Vienna Farmers Market Reopens on May 2nd at 8 a.m.

May 2---the day is fast approaching which means only one thing, it's almost market time!

The very real tastes, sights and smells of the season's first strawberries, rhubarb, asparagus, spring peas, chard, spinach, and yummy beets are only days away! Add to that the thought of buying apples, potatoes, fresh dairy, made to order kettle corn, delicious bakery products, and a sausage biscuit well your mind goes to wandering doesn't it? Think about dips and rubs and sauce mixes for soups and such—oh my! Think on honey and nectars for all that lovely fresh baked bread! And how about some fresh cut flowers for your table? Or herbs, annuals, perennials and small shrubs for the garden to keep up with your grass growing yeah high. Our theme for the market this year is "Back to the Basics."

Our vendors our honing in on those important things that the consumers have asked for and want and we as your market managers hope to be offering you what you've asked for at the market as well. Likewise because you are cutting back as well, we hope that you'll remember that our market is part of every family's plan to be economical yet feasible—we offer a community experience for the entire family (come and meet and chat with your neighbor) while offering wholesome and economical healthy food for toddler to mom and pop. See you on the corner of Church and Mill and Dominion on Saturday May 2 between 8 a.m. and noon!

So Long See You on May 2, 2009

The market is officially over for 2008. We are missing the market and like you if you are reading this blog, are back to the boredom of shopping at supermarkets and although the cashiers are friendly, we miss the fresh local produce. By the way, Sarah Jane and I made an interesting observation, during the spring/summer and fall we really never had the time to go to the grocery store to shop other than to pick up water, some tofu on occasion and dog food on others. But we did fine because we purchased what we needed every week at the market. It wasn't what we planned to do but it turned out to be a healthier way to live and looking over our expenses our food budget was actually lower than what we normally spent in a grocery store plus we actually ate healthier.

It is food for thought. We'd also like to say at this special time of year when we all have so much to be thankful for that we appreciate everyone's help and patronage and we look forward to next year's market when it starts on May 2, 2009 in the caboose parking lot. So once again thanks to everyone, we'll see you soon.

 

Sarah Jane and Uncle Dave/Volunteer Market Masters

Vienna Farmers Market Update -- There are Four (4) More Markets Left In 2008 (last one is Saturday November 1st)

Vienna Farmers Market Update -- October 9th 2008

Someone once said that you don't know what you got until it is gone -- and last weekend we couldn't have the Vienna Farmers Market due to the Oktoberfest Event. Although the Oktoberfest Event last Saturday was a success. Sarah Jane and I missed the Vienna Farmers Market! Luckily it is not gone. So we hope to see you there this Saturday and the following Saturdays through November 1st.
					

What Can You Start Looking Forward To for This Saturday (October 11th)? Here are a couple of Highlights

McCLEAFS ORCHARD:

• Kiwi Berries, first for the season. They are the cousin of the fuzzy New Zealand Kiwi. They contain over 20 vital nutrients per 6 oz serving 130 calories; 30g carbs: and 25g of dietary fiber. <SWEET FINGER FOOD>!
  
• The LAST of the white peaches. <VERY LIMITED>!
  

KUHN ORCHARD:

• All pumpkins are half price the last hour of market
  
• We will feature around 15 different varieties of apples on Saturday, including the FIRST of the Fuji!
  
• Folks should stock up on heirloom tomatoes for that final taste of summer. Supply will be limited after this weekend due to our first frost on Monday.
  

Come to the Vienna Farmers Market on Saturday to Discover Even More ....

Dave and Sarah Jane

Volunteer Vienna Farmers Market Masters, Optimist Club of Greater Vienna http://viennafarmersmarket.com/

Our Vienna Farmers Market Website Recipe Contest has concluded and we have a Winner!

Tina McElhatton is the winner. Please join us in congratulating her. She has won $50 redeemable in vendor foods at the Vienna Farmers Market.

