St Patrick’s Day and spring greens!

Looking more and more like spring at the Market now. The first daffs made an entrance last market, tomorrow we may even have the first tulips! C&K Flowers from Molalla have called and are ready to return to the Market for the whole season with their lovely flower bouquets. Farmer Rich Stefens will have the first spring radishes, bright and crisp and mild, they go great with cheese or in a salad with freshly boiled farm eggs. See the story about how Rick manages to grow produce all winter on the Market’s Facebook page ,
In addition to Radishes, you find (Rick is usually at the farm , Art will be helping you ) spinach, kale, onions, broccoli rabe (the little sweet spring shoots from the main plant…just saute in olive oil, garlic with a squeeze of lemon juice) turnip greens (real tasty at this time of year)parsnips, shallots,several varieties of potatoes. Also this week they will have Miners Lettuce, the first spring greens to put on growth in March. This small leafed plant can be eaten raw in salads or boiled like spinach. Early settlers and Indians collected and ate it….and they knew what was good for them as a spring tonic!

Family Table Farm Kale, Chard, Beets, Turnips, Rutabegas and Parsnips. For planting season they will have Walla Walla and Copra Onion starts and Lincoln Leek starts for transplants….and talking of planting Gran Mary is back with early veggies and herbs for sale, including parsley, chives, cilantro, mint, cat grass, Walla Walla onions, scallions, Bright Lights chard, arugula, beets and containers of snow peas. She is also bring (for the kids) sugar snap pea starts for the POP club for $1.00 and also some POP Club seeds for $1.00!!

Also for the garden,He Sells These Shells, who sells hazelnut shells for landscaping and slug-control (!) will be offering anyone buying at least 4 bags of shells a free 4 pound bag of squirrel food (regularly $5).
Sunset Woodworking is back this spring with their full line of raised bed kits, plus potting benches…and coming soon, chicken coops! Plus planters, cute birdhouses (made from cowboy boots) and other quirky stuff for your garden.

Food Forest has emailed to say their ducks and chickens are laying in full spring force…they will have lots of duck and chicken eggs. If people haven’t tried duck eggs, now is the time. For this week only, they will be selling duck eggs for the same price as chicken eggs….great cooked just the same as chicken eggs and are GREAT for baking!…and for interest for the kids they will be showing some goose eggs too. Plus
they’ll have their Kurobuta (Berkshire) pork. Cooks Illustrated ranked Berkshire pork #1 in their taste tests, describing the meat as ” juicy, smoky, and intensely porky! http://www.cooksillustrated.com/tastetests/overview.asp?docid=30466

Christensen Farm is bringing lots of chicken, duck and goose eggs too. A few of the eggs will be a lovely dark olive green, and some will be a rich mahogany in color….who needs to dye eggs? In addition they have new feathers and skins, and the typical assortment of Shetland roving for spinning or other crafts. Cindy will also have Jerusalem artichokes and Swiss Chard. If you are looking for started pullets or laying ducks she can fill you in where there is an upcoming sale on Saturday 3/31/12!

Nancy of Alsea Acre Goat Cheese spent all last weekend handing out samples and selling cheese at the Willamette Valley Vineyard Wine Cheese and Pear Festival. She made a special item for the festival that flew off the table. This has inspired Nancy to make a few more for this Saturdays Oregon City Market. Stop by and ask David to show you the “special”. It’s temptingly colorful and delicious and only available from Alsea Acre!

Mickleberry Gardens will be featuring products made with Propolis,a sticky, resinous substance the worker bees collect from plants. They have an alcohol-based propolis tincture made with propolis from Oregon bees and Immunity Boosting Honey Therapy, Throat and Cough Honey Therapy, and Honey Propolis Throat Spray. Honeybees use propolis to reinforce the structural integrity of the hive, reduce vibration inside the hive, and to make the hive more defensible by sealing alternate entrances. The bees also use propolis as their medicine: it works to help keep viral, bacterial, and fungal infections from spreading inside the hive. It’s highly anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-fungal, and anti-oxidant!A few drops of propolis tincture taken during cold and flu season is a common remedy for boosting the immune system. Propolis is also traditionally known as a beneficial treatment for toothaches and mouth sores, and can be useful to topically treat fungal conditions such as athlete’s foot. Stop by and chat with them about good old-fashioned remedies..healthy bodies, healthy planet!

It’s St Patricks Day..don’t you know!…and Our Favorite Foods will be offering Duker’s Dills – Hot Pickles and Duker’s Dills – Hot Relish.WooHoo!!!Great St Patty’s Day combo — Pickles ….and Beer!!!
And on the subject of Ireland…Gram’s Caramels will have tastings of the wonderful, creamy and even fragrant Bailey’s Irish Cream caramels! Many more flavors are bagged for you or for gifts, not to mention ‘Jarbucks’ ready to go for just one dollar!

Our good friends at Savory et Sweet have a great St. Pat’s menu for you! A cream of potato/cauliflower soup
pureed with green super greens like spinach, watercress & arugula. Served with a dollup of gold butter…wow! Chris is even having a contest on their fb page (and on the Market’s too!) to help name the soup ~ winner gets a free serving! (Cream of Leprechaun, hahaha)They will also have a Finian’s Rainbow crepe!!! (Chris’s fav movie) It was inspired by Bill’s (Nature’s Choice) awesome wild spring violets. The inside of the crepe will have ingredients from all colors of the rainbow!! I can’t wait…

So, wearing green ..or not…come out and shop local this weekend.. rain, showers, or shine we’ll be set up on 8th St and waiting to see you:)
Cheers!