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September 15, 2011
| Vol 5, Issue 22
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| Market Updates |  The weather may have cooled down a bit, but fresh fruits and vegetables are still hot and happening at the Hollywood Farmers Market.
This Saturday, ProFarm Produce will bring their delicious fresh apple cider for the first time this season. They will be absent for a couple weeks after Saturday, so make sure to stop by. Souper Natural will also be here with their variety of delicious soups to take home with you. It's true - soup season has begun! Dancing Light Ranch returns to the market on Saturday with lavendar galore.
Also this Saturday is our Annual Customer Dot Survey! This survey is your opportunity to help us understand our customers a little better, let us know what we are doing right, and tell us what changes you would like to see. We hope you will participate!
ZIMBA! the marimba band will be here on Saturday and Crista will be here painting faces for the kids. There's a lot happening this weekend and we hope to see you at the market!
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Feast Your Senses, Rest Your Mind
by Miriam Garcia
|  Before your next visit to the Hollywood Farmers Market, there's something you need to know about shopping for produce: done right, it can make you more insightful.
Last April, Jelly Helm, former executive creative director at Wieden+Kennedy, gave a talk at the Portland Art Museum. He asked patrons to view paintings without letting the 'evaluating brain' make judgments. "Instead," he said, "try to experience the art directly...take it in without thinking about it, just as an experiment to see what comes up."
Turns out, Mr. Helm's experiment was as much about neuroscience as it was about how to experience art or, perhaps, the farmers' market.
Neuroscientist Dr. David Rock, author of Your Brain at Work, describes two distinct neural networks in our brains. The 'Narrative Network,' uses the prefrontal cortex to construct stories, make plans and solve problems. ("14 guests means buy 15 ears of corn because Josh always eats two. That kid!") The 'Direct Experience Network' deploys brain areas that process sensation. When this second network is active, we experience events in real time, responding to actuality without interpreting it. ("Piled-high corn. This plump ear. Husky leaves, silky strands, milky kernels. The urge to nibble and nibble now!") Dr. Rock says the two networks are inversely correlated meaning that one will dominate at any given moment, usually the Narrative Network. So, essentially, Mr. Helm was asking patrons to switch networks in order to experience art more viscerally, and we did. What's this got to do with the price of potatoes in Portland? Read on.
Research shows that giving your problem-solving, story-spinning prefrontal cortex a break and letting your ever-ready Direct Experience Network run the show has measurable benefits, ranging from better decision-making to increased happiness to having more 'aha' moments of insight. Fortunately, you don't need a traditional mindfulness practice to rest your prefrontal cortex. You simply need to get thee to a farmers market and switch networks. Feel the peach fuzz. Savor the samples. Be dazzled by the red of pie cherries and tempted by the aroma of roasting peppers. As Dr. Rock says, 'It helps to use a rich stream of data," and what place could be richer in sensory data than your farmers market?
The next time you visit the market, if you feel like it, let your Direct Experience Network take over for a few minutes. Or, as Jelly Helm might say, let yourself experience the sights, sounds and scents of the market, without evaluating anything. Maybe close your eyes now and then to intensify non-visual sensation. See what comes up. And then, sure, go ahead and switch back to your default Narrative Network to decide which peaches to take home and how much corn you'll be needing to keep that Josh kid happy.
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Tip of the Week
brought to you by Robert Reynolds' Chefs Studio
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Vegetable Truth - Vegetables have their own truth. When you don't do anything untoward to a vegetable from field to plate, it will speak its truth, and you'll be able to taste its true flavors.The way you prepare the vegetable should be a reflection of that truth. When you see kohlrabi at the market, peel, slice, and taste it, but really taste it. Chew it well and examine the flavors. Its truth could be that it has the flavor of butter, so you cook it in butter or add cream to your dish.
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At the Market
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Music & Entertainment:
ZIMBA!
Community Booth:
Chess for Success
Upcoming Events:
Annual Customer Dot Survey - Saturday, September 17th, all day
Crazy Eggplant Day - Saturday, September 24th, all day
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Featured Product
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September 17, 2011
Cherry Tomatoes
Gales Meadow Farm
A mix of 12 varieties that come in different colors, sizes and shapes, Gales Meadow Farm cherry tomatoes have flavor profiles that range from tangy to sweet. Varieties include: green pears, yellow pears, chocolate pears, ivory pears, red figs, among others
Golden Chanterelles
Peak Forest Fruit
Golden Chanterelles are just now coming into season! Show your state pride as you feast on the official Oregon state mushroom, which pairs well with eggs or chicken. The Swedish translation for chanterelles means "chicken mushroom" and the French name translates to "egg mushroom." I wonder which came first...
Zestar Apples
Kiyokawa Family Orchards
Kiyokawa will have Zestars this week, a favorite early season eating apple. They are crunchy, juicy, and sweet!
Little Boy Blue
Willapa Hills Farmstead Cheese
Little Boy Blue, a pasteurized cow's milk blue cheese from Doty, Washington, is handmade in small batches and ripened 60 days. It is mild to medium-bodied with a natural aged rind and is simply delicious.
Chile Peppers
Sweet Leaf Farm
Sweet Leaf Farm's Oaxacan Chile Peppers pack a little tingle of heat. Start eating at the tip and work your way up towards the seeds, for a subtle & complex flavor that will leave your lips sparkling.
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 Days:
Every Saturday, May - Thanksgiving
1st & 3rd Saturdays, December - April
Hours:
May - October, 8am - 1pm
November - April, 9am - 1pm
Location:
NE Hancock Street between 44th and 45th Avenues (one block South of Sandy Blvd). In the Grocery Outlet parking lot!
For more information, check us out online at www.hollywoodfarmersmarket.org.
See you Saturday!
Hollywood Farmers Market |
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