Grandma McElhatton's Fried Tomatoes (serves 2)

Ingredients

• 6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled (Old Pioneer Kitchen)
  
• 4 slices toast (Becky's Pastries – cheddar bread or bun bread)
  
• 3 -4 tblsp olive oil
  
• 1 onion, chopped (Lois's Produce, McLeaf's, Kuhn's, Friendly Hall, or Westmoreland)
  
• 1 tea chopped garlic (Westmoreland, McLeaf, Kuhn's, Friendly Hall, or Lois's Produce)
  
• 4 large very ripe tomatoes (McLeaf's, Kuhn's, Westmoreland, or Friendly Hall)
  
• Flour – about 1 cup
  
• Salt and pepper to taste
  
• ½ to 1 cup (South Mountain Creamery) milk
  

Preparation

• Slice tomatoes and dredge in flour.
  
• Heat olive oil in large skillet.
  
• Add tomatoes and onions and sauté over medium heat, turning and breaking up tomatoes.
  
• Add more tomatoes as they break up, along with chopped garlic.
  
• Sauté about 5 minutes, until tomatoes are chunky and soft.
  
• Season with salt and pepper.
  
• Add milk, a little at a time, and continue to cook till thickened.
  

To serve, toast bread, top with crumbled bacon, and pour fried tomatoes over.

This recipe was passed down and is from the 1950s! It is Tina's husband's grandmother's recipe. Easy to make it passed all tests by our judges—easy to make, great taste, and includes wonderful products from multiple Vienna Farmers Market Vendors.

Stay tuned next year for the same contest! Try this recipe out. It is delish! Yum.

Fall Harvest Time!

It's that perfect time of year at the market when there is a blend of summertime and the promise of fall, the taste of fresh peaches and the promise of canned. The essence of honey and preserves, jams and jellies not to mention the idea of a free range Thanksgiving Turkey! Concord Grapes fresh off the vine, Beets, Salad Greens, Broccoli, Lima Beans, Black Eyed Peas all make you water at the mouth when you think of going home and cooking up a meal blending them with staple market onions, new potatoes, and tomatoes.

We've talked about freezing in weeks past, I just spent several days with the judges for the recipe contest making up and tasting the best of the recipes for the market contest, yum…only problem is I think I've gained 7 pounds! Yikes! Still yum. Look for the winner to be announced later this week.

Also froze about 3 quarts of blackberries, made up two quarts of tomato sauce and canned it—am getting ready for the winter and followed Friendly Halls advice and am freezing corn on the husk. But how will I ever be able to match the taste of their jams and jellies—its pure nirvana…other half sits down and eats it like dessert! Oh well.

This week our nonprofit is the OPTIMIST CLUB and we are talking about our upcoming WALK FOR GROWING HOPE on OCTOBER 4. The market will also be closed on October 4 BTW for Oktoberfest. The Walk for Growing Hope raises money for children with cancer, it's a great cause stop by the booth right by the caboose this weekend.

The weekend after that, Ayr Hill Garden Club will be selling bulbs (spring) and its going to be a fantastic sale! Come one and come all. A wonderful selection of bulbs will be available for sale (I know I've opened up my piggy bank for the sale already!).

See you at the market.

Farmer SJ

Blackberries, innocent sweet morsel like berries or brave cancer fighting agents? You decide but no matter what enjoy these last bits of summer now and again in the winter, here’s how…

Good news and bad news the recipe contest has been extended by a few days—September 18 to be exact due to last week's washout. Hope contestants don't mind the delay, we think it's only fair.

Blackberries will soon be out of season, so stock up now and stick them in your freezer. Even when iced, they're bursting with protective nutrients.

In fact, frozen blackberries have almost as much antioxidant strength as the fresh kind. Which is a
lot -- enough to help thwart colon, prostate, breast, and oral cancer cells in studies. This is all according to the Real Age Blog! I can attest that frozen blackberries do very well. Raspberries tend to turn to mush (don't plan on using them for anything other than smoothies) but the blackberries hold up nicely!

It's always fun to go to the market but why not make it a healthful adventure too? Take along of a list of healthy foods in season that you plan to buy and maybe one or two items that you'd buy as a splurge now and then (crepes, donuts, peanut brittle).

