This week at the Market (June 8-12)

June 1st arrived and with it came tomatoes at the market. Fertile Crescent farm apparently had some tomatoes such as those delectable little 'Sun Golds' at the Byrd House Market that very first Tuesday. Again they had some first thing at the South of the James Market and Saint Stephen's Farmers' Market. Quantities were smaller so they were sold out before 8:30-8:45a.m. I'm sure they must have more this week as well, and probably they weren't the only growers doing a good job of jump starting the season. Our local farmers are good! I, of course have tomato plants that are about one foot tall with nary a flower. Similarly delicious are the big fat blackberries I found at Agriberry last week. This time of year their table is covered like a mosaic of fruit, blueberries, blackberries, black raspberries, and sweet cherries (with a few bad ones in each pint).

Also this week at the Huguenot and Robious Market from 10:00-3:00 you can get bug advice from the same guy who dishes it out every Tuesday Morning on NPR 88.9 fm.

If you're interested in starting up your own vermiculture (worm bin), now is a great time of year to do so. The Hanover Master Gardeners will be at the Saint Stephen's Farmers' Market this coming Saturday to show you how.

Recipe: Zucchini Bread

It is getting to be that time of year when you are about to have so many squash, you won't know what to do! I love this bread for breakfast or for snacks. It is one of those foods that I remember from my childhood, though I still can't make it like my momma did.

Zucchini Bread

Makes 2 loaves

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

3 eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

1 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 zucchini, grated, about 2 cups

Optional:

1 cup chopped toasted walnuts

1 cup fresh fruit (I used blueberries last time- yum!)

Grease two loaf pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Sift flour, salt, baking powder, soda, and spices together.

In another bowl or mixer, beat eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugars together until light and creamy. Add sifted ingredients to the creamed mixture, and blend. Stir in remaining ingredients until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pans.

Bake for about 50 minutes, or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan.

Broad Appétit- this Sunday!

Broad Appetit, the festival which celebrates Richmond food, is this Sunday, June 6 from 11am until 5pm. Broad Appetit is a fantastic way to sample foods from area restaurants. I am so excited to try food from restaurants I have not yet been to, like Avenue 805 and 27, plus food from some I cannot go to as much as I would like, (Acacia, Balliceaux and Cafe Rustica). There is no admission to the festival itself, but you can sample what is cooking around town for just $3.00 per sample (the food vendors accept cash only). There will also be loads of bands and foodie agencies, so if you are into food or just curious about what is going on in the Richmond food world- this is your chance to find out. See you there!

Now in Season

It's Memorial Day Weekend. I love this time of year. It's one of those cross over periods, and in this case it's spring meets summer. Just as this weekend marks the beginning of summer culture so does it so often mark the arrival of some of our favorite summer foods. This week marked my first sighting of sweet red cherries, cucumbers, blueberries, ripe mulberries, and tender green beans. A couple of weeks ago I got my first batch of baby yellow squash from Fertile Crescent. Now those squash are long and lean with beautiful green bands. At the same time there are still mounds of strawberries and asparagus, those bastions of spring. I've been to both the Lakeside Wednesday Market and the South of the James Market this week. That's just two out of over a dozen area markets.

Here's what I got....
Strawberries: Two Quarts for $10, Agriberry
Asparagus: 1Lb for $5, Agriberry
Sweet Cherries: 1 pint $5, Agriberry
Blueberries: 1 pint $5, Agriberry
Yellow Squash: $4 for a pint stuffed upright like little squash soldiers, Fertile Crescent
Snap Peas: $2.50 for a stuffed standard size zippy bag, Thistledown Farm
Radishes: $2.50 for a giant bunch with greens, Fertile-Crescent
Red Cabbage: $2.50 for a mid-sized head, Victory Farm
Carrots: $3.00 for a good sized bunch with greens, Victory Farm
Green beans: $3.00 for a quart, Bill's Produce
Broccoli: $2.50Lb (which came out to $1 for a large head), Bill's Produce
Red Skinned Potatoes: $2-3 a quart ( I've forgotten which), Bill's Produce

Here's some of the other really nice looking produce I saw at the Market this week...
Green Cabbage
Fresh Red Onions
Spring Onions
Arugula
Lettuces Mixes
Spinach
Kale, Curly and Tuscan
Sugar Peas
Cauliflower
Purple cauliflower
Indian Cucumbers (they are yellow to a brownish green, but taste "just like a cucumber". )
Baby Cucumbers
Bok Choy
Fennel Bulbs (Got these, plus some bulbing fennel plants last week as well)
Turnips
Beets, red, orange, golden
Garlic scapes

Of course I'm only talking produce here and haven't even started on all the meats, breads, jams, jellies, herbs, pastas, plants etc. That will have to wait till next time. If you've spotted something new at your market let us know. With all the new Markets, and new vendors out there it hard to keep up!

