JenEhr Family Farm turnips by Linda Nelson

Dear WCM Shopper,

Got a crowd coming for Memorial Day weekend? The official holiday is Monday, but the folks at Brat Fest won’t be the only ones grilling all weekend.

Market shoppers have their choice of fine meats to grill at home, such as Jordandal Farm steaks, pork chops and sausages; JenEhrFamily Farm chicken; Hawks Hill Elk Ranch elk steaks, burgers and tenderloin; Pecatonica Valley Farm brats, pork chops, spareribs and kebab meat, and Sunnyhill Acres brats.

Carrie Johnson of Jordandal Farm, Argyle, http://www.jordandalfarm.com , explains that their grass-fed beef is lean, so avoid overdoing it and drying the meat out. The steaks are aged, so the meat is very tender and needs no marinade. She advises searing the steak a minute on each side then moving it to indirect heat and grilling just until the juice comes out for medium rare. Then let it rest for a minute or two to allow the meat to reabsorb the juice.  Note: The meat is sold frozen, so thaw it in the refrigerator overnight. Once thawed, the steak is fine in the fridge for a couple of days before cooking. Johnson warns against thawing the meat in the microwave even on defrost mode, which changes the texture.

Johnson also recommends searing the pork chops – maybe seasoned with rosemary — on both sides then moving them to the side to finish cooking on indirect heat – about  1-2 minutes per side – or cooking on a gas grill at 350 degrees.

Cheri Espe of Hawks Hill Elk Ranch outside of Monticello, http://www.hawkshillelkranch.com, sears lean elk burgers on higher heat then turns the heat down to finish them about 4 minutes per side no more than medium doneness. See J.T.’s Salsa Burgers recipe below for a jazzed up burger. For the tenderloin, she’d pack on spices as a rub or crust, then sear the meat and cook it about 4 minutes per side. “You typically want that pretty rare in the middle,” she says.

JenEhr Family Farm of Sun Prairie, http://www.jenehrfamilyfarm.com/, is suffering from popularity this year, the first year Kay Jensen sold out of her pasture raised roasting chickens. While she’ll have no whole or cut-up roasting chickens until late June or early July, she does have thigh and drum parts sold frozen that would be good for grilling and soup bone packs for great stock.

Amy Carr of Pecatonica Valley Farm in Hollandale, http://www.pecvalleyfarm.com, will have chicken brats, beer brats, red wine Italian brats, pork chops, spareribs and pork and beef cut for kebabs. Her cooking tip for pork chops is to brine them in an equal mixture of salt and sugar (add some rosemary or thyme if you like) in just enough water to cover the chops in a shallow dish, which should be kept in the fridge for several hours before rinsing and grilling the chops, which turn out nice and juicy.

Geoff King of Sunnyhill Acres of Cascade will have a kind of brats you won’t find at Bratfest: sheep smoked brats. Get them this week or wait a year as King will be done for the season after May 29.

You still have time to pick up plants for your garden or containers. I haven’t made any mojitos yet with the leaves of the broad-leafed spearmint plant I bought from Jill Yeck of Harvest Moon in Stoughton but have enjoyed the mint in my iced tea. She also has what she calls “wild and crazy mints” such as orange mint, chocolate mint and pineapple mint, all of which sound amazing.

This week I’m looking forward to daisy, True Blue and other seasonal flowers in bouquets, including arrangements from Kelly Lor of Cottage Grove

Shoppers this week likely also will find radishes, leeks, fresh cut herbs, shallots, garlic, mushrooms, asparagus, greenhouse tomatoes and cucumbers, spinach and various greens, pea tendrils, turnips, bok choy, potatoes, green onions, rhubarb, eggs, cheese, meats, dry beans, bread and other bakery, and specialty products.

Mark your calendars (and buy your tickets)! Pecatonica Valley Farm and Jordandal Farm are among those providing meat for the REAP Food Group’s Third Annual Burgers & Brew 4-7 p.m. Saturday, June 5, at Capital Brewery, 7734 Terrace Ave., Middleton. Proceeds help support REAP’s Buy Fresh Buy Local program. Tickets, $25, can be ordered at www.reapfoodgroup.org or through 608-310-7836.

Recipe Corner

J.T.’s Salsa Burgers (Hawk’s Hill Elk Ranch recipe)

• 2-pound package of Hawk’s Hill Elk Burger
• 1 medium tomato
• 1 jalapeno pepper
• 1 habanero pepper
• 1 teaspoon fresh cilantro
• Pepper jack cheese

Chop tomato, peppers and cilantro into small pieces and mix into burger. Press into patties and grill, or fry in a small amount of olive oil about 4 to 5 minutes per side. Top with pepper jack cheese.

Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake (Green’s Pleasant Springs Orchard recipe)

• 4 cups washed cut-up rhubarb (3/4-inch pieces)
• ½ cup brown sugar
• Yellow or spice cake mix and ingredients required per package directions
• Whipped cream or ice cream (optional)

Place rhubarb in a 9-by-13-inch glass dish. Sprinkle with sugar. Prepare cake mix according to package directions and pour batter over rhubarb. Bake 40 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool. Cut into squares and invert when serving so the rhubarb is on top. Serve plain or with whipped cream or ice cream.

As a special treat for these early season Saturdays, the WCM is offering free hot chocolate as well as coffee. The hot chocolate will be available after around 8:30 am until it’s gone. When you are at the WCM Information Tent, fill out a chance to win the raffle and win a $5 WCM Gift Certificate.

Happy shopping – and spread the word about the Market to your friends and neighbors: 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. Make sure to tell those with young children to come and play along with the Moldy Jam Band, which usually performs when the weather is good (and not at the crack of dawn).

Until next week,
Sandy Kallio
for the Westside Community Market

Send recipes to: kalliosandra@yahoo.com