Grapevine May 24 2009 Market

this week
- What's Coming to the Market?
- Vote For Your Market
- Cooking Ideas - Artichokes with Caper Mayo

Looks like we've a sunny Memorial Day weekend ahead. The warmer temperatures are good for the strawberries too.

Now that our redesigned website is up and running, we will be migrating the archives for the availability list and the Grapevine to the site. Just click on the Grapevine or Availability List category on the right side. I am publishing on the blogs and the new site for now but will move completely to the website on July 1. We'll maintain the old sites as they are but will not be publishing to them after the June 28 market.

See you on Sunday!

Eamon Molloy
Market Manager

What's Coming To The Market This Week?

Arugula, spring onions, pea shoots, radishes, lettuce, beets, carrots will be readily available this week. Asparagus will be in good supply including the white and purple varieties. As for fruits, you will find apples, pears, and strawberries. There will be a wide assortment of vegetable starts, herbs, perennials and bulbs.

Check the availability list for the complete list of who's coming this weekend and what they expect to be selling. The list is posted Thursday afternoon and updated through the weekend. For Sunday morning updates, check Twitter feed either on our website sidebar or on our Twitter page.

IN
Ancient Heritage Dairy
DeNoble Farm
Fraga Farm
Happy Harvest

OUT
Gales Meadow Farm (back next week for the last time this season)
Kookoolan Farms ( back June 28)
Red Dragon Nursery (back next week)

Vote for Your Favorite Market

American Farmland Trust has announced its first vote for “America’s Favorite Farmers Markets” contest. The contest is a nation-wide challenge to see which of America’s 4,685 farmers markets can rally the most support from its customers. The goal is to promote the connection between fresh local food and the local farms and farmland that supply it. Market shoppers will vote to support their favorite farmers’ market at www.farmland.org/vote starting in June. Results will be announced during Farmers’
Market Week August 2 - 8, 2009.

The contest is a fun way to promote local markets local food. The Hillsdale Farmers' Market is registered for the contest which opens June 1.

Cooking Ideas - Artichokes with Caper Mayo

DeNoble Farm is back with week with artichokes. Here's a pretty easy recipe from Carrie Floyd from the Culinate recipe box. Enjoy!

Artichokes with Caper Mayo (from Culinate Kitchen Collection)

Ingredients
2 large artichokes
2 lemons, halved
1 tsp. herbes de Provence, or ½ tsp. each dried thyme and rosemary
1 tsp. black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
½ cup mayonnaise
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
2 Tbsp. capers
~ Salt
~ Fresh ground black pepper to taste

Steps

1. Fill a medium-large pot (large enough to just hold the artichokes) over halfway with water. Squeeze the juice of one lemon into the water (reserving the squeezed lemon halves), then add a generous pinch of salt, the herbes de Provence, peppercorns and the bay leaf; bring to a boil.

2. Meanwhile, prepare the artichokes by first pulling off their tough outer leaves, cutting off the pokey tips of the leaves with either a knife or scissors, trimming the stems, and rubbing the cut surfaces of the artichoke with the squeezed lemon halves.

3. Once the artichokes are prepared, add them to the water, stem-side down. Cook, partially covered, at a gentle boil for 35 to 45 minutes. The artichokes are done when a leaf can be easily pulled off and when the bottom is tender enough to be pierced with a paring knife. Remove artichokes from the water and drain, upside down, in a colander. If you are serving them warm, let them drain a few minutes first; otherwise, drain, then chill.

4. While the artichokes are cooking (or chilling), make the caper mayo. Squeeze the juice of the remaining lemon into the mayonnaise; stir. Add garlic and capers and blend well; season to taste with salt and pepper.

5. To eat: Remove leaves one at a time from the artichokes and, as you do so, dip the bottom of each leaf into the caper mayo and scrape with your teeth the meaty part of the leaf. Once you get to the middle part of the artichoke, remove the purple leaves and choke (the fuzzy center) with a paring knife, to reveal the heart. The heart, once trimmed of the choke and any fibrous strings of the stem, is the best part.



You can find a printable version of the recipe here.