New food plaza vendors:

• Himalayas Restaurant will be joining us on Wednesdays with their incredible Indian cuisine. www.himalayasrestaurant.com
• Pasta Bozza moves from our atrium location to the food court to offer their specialty pastas and sauces ready to eat. Not to worry, they will still have fresh frozen pasta and sauces for sell to be taken home and relished with family and friends. www.pastabozza.com

Food plaza vendors returning:

• Amazing Grains Bakery amazes us, by tricking the sweet tooth, with her wholesome pastries: some gluten free, some vegan, and some made without refined sugar and all made with wholesome grains and full of healthy goodness. She also continues to offer up a soup of the day, made with farmer market ingredients, that is certain to please the palate.
• Berry Best Smoothie helps keep our temperatures down in the heat of the summer with blended fruit smoothies.
• Boulder Ice Cream cools our taste buds by delivering a mountain of taste with each bite with their vast variety of ice cream flavors. www.bouldericecream.com
• Brillig Works Bakery fulfills the cravings of your sweet tooth with assorted muffins, cookies, cakes, tarts, scones, and cinnamon rolls.
• Falafels and Gyros offers up a variety of Mediterranean cuisine that goes far beyond their name.
• Fast Eddie keeps the kid in all of us pleased by quenching our need for hotdogs, hotdogs, and hotdogs!
• Hopi Bread Company continues with his Amazing Corn Tamales and adds quinoa to the menu this year.
• Laudisio's, offers high quality polenta and pizza baked in a brick oven at the Market. http://www.laudisio.com/
• PanAsia's innovative fusion restaurant known for its finely crafted, Asian inspired food is no longer on Walnut Street, but luckily for us, is still serving up cuisine at the Boulder Farmers' Market.
• Pearl Street Grill sizzles with their natural beef, vegetarian, and vegan burgers.
• Savory Saigon's Vietnamese food including soups, noodle bowls, egg rolls, and more is sure to delight both meat eaters and vegetarians.
• Sisters' Pantry dumplings, wontons, and roti are devoured by meat eaters and vegetarian alike. www.sisterspantry.com

 New food vendors located in the atrium:

• Mountain Valley Canning preserves the local harvest by canning local pickles, sauerkraut, peaches, and horseradish.  www.mountainvalleycanning.com
• Outrageous Baking Company on Saturdays entices us now in Longmont and Boulder with gluten free pastries.
• Penny Lane Press of Colorado continues the Longmont Farmers' Market and joins Boulder on Saturdays with her sauces, marinades, oils, salad dressings, salsas, spreads, and mustards. www.cornermarketsecrets.com
• Shamane's Bake Shoppe will satisfy you, your family, and your guests with whole quiches and pies made with organic and local ingredients. www.shamanesbakeshoppe.com
• Silver Canyon Coffee on both Saturdays and Wednesdays will be serving coffee, an assortment of teas including chai tea, and selling packaged coffee and loose leaf teas. And be sure to try their espresso drinks! www.silvercanyoncoffee.com
• Styria Catering will satisfy all seafood lovers with smoked salmon, trout, and award winning chowders and soups.

New Wednesday only food vendors that will be on 13^th street

• Adaba Goodness offers organic, whole grain, dairy free, and gluten free baked goods and snacks; as well as baking mixes for making your own healthy and delicious cookies, crackers, cakes, muffins, cornbread, tea breads, bean salads, and grain salads!
• Simply Boulder Foods will wow us with their dressings, glazes, marinades, and sauces.
• Taste of Africa tempts us to experience natural and healthy food from the motherland of Nigeria.

