Holt Farmers' Market, June 29, 2013

Holt Farmers' Market, June 29,2013

 

 

 

 

Okay, so I didn't freeze my strawberries last Saturday. My son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter, Eliana, drove up from Cincinnati and spent the week-end with us. They bought strawberries at the HFM, too, so I showed them how to wash the berries in water and apple cider vinegar ( 10 parts water to one part vinegar), so they'll last longer. Then we ate them as snacks. Yes, they were awesome. Beautifully red all the way through, delicious and sweet all the way through, juicy as could be. California berries don't even come close...although I admit to reluctantly buying them in the off-season. I don't know if there will be any strawberries sold tomorrow; I can only hope!

 

If not strawberries, there will be plenty of items to enjoy. And some fun activities as well. There will be music by Mark Grinnell (brother to Market manager, Chuck Grinnell...who is also a musician, I might add) from 11:00-1:00.  AND there will be the first ever Golumbki Eating Contest, starting at noon.

 

 

Each week I'll try and include some useful tips on topics like buying fresh produce, safe handling and storage, preparation of produce and a recipe or two. So this week's tip clarifies which fruits and veggies need to be refrigerated, and those that can be kept at room temperature:

REFRIGERATE: apples, beans,berries,broccoli, carrots. celery, cheeries, eggplant, peppers, leafy greens, zucchini, herbs and any cut produce.

ROOM TEMPERATURE: melons, onions, pears, peached, potatoes, beets, tomatoes, and winter squash.

 

Remember, if it rains tomorrow:

 

It's always sunny inside the Holt Farmers' Market 

 





Special posting: First ever Golumbki-Eating Contest

 

 

NEWS FLASH!

 

 

By special request, I am blogging about this event happening this Sat, June 29  at the Holt Farmers' Market: It's the first ever Golumbki-Eating Contest! Brought to you by the Golumbki Gal and the HFM.

 

What is a golumbki? While I can't tell you the answer because I haven't had  the pleasure of trying one due to having to eat gluten-free...they must be really good because they are wildly popular. The contest will be similar to a hot-dog eating contest, and the winner gets one dozen of these to take home,  a $24 value.

 

Want to enter the contest? email the Gal at golumbkigal@gmail.com. It will cost you a few bucks to sign up, but it's all in fun.

Want to watch the fun? Come to the HFM this Saturday at noon.

 

Want more info about this Gal? Visit her at golumbkigal.com

More posts later this week.

Paula





Strawberries #3

Yes! There were strawberries at the HFMarket last Sat, June 15, and probably will be more this Sat.June 22. One vendor brought in 160 quarts, and sold out by 11:00!! Luckily there was another vendor selling the berries, and even better yet, that first vendor was able to bring in more berries by 12:30. So I bought my two quarts....they were INCREDIBLE! So sweet and tasty, with red color all the way through the fruit, not that white stuff that the California berries have in the center.  Of course my husband and I ate them for snacks, put them in a Strawberry & Rhubarb Crisp ( see recipe for this in previous post) and had one Strawberry Shortcake.

This week I'm planning to freeze some berries. One easy way is to sort the berries, using only the ones that are firm, ripe and red. DO NOT WASH at this time. Spread evenly on a cookie sheet, and pop in the freezer. Once frozen, put them in freezer bags/ or containers. Wash before using.

For more ideas, the MSU Extension office is a great source. I will be putting one of their Food Preservation  print-outs on the bulletin board at the Market.

Also fresh at the market this Sat, June 21 are lots of greens! One of the vendors at the Rainbow's End table tells me she LOVES GREENS! Not a greens lover? Who better to talk to about WHY she loves them, get some recipes, and try some for yourself. You already know how healthy greens are, right? Putting them in a delicious smoothie, like the Monster Smoothie (yes, it's named that to appeal to kids, but grownups like it too), may make you a fan of greens, too. We're talking about spinach, of course, but also kale, swiss chard, and more. There will be recipes for swiss chard and more on the Market bulletin.

ALSO FRESH AND LOCAL THIS SATURDAY: Rhubarb and herbs and more.

AND THE HFM USES SOCIAL MEDIA!

The Holt Farmer's Market is on Twitter and , Facebook, has its own website, and a weekly email sent to those who sign up. So, there are many ways to stay informed about your local source of fresh produce, specialty food items made locally and locally made crafts. Stop by and enjoy!

 

REMEMBER:

It's always sunny in the Holt Farmer's Market.



   

More strawberries!!!

SO...this Sat, June 15, there should be more locally grown strawberries for you to enjoy! Weather permitting, of course ( I wonder how that recent hailstorm affected the berries!). You'll want to get to the market early, just to be sure the berries don't get sold out!
Strawberries are probably my fave berry, although I love raspberries and blueberries almost as much.
Check the HFM bulletin board for more recipes and tips about how to care for the berries once you get them home...if you don't want to eat them all that same day, that is. Here's a recipe that is a favorite at our house that includes both strawberries and another spring item: RHUBARB:

Strawberry and Rhubarb Crisp

(this is delicious with any fruit)

 

Line an 8X8 inch pan with chopped rhubarb and halved strawberries.

Topping:

     1/3 cup flour

     1/3 cup ground nuts/nut flour

     1/3 cup brown sugar

     2-3 Tbs cold butter/margarine

Combine flours and brown sugar. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter. Place on top of the fruit, bake at 350 degrees for 30 min.

Serve hot from the oven with a scoop of vanilla, or at room temperature, or cold from the 'fridge. This is scrumptious at any temperature!

 

More fresh produce:

     - Swiss Chard: Who knew?? Some doctors are saying Swiss Chard is the new spinach! Has more health benefits! So, check it out at the Market!

     - Fresh Herbs: oregano, mint, thyme and sage.To keep fresh      longer in your 'fridge:

      - trim the stems when you first get home. Place the herb in a   container of water, with a plastic bag over the top. Make sure the bag has some holes in it. Herbs will stay fresh for several weeks.

     -Asparagus: it's the end of the season; probably won't be a lot available this Sat 6/15

     - Lettuce is growing well and should be available in a couple weeks. 

 

Strawberries?

Good news: STRAWBERRIES! at least a few strawberries will be at the Holt Farmers' Market this Sat, June 8. SO strawberry lovers, get there ASAP!

BETTER NEWS: Plenty of strawberries will be available next Sat, June15. BUT they may sell out early, so plan to be there early. The market opens at 9:00.

Also freshly grown at a local Holt farm this week:
HERBS: thyme, oregano, chives.
PRODUCE: asparagus and rhubarb still available as well as plenty of other fresh veggies.
AND plenty of other goodies: the ever popular golumbkies, egg rolls, and beef strips, and kettle corn , grass-fed beef, and artisan bread for examples.
NEW  this season are Carries Cookies, Cupcakes with Love, Lu's Zucchini Bread, Sweet Little Somethings among others.
One of the cool things about the Holt Farmers' Market is that no two weeks are the same. Each week has a variety of vendors that you might not have encountered before. So expect and enjoy surprises.

Did I mention the wonderful crafts? Lovingly made by hand, in Michigan, you'll find amazing jewelry you won't find anywhere else, beautiful greeting cards, soaps with all natural ingredients that have wonderful scents and are good for your skin...the list goes on and on. So I'll stop here for now, and tell you more about market products in the weeks to come.

OH! also this Sat there will be music! From 11:00-1:00 Greg Adaline will be entertaining with karaoke/dj music.

Remember that it's always sunny inside the Holt Farmers' Market!!