September 2006 Weekly Updates
(Please note: Archived material contains some out-of-date information. Check current portions of web site for details on this year's market.)
Date: Fri, 1 Sep 2006
Subject: [WCM-Friends] Westside Community Market Update - Saturday,
September 2nd
Hello,
Oh boy, Labor Day, kids going back to school and temps barely making
it into the 70's: the triple whammy, signs that the end of summer is
just around the corner. It surely doesn't seem that way at the
Westside Community Market - there is probably the most variety now of
the whole season. All the summer stuff still around - tomatoes,
cukes, summer squash, sweetcorn; fall stuff starting - apples,
squash, sweet potatoes, mums; and the spring stuff making a comeback
- greens, radishes, just to name a few. Not to mention all the
things you can get every week for the whole season. Farm fresh eggs,
a wide variety of meat, bakery, dairy, plants, flowers, honey, and
the list goes on. I even found raspberries and strawberries last
week. And melons, lots of melons!
I was planning a little essay on potatoes later in the fall, but I
wanted to mention them now because they seem like the perfect summer
food; salads or on the grill, and now a great fall comfort food;
baked, soups, roasted. Check out all the different shapes, colors
and vendors who have them. I'm including a recipe below that also
takes advantage of all those wonderful sweet onions. More later...
I want to continue highlighting some new vendors:
Have you met the Baumann family? They sell, under the sign: "Real
Food." They have a beautiful display of many, many different kinds
of tomatoes along with those silver buckets of gorgeous zinnias.
And, they also have grass-fed roasting chickens.
Almost just across the aisle from Baumann's is Susan Young, The Tart
Lady, whose business name is Tart's. Some of you may know her from
our Wednesday market at Westgate. She has a wonderful assortment of
tarts. This week she will have Tomato Basil, Chocolate Macaroon,
Ground Cherry Dream and Spiced Apple Tarts, along with Currant Fennel
Wine Flats (you will have to check her out to discover what those
are). She also has all kinds of jams, relishes, pickles and sauces.
Saturday is going to be beautiful, come join us for a free hot cup of
coffee, and celebrate (or mourn) the unofficial end of summer. We
also want to thank Blue Marble Dairy for providing the half and half
for the java each week. Every week more customers rediscover the
taste difference extreme freshness and glass milk bottles create.
And their ultra-fresh Sugar River yogurt will knock you over when
compared with the industrial brands: it's like the taste difference
between the tomatoes you can get now at the Market and the ones in
the supermarket in February that only look like tomatoes.
See you tomorrow,
Joan for WCM
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Recipe Corner
Roasted Potatoes & Onions
2 lbs. potatoes (red or yellow work well)
1 lb. sweet potatoes
1 lb. sweet onions
3 T. olive oil
1 t. salt
1/4 t. black pepper
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cut potatoes in half or quarters; peel
and cut sweet potatoes into 1-inch wedges; quarter onions. Add oil,
and salt and pepper, stir to coat, then spread evenly in large baking
pan. Bake uncovered until vegetables are browned and tender,
stirring occasionally, about 55 minutes.
To do ahead, partially bake, cool, cover and let stand at room
temperature no longer than 6 hours. Reheat uncovered for remainder
of baking time.
I am also including the following recipe from Lisa at Wisconsin
Cheesecakery to take advantage of all the zucchini and summer squash
at the market. I haven't tried it yet but cream cheese frosting - I
think I'm gonna like it!
Zucchini Bars
2 c sugar
4 eggs
2 c peeled, shredded raw zucchini (approx 1 ? lbs)
1 c melted butter
2 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp vanilla
? tsp salt
1 cup chopped nuts
In a large bowl, mix together everything except the nuts; add nuts
last. Bake in a large jelly roll pan, 10 ? x 15 ? x 1 inch at 350
degrees for 35 to 40 minutes. Cool.
Frosting:
4 oz cream cheese
1 tsp vanilla
? cup powdered sugar
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Date: Fri, 8 Sep 2006
Subject: [WCM-Friends] Westside Community Market Update - Saturday,
September 9th
Hello all,
I started my first official job off the farm over 20 years ago at the
local garden center when I got my driver's license. Ok, ok, it was
actually 26 years ago. Anyway, that first fall I remember my manager
hanging up big banners that stated "Fall is for planting". I
thought that was strange, as fall on the dairy farm is all about
harvesting, not planting. Oh, I have learned a lot since that. FALL
IS A GREAT TIME FOR PLANTING and a great time to rejuvenate your yard
and your porch or deck or patio. And Westside Community Market has
just the vendors to help you do that.
