Yarden of Eatin'

Fitzwilliam Farmers’ Market: next to Town hall. May-Sept., 9am-12pm, Sat. Vegetables, plants, fruits, eggs, bread, wool and wool products, flowers, maple products. Rain or shine, 603-585-9052, utuhusa@yahoo.com, http://www.harvesttomarket.com.

Hancock Farmers’ Market: horsesheds behind church in Hancock. May-Oct., 9am-12pm, Sat. Fresh produce, flowers, plants, handicrafts, preserves, sweets and other local, seasonal, products. Weekly special events, 603-525-3172, konorei@hotmail.com.

Jaffrey Farmers’ Market: Rt. 202, Monadnock Plaza. July-Sept., 9am-12pm, Saturdays, 9am-12pm. Produce, perennials, baked goods, jams, jellies and honey. Rain or shine, 603-532-6561.

The Farmers’ Market of Keene: Commercial parking lot off Gilbo Ave. May-Oct., 9am-2pm, Tues. & Sat. Fruits, vegetables, herbs, plants, flowers, maple syrup, honey, baked goods, bread, jams, jellies, eggs, soap, wool products, lamb, pork, juried crafts. Rain or shine, 603-446-9474.

Peterborough Farmers’ Market: Depot Square. May-Oct., 3-6pm, Wed. Bedding plants, perennials, herb plants, baked goods, eggs, small fruit, apples, vegetables, wine, jewelry, knitted wear, maple syrup, granola, prepared foods, crafts, entertainment, cut flowers, music balloon making, face painting. Rain or shine, 603-878-6124, Mich.S@comcast.net, http://www.peterboroughfarmersmarket.webs.com.

Some Benefits of Farmers’ Markets

May 2, 2009May 2, 2009Leave a comment

The number of farmers markets in the United States continues to grow, reports USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), reaching a total of 4,685 in August 2008. This represents a 6.8 percent increase since mid-August 2006, when AMS reported 4,385 farmers markets nationwide.
SOURCE: Agricultural Marketing Service Program Announcement, Washington, Sept. 19, 2008

In a 2002 survey of over 800 customers from a variety of indoor and open-air markets around the country, it was discovered that 60% of market shoppers also visited nearby stores on the same day; of those, 60% said that they visited those additional stores only on days that they visit the market.
SOURCE: Public Markets Phase I Report: An Overview of Existing Programs and Assessment of Opportunities

Farmers’ markets can have a substantial impact on farmers’ incomes. According to a report prepared for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, gross returns to farmers from farmers’ market sales are between 200 and 250 percent higher than sales to distributors and wholesalers. Whereas farmers earn $22 for each $100 spent by consumers for food, that amount increases to $30 with direct marketing methods.

Dandelion-Onion Quiche with Cracked Coriander

May 2, 2009May 2, 2009Leave a comment

From Pat McGovern, Upper Valley Localvores dandeliongreens

Here’s a variation of a basic recipe for quiche from “Laurel’s Kitchen” cookbook.

3 local eggs, slightly beaten
1 3/4 (1 and three-quarters) cups warm local milk
one-half teaspoon salt
pinch pepper
pinch nutmeg
three-quarter cup grated local cheese
one cup cooked vegetables (onions, leeks, dandelions, etc.)
olive oil or butter
uncooked 9-inch pie crust

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine eggs, warm milk, salt and pepper, and cooked veggies. Spread the cheese evenly in the bottom of pie shell and pour milk/egg/veggie mixture over it. Sprinkle with nutmeg and dot with butter (I forgot to dot with butter so it would appear to be unnecessary.) Place pie on a cookie sheet. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until set. If the middle is not quite set, don’t worry; quiche needs to stand 10 minutes before serving and should be firm after that. Chop an onion or some wild leek and saute in olive oil or butter for a bit then add the chopped dandelion. Add some salt, pepper and nutmeg and cook until the dandelion seems ready (you’ll want a cup of cooked dandelion-onion mixture), then add the veggies to the milk/egg mixture. For cheese, I used a combination of Grafton Cheddar and Neighborly Farms cheddar with green onion.

Spring Tonic – Bitter Greens Soup

May 2, 2009May 2, 2009Leave a comment

From Katrina Hall, She’s In the Kitchen Blog

As a longtime student of herbs, both culinary and medicinal, as soon as the snow melts and the herbs start peeping up, thoughts turn to the spring ritual of tonics and bitter greens. I usually make a thin soup of two or three kinds of bitter greens and puree it, pour it in a mug, and sit outside looking up at the sky and the trees. Pure contentment. You can FEEL your body waking up and shedding the heaviness of winter! If you feel adventurous, you can snip your own dandelion greens, or new nettles ( wear gloves!) but I opted for a mix of fresh rapini and watercress, with a little parsley for detoxification. After a few sips, I thought a spoonful of my garlicy homemade herb cheese would add a little pizazz, so in it went. Just delicious!

To make the soup:
3 cups homemade chicken stock
salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
3 cups chopped rapini or dandelion greens (no stems)
3 cups chopped watercress or stinging nettles (stems ok)
1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley (stems ok)

Bring the stock to a simmer and add the greens. Cook for ten minutes, then take off heat. Using an immersion blender, puree soup. Pour into mugs or bowls and serve with a heaping soup-spoonful of herb cheese, stirring it into the soup as you sip it.