Grapevine July 2 2006 Market

in this issue
--What's coming to the Market this week?
--Frikeh

The weather forecast looks a bit cooler than last Sunday. It will still be warm but not to worry. This weekend the market holds it 3rd annual Red, White and Blueberry Sundae Sunday. Vanilla ice cream topped with local strawberries, raspberries and blueberries are just the thing to keep you cool on a warm summer day.

De Paula Chocolates, Fressen Bakery and Sundance Lavender Farm are off this week but will be back next week. Salubrious will be back at the market this week. This Sunday is also Jam Day with Josh Kadish. See you on Sunday!

What's coming to the Market this week?

Last week's hot weather has taken its toll on several crops. Snow peas are one. Raspberries didn't do well in the heat either. Raspberries will be available but expect a shorter season this year. Tomatoes on the other hand enjoyed the hot weather and should be available this weekend. Cherries will be in good supply with several varieties available including Bing, Royal Ann, Chelan and Stella. Apricots are starting to show up and there should be a decent supply this weekend. Check the availability list for a listing by farm.

Availability list

Frikeh

"What is frikeh?" was the an oft-asked question last week. Frikeh is parched or roasted green wheat. The wheat is harvested, burned and then threshed leaving a chewy green grain. Frikeh is common in Syria. You can learn more about frikeh and see photos of its preparation here.

To prepare frikeh, rinse the grains and then combine one part frikeh and two parts water in a pot of water. Bring to a boil and then simmer for about a half hour. Frikeh can be used in recipes calling for rice or bulgher. Tabbouleh is simple summer salad where you can use frikeh.

Tabbouleh

1 cup cooked frikeh (cooled)
6 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (about 3 bunches)
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh mint (about two bunches)
2 medium tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 seedless cucumber*, peeled, cored and diced
1/2 cup finely diced sweet onion or scallions
6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Wash and dry parsley. Finely chop leaves and small tender stems. Wash and dry mint, remove leaves from stems and finely chop. Combine mint, parsley, onion, tomato and cucumber in a bowl. Add frikeh, olive oil and lemon juice.

Note: Tabbouleh recipes are, as Captain Barbosa in Pirates of the Caribbean would say "more like guidelines". If you like more grain in your tabbouleh just add more frikeh.

Grapevine June 25 2006 Market

in this issue
--What's coming to the Market this week?
--Cool Summer Salad for a Hot Summer Day

This Sunday's market will be a hot one and not just because of the temperature. Ayers Creek Farm is back
in Hillsdale this week with raspberries, frikeh and other good things. Marvin "SpeedLimit" Gershowitz will be playing an acoustic set at the market this weekend too. Tastebud is back at the market this week as is Little Pots and Pans.

The Hillsdale Alliance will be conducting a book sale on July 30th in concert with the 30th Annual Hillsdale Business and Professional Association Pancake Breakfast. Alliance Volunteers will be at the market collecting books at the SW Capitol Hwy entrance starting this weekend until July 23rd. Stop by the donation table with your books and to learn more about the Alliance. See you on Sunday!

What's coming to the Market this week?

Raspberry season has definitely begun. At least six farms will be bringing raspberries this weekend.
There will be plenty of strawberries and some blueberries too. Cherries are in good supply with several varieties available.

As for vegetables, English peas, snap peas and snow peas will be readily available. We'll see what this
weekend's hot weather does to the crop in the coming week. New potatoes are coming in as are many
varieties of lettuce and other greens. This is probably the last week for asparagus but green beans, salad onions, sweet onions, fresh shallots and garlic are plentiful.

Availability list

Cool Summer Salad for a Hot Summer Day

You know it's early summer when peas start showing up at the market. Snow peas, snap peas and English
peas are all readily available. The season for peas is fairly short although the edible pod peas can withstand heat better than the others. English peas need to be shucked but edible pod peas can be eaten in the pod. Just snap off each end and remove the strings.

