Farmers' Market-Arlington, Mass.

Farmers' Market Poll

2008-10-29T08:00:00.001-04:00

Arlington Farmers’ Market
MARKET POLL — EVALUATION

Market enthusiasts: Do you think this has been our best year? For the Market really seems to be thriving! But all the same we would like a little feedback in this time of transition, and possibly lend your talents into making our Market even better! We would also like to have Members, to have a base of support, and also to communicate with people, to have an e-newsletter, for instance. OK, first we should note that the Market has changed considerably in the last couple of years — three years ago we just had farmers! Now we have bakers, food vendors, and artisans! Do you approve of this diversity, and what about the details?? Note: space is a problem!

1.) Do you like our mix of farmers? __. We now have two organic farms (Great Oak and Grateful, the latter not cert.), and everyone else Integrated Pest Management, also meat, fish (not a farm of course), maple syrup, honey, plants, Hmong (we hope a Laotian farm will return next year), three orchards, and several big farms! Also are the Market times and dates OK? This season: June 11 to Oct 29, 1 to 6:30 save 1 to 6 in Oct. ___.

2.) Do you approve of our expansion?? ___. On a scale of 1 to 5, bakers __, what about sweets (cookies, cakes, sauces)__, what about popcorn? __, coffee and tea__, your preferences: ____________________________________________________________.

3.) Crafts: what is you opinion?_____________________________________________. Should we favor food vendors over artisans? __. We are thinking of having just 1 crafts tent & rotating as Lex does. We’re also considering letting the crafts go, just foods___.

4.) Be a member! __. Volunteer: publicity __, putting up signs __, flyers __, website __, e-newsletter __, donations of produce from farmers __, Seconds Market at Menotomy Public Housing __, running the Market Table __, non-profit table __, arranging for music or entertainment __, nutrition or cooking information __, program __. Program could mean demonstrations of the last item, food preservation, recycling, green transportation and resources, farm and food politics, etc.!

Please write us an essay on the back to expand your poll check marks! Let us have your contact information so we can contact you and vice versa. Our mailing address is c/o 67 Coolidge Road, Arlington, MA 02476.

Cooperatively, Oakes & Patsy

Oakes Plimpton, E-mail: plimag@rcn.com; Patsy Kraemer, patsyLkraemer@comcast.net.

Note: Essentially Oakes is retiring & Patsy is taking over as Market Manager next year!

July Market News

2008-07-09T11:06:00.008-04:00

NEWS: Due to the lack of space in the main parking lot, we have moved all the craft vendors up to the shady lawn of the Jefferson Cutter House by Mass. Ave. You will find inexpensive jewelry, handmade aprons and bags, cloth creations, pottery, paintings, photography, cookies - including gluten free very good ones. The coffees and teas will remain down with the farmers. We have one new food vendor -- TTBud popcorn - homemade popcorn from people who grew up in Arlington - one kind with both salt and sweetener. We also have Sassy Sauces -- they bring various sweet and chocolate sauces. Every other week brings the knife sharpener -- look for them Wednesday, August 6th.

Respecting the farmers, we welcome Hmong Farm with their southeast Asian veggies, such as baby bok choi and pea tendrils. Nicewicz Orchard is now there bringing blueberries and corn, also zucchinis! The farmers are already bringing native tomatoes (not greenhouse ones) and the first native corn is in! Summer squash is already here!

Hopefully the weather will become more moderate -- the two weeks ago market had us all hanging on to the tents and weathering the hail coming down, thunder and lightening!! Fortunately no loss of tents. At the Market today, and next week too, Intern Rachel will be handing out $5 gift certificates for the Crafts -- stroll up there to view their creations!

Grain Salad Recipe

2008-06-16T14:34:00.003-04:00

GRAIN SALADS

Introduce yourself to the wonderful grains that are now available and exciting to use.

We all are familiar with tabbouleh salad, using cracked wheat. And many of us are familiar with the pasta orzo used as a salad. But have you tried quinoa or farro?

My absolute grain for this kind of salad is farro – found at Whole Foods in the pasta section – somewhat expensive – but well worth the cost! And it goes a long way!
A very dense, chewy texture, wonderful nutty, hearty flavor.

