March, April 2008 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(Please note: Archived material contains some out-of-date information.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.)
April 24, 2008
Westside Community Market • Saturdays, April 19 to November 8 • 7 am to 1 pm • Hill Farms DoT Building parking lot • Madison, Wis.
Hi Everyone,
It was a glorious first Market last weekend that provided a glimpse into our soon-to-be-abundant local eating season. This next weekend we will literally see the Market grow as more vendors appear and the variety of produce and products expands. The moderate temperatures and sunshine provide just what we all need to “spring up.” This week there will be more greens, radishes, maybe even some asparagus. There will be glorious flowers and bedding plants, dairy, bakery goods, salsas and jams, honey, maple syrup, storage crops, eggs and more.
As always, we have been chatting with vendors about the specifics of what we will see this week:
Bruce Workman from Edelweiss Creamery will receive two more Master Cheesemaker certifications this week—he currently holds the highest number of Master certifications in the state of Wisconsin. His dedication to his craft is evident in his cheese. As his website states “have patience, in time, grass becomes cheese.” Head over to his stand to check out Havarti, Emmentaler, Muenster and more.
Kay Jensen of JenEhr Farm reports she will have a plethora of yummy greens--arugula, mizuna, golden frilly mustard and frilly red mustard (both gorgeous and yummy with a deep mustard flavor). She will also have two fabulous sauteeing greens--Chinese Spinach and Vitamin Green. The traditional herald of spring, the tangy red radish, will also be available. The JenEhr stand will be hosting a celebrity (besides Kay herself of course!): Barbara Wright from the Dardanelles Restaurant on Monroe Street will be offering tastes (and the recipe) of a soup made from JenEhr’s pastured roasting chickens.
Don Uselman of Don’s Produce always makes Evie a happy girl by bringing his outstanding seedless cucumbers. His hoophouse-grown tomatoes are a wonder to behold at any time of the year and in April they are downright awe-inspiring. Don will also have greens available if you get to Market early.
Sandra Hunter at Dolci Italian-American Sweets has biscotti and pizelle that are perfect to dunk in your morning coffee as you shop the Market. The range of biscotti flavors is dazzling and you can come on over to the Info Tent for a cup of free coffee and to register for the weekly prize raffle.
Also look for Hawks Hill Elk and the Espe family from Monticello who will be at their first market of the year with their heart-healthy fresh elk meat.
Evie wanted to include a special mention about the herb selection from Jill Yeck at Harvest Moon. She was delighted to see the wide varieties of mint available and stevia. Evie enjoys planting several mints together with stevia and then pinching of a few leaves of each and eating them together for an amazing after-dinner mint dessert. She particularly recommends the chocolate mint!
We were struck by how grateful we were for everything we saw, tasted and purchased last week. There is a different feeling in the air than in August and September when we are inundated with fresh produce and are scrambling to eat and preserve the bounty. The spring offers remembrance of what was carefully kept over the winter and a slow, steady introduction to the new season. April and May are full of anticipation and gratitude for the simple flavors.
See you Saturday!
The Lynch family for the WCM
P.S. Old-timey string band Moldy Jam will play acoustic music beginning at 10 am Saturday. A half dozen musicians (they also shop WCM) will serenade with contra dance hits, bluegrass-y sound, and Irish classics. Their web site says "toe-tapping" - do steer clear of mothers lugging milk bottles and wandering tots. Thanks musician Mike Kehl, volunteer Mary Kirkpatrick for coordinating.
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RECIPE CORNER
Crisp-Skin High Roast Butterflied Chicken
This is a fast and easy way to roast a chicken. However you choose to roast a chicken, get rid of your timers and use an instant-read thermometer-160 degrees is fully cooked, juicy and delicious.
1 cup kosher salt (or 1/2 cup table salt)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 whole chicken
1 1/2 Tbs. olive oil
ground black pepper
Dissolve salt and sugar in 2 quarts cold water in large container. Immerse chicken and refrigerate until fully seasoned, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat to 500 degrees. Line bottom or broiler pan with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Remove chicken from brine and rinse thoroughly under cold running water. Butterfly chicken*, flatten breastbone and position chicken on broiler pan rack, throughly pat dry. Rub chicken with olive oil and sprinkle with pepper.
Roast chicken until spotty brown, about 20 minutes. Rotate pan and continue to roast until skin has crisped and turned a deep brown and an instant-read thermometer registers 160 degrees in the thickest part of the breast, 20-25 minutes longer.