Peas are pretty easy to prepare and there are a lot of great recipes using fresh peas. But fresh peas are so sweet that they can be eaten raw . Given the hot weather expected for this week here's a salad recipe using fresh peas and other vegetables you can find at the market this week.

Early Summer Salad

for the salad:
1/2 pound English peas, unshelled
1 sweet onion or salad onion
2 small heads of lettuce (butter is best but redleaf, greenleaf, french crisp or romaine are fine)
3 small carrots
2 small tomatoes

for the dressing:
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
salt and pepper

Tear the lettuce into bite size pieces. Cut the onion in half and thinly slice. Shell peas. Peel the carrots and cut into thin matchsticks. Cut the tomatoes into 1 inch chunks.

Stir together the garlic, mustard and lemon juice in the salad bowl. While stirring, add olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Add the prepared vegetables to the salad bowl, toss and serve.

Grapevine June 18 2006 Market

in this issue
-- What's coming to the Market this week?
-- Recipe - Berry Gratin

Father's Day should be a lot of fun at the market this weekend. In what has become a Hillsdale tradition, we'll be celebrating Father's Day and strawberry season with chocolate covered strawberries. Greg Clarke, a Hillsdale favorite, will be playing this weekend as well.

Tastebud will not be at the market this week. Mark will be back making bagels next week. Vibrant Flavors and Blossom Vinegar are at the market this week. Freddy Guy Filberts will be back on July 2. See you on Sunday!

What's coming to the Market this week?

The fruit keeps coming in. Strawberries and cherries will be quite plentiful this weekend. Raspberries will be available as will blackberries in small quantities.

As for vegetables, asparagus will be around but not in large quantities. This week may be the last week for asparagus. There will be a great selection of leafy greens from spinach to many kinds of lettuces. Several farms have nice salad mixes too. Snow peas, snap peas and English peas will be readily available. Check the availability list for more detail.

Availability list

Recipe - Berry Gratin

Some of my favorite desserts are the simplest ones. Cobblers are pretty easy to make; just bake biscuit dough on top of fruit. This fruit gratin recipe from The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook the is even easier.

Summer Berry Gratin

4 1/2 cups mixed berries
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon kirsch (optional)
pinch salt
3 slices white sandwich bread, quartered
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
pinch cinnamon

Adjsut an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 400 degrees. Gently mix the berries, granulated sugar, kirsch (if using), and salt together. Transfer the berries to a 9 inch glass or ceramic oblong gratin dish.

Pulse the bread, brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon in a food processor until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, about 10 pulses. Sprinkle crumbs evenly over the fruit.

Bake until the crumbs are deep golden brown and the fruit is hot, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes before serving.

Grapevine June 11 2006 Market

in this issue
--What's coming to the market this week?
--Green Beans

Some of you may have wondered what happened to the market when your emails bounced back this week. Our web host upgraded our mail server over the weekend and the upgrade did not go as smoothly as planned. The server is now working properly. Thank you for your patience.

Little Pots and Pans is at the market this week. Oregon Gourmet Cheeses and Vanveen Bulb are back as well. Liepold Farms, Gee Creek Farm, Bear Creek Floral, Flamingo Ridge Farm and Ayers Creek Farm will be returning to the market over the next few weeks. See you on Sunday!

What's coming to the market this week?

Strawberries are the dominant fruit this week with Hoods and Totems both readily available. Cherries will be available in small quantities this week. Raspberries and Blackberries will be available in small quantities as well.

As for vegetables the following will be available:
Asparagus, beets, cucumbers, collards, cabbage, mustard greens, lettuce (redleaf, greenleaf, romaine, butter), bok choy, chard, kale, escarole, frisee, amaranth, mizuna, snap peas, snow peas, fresh garlic, fresh shallots, scallions, sweet onions, radishes, turnips, carrots, purple potatoes, red potatoes, zucchini, summer squash, tomatoes (hydroponic), morels, shitake and maitake.

