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Dane County Farmers' Market eNewsletter
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October 22, 2011
6:00 am - 2:00 pm
Downtown Madison Parking Map (Private ramps and street parking are also available.)
Dane County Farmers' Market
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A Fresh Variety of Produce is what you'll find at the produce stand of Youa Xiong. [South Carroll St.] --Photo by Bill Lubing
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This Week ...
Apple Cider Donuts from Murphy's Farm taste especially wonderful during the Fall season. [South Carroll St.] --Photo by Bill Lubing Order Your Thanksgiving Turkey
While Thanksgiving is still a little more than a month away it's a good time to order your turkey. Some Dane County Farmers' Market producers are already at their pre-order limit. Also available at the market are goose and duck. In the meantime, there is plenty of beef, chicken, emu, pork, rabbit, lamb, trout, and venison at the market along with squash, carrots, pumpkin, rutabagas, kale and peppers. The late spinach season continues to pick up momentum as do several of the other greens, potatoes, and beets. In other words, there's plenty at the market that is fresh off the farm and locally grown. Though this week parts of the state experienced some frost, the mums and asters will easily tolerate that amount of cold. It's not until we experience hard, sustained freezing that that these flowers will call it a season. Other flowers to enjoy include cut varieties and dried arrangements, some featuring native Wisconsin species. With only three more outdoor markets before the move to Monona Terrace, now is a great time to stock up from those vendors who finish their season when the market moves indoors. It's also a good time to query your favorite vendor to see if his or her products are available at local retailers. Many DCFM vendors also sell their products at local grocery stores and supply area restaurants.
See you at market!
Bill Lubing [email protected]
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Recipes
Clapshot (Potatoes, Carrots & Rutabaga); Roasted Pumpkin Seeds; The Best Chili You Will Ever Taste!
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Clapshot --Photo by BecR
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Clapshot (Potatoes, Carrots & Rutabaga)
by Jenny Sanders This is a very intriguing dish. The flavors blend so well it is hard to identify any one of the components; instead it seems like some new, mysterious veggie. Ingredients- 1 pound white potato
- 1 pound carrot
- 1 pound rutabaga
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon salt (Optional, or to taste)
- pepper
- 1 egg (optional)
Directions- Peel the rutabaga and cut it into thin slices.
- Put it in a large pot with plenty of water and bring it to a boil.
- Meanwhile, peel the carrots and cut them in thick slices.
- When the rutabaga has been cooking for about 10 minutes, add the carrots.
- Meanwhile, peel the potatoes, and cut them into large chunks.
- When the rutabaga has been cooking for 20 minutes (total) add the potatoes, and cook for about another 20 minutes.
- When all the vegetables are tender, drain them and mash them with the butter, salt and pepper.
- These are delicious mashed somewhat coarsely and served as-is.
- You can also puree them very well, beat in the egg, and turn them into a buttered casserole dish. Bake them until lightly toasted on top.
Adapted from www.food.com
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Roasted pumpkin seeds. --Photo by Hadice
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Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
by Dancer
When carving your Halloween pumpkin or making a fresh pumpkin pie, don't discard the seeds. When roasted they're great as a snack and perfect for a Halloween party. Preparing them is easy--a perfect activity to do with the kids!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups raw whole pumpkin seeds
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted (or use sunflower oil from the market)
- a pinch of salt
Directions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
- Toss seeds in a bowl with the melted butter and salt.
- Spread the seeds in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for about 45 minutes or until golden brown; stir occasionally.
Adapted from www.food.com
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The Best Chili You Will Ever Taste --Photo by run for your life
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The Best Chili You Will Ever Taste
by Amanda A Oates
This is the best chili recipe I have ever tried. I'm not sure where the recipe originated, but it is amazing! Once anyone tastes this chili, they will be begging for the recipe!! Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons sunflower oil
- 2 onions, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 3/4 pound beef sirloin, cubed
- 3/4 pound, fresh tomatoes diced (or 14 1/2 ounce can diced tomatoes)
- 1 can dark beer
- 1 cup strong coffee
- 2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
- 1 can beef broth
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 3 1/2 tablespoons chili sauce
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon cocoa
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon cayenne
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 pound dried beans from Flyte Family Farm, soaked for 4-six hours or (4 15-ounce) cans kidney beans
- 4 chili peppers, chopped
Directions
- Heat oil.
- Cook onions, garlic and meat until brown.
- Add tomatoes, beer, coffee, tomato paste and beef broth.
- Add spices. Stir in 1/2 of the beans and all of the peppers.
- Reduce heat and simmer for 1 1/2 hours.
- Add 2 remaining kidney beans and simmer for another 30 minutes.
