Avenue Magazine Blog

Red Neck Goat Ranch Bunnies (stick 'em up!)

 Greg Beneteau from Avenue Magazine must have been here last week and took some awesome photos including the one above.  Thanks!  Click on the link to see his full post and all the photos.

http://www.avenuecalgary.com/articles/10-great-vendors-at-the-millarville-farmers-market

Salad Greens Galore

Greens Galore: spinach, chard, mesclun mix, lettuce. 

Red and Green Baby Lettuce

These are all cold tolerant greens that grow best first thing in the spring (which in our area is June!)  Mesclun mix is a mixture of edible leaves.  It varies with the seasons but in the spring is mostly made up of lettuce varieties, maybe spinach, arugula, mizuna, mustard greens all to create a kaleidoscope of  colours, textures and flavours.   

These greens are labour intensive to seed, harvest, wash and package.   Particularly lettuce seed is very small and if it is to form heads later needs to be thinned.  Small plants get pulled to create enough space for others to grow.  These thinnings get added to mixes.  Many other varieties are meant to grow just as leaves and are a cut and come again variety.   The grower seeds in wide swaths and then cuts just above the ground to harvest when the leaves are about 3-4 inches tall.  The plants then sprout another crop of leaves to cut a few weeks later.  You can do this at home too  in a small patch of soil in the garden or even in a planter.  Watering with some dilute fish fertilizer after the first cut helps to grow a second batch.   Cutting is done with scissors, a greens harvester or in mass scale fields like for Earthbound Farms a horizontal band pulled by a tractor.

Greens Harvester

Fresh spinach, spring chard, lettuce or mesclun mix right from the garden with a little grit still on it is so great!   If you buy a bag of greens from the market it probably has been washed, but to get all the sand/soil/grit out fill your sink with clean cold water and dump in the greens.  Swirl it around with your hand a few times and then walk away for 10 minutes.   Pick out any grass or bugs that float up.  Then, scoop out the leaves without disturbing the sand, grit etc that sank to the bottom.  I put it into a salad spinner to dry it and then put it in a plastic bag with a paper towel to soak up any extra water.  You can also roll it in a clean tea towel to dry.   Store in the fridge and eat it all!   Don’t add too much other stuff or a heavy dressing so that you can taste everything.  A light toss with some olive oil, lemon juice and salt and pepper might be just right.   

Mesclun mix and spring mix are interchangeable terms used to describe assorted mixed baby greens harvested at the seedling stage (3-4 weeks). Blends usually include 5-7 types of greens with a range of leaf sizes, colors, shapes and textures. Although leaf lettuces are often the primary component, most mixes also include non-lettuce greens (brassicas, herbs, and others) to add diversity in flavor and appearance. Mixes can be mild- or spicy-flavored, and can be harvested young for use in salads or older as "braising" mixes for stir-fries.

Brassica crops typically contribute spicy or pungent flavors, while the lettuces and Chenopodium crops are mild and sweet. Chicory family crops typically are slightly bitter, and herbs contribute different flavor profiles. Varieties are selected not only for flavor and leaf texture, but also for color. Red varieties that are well suited for mesclun production are those that develop good red color even under low light conditions. For cool-weather or winter production, use the most cold-hardy species such as spinach, Claytonia (Miner's Lettuce), arugula, kale, and other Brassicas

Varieties

Lettuces:  Red Salad Bowl, Parris Island Cos, Rouge d'Hiver, Lolla Rossa, Tango, Red Sails, New Red Fire

Mizuna

Arugula

Brassica family:  Tatsoi, Kyona/Mizuna, Komatsuna, Broccoli Raab, Tokyo Bekana, Scarlett Frill, Green Wave and other mustards (Brassica juncea), Red Russian Kale (Brassica napus), Cress (various species), Arugula/Rocket (Eruca sativa), Chinese Cabbage (Brassica Rapa), Broccoli Raab

Chenopodium family:  Ruby Red Chard, Fordhook Giant Chard, Spinach (Space, Typee), Golden  Beet, (Golden Chioggia, Red), Amaranth

Radiccio

Chichorium family:  Radiccio, Endive, Escarole

Purple Mustard

Herbs:  Fennel, Basil, Parsley, Salad Burnett, Chervil

 

Other:  Mache/Corn Salad (Valerianella), Dandelion(Taraxacum), Purslane and Claytonia/Miners's Lettuce (Portulaca

All About Asparagus!

Asparagus-  asparagus officinalis  is an perennial plant in the lily family. 

It is a perennial crop that grows from crowns (like bulbs) and takes a minimum of two years to develop until you can pick it, but then it comes back every spring.     In Alberta asparagus season is anywhere from mid to late May to end of June.   The fresh spears get picked as often as twice daily and then when the days get hotter (end June) are left to turn to ferny foliage that recharges the crowns preparing for winter and then shoots the next spring.  

When you choose asparagus from the store, the closer to home it is, the fresher and better it will be.  Choose bunches with plump tips and ends that aren’t dried out.    White asparagus is the same plant- but it is grown under deep layers of mulch to keep it from developing the green from chlorophyll in the sunlight.   Note that it is perfectly acceptable to eat asparagus with your fingers and I think it tastes better eaten this way.   There is nothing that tastes better than fresh asparagus right from the field.  Our farmer,  Lorne Bunney,  grows his asparagus out near Brooks, picks on Friday and you can eat it Saturday for supper.  

