Hello All!

There are lots of things going on at the South Anchorage Farmer’s Market this week!

WHAT’S COOKING AT THE MARKET? South Anchorage Farmers’ Market will have Blythe Campbell, Master Gardener and a marvelous cook, doing a cooking demonstration in a kind of “iron chef” style - see what’s fresh and cook it!  We are really looking forward to having her add to the whole farmers’ market experience.  And, she’ll give us great ideas on how to use all this great produce!

NEW FARMERS’ MARKET IN EAGLE RIVER! There is now a new farmers’ market in Eagle River!  It is located outside of Mike’s Meats, 12110 Business Blvd. Hours are 9 a.m.-2 pm.  Glacier Valley Farms will be there with their selection of zucchini, tomatoes and strawberries.  Bob Shoemaker will also be there bringing lots of greens and lettuce.  It started last week and received a very warm welcome by everyone there.  Be sure to let your friends know!

A FALL HARVEST DINNER SPONSORED BY THE INTERNATIONAL GALLERY OF CONTEMPORARY ART is being held on September 12. I have listed the contact information below.  If you have never experienced a Slow Food event they are very special. Using local ingredients and prepared with attention to detail, the food is always fantastic!  This time it is a fundraiser for the IGCA. So, not only will you get to experience incredible food, but support IGCA as well.

FOOD SEACOAST
SATURDAY, SEPT. 12, 2009, 7PM
Catered by the Red Beet Cafe
Location: At artful home on Otis Lake
with fresh local produce, seafood, beer & more
music, cocktails, artwork, floatable art
$100 per person
Discount for tables of 10
Space is limited
Email for reservations: 
BE A LOCAVORE: EAT AND SUPPORT ART

Do you have an overabundance of broccoli sitting in your refrigerator? Or, do you want to take advantage of the great prices on local broccoli and buy a lot to use later in the year?  Then there is the obvious--it just tastes better than broccoli from Outside!  You really need to check out these two sources:  http://southanchoragefarmersmarket.com/index.php/site/processing-vegetables/
www.alisonslunch.com

Both sites have Alison showing you how to process your broccoli from buying it at the market to cleaning, cooking, and the best way to freeze it.  It takes all the guess work out of how to do it.  I have to say it inspired me to jump in and buy a case! Lots of great recipes too. Thanks Alison!

GLACIER VALLEY FARMS will be bringing their marvelous zucchini and red ripe tomatoes.  They will have a limited amount of strawberries that are so flavorful they probably won’t make it home.  But you need to get there early as supplies are limited!

VANDERWEELE FARMS will also have celery, carrots, beets, first of the year Yukon Gold new potatoes, jumbo yellow onions, radishes, red and green cabbage, lime green, purple, cheddar (yellow) and white cauliflower. Also lots of different lettuce varieties such as dark red oak, green and red romaine, lola rosa, as well as green and red leaf lettuce.

MARY JANE will have her special Romanesco cauliflower.  She will also have her selection of pastries and breads.  I hope she brings more of those lovely chocolate truffles.

REMPEL FAMILY FARM will have certified organic beets( red, cylinder, golden, and chioggia), green beans, yellow beans, purple beans, sugar snap peas, pickling cucumbers, cabbages ( green, red and savoy), and a bunch of other delicious fresh vegetables.

Now is the time to be putting up beans, beets, pickles and other vegetables for the winter.  You will be glad that you did!

ARCTIC CHOICE SEAFOODS will have Sockeye and Coho salmon fillets and whole fish, Halibut fillets, Rockfish, Lingcod & Cod fillets, Razor clam meats, and Scallops. This will be the last weekend Fresh Sidestripe shrimp will be available, as the season closes on Saturday.

THE REDBEET CAFÉ is bringing their assortment of tempting treats.  Other things to look for:  Farmer’s Cheese and yogurt in NEW SNACK SIZED PACKETS!  I tried their homemade yoghurt for the first time and it was incredibly rich, smooth, with just the lightest tang. It was great on those super sweet strawberries at breakfast.  Also NEW!  MULTI GRAIN GLUTEN FREE!!  AMAZING BUT TRUE!  This bread is made from a variety of seeds, buckwheat and flax.  Fabulous for sandwiches or everyday table eating.  All of their usual yummy Market Pies, both sweet and savory; dressings, vinaigrettes, fresh cultured yogurt, farmer’s cheese, and lots of sweet treats, both regular and gluten free.  Breads of various types and natural salves and balms by Hazel.

RISE & SHINE BAKERY will be baking two kinds of 100% whole grain pan loaves this week: their very popular SPENT GRAIN bread, made with barley grains left over from Midnight Sun Brewery’s beer-making process. They’ll also be baking ALASKAN BAKED POTATO pan loaves, moist and delicious, and very similar to the regular 100% whole wheat sourdough levain. And they’ll be baking those cute little RAISIN & TOASTED PECAN pan loaves, as well—perfect for breakfast or as a snack, any time of the day. As for hearth loaves, Dan & Alison will bake their 100% whole wheat TOASTED SEED bread, packed with sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, and sesame seeds (and a dash of polenta). And all you folks out there who have been requesting the KALAMATA OLIVE loaf again, it’s your week!

