GRAPEVINE Vol. 3 Issue 10
3 October 2004

TABLE OF CONTENTS
MANAGER'S NOTE
VOLUNTEER AT THE MARKET!
WHAT'S IN SEASON
PRESERVE THE HARVEST CANNING DEMONSTRATION THIS SUNDAY
RECIPES AND COOKING IDEAS
MUSIC SCHEDULE
OCTOBER 2004 SCHEDULE
2004-2005 WINTER SEASON SCHEDULE

MANAGER'S NOTES
As we enter the last five sessions of the regular season, it's time to say goodbye to a few of our vendors. Ken's Artisan Bakery and Liepold Farms are finished for the season. Many thanks to Ken Forkish and Marcia Liepold for participating in the market. We'll see you next year. In the meantime, you can visit Ken's Artisan Bakery at 338 NW 21st Avenue (corner of 21st and Flanders) to grab your favorite pastry or bread or go out to Liepold and Sons in for their Fall Festival (see their website http://www.Liepoldfarms.com/ for details).

Other news:
Anthony and Carol Boutard of Ayers Creek Farm are back this weekend with a lot of good produce including chestnuts, shell beans, raspberries, garlic, shallots and potatoes. Visit their booth this weekend to see the full line of produce they offer. Check out the Boutard's recipe for Chestnut Soup in the Recipe section of the newsletter.

Larry Masters of Nutmasters is at the market again this weekend. Larry will be roasting and flavoring a wide variety of nuts.

Linda Brand Crab will soon have oysters and clams perhaps as soon as next week. Keep your eyes open for the announcement.

Sweet Briar Farms will begin accepting pre-orders for winter packs starting this weekend. The variety packs that can be customized and will range from $25 to $200. Some of the more popular items at Hillsdale Market this season included Andouille, Linguisa and Beer Sausages, Center Boneless Loin Chops, Country Ribs and Bacon. Stop by their booth this weekend to get the complete list.

- Eamon Molloy, Market Manager

VOLUNTEER AT THE MARKET!
If you are reading this, you already know the fabulous "feed-me-fresh" foods from our neighborhood market! We love this Market. When I call volunteers on our list, even if one can't come in on a certain Sunday, I hear the good feeling and fondness for the farmers and the foods we have here. All we need now are a few more people to come in for a shift now and then to keep this good thing going. Did you know that our Board Members are our most devoted volunteers? Why Ted himself has spent hundreds of hours, particularly getting the Market off and flying three years ago when it was just an idea. Now we have all the original people helping when they can.

Some people like to come in for the 8 to 10 am shift and physically set up everything: the tents, tables, chairs, signs, etc. You don't have to be really strong, just able. When Eamon rings the starting bell at 10 am, several more people arrive for the second shift. The Information Booth has information for market-goers about everything (almost).

We need greeters to help buyers haul away their plants, flowers and heavy produce in the wagons. Greeters also hand out information to everyone. We count new arrivals at our entrances on the hour for 10 minutes, through the 4 hours of the Market.

At 12 noon some volunteers leave and others arrive. As needed, volunteers give vendors a few minutes away from their booths and sell for them. At the Info Booth we sell water, the famous Walking Map, imprinted shirts, original artwork of our Market postcards, aprons, and our one-of-a-kind Market bag. We haul wagons around to collect donated goodies from our vendors to give to our (unpaid) musicians as well as Wiggles the Clown (really the finest face painter I have seen). She comes every other week (the kids flock to her).

About 1:30 or 2pm volunteers arrive to help breakdown the Market and store everything back in our shed.

Just stop by our Info Booth Oct. 3rd (or call me) and ask how you can be part of our vibrant community. We will hand you an apron and show you what to do! For every shift you work you can add your name to our Volunteer Jar for a chance to win an apron or a $10.00 Market Buck at the end of October.

BY: Joan Quinn, Volunteer Coordinator
503-245-0520; email: runjoanrun@coho.net

WHAT'S IN SEASON
Here is a small list of items available this week.