So for a FARRO SALAD recipe, here goes:

1 cup farro – prepared according to the directions
(which are to soak for 30 minutes –
drain – cover w/ water – cook till
tender and al dente- drain)

Then add what you have and what’s in season:

Chopped scallions – or Vidalia onions –
Or red onion – all chopped fine
Chopped chives
Chopped parsley
Sliced radishes
Chopped celery
Chopped cucumber (store-bought now!)
Fresh Peas
2-3 T. capers/ w some juice
Sliced grape tomatoes (store bought now!)
Crumbled feta cheese

Then make one of those vinaigrette dressings from last week’s blog and add.
It’s especially good to use some red wine vinegar and some fresh lemon juice – the
salad wants to be plenty tart to balance the grain flavor.

Happy healthy eating!

Farmers' Market Opens June 11, 1 p.m.!!

2008-05-22T11:07:00.005-04:00

Hi everyone! Its that time again when we can stroll down to the central parking lot to see all the farmers' tents, and choose our very fresh excellent local produce! We should have all the various lettuces -- Boston, Greenleaf, young Romaine, Redleaf, Mesclun, and some of the southeast Asian greens such as Mizzuna, and Spinach greens should be up. Steve Violette of Dick's Market Garden tells me he has delicious greenhouse tomatoes! Some farmers will have Asparagus and Rhubarb -- they're at the end of their season. Native strawberries should be ripe soon! Its possible this heat wave will ripen the strawberries enough for some berries to be brought to Market. Native peas should come in soon -- English, Snow Peas, Sugar Snaps. For your own garden look for transplants for sale -- tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, flowers, herbs. Smith's Country Cheese and Crystal Brook goat cheese farms will be there, also bringing organic eggs, as will Chestnut Farms with their grass-fed beef! Kitty Kiefer will bring her Merrimac Valley honeys!
We will also have other food products -- the Danish Bakery and Bob Sargent of Flora's will bring their various baked goods! There'll be shade grown Vietnamese coffee, various teas, on alternative weeks spicy sauces and sweet sauces. The knife sharpener, Mr. Siraco, and the plant man, John Harrington, they may or may not show.
Yes, the crafts people will be back, handmade jewelry, bags, aprons, paintings, photographs, and new this season a local potters tent! We may be treated to some Celtic and other string music by a kids trio!
We are Oakes Plimpton and Patsy Kraemer. Our phone # is 781 648-5117 and e-mail: .

Salad Dressing Recipe

2008-04-22T14:43:00.009-04:00

SALAD DRESSING -- 3 PARTS TO 1 PART (the magic fomula)

For all the beautiful fresh greens that you’ll find at the farmer’s market – don’t use those “bottle-tasting” bottled dressings! Use the magic formula of 3 parts OIL to 1 part ACID for your homemade dressing.
For your nightly salad all you need is 3 Tablespoons of a good olive oil and 1 Tablespoon of a good acid – mixed in a small bottle or dish – and you’ve got the makings of a wonderful vinaigrette dressing. Fresh tasting and so easy!

Now for the fun part – you can add all kinds of frills to this basic formula – you can add:

*A clove of garlic
*a pinch of oregano or other herb
*a very small pinch of sugar, s & p
*a teaspoonful of Dijon mustard
*a small clump of fresh herbs

You should use a good virgin (first-pressed) olive oil -- Or:

Experiment with olive oils infused with flavorings – such as

*blood orange olive oil
*Meyer lemon olive oil
*pomegranate olive oil

For the acid, there are a myriad of choices. The most basic choice is
balsamic vinegar. It’s a very special treat for yourself to keep a really good (and expensive) balsamic oil on hand just for this use in vinaigrettes.

Other acids to use are:

*Lemon jujice
*sherry vinegar
*Champagne orange vinegar
*Champagne balsamic vinegar
*Black Fig vinegar
*D’Anjou Pear vinegar

Wonderful oils and vinegars are available at all specialty stores – Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Wilson’s, other country stores. And of course there are homemade herb vinegars to be had – information on that to come in ensuing weeks!