One Two Dollar Flower

Tuberose from Flying Cloud Farm

This simple flower, the tuberose, is sending me to my knees every time I walk down my hall. She is getting more fragrant by the hour; slowly intoxicating the house. I wonder if she is pumping out her breathtaking scent in hopes of finding a pollinating bee.

Anticipating my sister and niece spending Saturday night with me (along their route to Charlottesville), the North Asheville Tailgate Market was packed when I arrived to shop around 8:30. I gathered goodies at the market for the happy occasion – Pecan Sandies from Jean (we ate ALL of them in one sitting); Rosemary Fig Chevre from Spinning Spider Creamery; Roots and Branches crackers; beautiful lettuce mix from Full Sun Farm; Asiago Ciabatta from Wake Robin Farm Breads, and blueberries from a farmer I don’t know. All of it contributed to our LOCAL hors d’oeuvres, dinner, and breakfast. And the tuberose from Flying Cloud Farm got right to work putting out her sweetness. Thank you farmers!

From North Asheville Tailgate Market this Saturday

P.S. My niece contributed a delicious bottle of wine from Argentina – San Gimignano Cabernet Sauvignon 2012.- very lovely!

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Wonderful Rainy Market Day

Gaining Ground Farm

Spring and summer have been ultra busy with teaching a few classes, my niece’s wedding, my daughters graduation from Chapel Hill, a trip to Italy and France, the busy season at work, and my daughter starting her post-graduation job – thus my market visits this season have been sporadic or a quick dash before work.

Today was my first leisurely Saturday in quite a while. My Saturday plan? The tailgate market of course. So…rain happened…the kind of rain that my friend Stacia would call a “lady rain” – slow, steady, and penetrating.

No. The rain wasn’t going to stop me. I got my raincoat and my wide-brimmed hat (umbrella-like) and set off for the beckoning market. Despite the weather, the parking lot was surprisingly full of customer vehicles. LOVE the hard-core customer base of each tailgate market, because all the farmers/bakers/ venders were there rain or shine – waiting for us to show up.

I had the luxury of visiting with some of my vendor buddies this morning, ate an entire sticky bun (made with Carolina Ground flour), and gathered delicious goodies for the coming week.

Full Sun Farm’s lettuce mix has been addicting. Their mix dramatically contrasts the listless mixes from the grocery store; Vanessa’s mix is vibrant and fresh for many days. It’s full of life. This is true of other lettuce mixes at the market too. Get the lively stuff! A customer in Gaining Ground’s booth was rhapsodizing about the red onions and how beautifully they cook up. Anne also had sure-to-be-tender baby eggplants. Gorgeous tomatoes splashed their reds across the market, including heirlooms and cherries. Even though I still have a couple of tomatoes from the West Asheville Market on Tuesday, I got a couple more to make sure that my lunch sandwiches have sunshine-y tomatoes as a main feature! Mountain Harvest Organics had ‘Red Gold’ potatoes which I wanted to plant those this year (but didn’t)…so I going to taste them courtesy of Julie & Carl’s farm.

Three Graces Dairy let me sample some of their hard cheese and “Pas de Trois” was my choice – a cheese made from cow, goat, and sheep milk. The amazing cheese shops we visited in Italy and France left a lasting impression – so many choices, so little time. I pray I never have to give up dairy products.

I ate my entire sticky bun while I was at the market. I confess that I intended to cut it into fourths and eat it in parts over the next day. Ha. Plus, from Cathy Osada, I have one slice of the-real-deal pound cake waiting in the wings.

What was most impressive about today was the number of customers who did show up. I heard one farmer say they would probably only make one-third of their normal income because of the weather, but all were in good spirits and the sky even looked a little brighter as I left. Once more, I must underscore how very blessed we are to have beautiful markets so accessible to us throughout most of the week. Giant gold stars to those who are out supporting the farmers and vendors on inclement weather days. If you stayed home and cozy this week, think about grabbing your umbrella next time to ensure these farmers will keep bringing their beautiful foods to our markets and making our dinner tables shine with something money can’t buy.

Pas de Trois Cheese, baby eggplant, lettuce mix, paste tomato, pound cake, red onion bunch, tomato, lettuce mix, ‘Red Gold’ potatoes

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Squash & Tomatoes Spotted at Market!

