Taylor Taylor

Yes, that's her real name. I think.(see pic below) Her mother confided that Taylor's middle name is Nicole, so  I inferred that Taylor is both her first and last name. I could be wrong about that. One thing I'm sure of is her music and her love of it, and her dedication to it. This very personable young lady, a senior at Okemos High School, who also play varsity volleyball, has played guitar since age eight. She writes her own songs, and loves to perform. This is her passion and her dream is to make it her career. Remember you met her first here at the HFM blog. Her music is on itunes, youtube and at www.taylortaylormusic.com. As I was interviewing her, a market shopper had heard her singing, stopped by and bought a CD because "this young lady is going to be BIG," and wanted to be a part of Taylor's success. I hope so, too, because she is a sweet person who believes that "a philanthropic mind and love for music can change the hearts of those who listen."
Remember that many Saturdays the HFM has live music from 11:00-1:00. Check details on the market's website: holtfarmersmarket.org.

Lastly, I need to let you know this will be my last post for now. My circumstances have changed a bit, not in a bad way, but in a way that changes how much time I have available to do some fun things like this blog. Thanks for stopping by, feel free to view all previous posts below, leave comments there or at holtmarket@gmail.com and enjoy the market. It's a place where good things happen!and..

REMEMBER IT'S ALWAYS SUNNY IN THE HOLT FARMERS' MARKET!

Saturday, September 20, 2014

THIS SPACE UNDER CONSTRUCTION.

PLEASE STOP BY NEXT WEEK.

APOLOGIES FOR THE INCONVENIENCE!

Tips 'N' Tales

 It has been so chilly these past two days, that it doesn't seem right to blog about sweet corn, does it?!! I can only hope there is some corn at the Holt Farmers' Market this Saturday because I'm just not done with it yet! And what about peaches? Tomatoes? I'm not done with summer, either, not that it matters to the powers that be. Anyway, I'll write about corn etc. for the last time this season, and next week get into more about autumn produce.
 TIPS: on storing: store corn in 'fridge in its husk. 
            best time to eat: as soon as possible after picking/buying it
            on safety: keep it away from fresh, raw meat,poultry and seafood both in your shopping bag and at home. Juices from raw meat etc. will contaminate corn...and all veggies...and that's BAD.
             to grill: Peel back husk and remove silk. Replace husk. Soak corn in cold water for 5 minutes (or wrap in aluminum foil if no husk). Put on hot grill for 8-15 minutes. 

MORE GRILLING: Yes, my other half has promised to NOT put away the grill yet, so: 

Grilled Eggplant

Put thick slices of eggplant, seasoned with garlic, herbs and olive oil on the grill for a dish as "satisfying as a piece of meat," says Chef Tsai. "Seasoning is key: salt takes the bitterness out of eggplant and accentuates the sweetness of tomatoes and other produce." 

TALES: Talking about grilling veggies: well, my other half loved eating summer squash, zucchini and peppers. We grilled them with olive oil and garlic salt and he LOVED them. I called the summer squash a "summer veggie" since he doesn't like squash. I think I can grill/roast any veggie, doused in oil and garlic, and he'll eat it. I will, too! They were really, really tasty. Who knew?

One more tale: About kale: so far this year I've eaten kale in a smoothie, liked it, plus I felt quite virtuous in doing so. I've also eaten it in salads where it provides an extra crunch without overwhelming the other flavors, and last night I made kale "chips" which I'm beginning to like. Easy enough: remove stems from kale, tear the leaves into small, chip-size pieces, put on baking sheet with...you guessed it: sprinkled with olive oil and garlic salt. Baked for 10-12 minutes in a 400 degree oven, and voila! a healthy, crispy snack that you, too, can feel virtuous about eating! 

      Thanks for stopping by; hope to see you at the Holt Farmers' Market, if not tomorrow, than soon. You'll be glad you did.

REMEMBER IT'S ALWAYS SUNNY IN THE HOLT FARMERS' MARKET!

Roast All Those Cherry Tomatoes!!

Since I only planted cherry tomatoes this year, I loved this recipe for roasting them. It's delicious and easy, so I wanted to share it with you (it's from The Washington Post, Jeanne McManus).

2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes

2 Tablespoons of olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste.

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. In large bowl, toss the tomatoes with the oil and season with salt and pepper. Line a baking sheet with a rack and place the tomatoes on the rack. Roast the tomatoes for 6 hours, until they look like big, red juicy raisins. Makes 1 pint.

Tip: try to have the tomatoes as similar in size as possible.Otherwise the little ones burn while the big ones finish.
Also: Yes, it really takes six hours BUT you can roast them overnight if you have an oven that turns off when you tell it to. The tomatoes will not suffer if left until the a.m.

 Peaches? They have been so sweet and wonderful this season BUT I've been told that our long winter/cool spring weather this year has diminished their numbers! So please get to the market early to find them. I'll post recipes for a peach cobbler on the HFM bulletin board (don't know where that is? Ask a vendor or Misty in the coffee booth in the rear of the main building), and I'll give some to the vendors to include in customers' bags. Also, I'll put up a wonderful hand-out from the MSU Extension about peach preservation,  freezing the delectable fruit and canning them as well. 
Does anyone actually can peaches anymore? Short answer? Yes! Canning is experiencing a come-back! As people are discovering the joys of buying and eating locally grown foods, they want to preserve some of it for those long winter months. It's called "summer in a jar." While my 1950's mom canned peaches, tomatoes and made jam from berries, and I learned how to can by being recruited to help, and I have a water-bath-canner in my basement as I write this, I'm not into canning at the moment. I'm leaving that to others. But, please, if you are canning this summer, let me know your experiences by commenting at the end of this blog, or on the blog email at holtmarket@gmail.com. I'd love to hear from you! And not just about canning, tell us any experience you've had with the Holt Farmers' Market, good or not so much. Any feedback is always welcome! 

This from Judy Tuttle, the demo lady: Judy will be demonstrating how to fix a Watermelon Feta Salad this Saturday. Her recipes and samples are always part of the demo as well. She will be demo-ing at 11:30ish on Saturday. 

REMEMBER IT'S ALWAYS SUNNY IN THE HOLT FARMERS' MARKET!