Yes! Opening day for the Holt Farmers' Market was last Saturday, May 3

Opening day is always exciting: some new faces, and many returning  favorites. I bought Lavender Hand Balm from Rainbow's End Farm. Gwen is so knowledgeable, loves what she's doing, and is happy to share info about any of her products. I bought fudge from Fred's Beef Strips...sounds odd, I know. His wife makes cookies and fudge for Fred to sell in addition to the wonderful, preservative-free beef jerky strips he makes. Say hello to Fred; he'll let you taste a sample of the jerky, even if you don't buy any. Tip: the fudge is hard to pass up.  
I ordered five graduation cards from Carol, the Card Lady. I have three nephews, one niece and a next-door neighbor graduating this June! Expensive! But at least the cards, beautifully crafted and lovingly made, won't break my budget: most sell for $2-$3.   
One disappointment: I was SO looking forward to buying a bag of luscious spring greens; but due to the crazy spring we're having, none of the farms had any to sell! 
The good news? Greenman's Farm will have rhubarb, asparagus and fresh herbs for this Sat, May 10. These are all locally grown, and are typical spring vegetables in mid-Michigan.

   One of our newbies: Kolache Kitchen brings delicious Czech  baked goods to HFM. The Winklers, John and Loretta, are the vendors. John's sister owns the bakery in Owosso, and John says the Cream Horns are the best ever. The family recipe is generations old and may be available in the cookbook they sell; many of their recipes are. John also sells Pirogies, brats and kielbasa. When asked what made Czech kielbasa, etc. different from Polish-made, he answered, "Taste!!" While I'm not wanting to start a war between our Polish and Czech vendors, you'll want to try both and YOU decide which you prefer. Of course, you may like both. John's goods are works of love, of course, as are virtually all the items at the market. He wants to help keep the Czech heritage alive. Isn't it great to live with the diversity in America? 

I've barely touched the surface of what's exciting at the HFM. So, tune in next week for more. Better yet, stop by and see for yourself.

Featuring : A Secret Recipe and New Vendors

Yes, this is Grandma's Secret Recipe Peanut Brittle. And all her children, grandchildren and friends loved her peanut brittle, and she would never reveal the secret ingredients. Luckily for us, the recipe was found after she died, and Jan Bayer is carrying on the delicious tradition of making peanut brittle; she's also carrying on the tradition of NOT revealing the ingredients. Which is fine with me, as long as she keeps making this scrumpdillyisious treat! My personal fav is the pecan brittle, but Jan makes peanut brittle and at least seven other flavors. You will find her at the five winter markets. She gave me a heads-up  to look for chocolate-covered pecan brittle and milk chocolate-covered cashew brittle. I foresee Christmas gifts/stocking stuffers for my "kids" and grandchildren.
     More on the Winter Farmers' Market:
     Dates: December 14th, January 11, February 8th, March 8th, 
                April 12th. (Second Saturday of month).
      Vendors: Many of the vendors you came to know and love during the summer markets will be available at the winter markets. In addition, there will be several newbies: Advanced Cutlery will sharpen your knives and scissors, etc. Break-O-Day Farm will selling free-range chickens, eggs, pork and rabbits (you read that right! I'm told that farm-raised rabbits  are lean and tasty). Corinne will also be selling gluten-free baked goods, which makes me happy since we haven't gluten-free goodies this season. Hillcrest Farms is planning to sell produce and The Granola Tree will have nut butters, jams, granolas and oatmeal. 
I'm hoping you already know that the Market will be open both Friday and Saturday this week-end for the Holt Village Sampler. Plan to stop by and see what our creative crafters have for you in Christmas décor, gift baskets with local/Michigan products (see Rowe's Family Farms for those) and goodies.  
I'm not sure if I will be blogging during the winter. I'm looking forward to spending time tweaking my blog, adding more pics, making improvements etc. so that next market season the blog will be ready to be more widely read. Any suggestions? or input? let me know by email: Holtmarket@gmail.com  And, who knows? I may just surprise myself and do some blogging this winter.  Also, you can keep up-to-date at facebook/holtfarmersmarket.  Have a great holiday season; I'll look forward to connecting with you in spring.  

Nearing the end of the season?

Yes, some of the Holt Farmers Market vendors are nearing the end of their market season BUT not all! This Saturday and the following week-end will be the end of the usual season. But this year, the HFM is having a winter market for the first time. To be held on the second Saturday of each month: December 14, 2013;  January 11, 2014; February 8, 2014; March 8, 2014; and April 12, 2014.