From Cook’s Illustrated web archive
*To butterfly the chicken, cut out the backbone with a heavy knife or kitchen shears. You can then open it up like a book and place it breast-side up on your roasting rack. You may need to break the breast bone to get it to lay flat (which you can do by hand, or use a rubber mallet!).
Grated Beets with Shallots
The jalapeno can be eliminated if you don’t like spicy, this recipe improves with age so make it in the morning, leave it on the stove and reheat for dinner.
3 Tbs. olive oil
1/2 tsp. whole brown or yellow mustard seed
2 large shallots, peeled and cut into fine slivers
1 fresh jalapeno, cut crosswise on a sharp diagonal into thin slices
1 pound beets, peeled and coarsely grated (a food processor works great)
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup water
1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
Put the oil in a wide pan on medium-high heat. Add mustard seeds, when seeds start to pop add shallots and jalapeno and fry for about 30 seconds. Add beets and stir for 1 minute, add salt and water, bring to a boil. Cover, turn the heat to low and cook gently 15-20 minutes. When ready to serve turn heat up to medium, add lemon juice, heat through and serve. Serves 4.
From World Vegetarian by Madhur Jaffrey
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April 17, 2008
Westside Community Market • Saturdays, April 19 to November 8 • 7am to 1pm • Hill Farms DoT Building parking lot • Madison, Wis.
Hi Everyone,
Opening day is finally here. No, not baseball, the Market! This Saturday, starting at 7 am, the Westside Community Market will open for the 2008 season. With luck, the temperatures could make it above 60 degrees F - to stay comfy, tuck a pair of gloves in your shopping bag.
This last week has been a flurry of phone calls and emails as we heard from vendors with the news on what they are bringing to Market:
- Geoff King from Sunnyhill Acres in Cascade says the “old fashioned” winter was good for maple syrup production, it has been a challenge to get all the sap boiled down, but will have syrup at the Market.
- Kim Reinke at Pasque Flower Farm in Pardeeville is excited to talk to customers and help them figure out which of her many plant varieties would be best for their needs. Kim grows native plants and grasses, herbs, perennials and has plants specifically for rain gardens and butterfly gardens. With wild bee populations dwindling we need folks like Kim to teach us what to plant to help those pollinators.
- Diana and Jim Murphy at Dream Farm in Cross Plains will have eggs and goat cheese. We could live on those two items alone for quite a while.
- Mike and Cassie of Primrose Community Farm in Middleton tell us that they have been busy this winter with spinach and scallions in their hoop houses, and they are really looking forward to growing many varieties of tomatoes this season. They will have a small selection of tomato plants at the first Market, as well as parsley, pepper, eggplant lettuce and cilantro plants, for folks who want to start container varieties. Beets and red onions (fully grown, not starter plants) will also be available to buy on Saturday. Mike and Cassie also tell us that their rhubarb is poking up - something to look forward to!
As always, there will be meat, milk, cheese, yogurt, bakery items (gotta keep your strength up while shopping), bedding plants, storage vegetables, herbs and more. The tradition of the weekly drawing for Market gift certificates continues, as does the free yummy coffee at the Info Tent - please stop by and tell all your friends.
We’re off to plant some peas and lettuce, a risky proposition with frost still possible, but with our pseudo cold frame built out of old windows we are ready to live on the edge.
See you Saturday,
Jen Lynch for the WCM
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RECIPE CORNERAre you hungry yet? Here are two recipes to further whet your appetite.
Spinach Salad with Maple-Dijon Vinaigrette
1/4 cup maple syrup
3 tablespoons minced shallots (about 1 medium, could use onion instead)
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup vertically sliced red onion
1/2 cup chopped apple
4 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
10-12 ounces spinach
Combine first 8 ingredients in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add mushrooms and remaining ingredients; toss well to coat, makes 6-8 servings. This would be DELICIOUS served with crunchy bread and goat cheese!
From Cooking Light March 2008
Jam-Stuffed French Toast
8 slices bread (cinnamon-swirl would be yummy)
1/2 cup sour cream (cream cheese works too)
1/2 cup jam (any flavor you like)
1/2 cup milk
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tsp vanilla
pinch salt
Spread 1 tablespoon sour cream and 1 tablespoon jam on each slice of bread, put sour cream and jam sides together to make 4 sandwiches. In a shallow bowl, whisk together, milk, eggs, vanilla and salt. Soak each sandwich in egg mixture until saturated. In a large skillet melt some butter over medium-hight heat, cook sandwiches until golden brown, about 2 minutes each side. Serve topped with more sour cream, or whipped cream or syrup and butter. Makes 4 servings.
