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Infused waters!

7/29/2016

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It's extra important to stay hydrated during these hot summer months. Turn boring water into a refreshing summer cooler with the addition of fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs from the market. Infused waters are a healthy, hydrating alternative to sugary soft drinks and juices and kid approved. Grab an extra cucumber, a sprig of mint, and bunch of basil and start infusing!
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How to Make Fruit Infused Waters
 
Add desired fresh sliced (and peeled) fruits to 1/2 gallon or a whole gallon of water. For best flavor, leave at least 4 hours or overnight in the refrigerator to let the flavors of the fruit infuse into the water. Some of the recipes below are written for a half gallon jar, others for a gallon jar.
You can double or halve any of them to make more or less. Also, these recipes are just suggestions and fruit waters are based on your taste preferences so experiment and enjoy!
If you drink the water within the first day, you can add more filtered water and re-infuse to get a second use out of the fruits and herbs

Full recipe and more flavor combos at:
http://wellnessmama.com/3607/herb-fruit-infused-water/ 

Some fun combos from Wellness Mama:

Cucumber Mint
Thinly slice one cucumber. Add the sliced cucumbers to a 1/2 gallon glass jar, add 8 fresh mint leaves, muddled, and fill with filtered water. Stir gently and place in refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Citrus Blueberry/Blackberry
Slice two oranges into thin slices (leave the rind on for better flavor). Add sliced oranges and 1 cup of blueberries to a gallon size glass jar. Add filtered water to fill the jar and stir gently. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours and store in refrigerator.

Pineapple Mint
Peel and thinly slice about 1/4 of a pineapple. The more thinly sliced the pineapple, the more flavor it will infuse. Add to a 1/2 gallon size glass jar with 10-12 leaves of fresh mint, muddled. Add filtered water to fill and stir until well mixed. Store in refrigerator.
 
Watermelon Basil

Add about 2 cups of finely chopped fresh watermelon (without rind) to a gallon size glass jar. Add 15 leaves of muddled basil and filtered water to fill. Store in fridge and allow at least 4 hours to infuse. 

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Summer Salads!

7/17/2016

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​I often think of salads as a big beds of lettuce with a few raw veggies and a dressing on the side. Though I love a good lettuce salad, come summer time I want a salad that incorporates the abundant summer produce available at the market. Salads, broadly defined, are anything that involve a mix of vegetables (raw or cooked), fruit, grains, eggs, or meats, and a dressing. My favorite summer salads feature diced sturdy vegetables like cucumber or zucchini, a cooked grain like rice or quinoa, and a herby vinaigrette dressing. Throw in some toasted nuts and salty cheese and you're set! Hearty summer salads hold up in a picnic basket, keep well in the fridge for quick lunches, and are filling enough to eat as a main course. 

The Kitchn put together a list of 20 must try summer salads on their blog. Get inspired!

Recipe: Quinoa Salad with Cucumber and Tomatoes

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Ingredients
  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half
  • 1 large cucumber, seeds removed, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • Kosher salt
  • 2 small shallots, minced (or half a red onion)
  • 1/2 cup roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
  • 1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh mint leaves
  • 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Recipe from: www.seriouseats.com/
recipes/2014/10/make-ahead-quinoa-salad-cucumber-tomato-parsley-mint-recipe.html
Directions:
  1. Combine quinoa and 2 cups water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stir, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 7 minutes. Shut off heat and let rest until water is absorbed, about 5 minutes longer. Transfer quinoa to a fine mesh strainer and rinse under cold water until thoroughly chilled. Let drain for 10 minutes.
  2. While quinoa cooks, combine tomatoes and cucumbers in a colander set in the sink. Season with salt and toss to coat. Let drain in sink until ready to combine with quinoa.
  3. In a large bowl, toss drained quinoa, drained tomatoes and cucumbers, shallots, parsley, mint, olive oil, and red wine vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately, or for best flavor, let rest overnight in a sealed container in the refrigerator. Salad can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days
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Need a nudge?

