2009.06.26
The Friday morning Farmers Market report
Here's a report of the eatin's, fixin's, and plantin's available on the market this weekend, courtesy of city of Salem horticulturist Beth Carson:
Items on the market this weekend are:
Produce: lots of leafy lettuces, freshly cut herbs, mild Spring onions, Spring peas, beets, yellow and patty pan squash, radishes, rhubarb, cherries, Swiss chard, baby spinach, broccoli, new potatoes, a few clingstone peaches, cucumbers, zucchini, and blueberries.
Baked goodies: Artisan breads, cakes, cookies, cupcakes, pies, brownies, muffins, scones, jams, and jellies.
Meats: grass finished beef and naturally raised pork
Cheeses: Sterling Bridge Dairy should have several varieties of jersey cow and goat specialty cheeses to choose from including Colby style, cheddar style, pepperjack style, farmers style, and soft cheeses.
Other goodies: Fresh local honey, garlic products, and doggie treats .
Crafts: Hand carved wooden crafts, and homemade lotions and soaps from Yellow Mtn. crafts.
Gardening: beautiful perennial plants, landscaping shrubs, vegetable plants, and herbs for your kitchen garden
Congratulations to the Craig's! They have the first homegrown tomatoes of the season on the market today! Also check out their peaches, blueberries, red raspberries, new potatoes, cucumbers, stringless green beans, cabbage, onions, and fresh yeast rolls!
Peaches are here! Just as strawberries and fresh lettuce signal Spring has arrived, Peaches mark the approach of summer on our market. While there are many varieties of peaches raised locally, they can all be categorized into three types- clingstone, freestone, and semi-freestone. The pit (or stone) of the Clingstone varieties holds tightly to the flesh of the peach and usually is smaller, juicier, and earlier harvested than the freestones. They are the ones most desired for jams, jellies, and canning. Freestone varieties are larger, easy to get the stone out of, later to mature, and usually the pick of folks wanting a quick and delicious snack! And just to confuse the issue, semi freestones are hybrids and depending on the variety, can have both freestone and clingstone qualities.
This Saturday's Chefs Circle Series features Chef Steve Alls!
Both the market and the Chefs Circle series will be in full swing this weekend! Last weekend, Chef Michael Wright of Café Madrid, delighted the crowd with a variety of traditional Spanish dishes! Those attending got to try out polenta, grilled pork tenderloin stuffed with Spanish cheese and fresh sage, sautéed patty pan squash and zucchini, and blueberry/peach compote over ice cream! Thank you Chef Michael and Café Madrid!
This Saturday's presentation also promises to be one that you don't want to miss! We are pleased to present Chef Steve Alls. Chef Steve is a regular on WDBJ-7's Weekend Diner and was the chef for WSET-13's Good Morning Virginia for almost 3 years. Steve is currently the Regional Executive Chef for Kroger for their Mid-Atlantic area and is a culinary instructor and advisor for Foodies on Franklin Rd. in Roanoke. He resides in the Glenvar area of Salem with his wife and four children. Chef Steve will be preparing his menu straight from items that he finds on our vendors tables Saturday morning. Please come out and give him a warm Salem welcome, and be sure to check out the Foodies website: www.cookingmadefun.com.
The demonstration begins Saturday at 9:30am. Don't forget to bring your lawn chair!
