Looking forward to the new market

I've got a goodie bag of assorted treats for you today, and thankfully none of them resemble sugary chicks and bunnies.

First, I'm excited to announce the opening of a market in the area.

Last week, I walked into what will become Mabry's Market on State Road 674 in Wimauma and found Susan Bishop with a paint roller in hand. She was obviously busy but stopped to give me a tour.

Bishop and her sister, Kathy Oliver, co-own 90 acres near the Little Manatee River, which includes My Mother's Garden, an organic herb and fresh produce farm.

Until recently, the sisters sold their crops on the farm and at community markets in Ruskin, Sarasota and St. Petersburg. Several months ago, Bishop negotiated a lease to open a specialty market.

Mabry's Market, honors their grandmother Eloise Mabry Bayly, will feature organic and dried herbs, spices, fresh produce, farm eggs, naturally raised meat, fresh bread and pastries brought in daily from Pane Rustica in South Tampa, Mazarro's coffee and many other locally produced items.

The market will be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays at 5129 E. State Road 674. For information, call (813) 642-0191.

I'm going to be a frequent shopper, I know.

Now let's move on to, hmmm ... pizza.

I confess to having a visceral loathing for making pizza. Sure, I've made it before, but it takes patience, and I was not born with the gift of tossing pizza dough like a pro.

I do, however, have the gift of finding delicious pizza. My latest big score was at San Vito Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria in Ruskin.

Owner Romolo Coccoglioniti is on a roll. During the past 30 years, he has hopped from New Jersey to Italy to St. Pete to Ruskin, most recently as manager of Adelino's, inside the Village Shoppes. Although the restaurant folded, he has returned to the location to do his own thing.

"Mom taught me if you want a future (in the restaurant business), use quality. You will never go wrong," Coccoglioniti said.

San Vito, which opened in December, churns out fresh, homemade breads and pizza dough. The lunch special, an entree with a salad or soup, is $5.95. On the day I went, I tried the calzone, Greek salad and the cannoli, a cylindrical pastry stuffed with ricotta and drizzled with chocolate. All were excellent.

Lastly, at the bottom of my goodie bag, I've got news of the Lee Brothers. In early February, I wrote about siblings Matt and Ted Lee and their newest cookbook gem, "The Lee Bros. Simple Fresh Southern - Knockout Dishes with Down-Home Flavor." Since then, I've made at least 10 recipes from the book, and all of them were keepers.

No surprise to me, "Simple Fresh Southern ..." was recently nominated for a 2010 James Beard Award in the American Cooking category.

From 1 to 3 p.m. Thursday, the Southern duo will be in Tampa for a demonstration, tasting and book signing at Williams-Sonoma at International Plaza, 2223 N. West Shore Blvd. They will demonstrate recipes for creamy asparagus soup, grilled asparagus and buttermilk pudding cakes, and provide samples of cheese relish, which is this week's recipe.

I've tried it on a number of my friends, and it was a hit.

CHEESE RELISH

10 ounces Swiss cheese, finely grated

One 12-ounce jar of banana peppers (hot, if available), drained and minced

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/4 teaspoon crushed red chili flakes

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

2 tablespoons minced chives

2 tablespoons drained capers, soaked in fresh water for 1 minute and then drained again

With a spatula, combine all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl until evenly blended. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.

Serve with crackers; feeds 16.

Source: "The Lee Bros. Simple Fresh Southern - Knockout Dishes with Down-Home Flavor"