On the Town Common, Saturdays, 9:30 - 1:30
|
As fall begins, the market will be filled with wonderful harvest season fruits and vegetables. Remember that the market runs through October 30 on the common, and there will also be a special indoor market on November 20.
This week's cooking demonstration will help you figure out what to do
with the abundance of zucchini and basil now available. Winchester's Fit Foodie Denise
Costello will show you how to take these nutritious veggies and herbs
and turn them into a simple, delicious meal your whole family will
enjoy. Denise will be demonstrating at 11:00 how to prepare Summer Squash
"Linquini" with goat cheese and Basil and Grilled Chicken Tenders with
Cilantro Basil Pesto.
Bistro 5 will again be at the market selling delicious ready-to-eat sandwiches and salads--which presents a great opportunity for a picnic lunch on the common!
Mark your calendars for this year's environmental fair, which will take place on the common on October 16 alongside the farmers market. See below for more details.
Thank you to the customers who have used our system for advance ordering from participating farmers and other vendors. Try out advance ordering when you have a busy Saturday scheduled or when rain is predicted or to be sure you get an item that might sell out. Let us know if you have any questions or suggestions about advance ordering. Check the farmers market website for additional information about the market, including vendor profiles, frequently asked questions, and the schedule for artists, entertainers, and the rotating business, food, and community group tents. Visit the website for Sustainable Winchester, the sponsor of the farmers market, to get information about current projects, monthly meetings, and volunteer opportunities. Remember that the market will take place rain or shine throughout the season. Try to bring your own shopping bags to the market, and please ride your bike or walk to the market if you can. If you drive, park your car in the Aberjona or Shore Road lot to leave parking spaces surrounding the common open for short-term parking near downtown businesses. The Aberjona lot, which runs along the commuter rail track across from the post office, is free on weekends, including the permit spaces in the end of the lot.
We look forward to seeing you on the common on Saturday.
Sincerely, Winchester Farmers Market Organizing Committee
|
This Week at the Market
| |
Vegetables: beans (green), beets, bok choi, broccoli, chard (bright lights, green, red), corn, cucumbers, eggplant (Japanese, purple), garlic, kale (green, red), okra, peppers (cubanelle, green, jalapeno, poblano, purple, rainbow, red, serrano, white), squash (kousa, patty pan, summer, zucchini), tomatoes (cherry, grape, heirloom, yellow, plum, red), winter squash (acorn, butternut, red curry, spaghetti), zucchini flowers
Fruit: apples (Cortland, Ginger Gold, Honey Crisp, Macintosh, Macoun, Mutzu, Paula Red, Royal Gala), blackberries, grapes (green, purple, seedless), melon (athena, cantaloupe, honeydew), nectarines, peaches (regular, white), pears (Bosc), plums (prune, sugar), raspberries, strawberries
Herbs: basil, dry herb and spice blends, herbal tea Other products: grass-fed beef, bread, candy, cheese, chocolate, cider, cut flowers, eggs, fish, honey, jam and preserves, lobster, ready-to-eat sandwiches and salads from Bistro 5
Entertainment: Off the Record
Artist: Ingrid Jochimsen, intarsia, wood boxes
Community Group Tent: Winchester Historical Society
Business Tent: Andrea Corkum, Kaleidoscope Soap
Food Tent: Deborah's Kitchen, homemade jams and preserves; Sweet Lolo's, handmade candy
Cooking/Nutrition
Demonstration: Denise Costello, Summer Squash
"Linquini" with goat cheese and Basil and Grilled Chicken Tenders with
Cilantro Basil Pesto
|
Environmental Fair
| | The Environmental Fair is in its third year held in conjunction with the Winchester Farmers Market on the Winchester Town Common. This year the Fair will be on Saturday, October 16, from 9:30am to 3pm
The vision for the Environmental Fair is to serve as an educational resource for all aspects of the lives of the residents of Winchester and the surrounding towns: recreation, home, business, and government. There will be several components along with the various exhibitors including a lecture series, live music, bicycle safety and repair workshops, and a children's activity center. Part of the schedule includes a ceremony presenting Winchester's Climate Action Plan to the Board of Selectmen. The cross-section of the exhibitors will range from local, state, and federal government initiatives; updates from Winchester student activities; local and regional environmental groups; energy efficiency and renewable experts; recycling choices; and sustainable lifestyle choices.
As always, it's a great opportunity to bring your family to the common to listen to live music, shop for local produce, and learn about all the environmental initiatives happening in our town.