At The Market

On Wednesday, I showed up at the Montford Farmers Market past closing time. Even though most of the farmers had already gone home, a few were still packing up and I was lucky enough to find some fresh strawberries. Halleluiah! These Flying Cloud Farm strawberries were destined to become baby strawberry shortcakes to help celebrate a friend’s graduation from Asheville High. The extra handful of strawberries made perfect smoothie material. I also discovered some serviceberries on this trip, an unexpected treat.

On Saturday two weeks ago, I got organic greenhouse tomatoes from Thatchmore Farm. What a treat to have tomatoes on my sandwiches for the first time since October. Alas, this week I arrived too late and the tomatoes were sold out, but I did find plenty of other goodies. I could not resist the gorgeous red butterhead lettuce from Gaining Ground Farm…even though I have lettuce growing in my own garden…very irrational of me! I needed a red cherry tomato plant and I found a Sweet Million Tomato at B & L Organics. I still haven’t planted it and the other tomatoes in my garden are huge in comparison. (it has been great gardening weather!) The Wake Robin Farm Rye loaf is almost gone (lunch bread all week), so I will be looking for bread tomorrow. I made a yummy little quiche with Anne Gaine’s eggs, and Ivy Creek’s spinach & broccoli. Planning on cooking up the kale I got from Green Toe Ground Farm with some pinto beans. Really and truly, I DID spot some squash last week at the market. Time to make some squash casserole and feel like summer is really here.

So, the moral of the story is…if you really have your heart set on something special – like strawberries or tomatoes – get to the markets early.

Soon to be Strawberry Shortcake!

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Local Strawberry Smoothie on Sunday

This soft rain is making my yard shine, and tucking in my garden plants very nicely. After a few warm days, my veggies are really jumping forth and this rain is just what they need.

Yesterday I had to work, so I only had about 10 minutes to grab a few things from the farmers’ tailgate market. I got the most beautiful red butterhead lettuce from Gaining Ground Farm, some kale from Green Toe Ground Farm, my very first tomato of the season from Thatchmore Farm (super-thrilling!), some rye bread from Wake Robin Farm Breads (for my lunch sandwiches all week), and two beautiful pints of strawberries from Ivy Creek Family Farm.

And what a refreshing Sunday morning smoothie…strawberry, banana, mango with local organic strawberries! Every market will be offering strawberries. Savor the season. Get them while you can.

Refreshing Strawberry Smoothie with Strawberries from Ivy Creek Family Farm

P.S. Or make Strawberry Shortcake. Here is a recipe:

https://tailgatemarketfanclub.wordpress.com/2012/05/29/strawberry-shortcake-recipe/

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ARTISAN BREAD FEST 2012 Moves to AB Tech

Bread lovers alert! Where can you find all the best bakers in the area in one place at one time? The Artisan Bread Festival! The eighth ASHEVILLE ARTISAN BREAD FESTIVAL will be held this Saturday, March 24, 2012. This is your chance to sample and buy breads from area bakers, AND attend hands-on workshops and lectures about artisan baking, milling, and wheat itself. The fest happens from 9am to 6pm, with the bread tasting & sale from 10 – 2, and workshops from 10 – 4. Everything will be held at AB Tech in the Magnolia Building, with an Open House and a Bakers Guild Dinner to follow the event at 128 Bingham Road (see details for the Bread Fest, Open House, and Dinner below).

Asheville Artisan Bread Festival – Collage from their Website

 BREAD TASTING & SALE

10-2 at the Magnolia Building on the AB Tech Campus

Please note AB Tech location! Last year this part of the festival was held at Greenlife Grocery. The bakers will be selling only at AB Tech this year.

This is your chance to SAMPLE and BUY lots of amazing breads…and meet the bakers behind the bread. Buy a loaf and get a ticket to one of the Bread Fest Classes while supplies last.

Featured Bakeries in 2012 are:

Annie’s Naturally Bakery

Braken Mountain Bakery

Bread Technique

Brother Moon Bakery

City Bakery

Hillside Bakery

Farm & Sparrow Bakery

Flat Rock Village Bakery

Loaf Child Bakery

Riverblaze Bakery

Stick Boy Bakery

Tellico Grains Bakery

Wake Robin Farm Breads

West End Bakery

Wildflower Bakery

Author Treska Lindsey will also have a booth selling her wonderfully written and illustrated book – “How Batistine Made Bread”.