Pasque Flower Farm - Growers of Prairie Wildflowers, Native Grasses
and Perennials for Wisconsin Gardens - Let Kim help you pick out just
the right plant for your environment.
Kopke's Fruit of the Bloom has a wonderful selection of herbs, put
them on your porch or windowsill and spice up your cooking all fall.
They also have a nice variety of perennials.
Morningwood Farm - "We show you the possibilities - You do the rest".
And you should see the possibilities. Browsing their stand you will
find Curly Willows, Japanese Red Leaf Maples (one of my favorites),
ferns, shrubs and so much more stuff you may have never seen anywhere
else.
Last, but certainly not least, Country Bloomers. Cheryl has
beautiful planters, hardy mums and asters. Perfect for replacing
some of those tired planters that have served well all summer. The
mums and asters will also come back in the spring if planted in the
ground now.
Fall is here, enjoy the beauty. And I'm sure we will start to see
other fall decorations this week: pumpkins, gourds, indian corn, etc.
Talking about beauty, did anyone see that moon last night? It was
awesome.
We have officially started the third session and that means Bleu Mont
Dairy is back - cheese, cheese, and more cheese! I've also heard
rumors that Vivian Green will have apple cider. And still so many
tomato types to pick from, melons, sweetcorn, cucumbers, beans,
greens, potatoes, onions, radishes, squash, flowers, bakery, honey,
dairy, meat, eggs...that's a pretty inviting list!
See you tomorrow, and don't forget to enjoy a free hot cup of coffee
compliments of WCM, provided by Java Bay Coffee Bar.
Joan for WCM
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Now a few notes from my crusading editor, Barry Orton.
Many of you know about this next week's "Food For Thought" festival;
REAP, its sponsor had a sampling table at the Westside market a few
weeks ago promoting its annual recipe contest. There's more
information at: http://www.reapfoodgroup.org/FFTF2006/index.htm
This Wednesday, September 13, REAP's "Local Night Out" event will
feature special restaurant meals prepared with locally-grown farm
products, some coming from Westside Community Market vendors. These
restaurants regularly obtain much of their supplies from local farms,
so please support them. The list of restaurants is at: http://
www.reapfoodgroup.org/FFTF2006/lno.htm
Remember last season's Great Big Thank-You Card to the Governor,
Capitol Police, and other state officials? Many of you signed it,
and the WCM presented it to Governor Doyle last fall. Now an
official replica of the card is going in WISC-TV Channel3's Time
Capsule. This week, Katy Sai was at the Wednesday market at
Westgate, and taped Market President Vivian Green, "The Apple Lady"
and the Great Big Card Replica. You can watch tonight, probably on
the 5 and 10 newscasts. (Katy and veteran WISC camera operator Jay
Olson bought some of that yummy Sugar River yogurt, and were last
seen Wednesday driving away fighting over the only spoon in the van.)
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Recipe Corner
I treated myself to a pack of English Muffins this week, on the back
was this recipe. I haven't tried it yet, as I'm waiting for another
jar of pesto from my sister (are you reading this, sister?). Anyway,
it sounds easy and tasty.
Tomato, Pesto and Cheese Crostini
2 English muffins, split, toasted
4 slices large tomato
1/4 cup prepared basil pesto
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled goat cheese
Place muffin halves on a baking sheet; top with tomato slices, spread
with pesto and spinkle on crumbled cheese. Broil in preheated boiler
or toaster oven until cheese is melted (3 to 4 minutes). Cut into
quarters and serve warm or at room temperature. Makes 4 appetizer
servings.
And now, a bonus recipe from one of my favorite bean customers, thank
you Jean.
Romano Green Beans with Garlic, Lemon, Oregano and Black Pepper
(serves 4 to 6)
1 lb. green beans, preferably Romanos, cut diagonally in half
2 T. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
Big pinch of salt
1 t. finely chopped oregano leaves or 1/2 t. dried oregano
1/4 t. black pepper
2 T. fresh lemon juice
1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Drop in the beans and cook
over high heat until crisp-tender, 3 to 5 minutes, depending on the
size and freshness of the beans. Drain and set aside.
