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To Market, to Market
articles and photo by Chris Moore

Every wonder what it takes to get freshly picked produce to market?  It's not just the travel time in the early morning hours but also planning what to bring and then picking and washing the produce a day or two before.

Most of our vendors pick the day before, some starting at 6:30am on Saturday and picking until 8:30pm at night.  Hermsdorf Farms picks between 9:00-10:00 and they are up at 6:30am to make it to the market. Our vendor Nina, from Nina Family Gardens, picks the evening before near their farm in Paoli. To get to our market they have to be up by 6:00 am.

The Hudsons have a set routine where they pick potatoes on Thursday, the rest on Friday, wash and clean everything. They get to bed around midnight and are up by 5:00 am to make it to our market.

Other vendors, such as the Dralles from Coyote Creek Angus Ranch are up at 4:30 am and on the road by 6:00am. Not only that, but they have to organize their beef in coolers the day before, and, depending on their customers, decide what and how much to bring.

Even our farmers that live on the Northside have farms as far away as Oregon so have some traveling to do. And Stram's Fresh Mississipi Cat Fish really is fresh – they catch the fish on Saturday, fillet it, package it (fresh and frozen), and travel two hours on Sunday to get to our market.

Understanding what it takes to get fresh produce to our market should make anyone appreciate even more the hard work that our farmers do. 

I know I do!

Pet Palooza is this Sunday!

Sunday, Sept 20th at the Northside Farmers Market
Brought to you by the Dane County Time Bank (link)

Come to the Northside Farmers Market, then show off your non-aggressive pet at our fun welcome event. We'll gather at 10:00am in the Anchor Bank parking lot.

It's a parade, it's a fashion revue, it's a costume contest. Come at 10:00am to register and work on some pet related craft projects. From 10:30am to noon, the parade and contests will provide lots of fun.

Enter the pet fashion show, best outfit, best collar, best bandana, best bling, best photo of an absent pet, best holiday costume (any holiday), the pet/owner look alike or dress alike contest. Also competitions for waggiest tail, best hair, best smile, best trick, smallest pet, and others. All non-aggressive pets are welcome. See you there!

Woof woof woof woof woof.
Translation: "Here for one day only!"

Get your pet something homemade and from the heart! Tasha's Love Treats of Stoughton will be vending at the market during Pet Palooza on September 20th. You may have seen Amy Gunsolus' products at local pet stores. She makes yummy homemade pet treats, doggy ice cream, and more! Visit her website for more information about her products (link).
  

This Week at Artisan's Row...

Kevin Revolinski - photos, travel books
Rachael Winkley - Jewelry
Vicki Lane - Funky Bracelets (link)
Jean Mani - Soap, lotion, candles (link)
The Hefty Family - Windswimmers (link)

Visit the artists' blog (link)  

Market Report for September 13
articles and photos by Chris Moore

"Big" happenings at the Market!  A bigger-than-life animal appeared at the market, much to the thrill of market shoppers. "Procession of the Species" was brought to us by puppeteer Laurie Rossbach. To find out more, including puppet workshops, see their website (link). 

Of note at the market are corn shocks, gourds, and pumpkins brought by Hermsdorf Farms. Jimmy Hudson will be bringing turnip and mustard greens, possibly sweet potatoes and spinach.  For the first time, ground cherries were seen at our market (not ground up!).  Tomato Mountain brought canning tomatoes, and Troy Gardens is offering salsa baskets and delicatta squash. Juan Gonzalez has wonderful looking squash flowers (fry in a light batter or put in quesadillas). 

Salzman's reported that their broccoli and cauliflower grew to size in 1 week so come quick if you want some. Keene Organics has fresh eggs but you need to come early before they are sold out. Ortega had red "mars" onions and sweet "candy" onions.

The following produce was also available: celery, cilantro, romaine lettuce, yellow zucchini, squash, egg plant, banana peppers, yellow/green beans, potatoes, beets, kale, basil, baby dills, patty pan squash, many varieties of tomatoes, rhubarb, Chinese spinach, lemon grass, raspberries, carrots, leeks, and beets. Also seen were watermelon, muskmelon, and Brussels sprouts.

For meat, don't forget the wonderful grass-fed beef from Coyote Creek Angus Ranch and Earthrise Farm!  Dolci Italian Sweets has a chocolate revel bar (with fudgy truffle filling) and coming next market fruit danish (either strawberry or cherry). If you are interested in fresh pasta, RP's has the following flavors of ravioli: Portabella & parmesan, asparagus & asiago, feta & spinach, butternut squash, spinach and ricotta.

The season is definitely in full swing.  See you at the market!

Winter Market Scheduled

The Best Winter Market in Madison returns this November and December!

Two years ago, the Northside Farmers Market put together a well-attended and much-loved winter market. After not doing one last year, the NFM Board of Directors decided to re-open the winter market! 

It will be held at the Northside TownCenter in the former hardware store next to Family Dollar. 
  
   

The four market dates are:

November 8                         December 6

November 22                        December 20

from 10am to 1pm

Not able to wait all winter for fresh local foods? Now you know where to go for great local foods, a familiar hot Sunday brunch and interesting holiday decorations and gifts.  We hope you'll help spread the word! Tell everybody! The good one's comin' back!

Coconut-Basil Stew with Late Summer Vegetables
by Angela Trentadue

For some reason, I think that coconut-based sauces should be relegated to winter and made with hardy squashes. But I had a bevy of colorful vegetables and a yen for a spicy coconut sauce, and I had to find a way to put them together. I like the way this dish allows us to hang on to summer well into September with beautiful crunchy carrots and peppers, the last of the pungent basil, and bright citrus flavors in the coconut sauce.

Ingredients

1 pound mixed vegetables: carrots, green beans, red pepper
 
1 lg head bok choy, stems sliced, leaves cut into 2" wide strips
 
3 garlic cloves, minced
 
1 jalapeno, stemmed and seeded, diced
 
1 stem lemongrass, tender inner layers only, chopped fine
 
zest from one lime
 
1 15 oz can coconut milk
 
salt
 
1 tsp red pepper flakes
 
1 tbs soy sauce
 
juice from 1 lime

10 large basil leaves, roughly chopped

Directions

Peel and cut carrots on the bias into 1/4" thick slices. Cut the tops off the green beans and cut into 1-2" lengths. Clean and seed the red pepper, cut into 1/4" wide strips about 1-2" long.

Parboil carrots and green beans about 1 minute, plunging into cold water just after to halt any further cooking.

Make a paste of garlic, jalapeno, lemongrass and zest.

Heat a wok, add the coconut milk and the paste. Simmer for 1 minute.

Add the vegetables. Season lightly with salt, then add the pepper flakes and simmer for 5 minutes.

Stir in the soy sauce, lime juice and basil leaves. Simmer for 1 minute more. Serve with basmati or jasmine rice.