Sprouting at the Napa Farmers Market

By Rose Loveall-Sale, Napa Farmer's Market Board Member

There is a new vendor at Napa’s Tuesday farmers market, which is always a great thing for our loyal market customers—and everyone else.  Katy Pomelov, owner of Lifefood Gardens, is a new farmer in Kelseyville, farming on 4.59 acres her family purchased just last May.  Katy thought about farming for a long time, while she was working in the computer industry in the Bay Area for 14 years, cramming her family’s backyard in the Sunset District of San Francisco full of fruit trees and vegetables, and the windowsills filled with sprouts and micro-greens of many vegetables. After being laid off last year, she decided to pursue her dream and move to the country.

For her first year of business, Katy decided to concentrate on growing micro-greens of many vegetables, herbs and greens.  This is great for us, since it is difficult to find high quality micro-greens, or much of a selection.  She grows wheat grass, curly cress, broccoli, red and green kale, tatsoi, mustard, sunflower, Napa cabbage, onion, dill, buckwheat , a spicy salad mix and more.  She grows in trays, and most of the greens are available in 1/8-tray amounts, freshly cut for you right at the market!  She hasn’t forgotten about the kitties either, so you can pick up fresh kitty greens, giving your kitties a tasty and nutritious surprise.

Sunflower Sprouts

Not only are Katy’s micro-greens a new product for the Napa Farmers Market, so are her growing practices.  She uses organic soil and seed, and waters her greens twice daily with a sea salt solution.  This is not the sea salt we use for cooking but a sea salt that is sundried with no rain during the drying process, thus retaining all of the 90 trace minerals.  If you like wheat grass, her ‘Ocean Grown’ wheat grass has all 90 trace minerals available, a terrific boost to your juice or smoothie!

Katy is very enthusiastic and knowledgeable about her growing practices, and after talking to her for a few minutes I had to read more about Dr. Maynard Murray’s pioneering work using sea solids to irrigate croplands and Katy’s mentor, Donald Jansen’s more recent work .  Be sure to stop by and ask her more about how she grows her delicious micro-greens. It is fascinating, and we are lucky to have her greens  available for us to enjoy!

Katy loves to make wraps with her micro greens.  She makes a blended nut butter with walnuts, sunflowers, olive oil, sesame oil, hemp oil, dried herbs, bell pepper and onion, spread on a wrap with cabbage leaves, micro greens, avocado, tomato and peppers – a delicious high protein vegetarian lunch!

Green Smoothie

¾ cup almond milk
1 handful kale leaves, with ribs and stems removed
1 handful baby spinach leaves
½  pear or banana
2 tbsp almond butter
1 tbsp ground flax
½ cup sprouts or micro greens, your choice
Whirl all ingredients together in a blender until smooth, adding more almond milk until desired consistency is reached.

The Napa Farmers Market is every Tuesday and Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to noon through October in the Oxbow Public Market lot. The market is WIC-certified and accepts EBT.

Bera Farm

Walking by Bera Farm’s stand at the Napa farmer’s market on Tuesdays and Saturdays is like walking past a jewelry store for me – all of the beautiful hues of gold, yellow, purple and green tempting me from the old fashioned wooden boxes; I must try every peach, nectarine and plum she offers, which is no easy feat during the height of summer, when the table is sometimes filled with 8 or 9 heirloom varieties of plums and several varieties of peaches.

Michelle and Frank Bera Jr., along with Frank’s father Frank Sr., farm a total of 30 acres.  They planted their first orchard in Vacaville 28 years ago, and doubled the size of their operation with a new orchard in Winters 9 years ago.  Each year they add a variety or two to test and plant more of the varieties that have performed well both in the field and with customers.

Michelle has been a regular farmer at the Napa Farmer’s market for 17 years.  Stone fruit is her specialty, and spending a few minutes with Michelle at the market provides an education on heirloom varieties of peaches and plums grown in California.  I thought Faye Elberta was the best peach, having that full peach flavor, but after tasting her O’Henry, Alomar and Trazee varieties, I can’t make up my mind.  At the height of the season she may have an astonishing 9 varieties of plums.  Try the Elephant Heart, they are both delicious and beautiful.   Michelle is one of the few farmers to grow French plums, an old heirloom variety that used to be grown throughout the Napa Valley, before grapes became king.  If you want to dry plums, this is the one to try!