Returning packaged food vendors:

• Augustina's Winery, is a one-woman winery, using Colorado-grown grapes, that is dedicated to making wines that go with backpacking, adventures, raucous poker parties, family barbecues, good mystery novels, and gingersnaps. www.winechick.biz
• Boulder Altan Alma provides the staples of the Market that accompany farmers' produce: organic seeds, nuts, dried fruits, beans, grain, spices, and dried herbs. www.ezsprout.com
• Fiona's Granola believes good nutrition is the cornerstone for a healthy body, mind, and spirit. Their granola, gluten-free cereals, and energy bars are lovingly baked using wholesome ingredients such as organic grains and pure agave nectar. High in protein and fiber, cholesterol-free, and only lightly sweetened, Fiona's nourishes your body, mind, and spirit! www.fionasgranola.com
• Infinitea Kombucha is produced by Nicole Gervace, who after discovering she was allergic to dairy products, turned to Kombucha to improve her digestion. Before long she was making it. She carries a variety of flavors. www.infiniteakombucha.com
• Jamaica Joe will return in May or June to keep us all happily buzzed.
• Loredana's style of marinated cheeses, marmalades, tapenades, spreads, vinaigrettes, and pesto products come from her rich family traditions of Northern Italian heritage of Friuli-Venezia Giulia. www.loredanas.com
• MouCo Cheese Company, produces artisan soft ripened cow cheese www.mouco.com
• Organic Dish offers fresh, simple to make, and delicious organic meals and dinner kits. With their healthy, organic meals you'll save time, and minimize the hassle of cooking and cleaning the kitchen. http://www.theorganicdish.com
• Ravenous Chocolate makes creative chocolate sauces and spreads to ensure that no meal has to suffer from the lack of a chocolate induced passion indulgence. www.ravenouschocolate.com
• Rustica Baking creates exceptional hand-crafted baked goods with an emphasis on locally sourced and organic ingredients. www.rusticabaking.com
• Tortilla Factory la Esmeralda is now attending the Boulder AND Longmont Farmers' Markets on Saturdays, as well as Boulder on Wednesdays, so this year Saturday Boulder attendants don't have to miss out on freshly made corn and flour tortillas. Once you try freshly made tortillas, you will never go back to store bought!
• Two Moms in the Raw tantalize with granola, crackers, truffles, and bars that are not only completely raw, but also organic, vegan, wheat-free, and made with no refined sugars or added oils. www.2momsintheraw.com
• Udi's Breads artisan bakery produce delectable, beautiful to behold, hand-shaped batards, baguettes, boules, challas, ciabattas,  focaccias, levains, and rusticos, to name a few. www.udisfood.com
• Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art (BMoCA) keeps us alert as always with their Allegro coffee brewed to raise funds for their non-profit.  Be sure to visit the shows also.

Special appearance by:

American European Kitchen makes a special appearance on 13^th street at the Boulder Farmers' Market in April before attending the Longmont Farmers' Market in May through the rest of the season. She will have all of your favorite breads, schnitzels, and strudels.

Spring is Sprouting Pea Shoots

By Carol Ann Kates

Traditionally grown in Asian countries, pea shoots are harvested locally by Altan Alma Organic Farm. These sprouts are actually germinating snow peas. Although Altan Alma Organic Farm sells snow pea vines at the market, pea shoots can come from any variety of garden peas.

Unless grown in a greenhouse environment, pea shoots have a short season, as they do not fare well when daytime temperatures are above 65 degrees F. This nutritious green is best in the spring, early summer and fall.

The leaves and tendrils of pea plants are tender, crisp, and packed full of carotenes and Vitamins A, B, C, and k. Nutritious and tasty, pea shoot greens can be prepared in a variety of ways. The traditional Asian preparation simply stir-fries pea sprouts in hot boiling water. They are a delicious addition to tossed green salads, but pea shoots can also be added to soups near the end of cooking time. Some cooks serve a fresh mound of pea shoots drizzled only with a bit of lemon juice, while others prefer wilting shoots. 

Following are two recipes using this delicious green-one preparation wilts the green while the other uses it in a salad. 

Pan-Grilled Tilapia on a Bed of Wilted Pea Greens

Serves 4

This recipe is super simple. My husband gave it rave reviews, and he is not a big fan of peas. If you are preparing this dish for hearty appetites, you might want to consider purchasing an additional fillet or two.

For the tilapia:

            Olive oil for coating the skillet

            4 tilapia fillets (about 1 pound)

            Salt to taste

            Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Heat a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Lightly coat the skillet with olive oil. The skillet should be hot enough to sizzle when fish is placed in the oil. Season both sides of fillets with salt and pepper to taste. Place tilapia fillets in the skillet and cook about 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until fish flakes easily when pierced with a fork. Remove fillets from the skillet and transfer to a plate. Cover with aluminum foil to keep warm and set aside while wilting greens.