2. In a large pot or saute pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Stir
in the garlic and salt and cook until the garlic is lightly golden,
about 2 minutes.
3. Add the beans and stir to coat. Stir in the oregano, pepper, and
lemon juice and continue cooking until the beas are heated through,
about 3 minutes more. Serve right away.
(from Gardeners' Community Cookbook)
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Date: Fri, 15 Sep 2006
Subject: [WCM-Friends] Westside Community Market Update - Saturday,
September 16th
Hi all,
Well, I always say the hardest part of making a meal is thinking of
something to make and gathering the ingredients, so when my husband
suggested a stir fry the other night I was all to happy to oblige.
Take a walk through the Westside Community Market and pick out your
stir fry - it's so easy: meat, carrots, celery, sweet onions,
peppers, summer squash, broccoli, and ooohh, how about some oyster
mushrooms? The rice, on the other hand - not so easy. My husband
made another suggestion...Minute Rice, but c'mon I'm not in college
anymore, it seems I should be able to make real rice. Any hints out
there?
Get extras of everything and you've got another easy meal: Vegetable
soup, or how about beef vegetable soup? That's going to taste mighty
good come Monday or Tuesday. That's right, fall soup weather is on
it's way. Highs just sneaking into the low 60's early next week.
Ok, one more meal that's easy this time of year. Tacos. We have
several vendors with great ground beef and chicken, then more
tomatoes, lettuce, sweet onions, peppers, some cheese and you're done.
Besides these easy meal ideas, I am including a stuffed pepper recipe
this week. The peppers are so beautiful this time of year - red,
yellow, orange, purple, light green and more. I don't mess around
trying to find peppers that stand, I just cut them in half lengthwise
(like a boat), and that makes them much easier to fill. By the way,
have you seen the giant peppers at Jim Salzman's stand? They're real
and they're spectacular! (for all you Seinfeld junkies)
One last thing; I saw on the news that the average first frost date
for Madison is September 30th. That's on this page of the calendar
so if you are still thinking of putting up some tomatoes for winter,
you gotta get on it sooner than later. Did you know that you can
freeze them fresh? Plug in "freezing tomatoes" on the internet and
you can get lots of great information.
The forecast for Saturday is looking really great, so come, take some
time and really look around while you enjoy a free hot cup of
coffee. There is so much to discover. Great produce (still some
sweetcorn around), bakery, blooming plants, dairy, cut flowers,
herbs, honey, eggs, goat cheese, processed goods, granola, etc. etc.
etc. And, new stuff arriving weekly; new varieties of apples,
pumpkins, winter squash, and the return of beautiful head lettuces,
radishes and more.
See you tomorrow,
Joan for WCM
(Last week I mentioned the awesome moon, and a few customers and I
called it a Harvest Moon. Not really knowing what a Harvest Moon
was, I looked it up - on the Internet, of course, and it was pretty
fascinating, if you're interested in that kind of thing!)
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Recipe Corner
Grain-Stuffed Peppers (I make a double batch of these and freeze
half, they reheat great.)
4-6 bell peppers - any color
1 onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 fresh tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 T. olive oil
1/2 t. thyme
2/3 c. bulgur or fine cracked wheat
1 lb. ground pork, beef or lamb
3 T. chopped parsley
1 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
2/3 c. white wine
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a saucepan heat olive oil, add the
prepared onion, garlic, tomatoes, thyme and bulgur wheat. Cook over
low heat for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in ground meat.
Add parsley, salt and pepper. Cut peppers in half (like a boat),
place in baking dish and fill with meat mixture. Pour wine over
peppers and bake for one hour. Serves 4-6
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Date: Fri, 22 Sep 2006
Subject: [WCM-Friends] Westside Community Market Update - Saturday,
September 23rd
Hi all,
Offbeat and interesting veggies at the WCM:
People often buy a variety of veggies at our stand and state that
they are going to make a big batch of ratatouille. I had no idea
what it was at first (though I did have fun saying it - pronounced
rat-uh-too-ee) and some people gave me the spoken version of their
recipe, no doubt passed down from a bunch of french cooks around a
campfire. Its definition is a vegetable stew of Provence, typically
consisting of eggplant, zucchini, onions, green peppers, tomatoes,
and garlic, served hot or cold. The main ingredient is eggplant, and
I never really knew a great way to make eggplant, and I still haven't
made it, but it's on my list...I've included what I think looks like
an easy version of ratatouille in the Recipe Corner. We must be
setting trends at the local farmers' markets - Disney/Pixar will
release a movie next summer titled Ratatouille. That should be fun.