Adapted from www.food.com
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Meet the Producer: Willow Creek Farm
Chef Daniel Fox of the Madison Club Visits Tony & Sue Renger to Learn About Their Hog-Raising Philosophy and Techniques |
Tony and Sue Renger with Chef Daniel Fox (center) --Video Capture by Bill Lubing
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As part of his duties as presenter of the SlowPig event to be held at the Madison Club on October 30, Executive Chef Daniel Fox learns as much as he can about the raw ingredients supplied to the chefs who will be competing in the whole hog cook off.
One supplier familiar to Dane County Farmers' Market enthusiasts is Willow Creek Farm, that will be donating a pure breed Berkshire pig for the competition to be prepared by Chef Tory Miller of L'Etoile Restaurant, in Madison.
A couple of weeks ago we tagged along as Chef Fox visited Sue and Tony Renger at the Farm, located near Loganville, Wi.
While most of the hogs were in siesta mode, Tony, Sue, and Chef Daniel fed a few of the hogs freshly picked apples and acorns, two ingredients that guarantee "hog heaven" joy for a pig.
As we watched the hogs enjoying their treats Tony explained that, "Our big focus here is to make sure that we're raising the hogs the way it was done 40, 50, 60 years ago. They have access to the outside. They have shelter." As a fifth generation hog farmer, Tony knows this business.
The hogs, "can come and go as they like," continues Tony. "They're in a very low stress environment so we see the quality of the meat as being considerably higher."
While Willow Creek Farm raises hogs in the hundreds at a time, some facilities raise hogs in the thousands at a time. Called confinement facilities, these larger operations don't offer hogs access to the outdoors, natural dirt, and low-process foods such as apples and acorns, and the special feed that the Rengers prepare right on the farm.
Tony notes that the pure breed Berkshires grow more slowly than those animals that are raised in confinement facilities.
"Our hogs go to market at around seven months," he says, noting that confinement hogs go to market at around four months.
The benefit, he says, is that the Berkshire has a better flavor than the more quickly grown hogs.
Sue notes and Chef Daniel confirms that there is a big difference between the meat of the large confinement animals versus those raised in a low-stress environment. Chef Daniel says that after serving hogs raised in a low-stress environment he, "can't go back to the commercial side of it. You can tell the quality of the meat immediately," from the smaller producers, he notes.
In addition to raising hogs, Willow Creek Farm is unique in that it also operates its own processing facility, called Willow Creek Farms Charcuterie, Inc., in Prairie du Sac, WI. This way Sue and Tony say they can control the quality of the packaged products bearing their name.
Tony says that beyond the taste of the meat, raising hogs in a low-stress environment, "is the right thing to do. Ultimately we're going to eat these hogs. We want them to have a good life. It's a short life but it's a good life."
The grunts of enjoyment as they nose up the acorns and crunch on the apples seem to indicate that these happy hogs approve.
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[Editor's Note: Tony and Sue will be at this week's DCFM. Ask at the DCFM Info Booth at the top of State St. for their location.
Also note that a number of producers bring pork to the market. If you'd like to know the growing practices of any of these producers or those of the producers of any other products at the market, just ask. The person selling is the person who produced it. The seller will be happy to tell you about his or her production practices.]
For More Information: Willow Creek Farm Tony and Sue Renger
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At Market This Week
Lamb, Turkey, Produce and More New Products from Heck's Market include tomato juice, along with hot and mild salsa.
[West Main St.] --Photo by Bill Lubing We strive to keep this list as accurate as possible. We probably missed an item or two that is at the market or listed an item as available when it is not. Chances are that not all items mentioned or listed below will be at each market. We have several new products at the market. Flyte Family Farm is offering pinto bean flour. Stone ground by Cress Spring Bakery, up to 25 percent pinto bean flour can replace wheat flour. It's great for gravy and soup thickeners, making easy, fast bean dip, and for making tortillas. Flyte Family Farm offers a number of dried bean varieties along with their fresh fruits and vegetables. Heck's Market is offering bottled tomato juice along with hot and mild salsas. Made from their own tomatoes, these ready-to-serve items will be great around the holiday season. So stock up! Don's Produce is offering late season zucchini. Started last summer in their greenhouse, they will be offering the fresh zucchini for the rest of the outdoor season and well into the indoor market session. Dill, garlic braids, fresh parsley, and cardoon can be found