farmersmarket365

How I have learned to use the food from the Farmer's market 365 days a year
August 7, 2012

Just a shopping week

Vacation days and summer humidity make it a good time to take a break from putting up food for the winter.  Even squirrels take a break from gathering.  I have entitled this entry as Just a Shopping Week because that’s all I want to do.  I wasn’t able to get to the Coastal Growers Market on Saturday (www.coastalmarket.org/) but I am fortunate to live in Rhode Island where there are so many markets; I can go to one or more every day of the week.  If you live in Rhode Island the following link should be part of your favorites:  http://www.farmfreshri.org/ as it gives you not only the information about each market but other events associated with local food.   I have gone on line and found that a lot of other states also have some type of listing for local markets.  I strongly recommend that you use these resources; sometimes market information will also link you to the individual farm or vendor and let you know when you can go directly to the source.  Watson farm is my source of lamb and beef and they are at the Coastal market but I also know I can get meat from them at the farm ..  (http://www.farmfresh.org/food/farm.php?farm=133)

So this week I set off for the East Greenwich market, where I was able to find all that I needed for the week. (http://www.farmfresh.org/food/farmersmarkets_details.php?market=214).  I found several vendors who I normally buy from at the Coastal market:  The Coffee Guy ( you can find him on face book) and Barden family orchard (www.bardenfamilyorchard.com)  for peaches and corn.  On the other hand I was able to meet and learn of other vendors that I don’t regularly see: Narragansett Creamery (unbelievable cheese and yogurt) and Schartner’s farm.  This is a much smaller market, but that is all right because I just need my weekly groceries.  I realized this week that if I had no other choices this market would more than fit my needs for weekly food. I found coffee, peaches, lettuce, egg plant, tomatoes, fish, meat, bread, pizza, corn, plumbs, and the other regular goods; and there is a choice of vendors.  What the Coastal, larger market has in activities and more people, the smaller market allows for a more relaxed shopping experience and one you can get in and out of quickly, if need be.  I noticed two challenges to the smaller market.  First because of the smaller flow of traffic, vendors may bring a limited amount of goods and therefore I am not sure I would be able to buy in bulk for freezing.  However, I have always found growers especially accommodating and I take the opportunity to establish a relationship with them.  I will often ask if they would be willing to sell me an item in bulk and if they can they will often bring it to the next market.  Of course market etiquette applies here: if you ask for something be sure to show up. It is always worth a call during the week to be sure they can fill your order. Weather and the time of year dictate how much is available.  I might also let them know that if they could bring seconds and I’ll buy them- this is especially good at the end of a growing season; I get my red peppers this way.  The second challenge is that the variety of foods might be limited due in part to space available to show the items but also because the growers might not be large enough to have more than a few items.  There is a good side to this challenge in that I might have to make a decision to try something I haven’t before.  This has happened several times and I have added salad turnips, kohlrabi, celery root, and some different winter squashes to my list of options for dinner.

I do love the Coastal Grower’s market and the energetic atmosphere but I also find something relaxing about the smaller market.  Vendors and growers seem a bit more relaxed and have some extra time to share their knowledge with you.  I also find that I don’t over buy- it’s a bit like being in a smaller candy store.

Take home information and some random notes

  • How to pick a ripe peach: This week I learned that smell is always a good indication of a ripe peach but sometimes this can be a bit tricky. There is always the squeeze test but that can be misleading, not to mention that you can bruise the peach.  I learned this week that the fuzz on a peach might be thick enough that the “squeeze” you feel may be just the soft fuzz and that the fruit itself is still hard.  The main lesson for getting the perfect ripe peach was to look at the color at the top of the peach (where the stem would have been).  In a ripe peach the color is a soft yellow and almost looks like someone painted on a thin line; in an unripe peach it is a green color.
  • A Bumper Crop are a temptation- think twice before over indulging: As I have written about previously, the blue berries are plentiful this year and I have filled my freezer with enough.  BUT I learned yesterday that they are still being picked – what a temptation to spend another hour in the fields filling my buckets with those warm little berries.  The little angel on left shoulder reminded me that enough is enough.  A lesson to be learned that when there is a good growing season for a crop; listen to your inside voice and stop when you know you have enough.  That said, I guarantee you will find me in the field picking a quart or two for cereal, muffins, pancakes—hmmmm maybe I don’t have enough- ok, ok, ok never mind.
  • Though freezing and putting up food is great, sometimes just shopping for weekly is ok.
  • Use the internet to seek out markets near you.  Make a list of times and places so if you are in the vicinity you can get what you need.  I have a few random markets programmed into my GPS.
  • Enjoy the more intimate relaxed feeling that comes with smaller markets and use it to learn from growers and vendors.
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July 30, 2012

