Leone’s Farm’s tomatoes.

Yes…all things TOMATO this Saturday….you’ll be tasting many different varieties, voting for your favorite…and learning how to make a wicked salsa from Extension’s Master Food Preservers! They’ll be showing you how …..and ….telling you how to preserve it and you can get tips and recipes for tomato sauce too!

For a great little booklet about canning safely click here: http://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/1957/13728/pnw300.pdf;jsessionid=D67EF583A967D83CD32A114B45EB42EB?sequence=1  Tomatoes need acid to be safely canned (which you need to add) so ask your friendly MFPs at the Market on Saturday if you are doing it right! With food prices set to rise dramatically, it’ll feel good to have healthy stuff preserved this winter!No idea what a black , green, yellow tomato tastes like? Taste all the weird colored tomatoes that will be cut up for you and vote for your favorite…the farmer with the winning tomato gets the bragging rights!

Put chunks of sweet peppers in your kids lunch box!

Looking for inspiration for those back-to-school lunch boxes? Check out the options on the farmers tables. Many market foods are ready-to-eat… the fresh fruits and veggies whose bright colors just scream “good nutrition” ! Apart from the wonderful little cherry tomatoes ,slices of red, yellow, purple, & green bell peppers are sweet & crisp, and perfect for little fingers to grasp and dip into humus, guacamole, or salad dressing. Peaches, nectarines, pears and now the first apples can be dipped into lemon curd, yoghurt dressing or nut butter. Don’t forget meat jerky, pepperoni sticks, salami and wedges of cheese travel nicely with a crusty roll or package of crackers.  Nuts & dried fruits are easy treats, and a honey stick makes for a fun dessert. Plus coming to the Market you’re sure to pick up an idea or two for your brown bag office lunch!

Eight farms will have many different tomato varieties for you to taste…bring the kids and after they have collected their POP Club $2 (ages 5-12) to spend on fresh produce and stopped by the POP Club Fun booth (educator Rick Reynolds will have something SUPER-FUN for them this week)…………..they can taste all the wonderful colored fruits too!

Wild berries from Nature’s Wild Harvest

Vendor news this week: Back in the Market!! Natures Wild Harvest with HUCKLEBERRIES, Lobster Mushrooms, Shiitake, Maitake, Oyster mushrooms, and maybe Chanterelles. Also Honey, Wild Berry Jam, Dried mushrooms, Powdered mushrooms, and Dried Stinging Nettles…SO good for you and made into tea is very anti-inflammatory! Also Blossom Vinegars with fruit AND drinking vinegars…delicious with sparkling water for a refreshing drink.

Kombucha!

The Youth “Green Corps” Farm will have their lovely carrots , tomatoes, cukes, kale and now Ground Cherries too.These tart-sweet berries, are a relative of tomatillos and are excellent for pies, jams, and preserves of all kinds; also delicious fresh. The fruit grow inside a paper-like husk, the same as Tomatillos.

Fall/Winter Veggie Starts from Spring Creek Nursery.

Hot food at the Market will include Tamales, chicken, pork and cheese/chile and Savory et Sweet have  sent in the following info. for you…YUM!!!!: On the menu this weekend will be Summer Chicken ~ featuring fresh market blackberries and spicy blackberry “catsup” with arugula pesto oil. And the popular Pulled Pork with pan seared peppers and garlicky sour cream! And have you tried their signature drink: Limeade with pureed cucumber-basil & blackberry?? And unusual combination that is refreshing yet not overly sweet. Chris uses many farmer’s market or Oregon based products. The daily menu marks these items with asteriks* ~ stop by and see what’s being used Saturday! And a reminder that 100% of the tips goes to feeding our teen volunteers!

Music by Jesse Lee Young..this guitarist/vocalist plays swing, bossa and blues and is a transplant booted out of New Orleans during Katrina, AND very popular at the Market, come early to grab a seat!

3 young ladies from the Uni. of Virginia, visiting the Market’s POP Club 2 weeks ago…(with Barb our loyal POP Club Booth volunteer)…they are launching The (our) POP Club at the Charlottesville Farmers Market THIS Saturday!!!!

Well the OC Farmers Market ended up the most voted for Market in our state in this years FarmLand Trust’s contest ! http://action.farmland.org/site/PageServer?pagename=%2FAmericas-Favorite-Farmers-Markets%2Ftop_5#OR         Thanks customers for voting bus No.1…we love you too:) When you get a chance please thank the many volunteers , who show up week after week and without whom the Market would be very different..cheers:)