7/5/2016

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It's easy to get busy and forget to make it to the Wednesday market. We understand, it's hump day, you've got work, kids, and other responsibilities and sometimes need an extra reminder. If you find yourself in this camp, we've got you covered with our FarmFan text message reminders. Every Wednesday at 2pm you'll get a text message with a update about the market, reminding you to head downtown to enjoy the market.

​Click here to sign up for FarmFan.

We also email out newsletters every week with information about our vendors, upcoming events, and recipes and fun facts about in season produce. It's a great way to know what's going to be available before you head to market, get inspired to try something new, or as a reminder to get downtown on market day. Subscribe to our newsletter mailing list by filling out the contact form on this page! ------> 
​

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Featured Produce: Onions!

7/3/2016

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Onions go into most every savory dish cooked in my kitchen. They are the first in the pan and add body, flavor, and nutrition to veggie stir fries, soups, and curries. Onions are also very nutritious, and we're not talking just about vitamins and minerals here. Onions have unique properties that supercharge your gut flora helping to make digesting foods easier and have even been shown to lower cholesterol, balance blood sugar, and improve acne! Who knew! 

Onion harvest is underway and they are finding their way to tables all over the market. Try a sweet vidalia from Homer Grown, a spicy red torpedo from SIU Sustainable farm, or some shallots from Shade Tree Farm. Grab an extra bunch and try your hand at caramelized onions. Caramelizing onions is a slow process, but worth the wait! They make a sweet, satisfying topping for burgers or pizzas, or an flavor booster for soups, sauces, or stir fries. The caramelized onions will keep well in the fridge for a week or freezer for up to 3 months. If you're feeling adventurous, try this caramelized onion tomato jam, it sounds like a real treat!

Recipe: Caramelized Onions

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Ingredients
  • 2-4 yellow onions
  • 2 tablespoons butter, extra-virgin olive oil, or a mix
  • 2 tablespoons white or red wine, vegetable or chicken stock, balsamic vinegar, or water
  • Salt
Equipment
  • Stainless steel or cast-iron skillet
  • Stiff spatula


receipe from: http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-caramelize-onions-35933
​Directions:
  1. Slice the onions: Trim the tip and root from the onions, cut them in half and remove the skins. Slice the onion from root to stem into thin slices. (Alternatively, you can dice the onions.)
  2. Melt the butter: Place your skillet over medium heat and melt the butter.
  3. Add the onions: Add all the onions to the pan and stir them gently to coat with butter.
  4. Caramelize the onions: Check the onions every 5 to 10 minutes. Stir the onions and scrape up any fond that forms on the bottom of the skillet. Exact cooking times will vary with the number of onions you're cooking, their liquid and sugar content, and their age.**
  5. Deglaze the pan and salt the onions: When your onions have finished cooking, pour 1/4 cup wine, broth, balsamic vinegar, or water. As the liquid bubbles, scrape up the fond and stir it into the onions. Use additional liquid as necessary to scrape up all the fond. Salt the onions to taste.
  6. Cool and store the onions: If you're not using the onions immediately, let them cool in the pan, then transfer them to a storage container. Caramelized onions can be kept refrigerated for around a week or frozen for up to three months.

**• Around 10 Minutes: Onions will start to soften and turn translucent in spots. They will release a lot of liquid into the pan.

• Around 20 Minutes: Onions will be very soft and starting to break down. Some onions will start to show spots of caramelization and you may see some fond starting to build up in the pan. They will also start to smell caramelized. Adjust the heat if the onions seem to be cooking too quickly or you notice any burnt spots.

• Around 30 Minutes: Onions should be light blonde in color and starting to become jammy. More fond is starting to build up, but it should still be fairly easy to scrape it up with the evaporating liquid from the onions.

• Around 40 Minutes: Onions are golden and starting to smell very caramelized. Taste one — if you like the way they taste, you can stop now! For even deeper caramelized flavor, continue cooking.

• Around 50 Minutes and Beyond: Continued cooking will result in darker, richer, even more caramelized onions. Continue checking the onions every 5 to 10 minutes until they reach your desired level of caramelization. The fond may start to build up on the bottom of the pan — let it be unless it looks like it's starting to burn (in which case, deglaze the pan with a little water).
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