So what could a shopper expect in a winter market? A lot! Many of our creative, wonderful crafters will be there and are quite excited about this new venture. Many of the specialty food vendors will continue through the cold weather, and several produce vendors will be there. Not that they will be selling berries and tomatoes, but they will have squashes, potatoes, probably onions and apples and other fall veggies that they've harvested and stored to sell when needed. I will post the names of the vendors who have signed up for the winter market hopefully next week. I'm not sure I'll be blogging through the winter; I'll let you know once the decision is made. But I know for sure that I will be shopping there, happy to buy my root veggies from local farmers.

Speaking of which, last Saturday I got such delicious goodies, I'm salivating as I'm writing this! I bought Chocolate-Honey-Pumpkin Fudge from Lorrie of Willow Blossoms Farm. Totally wonderful! She adds the pumpkin, but you don't really taste it much. You will taste the chocolate and the honey. The pumpkin is added to make the fudge more robust, and to lower the guilt factor in eating it. She has plenty of samples, and you can't miss her stand, because it's all in yellow, and so is her t-shirt. I'm proud of myself that I haven't eaten it all up yet. BUT that could also be because I bought French pastries, and they are almost gone. I have to eat them before my husband does! And I had already bought him a doughnut from Nana's Sweet Treats! I also got Pecan Peanut Brittle, which is safe from my husband who doesn't like pecans; for me, they are to die for!

Yes, I did buy some nutritious items, too. Delicious hubbard squash from Rowe's Family Farm. I love all winter squash, but hubbard is the best tasting in my book. A hubbard is a big squash; one would probably do for a Thanksgiving dinner crowd.  Since hubby doesn't like squash, I cooked the hubbard, and froze what I can't eat. TIP:  Cook the hubbard squash whole, in the oven at 350, for half an hour. Then pull it out, cut in pieces, and return to oven to bake until done. Some say they're done when fork tender, but I like it really soft, so I probably cooked it, in pieces, for another hour or two.

I also bought a quantity of Jonathon apples from Gwen at  Rainbow's End Farm. Gwen is so cool; she always has something new and interesting for me (and all customers, of course) to sample and learn about. Last Saturday she had samples of chicory herbal tea. Yes, she had a thermos of tea to share. She's the one who had free chard leaves to give to anyone who would promise to cook them. This was weeks ago, of course. And of course I took a leaf home and sautéed it as Gwen recommended, and I liked it a lot! Before that experience, I thought I disliked chard!

My last guiltless purchase was from Rowe's Family Farm: I took their last pint of Brussels sprouts...another veggie I thought I didn't like. But fresh sprouts are nothing like the canned versions I'd had before. Now I'm a believer. Rowe's also had several fun varieties of squash, including Jumbo Pink Banana. Yes, a pink squash is unusual, but my French pastry baker raves about it being sweet and tasty, so I may buy one this Saturday.

The HFM is participating in the Holt Village Sampler on Friday, November 22 and Saturday 23, 2013.  Our crafters will have beautiful Christmas and winter items for you. Actually, I bought one last Sat: A beautiful, sparkling, ruffled scarf to brighten up my black winter coat. There also were gorgeous wreaths and candles. And the food vendors will be happy to see you as well. Christmas gift baskets filled with Michigan products...I could go on and on, but I won't. I'll leave it up to you to see for yourself!

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

Apologies...

...for not posting last week! Truly, I was in Milwaukee at a conference AND staying with my daughter and grand-son, Devin, age 7. And it was Halloween; Devin was a Jedi-knight. Remember how rainy it was that night? And, although this past summer I did post from their home, I did not have it together enough this time around. Just sayin'.
Anyway, this week I will be posting some tips, recipes for fall veggies and some personal experiences as well.
I've used several recipes for roasted root veggies, and liked them all.. I like that I can "sneak" some veggies into the mix and family will eat them and never know they're eating turnips, or parsnips or whatever. And I will say, I'd never eaten turnips in my life until this venture, and I liked it! The veggies just all blend together, although you can still taste their individual flavors, and the dish tastes wonderful. I first roasted root veggies last Christmas when my "kids" were all home and my oldest, Josh, told me how to do it. Who knew?!!! All three of my offspring know their way around the kitchen. NOT  that they showed that talent when they lived at home!

Josh's Roasted Root Vegetables 

 

Cube (scrape/peel as necessary): onions, carrots, parsnips, turnips and potatoes. Could use squash, sweet potatoes etc.

 Douse (his word) with olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste.

 Roast at 350, until fork tender (after 15 min. you can place a steak/roast on top of the veggies and cook until the meat is done. The drippings will give wonderful flavor to the veggies).

 

Josh's recipe is the easiest; the next is a little more work, but delicious.
 

