s the sliders from Liberty Bistro or the farm-fresh poultry from Shady Falls Farm in Elmendorf.

“The market crowd for me is enjoyment,” he says. “I enjoy the connection with friendly farmers, ranchers, foodies and artists who are Farm to Market. These self-sufficient people who grow and make things with their hands have a certain satisfaction, pride and continence that you don’t find that often anymore. Gathering them outdoors with family, friends and neighbors makes traditional local markets something much more than a redundant march through another climate-controlled big box run.”

New Braunfels Farm to Market Hours are 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information, click here.

Poached raspberries go great with ice cream.

It’s Bastille Day. So, why not take a French approach to some fresh fruit you have and poach it? This recipe comes from James Peterson’s indispensable “Glorious French Food” (John Wiley & Sons, $45). You can use this basic poaching recipe all year long with whatever is available. After the basic recipe for poaching liquid are some variations on how to use it.

Basic Poaching Liquid for Fruits

1/2 cup sugar
3 cups water

Mix sugar and water. Bring to a simmer and use it immediately to poach the 2 pounds of fruits. Or, let it cool. if you’re not using it right away, keep it refrigerated, but for no longer than several days. because the liquid has a relatively low concentration of sugar, it’s susceptible to alcoholic fermentation. To poach more than 3 pounds of fruit, change the ingredient amounts accordingly. If you find that you don’t have enough liquid to cover a batch of fruit, cover the pot during poaching so that the fruit that isn’t submerged is steamed. Gently turn the fruit over itself after a couple of minutes, so that it cooks evenly.

Makes poaching liquid for 2 pounds fruit.

From “Glorious French Food” by James Peterson

Poached Raspberries

4 (1/2-pint) cartons raspberries
1 recipe Basic Poaching Liquid
1/4 to 1/2 cup framboise (raspberry liqueur) or kirsch (cherry liqueur), optional

Because raspberries are fragile, I poach them for only a few seconds. bring the poaching liquid to a simmer and turn off the heat. Put the raspberries, in batches, in a skimmer, dunk them in the hot liquid for about 5 seconds, and transfer them to a bowl. When you’ve done this with all the raspberries, boil the liquid down to half its original volume and let it cool before adding the liqueur, the raspberries and any liquid the raspberries may have released into the bowl.

Makes 6 dessert servings with ice cream, and proportionately more if other poached fruits are being served at the same time.

From “Glorious French Food” by James Peterson

Poached Bananas

I admit the idea of poached bananas never really grabbed me until I discovered the secret ingredient: good dark rum. This is also the way to go if you’re in a hurry to use underripe bananas.

3 large bananas
1 recipe Basic Poaching Liquid
1/4 to 1/2 cup dark rum, preferably from Martinique or Jamaica, optional

Peel the bananas, cut them in half crosswise, and then cut each piece in half lengthwise. poach the pieces in the simmering poaching liquid for 4 minutes and transfer them to a colander set over a mixing bowl. Boil the poaching liquid down to half its original volume. Put the banana pieces back in, let them cool at room temperature and then chill them in the refrigerator. Flavor to taste with rum.

Makes 6 dessert servings with ice cream, and proportionately more if other poached fruits are being served at the same time.

From “Glorious French Food” by James Peterson

Poached Apples

1 recipe Basic Poaching Liquid, or more, as needed
6 apples
1/4 to 1/2 cup Calvados (apple brandy), optional

Bring the poaching liquid to a gentle simmer and peel the apples. Cut them in half, cut out the cores with a melon baller or paring knife, and cut each half into 3 or 4 wedges, depending on the size of the apples. Poach the wedges until they soften slightly but can be penetrated with a small knife, about 7 minutes, depending on the apples. (If the poaching liquid doesn’t completely cover the wedges, poach them with the lid on the pot.) Transfer the wedges to a colander set over a mixing bowl. Boil down the poaching liquid — adding any liquid that’s accumulated in the mixing bowl — to half its original volume. Put the wedges back in the mixing bowl, let cool at room temperature, and then chill them in the refrigerator. Flavor to taste with Calvados.

Makes 6 dessert servings with ice cream, and proportionately more if other poached fruits are being served at the same time.

From “Glorious French Food” by James Peterson