GRAPEVINE Vol. 3 Issue 9
26 September 2004

TABLE OF CONTENTS
MANAGER’S NOTE
FEED ME FRESH FESTIVAL REPORT
WHAT’S IN SEASON
RECIPES AND COOKING IDEAS
MUSIC SCHEDULE
OCTOBER 2004 CALENDAR
2004-2005 WINTER SEASON SCHEDULE

MANAGER’S NOTE
In Norm’s absence, I’ve written this issue of the Grapevine. Patty Dewitz has kindly offered to step in as editor. In the meantime I hope you all enjoy this issue of the Grapevine. See you at the market.

Eamon


FEED ME FRESH FESTIVAL REPORT

The first Hillsdale Feed Me Fresh Festival on September 12 was a great success. Despite a brief shower, everyone enjoyed good food and a spectacular double rainbow. Thank you to our participants: Alba Osteria, Capitol Coffeehouse & Bistro, Garbonzos, Higgins Restaurant, Jopa, Market of Choice, Salvador Molly's, Starbucks, Three Square Grill, Wild Oats and Wildwood Restaurant, Flamingo Ridge Farm, Galaxy Wine Distributors, Linda Brand Crab and Widmer Brewing for their generous donations, singer/guitarist Bill Sterling for entertaining us, our volunteers and everyone who came to the event.


WHAT’S IN SEASON

Fall is definitely here. The rain and cool temperatures have hampered the berry harvest and slowed down other summer crops as well. Despite the cool temperatures Deep Roots, Earthshine Garden, Happy Harvest, Lone Elder Farm and Rick Steffen Farm continue to have quality tomatoes. If you’re interested in canning tomatoes, the time to buy them is now.

Trevor Baird of Baird Family Orchards reports that he should have peaches and nectarines for a few more weeks. Apples, pears and plums are plentiful as are greens, lettuces, potatoes, winter and summer squash, onions, carrots, broccoli, beets and cauliflower.

While the rain slowed down fruits and vegetables, it’s party time for mushroom lovers and harvesters. The quality of the wild mushrooms over the past few weeks has been great. Chanterelles, porcini, lobster mushrooms - Roger and Norma at Aklavik Mushroom have had quite a harvest. Don’t forget their cultivated maitake and shiitake mushrooms too.

While it’s still only September, it’s not too soon to think about Thanksgiving. Connie and Jon King at Perendale Wool Ranch are taking turkey orders now. Stop at their booth on this Sunday, learn more about the heritage breeds they are raising and place your order.


RECIPES AND COOKING IDEAS

One of the bites at the Feed Me Fresh Festival that really caught my eye was the late summer vegetable bruschetta parfait by Kevin Peck of Capitol Coffeehouse and Bistro (www.capitolbistro.com). This dish, with its three layers of beets, arugula and shaved leeks, caught my attention not only because it looked beautiful and tasted good (as did all the food at the festival), but because this dish is something that can be easily made at home. Since I had a bunch of beets sitting in the fridge waiting to be eaten, I did just that.

I took five small beets, cut off the greens, scrubbed them, set them in a covered roasting pan with a half inch of water and roasted until tender, about 30 minutes. (How big is small? For me, between a golf ball and a baseball in diameter.) I let the beets cool for a little while then I peeled and cut the beets into about one inch cubes.

While the beets were roasting, I washed and dried about two cups of arugula. The arugula leaves were pretty small so I didn’t cut them. I didn’t have any leeks so I used scallions instead washing and thinly slicing 6 scallions.

With everything ready, I composed the salad. I put the beets in the bottom of the salad bowl, then the arugula and finally the scallions on top. Finally, I drizzled olive oil over the salad and sprinkled some sea salt. While not as pretty as Kevin’s creation, the salad look good and forced me to use beets, a vegetable I don’t often use.

Want to learn more about using fall vegetables? Capitol Coffeehouse is holding a six course wine dinner this Sunday September 26 at 6:30 PM. Fall vegetables are the theme for the dinner.s For more information call: 503.297.1455.


UPCOMING MUSIC

SEP 26 Djangophiles
OCT 3 Hawks View Band
OCT 10 Short-Boule Band
OCT 17 Dancing Out Loud
OCT 24 City Lights Project
OCT 31 Eastrose Band


OCTOBER 2004 CALENDAR

October 10 - Gourd and Pumpkin Sale to benefit Neighborhood House - Ayers Creek Farm has teamed up with Neighborhood House to sell certified organic gourds and pumpkins with the sales proceeds benefiting Neighborhood House’s Early Pre-K Head Start Progrm programs. Carol Boutard has tracked down the most wildest, most unusual gourds available on the market. Anthony Boutard describes these gourds as “phantasmographic”. Neighborhood House staff and children from the program will be selling the gourds and pumpkins from October 10 through October 31. Stop by the booth, buy your phantasmographic gourds and learn more about Neighborhood House’s program.

October 17 - Fall Harvest Tasting - Every season has its own harvest. We’ve had chocolate dipped strawberries in June, red, white and blueberry sundaes in July, tasted the summer harvest in August and sampled tomatoes in September. On October 17, come sample the fall harvest. Apples, pears, hazelnuts and much more.

October 31 - HALLOWEEN - Come celebrate the last session of the regular season. Watch a master pumpkin carver at work, get your face painted by Wiggles the Clown and do your last minute pumpkin shopping.


2004-2005 WINTER SEASON SCHEDULE

As reported this past spring, the Hillsdale Farmers Market will conduct ten winter market sessions. Running from 10AM - 2PM in the market’s usual location the dates for the 2004-2005 Hillsdale Winter Market are:

Nov 7
Nov 21
Dec 5 - Holiday Market
Dec 19
Jan 16
Jan 30
Feb 13
Feb 27
Mar 13
Mar 27

The Dec 5 market is a special Holiday Market. The Hillsdale Business and Professional Association will hold its annual Chili Feed and craft vendors will be included in this market.




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