Fresh eggs from Pecatonica Valley Farm were a sight for sore eyes

There's just no time to wait around for spring to get the memo and catch up with the rest of us, so we've plowed through and started market season without it!

Opening day of the 2018 market season may have been a bit daunting. The day went from drizzle to rain to sleet to snow, all with the ever present kiss of cold wind. It wasn't enough to keep us down though, and through it all we had fifteen brave vendors out to ring in the new season.

Gritting our teeth in the weather wasn't so bad when we welcomed customers new and old to the market. Their presence giving us some warmth and encouragement that everyone is eager for market season to be here.  

We welcomed several of our newest vendors to their first day at the Westside Community Market. A sincere welcome to ParKelm Farm, Open Kettle Farms & Five Green Acres!

Even with the weather feeling more like winter than spring, the market was thankful for the presence of fresh cut salad greens, arugula, kale and sprouts from vendors like Crossroads Community Farm, JenEhr Family Farm, Urban Gourmet and Blue Moon Community Farm. 

Other great market staples were back too with amazing cheeses from Landmark Creamery, Dreamfarm and Farmer Johns' Cheese, breads and pastries from Honey Bee Bakery and Cress Spring Bakery, and meats from Highland Spring Farm and Underground Meats. 

Better weather is headed our way for week two and we'll gladly accept it. As we kept saying this past Saturday, "it can only get better from here".


See you at market! 

Ben Zimmerman
Market Manager

Please note not all vendors present every week. Please check newsletter for anticipated absences. 

Recipe Corner

We're splitting the difference between the desired freshness of spring and the needed comfort of warming winter foods. Enjoy!

Kale & Egg Drop Soup

(From My Lavender Blues)

Ingredients:
- 8 cups chicken broth (lower sodium)
- 5 eggs, gently beaten
- 1/2 lb kale leaves, torn into large pieces 
- ½ cup sliced green onions (3/4 of a bunch)
- 1 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tbsp soy sauce (plus put some on table for serving)
- 2 tsp corn starch
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp white pepper

Directions:
1. First in a medium pot add your 8 cups of chicken broth. Bring to a boil and then lower heat down to a simmer. Add your lemon juice & soy sauce.
2. Add your garlic powder, ground ginger & white pepper. Mix.
3. Add your torn kale leaves.
4. Next in a small bowl add your corn starch and then using a ladle, very carefully remove some broth from the soup and add about a ¼ cup of broth to your corn starch. Mix together with a whisk and then add the cornstarch mixture to the soup, whisking constantly until everything blends together (if you just add cornstarch directly to the soup it literally will glob up and NOT mix. Trust me on this).
5. Next add your already gently beaten eggs slowly to the pot of soup, while using a whisk in your free hand, stirring constantly until eggs are incorporated/cooked. (if you just crack the egg into the soup more than likely the yolk will instantly cook and not separate).
6. Add your green onions, salt & pepper to taste.
7. Serve hot.

Spicy Beet & Carrot Coleslaw

(From Food Writer Visi Tilak)

Ingredients:
- 12 ounces raw beets, peeled and grated (2 cups)
- About 5 medium carrots, scrubbed well and then grated (2 cups)
- 2 tablespoons minced shallot
- 1 small jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
- 1 tablespoon sunflower seed oil or olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 cups fresh sprouts
- 1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro leaves and tender stems

Directions:
Combine the beets, carrots, shallot, jalapeño, oil, salt and lemon juice in a stainproof mixing bowl, tossing to incorporate. If you’re serving the salad right away, mix in the sprouts. If not, cover and refrigerate for a day, then gently mix in the sprouts just before serving.

Garnish with the cilantro.