Once again, I’m delighted to introduce my intern, Sherrill Smith Collins! She’s a candidate for a Master’s of Science in Nutrition at Bastyr University in Washington State. She’s helping us with some Farmers’ Market reporting while she’s home for the summer. Take it away, Sherrill!
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SHERRILL’S REPORT

This is the perfect time of year at the market because the farmers have it all!  The selection can be a bit overwhelming if you don’t have a plan of attack.  Which greens should I buy?  Potatoes already?  A small bag of peas, or do I need a 10-pound bag so I can freeze peas for the winter?  However you approach the market each week, keep in mind that the later season vegetables are starting to make an appearance.  Glacier Valley farms is hoping to have eggplant and brussel sprouts in the coming weeks,

STOCKWELL FARM continues to have green beans and a variety of potatoes,

FUTURE FARMERS OF AMERICA will have honey and GREY OWL FARMS is expecting more peppers of the sweet and spicy persuasions.

This week I have decided to present the produce available in a different format.  All of the farmers have an amazing selection!

Fennel
Scallions
Green beans
Yellow beans
Purple beans
Pac choi
Bok choi
Tomatoes
French fillet beans/Haricot Vert
Cucumbers
Romanesco cauliflower
Green bell peppers
Zucchini of every size
Basil
Collard greens
Kale
Cut flowers
Beets
Chioggia beets
Red cabbage
Green cabbage
Jalapenos
Raddichio
Pickling cucumbers
Kennebec potatoes
Rosegold potatoes
Shepody potatoes
German butterball potatoes
Red potatoes
Yukon gold potatoes
White potatoes
Kohlrabi
Celery
Romaine
Thyme
Oregano
Rosemary
Peas
Turnips
Swiss chard
Onions
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Mustard greens
Carrots
Buttercrunch lettuce
Red lettuce
Savoy
Oyster mushrooms
Jams
Dilly Beans

NOTES, IDEAS AND RECIPES
As I walked around the market this past weekend, at a later time than usual, I took notice of what sold out in the early hours and what was still around.  I was surprised to see bins of healthy looking collard greens just begging to go home with someone.  So, I thought I might highlight how wonderful and delicious collard greens are. 

First of all, are you aware how lucky we are?  The collard greens grown in south central Alaska are gigantic!  I had friends visiting from Seattle and they couldn’t get over the size of the leaves!  Our extra large collard greens make excellent wraps, simply remove the center rib, cut the leaf in half and roll it up.  This week I filled my collard green wrap with red rice, barbeque tempeh and black beans.  My grandmother likes to cook up a mess of collard greens for Sunday dinner.  I found this recipe for Vegetarian Southern-style Collard Greens on the food network and I love it, foodnetwork.com

Collard greens are cousins with kale and mustard greens, as it is part of the Brassica genus.  The members of the Brassica genus are powerhouses packed with phytonutrients, also known as antioxidants, that help the liver detoxify potentially carcinogenic substances.  Like other dark greens, collards are full of vitamins and minerals.  One cup of boiled collard greens has 880% of our recommended daily value (RDA) for vitamin K, 119% of our RDA for vitamin A and 57% of our RDA for vitamin C.  Collards are also an excellent source of calcium, fiber and folate.

This week Rempell’s Family Farm had fennel!  The bulb, stalk, leaves and seeds are edible.  Fennel is closely related to carrots, dill and coriander.  Fennel is a powerful antioxidant that has ant-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic effects.  Fennel is an excellent source of vitamin C, fiber, folate, and pottasium.  This versatile vegetable is very popular in European countries, especially Italy and France.  A good friend and fellow colleague relates that her Italian family serves fennel every evening with dinner.  The fennel bulb is sliced and served raw with a dressing of oil, vinegar and Italian spices.  Her family lovingly refers to this dish as fenusch.  My favorite way to eat fennel is roasted.  I slice the bulb into 8 pieces, toss with olive oil and roast at 420F for 20 minutes, or until it is golden and soft.  I also add roasted or raw fennel to salads.  I haven’t tried it yet, but several cooking blogs out there mention adding a diced fennel bulb to potatoes au gratin. 

Thanks Sherrill! I never thought of using collard greens as a wrap-I’ll definitely give it a try.

FARMER’S MARKETS AROUND ALASKA!
Are you traveling around Alaska this summer? Might you be tempted to stop in another town and look for a farmers market there? If this sounds like your ideal vacation (it’s definitely high on my list!), I have great news! I’ve just launched a website for the brand-new non-profit, the ALASKA FARMERS MARKET ASSOCIATION. Every farmers market in Alaska is listed by city, along with its location, dates, and hours of operation.  www.AlaskaFarmersMarkets.org

GLACIER VALLEY FARM CSA PRODUCE BOXES
Have you ever considered joining a CSA? Community Supported Agriculture not only gives you some motivation to eat what is good for you, it also helps your local farmers.

Check out www.GlacierValleyCSA.com The website has lots of information and pick up spots are growing all around Anchorage and the Valley. And of course it has recipes! Sign up is easy and there is no monthly commitment.

related recipes

fennel cucumber salsa