Cider Pressing, Apple-Tasting!

Always super-fresh produce from Oregon City’s own Sun Love farms

Sad though we were to cancel the Market last week (October 15th) we took an abundance of caution. It’s a very windy site and flying canopies hurt people. The vendors set up their booths each market day with a mind for safety but windy conditions are the worst and often result in a broken $300 canopy for them. If we had opened at all we would have closed early. The wind came on strong suddenly and packing up in those conditions could have been dangerous for all. We cancelled on Thursday so farmers could leave produce unpicked, breads and pies unbaked and seafood not collected from the coast. Thanks for showing up this week though….the farmers sure have a lot to sell after a week off!

Get a true taste of Fall this Saturday at our annual Kids Cider-Pressing! Fascinated by the wooden press, the kids load the wooden bucket with apples and turn the press as the juice is squeezed out. Thanks to help from the OSU Extension Master Food Preservers the juice is then heated to pasteurize it and served hot for everyone to try. This is one of our favorite days at the Market all year…..and the forecast is DRY!!!

Kyiokawa Orchards (from Parkdale on the slopes of Mt Hood) are back in the Market for the Fall…..Randy Kiyokawa is sending a great selection of his fruit, including many heirloom apples, pears and Asian pears. AND we’re having an Apple-Tasting too! You can vote for your favorite apple in the Market….will it be the red-fleshed Mountain Rose again??

It’s not just the farmers tables that will be over-flowing with Fall this week, other vendors sell products that marry well with the Autumn produce. Partner with you favorite farmer, grab your favorite squash and a jar of Bliss nut butter for a fall delight of Hazelnut Cranberry glazed squash. Diana’s Delights has a new batch of Quince Charming preserve. Use it to glaze any white meat or serve with creamy Brie on a cheese platter. Get a taste from Diana this week.  While you’re ‘tasting the market’ stop by Pam’s Pickled Products and sample a miniature Bloody Mary, complete with their Spicy Bloody Mary Green Beans.  Pam’s pickled beans, asparagus, onions and relish make great holiday appetizers as well as Christmas gifts.

Not only selling fresh produce, Anna and Ryan will set you straight about mushrooms too, see what they have foraged this week.

If you are like me and have a love affair with potatoes ….cooked in any way…. mashed, roasted, baked or salad…… Pitkin Winterrowd Farms is bringing three very different potatoes this Saturday:  Kennebec, German Butterball and Red Pontiac.  The latter are great for mashing. Boil until tender, drain water, add cloves of garlic to taste (1 to 4), 2 tbs butter, whole milk or cream to consistency when mashing, add some hot peppers for a Great Fall Feast!  Pholx and Figwort will have their locally-grown produce and wild-foraged mushrooms too.They are happy to chat with you about preserving mushrooms. Drying is one thing but did you think of freezing? Mushrooms like Chanterelles, Hedgehogs, and Matsutake, or Pine Mushroom, require cooking first. Saute the mushrooms in a DRY pan until they release their liquids. Add a small amount of oil, or water and cook again for around 15 minutes. Put the mushrooms into a freezer bag and squeeze out the air. They’re safe in the freezer for a year with this method. However, they are better used in soups, roasts, and slow cooking methods to bring their flavor back to life! Stop by and talk to Anna or Ryan.

Yes they’re back, fall decorations and crafts at the Market this week!

Chef Amy is cooking up a storm in the Market Kitchen, get a taste and a recipe starting around 10am. Music this week is by an Eastern European Folk Band, Coin of the Realm. This band plays traditional tunes from the Ukraine, Poland, Romania and more. Yup, it’s a fun market coming up and it will be so great to be back! Hope to see you all. Winter Season starts Saturday November 5th……next week is our Halloween Market, treats and activities for the kids and vote for your favorite vendor costume!

Not too early….grab these while you can! Stonebarn Rustics are back this week.