Let the freezing begin #2- corn

Corn:  Corn season lasts long enough that I can process it a bit at a time.  I will usually buy a dozen ear each week and, if I can keep my husband from consuming them before I get to them, will blanch and  freeze about 4-5 of the ears.  The process involves blanching for about 4 min. then plunging into ice water to stop the cooking.  I then cut the kernels off the cob and freeze in pint sized bags.  When I used the quart bags I had more than what I needed without eating corn several days of the week. I learned a cool technique for cutting the kernels off without having corn all over the kitchen.  Place a smaller bowl upside down in a larger mixing bowl, place the ear on the smaller bowl as a pedestal and cut down; the corn is caught in the big bowl.   Some people after blanching will put the corn, ear and all in the bag to freeze.  This is not my favorite method, mostly I want to preserve eating corn from the cob for those lazy summer days when the sweetness is at its height and the juices roll down my chin.  –

Freezing was fine until I perused my cook books to find some other cool ways to preserve as much of that sweet taste as possible. I now find myself using about half a day to process, a dozen or a bit more ears hopefully on the same day I buy them.  What follows is what I do on that day.

  • After blanching 3-4 ears I make some corn and black bean salsa which stays nicely in the fridge for quite some time, but I also freeze some.   I love it with meats or on sandwiches.  It is good on tacos and if before serving you add some feta cheese and tomatoes it makes a great salad. Though I might use cider vinegar, you can give the salsa a kick if you use chipotle balsamic vinegar.  I particularly like the vinegars from Narragansett Bay Olive Oil company. www.nboliveoil.com
  • I take a few ears (2-3)  and roast them on the grill; these are frozen and used for things like corn soup where I want some extra flavor. I just saw a corn soup on THE CHEW today that blended roasted corn and garlic in a blender and then      served with feta and basil on top.  Go to www.thechew.com and search for grilled corn and basil soup. The roasted corn could also be used  for corn bread or fritters.
  •  Not even thinking this was possible drying corn has become one of my favorite ways to put up corn.  With the oven at about 200 F, I remove the kernels from the cob and place them on sheet pans, which are then put in the oven.  Leave them there for about 12 hours and you will have dried corn. Be sure you have no other  need for your oven; this a  good over night project.  When the corn is dried and cooled  I put it  in a jar and have it on my pantry shelf.  During the winter when I make soups or stews I will throw in some  of this dried corn and it is heavenly. The kernels are amazingly sweet. I haven’t ventured into the world of making corn meal but it seems simple enough.
  • Last but not least, the cob. On my short days of processing  the cobs are placed into the compost for the worms and other invitees to  feast upon, but on my one long day I take half of the cobs and boil them in water to make a yummy stock, you might want to add some onions and garlic as well as a bit of salt to the water.  I freeze it in small portions, i.e.  large muffin tins and then use them when making rice, risotto or any recipe that might need some stock.  You can go further as I did once and made corn syrup- a really nice taste but just didn’t know what to do with it.  I also boiled it down a bit more than I  should have and it was like molasses- another project to work on.

Some other corn tips:

  • Not all corn is created  equal and you might like one type better than another.  If you are getting corn from a grower for the first time get a few to try and then decide. You might even want  to experiment with mixing types of corn.
  • I try to buy my corn early  in the day and have learned when the new stuff is put out.  If you get there too early you might be getting what was left over from the day before.  When corn is at its best it might not be a problem but you want to try to get it as fresh as possible.
  • Corn bought from a  sustainable farmer is good.  It annoys me when people go through the ears opening up the husks because it can cause the  corn to break down faster.   i equate this action with people pushing in the bottoms of chocolate in a candy box, then leaving what they don’t like. I am not sure why people feel this is necessary. It would be fun to do a      survey, I bet we would find out that they aren’t sure. Corn is mature when the silk is brown so no need to look to see if it is ripe, and  if it is to see if there is any type of worm or insect, well there might be but you can just cut off that part of the ear.  Food that is grown sustainably will have some imperfections, that’s why it is so good.  If you feel strongly about opening the ears at least ask the farmer.
  • And last but not least  those husks could be dried to use in crafts or used as wrappers for tamales.