Reports and invitations

I never wanted to be the kind of blogger who started out a post with some excuse about why I have not been writing. But, yes, I am about to do just that. It has been very exciting and rewarding and quite lovely, and I did miss being able to share it with you. First- the spring median garden was a big success- I got to share scads of beautiful lettuce with many friends and neighbors. Clyde only likes to look- too bad he won't eat any.

And really, are there any plants more adorable than peas?

Also, not only was I able to build a new compost system in the children's garden at Lewis Ginter, Tony, the head chef at the Garden, is willing to save as many vegetable scraps and coffee filters as we want to add to our compost! So, we are starting out with two pickups a week, and we'll see how it goes from there. I have realized lately how important it is to combine resources within your community in order to be truly sustainable. Plus, I met some cool folks who work in the Garden Cafe. You can read more about the system on the Lewis Ginter blog, which will post later this week.

I also had the opportunity to teach a class this spring at St. Stephen's based on Michael Pollan's newest book called Food Rules. I teamed up with a nurse practitioner, and we got to share the good news about the benefits of fat, and why it is important to eat with other people, and how our food system has changed. Of course, our last class was a potluck supper- one of the best I have ever had! That class was so much fun, I am already looking forward to teaching it again next year.

Another project I am really excited about is the Farmers' Market at St. Stephen's. We have had four very successful and really fun markets, and are looking forward to a new season in this 'delicious revolution'. Amazing vendors, great local bands and really wonderful energy- it is truly an honor to be a part of such a thing. I am also happy to report that we have been able to share leftover produce from willing vendors such as Frog Bottom Farm and Flores Produce with the food pantry at St. Stephen's. The food pantry gives food to about thirty families a week, and I am thrilled that we are able to work together to everyone's benefit. The Farmers' Market at St. Stpehen's has blossomed into a food ministry that works with many aspects of wellness. What more could we want from our work, except that it deepens that which we know is true?

I hope you all are enjoying your gardens and your suppers and your community. If you are around northside this week, why don't you stop by the median garden and take some lettuce home? It is time to plant the tomatoes!

Compost Tea At The South of The James Market

I've noticed the 'Living Soils' banner attached to a new tent near the front of the South of the James Market this season. I had yet to stop, and check it out, but I am sure now that I will. Victory Farms mentioned this new enterprise in their e-mail so I visited the website to check them out. Five dollars will buy you one gallon. A half gallon is three dollars. So good for your soils, and usually tricky to find, having a quality compost tea available at the South of James would be exciting news indeed.

The United States of Food

So, I know that somewhere someone has talked to me about this Virginia company that ships whole pre-planted raised garden beds to customers in Virgina. The company based in Lanexa Va, (between New Kent and Willamsburg) has a garden starter kit package for non-Virginians. Why this hasn't caught my attention until now I can't imagine. Whole, growing gardens shipped to your yard?!
Started by two guys with interesting and impressive bios... Ivan Fehrenbach, and Shane Emmett , The United States of Food will build, plant, and ship you any of their 'stock' bed designs ranging from a soil filled wine barrel to a 4x8 raised bed. Pine seems to be standard, but you can choose ceder for extra money. Victory Farms has announced that The United States of Food, is now using Victory Farms own compost in their garden soil mix. They will custom build gardens for Restaurants on site as well. If chickens are your thing they can also build you a custom coop. The price for the 4x8 garden is $695. The price of convenience. The website tries to balance this cost by showing you the potential value of the food that could feasibly be produced in the plot over a two year period.
I had questions about what plants are in their selectable planting options. With names like 'The Presidential Plot', and 'The Southern Supper' I couldn't find any sort of actual plant list. Interested? Check out their 'how it works' page. Have questions? If your in the Richmond area you can visit them at the Bryan Park Market on Tuesday Afternoons.