Volunteers are needed to work that day--from setting up tables in the morning and helping exhibitors unload, to breaking down tables in the afternoon. Please email Sara Ferguson to sign up for a shift: sara_ferguson@verizon.net.
|
Eating Local during the Winter: Preserving the Harvest
| | In addition to winter CSA shares and winter markets, another way to eat local during the winter is to make use of the many
different ways to preserve fruits and vegetables. Several options are available, such as freezing, canning,
drying, fermenting, and root cellaring. Take advantage of the abundance
of produce available at the farmers market now by getting some extra to
preserve so that you can continue to enjoy it throughout the winter. Visit the website of the National Center for Home Food Preservation
for detailed information about preservation options (inlcuding general
guidelines and specific information for many different fruits and
vegetables). Brief overviews of some methods are included below. Freezing is one of the easiest ways to preserve food because many
fruits and vegetables can be frozen with little or no processing. Try
freezing whole plum tomatoes or raspberries in a single layer on a
cookie sheet in the freezer and then packing them in freezer bags once
they have frozen solid. Although the texture of the tomatoes and berries
will be soft after freezing, they are excellent to use in sauces
or baked foods. Freezer pectins are available for making quick and easy
jams without any cooking or canning. Canning is one of the most common traditional methods of preserving
food, but it can be a fairly long, complex process for a beginner.
However, it does give excellent results and long-lasting food
preservation. Canning involves packing prepared fruits and vegetables in
jars that are vacuum sealed by heating them in boiling water or a
pressure canner. Drying can be as simple as hanging a bunch of herbs in a warm place
to dry or as complicated as making fruit leathers in a food dehydrator.
If you plan to do a lot of drying, a good food dehydrator would be a
worthwhile investment. You could buy an electric food dehydrator (try to
find one at a yard sale, in the Want Ads, or on craigslist) or consider
making a solar food dehydrator. You
can also dry many fruits and vegetables in a low-temperature oven
("sun-dried" tomatoes made in the oven are easy and delicious). Fermenting is a process that uses acidity for preservation, often
by adding vinegar or salted water to vegetables. Pickles and sauerkraut
are well-known fermented foods. Vegetables are usually cut in pieces or
shredded before fermenting to increase the surface area exposed to
the liquid they are submerged in, and they are also usually salted to
discourage bacterial growth and to make them release water and thus
become crunchier. Use ceramic or glass containers for fermenting (metal
containers will corrode). A root cellar is a room or structure, usually built underground, in
which vegetables can be stored for several months in an environment of
low temperatures (32-40�), high humidity (80-95%), and good air
circulation. In this environment, many vegetables (such as root
vegetables and winter squash) will last for four to six months. An
unheated, underground garage or basement (especially in a north-east
corner) in your home can be converted into a root cellar. Root cellar conditions can be created in a buried trash can
in your backyard, and vegetables such as carrots can even be stored for
several months in a pail of damp sand or sawdust in a dark room, such
as a garage, that is 32-40�. Be sure to cut the leaves off of carrots
before storing them this way. |
Raspberry Picking at Wright-Locke Farm
| |
Raspberry
season continues at Wright-Locke Farm. Come pick . . . for jam, for freezing, for that favorite peach and
raspberry crisp, or for just plain eating! There is a 1 1/2 acre field of
this certified-organic crop. Set in a town-owned heritage landscape, the farm is stroller friendly and a great destination for families. Buckets are provided for picking. Take your picked berries home in your own containers or our compostable pint boxes.
Where: 78 Ridge St, Winchester, at the intersection of Lockeland & Ridge Streets
Hours: Tu, Wed, Th: 9 am - 12 pm Fri, Sat, Sun: 1 pm - 4 pm Mon: CLOSED Photo by Jim Whitehead
Pricing: 1st and 2nd pints, $5 each 3rd pint and beyond, $4 each. Similar quantity discount if picked by the bucket
Info & Email: Updates, www.wlfarm.org; 24-hour info line, 781-721-7128.
Volunteer: Help our friendly team with U-Pick sales under the shade of the old maple tree. Visit www.wlfarm.org/volunteer for more information and to sign up for a full shift or an easier-to-manage 1 1/2 hour shift. The Wright-Locke Farm
Conservancy, a 501(c)(3) organization, manages the
land and buildings of the Wright-Locke farm. Come walk the easy trails anytime. Map and trail notes at the entrance kiosk on Ridge Street.
|
Follow the Farmers Market on Facebook and Twitter | | Visit the farmers market Facebook page to share your photos of the market, post comments, and get updates about the market. Follow the market on Twitter to get the latest updates from the market on Saturday mornings. |
Volunteer at the Market
| |
We need volunteers this week (and every week) to help with the
farmers market, especially for setup before the market between 8:30
and 9:30 and takedown after the market between 1:30 and 2:30. If you are
able to help, please sign up at our online signup sheet to let us know when
you are coming. Thank you to everyone who has already volunteered to help. Your
assistance is especially important in keeping the market running
smoothly, and we appreciate everything you do!
We also have some short-term volunteer positions
to fill for the Environmental Fair on October 16. Be a part of this
fun, informative, and community-building event! Please email Sara Ferguson at sara_ferguson@verizon.net to sign up.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|