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Friday, May 24, 2013

get your Memorial Day fixings at the Bloomingdale Farmers Market !

From: Robin Shuster 
Sent: Thursday, May 23, 2013 5:45 PM
Subject: Get Your Memorial Day Fixings at BFM

                                      

Hi BFM Fans,

Stock up at the market for your Memorial Day feasts and picnics and barbecues, whether you are carnivorous or vegetarian. Sausages, burgers, chops, ribs, chickens, goat, turkeys, bacons from Painted Hand, Truck Patch and North Mt Pastures plus pies, rolls, apples, salads, greens, beans, ice cream, apples, strawberries-- we have you covered.

Of course we will have strawberries! Garner's warm fields grow a lot of Chandlers, Truck Patch's famous Earliglows will be there as well.  Reid will have strawberries next week we hope.

What's special this week?  Green Garlic, the immature thinnings of our producers' garlic fields. Depending on just how young they are, they can look like scallions or leeks or even young whole garlic with leaves attached.  If the outer leaf is a bit tough, strip it off and chop the soft leaves and young bulbs for pesto or seasoned butter or salad dressing or stir fries or green garlic salsa verde.   This salsa verde will go well with fish or shrimp or chicken or as a dip for bread.

ALSO NEW:  Have you noticed that Dolcezza has Push Pops as well as Half Pints at market now?  That doubles your choice for eating at market or taking home for the festivities or to match with one of Jenna's pies.  Pineapple Mint, Cucumber Mint Vodka, Strawberry Tequila, Valrhone Chocolate Amargo Salted Caramel, Roasted Strawberry are this week's flavors.

Like young alliums?  Look for Scallions and the (Leek- flavored) Elephant Garlic Scapes and Leeks and Spring Onions, too.  Saute them and make a simple pan sauce with them. Make some green garlic cream:  Or  if you are looking for a Vegetarian  main course: scallion pancakes:  that you can make with scallions or spring onions or even garlic greens.

Lots of Vegetables: The stands are packed with luscious salads, arugula, mesclun, purple romaine, mixed lettuces.  They are sweet and crisp and some are peppery --everythng you want in a salad.  Cooking greens abound as well: spinach, various kales and chards and mustards, bok choys, young Collards, and other Asian greens.  Sweet Salad Turnips with their greens, baby beets with theirs as well. October beans. Sugar Snap Peas, towers of radishes (eat the greens, too). Cut herbs for marinades:  think oregano and mint, for instance.

What to do with Asparagus for Memorial Day? Take a simple and flavorful salad of Shaved  RAW Asparagus with Mint: http://food52.com/recipes/11674-shaved-asparagus-and-mint-salad.   It is unlike any other asparagus dish or salad you know -- very fresh and light and delicious.  Or make an Asparagus Frittata -- it is meant to be eaten at room temperature.  http://glutenfreegirl.com/2010/05/roasted-asparagus-frittata/

Breads: Pano has promised to bring LOTS of rolls --Olive oil buns (the SAME ONES that wrap the famously decadent burgers at Central), hamburger rolls, breads for sausages and hot dogs plus all the new breakfast pastries that Damien has recreated from his old Bakery in Brittany.

PIES:  Jenna is all about strawberries and rhubarb this week in her sweet pies.  The rhubarb is sweet and tart, just fresh rhubarb sweetened with sugar and flaky crust.  She calls the strawberry-rhubarb one of the best flavor combinations in existence (tart rhubarb with sweet strawberries).  I think she has a point.  And if you want two savory options for those picnics: Blue Cheese and Caramelized Onion or Kale and Feta Quiche.

PLANT YOUR GARDEN  and patios and containers.  This is the traditional safe weekend to plant herbs and flowers and vegetables.  Many of us who dared to plant basil two weeks ago woke up to the great disappearing basil mystery.  (Answer: They don't like weather under 50 degrees... so just replant.) Each of the farmers has brought his or her favorite varieties of herbs and tomatoes and other vegetables  as well as annuals and perennial flowers-- I am stocking up on parsley and cilantro and chives and thymes.   And various basils.  I found Mexican Oregano last week at Reid. Yay. Truck Patch and Garner and Mountain View will also have starts for you but Reid really creates a pop-up Nursery.  The good thing is that you know all of these starts have been cultivated carefully.  Even if you do not have much space, you can have a little corner of garden dreams: http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/home/an-edible-corner-of-the-concrete-jungle/2013/05/21/32702078-bbc0-11e2-b537-ab47f0325f7c_story.html

We welcome and match with Bonus Bucks: SNAP/EBT, WiC, CVC, Senior FMNP, Produce Plus.  DASH is our gleaning partner.

See you Sunday, rain or shine.

Ted, Charlotte, Robin

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