Favorite Markets Opening…Wednesday, Thursday, & Saturday!

It is official. The markets have strawberries, and they ARE delicious (see the previous post!).

Lots of your favorite markets open this week…including Asheville City

Yes! Strawberries. Don't miss out.

South, Montford, Spruce Pine, Flat Rock, Big Ivy, Mills River, and Black Mountain Tailgate Market.

And the Weaverville Tailgate Market is celebrating spring with a visiting chef, Ed Cohan of Green Sage, Scribbles the clown, a potting table for kids, and Madison County’s wonderful Extension Agent, Elizabeth Ayers, will be at the market to answer your gardening questions.

Opens WEDNESDAY, May 2 ~
Asheville City Market South, Biltmore Park Town Square, 2-6, moves outdoors this week

Montford Farmers Market, Asheville Chamber of Commerce Parking Lot, 36 Montford Avenue, 2-6

Spruce Pine Farmers Market,  Oak Avenue on the porch of Wildflower’s Health Food Store, 2-5

Opens THURSDAY, May 3 ~

Flat Rock Tailgate Market, behind Hand & Hand Gallery, Greenville Highway, Thursdays, 3-6

Opens SATURDAY, May 5 ~

Big Ivy Tailgate Market, old Fire Station parking lot, Barnardsville, Saturdays, 10-12, Opens May 5, 2012

Black Mountain Tailgate Market, behind the First Baptist Church at 130 Montreat Road in Black Mountain, Saturdays, 9-12, May 5

Mills River Tailgate Market, 5046 Boylston Highway, Saturdays, 8-12, May 5 to October

Get Your 'Mater Plants

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Strawberries, Wednesday Market Visit, Black Mountain

A Couple of Quick Announcements ~

• Last post I forgot to mention that the Big Ivy Tailgate Market in Barnardsville (Saturday, 10-12), the Mills River Tailgate Market (Saturday, 8-12), and the Marshall Island Farmers Market (Sunday, 12-4) are all now officially open.

• Black Mountain Tailgate Market opens this coming Saturday, May 14, from 9-12.

What a happy thing that the farmers are back! Show up with your shopping bag.

Strawberries from Flying Cloud Farm & Full Sun Farm

Just finished a bowl of local STRAWBERRIES and ice cream! According to farmers, it’s a big strawberry year, and I’ve had strawberries from four different growers in the last three days. Jake’s Farm had some beauties at the West Asheville Market on Tuesday, and Full Sun Farm and Flying Cloud Farm had strawberries at the Wednesday Coop Market. Wilma shared a big bowl of homegrown strawberries at the nursery today.

Be sure to hit a Saturday or Sunday market this week to indulge in this most wonderful spring fruit. My daughter was so delighted by Tuesdays strawberries, that I got a bunch more on Wednesday. Also on Wednesday, Aimee Mostwill (Sweetheart Bakery) treated me to a rich chocolate cupcake topped with a fluffy strawberry frosting (She grew the strawberries).  So yummy! There was a lot of finger-licking going on in the vicinity of Aimee’s booth.

Here’s a sample of some of the other goodies from the Wednesday Co-op Market this week:

Beautiful Butterhead Lettuce from Gaining Ground Farm

Anne and Aaron Grier (Gaining Ground Farm) were at the market with adorable baby Addiebelle. I am not sure how Anne is managing farming with a six month old baby, but she has a full booth ~ including the most beautiful red butterhead lettuce I have ever seen.

Bad Boy French Sourdough from Wake Robin Farm Breads

Gail Lunsford and Steve Bardwell were both minding the Wake Robin Farm booth. Gail joined me in the finger-licking of strawberry frosting.

Saxifrage from Big Pine Native Gardens

Dianne Tolman, of Madison County, had this beautiful Saxifrage. Even though I work at a nursery, I had to have this beautiful plant. Such striking leaves!

Grits from Blue Hill Farm

So glad to get re-stocked on grits from Blue Hill Farm (Wayne Uffelman). The market wasn’t open last time I ran out of grits, and I had to resort to store-bought grits. Wayne’s grits is WAY better. Try these grits recipes: http://tailgatemarketfanclub.wordpress.com/2010/09/27/grits-with-goat-cheese-topped-with-roasted-mushrooms/ OR http://tailgatemarketfanclub.wordpress.com/2010/01/27/spicy-cheese-grits/.

