Raspberries by Linda Nelson

Dear WCM Shopper,

Another holiday weekend begins – with picnics and get-togethers for which Market vendors have much to offer.

Grilling? Check out the options from Eric and Carrie Johnson of Jordandal Farms, Argyle; Joel and Cheri Espe of Hawks Hill Elk Ranch, Monticello; Jenny and Chuck Anderson of Artesian Trout Farm, Westfield, and Kay Jensen and Paul Ehrhardt of JenEhr Family Farm, Sun Prairie.

Picnicking? Try Madison Sourdough’s epi bread. Andrew Hutchison and David Lohrentz are selling baguettes shaped by rolls rising next to each other, making this great “pull-apart” bread for sharing at a picnic or packing for meals on the road. Also for a picnic, make a bean salad with green and yellow beans or a potato salad with those Yukon gold potatoes from the Vang Family Farm of Windsor/DeForest.

Entertaining at home? Chill out with a Sassy Cow Pie, I mean, a Sassy Cow Ice Cream Pie! The recipe, a long-time favorite in my husband’s family, is so simple that kids old enough to use a microwave can prepare it by themselves. This week, the families of brothers James and Robert Baerwolf of Sassy Cow Creamery, Columbus, plan to bring many flavors that would be fantastic in this pie, including Mint Chocolate Chip, Orange Chocolate Bliss and Dark Cherry Chocolate.

This time of the year, it’s great to celebrate the bounty of the Market and experiment with something new. Squash blossoms are among those that may come and go quickly, so pick them up when you see them – and eat them the same day for the best quality. Last week, Kristen Kordet of Blue Moon Community Farm, Stoughton, was selling bags with about 10 blossoms in each.

Shoppers this week also likely will find beans, beets of various colors, bread and other bakery, broccoli, butter, carrots, cheese, cucumbers, dry beans, eggs, fish, flowers, fresh-cut herbs, garlic, green onions, greens, honey, ice cream, kohlrabi, leeks, meats, milk, mushrooms, onions of all sorts, peas, plants, potatoes, radishes, raspberries, rhubarb, shallots, summer squash, tomatoes, turnips, yogurt, zucchini, tomatoes and specialty products.

And Vivian Green of Green’s Pleasant Springs Orchard, Stoughton, said she may have Lodi apples, the first of the apple season! “Apples are probably two weeks ahead,” she says, adding, “We were in full bloom two weeks ahead.”

Treat alert: Mary White of Honey Bee Bakery, Madison, has been selling cream puffs with dark chocolate or caramel toppings, and you have to try the rhubarb grahams from Potter’s Crackers, Madison. After this week, Peter Potter’s sweet cracker choice will be carrot grahams, also tempting.

Baby alert: Kelly Lor has a new grandson, Eyan, born May 23. Kenny Lor shared a photo of his third son last week and said he might introduce Eyan to the Market this week, so — as pretty as their flowers are – Eyan might get the most oohs and ahs.

Recipe request: Anyone have a good recipe using green and/or yellow beans? Or any other Market items? Send me a recipe at kalliosandra@yahoo.com, and, after it’s used in the newsletter, you’ll find a $5 Market gift certificate waiting for you at the Information Tent.

Invite your friends and neighbors to the Market: 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays at Hill Farms State Department of Transportation parking lot at the corner of Segoe Road and Sheboygan Avenue, one block south of University Avenue and one block west of Hilldale Shopping Center.

Tell them to bring the kids to play along with Moldy Jam, the Market house band that plays in fair weather at reasonable times (not before 9:30 a.m.).

WCM offers free coffee for shoppers and invites all to stop in at the WCM Information Tent to fill out a chance to win the raffle for a $5 WCM gift certificate.

Until next week,
Sandy Kallio
for the Westside Community Market

Send recipes to: kalliosandra@yahoo.com

Recipe Corner

Stuffed Squash Blossoms

• 6 squash blossoms
• Dreamfarm goat cheese of your choice (about ½ cup)
• 1 egg
• Flour
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• Olive oil

Clean squash blossoms. Stuff each with a spoonful of goat cheese then twist end to close up. Beat egg lightly with a fork. Add salt and pepper to a little flour in a bowl. Dip squash blossoms in egg then dredge in seasoned flour. Heat oil in sauté pan and sauté squash blossoms until golden.

Variations: If you don’t want to stuff the blossoms (such as when purchased still closed), you can skip that step and just dip in egg and flour and sauté. Or, stuffed or unstuffed, squash blossoms could be dusted first with flour, then dipped in egg and dredged in panko (Japanese style light, flaky bread crumbs) before sautéing.

Sassy Cow (Ice Cream) Pie

• 6 ounces chocolate chips
• 3 tablespoons Sassy Cow butter
• 2 cups Rice Krispies or similar crisp rice cereal
• 4 cups (more or less) Sassy Cow ice cream

Place chocolate chips and butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave 30 seconds and stir, repeating as needed until melted. Gently stir in cereal to coat. Spread cereal mixture into a greased 9-inch round cake pan or 9-inch square baking pan (or similar size tart pan). Place in freezer until firm (about an hour). Let ice cream soften just a bit, then scoop onto frozen chocolate-cereal crust and spread. Return to freezer to firm up before eating.

Note: Although kids can prepare this pie, an adult needs to slice the frozen pie into wedges with a sharp knife.