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Go Nuts! Yumbutters
Article By Samantha Strong
Photos by Cathy Perry

Peanut butter lovers can be excited about the new vendor at the market this year, Go Nuts!Yumbutter, founded by Adrian Reif, which sells different, original flavors of peanut butter using fresh, organic peanuts.

Some of the different flavors of peanut butter Reif creates are “Dark Chocolate Delish”, which uses peanuts and dark chocolate chips, “Asian Jazz”, which uses peanuts and Asian spices and “Cranberry & Coconutty”, which uses peanuts, dried cranberries and a hint of coconut.

Although Reif sells his peanut butter concoctions in Madison, he actually gets his peanuts from a farm in Missouri.
“It’s the closest I can find organic peanuts in large amounts,” Reif said. “Plus, the farm is a really cool place and I like supporting them. Peanuts do not grow well, if at all, in Wisconsin. This is unfortunate, but so it goes.”

After experimenting with creating his own peanut butter for three years, Reif said he decided to start the business in March this year to see if others would like his creations as much as he did.

To make the peanut butter, Reif said he blends the peanuts in a food processor, then he adds different ingredients to create the different flavors

“I’ve found that the texture and taste is even more delectable this way because it can’t get all the nuts into a paste like they do in factories,” Reif said. “The small snibbles left in the peanut butter adds a nice texture and more peanut flavor when you take a scoop.”

Reif said he also developed a technique of blending the nuts once, letting them sit and cool, and then blending them again. He said this keeps them from overheating.

Currently, you can purchase the Yumbutters at the Northside Farmers Market, Bloom Bake Shop in Middleton and the Hilldale Farmers Market. Or, if you’re from the Madison area, you can order the Yumbutters online and have them delivered by bike, free of charge!

Herbed Rice Salad
An Original Recipe by Angela Trentadue

Whenever I make rice, I will double the amount so I have extra to use later on with the plethora of veggies that comes through my kitchen this time of year. To make this salad, I just took a couple of big scoops of warm rice from the fresh batch off the stove, mixed the dressing in and threw it in the fridge for later. When it was time to make the salad, all I had to do was cut up the veggies and herbs. To make a complete meal out of this dish add some hard-boiled eggs, or grill some orange-balsamic marinated chicken or tofu.

In a medium size bowl, whisk together:
1/4 c olive oil
1 tbs balsamic vinegar
1 tbs lemon juice
1 clove garlic, finely minced
salt and pepper

To the dressing, add:
2 c cooked rice (it’s best if the rice is still warm)
1/2 lb green or yellow beans, ends removed and chopped into pea-size bits
1 lg green onion, thinly sliced
1/2 c, packed, fresh basil, rough chopped
1/2 c, packed, fresh parsley, rough chopped
1/2 c grated parmesan cheese
1/4 c toasted pine nuts

Mix together thoroughly and serve

Angela, author of these recipes and an NFM supporter, would love feedback on her recipes – too weird, too hard, too simple, just right? Send us an email to: nfmvolunteer@charter.net

Market Update
Article by Chris Moore
Photos by Cathy Perry

One of our new vendors, who will be here every week, is Healthy Ridge Farms. Did you try their Cherries? They are delicious! Also new to the scene is Kranky Coffee – who sells freshly roasted coffee beans. Come down to the info booth to try some of their coffee – last week it was roasted 12 hours before the market and ground and brewed at the market – can’t get any fresher than that!

For those of you waiting for the next word on fish, Stram’s Fresh Fish will be here next market with freshly caught catfish from the Mississippi river.

Nina, from Nina and Family Garden, told me that next week they will be bringing cucumbers, bitter melon leaves (can be stir fried), and basil to the market. Jim and Jackie Hudson are bringing zucchini, maybe bell peppers (depending on the weather) as well as kale, collard greens, hot peppers, finger potatoes, and cabbage. Have you tried the purple beans from Juan Torres? They are bound to liven up your 3-bean salad! He also has epazote, fava beans, and tomatillos. Youa and Neng Lor will be bringing more sweet corn to the market to add to J&R farms early variety.

Polly from Polly Jane Jams has some new strawberry, cherry, and black raspberry vinegar, of her hot pickled veggies, and starting next market, tomato jam! Polly and Adrian Reif, from “Go Nuts! Yumbutters” came up with a recipe that you ought to try. Adrian sells organic peanut butter including the following “potions” – Dark Choclate Delishe, Cranberry and Coconutty, and Asian Jazz. The recipe is consists of 1:1 Ginger plum jam and Asian Jazz peanut butter, a drizzle of olive oil, 1 tsp of red or white vinegar, sesame seeds (optional) and sugar to taste. Can be used as a dip for green beans, snap peas, or, if thinned, as a dressing for salad.

Cindy from Keene Organics let me know that their entire crew has been out in the fields harvesting garlic – they will be making home-made garlic powder as well as providing the garlic. (have you tried their garlic pesto yet? It is really good).

For your sweet tooth, don’t forget to get a cookie from Capital City Cookies (such as their berry walnut white chocolate cookie!) or, from Cupcakes-a-go-go, some of their smores, funkey monkey, or lemon w/ blueberry cupcakes. And if your dog has a sweet tooth for peanut butter, get some PUPcakes. Or how about some delicious honey from Rolling Hills Honey? They also have bee related products including some very popular home-made lotion bars – in a size that is perfect for carrying in a purse or in a pocket.

Get your fresh, local, veggies at your Northside Farmers Market! This week they include lettuce, spinach, cilantro, callete, potatoes of all kinds, zucchini, sugar snap peas, beans, Swiss chard, sweet onions, radishes, beets, romaine lettuce, kale, collard greens, yellow squash, yellow and red raspberries, broccoli, corn, turnips, carrots, Hungarian peppers, English cucumbers (seedless and bitter free), and eggplant.

For grass fed meats stop by Earth Rise Farms (did you know stir fry meat can be used for fondue?) or CC Angus. And for fresh cheese stop by Farmers John’s Cheese or Saxon Homestead Creamery (which includes goat’s cheese).

The season is in full swing – our vendors are working hard to make sure you get fresh, locally-made products. All you have to do is come down to the market and purchase what you want to take home!