Take home info on corn:

  • It is easy to freeze but be realistic about how much you will really eat
  • Besides freezing, relishes and dried corn are also possible.
  • Don’t waste the ears, they make great stock.
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July 29, 2012

Let the Freezing Begin

In keeping with the Olympics,  I would say- Let the freezing begin!  This week the markets began pouring out the peppers, tomatoes, corn, peaches, eggplant and beans, to just name a few.  I headed to the market with my trusty list, but I also keep an eye on what I can get to freeze.  I have learned the hard way that trying to just buy in bulk and process all at once for everything can be exhausting.  So I now have learned that combining a little over time and whole day go wild works best for me.  How I choose what to do varies from food to food; peppers I can process a few at a time, tomatoes almost always in bulk, and corn a little of both.  It might also depend on what cooking show, or NCIS marathon might be on t.v. that particular day.  Whatever I do it is never a tedious chore, always fun, and I like to challenge myself with what I can do with a particular food.  Warning, when you first start, oh heck even after you have been doing this for some years, there will always make some mistakes on just how much to put up.  In her book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle– Barbara King Solver did admit that perhaps they had put up just a few too many tomatoes.  Spaghetti squash was my tomato this year, by the end of May we were tired of what is normally a yummy vegetable.  Note to self, only process two spaghetti squashes and don’t wait to eat them.   The reality is that it is good to run out of something, the anticipation of the next crop makes the taste that much sweeter.

So today I began working with Peaches: I bought some beautiful yellow and white peaches for eating during the week but then also purchased about 3 bags of seconds*.  I took out those that are very ripe, peeled and then sliced them for the freezer bag.  Peaches are one of those fruits that turn brown when exposed to the air (oxidizes). Fruit fresh is a product that curtails this process so when peaches are thawed they still have their good color.  If peaches do have some dark colors don’t worry it doesn’t mean they are bad, just maybe not so sweet.  Alas I had forgotten to restock at the end of last season so before I could cut I headed out to the grocery store.  As luck would have it they didn’t have any-but “don’t despair I told myself, go to plan B”.  For you see, Fruit fresh is actually a combination of ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) and citric acid (found in citrus); so with vitamin C and lemons in hand I headed back up the road to proceed.  Problem solved.  I crushed the vitamin C in my grinder and added a sprinkle over the peaches.  I am careful with the amount of lemon as I don’t want to add too much more liquid.

One note about Fruit fresh because some people get nervous- there are usually two other ingredients, dextrose, which is another name for glucose and something to keep the product from caking or becoming solid.

If you read about putting peaches up you will no doubt come across the instructions for peeling.  When I am doing only a few I will resort to the peal with the knife routine.  If I have a lot of peaches or if I feel like it I will put the peaches in hot water the blanch them, making the skins fall off,  It is nice when the do that- no real difference in the methods, just your personal choice.  If my grandchildren were helping I would most likely go the blanching routine as they could then peel the peaches without a sharp knife.  I did try something last year which didn’t turn out too well but I might have to tweak it.  I left the skins on, cut slices, froze the slices on a cookie sheet than bagged them hoping I could take out a handful every now and then.  I think there was just too much water and it didn’t work like I hoped it would.

What do I do with all I freeze?  Mostly I use them for jam, ice cream and for having fruit for my oatmeal or yogurt.    Sometimes I’ll make a peach cobbler in the winter and the kitchen smells soooo good. Pint bags are the best size for what I use them for, though one or two quart bags do get used.  In the spring if there are any left they usually get combined with my other berries to make a killer mixed fruit jam.  When that jam gets made you know that strawberry season is on its way.

*Note about seconds: This is a skill everyone should learn to master.  When you think of it, ask the farmer for seconds. These are fruits and veggies that would most likely go to the chickens, pigs or compost.  But don’t be fooled, what I remember as seconds when I was growing up are nothing like those today thanks to the marketing of fruits and veggies as being perfectly round or all the same size; the operative word is perfectly.  The peaches I got varied from some with a bruise, to others that were not perfectly round, and then there were a few that were well on their way to compost.  When you buy these it means the farmer doesn’t have to cart them home and you get more food for your money.  Though I have at times gotten seconds for free, don’t expect that to happen, ask how much and if you think that is fair then go for it; I look for something close to 50% off.  I ask so much that they know what I want when they see me coming.  If I do get some for free I always reciprocate with a homemade item. Early in the spring I got a lot of basil for free and then gave the farmer some of the pesto I made with it.  One word of warning: because some of the crop is bruised or a bit older it will degrade much quicker and if you wait more than a day to process you will not only have to cut around lots of mushy spots but you will also have your very own heard of fruit flies.  There will be a few times when you will end up with more waste than food but after one or two times you will know when to make the purchase that is right for you.

Seconds etiquette

When you ask for seconds be sure that you also show the farmer you are willing to buy the “good” stuff.

Don’t go looking for seconds in the box and then wonder what you can get for it.

Don’t haggle the discount they need to make money.

If a vendor treats you well – always repay with a bit of something you made.

Today’s take home tips:

  • Find your own way to process: all at once, a bit at a time or a combination
  • Make sure you have fun
  • Know that you will make mistakes with amounts to freeze, that’s ok; after all it is still better than most processed foods.
  • Try to find seconds when you can.
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July 26, 2012

Planning for Market

The end of July is upon us and at this point there should be a huge variety of veggies to choose from.  Egg plant, onions, cabbages, broccoli, summer squash, corn and of course those warm red orbs called tomahtos by some of my friends; I know them best as tomatoes.  In addition, this is the time that I want to look for products made with the veggies: pesto, sauces and relishes to name a few.  Made when everything is at the height of the season makes it oh so yummy.

