Thursday, July 31, 2008

Grapevine August 3 2008 Market

this week
- What's Coming To The Market This Week?
- Cooking Ideas - Green Beans with Tarragon

We lucked out last week and the predicted precipitation held off until Sunday evening. I'm starting to sound like a broken record but last week was the busiest day of the season. Despite the pancake breakfast, book sale, blood drive and everything else going on last Sunday, there were very few parking problems. Thank you for your cooperation on a very busy day.

The market's new dog policy starts this weekend. As announced two weeks ago, dogs are banned from the market until the beginning of the winter market season in November. Dogs will be allowed in the market from November through April when the market is less crowded. We recognize that some people are upset with this decision but we must err on the side of safety. We received many kind and supportive comments by email, voicemail and in person. Thank you all for your support and cooperation.

Little Pots and Pans is back after taking a month off. Two Brothers Chocolate will be at the market this Sunday too. Pam Beaty will be playing at the market this Sunday. Josh will be back with the Market Jam next week.

See you on Sunday!

Eamon Molloy
Market Manager

What's Coming To The Market This Week?

This week is much like last week. There will be a lot of berries - blackberries, blueberries and raspberries and strawberries. Stone fruit - apricots, nectarines and peaches - will be readily available as well. Cherries, sweet and sour, will be in good supply. You should find a few plums too.

As for vegetables, snow peas, fava beans, sugar snap peas, lettuce, chard, zucchini and fresh onions will be plentiful. You'll also find arugula, napa cabbage, green cabbage, carrots, beets, radishes, tomatoes and a lot more. Check the availability list for the complete list of who's coming this weekend and what they expect to be selling.

IN
Blossom Vinegars
DeNoble Farm
Little Pots and Pans
Salvador Molly's
Two Brothers Chocolate

OUT
Copper Crown (back next week)
Salubrious (back next week)
Sundance Lavender (back next week)

Cooking Ideas - Green Beans with Tarragon

Seeing the huge mounds of green beans at the market last week inspired me to work on a green bean recipe. I wanted something easy too. Here's an easy recipe for green beans. It can serve as a salad or a side dish. I've added this recipe to the Culinate site if you want a printable recipe. Enjoy!

Green Beans with Tarragon

1 pound green beans
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon chopped tarragon
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Trim the beans by cutting off and discarding the tips and ends.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add green beans and cooked uncovered until just tender, about 5-7 minutes. The beans should still be slightly firm.

Remove beans from pan and drain. Let the beans dry off for a few minutes. Shake off any excess water and place beans in a bowl. Add oil, toss until coated, add tarragon and juice, toss again. Serve immediately.

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Grapevine July 27 2008 Market

this week
- Blood Drive At Market This Sunday
- What's Coming To The Market This Week?
- Cooking Ideas - Yellow Summer Squash Soup with Curry Spices

It's going to be a busy Sunday in Hillsdale this weekend. The 32nd Annual HBPA Blueberry Pancake Breakfast takes place from 8:30am to 12:00pm in the Casa Colima parking lot, 6319 SW Capitol Hwy. The Hillsdale Alliance is conducting its book sale from 9:00am to 3:00pm just behind the breakfast area. At the market, the Red Cross is conducting a blood drive from 9:00am until 2:00pm and George Wolff will be playing classical guitar this weekend. All in all a fun day.

See you on Sunday!

Eamon Molloy
Market Manager

Blood Drive At Market This Sunday

The Hillsdale Farmers' Market is sponsoring a blood drive at the Market this Sunday. The blood supply always goes down in the summer. The supply this year is critically low. There is less than a one day supply of O+, O-, A- and B- blood and less than a 3 day supply of A+ and B+ blood. Please consider donating blood this weekend. You can call the Red Cross at 503-528-5608 and make an appointment. The Red Cross will be at the market from 9am - 2pm.

What's Coming To The Market This Week?

Yes, there will be peaches this weekend. There will also be a lot of berries, from blackberries to strawberries and everything in between. Cherries, mostly Vans and Rainiers, will be in good supply. Nectarines and apricots should be readily available as well.

As for vegetables, snow peas, fava beans, sugar snap peas, lettuce, chard, zucchini and fresh onions will be plentiful. You'll also find arugula, napa cabbage, green cabbage, carrots, beets, radishes, tomatoes and a lot more. Check the availability list for the complete list of who's coming this weekend and what they expect to be selling.