When you really look around at the WCM, you realize the variety of
fresh veggies this time of year is endless, and it is fun to expand
one's knowledge and palate. For example I saw several vendors who
sell celeriac or celery root - it is usually cooked, such as in soups
or stews, just like you would use regular celery, but also has many
other uses. I invite you to ask the farmers who sell it, they will
have very useful info for you.
How about leeks? Use them in soups or saute them with other veggies
just like you would use onions. In fact, they are a variety of onion
but milder and they are just coming into season and will be around
till the beginning of November. I will include my favorite leek
soup recipe also, in the Recipe Corner. (My sister makes it, I just
sit down and enjoy it. My favorite kind of recipe)
Kale: Probably the easiest way to prepare kale is like you would
spinach. Either steamed or sauteed with garlic, lemon juice, and any
seasonings you wish. Again, ask your vendors, they will be happy to
share their favorite recipes and serving ideas.
Green Tomatoes: Fried green tomatoes, need I say more? Slice, roll
in seasoned flour or cornmeal and fry in olive oil or butter till
brown. It's that easy.
Sweet Potatoes: Ok, ok, these aren't too offbeat but I want to
include them because they are one of my favorites. I bake them, or
just boil like potatoes. My father-in-law loved them boiled then
fried in butter - I was surprised I never had them this way as "fried
in butter" is my favorite way to have a lot of things. I also grew
very attached to them when my boys were little, they make great baby
food.
I also want to mention a few items that defy categorization: yarn,
cheese curds, raspberries (this time of year), and did you know the
smoothies are back. That's right, we had raspberry smoothies last
week from Blue Marble Dairy; oh my, soooo flavorful.
Well that's it for now, I invite you to come and see all the wild and
wacky vegetables in season right now, along with your favorite
staples: eggs, honey, meat, bakery, fruits, cheese, dairy, apple
cider, blooming plants, nursery stock, cut flowers... and doesn't
that free hot cup of coffee taste great this time of year?
See you tomorrow,
Joan for WCM
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Recipe Corner
Ratatouille
About 8 cups, 10 servings
Pre-heat oven to 350?F
2 tsp. olive oil
2 onions, coarsely chopped
2 red or yellow bell peppers, seeded and medium diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1? tsp. fennel Seeds, crushed
1 medium eggplant, medium diced
2 large zucchini, medium diced
6 medium tomatoes, ripe, cored and coarsely chopped
? cup fresh basil, finely chopped
2 tbs. fresh thyme, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tbs. italian parsley, fresh, finely chopped
1. In a Dutch oven, heat 1 tbs. olive oil over medium heat. Add
onions and bell peppers. Cook, stirring occasionally until they begin
to brown ? 8 to 10 minutes.
2. Add garlic and fennel seeds. Cook stirring until fragrant,
about 1 minute more.
3. Transfer vegetables to a large bowl.
4. Add ? tbs. olive oil to pot. Add eggplant and cook, stirring
frequently until browned in places, 7 to 8 minutes. Transfer to bowl
of vegetables.
5. Add remaining ? tbs. olive oil to pot. Add zucchini and cook
stirring frequently until browned in places, about 5 minutes.
6. Add tomatoes, basil, thyme and reserved vegetables to pot and
bring to a simmer. Cover and transfer to the oven.
7. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until
vegetables are tender.
Serve hot or at room temperature. Garnish with Italian parsley before
serving.
Lorayn Porter's Leek Soup
Slice 3 good-sized leeks (about 1 1/2 lbs.) thinly and use some of
the greens too. Cook leeks in about
1/4 cup butter until tender. Add:
2 cups water
4 potatoes pared and diced
4 chicken bouillon cubes
1 sliced carrot
Cook 20 minutes until potatoes are tender. Add at least:
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 quart milk
Heat to just below boil. Keep at this temperature for an hour or so.
