BelAir Farmers Market

Picking Tips: Asparagus

WHY IT'S SO GOOD:
Asparagus is high in fiber, folic acid and potassium.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR:
Asparagus spears should be firm and crisp, not soft or wrinkly. The tips should be closed and compact.
The thickness of the spears really has nothing to do with how tender they are. Either size is good, if you choose a fresh bundle.

HOW TO STORE IT:
Asparagus is best prepared on the day it is purchased, but you can store it in your refrigerator for up to five days. Wrap the cut ends in a damp paper towel and then place in a paper bag and store them in your crisper. Or you can simply stand the stalks in your refrigerator in a bowl with about an inch of water.

When you are ready to prepare your asparagus, trim the ends at the natural breaking point--where the color changes from white to green.

COOKING TIPS:
When asparagus is cooked properly it is bright green and crisp-tender. Undercooked asparagus is firm or stiff and over-cooked asparagus is mushy and stringy.

One of my new favorite ways of cooking asparagus this summer is to roast it. I've done larger batches in my oven and smaller servings are simple to cook in a toaster oven.

Roasted Asparagus:
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
Place the spears in a shallow baking dish, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. (coarse salt is great for this). Roll the spears around in the dish to be sure they are coated with the olive oil. A medium-thick spear will cook for approximately 10 minutes, but you will have to adjust your cooking time depending on the thickness.
If necessary, drizzle a little more olive oil on the spears after cooking and add more seasoning.

helpful source: marthastewart.com

:: Market Shopping List ::

What's Peaking This Week??
Asparagus
Rhubarb
Annuals
Perrenials
Vegetable Seedlings
Hanging Baskets

Chard
Kale
Spring Salad Mix
Spinach
Arugula
Spring Onions
Honey
Baked Goods
Lamb
Beef
Cheeses

Getting Your Green at the Market

This time of year the market is full of greens--leaf, arugula, butterhead, spinach, and red leaf lettuces--to name a few. No bag of grocery-store prewashed salad mix can rival the flavor of lettuces freshly-picked that morning and brought to the market table.

So pick up a bag or two of your favorite salad mix this weekend at the market, and be sure to try this easy recipe for homemade raspberry walnut salad dressing. It's one of my favorites--though I have to confess to not having specific measurements for some of the ingredients. I often tend to cook by taste rather than exactness. Try your own combinations and adjust depending on your taste--whether you like a sweeter dressing or stronger vinegar flavor for your salads. Enjoy!

RASPBERRY WALNUT SALAD DRESSING

Mix (shake) together:
2 parts olive oil
1 part raspberry vinegar (available at the market)
a splash of walnut oil
grainy mustard
honey (available at the market)

I like to make mine in a small glass canning jar so that it is easy to shake and store for later use.
And why not pick up some good cheese at the market to top it off? Add some dried cherries or craisins, nuts or seeds, and you'll have a healthy, tasty salad you can feel good about!

Market Shopping List :: Week of April 7th

photo courtesy of Kristin Gates

Look for these items at your market this week:

Annuals (especially pansies)
Perennials, Shrubs and Trees
Hanging Baskets
Top Soil
Pussy Willows
Frittilaria
Daffodils
Forced bulbs in containers
Forced Azaleas
Spinach
Arugula
Spring Salad Mix
Lettuce
Chard
Kale
Spring Onions
Honey
Eggs
Lamb
Beef
Cheese
Baked Goods

A walk around the website

Things are beginning to take shape around here at the new BelAir Farmers’ Market website. Spring is definitely in the air in Harford County and our market vendors are busy working to get ready for the new season. The market will open in just over a week: Saturday, April 7th from 7am-11am.

In the meantime, I’d like to introduce you to our new website and let you know a bit about the kinds of things you’ll find here as the season progresses. This website is meant to be a resource to you, the market customer. You’ll find helpful information like directions, market hours and special event announcements here on the site. But you’ll also have the chance to learn about what is in season at the market and what’s to come. We’ll give you the heads up each week so that you can get your shopping list together before you even get here. Ever wonder what to do with the funny white eggplant you bought this week or the petite sirloin tip you couldn’t resist? We’ll also be posting recipes for some of the products and produce you’ll find at the market. And eventually, we’d love to hear from you too. Do you have a favorite peach pie recipe or summery tomato salad? Be watching for requests for recipe submissions and maybe even a little contest to come.

Use the resources along the sidebar of this website to get to know your market better: photo albums, recipe archives, vendor lists and links to their websites.  Don’t forget you can subscribe to this site as well. If you type your email address in the box on the left-hand column, we’ll let you know with a short email when we add new articles to the site. I promise, we won’t bombard you with junk mail!

And please, we’d love to hear from you. Click on the word “Comments” at the bottom of any article post to leave us a note. Or feel free to contact us with an email: belairfarmersmarket (at) gmail (dot) com. And if you’d like to get to know a little bit more about me, the fingers behind this website, click on the “About” link for just a few more details.

We hope this website will be a wonderful resource to you and make your trips to the market more enjoyable. We want you to enjoy your experience as part of the market community and hope this site provides a little encouragement and inspiration to shop locally and healthfully for you and your family. 

The Bel Air Farmers' Market

Welcome to the new Bel Air Farmers' Market website. We are currently working to add more information for visitors. Check back soon.

See you at the market in April!