IN
Blossom Vinegars
Salubrious
Savory et Sweet
Vanveen Bulb

OUT
DeNoble Farm
Little Pots and Pans (back next week)

Cooking Ideas - Yellow Summer Squash Soup with Curry Spices

This recipe by Deborah Madison is from the Greens Cookbook and can be found online at Culinate. Looking for a printer friendly version? Just follow the link from the recipe title below. Enjoy!

Yellow Summer Squash Soup with Curry Spices
(from Deborah Madison's Greens Cookbook and Culinate)

Ingredients
3 Tbsp. clarified butter or ghee
1 large yellow onion, sliced
1 1/2 lb. yellow summer squash, sliced
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1 tsp. coriander seeds
1 tsp. yellow mustard seeds
4 cloves
1/4 tsp. cardamom seeds
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon or 1-inch piece cinnamon stick
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper, or more, to taste
1 1/2 tsp. fresh ginger root, peeled and minced
1/2 tsp. salt
6 cups water or stock (preferably vegetable stock made with Indian spices)
1/2 cup light or heavy cream
3 Tbsp. cilantro leaves, chopped, for garnish
Squash blossoms, chopped, for garnish (optional)

Steps

Heat the clarified butter or ghee, add the onion and the squash, and cook over medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring as needed.

Gather all the whole dried spices together and grind them to a powder in an electric spice mill. Add them to the onion and squash, along with the cinnamon, turmeric, cayenne, ginger root, salt, and ½ cup water or stock, and continue to cook over medium heat for 5 minutes.

Pour in the rest of the water or stock and bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Pass the soup through a food mill or purée it in a blender. Return the soup to the stove and stir in the cream.

Taste for salt and add more if necessary. Because some squash are less watery than others, the soup may need thinning with additional water or cream. Serve the soup garnished with the chopped cilantro and squash blossoms if available.

Reminder - Change in Dog Policy

In order to insure the safety of dogs, customers and vendors, the Hillsdale Farmers' Market board voted this week to ban dogs from the market until the beginning of the winter market season in November. Dogs will be allowed in the market from November through April when the market is less crowded. This new policy will go into effect beginning with the August 3, 2008 market (next week).

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Grapevine July 20 2008 Market

this week
- Change in Dog Policy
- What's Coming To The Market This Week?
- Cooking Ideas - Lemon Cornmeal Muffins with Berries

Last weekend was very busy, the busiest day of the season thus far and one of the busiest market days ever. Was it the gelato that brought so many people out?

The market has experienced tremendous growth this season and the parking lots are even more crowded than in prior years. Please be patient if you are driving to the market. There is usually plenty of parking on SW Vermont Street so it might be worth your while to just park on SW Vermont instead of trying to park in the lot. The increase in attendance has also forced us to make a policy change which is outlined in the first article. We are trying to make shopping at the market a pleasant experience for everyone. Bear with us as we work out how to manage this new growth.

Greg Clarke returns to the market this week. This is also the final week to drop off books for the Hillsdale Alliance Book Sale. The 32nd Annual Pancake Breakfast is next week. The Red Cross will be conducting a Blood Drive at the market next week as well.

See you on Sunday!

Eamon Molloy
Market Manager

Change in Dog Policy

If you are are a regular Hillsdale Farmers Market shopper then you will have noticed that there are a lot more customers at the market this year. The market attendance has increased over 25% since last year. The increased attendance has also meant more dogs and more dog problems. We have been handing out copies of the market dog rules and had some success in lowering the number of dog issues.

However, the record summer crowds are creating a potentially dangerous situation for dogs and people. On average, 3,000 people are walking through the summer market in a four hour session. As a dog owner, I know that walking through crowds this big on a hot summer day is often very stressful for dogs. The animals get bumped, stepped on and are overwhelmed by the many smells. We have had many small incidents over the last six weeks and the number of incidents are increasing with each market session. In order to insure the safety of dogs, customers and vendors, the Hillsdale Farmers' Market board voted this week to ban dogs from the market until the beginning of the winter market season in November. Dogs will be allowed in the market from November through April when the market is less crowded. This new policy will go into effect on August 3, 2008. We will be handing out flyers to everyone bringing a dog into the market for the next two weeks.