Cider-glazed Roots with Cinnamon Walnuts

 3 pounds assorted root vegetables, peeled (see tips below) and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 cup apple cider

1/4 c. dark brown sugar

1/2 tsp. salt to taste

1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper

1/2 c. chopped walnuts

1Tbs. butter

1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon       Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

If using parsnips, quarter lengthwise and remove the woody core before cutting into 1-inch pieces.

Whisk cider, brown sugar salt and pepper in a 9X13 inch baking dish until the sugar is dissolved. Add the veggies and toss to coat. Cover the baking dish with foil..

 

Bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and stir the veggies. Con't. cooking, uncovered, stirring every 20 minutes or so, until the veggies are glazed and tender, about 1 hour more.

Meanwhile, place walnuts in a small skillet and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and lightly browned, 2-6 minutes. Remove form the heat and add utter, cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Stir until the butter melts and the nuts are coated. Spread out on a plate to cool slightly.

Transfer the veggies to a serving dish and sprinkle with the cinnamon walnuts. Serve and enjoy!

 

TIPS: Beets, carrots and parsnips are easily peeled with a vegetable peeler; for tougher-skinned roots like celeriac, rutabaga and turnips, removing the peel with a knife can be easier. Cut off one end of the root to create a flat surface to keep it steady on the cutting board. Follow the contour of the vegetable with your knife. (recipe from livingwell.com) This recipe tastes even better warmed up the next day.

 

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

 

 

 





Delicious Treats and Surprises at the HFM!

Hate ironing? I do, too, and so does Kay Johnson,  of Custom Made Ironing Board Covers, the lady smiling in the picture below. Yes, she's holding an ironing board and sells ironing board covers...but why is she SMILING? Because she has found a way to make ironing quicker and less of a chore. Seriously! Her story started in Traverse City some 10 years ago when she bought a ironing board cover touted to make ironing easy. Although skeptical, she tried it at home and loved it! The next summer she was back in Traverse City, wanting to buy another as a gift, but the vendor was gone. Since Kay has been sewing since childhood, she figured out a way to duplicate the pattern and started to make her own. The rest is history. She uses colorful fabric and her special design and the covers work wonders. "Once a customer buys one, they come back for more. The covers make wonderful gifts," Kay said. She also crochets unique, delicate necklaces. 

Here's another smiling vendor: Tom Sherwood is happy to be back at the HFM selling wonderful doughnuts and baked goods from Nana's Sweet Treats, Italian and American Bakery. Nana, Italian for Grandma, used to bake these goodies herself, but currently Nana's daughter, Roseanne, is the baker, while husband, Tom,  handles the selling. Their bakery is located at the corner of Cedar and Ash in Mason. Tom is smiling because of the delicious quality and popularity of his products. The first two Saturdays at the HFM this year, he sold out! So he brings more product now. His goal? "To have what the customers want," he told me. Nana's offers a full variety of baked goods: eight different breads and rolls; seven types of cake doughnuts as well as long-johns, apple fritters, cinnamon rolls, pecan sticky buns, as well as canolis, baklava and casata cake, "which is very rich." Nana's will take special orders, and does catering. Nana's will bake cakes and pies upon request, which is nice to know with Thanksgiving just around the corner. 

Both Tom and Kay are located in the smaller building. Stop by and chat. You'll leave with a smile on your face, too.
I left the HFM last Saturday just delighted with the fun I'd had. I sampled, and then bought, some honey fudge from Willow Blossom Farms. Delicious as it was, the best part for me was that Lorrie had put squash/pumpkin in the fudge!! This odd ingredient didn't affect the taste at all! It just made the fudge taste more substantial, more dense and less guilt-inducing for me, because now the treat was healthy! Okay, healthy-er, anyway.

Country Products was selling concord grapes; Anna, the jewelry lady, was selling scarves; Kay had necklaces she'd made; Carol, the card lady, had a fun Hallowe'en display with sticky notes in a seasonal wrapper, and small packages of Kleenex also in Hallowe'en wrap to put "your little 'boogies' in; Roots Farm (Lansing Food Bank) had lovely pumpkins and gourds and squash...some grown with seeds one of the refugees was able to bring even during their flight from Africa.

So the market is never the same from week to week. I find new, clever and fun things that the vendors have made each time I go. Which is one more reason I love the HFM!

 

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



Meet Cyle and Cyndi

Though totally unrelated, these two vendors work side by side at the Holt Farmers' Market, in the larger building. Coincidence that they both spell their names with a" C" ? Some people say there are no coincidences, but I'm not one of them. So, you decide! Cyle and his brothers bring their wonderful produce including the corn and tomatoes grown at  their home at Nightengale Family Farm. During the summer, the younger bro's are at the HFM while Cyle manages their farm-stand. He also manages their stand at the Charlotte farmer market. During the fall, the guys still in high school leave it up to Cyle to be at the HFM...plus everything else, I guess! He's been doing this for five years, and enjoys bringing quality produce to his customers at his various sites. Nightengale Family Farm will also sell items grown at other local farms, as do many of the vendors.