Fruits: Apples, Cantaloupes, Honeydews, Grapes, Nectarines, Peaches, Pears, Plums, Strawberries, Watermelon
Vegetables: Beans, Beets, Carrots, Cabbage, Greens (arugula, collards, dandelion greens, mizuna, asian greens mix and more), Herbs (basil, parsley, tarragon, mint) Lettuce (romaine, green leaf, red leaf, salad mix, potatoes, winter squash, pumpkins

Seafood: Crab, Salmon, Tuna

Meats: Beef , Lamb, Pork, Rabbit

Bakery: Baker & Spice, Fressen, Market Fruit

Nuts: Chestnuts, Filberts

Other: Pestos, Sauces, Soups, Honey

PRESERVE THE HARVEST CANNING DEMONSTRATION THIS SUNDAY
Preserve the Harvest is an nonprofit organization started by a group of Master Food Preservers in the Portland Metro area. Preserve the Harvest will be conducting a canning demonstration this weekend at the market. Using their portable kitchen, Ingrid "Ma Pickle" and Claudia will demonstrate how to can tuna and salmon. They will also show how to make and can a simple chutney. Finally for the sports hunter, Claudia will demonstrate how to preserve venison. Claudia and Ingrid will also be ready to answer any preservation question you might have.


RECIPES AND COOKING IDEAS

This week's recipe comes from Anthony and Carol Boutard of Ayers Creek Farm. This recipe first appeared in their email newsletter. If youíre interested in receiving the Ayers Creek newsletter, send a note to Anthony at aboutard@orednet.org

CHESTNUT SOUP
Ingredients:

1 - 2 lb chestnuts
2 or 3 leeks
1 or 3 bulbs of fennel
3 - 6 cups stock
olive oil or duck fat
bay leaf
salt to taste


Roast and peel the chestnuts. It is best to buy the chestnuts a few days in advance and cure them at room temperature in an open bowl. This sweetens the nut and makes it easier to peel. The shell of the nut must be cut prior to roasting to let out steam as it cooks. Roasting is done at 400° for about 20 - 30 minutes. Out of the oven, we take the nuts and wrap them in a dish towel to keep them hot while we peel. Hot nuts are easier to peel. Sometimes we boil the nuts for 15 to 20 minutes, which yields a creamier soup. Nuts roasted over open coals are have a smoky flavor which is also appealing.

Prepare the leeks by trimming the tops, retaining the light green and white parts. Slice the leeks into thin rounds (or dice by slicing lengthwise and then chopping). I like the rounds best.

Use a heavy pot, add sufficient oil to cover the bottom, typically a tablespoon or two. Duck fat, available from City Market/Pastaworks, makes a somewhat richer soup, while olive oil is more fragrant. Gently saute the leeks and chestnuts for 10 or 15 minutes.

Add stock and bay leaf. You can use water or potato water for a more delicate soup. Stock rendered from the Thanksgiving turkey carcass is excellent, as is that from a duck or goose carcass. A pure vegetable based stock from celery, carrots, turnips, leeks and other vegetables is also satisfactory. -- For this soup, we usually use a chicken stock gently rendered at a low simmer and unreduced. -- Cook the soup at a gentle simmer until the chestnuts are soft enough to mash with a potato masher against the bottom of the pan. Alternatively, you can use a food mill or a food processor, though I like the masher best.

At this point, the soup preparation can be suspended until the next day. Put the pan in cool place, or continue as the occasion demands.

Prepare the fennel by trimming the tops and dicing the bulb. Carefully chopped cubes about 1/4 to 3/8 inch square work well. We saute these in a splash of olive oil and season with some salt. I prefer them quite firm, not mushy. Slight browning caramelizes the sugar, which is nice at times. It is a matter of taste and the moment.

Add the fennel to the hot soup just prior to serving. You can also sprinkle the fennel atop the soup as you would croutons.

Variations can also include a bit of white wine or dry (fino) sherry with the stock. Chopped parsley or chervil are also nice touches. Diced celery, carrots, celeriac and/or turnips mixed with the fennel are also tasty. A bit of cream or creme fraise is also a good, if in the mood. You can also run the soup through a food mill.


UPCOMING MUSIC

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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