Call Your Mother!
Colorful Pansy varieties available from Country Bloomers Greenhouse
Call Your Mother!
Sunny Saturday mornings are a gift we'll take as often as we can get them, and this past week's market was a present we opened eagerly. The first market of May kicked off nicely with the arrival of the earliest rhubarb of the season from County Line Plants & Produce (pictured). It served as a nice reminder of all the wonderful things we have to look forward to in the coming weeks, even if it sold out early!
While we're still waiting on the first morels and asparagus of 2019, we were gifted with the first ramps of the season from Bonde Bee. These tasty wild onions add a ton of flavor to any dish and earned themselves a place of honor in this week's Recipe Corner (below). Our friends the Master Gardeners stopped by to give their advice on getting our growing spaces going while our ears delighted to the tunes of the Starr Grass Band & the Market Ramblers. We're gonna keep the ball rolling this weekend with our Mother's Day market and hopefully some more firsts on the produce end of things. For those of you wishing to keep it local for Mother's Day, the market is a fantastic source for the perfect gift for Mom. Hanging baskets from Natalie's Garden & Greenhouse will bring her color and joy for many weeks to come. For an extra special path to Mom's heart, load yourself up with some fresh eggs from Pecatonica Valley Farm and cook Mom a wonderful breakfast Sunday morning. Sometimes the best gift for Mom is time together, and grabbing yourselves a nice cup of EVP Coffee and strolling a market is a good start for anyone looking to enjoy a sunny Saturday with Mom. Whatever path you take to celebrate Mom this weekend, we wish you all a Happy Mother's Day! See you at market! Ben Zimmerman Market Manager
Great to see Savory Accents and their spicy array back at market!
We're blushing over here! A huge thank you to everyone who voted for us in Madison Magazine's Best of Madison 2019. We won gold for Best Farmers' Market (other than Dane County Farmers' Market)!
Please note not all vendors present every week. Please check newsletter for anticipated absences.
Recipe Corner
With grill season sneaking up on us we're kicking off the Recipe Corner with a great BBQ sauce recipe featuring fresh rhubarb. A tasty little fresh ramp gravy rounds out this week's offerings for another great spring find. Enjoy!
Smoky Rhubarb BBQ Sauce
(From Rhubarbians) Ingredients: - 5 cups rhubarb stalk, washed and cut into 1″ pieces, about 4 stalks - 4 Tablespoons brown sugar - 3 Tablespoons maple syrup - ½ cup ketchup - 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar - 2 Tablespoons soy sauce - 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (Regular or vegan) - 1 teaspoon dijon mustard - 2-3 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, finely chopped, about 1- 1½ heaping Tablespoons, depending on how smoky you prefer - 1 Tablespoon garlic, pressed or finely minced - 1 Tablespoon fresh ginger, finely minced Directions: 1. Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan. Stir well to combine. 2. Heat over medium heat, until bubbling. 3. Reduce heat to low, and simmer until rhubarb is broken down and very soft, stirring often, about 15 minutes. 4. Puree with an immersion blender, or regular blender. Season with salt and pepper. Let cool completely. 5. Store in an airtight glass container in the refrigerator for up to a month, or freeze.
Ramp Gravy
(From J. Kenji López-Alt) Ingredients: - 2 tablespoons butter - 6 ramps, finely chopped - 2 tablespoons flour - 2 cups light cream (heavy cream, half and half, or milk can be used in its place) - 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper - Kosher salt Directions: 1. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add ramps and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly with a whisk until golden blond, about 4 minutes. 2. Increase heat to medium-high. Whisking constantly, slowly pour in cream. Add black pepper. Whisking frequently, bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook, whisking frequently, until thickened, about 1 minute after it reaches a boil. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper. Serve ramp gravy over biscuits, fried chicken or chicken fried steak, or mashed potatoes.
