BelAir Farmers Market

A vendor from the farmers' market sent me this link from "The Osgood File" a progrm on the CBS Radio Network. The short radio clip talks about Bon Appetit--a company that serves corporate cafeterias all over the country like at Yahoo, Adidas, and even the college I attended.
They have decided to make an effort towards serving locally produced and grown foods. It is a short clip, which you can listen to below. But the point that struck me most was that when you decide to eat locally, you must think of food preparation differently. Instead of thinking about what you are going eat, and then going to find the ingredients, start with the ingredients, and then decide what you want to prepare.

That's the beauty of our farmers' market. As I said in my last post, it is full of inspiration. Visit the market with an open-mind. See what catches your eye (or your stomach, for that matter) and start there.

Download osgood_06252007_825.mp3

Market Shopping List :: Week of August 25

Market tables are overflowing this time of year. The variety of locally grown and produced products at the market is inspiring.

squashes
peppers
sunflowers
beans
corn
apples
melons
cut flowers
honey
fresh eggs
beef
pork
lamb
cheeses
ice cream
potatoes
eggplant
radishes
tomatoes (including heirloom varieties and boxes amounts for canning)
handmade soaps and lotions
fresh-baked pies, cookies, cakes, scones, breads
dog treats

Come be inspired!

from farm to table

Over the next few days, we'll be featuring some favorite recipes straight from the market farmers. They'll be packed full of wholesome ingredients that will all be available at the market this weekend.

Amy at Quigley Farm in Whiteford, shares her favorite way to prepare sweet corn:

At Quigley Farm, we like the following cooking method for fresh sweet corn from the farmers market:

Fill a large pot with approximately 2 inches of water and place on stove on a medium to high setting until water boils.

• Remove the husk and silk from the sweet corn.
• Carefully place the sweet corn into the boiling water with tongs.
• Put the lid back on the pot and steam for 5 minutes exactly (we recommend using a kitchen timer).
• Remove the sweet corn with tongs and place on a large serving tray.
• Allow to cool slightly and serve.

We particularly enjoy the spray-able "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter" and a little Old Bay on our corn for some extra Maryland flair!

Coming up: Baked Peach French Toast, and Grilled Ratatouille Salad.

BE SURE TO VISIT YOUR FARMERS' MARKET THIS WEEK IN SUPPORT OF
NATIONAL FARMERS' MARKET WEEK
 

Tomatoes 101

What to look for:
Tomatoes should have no blemishes, be firm to the touch and fragrant. It should seem heavy for its size and give slightly under pressure. Store tomatoes at room temperature until they are ripe. It is then best to use them in the next day or two. It is not recommended to store tomatoes in the refrigerator because it can affect their flavor.

Did you know:

• One medium-sized tomato provides half a child's recommended daily allowance of vitamin C.
• Tomatoes are rich in the antioxidant lycopene which is thought to prevent heart disease.
• A tomato is technically a fruit because it is a ripened ovary of a plant. But for trade purposes a tomato is considered a vegetable. An 1893 Supreme Court ruling classified the fruit as a vegetable so that it could be taxed under tariff law.
• Tomatoes were thought to be poisonous when Robert Gibbon Johnson brought them to Salem, New Jersey, from Europe in the early 1800s. To show that this was false, Johnson ate an entire box of them in front of a shocked crowd on the courthouse steps on September 26, 1820.
• The largest tomato on record hails from Edmond, Oklahoma, in 1986--an enormous 7 pounds 12 ounces (more than my daughter weighed at birth!)

How to Peel A Tomato?
check out the video here
and more details here

sources:
Real Simple Magazine, August 2007
Marthastewart.com

Market Shopping List :: Week of July 14th

Some market highlights this week:

Yellow peaches
Yellow nectarines
Corn
Cantaloupes
Peppers
Cucumbers
Eggplant
Okra
Squash
Tomatoes (including heirloom varieties)
Beets
Radishes
Spinach
Hot and Sweet Peppers
Turnips
Cabbage
Assorted Cuts of Lamb
Pork Products:
   chops
   spare ribs
   5 types of sausage
   scrapple
   bacon
9 types of cheddar and colby cheeses
Ice Cream in 10 flavors

this is what it's all about:

Market Shopping List :: Week of June 30th

Sweet Cherries
Berries
Peas
Snow Peas
Sugar Snap Peas
English Peas
Chard
Kale
Lettuce
Green Onions
Yellow Wax Beans
Kohlrabi
Fava Beans
Green Beans
Squash
Carrots
Garlic
Beets
Radishes
Broccoli
Cabbage
Spinach
Hanging Baskets
Perennials
Succulents
Baked Goods
Breads
Lamb
Beef (look for July 4th Specials)
Cheese
Honey
Eggs

Peaches, Corn, Tomatoes....coming VERY soon!

