Halfway & Heating Up
Queso party! Delicious Dreamfarm Queso Fresco
Halfway & Heating Up
Getting to the halfway point in the market season, as we did last Saturday, feels more like shifting to a higher gear than reaching a peak. Instead of cooling down, we're revving up to next level as we have more and more to pick from in the coming weeks.
It started with the first sweet corn of the season in from Alsum's Sweet Corn (pictured) and Flyte Family Farms. The first tart cherries and red currants from Door County Fruit Market were the next new things. Then it was the first long beans and bitter melons coming to us from Sai's Garden. We don't get the opportunity to tell the summer harvest to slow down, so we might as well start bringing more shopping totes! All the new produce pushes us to try new recipes and bring out our old favorites. The first eggplants from Emerald Meadows Family Farm looked amazing and had us asking if it's more of an eggplant parmesan or babaganoush kind of week. Moving into August here we're gonna have to keep navigating those kinds of questions when we see the first apples, bell peppers and melons arrive. These are good problems to have, but still we wish we had time to do it all. When times get tough, it's best to just cool off with a nice glass of NessAlla Kombucha and a bag of Farmer Johns' Cheese curds. Tough decisions take some fueling. See you at market! Ben Zimmerman Market Manager
Nominate Us for Best of Madison 2020!
It's that time of year again to nominate your favorites for Madison Magazine's Best of Madison. The nomination window runs thru August 31st and you can nominate your favorites here:
Best of Madison 2020 Nomination Page
A huge thank you to everyone who nominated and then voted for us last year. We won gold for Best Farmers' Market (other than Dane County Farmers' Market). Let's do it two years in a row!
Supporting Double Dollars, Supporting our Neighbors
This season, the Double Dollars program needs your support! The funding for the program is only slated to last till the end of August. For any of you able to help, even small donations can extend this program to give all our shoppers access to fresh produce through the end of the market season. Please consider making a donation and sharing what we've all come to love the market for, fresh and delicious food from Wisconsin farmers and food crafters. The link to donate to the campaign is located here: Make a Donation to Double Dollars Today!
First bitter melon & long beans in at Sai's Garden
Vendor Notices:
McCluskey Brothers' Shillelagh Glen Farms will be absent from the market this Saturday, August 3rd. They will return the following week. Truli Julie Biscotti & Kopke's Greenhouse have finished vending for the 2019 season.
Daily Vendors: Saturday, August 3rd
Meadowlark Organics Open Kettle Farms
Please note not all vendors present every week. Please check newsletter for anticipated absences.
Recipe Corner
We've got delicious and different ways to tackle fresh corn this week with two Mexican favorites. Buen Provecho!
Elote en Vaso (Mexican Corn in a Cup)
(From Muy Bueno Cookbook) Ingredients: - 10 ears of corn, shucked and cut from the cob - 2 tablespoons butter, per serving - 1/4 cup lime juice, per serving - 1/4 cup crema mexicana, per serving - 2 tablespoons crumbly, salty white cheese (ideally cotija but parmesan is acceptable), per serving - Chili powder - Valentina hot sauce - Lime wedges for garnish - Salt to taste Directions: 1. Husk the corn, remove the silks, and slice the kernels from the cobs with a sharp knife. 2. Place the corn in a saucepan with enough salted water to cover. Bring to a boil; let boil for two to three minutes, then drain. Turn off the heat, and return corn to saucepan. 3. Add 3/4 cup of corn in a glass, add butter, and stir to melt the butter. Mix in lime juice and crema. 4. Sprinkle with a good heavy coating of chili powder and salt if desired, though the cheese adds plenty of salt. Mix well. 5. Top with crumbled cheese. 6. If you like spicy then add a few drops of some hot sauce for that extra kick of heat. 7. Serve with a spoon and lime wedges.
Pan de Elote (Mexican Cornbread)
(From mpittsm & Food52) Ingredients: - 3 cups fresh corn kernels - 1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk - 3 eggs - 2 teaspoons baking powder - 6 tablespoons all purpose flour - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract - 4 tablespoons unsalted, room temperature butter - 1/2 teaspoon salt Directions: 1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. 2. Beat the eggs in a small, separate bowl. 3. In a blender or food processor, add the corn kernels, milk, butter and vanilla extract. Puree until mostly smooth- if you like the presentation of whole kernels, set aside about ¼ cup of whole kernels and stir them in at the end. 4. Once the mixture is mostly smooth, add the eggs and pulse about 5 times. Then, add the rest of the ingredients and puree until everything is well incorporated. 5. In a buttered 9x13 pan, pour the mixture and bake in the oven about 40 minutes, or until golden brown.