This year the blueberries and cherries were part of this arrangement, as are the apples currently in season. Nightengale FF may expand next year and offer more items. The photo shows Cyle holding a tray of peppers. Since I don't get to the market until 12:30, I didn't get a pic of the tray when it was full of the colorful veggies, because so many of them sold before I got there! 

   Cyndi Mendoza, owner of Cupcakes with Love, is a newcomer at the Holt Farmer's Market, and intends to keep coming back because she's "having such a great time!" While she's sold her delicious cupcakes at other venues, she likes the HFM the best (Yay! thanks, Cyndi!). She and her sister, Norma, love baking and have done this together for years, giving their goodies to family, friends and coworkers. They decided to become entrepreneurs and share their tasty product, hand- made with love, with customers at farmer's markets. They make two different cupcake flavors each week, alongside their standard ones. Last Saturday they featured pumpkin spice and cookies and cream.

Gosh, they looked so tempting, it made me regret that I have to eat gluten-free! Cyndi and Norma also make cookies and bars, with the lemon bars being a particular favorite with customers. They provide samples, so you can taste before you buy. They do cupcakes, etc. for baby and bridal showers, etc. and will do special orders on request. They also have a facebook page that is easily accessed from the Holt Farmer's Market web page, and can take orders/ answer questions from there. So stop by and enjoy. You'll be glad you did.

 

At tomorrow's market, look for: apples, green beans, beets, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, collard greens, cucumbers, fresh herbs,  two kinds of kale, leeks, lettuce, onions, potatoes, pumpkins, fall-pick raspberries, blackberries, rhubarb only if ordered ahead (then pick up at the market), summer squash and zucchini, winter squash, green, red and hot peppers, tomatoes incl.  cherry, roman and other varieties. Vendors will also be selling Michigan jams, maple syrup, fall décor incl. corn stalks, pumpkins, possibly some sunflowers and other fall décor items.

 

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

 



Photos from the Past

This is the photo I wanted to include in last week's post. It's the photo of the Country Products stand. Cheryl is standing with her niece, Samantha, in the smaller building. They were featured last week because they are one of the two vendors who sell meat. Check last week's post for details.

Also featured last week was Dave, from Piedmontese Grass-fed Beef. He's in the larger building , near the corner flower shop. Check them both out.

Selling meat that is ready to eat, and  new in the last couple weeks, Big Daddies Big Dawgs. You'll find him in the front of the HFM, cooking up his tasty hot dogs, next to the carmel corn vendor. Both are delicious! Other ready-to-eat food vendors are Ming Dynasty, the Golumbki Gal, the Salsa Lady, Lu's Dessert Breads, and many more. My personal favorite, since I have to eat gluten free, is the French pastry shop. While not at HFM every Saturday, every once in a while they'll have a gf item. So I can have a delicate, crispy pastry/cookie with a delicious filling just as gluten people can. Desserts are a challenge to find gluten free, so it's a real treat when I find one. You'll find them in the larger building.

 

I bought zucchini last Saturday, stuffed it and cooked it last night. WOW! It was so yummy! I used the recipe in the Lansing State Journal, September 30, Zucchini Stuffed with Italian Sausage...for which I substituted ham, for lack of sausage in the house. Ham was good, but it was the rest of the ingredients that made it wonderful: onion, wine (I subbed red wine vinegar for lack of wine in the house) Parmesan-Reggiano cheese, fresh bread crumbs, garlic, tomatoes and capers. All of which sounds ho-hum, but trust me, the results were delicious. While not a quick recipe that I prefer, once in a while I don't mind fussing, especially when the results are so good. My husband loved it! I just didn't mention the word zucchini!

 

This Saturday, look for the following at the HFM (while looking for surprises as well, of course!)

Green beans are looking great and plentiful; it's a new picking, and as long as the frost holds off, they'll keep coming. Apples are plentiful, and lots of varieties, broccoli, cauliflower, cucumbers, several varieties of kale, chard, lots of peppers, leeks, scallions, onions, pears, some raspberries (fall-picked variety), zucchini, both summer and winter squash, fresh herbs (no basil; it's done for the season)fall décor: pumpkins, (also pie pumpkins), corn stalks, probably sunflowers, gourds and probably some tomatoes.. Several vendors also sell locally produced, real maple syrup, Michigan jams, locally produced honey, all of which will be available during the winter market days as well (yes, this year we'll be open one Sat/month in winter. More on that later.).



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