SEE YOU AT THE MARKET!

a market sampling :: june 16

farley and miss maggie--market regulars
(by the way, if you'd like to see your pup on this market website, just find me at the market. I'm usually the only person walking around taking close-ups of the produce.)

fantastic live music

sweet cherries

potted plants

market flavors

hanging baskets

and lots of visitors! thank you!

father's day shopping at the market

Some years, when it comes to a father's day gift for my husband, my mind is overflowing with ideas. Other years, I've got nothing. They say that the closer you are to a person, the harder time you have thinking of a gift to buy them.

But one thing my husband can always count on each father's day, is a good meal. And really, it's one of his favorite gifts.

If you're like me, and this is part of your celebration, you'll be able to do all your father's day meal shopping straight from the market. In fact, I think you just might be able to get everything you need in one stroll around the vendors' stands.
A meal like this must always start with a great steak. Both Deer Creek Beef and Hickory Chance Farm bring delicious local beef to the market each week. On Saturday, at the Deer Creek Beef stand they'll be having a special on rib eye steaks and the grill will be going with samples all morning.
And what to go with that steak? The possibilities are endless.

Market vendors like Richardson Farms are picking peas, squash, carrots, broccoli and spinach. At Calvert's Gift Farm, they're bringing great produce like garlic (roasted and spread over bread with olive oil? yum!), fava beans and squash to the market. Woolly Hill Farm will be bringing peas, snow peas (one of my favorites), sugar snap peas and english peas to the market as well as lettuce, green onions and fresh herbs.

And it doesn't stop there--you can even pick up some fresh bread and rolls to go with your meal. We can even handle dessert.  Stop by one of our vendor stands and pick up a cake or fresh pie. (And don't forget some fresh cut flowers for the  table...)

Wow, this post is making me hungry. And imagine--a whole meal prepared from local producers. It's something you can feel good about--not just because it tastes good, but because you are supporting local agriculture, farmers and your community.

Eat well this weekend. Come to the market.

the early bird gets the strawberry

By the time I get myself and my children organized on Saturday mornings and make it to the market, the strawberries are usually long gone. But this week, I'm determined to get there early. Every year, at strawberry season, I tell myself that this is the year I'm going to make jam, or freeze strawberries for a special mid-winter treat.

I've done jam before, so this year I'm determined to try freezing berries. So if you think you'd like to try it too, here are a few pointers I've found as I've searched the internet for helpful hints.

FREEZING WHOLE STRAWBERRIES:
     red, firm berries freeze best. wash them briefly under cold water and pat dry. It is best to first spread the berries out on a cookie sheet and freeze them. After they are completely frozen (about 24 hours) place them in freezer containers.

WHOLE, SLICED OR CRUSHED (in simple syrup)
    clean the strawberries in the same way as above. Slice or crush the berries, if desired. Place them in freezer containers with half an inch of headspace. And cover with any version of simple syrup below:

    Simple Syrup:
    light: 2c. sugar, 4c. water
    medium: 3. sugar, 4c. water
    heavy: 4 3/4c. sugar, 4c. water

WHOLE, SLICED OR CRUSHED (packed in dry sugar)
    Clean the strawberries using the same method and prepare them as desired (whole, sliced, crushed). Add 1cup of sugar to 6cups strawberries and toss gently with a spoon.  Spoon into freezer containers, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace and freeze.

How about you? What are you going to do with your strawberries this year? Do you have a favorite  strawberry recipe? Then please share and I'll post your ideas here and give you all the credit! Leave a comment on this post, or send me an email at belairfarmersmarket@gmail.com

See you at the Market!