Bera Farm has developed a cult following for their Blenheim apricots, a very old and finicky variety that is only available for several weeks in May and is unparalleled for drying, desserts and jam.  Her phone starts to ring in January for orders, long before the trees have begun flowering!

Perhaps most amazing is the dedication of the Bera family to the quality of their fruit.  Frank Jr. works full time for Intel and Frank Sr., a robust 74 year old, works 3 days a week off- farm.  Frank Jr. and Sr., along with Michelle, do all of the picking, sorting, packing, marketing, and selling of the fruit at farmers markets and wholesale, plus all of the maintenance required to keep the orchards healthy.

Stop by Bera’s stand at the Tuesday and Saturday farmer’s market and bask in the glory of the amazing assortment of old fashioned fruit they offer.   You will find customers swapping great recipes and sampling the full flavors of summer in California!

Old Fashioned Peach Cobbler
Filling:
8 fresh peaches – peeled, pitted , sliced into thin wedges
¼ cup white sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp uncooked  tapioca, crushed slightly

Topping:

1 ½ cups unbleached flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp  baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
 (6 tbsp) unsalted butter
½ cup buttermilk
½ tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.  In a bowl, combine all topping ingredients. Toss to coat evenly, and pour into a 2 quart baking dish. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.
In a  bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, soda and salt. Blend in butter with a pastry blender, until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in buttermilk and vanilla until just combined.
Remove peaches from oven, and drop spoonfuls of topping over them.  Mix together 3 tbsp of sugar and 1 tsp of cinnamon and sprinkle on top of the crust (optional).   Bake until topping is golden, about 30 minutes.

Rose Loveall is a member of the Napa Farmers Market board and owner of Morningsun Herb Farm.

Abundance at the Farmer's Market

by Karen Schuppert

With the abundance of summer produce now at market, I don’t know where to start.  Or stop.  From heirloom tomatoes and corn to zucchini, green beans, berries and peaches, by basket runneth over and I just can’t help myself from buying one of each.  But even with such a variety to chose from I, too, experience ‘culinary fatigue’ and rely more on the pure flavors to dance on my plate than trying a new preparation.  If you find yourself in a ‘recipe’ rut,’ here are some suggestions on different ways to create simple magic from the bounty:
Tomatoes – cut them in quarters, sprinkle with olive oil, salt, pepper and a dash of fresh thyme.  Roast at 400 degrees on a baking sheet for 45 minutes.  Use in lasagna, pasta salads or homemade pizza. Other ways: slice heirloom tomatoes about ¼” thick and stack them in between fresh mozzarella and basil; stuff whole tomatoes with fresh tuna or egg salad and top with chives.
Zucchini – thinly sliced lengthwise or like noodles, this summer squash can be substituted for pasta (see recipe) and  topped with pesto or tomato sauce; shredded it makes for great zucchini bread or chocolate cake; lightly grilled with corn, mixed with olive oil, lemon, cilantro and cumin for an alfresco salad.
Peaches – pies, cobblers, smoothies, salsas or grilled with a sliver of Manchego or mascarpone cheese.
Herbs – it’s amazing how much they can make a dish sing.  Rosemary lemon chicken, Thai basil stir-fry with shrimp, cilantro-walnut pesto and white beans.

The Napa Farmers’ Market is the place for all of these ingredients, plus so many more. And now we are reaching even more of the community. In an effort to promote health and insure that fresh produce is more accessible to low-income Napa residents, we are proud to announce a double value program! Beneficiaries of CalFresh will receive twice the amount of market script when using their EBT card at the Market. Products eligible for purchase with EBT script include all fresh fruits and vegetables, plants for growing food, plus dairy products and bread. Prepared foods for immediate consumption may not be purchased with EBT script. Please inquire at the information booth for more details.

And don’t forget to stop by the Chef’s Table this Saturday at 10:00am where Napa Chef Elizabeth Skylar will be preparing a locally ‘grown’ Grilled Bread and Heirloom Tomato Salad with tomatoes from BOCA Farm, bread from Model Bakery and olive oil from Atlas Peak.

