Waverly Farmers Market

Radish Recipes

2008-05-30T13:31:00.001-07:00

The radish is a delightful bright first comer to the spring table. Add a few roses or smiles (with black eyed pea eyes) to your dinner plates to entice your family!

Here are two recipes, one for the greens on top, one for the red bulb below, both taken from Asparagus to Zucchini.

Easy, Elegant Watercress and Radish-Top Soup

2 bunches watercress, thick stems cut off (or substitute any green or spinach)
green leaves from 2 bunches of radishes
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup minced shallots or chopped green onions
4 cups broth/stock/water
1/2 cup heavy cream (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
3 radishes very thinly sliced

Wash all the greens thoroughly under cold running water to remove all traces of soil. Reserve 6 nice sprigs of watercress. Heat butter in saucepan over medium-low flame. Stir in shallots, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until shallots are tender, about 6 minutes. Raise heat to medium-high, add stock, and bring to a simmer gently until greens are wilted and very tender, about 5 minutes. Puree the mixture with an immersion blender, or in a food processor or blender. Stir in heavy cream if desired, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Heat through and serve in soup plates, garnishing each bowl with a watercress sprig and a few thinly sliced radishes. Makes 6 servings.

Radish and Feta Salad

4 cups thinly sliced radishes
1/2 pound crumbled feta cheese
sliced black olives
chopped scallions or fresh mint
lemon vinaigrette

Combine radishes, feta cheese, olives, and chopped scallions or fresh mint. Dress with a lemony vinaigrette, and marinate for at least 30 minutes. Makes 4 servings.

And of course, you can do as I do with just about everything when I'm not planning ahead:
cut up a bunch of radishes (I'd probably quarter them for speed). Cut up the greens (roll them up and slice, then perhaps chop the slices into half or thirds- chiffonade. Aside: this is my new word I'm trying to learn after once saying to my 2 year old, I'm going to slice the chard. Do you want to watch? And she said like chiffonade? And I said like what? And she said like chiffonade? Like julienne? And I laughed and laughed and said, yes, like julienne, but I'm going to have to ask your dad what chiffonade means-and for those who want to know, I believe julienne wouldn't really be used for greens, but under Rose's definition she's been given: slice thinly; I thought she was doing a pretty good job defining her words-and I think she may actually even know that one would julienne the hard vegetables, and chiffonade the greens. Thankfully her mom now knows-the things our children will teach us!). Ok, so we've got cut up radishes and greens. I'd heat up the skillet with an oil that will accompany my plan (we'll say olive for ease right now), throw in some green garlic, or scallions or something trillium like with the radishes, add some salt, perhaps some grated ginger, when the bulbs are looking soft I'd add the greens, if I had fresh herbs I'd chop them up, add them when the greens are almost perfectly wilted and then viola. A side, to serve separately, or to mix with other foods.

Solar Food Dehydrator

2008-05-30T13:15:00.001-07:00

I mentioned it's time to begin thinking about how you'll store your seasonal foods for cold months. I was talking about this with Neil today, reflecting on all the amazing nutrients stored in greens in particular (many of which do well first and last-so thankfully there's a long season). I began concocting lots of frozen pesto variation ideas-not a bad start. Then we had a really great idea (because we don't have unlimited freezer space, and want to begin thinking about how to reduce the energy we use to store our local foods-yes, once one begins down the path, the length and depth to be discovered is delightful-for explorers like myself!).

BUILD A SOLAR FOOD DEHYDRATOR!

We're going to begin collecting the instructions, supplies, and a group of people interested in building one for their home or neighborhood. If you're interested let me know. Why build one with many people? Lower the cost of supplies, time and energy, and have more fun! Of course that's what we'll do. And maybe we'll even have a delicious potluck following the labor. My summer plans don't get much better than that!

Pasta with Asparagus and Wild Greens

2008-05-23T12:58:00.000-07:00

This is a recipe found in From Asparagus to Zucchini: A Guide to Cooking Farm-Fresh Seasonal Produce Third Ed. which can be purchased at the Farmers Market from Faux Farm. Asparagus, garlic and if you prefer to purchase-greens in general can be found at the market.