Green Beans

Green beans are a vegetable whose arrival at the market marks the transition from spring to summer. Fresh green beans are easy to prepare are most often enjoyed steamed or sauteed. The recipe below is from the food blog, Simply Recipes. I came across the recipe last fall and saved it for this spring. Enjoy!

Roasted Green Beans with Onions and Walnuts

1 lb green beans, stem ends snapped off
1 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
2 medium thin-sliced garlic cloves
1/2 medium yellow or red onion, cut into 1/2 inch thick wedges
1/3 cup toasted chopped walnuts

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position, preheat oven to 450°F. Line rimmed baking sheet with aluminum
foil, spread beans and onions on baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil; using hands, to coat evenly. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of salt, toss to coat, and distribute in an even layer. Roast for 10 minutes.

2. While roasting, combine balsamic vinegar, honey, thyme, and garlic slices in a small bowl.

3. After beans and onions have roasted for 10 minutes, remove from oven. Drizzle vinegar honey mixture over the beans and onions; use tongs to coat evenly. Put back in the oven and continue to roast until onions and beans are dark golden brown in spots and beans have started to shrivel, about 12-15 minutes longer. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Transfer to serving dish, sprinkle with toasted chopped walnuts, and serve.

Grapevine June 4 2006 Market

in this issue
--What's coming to the Market this week?
--Recipe - Strawberry-Spinach Salad

"Do you know how to tell it's springtime in Oregon? The rain is warmer." So said a caller from Portland on NPR's Talk of the Nation this week. There are other ways too, like longer days, the Rose Festival or Hood strawberries. Yes, Hood strawberries will be available at the market starting this weekend.

This weekend marks the beginning of the expanded bus service for the number 39 bus line. The line will now come up to Hillsdale . The inaugural run will stop at SW Sunset Blvd and SW Capitol Hwy around 11:30. The 39 will run between Lewis & Clark College in Collins View neighborhood and Hillsdale.

It's the first Sunday of the month and that means it's Jam Day at the market. Josh Kadish will be leading an open mike session at the market. Wiggles the Clown will be at the market this weekend too. See you on Sunday!

What's coming to the Market this week?

Hood strawberries will be in good supply as will several other varieties. The cherry season is a few weeks away but some early varieties have shown up in small quantities at the mid-week markets and may be around this weekend. There should be greenhouse grown raspberries too.

As for vegetables, asparagus will be around for a few more weeks. Green, white and purple varieties will all be available this weekend. Snap peas, another spring crop, will definitely be available. Other vegetables you'll find this weekend include lettuce (romaine, greenleaf, redleaf and others), kale, spinach, chard, mustard greens, collards, sweet onions with tops, shallots with tops, turnips with greens, broccoli, cabbage, kohlrabi, green garlic, carrots, radishes, beets, potatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, cultivated maitake and shitake mushrooms, morel mushrooms and hydroponic tomatoes.

Recipe - Strawberry-Spinach Salad

This recipe from Mariquita Farm, an organic farm near Watsonville, California, puts to good use two ingredients you will find at the market this weekend, strawberries and spinach.

Spinach-Strawberry Salad with Goat Cheese Bruschetta

serves 6

1/4 C sugar
2 tbsp. sherry or white wine vinegar
1 1/2 tsp. sesame seeds, toasted
1 1/2 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. minced red onion
1/4 tsp. poppy seeds
1/4 tsp. Hungarian sweet paprika
1/8 tsp. salt
6 C torn spinach (about 1 lb.)
2 C halved strawberries
2 tbsp. slivered almonds, toasted
1 log goat cheese, cut into 6 slices
6 slices french bread, toasted

Combine the first 8 ingredients in a jar; cover tightly and shake vigorously. Combine the spinach and strabwerry halves in a large bowl and toss gently. Pour the dressing over the spinach mixture, tossing gently to coat. Spoon one cup of salad onto each of six plates; sprinkle each serving with 1 tsp. toasted almonds. Spread cheese over toast slices; top each salad with 1 bruschetta.