What's fresh this week?
Get Your Greens On!
Asparagus
Basil
Bok Choy
Carrots
Chard
Collard Greens
Kale
Lettuces
Radishes
Rhubarb
Spinach
Turnips
Seedlings - herbs, flowers, vegetables, and planters
And always - cheese, breads, honey, and baked goods.
Featured recipe:
DIPPIN' WITH HOOPHOUSE SPINACH & AUBREY'S MOZZARELLA
1 1/2 TB olive oil
1 cup onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 pound fresh spinach, cleaned, trimmed & coarsely chopped
1/2 cup milk
8 ounces cream cheese
3 dashes Worcestershire sauce
3 dashes hot sauce, such as Tabasco
3/4 - 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 tsp paprika
Coarse salt and ground pepper
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a pot, heat 1 tbsp oil over medium heat. Add spinach; cook
until wilted, about 3-5 minutes. Transfer to a colander and
drain, pressing to release all excess liquid.
Add remaining olive oil to pot. Saute onions and garlic, until
softened and onions lightly browned. Add milk and heat. Stir in cream
cheese until smooth. Add spinach, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and
1/2 cup mozzarella; stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Stir
in paprika. Pour into a shallow baking dish; sprinkle with remaining
mozzarella. Bake until golden brown, 15-20 minutes.
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Don't forget that it's Cinco de Mayo! Try substituting the fresh mozzarella from Aubrey for queso fresco in any recipe. Head across the street from the market to local Mexican grocer, Dos Hermanos, for all your Mexican tortilla needs!
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Wooden Tokens and
Accepted Currency!
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EBT, Credit Cards, Cash, Project Fresh & Prescription for Health accepted all market days! Go to the Ypsilanti Food Co-op table to run your card, then spend your colorful wooden tokens with any of our vendors.
We also offer Market Dollars,
available at the Growing Hope booth. These are available to be sold like "gift cards". They are a great way to use as a thank you
gift for someone, to give to your kids as an allowance, chore rewards,
or gift from the tooth fairy, or for use as incentives to your
employees if you own a business! These do a double duty by supporting local farmers & business owners, and helping someone eat and/or shop healthier!
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Opening Day is this Tuesday, May 5th!
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 The Downtown Ypsilanti Farmers' Market is bursting at its green seams ready to open again, a reunion and welcoming of Spring, past and new vendors, returning local customers, and dedicated partners.
Opening day is Cinco de Mayo, and the market is excited to welcome Sylvia from Pilar's catering and her delicious tamales, Erickson Elementary singers under the direction of Crystal Davis-Harding, and Black Train, a local roots grass band. It's looking to be a true celebration of the coming season, with colorful produce to sing away your lingering winter blues as you walk through the market and breathe in the fresh food.
The past year of the market was extremely fruitful and successful! Here is how we grew from 2007 to 2008: Attendance jumped 49%, sales grew 129%, and EBT (food stamp) sales increased 5-fold. This year we will again offer incentives for EBT users throughout the season, and in May & June will be giving away seeds and growing instructions for our EBT users. We also have great new bags printed by VGKids for all users to keep their tokens in, and our bright red reuseable tote bags to carry your produce.
Look for these farmers' market newsletters every two weeks. We'll be letting you know what vegetables and fruits are coming into season, provide recipes to give you serving ideas, and introduce you to the fabulous vendors and farmers that you shop from on Tuesdays.
See you at the market on Tuesdays starting May 5th!
Would you help us spread the word about the DYFM? Forward this newsletter to a friend! Tell them to click on "Join Our Mailing List" below!
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Featured vendor this week:
Aubrey Thomason
Zingerman's Creamery
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Aubrey is a local Ypsi resident and a cheesemaker at Zingerman's Creamery. On the first day of market, Aubrey is bringing handmade fresh mozzarella (see recipe on left side) fresh goat rounds, chive/garlic and pepper/garlic fresh cow rounds, and "Ypsilanti's" (an aged goat cheese).
 Aubrey is also a vegetable grower, having started 1000's of seeds with other members of her family in their backyard greenhouse. "Sown and grown in our urban zone" is the slogan for this Ypsilanti Urban Farm and growing venture. The Thomason family grow all this food on a 1/3 of an acre within the city, and there is potential for their very own extended season hoophouse to be in place by the fall. In just a couple of weeks you'll see Aubrey with produce grown just two blocks south of our market, including spinach, kale, chard, & peas.
Look for this great opportunity to pair your cheeses with your bread and produce from around the market. Come spend time sitting and hanging with Aubrey, learning about all these amazing cheeses produced so close to home.
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The Farmer's Market Is Open Through October!
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Downtown Ypsilanti Farmers Market
Tuesdays 2-6 pm
Corner of Michigan Ave & Hamilton in the Key Bank parking lot (#6 AATA bus)
Upcoming Events:
May 5th: Black Train (AA Roots Band) & Erickson Elementary Singers
May 12th: Musician Mark Hedglin
May 19th: Band White Ravens
May 26th: Band Vagrant Symphony
Senior Days!
The market will have four days this summer that will honor and celebrate seniors! We will have special screenings, demonstrations and nutrition information specifically for seniors. These days are June 16th, July 14th & 18th, and August 11th.
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The Market Relies on Volunteers Every Week-- Will you help?
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Volunteers are essential to making our market work. Spend time with us in the open air, helping with setup or tear down, talking to newcomers at the market, assisting vendors when needed, and helping us track numbers and needs.
Downtown Farmers' Market:
On Tuesdays volunteers are needed for shifts between 12:30 and 7:00 pm, and include set up, signage, transporting market supplies, helping other vendors, helping seniors cross the street, directing folks to the credit/EBT machine, and counting people at the market.
Volunteers are also needed to do demos, play music, and distribute educational materials.
Do you enjoy sharing skills for making kimchi, sauerkraut, or seasonal recipes? Are you a dancer, hoola hooper, or drummer? We'd love to appreciate your talents!
Choose a shift that works for you and contact Growing Hope at 734-786-8401 to volunteer once or every week! You will be appreciated and get to be with great people, beautiful food, and interesting products!
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