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April 10, 2008
Westside Community Market • Saturdays, April 19 to November 8 • 7 am to 1 pm • Hill Farms DoT Building parking lot • Madison, Wis.
Hi Everyone,
One thing we learned over the winter is “never say never,” but spring is with us again, and we are all hoping that this time it will stick. Excitement is building for the first market of the spring, and like you, we can’t wait to get started. We invite you to forward this to as many people as you can and encourage them to sign up for the Weekly Update and become part of this vibrant community. Don’t forget, the Westside Community Market opens April 19th at 7 am.
This is a great time of year to lay the foundation for a kitchen garden of essential herbs to flavor your meals to come. A basic list would include parsley, oregano, basil, thyme, dill, and chives. You might also want to include Thai (or holy) basil, epazote, tarragon, and cilantro if you like flavors from all around the world. Double up on cilantro and let some go to seed so you will have coriander on hand as well. Of course, many will be looking forward to starting tomatoes, peppers, and lots of other vegetables as well. We hear that some people even like to grow plants that are not for eating, though we can’t imagine why.
One person who is an expert on such things is vendor Natalie Ortega from Oregon. She says her farm has weathered the cold and snow just fine, but she’s delighted that the outdoor growing season has arrived. Natalie will be ready for opening day with a wide variety of ornamental plantings, so you can get started on your landscaping and decorative gardening while the soil is still soft and moist. Natalie told us she has many new items this spring, so stop in to see what she has found for you. She made sure to mention that she would have hardy varieties on hand in case Old Man Winter has a relapse.
Fruit season is still a long way off, but perhaps a delicious fruit pie from Farmhouse Bakery will curb your craving. This family business is a new vendor this year, so let’s all give them an enthusiastic welcome. They are particularly proud of their pies, which are all made from scratch starting with whole fruit, and they come in a reusable steel pan. Co-owner Donna Sommer points out that this makes it much easier for you the customer to pass it off as homemade than a pie in a foil pan. They will also have many types of breads, including a flaxseed bread that is very popular with kids, and don’t miss their cinnamon-swirl and cinnamon-raisin breads. We can see French toast in your future. . .
The Westside Community Market needs volunteers in several areas: the info booth at the Market, help with putting up posters in various locations, and at the Isthmus Green Day event. Please contact Assistant Manager Amy Kinast (akinast@chorus.net) if you can help.
This week’s recipe is meant to serve as a jumping off point for all of us who are so excited about the start of market that we can’t decide what we want most.
Quiche du Jour
(Did you hear the one about the pretentious patron who says, “Waiter, what is the soup du jour?” The waiter puts him in his place by saying, “It’s the soup of the day.”)
Who knows what you will find on opening day? So be ready—if you have eggs and milk on hand, you can make a great quiche with just about anything, from meat and cheese to chives, onions, mushrooms, asparagus, spinach; you name it.
Crust
Classic quiche has a pastry shell, and it needs to be “blind baked”. To do this, roll out pie pastry for a single crust pie, place it into a pie plate, and prick it all over with a fork. Butter some aluminum foil and press it over the dough, then weight it down with some dry beans or a pie chain. Bake at 450˚ for 10 minutes, then remove the weight and foil and bake for a further 8 minutes or so until lightly brown. Turn the oven down to 375˚ and set the crust aside to cool slightly. Move the oven rack to the upper 1/3 position if it is not there already.
(My mother’s opinion is that a store-bought pastry shell is as good as homemade. Never argue with Mom, so you have permission to use store-bought if you must, but make from scratch if you can.)
Fillings
Most vegetables will be best if sautéed a bit to get rid of excess water, so give them a few minutes in a skillet with a bit of butter or oil, plus a sprinkling of salt to get them to release extra water. Meats should be pre-cooked.
The guts of quiche is a custard, and mixing it up could not be easier:
For each large egg, add milk to equal ½ cup. For example, crack 3 eggs into glass or plastic measure and add milk to the 1-½ cup mark. This would be right for an 8-9” pie pan.