I speak for the board when I say that most dogs visiting the market are very well behaved. The combination of heat, big crowds and a finite space make for a very stressful situation for the even best natured animal. We look forward to seeing your dogs again in November. But for now please leave your dog at home for the rest of the season. Thank you all for your understanding about this matter.

What's Coming To The Market This Week?

This week is much like last week. There will be a lot of berries - blackberries, blueberries and raspberries. Strawberries will be less available. Cherries, mostly Vans and Rainiers, will be in good supply. Peaches are still a few weeks off but apricots and nectarines are readily available.

As for vegetables, snow peas, fava beans, sugar snap peas, lettuce, chard, zucchini and fresh onions will be plentiful. You'll also find arugula, napa cabbage, green cabbage, carrots, beets, radishes, tomatoes and a lot more. Check the availability list for the complete list of who's coming this weekend and what they expect to be selling.

IN
Sundance Lavender

OUT
Blossom Vinegars (back next week)
Little Pots and Pans (back August 3)
Salubrious (back next week)
Savory et Sweet (back next week)

Cooking Ideas - Lemon Cornmeal Muffins with Berries

After a slow start, there are now plenty of berries coming into the market. This recipe by Carrie Floyd at Culinate uses blueberries but Carrie has other suggestions. Just follow the link from the recipe title below. You can use Ayers Creek Farm's cornmeal if you've any at home or you can pick some up at the market. Enjoy!

Lemon Cornmeal Muffins with Berries (by Carrie Floyd, from the Culinate Kitchen collection)

Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose, unbleached flour
1 cup fine cornmeal
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
Zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
2 eggs
3/4 cup whole milk
1 3/4 cups fresh blueberries

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare 2 muffin tins by either greasing them or filling them with cupcake liners. Melt the butter and set aside to cool.

In a medium-large bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest. In another bowl or a large measuring cup, whisk together eggs with the melted butter and milk. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, stirring until just combined. Carefully stir in the berries, then divide batter evenly between the muffin cups.

Bake muffins in the middle of the oven for 15 minutes, then check to see if a toothpick inserted into the middle of one of the muffins comes out clean. If muffins are still a little gooey after 15 minutes, bake an additional 2 to 4 minutes. When the muffins are done, remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes before eating.

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Grapevine July 13 2008 Market

this week
- What's Coming To The Market This Week?
- Cooking Ideas - Stuffed Artichokes with Lemon Aioli

We had a last minute call last week from an old Hillsdale regular, DeNoble Farm. We were happy to find room for them and they return to the market this week with a lot of artichokes. Fro all of you who have been asking for an ice cream vendor, your search is over. Alotto Gelato starts serving gelato this Sunday at the market. As for music, Pam Beaty will be playing this week. All in all, it looks like we are in for another nice weekend.

See you on Sunday!

Eamon Molloy
Market Manager


What's Coming To The Market This Week?

It's party time for berry lovers this week. Blueberries, raspberries and strawberries will all be readily available. Blackberries will be around but not in large quantities yet. Cherries, mostly Bings and Rainiers, will be in good supply. Peaches are probably another week or two away from harvest but apricots are coming in.

As for vegetables, the variety is increasing as we finally get consistent summer weather. Snow peas, fava beans, sugar snap peas, lettuce, chard, zucchini and fresh onions will be plentiful. You'll also find artichokes, arugula, napa cabbage, green cabbage, carrots, beets, radishes and a lot more. Check the availability list for the complete list of who's coming this weekend and what they expect to be selling.

IN
Alotto Gelato (*NEW*)
Blossom Vinegars
Deep Roots Farm
DeNoble Farm
Chanka's
Salubrious

OUT
Cherry Country (back next week)
Little Pots and Pans (back August 3)

Cooking Ideas - Stuffed Artichokes with Lemon Aioli

DeNoble Farm is bringing in wonderful artichokes right now. This recipe by Kelly Myers, co-chef du cuisine at Nostrana, is from Culinate. Kelly has also posted a good article on artichokes. Enjoy!

Stuffed Artichokes with Lemon Aioli

To eat these artichokes, pull off a leaf (scooping up a bit of stuffing) and then scrape off with your teeth the tender base of each leaf. When you get to the heart of the artichoke, it’s time to pick up a knife and fork.