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Date: Fri, 29 Sep 2006
Subject: [WCM-Friends] Westside Community Market Update - Saturday,
September 30th
Good morning all,
Well, we got lucky again last night - no hard freeze! And no
overnight lows in the 30s in the 10-day forecast. Oh, c'mon the 10-
day forecast is completely reliable! Nonetheless, that means
continued great variety at the Westside Community Market. I was
planning on talking about all the winter squash out there, but will
do that next week as I'm short on time this morning.
I do want to highlight a couple more vendors though:
County Line Produce - Gregg sells for his mom and has a beautiful set
up and wonderful variety. Lots of heirloom tomatoes, cucumbers,
peppers, all kinds of squash, and tomatillos. The only tomatillos I
could find last week at the WCM. Tomatillos make great salsa, (it's
actually called salsa verde - it is not made from green tomatoes like
I thought up until a couple of years ago!) They keep well too, nearly
3 weeks in a paper bag in the refrigerator, so stock up. And if all
this talk about tomatillos made you hungry right now for some salsa
but you don't have time to make it, try a jar from Tomato Mountain.
It is fabulous. They also have the regular red salsa. Monday
evening may be the last day for awhile to sit out on the porch and
eat chips and salsa. Ahhhhh, summer...I will miss it.
de Block Nursery - Jus is from Reedsburg (but I think originally from
Holland - check out that accent), and has beautiful fall mums. He
also has some smaller ones that are perfect for a hostess gift or
table decoration. Along with Country Bloomers and Jim's Greenhouse,
the WCM has every possible color of chysanthemums covered. Good luck
choosing!
It looks like they've taken the rain out of the forecast for
tomorrow, so come, don't miss out on a beautiful fall morning at the
farmers' market. Enjoy a free hot cup of coffee and take advantage
of our "no frost yet" good fortune! That means tomatoes, beans,
cucumbers, peppers, fresh cut flowers, melons, sweetcorn, yes, still
sweetcorn, plus a wide variety of meat, bakery, farm fresh eggs,
honey, apples, raspberries, dairy, plants and so much more.
See you there,
Joan for WCM
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Recipe Corner
Tomatillo Salsa Verde
1 1/2 lb tomatillos
1/2 cup chopped white onion
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon sugar
2 Jalape?o peppers, stemmed, seeded and chopped
Salt to taste
Remove papery husks from tomatillos and rinse well. Cut in half and
place cut side down on a foil-lined baking sheet. Place under a
broiler for about 5-7 minutes to lightly blacken the skin.
Place tomatillos, lime juice, onions, cilantro, Jalape?o peppers,
sugar in a food processor (or blender) and pulse until all
ingredients are finely chopped and mixed. Season to taste with salt.
Cool in refrigerator.
Serve with chips or as a salsa accompaniment to Mexican dishes.
Makes 3 cups.
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I'm also including the following recipe that I saw a lady make on the
Today show yesterday morning. Matt Lauer doesn't like cooked cabbage
but said this was delicious, he liked the orange juice in it. I am
excited to try it even though I know my husband won't eat it. That's
how good it looked! It seems like a great fall recipe.
Red Cabbage
Nigella Lawson
Serves 4-6
? 1 tablespoon olive oil
? 1 red cabbage (approximately 10 cups shredded)
? 1 onion, halved and peeled
? 1 tablespoon sea salt/ scant tablespoon table salt
? 3 tablespoons soft light brown sugar
? 1 1/2 cups red wine
? Juice of an orange (1/2 cup)
? 1/4 teaspoon mixed spice
? 2 eating apples
Heat the oil in a large heavy bottomed saucepan or casserole. Finely
slice the peeled and halved onion into thin half moons and add to the
pan with the salt; this will stop it catching. Fry gently until the
onion softens but doesn?t become colored.
Finely shred the cabbage ? which you can do by hand or by pushing
chunks through the slicing blade of the processor ? and stir it into
the onion in the pan layering it over the top.
Sprinkle the sugar over the cabbage, and then add the wine, orange
juice and mixed spice.
Peel and core the apples, and then chop them into small pieces. Add
these to the pan, and when everything has wilted down a little
carefully give the pan a stir.
Cover with a lid and cook very gently at the lowest possible heat for
about 2 hours. It really can?t be overcooked and is often better
reheated and eaten the next day. Check the seasoning when the cabbage
is ready at the end, as the flavors only really come out once the
vegetables have cooked down and softened.
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