Grapevine October 9 2005 Market

Grapevine October 9 Market

in this issue
--What's at the Market this week?
--Using Wild Mushrooms

Thanks to persistent computer crashes, last week's newsletter never came out. But now the market has a
new (to us) computer and things are much better.

Freddy Guys Filberts, Garden Color, Picklopolis, Viridian Farms and Vibrant Flavors are all back this week. Mario's Moldovan Ravioli is off this week butwill be back next week. Greg Clarke will be performing this week. See you at the market.

What's at the Market this week?

You may have noticed the small notice "Weather and other factors affect what the farmers bring to the market" on the availability list. Weather definitely affected what came to market last week. The heavy rains at the end of the week made it nearly impossible for a few farms to harvest anything for last week's market. Frost caused problems for others. Fall is definitely here.

Despite the change of the season, summer fruits and vegetables are still available. Peaches,nectarines, melons and strawberries will be available for another week or two as will corn and tomatoes. Most greens and lettuces will be readily available.

While cold weather causes problems for some crops, it's great news for others. Cold weather is good news for brassicas like cauliflower, broccoli, cabbages, kale and collards because these plants increase their sugar levels to protect themselves from frost. There are a lot of varieties just cominginto season now. Give them a try.

To the availability list

Using Wild Mushrooms

Brassicas aren't the only plants that like cold, wet weather. Wild mushrooms thrive in the fall. Chanterelles, lobster and matsutake are just a few of the mushrooms harvested in the Northwest. Wild mushrooms have wonderful flavor and can be used in many ways.

Roasting is the simplest way to prepare wild mushrooms and works particularly well with chanterelles. Clean the mushrooms to remove any dirt or debris. If very dirty, then wash with water. Cut mushrooms into 1 inch chunks or wedges. (If using chanterelles, leave the smaller ones whole.) Toss mushrooms with a little olive oil, salt, pepper and a splash of dry white wine. Place mushrooms in a shallow baking dish, cover and place in a preheated 375 degree oven. Bake for about 20 minutes. Uncover, turn mushrooms over and bake for another 20 minutes. At this point, the mushrooms should be soft and tender and the liquid nearly evaporated.

The roasted mushrooms can be used hot with grilled meats or cool in salads. You can also toss the hot mushrooms with cooked pasta and grated Parmesan cheese. Tastebud Farms, an occasional Hillsdale Market vendor, makes a great sandwich using wood oven roasted chanterelles, Fraga Farms goat cheese and greens in a pita. Have fun coming up with your own variations.