2 large artichokes, prepared for stuffing and held in acidulated water
1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp. chopped parsley
1 tsp. chopped mint
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Salt
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup water

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, Pecorino, garlic, parsley, mint, 3 Tbsp. olive oil, black pepper, and two pinches of salt. Taste the breadcrumb mixture to check for salt; you want it be slightly salty, as this is the seasoning and flavoring of the artichokes.

Drain artichokes and shake off excess water. Divide the stuffing in two. For each artichoke, sprinkle salt over artichoke heart and then drop in about half of the allotted stuffing. With one thumb, pry open each artichoke leaf and drop in a little stuffing. Continue until there is stuffing between all the bracts. Sprinkle any of the remaining breadcrumb mixture over the top of the artichokes.

Choose a heavy-bottomed, ovenproof pot with a tight-fitting lid that just fits the artichokes. Stew the onion in 2 Tbsp. olive oil over medium-low heat until translucent. Add a pinch of salt and 1/4 cup water, then bring to a simmer. Turn off heat and set artichokes in the pot on top of the onions, then drizzle the remaining 1 Tbsp. olive oil over them. Cover the artichokes and bake for 60 to 90 minutes, until a paring knife inserts easily.

Alternately, stew the onions in a skillet and then transfer them to a glass baking dish. Proceed as above, then cover the artichokes with parchment paper and then very tightly with foil.

Lemon Aioli

4 egg yolks, at room temperature
2 large garlic cloves, finely minced
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3-4 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper


Put egg yolks and garlic in the bowl of a food processor. Process until egg yolks get frothy and lighter in color.
With the machine running, very slowly pour in the extra-virgin olive oil — at first drop by drop, and then in a very thin stream. Once the egg yolks have absorbed all the oil, add the lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.

Thursday, July 03, 2008

Grapevine July 6 2008 Market

this week
- What's Coming To The Market This Week?
- Cooking Ideas - Greek Cabbage Salad

This week's email is going out a little earlier than normal. With the July 4th holiday falling on Friday, we want to be sure you receive the newsletter before the three day weekend.

A few more Hillsdale regulars return to the market this week. Gee Creek Farm, Sundance Lavender and Two Brothers Chocolate all return to the market this week. As for music, this Sunday is the first Sunday of the month which means it's Market Jam with Josh time. Finally, to celebrate the July 4th Holiday, we will again be giving out red, white and blueberry sundaes.

See you on Sunday!

Eamon Molloy
Market Manager

What's Coming To The Market This Week?
Last week's heat created problems for the berry farmers. There will be plenty of strawberries nonetheless. Raspberries showed up in small quantities last week. There will be a lot more this week. Blueberries are starting to show up at the markets this week and there will be some available on Sunday. Cherries, mostly Bings, will be in good supply. Peaches are probably a few weeks off.

As for vegetables, the variety is increasing as we finally get consistent summer weather. Snow peas, fava beans, sugar snap peas, lettuce, chard, zucchini and fresh onions will be plentiful. You'll also find arugula, napa cabbage, green cabbage, carrots, beets, radishes and a lot more. Check the availability list for the complete list of who's coming this weekend and what they expect to be selling.

IN
Gee Creek Farm
Sundance Lavender
Two Brothers Chocolate

OUT
Blossom Vinegars (back next week)
Deep Roots Farm (back next week)
Chanka's (back next week)
Little Pots and Pans (back August 3)
Salubrious (back next week)

Cooking Ideas - Greek Cabbage Salad
The cabbage coming to the market has been really good the last few weeks and while I love coleslaw there are many other cabbage salad possibilities. Here's another recipe from our friends at Culinate. Several farms are bringing fresh herbs including thyme and you have a choice of goat's milk feta (Fraga Farm) or sheep's milk feta (Ancient Heritage Dairy). Enjoy!

Greek Cabbage Salad (by Carrie Floyd, from the Culinate Kitchen collection)

1 small head green cabbage (or half of a large cabbage), tough outer leaves removed, cored, and cut into thin slivers
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
5 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
2 1/2 tablespoons fresh thyme, leaves removed, stems discarded
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a medium bowl, toss the sliced cabbage with the oil, vinegar, crumbled feta, and thyme leaves. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Go easy on the salt, as the feta is salty already.) Serve immediately.