The joy and the heartbreak of asparagus is that it is very, very seasonal.   So eat asparagus until you can’t eat any more and then wait until next season.   Because the joy of food right from the ground in the place where you live is the best!   

To store: stand the bundle of asparagus in 1″ of water in a jar in the fridge and cover loosely with a plastic bag.  Alberta asparagus will keep in the fridge for at least one week

Grill whole on the barbeque,  or spear with skewers and grill, or boil in 1 inch of salted water, just until they turn bright green.   Or cut in 1 inch pieces with a bit of water and microwave for 2 minutes, run under cold water to chill and then add to salad. 

My friend and colleague dee Hobsbawn-Smith has an awesome new book out about small farms, farmers and food production in Alberta called Foodshed- An Edible Alberta Alphabet.   This is her asparagus recipe that would be perfect for an elegant spring dinner. 

Asparagus Roll

This spring dish bursts with classic Italian flavours.

1/2 tsp (2 mL) grapefruit zest

2 tbsp (25 mL) minced onion

2 tsp (10 mL) grated ginger root

1 tsp (5 mL) olive oil or cold-pressed organic canola oil

kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste

2 chicken thighs, boneless, skin on or ½ pork tenderloin

1 to 2 tbsp (15 to 25 mL) herb mustard

 1/2 tsp (2 mL) minced fresh rosemary

2 tsp (10 mL) minced fresh parsley

1 tbsp (15 mL) chopped capers

6 spears asparagus, halved

1 tbsp (15 mL) chopped oil-cured olives (optional)

1 to 2 tbsp (15 to 25 mL) olive oil or cold-pressed organic canola oil

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Saute onion and ginger in oil until tender, about 5 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper. Lay chicken skin-side-down (or pork) on counter.  Spread with mustard, herbs, capers, zest, cooked onions, asparagus and olives. Roll the meat around the filling, season, and transfer to a parchment-lined tray, seam side down. Drizzle with oil and roast uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes, until juices run clear. Serve hot.

Serves 2

Introducing our new vendors for Summer 2012

NEW VENDORS FOR 2012.

It’s always great fun every year to introduce new vendors to our market visitors and vice versa, to give vendors an opportunity to meet all of our visitors.   I have listed below all of our new vendors for this season.  Those listed in bold are full time- here every Saturday.   The others are part-time and come and go through the season.  It’s kind of like a treasure hunt through the market each week to see who’s new.   Welcome to you all and let the fun begin!

Aisycakes- gourmet  “bath cakes”

AVW Photography- vintage style photography

Banuka Bakery Inc.-  Middle Eastern Bakery with flatbreads, baklava, and other specialties.

BITE Beef Company Ltd-  grass fed beef from two young women ranching within the city limits.

Cedar Craft.ca- beautiful cedar furniture, lattices and screens

Chickadee Glass- stained glass/fused glass

Crowsnest Coffee Company- coffee

Engraved Memories- custom engraving

Four Daisies Quilting & Sewing- bags, aprons, snack bags, crayon holders

Halfrien Wood- wood relief carvings

Jake's Wood Products- wood working - bird houses, feeders, chests, clocks

Kaffir Lime- Indonesian curry

Leslie Ryll- frames made from rock

Little Purple Apple- saskatoons, frozen berries, juice, pies, filling and fresh berries in season

London Hair Styling Studio- hair accessories, glitter tattoos, feather hair extensions

Longview Leather- locally tooled leather belts, bags and accessories

MacMillan Amies Studio Inc- tile and mosaic

Make Cheese Inc.- cheese making kits

Meadow Creek Sausage & Meat Ltd.- chicken and pork sausage

Michael Scullion- one of kind wooden furniture

Paka Mirrors Plus- repurposed window frames- chalkboards, cork, mirrors.

Photograpghy By Cee- western photography, prints, cards

Primal Soup Company- good for you soups

Protective Essentials (Nature Lites)- soaps, candles, body care products

Ripplinger Photography- photos, cards, unique frames

Sage Permaculture- compost, worm castings, bedding plants, pottery

Stoked Oats Ltd.- gourmet oatmeal mixes

SuzzeeB- Rocky Mountain paintings and mixed media

Take 5 Studio- Jewellery and scarves

The Waterton Perfumery- made in Alberta perfume

Yvonne Martinez- watercolour art

Plants, Herbs, Hanging Baskets, Native Plants

Bedding plants-

Did you know that most of the plant material that is in big box stores and large greenhouses is grown in BC or Ontario and then resold?   When you buy plants from our market vendors such as bedding plants, perennials, trees, shrubs, hanging baskets, tomatoes, herbs and native plants you can be assured that they are grown right in the area.  You can ask the growers directly for their tips on how to grow the best plants around.

Terra Farms- from Blackie- the best potted herbs and herb baskets

Wild About Flowers- Black Diamond- collects seed sustainably in the foothills, forest and river valleys and grows native plants in plug form.  You can’t get any hardier than that.

Brassard Greenhouses-  Craig and his family grow big tomato plants, beautiful planters and hanging baskets, annual basket stuffers and perennials- all from their own greenhouses. (Brassard, AB)

Grow Good Things- is a collective of young farmers/growers from Black Diamond that grow organic veggie bedding plants and herbs.

Sage Permaculture- Black Diamond- will have awesome compost, bedding out plants, worm castings and more.