Spinach from Blue Hill Farm

And from The West Asheville Market on Tuesday ~

Multi-Seeded Bread from Roots & Branches

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More Market Openings, Visit to West Asheville Market, Congrats to Gaelan

• MARKETS OPENING this coming week:

 

Greenlife Sunday Market opens this Sunday, May 1, 11-3

Wednesday Coop Market opens this Wednesday, May 4, 2-6:30

Asheville City Market – South, opens this Wednesday, May 4, 2-6

Flat Rock Tailgate Market opens this Thursday, May 5, 3-6

Big Ivy Tailgate Market opens this Saturday, May 7, 10-12

Mills River Tailgate Market opens this Saturday, May 7, 8-12

Marshall Island Farmers Market opens Sunday, May 8,12-4

• ALREADY OPEN:

 

Madison County Farmer’s & Artisan’s Market, Saturdays, 9-1

 

Asheville City Market, 161 S. Charlotte Street, Saturdays, 8-1

 

Henderson County Tailgate Market, Saturdays, 7-12

 

North Asheville Tailgate Market, UNCA, Saturdays, 8-12

 

Yancey County Farmer’s Market, Saturdays, 8:30 -12:30

 

Haywood Historic Farmers Market, Wednesdays & Saturdays, 8-1

 

West Asheville Tailgate Market, Tuesdays, 3:30-6:30

 

Weaverville Tailgate Market, Wednesdays, 2:30 – 6:30

For other location details and other market info click here: http://tailgatemarketfanclub.wordpress.com/market-list/

• CONGRATULATIONS to the Knife and Fork Team (from Spruce Pine) with Gaelan Corozine of Green Toe Ground Farm. They won their recent bout in the WNC Chef’s Challenge match, and their next heat is on May 23^rd.  Come root for Gaelan! Check out the details at www.wncmagazine.com/wineandfood/challenge.

• TUESDAY was amazing, starting with a local breakfast at Over Easy followed by a hike to Catawba Falls to walk the big breakfast off. This time of year the woods were glowing with baby green foliage. We identified many native plants along the way, including Tiarella, Solomon’s Seal, False Solomon’s Seal, Rattlesnake Plantain, Yellowroot, Asters, Buckeye, Ferns, and Dwarf Crested Iris. The walk culminated at the upper falls where an enormous Red Buckeye (in bloom) rose from a soil-less tumble of giant rocks in the middle on the creek.

 

Next Stop:  I hadn’t been to the West Asheville Tailgate Market since their move to the Grace Baptist Church parking lot on Haywood Road. Usually I am working on Tuesday. The market had a great feeling and was WAY bigger than it used to be. First I got a bear claw pastry from Darci (Loaf Child Bakery). Lots of butter layered in the pastry with an almond filling. Yep! It was delicious. Then we bought some watercress from Long Valley Farm, which combined with greens from my garden for a salad at dinnertime. Laura Bower had beautiful veggie starts. Got a loaf of rye bread from the Simple Bread guy (it made a great sandwich today).

West Asheville Tailgate Market Goodies

We talked to the hotdog guy for a little while. They are called Hardcastle Hotdogs and ~ can you believe this? They are homemade with ingredients from Hickory Nut Gap Meats. He builds your hotdog to order. If you are a hotdog eater, these might be the best ever. Next to the hotdog stand was a Popsicle maker. We got Coconut-Lemongrass, and Pear-Vanilla-Honey Popsicles. Laura got the last Dark Chocolate-Seasalt Popsicle. So OK, we were filling up on sweets right before dinner.

I sampled some of the Roots & Branches Crackers. Honestly, I had no intention of buying crackers, but they were so doggone good I couldn’t resist. We were about to drive off when we decided that we HAD to have some goat chevre to go along with those crackers. Jumped back out and got some Dillicious Chevre from Three Graces Dairy.

I really enjoyed this market. Check it out yourself next Tuesday. It runs from 3:30 to 6:30.

• More:

CANNING & PRESERVING MADE EASY ~ WORKSHOP

May 17 from 1 to 4:30

Learn more about canning or just brush up on the latest information on home food preservation from canning to freezing to drying. This workshop is an introduction to canning, pickling, jams and jellies, freezing, drying and storage. $10. For more info call 828-649-2792. Madison County Cooperative Extension Service.

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