10-12 ounces pasta
1 pound fresh asparagus
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
6-8 ounces dandelion, arugula, or watercress greens, thick stems removed, greens coarsely
chopped
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, feta, or crumbly goat cheese
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Cook pasta according to package directions and drain. Trim woody ends from the asparagus spears. Cut spears into 2 inch-long pieces. Heat oil in a medium skillet, add garlic, and cook over low heat for a minute or two. Add asparagus and a tablespoon or two of water. Cover and steam until the asparagus is done to your liking but still bright green. Add the greens, cover and steam just until wilted slightly, about a minute. Toss this mixture with the hot pasta and cheese in a serving bowl. Season with salt and pepper and serve at once. Makes 4-5 servings.

*I personally love dandelion greens, and have been eating them mixed in with other greens in salad. If you plan to begin this practice there are only a few important things to know. 1. Know where your greens come from-my yard for instance is safe from all pesticides and herbicides, consider this before plucking on public property. 2. I don't eat the prickly ones-though like nettles it may be that cooking them gets rid of the sting, but I have no idea about this. 3. I like bitter greens, this means that I don't mind dandelions picked in the heat of the summer. This is not true of everyone. Most people like the more mild baby greens. Partake now and choose your dandelions from the shade if this is the case for you. Restaurants that serve dandelion greens primarily serve the more-mild baby greens. Watercress: another favorite (I love greens!) but I don't have my own source. Do you?

Talk Back Session

2008-05-23T12:49:00.000-07:00

This is an invitation to get the most out of this blogging experience.

I am here to make the Farmers Market easy and enjoyable to use. I'd like to know what that means to you. Ideas I have include:
Recipes
Meal Planning Ideas
Nutrition
Education re: local food, local economies, local land use
Books
Family Fun
Gardening
Harvesting
Food Preserving
Crafting
Sustainable Living
Local Events

What other topics sound intriguing?

I can focus on providing quality links on topics, writing original works, pasting information from other links onto this site, or a combo of the above.

What would be most useful and interesting to you?

You may come back to this post or post following any article anytime during the season and let me know what you would like to see here. Thank you for entering into a community dialog!

Freezing, Canning, Storing

2008-05-23T12:41:00.001-07:00

Yes, it's time to start thinking about how you will save the bounty of the season for the cold winter months. Last year we got a chest freezer and I froze a number of cooked, par-cooked, or grated vegetables in it. This year I'm exploring how to create a 'root cellar' either by stabilizing the temp in a portion of the garage, or basement. I'm also looking into canning- I don't have the luxury of a grandma (or other marvelous relative) famous for all of her canned goodies in my history, so must do my own investigating.

Are you planning on storing your produce for the future? Would you like to? Write and let us know about your favorite methods, or perhaps consider contributing a 'how to' article as a guest blogger. And, write and let me know what you would like to learn more about so I can be sure to address the most interesting topics.

SPINACH!

2008-05-23T11:57:00.000-07:00

One of the delicious treats I've been enjoying the past few weeks is fresh spinach. This is a shorter day, cooler weather vegetable, so get yours fresh while you can! Other than washing and eating in a fresh salad, here's my favorite quick and easy way to eat spinach:

Ingredients:
1 Bunch of Spinach
1/4 Lemon-juiced
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil for pan more for drizzling if desired

Wash one bunch of spinach, leaf by leaf in a bowl, or drizzling water. The deep lobes of the leaves make this very important to avoid too much grit!

Heat a little bit of olive oil over medium in a cast iron skillet (my preference).

Roll spinach leaves into a bundle and chop into bites with a large knife.

Toss leaves into warm pan with water still on them and cover.

Stir occasionally to keep from sticking to the bottom, it will wilt quite quickly (less than 5 minutes).

Once wilted toss in a bowl with lemon juice, salt, and olive oil.

Enjoy.

Zucchini Bread

2008-05-03T19:40:00.000-07:00

As this is the first recipe I'm sharing, let me inform you that I love cookbooks, and never follow a recipe. I use them as inspiration. In other words, I often substitute flour varieties, sweeteners, liquids, vegetables etc. to create the thing I have in mind (or use what I have on hand) without hunting for the perfect-fit recipe. Please feel free to do the same.

