By Rachel Hergett EBS COLUMNIST
At the end of February, I spent a weekend with friends old and new at a cabin in the western Montana woods. I love to cook for a hungry crowd, so I took on the group’s Saturday dinner. After an Asian-inspired vegan meal of spaghetti squash and peanut sauce with teriyaki tofu and veggie sides, my hosts lamented the fact no one had thought to bring napkins. There’s a tradition in their family that after a truly great meal, you throw your napkin at the chef as a sign of respect. I was touched, if not by a napkin.
Later that evening, Grace—one of those hosts and my carpool companion—asked if I had any ideas on how to attack the next day. Is there time for more cross-country skiing in the morning? Do I want to pack up and hit the road?
Only one desire came to mind when contemplating the questions: I would be content with whatever form our plans took—as long as we made a stop at Front Street Market in Butte on the way home. Grace was in full agreement. Among our shared interests and reasons we are friends, it seems, is the knowledge that a market stop is essential.
Front Street Market is a foodie paradise and Italian grocery owned and operated by Jim and Marla Yakawich for over 30 years. Located at 8 West Front Street, the shop is one of the few places in Butte I can easily find without the help of directions.
The space is extensive, so allow yourself time to explore. Up the steps and through the door, Front Street Market greets you with a maze of tight aisles. Canned goods from Front Street’s own brand are first. I’ve truly never seen such a variety of pickled things in my life, and I’ve spent time in Poland, where pickling things seems to be a national pastime and the resulting pickles are essential to the regional cuisine. There are pickled vegetables of all sorts—cucumbers, naturally, but also squash, okra, Brussels sprouts, carrots, onions, green beans and more—plus pickle condiments like relish and chow chow.
After the pickles, you reach the sauces. Most ingredients in the shop are near like ingredients—a giant wall of pasta in the more open deli space, for example. There are repeats throughout, however, subtly suggesting pairings that would make a meal complete.
I choose a sauce near the entrance to the kitchen where cooking classes are held—Stanislaus Food Products’ “Exclusivo” wild porcini sauce. A sign tells me this is the sauce of the year, and one doesn’t ignore such a recommendation. Grace tells me it has one of the most impressive ingredient lists she has ever seen in a jarred sauce. “Vine-ripened fresh tomatoes, eggplant, Corto olive extra virgin olive oil, onions, porcini mushrooms…” and I’m already drooling.
Sauce acquired, I go in search of things to pair it with. I go in search of the freezers. They’re filled with even more gourmet ingredients, naturally. But among the ingredients are house-made pastas and Italian-grandmother-worthy dishes. Lasagne to die for is rivaled by the chicken florentine. And let’s not forget what draws me in time and time again: the ravioli. Staple flavors are always nestled next to an experimental ingredient combo or two. Somewhere in my mind, I seem to remember a stellar chicken tikka ravioli, though the freezer section remained pretty tame on this visit. I love the ravioli because they are easy to cook and dress to make a complete meal.
Try the butternut squash with olive oil and chopped herbs, like a chiffonade of sage if you’re into fancy knife cuts. Or the lobster with some combination of butter, wine and lemon for a sauce.
I haven’t even discussed Marla Mia’s deli, which serves soups, sandwiches and salads for lunch. And surely some of you will want to know that there’s a huge wine selection beyond the kitchen.
I opened the sauce this week. Inspired by the cabin trip, I used spaghetti squash as a base. This one’s easy.
To prep, cut a squash in half through the stem so your pieces are long and shaped more like a boat than a bowl. Remove the seeds and stringy guts with a spoon then cover the flesh with olive oil and salt and pepper. Put the halves flesh-side-up into the oven and bake at 350 for about 45 minutes, longer for monster-sized squash. When it’s done, it’s still a little firm, but a fork will easily separate the innards.
For this meal, I left half a squash unshredded, filling the center with sauce and topping it with parmesan before putting it back in the oven while I heated and seared meatballs I had picked up in the freezer section under recommendation by Grace’s sister.
I’d throw a napkin at everyone if I could. The sisters, the sauce makers, and of course the Front Street Market. Che buono!