at the market. Shallots, salad mixes, soup mixes, and saute mixes are in good supply as are potatoes, sweet potatoes, and squash. Don't forget to visit the Wetherby Cranberry Company on North Pinckney for your cranberry supply. These little berries freeze very well and will stay viable for over a year. The variety of apples right now is outstanding. Whether you're making a pie, chutney, cake, or eating as it, there are plenty of varieties to choose from. To find a vendor or product you can: 1) check the DCFM website or take a leisurely stroll through the market. If you'd like to check with your favorite vendor about product availability, go here, then do a search for contact information. And remember, you can always inquire at the Information Booth, at the corner of North Carroll and West Mifflin streets at the top of State St. Bakery Asiago black pepper bread, Biscotti Cheese bread Cheesecake Cinnamon rolls Cookies Cupcakes Flat breads Muffins Panettone Pastries Ragusa Style Sicilian Semolina Bread Scones Spinach 'Mpanata Sweet breads Tea breads Tomato Scaccia Torts Tortillas Whole wheat sourdough Whoopie pies Cheese
Cheese curds
Goat cheese
Sheep milk cheese
Mixed milk cheeses Cottage Cheese World-class aged cheeses
Fresh Cut, Dried Flowers
Cut Flowers
Dried Arrangements
Pussy Willows
Red Curly Willow
Red Dogwood
Return to 'In This Issue' Contents Fresh Vegetables Beets Arugala Basil Beets Beans (dried and fresh) Bok Choy Broccoli Broccoli Raab Burdock Cabbage Cauliflower Carrots Celery Chipolini Onions Chives Cilantro Collard Greens Corn (sweet, pop) Edamame Egg Plant Emiranthus Fennel Garlic Ground Cherries Herbs Kale Kohlrabi Leeks Micro greens Mustard Greens Nasturtium Blossoms Onions (several varieties) Oregano Parsley Parsnips Peas Peppers (dried, fresh, sweet, hot) Potatoes Radishes Shallots Salad mixes Savoy Scallions Sorrel Sugar Snap Peas Sweet Potatoes Tomatillos Tomatoes, canned Tomatoes, fresh Turnips
Violas
Zucchini
Fruit Apples Aronia Blackberries Cranberries (fresh, dried) Jams, jellies, preserves Grapes Melons Pears Raspberries (frozen) Raspberries (fresh) Sea Berries Strawberries (fresh) Strawberries (frozen) Tomatoes (fresh) Tomatoes (canned)
Live Plants
Bedding plants
Prairie Plants
Vegetable, herb, and flower transplants
Woodland plants
Meats (Grass and grain fed) Angus beef Beef Bison Brats and sausage Chicken Conventional cuts Emu
Elk Ham Highland beef Lamb Pork Rabbit Special cuts Venison Fresh and smoked trout Smoked salmon
Specialty Items
Apple Cider Baklava Bloody Mary mix Candles Dried Gourds Eggs Flavored sea salt Ginger Root Hickory nuts Honey Hot sauces Infused olive oil Maple syrup Morels Mushrooms Pasties (frozen) Persian Toffee Pesto Rhubarb Sauce Salsa Soup (canned and frozen) Sunflower oil Tomato sauces Tortillas Vinaigrettes Return to 'In This Issue' Contents |
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Market Information
Dates, Times, Locations, and Contact Information for The Dane County Farmers' Market
Plenty With Which to Decorate! from Braun's Gardens, LLC [East Main St.] --Photo by Bill Lubing
2011 Saturday Outdoor Market Schedule
Date: Begins April 16, 2011 through Nov. 5, 2011
Hours: 6:00 am to 2:00 pm
Where: Downtown Madison on the Capitol Square
2011 Wednesday Outdoor Market Schedule
Date: Begins April 20, 2011 through Nov. 2, 2011
Hours: 8:30 am to 2:00 pm
Where: 200 Block of Martin Luther King Blvd.
Parking
Questions About the Market?
If you have any questions about the market or the vendors, please contact the market manager, Larry Johnson, at 608-455-1999 or email him at [email protected]. The DCFM website provides much information as well.
Dane County Farmers' Market Volunteer Opportunities Please contact Ruth Miller at [email protected] for information about volunteering at the market breakfasts (winter months only) or during the outdoor market at the information booth. It's fun, rewarding, and really appreciated by the market-going public. Friends of the DCFM For information on volunteering for any educational projects and programs on the Square or becoming a member of Friends of the Dane County Farmers' Market contact Danielle Wood at [email protected].
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Looking Ahead ...
A Very Busy Market
From Tiny to Substantial ... Gentle Breeze Honey sells just about any sized container of their excellent honey. [West Washington at South Carroll St.] --Photo by Bill Lubing While we only have a few more weeks of the outdoor market it's going to be pretty intense. Going by the weather you'd think things were slowing down at the market. That's definitely not the case. It seems the last few weeks of the outdoor market have the tables laden full of produce, flowers, cheese, bakery, and meats. The use of green houses, hoop houses, and sophisticated growing practices have us enjoying spinach, tomatoes, zucchini, and potatoes all at the same time of the year. As long as the weather holds we're more than happy to grab an extra bag and enjoy the bounty! Until next week, Bill Lubing DCFM [email protected] Return to 'In This Issue' Contents |
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