Makes 2 Large Loafs of Zucchini Bread

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup garbanzo flour
1 cup amaranth flour
1/2 cup cornmeal medium grind
1/2 cup millet flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
3/4 cup honey
2 eggs
7 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted, plus more for greasing the pans
2 1/2 cups milk
2 cups shredded and drained zucchini
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
large pinch of ground cloves
freshly grated nutmeg

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F. Oil two loaf pans.
2. Combine dry ingredients. Beat egg with butter and milk. Pour wet ingredients into well in dry ingredients, add zucchini. Stir/fold swiftly-batter will be lumpy.
3. Pour into pans, bake about an hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool on rack at least 10 min. Remove from pan. (I sliced one loaf immediately for Friday's Fair, and it crumbled a lot more than the loaf I wrapped up and put in the fridge for Saturday's Fair).

*If you've got winter squash you could use this instead of zucchini/summer squash. I haven't experimented much with grated root vegetables (carrots, beets, turnips, parsnips, kohlrabi, etc.) and baking, but I imagine you could use just about any of them successfully, and adjust spices as suits your pallet. Fruit (apple, pear...) and/or nuts would work too. Let me know how it goes!

Wellness Fair and the Market

2008-05-01T08:37:00.000-07:00

Last weekend the W hosted a fantastic fair for businesses in our area promoting health. I thought the fair was a fantastic success! Thank you for stopping by to sample some zucchini bread made with zucchini from last year's Farmers Market that I had grated and frozen, local eggs, local honey (Shell Rock Honey and Flowers), and local milk and butter. I'll post the recipe soon.

At the fair I had the chance to meet with some long time Market regulars, some people new to our community, and many people in between. I'm really looking forward to the opening of the season when I'll see so many warm people gathered in one place amidst the fruits of our local growers, bakers, and crafters.

The fair offered me the opportunity to reflect on the health that is inspired by the Waverly Farmers Market. Here's the top five list with some links for further reading (many thanks to Rob Faux for the pamphlet "Eating Local as a Healthy Choice" which I've heavily referenced):

Why the Waverly Farmers Market is Healthy

1. Seasonal Produce- Diversify your foods, improve your dietary balance. Committing to seasonal fare makes room for creativity and the discovery of new eating interests. Read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver to learn about one family's experience.

2. Fresh Picked - Produce has the most enzymes and nutrients when it is picked ripe.

3. Variety - Local producers grow varieties that do not ship well, yet have excellent taste and nutritional value. Increasing the var iety in your diet offers tremendous health benefits.

4. Food Safety - Local farmers are a part of your community. It is in their best interest to make your health a priority. Their customers are friends, family and community members on whom they rely for their livelihood.

5. Flavor! - My personal favorite! You've got to try this to believe it! All of the above reasons point to delicious taste. I have a personal story about this: my daughter who was introduced to food in a region where the Farmers Market was open year-round turned her nose up to some of her favorite vegetables when we arrived in this colder climate. We didn't get it, and tried her food. It was tasteless! We were buying out-of-season, shipped produce because she had liked that vegetable in the past. We adjusted and she didn't starve *wink* and we continue to eat flavorFULL healthy food! If you need ideas about this here's a tasty place to start!

*A late entry that would like to be included as a potential in the top five list:
MOVEMENT - Make a walk or bike ride (with appropriate baskets or backpacks) part of your weekly routine and you'll have some fresh air, vitamin D, and an opportunity for a little cardiovascular exercise. Have a good time while you're out and your life expectancy will grow even more.

Initiation

2008-04-28T09:00:00.000-07:00

As this is my very first attempt at blogging, let me take a moment. I'll offer a poem from Mary Oliver. A favorite.

MORNING POEM

Every morning
the world
is created.
Under the orange

sticks of the sun
the heaped
ashes of the night
turn into leaves again

and fasten themselves to the high branches—
and the ponds appear
like black cloth
on which are painted islands

of summer lilies.
If it is your nature
to be happy
you will swim away along the soft trails

for hours, your imagination
alighting everywhere.
And if your spirit
carries within it

the thorn
that is heavier than lead—
if it's all you can do
to keep on trudging—

there is still
somewhere deep within you
a beast shouting that the earth
is exactly what it wanted—

each pond with its blazing lilies
is a prayer heard and answered
lavishly,
every morning,

whether or not
you have ever dared to be happy,
whether or not
you have ever dared to pray.

-- © by Mary Oliver.