| Tip of the Week
|
Shallot Buds
Shallot buds can be used in place of shallots in any recipe.
Or they can be eaten raw.
Some people have been known to stuff the hollow stems
with ricotta or cream cheese.
They are wonderful grilled but be careful not to
overcook them, since they are done in a minute or two.
- Anne Berblinger, Gales Meadow Farm |
Featured Produce
Part of the beauty of farmers' markets is that our produce changes with the seasons. Stay current with weekly produce highlights here!
|
 |
Lemon Boy Tomatoes (Sylvan Valley Acres)
Porcini Mushrooms (Peak Forest Fruit)
Red Ace Beets (Sweet Leaf Farm)
Seascape Strawberries (Winter Green Farm)
Sweet Onions (Big B Farm)
|
|
|
We are pleased to be working with an amazing group of volunteer writers and journalists for The Local Dirt. One of our contributors, Liz Guest, wrote today's Featured Vendor article and the column on Ken & June's Hazelnuts last week. We inadvertently left her name off of last week's article. Our apologies for the omission!
|
Oregon Berries
by Sarah Broderick, Community Volunteer Coordinator
Oregon berries. Just the two words next to each other evoke
memories of hot summer days, purple-stained fingers, and dirty knees. I'm not
even writing about my childhood yet; at age 31 I still look forward to the
beginning of every summer and the opportunity to find the best berries hiding
deep behind the leaves.
We are blessed in the Willamette Valley with delightful
spring rains, warm summer days and cool summer nights that provide the perfect
conditions for producing satisfyingly sweet and plump berries.
Relatives on my mom's side of the family have been farming
strawberries since before I was born, and two doors down from my grandma's
house in Springfield, Oregon, surrounded by sprawled-out housing developments,
still lies the blueberry farm I wanted to visit every day of the year when I
was a kid. My parents must have breathed sighs of relief when I finally reached
the age where I understood that berries are only on the bush during certain
parts of the year, regardless of how many tears are shed.
I missed Mother's Day with my family this year. When I
called to say hello, I found out that my whole family - aunts, uncles, cousins,
brothers, and parents - were at my grandma's house. Her husband of 63 years
passed away in March, and my family was celebrating her life as a mother in the
best possible way - with strawberries and shortcake.
In addition to strawberries and blueberries, we have the
most delicious raspberries, marionberries, and blackberries around. Oregon's
raspberries are known for their bright red color and intense flavor. The
marionberry, aside from being a delicious blackberry with deep flavor, is named
after Marion County, where its development occurred. While the most commonly
cultivated blackberry varieties aren't native to the Pacific Northwest, native
blackberries have been extensively used as a parent in breeding, and can be
found while hiking in many locations along the Pacific Coast.
All of these berries and more can be found at the Hollywood
Farmers' Market in the coming months. Please visit our website for a harvest
schedule, or better yet, come every week as each type of berry comes into
season!
|
| Community Booth Spotlight
 Learn more about the organizations tabling at the market each week in our community booth column.
Solar Oregon
Solar Oregon
is a non-profit membership organization providing public education and
community outreach to encourage Oregonians to choose solar energy. Major
programs include educational workshops, solar home tours, a speaker's bureau,
and a lending library. With over 20 years of supporting solar energy throughout
Oregon, Solar
Oregon is a one-stop resource for Oregonians considering solar energy. Please
stop by our booth at the Hollywood Farmers' Market this Saturday to find out
why.
ReDirect Guide
The ReDirect Guide is a new
breed of media company - one that is dedicated solely to creating innovative
and effective media that encourages green living and sustainable communities;
one that focuses on the end result of its messages instead of simply
contributing to the chatter of commercialism; one that holds itself to the
market rigors of a for-profit corporation while operating with the mission and
ethics expected of a non-profit organization; and one whose actions are driven
by three bottom lines - planet, people, and profit.
Our work at the ReDirect Guide is intended to provide
pragmatic and easy to use tools to help everyday people make green choices in
their everyday purchases. We believe that by finding, qualifying, and
presenting green businesses in easy to use formats, we are helping individuals
contribute to a better world with every dollar they spend.
Please stop by our booth at the Hollywood Farmers' Market
to pick up your ReDirect Guide! |
|
Featured Vendor: Nossa Familia Coffee
 by Liz Guest, HFM Volunteer
Nossa Familia is the newest coffee vendor at the Hollywood
Farmers' Market. Their name translates to "Our Family" in Portuguese, the official
language of Brazil.
Augusto Dias grew up in Brazil
on his family's coffee farm and now lives here in Portland. He started Nossa Familia in order
to support a family tradition by importing and distributing coffee from his
family's farm.
Augusto's great-great grandparents started Fazenda Cachoeira
(Waterfall Farm) in 1890 and now, four generations later, are getting ready for
their 109th coffee harvest! Everything on the farm is done manually, including
planting, handling, harvesting, drying and roasting the beans. The quality of
the coffee produced by Fazenda Cachoeira is a result of dedication and care
during all coffee production stages, from the selection of the nursery trees to
planting and harvesting.
The coffee planted on the farm is 100% Arabica, of the
yellow bourbon variety. This rare variety is well known for its exceptional
body, profound aromas, and low to non-existent bitterness. The high quality of
these beans have landed the farm various awards, and placed Fazenda Cachoeira
among the finalists of the Brazil Cup of Excellence Competition in 1999, 2000,
2002 and 2004.
Nossa Familia offers coffee certified by Utz Kapeh, which
means "good coffee" in a Mayan dialect. The Utz Kapeh Code of Conduct includes standards
for recordkeeping, minimized and documented use of agrochemicals on the crops,
protection of labor rights, and access to health care and education for
employees and their families. Augusto says he is often asked whether his coffee
is fair trade. He explains that since the coffee is imported directly from his
family's farm in Brazil,
it is not only fairly traded but family traded! At Fazenda Cachoeira, the
family has embraced sustainable practices for 120 years. Nossa Familia also
donates $.50 of every pound of coffee they sell to local and international organizations
they identify with including the Community
Cycling Center,
Engineers Without Borders and Habitat for Humanity.
At Nossa Familia's market booth you will find regular,
decaffeinated, and organic whole bean and ground coffees. You can also savor
steaming cups of Nossa Familia's delicious and aromatic coffee as you do your
market shopping! |
|
The Hollywood Farmers' Market is open Saturdays, May through October from 8am - 1pm and November 1, 8, 15 & 22 from 9am - 1pm. We are located on NE Hancock Street between 44th and 45th Avenues (one block South of Sandy Blvd).
For more information, check us out online at www.hollywoodfarmersmarket.org.
See you Saturday!
Hollywood Farmers' Market
|
|
|
