Join Northside Farmers Market on Facebook! click here

A Note from CC Angus Beef
Article By Marilyn Dralle
Photo by Chris Moore

Greetings to you from CC Angus Beef, Mineral Point, WI. Don and I write to let you know how much we appreciate our customers and friends at the Northside. This makes our 6th year at the Northside Farmers Market and we enjoy it so much.

Our farm is located 6.6 miles south of Mineral Point. Some of the best grassland is found in our area. We raise purebred Black Angus beef from baby stage to harvest on grass or forage.

We calve in the spring and fall. The spring calves are starting to enjoy foraging with the herd. They are ready for fresh pastures each day just like the older animals.

With spring and summer rains, our grasses have come on for grazing. We added chicken compost to our fertilization program last fall and it is working well this summer. We made the first crop of hay before the first of June, which is awesome.

Breeding for next year's calf crop started in June. We select sires for our cows and heifers for their good genetic traits...marbling, tenderness, ribeye, etc. This time of the year stays very busy and challenging.

Don and I were pleased to learn that Dale Matthews won an award at the Madison Businessman's Chili Contest using our beef. Congratulations, Dale!

Speaking about recipes, July is Beef Month in WI. The WI Beef Council has a wealth of information and delicious beef recipes at beeftips.com. Don and I have a "special" promotion this month, too, so stop by our booth at the market and get the details.

Green Beans, Tomatoes, and Sunflowers
An Original Recipe by Angela Trentadue

It feels to me like I’m drowning in green beans right now. Last year, I froze a ton of beans and ended up not eating as many over the winter as I thought I would. So this year, I’m trying to eat more of the fresh ones, but am having a hard time keeping up. That’s how we end up with a couple weeks worth of recipes with green beans in them. I figure it’s not a bad thing, since variety is key when you have an abundance of something fresh. If your beans are really fresh, skipping the blanching step would be fine. But cooking the beans just slightly and then mixing them, while still warm, in the vinaigrette boosts the flavor immensely. Plus, if you have a lot of beans around, this would be a great opportunity to blanch them all and then keep them in the fridge for snacks and other creative salads.

Put a large pan of salted water over high heat and bring to a boil.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together:
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1 tbs dijon mustard
2 tbs lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt

Continue to whisk while slowly drizzling in:
6 tbs olive oil
Taste the vinaigrette and adjust seasoning. Set aside.

When the water is at a rolling boil, add:
1/2 pound green beans, stems trimmed and cut into 1/2” pieces
Blanch the beans about 1 minute. They should be slightly tender and still have some crunch. Drain the beans and add to the vinaigrette while still warm. Mix well to coat each bean.

While the beans bathe in the vinaigrette, add:
1/2 pound cherry tomatoes, cut into quarters
1/4 c sunflower seeds, toasted
Mix all together. 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

Upcoming Special Events at the Market
By Chris Moore

Folks, next week Barb Ingham, who teaches a Master Food Preserver class at the UW-Extension, will be at the market to discuss the “Pickle Law” and preservation techniques. One of her students, our own Polly Reott from Polly Jane’s Pickles and Jams, will be doing a canning demonstration next to her booth.

A free community dinner is coming up at the market on August 8, from noon-3:00 pm. The delicious meal will be “gleaned” from our market vendors and prepared by cooks and chefs of the Northside. A “Free Will” donation will be accepted to benefit Food Enterprise & Economic Development of Madison (FEED Madison).

FEED Madison is raising money to build a shared-use food processing kitchen and business incubator. It will be many things to many people: a commercial kitchen for rent by caterers, food cart operators, farmers, and other value-added food producers; a supportive location for food entrepreneurs to start food-related businesses; a place that enables development of food-related employment; a place for everyone to learn more kitchen skills. The goal of FEED Madison is to increase the availability of locally produced, healthy, and affordable food in the Madison community and beyond. For more information, check them out at www.FEEDMadison.org.

The dinner will happen rain or shine (if rain, inside the “old hardware store”). There is no cost but reservations are required – just stop by the market information booth. By the way, we are looking for volunteers to help during the dinner and during cleanup.

Drawing for a
30 Quart Pressure Cooker!

NFM has a brand-new 30 Quart Pressure Cooker and we will be giving it away!

So come down to the market, bring your friends and neighbors, and sign up to win this spectacular item! The drawing will happen on August 15. Winner will be notified by phone or email.

Market Update
Article by Chris Moore
Photos by Cathy Perry

It is always hard to predict what produce will be ready or even if it will be accessible to pick! Last Saturday it rained so hard that one of our farmers, Rich Pederson, couldn’t get into his field to pick his produce, so wasn’t able to come. We also expect Daniel Barnard (who was ill last Sunday) from Health Ridge Farms to be back with sweet and tart cherries.

New produce and products coming to the market include cherry tomatoes, eggplant and leeks (Jim and Jackie Hudson), and blackberries and “Dragon’s Tongue” beans from Equinox Farms. Jan and Rudy from J&R Farms will see if they can find some acorn squash, but no guarantees. Cindy from Keene organics says they will have corn.

Just a heads up that Capital City Cookies will be bringing some new flavors to the market this week. They will be introducing White Chocolate Cherry Bars, Maple Pecan Bars, Mint Fudge Brownies and their Double Chocolate Butterscotch Brownies (wow!).

Otherwise, come to the market for some seasonal and specialty products including calete, sweet onions, cilantro, zaub iab, spinach, basil, potatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, green and yellow beans, hmong beans, rhubarb, kohlrabi, swiss chard, and beets.

Also at the market you will find carrots, kale, cabbage, bell peppers (including the purple variety), hot peppers, tomato greens, yellow squash, romaine lettuce, shitake mushrooms, garlic, cauliflower, Hungarian yellow peppers, and mustard greens. Juan Torres has his Fava beans, tomatillos, radishes, and squash blossoms – check out this simple but delicious recipe

This week, from Saxon Homestead Creamery, we feature their Pastures cheese – a flavorful cheddar that is bandaged wrapped (English style). And don’t forget Polly Reott’s pickled asparagus spears, dilly beans, and tomato jam (tomatoes from Liz Wyman).

So come down to the market, enjoy a canning demonstration, all while sipping on free coffee from the Cranky Coffee Company!