Bloomingdale Farmers Market: The thrilling adventures of strawbs and shrooms

From: Robin Shuster
Sent: Friday, May 27, 2016 6:32 PM
Subject: Fwd: The thrilling adventures of strawbs and shrooms

Hi BFM friends,

Strawberries will be at all the stands at last so taste around:  lots of varieties.  Strawberry picnic, strawberry syrup, strawberry ice cream or granita, strawberry shortcake, strawberry and spinach salad, strawberry and yogurt, just strawberries...


Jonathan Bardzik, our amazing chef at market,  is cooking up a storm  (not the one that may be moving up the coast Monday). Oyster mushrooms with fresh mint. Strawberries with Keswick's ricotta cheese and fresh pasta from our friends at Cucina Al Volo.  Dried mushrooms with baby bok choy, snap peas and miso. Asparagus with radishes and scallions.  He gives great tips and big samples.  Don't miss him.

Grill Everything this weekend: asparagus, broccoli, bok choy, chard.   Burgers or sausages, of course, but the Washington Post has also put together a nice list of vegetarian recipes that go to head to head with our carnivorous friends: Play with the vegetarian po' boy that uses the new summer squash with one of Keswick cheeses; grilled cabbage and grilled kohlrabi look particularly good.  I will be making yogurt dips with mint and garlic for our BBQ-- great with grilled meats or vegetables.

New this week:

• Summer Squash from the field
• Buns and Rolls at Pano
• Broccoli
• Kombucha is back
• Memorial Day Pickle Party Special:  Buy one tall container and get the second at half price.  Yes, you will go through two containers of the half sours or crispy koshers at your barbecues.
• Pies for the People: Whisked, of course.

DID YOU KNOW that ALL of Whisked crusts are made by just ONE guy who comes in to the bakery to make all the crusts for all the pies and quiches?   (Hope she has insured his hands)
Reid: Besides 5 or 6 different varieties of strawberries, there will be apples and herbs.  Grate apples and kohlrabi for the best slaw.
Mycolumbia Mushrooms are growing golden as well as white and gray oyster mushrooms now.
Truck Patch has the sausages and roasts and bacon.
Keswick Creamery:  Mark (co owner and co cheesemaker) brings great melting cheeses for all your Memorial Day recipes.  Wallaby. Vermeer. Cheddar. Lesher are just a few of the 20 different cheeses they will have Sunday.  As you know, I swear by their yogurt; 2 quarts a week.

The Veg: Asparagus leads the list at Truck Patch and Garner.  Please grill it.  Broccoli and summer squash start this weekend.  If you have not tried kohlrabi, it makes the best slaw but it is also good grilled. Napa cabbage, bok choy, tai-tso, chards, kales, mustards, collards, amazing spinach,  sugar snap peas, baby beets, radishes.  Mesclun, head lettuce and little Gem romaine, arugula.  Mountain View has some gorgeous greens.


TIP: Sugar Snap peas are great boiled in salted water and then drained and tossed with shredded mint and olive oil.

Flowers and Plants:  Check out the stands for Herbs in abundance, get yours started now for use all summer.  Mint for ice tea and mojitos, basil for tomato & goat cheese salad,  rosemary or sage with grilled pork chops, Greek oregano loves Spinach. Lemon Verbena grows and grows, makes wonderful tea and dried, a great citrusy spice. Chives go with everything. Annuals are ready for your window boxes and patio pots, hanging baskets too.   Did you plant your basil too early?  Replant some more.

Condiments for the weekend at Number 1 Sons: Besides the pickles, you need kimchi and spring ramp kraut (or one of the other krauts or curtidoes), the asparagus with tarragon and orange peel, pickled carrots, fermented green salsa, the curried beets, pickled jalapenos...

TIP: Kimchi deviled eggs are so good. Perfect picnic food.

Dessert:  So you're bringing dessert.  Jenna's pies are exactly what you want to bring to your feasts.  Strawberry Lemon, Strawberry rhubarb, Rhubarb, Apple,  Salted Caramel Apple, Seas Salt Chocolate Chess.  Asparagus ad Goat Cheese. Bacon, Cheddar and Onion. Southwestern Spinach.
Cucina al Volo fresh pastas and sauces and soups.  4 minute meals that don't heat up the kitchen and taste like Matteo and Daniele's mother took over your kitchen.
Panorama:  stop there for your rolls and buns and baguettes and sandwich breads.  In fact all your breads. Nibble a croissant or a scone.

******************************************************************************* Bike House NEWS: will  be back soon but we need more volunteers.  Kara is the new host and she says:
The Bike House has been helping people fix their bikes at the Bloomingdale Farmers' Market for the past 6 years. We teach basic repairs, including how to lube chains, put air in tires, and patch flats. The Bike House is an all-volunteer operation that relies on support from the community to exist. Unfortunately, a number of our volunteers have moved out of the area since last season and we now need your help to get the clinic up and running again!

The Bike House clinic at the Bloomingdale Farmers' Market will run every other Sunday from 11am-1pm starting on June 12.

Experience is a plus, but not necessary as we provide training to our mechanics.

If you are interested in joining our group of volunteers, please email us at thebikehouse@gmail.com.
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See you Sunday

Robin and the Teds.

Produce Plus restarts in a week.