HANDS-ON WORKSHOPS & LECTURES

10 am to 4 pm at AB Tech (mostly)

The theme of this year’s festival is “Local Grain, Local Flour, and Local Bread”; the festival will feature experts on local grain production, milling, and baking with local and heirloom wheat. How do you attend a class? Tickets are required for all workshops, andonline ticket sales have ended. BUT (and this is one of the ultra-cool aspects of this event) when you buy a loaf of bread from a baker, you will receive a free ticket to attend one of the classes. You may not be able to choose which class, but any of the classes will be fabulous for bread-enthusiasts who want to improve their baking skills. You have a great chance of attending Peter Reinhardt’s class on Gluten-free baking because the classroom can accommodate 150 people. Check out the class schedule and a mouth-watering slide show of the Bread Fest at: http://www.ashevillebreadfestival.com/

OPEN HOUSE ~ 4:30 to 6:30

Carolina Ground Mill & Annie’s Naturally Bakery

128 Bingham Road, Suite 350, Asheville 28806 (the former Square D facility)

In conjunction with the Asheville Artisan Bread Festival, Carolina Ground http://ncobfp.blogspot.com/ will have an open house at their newly running flour mill. This beautiful mill will grind flour for local artisan bakers, specifically organic grain that was raised right here in North Carolina. Plus Annie’s Naturally will be celebrating their expansion in the same building – a new wholesale and production facility at the former Square D plant at Bingham Road. Directions link.

GUILD HALL DINNER

There will be a Bread Bakers Guild of America Guild Hall Dinner starting at 6:30 in the same building as Carolina Ground and Annie’s (128 Bingham Road, Suite 350, Asheville 28806).The dinner costs $30, includes wine and beer, and will be catered by the Culinary Commandos (recommended by Mark Rosenstein). There are a limited number of seats that are mostly full…so if you want to attend, arrive early and take your chances on getting a ticket.

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Duck Eggs for Breakfast!

Starting off my Sunday with a tasty breakfast! Its my first time trying duck eggs ~ these duck eggs were slightly richer than chicken eggs and very delicious. I bought them from a farmer at the Wednesday Coop Market. This morning I cooked them Sunny-side Up sprinkled with parsley, and ringed with sautéed red

Nice plump duck eggs in the skillet!

onion & sweet red Italian peppers, and wilted arugula and cherry tomatoes (all from my garden).

The toast is Bad Boy French Sourdough from Wake Robin Farm Breads. This Saturday was Steve & Gail’s last market. Wah! Amid protest from customers, Steve explained that baking for the markets required about 55 hours a week…along with his other job! That is quite a devotion, and we are lucky to enjoy such wonderful wood-oven breads without having to do any of the work…just slice and YUM. I forgot to mention that the fennel seeds in the Bad Boy crust were an occasional surprise flavor burst as I ate my breakfast.

We tend to take our markets for granted. First, lets realize that Asheville and surrounds must create some sort of vortex that attracts amazing farmers, bakers, cheesemakers, etc…who are willing to completely devote themselves to

Duck Eggs ringed with onions, peppers, arugula, & cherry tomatoes, and Bad Boy toast.

bringing wondrous foods to our markets. Next, lets appreciate that our area has many vibrant Tailgate Markets that make it super-convenient for us to obtain local food. Third, local producers are supported by a loyal customer base (that’s us!) Farmers continue to bring food to the markets because people buy them. No Tailgate Market vendor wants to throw the veggies or bakery items they have worked so hard to produce onto the compost pile .

As we get busy with fall projects, lets remember to express our appreciation to the vendors at the Tailgate Markets. By this time of year they are exhausted, and looking forward to frost as the light at the end of the tunnel. The cooler weather has our tastes shifting, and you can find your fall favorites at the markets right now. I saw beautiful purple sweet potatoes at Saturday’s market, but was still able to buy okra and fresh black-eyed peas too. Luxurious, isn’t it?

All Gone! (quoting Asher)

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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: https://tailgatemarketfanclub.wordpress.com/2010/09/27/grits-with-goat-cheese-topped-with-roasted-mushrooms/ OR https://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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