To Long Days and Summer Sunshine
Beets of all colors from Vang Family Farm
The seasonal tilt into summer was fully felt last weekend, as we pushed through our tenth market of 2017 and the final of our spring session. A warm day full of sunshine was the perfect setting for a bustling market full of tasty strawberries, sugar snap peas and smiling faces. A hint of the summer harvest peaked its head out in the form of the first broccoli, fennel, and zucchini of the season. Shoua Vang brought us some tasty snow peas, which brought to mind the tasty recipe featured below in the Recipe Corner. NessAlla Kombucha was rocking the seasonal flavors too with a super tasty Lemonbalm Pineapple weed brew, a refreshingly tasty way to take the edge off a hot summer day. Beyond all the good food, beautiful plants and picturesque bouquets, we were delighted to welcome the Starr Grass Band to the market. These delightful youngsters may just be the best band in town under the age of twelve and they got us hot stepping with some fun tunes. We're looking forward to more good music the rest of this summer and you can expect to see the Starr Grass Band again down the road. Speaking of good music, we want to give a hearty congratulations and thanks to Moldy Jam! Our favorite group of jammers are celebrating ten seasons of playing at the Westside Community Market. It's hard to imagine our market family without these devoted players bringing their sweet songs to the market year after year. This week marks the beginning of our summer session, with all the wonders it has in store for us. It won't be long before we're enjoying sweet corn, summer squash, blueberries and so much more!
Daily Vendors:
Live Jewelry Farm will be at the market this Saturday. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------Good to see the first heads of broccoli of the season from JenEhr Family Farm
Science is Fun - Science in Motion
The mobile learning lab is coming to the market, led by UW Madison Chemistry Professor Bassam Shakhashiri. This fun demonstration is meant to help us appreciate our connection to science, all while having a good time and learning too. The Science is Fun crew will be out at the market this June 10th & 24th, starting at 9:00am.
Recipe Corner
This week we're going all in for flavor with two tasty recipes featuring some of the new produce arrivals. A simple number starts us off this week with a fun and delicious way to use snow peas. Then we've got one unbelievable beet sandwich for you to try out with fennel.
Spring white & red onions from Ka Vang Thao -----------------------------
Snow Peas with Toasted Almonds
(From Maria Helm Sinskey & Bon Appetit, April 2009) Ingredients: - 1 tablespoon unsalted butter - 1/4 cup sliced almonds - 1/2 pound snow peas, trimmed - 2 teaspoons minced shallot - 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice Directions: 1. Melt butter in medium skillet over medium heat. Add almonds and cook until golden and fragrant and butter begins to brown, stirring frequently, about 11/2 minutes. 2. Add snow peas and shallot; sauté until snow peas are crisp-tender, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. 3. Remove skillet from heat; add lemon juice. 4.Season to taste with salt and serve.
Roasted Beet Sandwiches with Ginger, Fennel & Goat Cheese
(Adapted from Daniel Gritzer & Serious Eats) Ingredients: - 1 bunch beets, greens and their stems cut from beet roots - 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil - 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar - 2-inches peeled ginger, grated - 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard - Kosher salt and fresh black pepper - 4 large slices country bread, halved, drizzled with olive oil, and lightly toasted - 1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves - 1 medium fennel bulb, halved, cored, and thinly sliced, plus 1 small handful picked fennel fronds - 1 scallion, thinly sliced - 1 oz fresh goat cheese, crumbled Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Place beet roots in roasting pan, drizzle with olive oil to coat lightly, and add a couple of tablespoons of water. Cover tightly with foil and roast until a fork can be easily inserted into the center of each beet, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove from oven, uncover, and let beets rest until cool enough to handle. 2. Meanwhile, separate beet stems from leaves. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add stems and cook until tender, about 3 minutes, then transfer to ice bath to cool. Repeat with leaves, cooking about 1 minute. Drain leaves and stems well and squeeze dry of excess moisture. Roughly chop beet leaves and stems and set aside. 3. Use paper towels to rub off beet root skins. Trim off root ends and any other blemishes with a knife. Slice beets into 1/4-inch slices. 4. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup olive oil with vinegar, ginger, and mustard. Season with salt and pepper. 5. Toss sliced beets in dressing until coated. Arrange toasted bread on a work surface. Lift beet slices from dressing, allowing excess dressing to drain off, then layer them on half of the bread slices. Add the sliced fennel and its fronds, the parsley, the reserved beet greens and stems, and the scallions to the dressing and toss to coat. 6. Mound the dressed salad on top of the beet slices. Crumble goat cheese all over, close sandwiches, and serve.
