TheWeekly Sprout
Harvard Farmers’ Market Newsletter	September 8, 2007

It was indeed a truly perfect morning that kicked off the Harvard Farmers’ Market last Saturday. The sun was shining, the band was playing, the vendors were smiling, and the community came together to shop, to eat, to catch up with friends...it seemed all was just the way it should be at the first Farmers’ Market in Harvard. Thanks to the many helping hands who were there to make it all work smoothly; it couldn’t have happened without you! If you didn’t get to join us this past Saturday, no worries; the Harvard Farmers’ Market will be running throughout September and October from 9:00-12:00, rain or shine, in front of the Elementary School on Route 111.

All of our farms are returning this Saturday, plus a few additions. Check them out!

By the Bushel

What can you expect to buy at the Market this week?

Amongst the large variety of products, look for the following this week:

Fresh Herbs Cut Flowers Organic Dog Food Italian Cookies Eggs Honey Breads

Tomatoes Eggplant Greens Sprouts Squash Cucumbers Beef Seafood Corn

Herbal Body Products Peppers Freshly Brewed Organic Coffee Melons Pumpkins

Apples Ethnic Vegetables Onions Coffee Beans

3 cucumbers, 2 peeled, all seeded, roughly chopped

2 red & 2 yellow bell pepper, seeded, roughly chopped

8 medium tomatoes, quartered

2 red onions, roughly chopped

6-8 garlic cloves, minced

6C tomato juice

½C white wine vinegar

¼C extra virgin olive oil

1T kosher salt

1 ½ t black pepper

avocado, chopped for garnish

Finely chop vegetables individually in a food processor fitted with a steel blade (don’t over process or soup will be runny – you want a mixture of consistencies). Put in a large mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly. Chill for several hours or overnight before serving, as the flavors will need to blend. Top with chopped avocado for garnish and serve with crusty bread.

For recipes using the Market’s freshest ingredients, check out the Harvard Farmers’ Market website: www.harvardfarmersmarket.org and go to ‘What’s Cooking.’ Salut!

Members from The Still River Band will be joining us this Saturday for a bluegrass jam session from 10:00 to Noon. Check out these local favorites!

Blase Provitola and Linda Hoffman have been farming their land on Eldridge Road for seven years. "It's been a fascinating process," says Blase, of bringing the long-neglected apple orchard back and, in 2006, becoming one of the few Baystate Certified Organic apple farmers the area. Blase and Linda encourage HFM shoppers seeking raspberries to come by the farm for Pick-Your-Own.

Hmong Farms is one of eight commercial farmers within Flats Mentor Farm, a hands-on mentoring farm for small, beginning farmers of diverse ethnic backgrounds. In aggregate, these farmers supply Asian vegetables and other produce to twenty Farmers Markets across Massachusetts.

The Hmong are an ethnic group from Asia, with their own language and culture. Most living in the U.S. today are from Laos. They bring a bounty of distinctive produce to the Harvard Farmers Market, including pea tendrils, squash blossoms, amaranth, and Bok Choy. Unfamiliar with cooking some of these exotics? Pick up the recipes available right at their stand or simply ask them for guidance!

If vending at the Harvard Farmers' Market was an endurance competition, surely Sherri Weinstein would be well-positioned to claim the top prize: Sherri wakes at 5:30 am to make it to the Market with her fish fresh off the docks of Boston and Bedford. A family-run business for fifty years, Globe Fish adds the Harvard Farmers' Market to the other markets they participate in, including Arlington, Brookline and Lexington.

Fish offered last week included Bluefish, Swordfish, Tuna, Cod, Haddock and Sole – but check every week, because the selection varies according to the catch. "I could have brought scallops this week, but I didn't, because they didn't meet our standards," Sherri explains. Sherri provides scoops of ice for your purchased fish, but shoppers should consider bringing insulated bags for longer rides home.

About the WHEAT Community...A heartfelt thanks to the vendors and shoppers who donated produce last Saturday. Your donations were delivered to the WHEAT Community in Clinton whose mission is to promote the well being of low-income children, adults and families in the surrounding communities. For more information or to find out how to donate, go to www.wheatcommunity.net.