For the wilted pea shoots:

            2 containers (about 16 ounces) Altan Alma Organic pea shoots

            2 tablespoons olive oil

            Salt to taste

Using cooking shears, cut pea shoots so tendrils are about 2 inches long. Rinse pea shoots in cool water and dry. A salad spinner works nicely for this purpose. In another, large nonstick skillet, place olive oil over medium-high heat. Add pea shoots and cook, stirring constantly, until shoots are slightly wilted but still bright green, about 30 seconds. Season to taste with salt and remove from the heat.

To serve: Divide wilted pea shoots into four portions and mound on a serving platter. Top each mound with one tilapia fillet. Serve immediately.

Baby Spinach Salad

with Pea Greens, Roasted Tomatoes, and Chevre Cheese

Serves 4

This recipe places thin slices of chevre cheese on top of oven-roasted tomato slices. One four-ounce package of cheese will work, but if you are a cheese lover, two packages will be more to your liking.

For the dressing:

            4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, Corner Market Secret Recipes vanilla fig

                        balsamic vinegar pairs nicely in this recipe

            1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

            1 teaspoon honey

            Freshly ground black pepper to taste

            4 tablespoons olive oil

In a small bowl, combine balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, and pepper and whisk to blend. While continuing to whisk, slowly add olive oil. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

For the salad:

Olive oil for brushing

            4 medium ripe tomatoes, sliced into ½-inch pieces (2 to 3 slices per tomato)

            Salt to taste

            Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 container Altan Alma Organic pea shoots

            6 cups baby spinach leaves, washed and dried

            1 cup cucumber, chopped

            ½ cup green onions, thinly sliced

            1 to 2 packages (4 ounces each) Haystack Cracked Pepper or Herbes de Provence

Chevre Cheese, sliced ¼-inch thick

Preheat the oven to broil. Lightly brush an ovenproof dish with olive oil. Place tomatoes in ovenproof dish and season to taste with salt and pepper. Place tomatoes under the broiler and cook until tomatoes are heated through, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove tomatoes from the oven and set aside.

Using cooking shears, cut pea shoots so tendrils are about 2 inches long. Rinse pea shoots in cool water and dry. A salad spinner works nicely for this purpose. In a large bowl, combine pea shoots, baby spinach, cucumber, and green onions and toss to mix evenly.

Cover 4 salad plates with the spinach mixture. Place 2 to 3 tomato slices on each plate. Top each tomato slice with a slice of chevre cheese. Drizzle with salad dressing and serve immediately.

Shopping for pea shoots: Select shoots that look fresh and crisp, are bright green in color, and have no damage. Choose shoots that include the top pair of small leaves (the tip), the delicate tendrils attached to the young stem, and perhaps some larger leaves or even blossoms.

Storing pea shoots: Pea shoots are fragile and are best used within 1 to 2 days of

harvesting. If purchased loose, wrap shoots in paper towels and place in a plastic bag in the vegetable bin of the refrigerator. If purchased in containers, keep pea shoots fresh by immersing their roots in water. 

Using pea shoots: Rinse pea shoots in cool water and dry. A salad spinner works nicely for this purpose. Remove any coarse stems.

Shopping for chevre cheese: Chevre is a pure white goat's milk cheese that has a tart flavor. When the words "Pur Chevre" appear on a label, you can be sure that the cheese is made entirely from goat's milk. Some varieties may have cow's milk added. Haystack cheese is made only from goat's milk. This cheese can range in texture from moist and creamy to dry and semi-firm. Chevre cheese can come in a variety of shapes-cylinders, discs, cones or pyramids and is often coated with edible leaves, herbs, or pepper.

Storing chevre cheese: When tightly wrapped and stored in the refrigerator, chevre cheese will keep up to 2 weeks. You will know your cheese has passed its prime when it takes on a sour taste.

Carol Ann Kates is the author of award-winning Secret Recipes from the Corner Market, selected in the top ten favorite cookbooks by the Denver Post Food Staff, December, 2006. For more information visit www.cornermarketsecrets.com.

Wine, Mead, Cheese, Chocolate and Cheer.