Among my other half's favorite healthy foods at the market are the following…

A Farmers Market Healthy Shopping List! Or part of one at least!

Items Suitable For Canning Olives Tomatoes (to sun-dry, make into tomato sauce, crush, dice and eat whole). Condiments and Spices Honey Red pepper seasoning mixes and curry powder mixes from Gypsy Hill All kinds of jams and jellies Refrigerated Items Eggs Cheeses--low-fat including cottage cheese Milk Orange or grapefruit juice (100%) with pulp Yogurt Sour cream, low-fat Poultry/Pork/Beef Chicken breast halves, skinless and boneless Chicken thighs, skinless Pork meat, sliced and skinless (not processed cold cuts) Beef assorted Fruits and Vegetables Stock up on plenty of fresh fruits and veggies from each color group, but don't buy more than you'll be able to eat in a week. Fruits and vegetables lose their nutrient goodness when they sit around. Blue/Purple: Blueberries, blackberries, plums, eggplant Orange/Yellow: Carrots, sweet potatoes, squash, mangoes, peaches, nectarines Red: Tomatoes, cherries, cranberries, red peppers, red apples Yellow/Green: broccoli, spinach, peppers White/Green: Garlic and onions, etc! (Supplement with beans, fish, additional condiments, grains and health foods)

 

See you at the market!

Vienna Farmers Market: To Preserve or Can the Peaches - that is the Question

To Preserve or Can the Peaches that is the Question

Well Mcleaf's and Kuhn's Orchards tells us that sadly we're getting near the end of peach, nectarine and plum season—yes I know I know—it seems like it just started! Since their Orchards are located in Southern Pennsylvania there is about a month left to the season give or take. So if you are like my other half you might want to start pondering what to do when the season ends—buy Californian fruit again (no never, nope!)
or perhaps we need to stockpile now for colder weather.

Preserves

Have you ever wanted to make plum, nectarine or peach preserves but thought it was too hard? Well if the other half can do it, so can you! Here are some simple easy lessons.

• Peel the fruit, remove the pit, and add an equal amount of sugar to fruit to a pot of boiling water.
  
• Then add pectin (hard to find these days but try Whole Foods or a health food store for a how sugar pectin—healthier). Pour into jars and voila!
  

Recipe…the best recipes for preserves and jams are those you make up yourself and the internet and cookbooks are full of choices if you are not daring…but the basics according to my wife's dearly departed grandmother are:

• 1 pound of fruit to every cup of sugar (maybe a bit less to taste) with a bit of lemon juice thrown in as a chaser—if you start there you'll never go wrong!
  

Flash Frozen Fruit (works on many solid fruits like nectarines, plums, peaches)

• Peel fruit and cut into slices
  
• Sprinkle lemon juice over them and
  
• Place on flat tray in subzero freezer
  
• After 2 to 3 hours remove from tray and put in Ziploc freezer bags. When needed thaw out and you can put in yogurt or smoothies -- bake a pie with them or just eat them—yum!
  

Canning

• Fill pot with water and put in rinsed jars (1/2 way up). Bring water to boil and turn off.
  
• Skin fruit and slice or cut it up, make a simple syrup by adding water to sugar (4 cups water to ½ cup sugar).
  
• Put fruit in jars tight and tamp down. Pour simple syrup over fruit and leave ½ to 1/3 inch of room at top of jar.
  
• Wipe rims. Place lids on and tighten.
  
• For 45 minutes to an hour put jars in water just above their height (giving them a bath as it were) in boiling water.
  
• Take jars out and let cool. Lids will snap as the jars cool down thus forming a vacuum (that's why you left the ½ to 1/3 inch gap that forms a seal). Fruit will be good for up to a year.
  

Another Idea

Speaking of all of this how about trying one of Friendly Hall Farms favorite tips for corn—take an ear of corn and don't husk it, instead carefully wrap it in aluminum foil and put in freezer. Come December you can shuck the corn and put it in a pot of boiling water (or microwave) and voila have the taste of corn on the cob in the winter. Yum it's sure worth trying. Thanks Cathy!