So Thursday is usually my planning day for meals and it is the time I take stock of just what I still have.  I am forever buying more than we can eat.  I then make a decision to either cook up the surplus for the freezer or use it next week.  For example, I still have onions left from last week I might keep a few, but the others I most likely caramelized and freeze for soup or use in another recipe.  With tomatoes being out I just might make up some caramelized onion and tomato jam.  Here is the recipe for the jam.. http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/kelsey-nixon/ratatouille-tart-with-caramelized-onion-tomato-jam-recipe/index.html 

In the past lettuce at this time of year was not common because it is a cold weather plant; some of my lettuce comes out bitter when picked too late.   With more High and Low tunnels (green house like structures but the plants are sown into the ground) I am seeing more of it so I know it is available. But honestly I am a bit tired of lettuce and would rather serve a salad of cucumbers and tomatoes tossed with balsamic vinaigrette and olive oil- with perhaps some basil or feta thrown in. 

After taking stock of what I have and what we are doing next week, my shopping list will look something like this:  tomatoes, cucumber, corn, peaches, cider, summer squash, egg plant,  salsa, peanut butter, coffee, arugula (hydroponic it is wonderful),  bratwurst, eggs and bread.  I might also get some fish if there is something I like.  Sometimes I’ll visit the market web site to be sure I can get what I want but I don’t mind surprises

Take away for today:

Use up what you have

Lettuce is good but there is so much better at this time of year

Make a list but be ready to substitute.- If you’re not sure what would be good, don’t hesitate to ask, even the person next to you

 

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July 24, 2012

Blueberry picking-A berry good day

Ok, so today is not actually a Farmer’s market thing but still relevant to storing things for the winter.  Blueberry picking was the job of the day.  We went to Schartner’s farm because they were picking and opened early.  Eight am was our start time and the berries just fell off the bush into our hands.  In fact the person said we could pick anywhere as there were so many it didn’t matter.  One good thing about this farm is that the more you pick the more the price is reduced, and so Anni and I decided to pool our berries to get the 20 lbs + price of $2.59/lb.  One thing about picking is that it can get addictive and so one has to be careful that you don’t come home with way more food then you would ever use.  In fact if I go again this summer it will be strictly for eating now.

We didn’t do this today but in the future I would bring my own bucket so that the berries are not collected in plastic bags.  I think that not only because I don’t want more plastic but also because it was so hot the bags became like little sauna’s for the berries- they sweat out a lot.  Needless to say there was not time to wait to process and as soon as I got home, (ok so I did have a bowl of berries with some oatmeal before starting) I began to process.

To get them ready for the freezer i take handfuls of the berries and sort through them taking out any green or squished berries.  I am not a perfectionist so if I freeze a few stems so be it.  I then take spread them out on a cookie sheet and place the sheets in the freezer.  I do not wash them as it make them too mushy, if you want to then be sure to somehow drain as much water off as possible.  Once frozen I place them in gallon bags- why so large, because then when I want a handful for my oatmeal, or cups for my muffins in January I can just scoop.

Now the green ones I removed are destined for the compost, but do not get rid of the squishy ones, they are still good to use- blueberry syrup, great over pancakes or ice cream, and believe it or not in tomato sauce. This year however I used them to make blueberry balsamic vinegar.  Check out the recipe here.  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/cooking-live/blueberry-balsamic-vinegar-recipe/index.html

Was it worth it, absolutely!  First and foremost it was a great way to spend time with a friend.  Second, I now have blueberries that will last all winter.  A week ago I bought a pint for $4.00.  My total take today was 15 pints which at $4.00/ pt. would come to $60.00.  My cost was about $30.00.

Take away from today:

1. Pick local berries with a friend- pool your picking for a better price

2. Pick and process as soon as possible

3. Feel good about saving money

4. Look for different ways to sue what you bring home

Oh and lastly, be sure you snack along the way

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July 23, 2012

A seed is planted

ImageI have finally walked through the doors of Blogdom, if there is such a thing.  This is an idea, three years in the making and I just thought it was time to act. My purpose is to talk about how I have learned to use the farmer’s markets 365 days a year.  This effort proved helpful in that I was pulling the last of the veggies from the freezer, just as the spring market opened.   Of course starting to write this in May would have been a better idea, but I am confident there is never a bad time to write about food. There is so much to write about and I can see this going in many directions.  Though I was calling myself a foodie, I think a better name is Localvore.  So I hope you will read and share your knowledge with me as we explore great resource in local foods- again.

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