Labor Day news at the Bloomingdale Farmers Market

From: "Markets & More" <Markets__More@mail.vresp.com>
Date: August 29, 2014 at 12:48:08 AM EDT
To: robin.shuster@verizon.net
Subject: LABOR DAYS NEWS AT BFM

Hi BFM Fans,

If you are in town, come to market.  We have a great cooking demo with cake specialist and personal chef Kisha Washington at 11-12:30. 

What are you cooking up for your picnics and barbecues?  I am in love with eggplants this year so they will feature prominently on my menu.  And who can resist skewers of multi colored cherry tomatoes? I also love grilled peaches and nectarines. Whatever you need, we will have it at market -- summer foods abound-- all the sweet corn and tomatoes and peaches and nectarines and plums and berries, eggplants and summer squash and peppers, okra, fingerling potatoes, watermelons, sun melons, onions, garlic, shallots. cantaloupes, cucumbers, beans of all sizes and colors, pastured pork, chicken, free range eggs, local cheeses, award winning fruit and savory pies.  AND the moderate weather means that we have lots of September crops as well: head lettuces, broccoli, chard, kale, spinach, beets, and lots of good eating apples and grapes.  Fennel and radishes. Leeks. Scallions.

LABOR DAY NEWS:

*Garner :*Tomato Sale: box of 25 pounds of good seconds/$15.  Reserve at wbboylejr@gmail.com
*Garner:  Eggplant Sale;  bag of eggplants/$10 -- make eggplant caviar, fried eggplant, grilled eggplant slices, eggplant parm, ratatouille
* Number 1 Sons: Buy pickles, half price for the kraut.  They want to star at your BBQs.
* Number 1 Sons NEW: spicy pepper medley created for fried chicken or to spice up a hot dog; Potomac Reds (sweet pickles); Blond Mary pickles with more horse radish to heat up the picnic; return of the Half Sours.
*Jenna's Mixed Berry Pies-- this one is for berry lovers - they are all there in just one pie.
*Lots of buns and rolls at Panorama

*Armenian Cucumbers at Truck Patch-- lots of sausages and pork and chicken for your grills and picnics
*Freshly shelled Black Eyed peas -- slow cook them with tomatoes, scallions and dill --

http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/field-peas-a-summertime-classic-throughout-the-south/2014/08/11/0c827c02-1ceb-11e4-ab7b-696c295ddfd1_story.html

 IVY BRAND: head lettuce, salad mix, kale, swiss chard, potatoes, fingerlings, garlic, winter squash (acorn, spaghetti, delicata, and maybe some butternuts), scallions, beets, tomatoes, cherry toms, summer squash, cukes, sweet peppers, and hot peppers

REID: Connor's got the peaches and the nectarines, the grapes, the plums, the blackberries, blueberries and the ever growing selection of apples-- add Tsugaru to the list of Zestar, Ginger Gold, Sansa and Mollie's delicious.  Tomatoes too.

KESWICK Creamery:  Keswick Caprese-- tomatoes and their new mixed milk mozz/burrata - made in Heaven.   Keswick has SO many new cheese this season;  mixed milk melanges include; a camembert, a burrata/mozzarella, a Valancay, a Provence miraflores dusted with thyme, a Morbier bathed in a linen brine with ash in-between.  Plus the the oldie goodies: Lesher, Vermeer, Wallaby, Dragonsbreath, Blue Suede Moo, the Tommes, the flavored Fetas, Quark, that ricotta and my all time favorite yogurt.

TRUCK PATCH: Black Krim, Stripped German, Brandywine, Cherokee Purple plus many more. Market red tomatoes are bountiful. Cherry Tomatoes in a rainbow of colors. Arugula, Mesclun, Spinach, Kale, Dino Kale, Swiss Chard, Beets, Green Peppers, and Eggplant. Green & Yellow Zucchini, Crookneck Squash, Pattypan Squash. Armenian Cucumbers, Garden Cucumbers, and small pickling cucumbers.  Lots of Fresh Basil. Cantaloupes and Watermelons. Beautiful cilantro

Truck Patch Meats:  Bacon, Bacon, and more bacon thin and thick cut! Sage sausage, maple sausage, Hot Italian, Sweet Italian, kielbasa , bratwurst, ground pork, bone in pork chops, boneless and bone in butt. Hammocks , fat back, pork liver, ham steaks, and pig feet. Whole  free range chickens, boneless chicken breast, chicken thighs, chicken drumsticks, and chicken wings.

GARNER: Bernard tomato fields are thriving, “ordinary reds’, romas, beefsteak, “early girls and heirlooms-- and cherry toms. Baby Limas (American edamame) are great quick boiled and seasoned with olive oil and salt and lemon.  Black eyed peas cook up quickly when they are so fresh and make a good salad with grilled anything. Japanese, white, Italian and Thai eggplant; Squash: Patty pan. Yellow. Zucchini, Ishtar, that pale green Lebanese variety,eight ball, golden zucchini. Sweet Corn, okra, potatoes, peppers sweet and hot, green and yellow and Roma beans. Melons: sun, cantaloupes and seedless  watermelons in red and yellow. Swiss chard and arugula.  Mint, dill and parsley.
 
PANORAMA: Lots of rolls and buns. French bread baked by French bakers – baguettes, croissants, palmiers, Danish, scones, Breton specialties. Whole wheat, rye, pumpernickel, rustiques, country, sour dough – boules and sandwich breads too.
 NUMBER 1 SONS: A huge selection of DC’s best traditional New York pickles, Korean kimchi and a variety of krauts from Central American curtidos to classic German sauerkrauts.  Fermented and fabulous.  But this week they have lots of NEW:

*New: Potomac Reds. sweet pickles! We're trying out a new recipe. We have chunks of red bell peppers mixed in with our apple cider vinegar brine. Pickles, onions and peppers can all go on a sandwich. Or simply eat over the sink, straight outta the jar!

*New: We will have a spicy pepper medley. Name TBD. We got a great variety of peppers from Potomac Vegetable Farms and chopped them up. This is great for eating with fried chicken or putting on a hot dog. I've attached some of the pepper signs with all the cool varieties.

*Reign of the yellow cucumbers (from Bigg Riggs) continue. Blonde Mary pickles will be at market this weekend. We've added even more fresh horseradish. These are still a very balanced pickle, a bit spicy. Hints of Old Bay flavors and Bloody Mary :)

*We will have very fresh Half Sours -- not all of our Sunday markets got them last week bc our cucumber/pickle supply hasn't kept up with summer demand.

WHISKED: Labor day weekend is a great time for pie. Barbecues, picnics, parties, even happy hours - I think pie is the perfect way to celebrate the end of summer. They have one of their most summery pies on the menu this week - the mixed berry pie is full of blueberries, blackberries and raspberries. Peach Crumble Pie, Blueberry Pie, Kale and Feta Quiche and Ratatouille Quiche.

See you Sunday, rain or shine.

Robin, Teds, Rachel