Add a pinch of salt and a bit of pepper or a zing of hot sauce. Whisk all this together. Once your pie shell has cooled a bit, put in some cheese (if you are using), your fillings, then a bit more cheese, then pour your custard mixture over the top. Don’t fill it too full as it will puff up (and you will probably spill it everywhere on the way into the oven).
Bake your quiche du jour at 375˚ for 25-30 minutes until it is puffed up and nicely browned on top. To serve, you can cut it right in the pie pan or you can slide it out onto a serving plate. It is traditionally served warm, not hot.
This recipe is adapted from Julia Child’s The Way to Cook (Alfred A. Knopf, New York).
We have started posting again on our local food blog, Eating In Place, http://vidalocal.blogspot.com. Come on by to see what we are eating.
Until next week,
Scott Lynch for the WCM
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The Lynch family's first Weekly Update:
March 13, 2008
When: Saturdays, April 19 to November 8 • Where: Hill Farms DoT Building parking lot • Time: 7AM - 1PM
Hi Everyone,
This month marks the entrance of Spring as well as the passing of the torch (the keyboard?) for writing the WCM weekly update. Many, many thanks to Joan Gassen for her enthusiasm and beautiful descriptions. We will work hard to fill her shoes and add our own take on things. Who are we? We are the Lynch family: Scott, Jen and our daughter Evie. We are enthusiastic farmers’ market shoppers and local eaters, and were lucky to meet many WCM regulars last year, when many people expressed interest and support for our family project of eating only local foods during the month of August.
Last week we had to shovel our porch roof. Hardly the type of weather that makes one think “Spring has sprung!” In a fit of desperate longing for green we sprouted a lovely, verdant batch of wheatgrass on our counter just to prove to ourselves that things will grow again. Thank goodness the farmers have hoophouses, or who knows how long it would be before we could eat something fresh and green.
The WCM Steering Committee is busily going through the over 60 applications for this year, finalizing vendors and planning for another great season. Most old favorites will be back, and maybe you will discover a brand new vendor or a brand new item that will become this year’s favorite. The first market of the year will be Saturday, April 19th. Mark your calendars - Evie put a big pink smiley face on ours.
We are already dreaming of how the first piece of asparagus will taste—crisp, grassy, sweet and wonderful. The first tender produce is always like a miracle—sweet peas, ramps, greens. There will be meat, cheese, crackers, yogurt and best of all… possibilities!
We look forward to meeting and hearing from many of you. We’ll be the family strolling around the Market, heavily laden and talking a lot…most likely with our mouths full.
See you soon,
The Lynch family for the WCM
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RECIPE CORNEROf course we have a recipe. Pickings may seem slim compared to summertime, but between cold-season crops and things that hold over the winter, you can still eat very well.
Potato Enchiladas
Serves 4
2 1/2-3 lbs. potatoes, peeled and diced into bite sized pieces (you can leave the skins on if they are a thin-skinned variety)
1 Tbs. oil
1 large onion, diced
1-2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (depending on taste)
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 cup tomato sauce (could also use salsa)
1 large clove garlic, crushed
1/2 pound fresh spinach (if leaves are very large, chop them roughly)
8 corn tortillas
cooking spray
14 oz. enchilada sauce (canned or homemade)*
1 1/2 cups cheese (we like to mix a creamy and a sharp i.e. Monterey Jack and Cheddar--anything works though).
Boil potatoes until tender. In large fry pan or Dutch Oven heat oil on medium high, saute onions until golden brown (about 6 minutes). Add cumin, drained potatoes, garlic, tomato sauce and chipotle peppers, cook until heated through and fragrant. Break up any larger potato pieces with the back of a spoon or with a potato masher. Stir in spinach until wilted.
Spray a 9x9 pan with cooking spray (or coat lightly with oil using your hand). Place a few tablespoons of filling in a tortilla, roll into a tube, and place in pan seam side down. We can usually fit six across and tuck two more in along one edge. Cover with enchilada sauce and cheese and bake at 375 until the cheese is melted and bubbly (about 15 minutes). If the filling is hot you can also just broil the whole thing and it is ready in 4 minutes. For a big family or plenty of leftovers, double everything and use a 9x13 pan.
*Canned red or green enchilada sauce (store bought) is fine—you can pick most any level of spice you want. It’s also easy to make at home. If you search the web for “enchilada sauce recipe” you will find many recipes from which to choose.