Zucchini Lasagna – Makes one 9×13 dish (from www.cook4seasons.com)

10-12 medium Early Girl or Roma tomatoes, quartered – or marinara sauce (about 3 cups)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 TB thyme
3-4 medium zucchini, about 6 inches long
1-2 bunches basil
1 pint organic whole milk or lowfat cottage cheese
1 pint shredded Parmesan, save 1/2 cup for topping
1 farm fresh egg
2 cups cooked chicken, shredded (I used leftover rotisserie)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Toss tomatoes with olive oil, thyme and salt and pepper.  Roast on baking sheet lined with parchment paper skin side up for 45 minutes, until nice and brown. Reduce oven to 375 degrees.

Slice zucchini lengthwise about 1/4″ thick, using a mandoline if possible.

Mix cheeses and egg together plus chicken, if using.

To assemble, lightly oil 9×13 baking dish. Start first with zucchini strips (next to each other like lasagna noodles), followed by basil leaves, then cheese mixture.  Top with tomatoes (or sauce) and repeat one more layer.

Finish with zucchini and sprinkle remaining Parmesan on top.

Bake at 375 degrees covered for 25 minutes.  Remove top and bake for 10 minutes more.

Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Peaches, Plums, Pluots, and Pickles

by Jill Klein Matthiasson

This week at the Napa Farmer’s Market the selection of peaches, plums, nectarines, and pluots (all “stone fruit’) is at the height of the season!

So what is a pluot? A pluot is a cross between a plum (75%) and an apricot (25%). The pluot's flavor is dominated by the plum, but it has the mouthfeel of the apricot. Pluots are not to be confused with plumcots, another plum-apricot hybrid, developed by Luther Burbank, or apriums which are 75% apricot and 25% plum.

The pluot  and the aprium were bred by Floyd Zaiger, one of the most important stone fruit breeders in modern times. He has developed  over 100 varieites of fruit, including white-fleshed peaches and nectarines that are found at farmer’s markets around the country. Look for some of the Zaiger varieties that can be found at the Napa Farmers Market in the coming weeks including: Heavenly White Nectarines, Zee Lady Peaches, Zee Glo Nectarines, Flavor Queen Pluots, Dapple Dandy Pluots, Flavor King Pluots and Flavor Supreme Pluots.

The Zee Lady is a yellow-fleshed peach with a vibrant red blush dusted over a warm golden skin. It has a great acid-sugar balance. The Zee Lady's juicy flesh is as great for baking as it is eating out of hand. Zee Lady peaches also freeze very well.

The Heavenly White Nectarine is a very large and firm, white-fleshed freestone. The Heavenly White has superb acid-sugar balance with a rich, complex flavor. The fruit has a dull red and cream-colored skin.


…..and PICKLES

Another exciting feature of the upcoming Napa Farmer’s Market on Saturday, July 28, will be a demonstration by Napa local pickling expert Aram Chakerian. Aram will show market goers how to preserve vegetables by making pickles. This is a follow up to another very interesting demonstration about fermenting vegetables by Napa Farmers Market newcomers Wild West Ferments.

At the July 14 demonstration by Wild West Fermetns, we learned that fermenting foods is not only an age-old way to preserve food, but that the process of fermentation actually makes the food more nutritious. Many common foods and drinks are fermented including bread, cheese, wine, beer, chocolate, coffee, tea, pickles, sauerkraut, vinegar, and yogurt.

PLUM OR PLUOT TART

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
3/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
12 tablespoons cold unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), diced
1 egg yolk
2 pounds firm, ripe plums or pluots, pitted and quartered lengthwise

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Combine the flour, walnuts, and sugar in a large bowl. Add the butter and the egg yolk. Mix, either by hand or with an electric mixer, until crumbly.

Press 1 1/2 cups of the crumb mixture in an even layer into the bottom of a 9 1/2-inch springform or tart pan. Arrange the plums in the pan, skin side down, to form a flower pattern; begin at the outside and work your way in.

Sprinkle the rest of the crumb mixture evenly over the plums. Bake the tart for 40 to 50 minutes, or until it's lightly browned and the plum juices are bubbling. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and transfer the tart to a flat plate. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Healthy Drinks and Upcoming Demos

Congratulations to the winner of the “Rethink Your Drink Spa Water” contest, Chef Ronnie Glass of Health and Human Services Kitchen!  The contest challenged local chefs to come up with a flavorful water alternative to sodas. Chef Glass's Hibiscus Spa Water received the most votes. Stop by Blue Skies Coffee and Tea on 2344 Old Sonoma Road for a free sample of this refreshing beverage throughout the month of July!

Hibiscus Spa Water
Ingredients

• 2 pack of Hibiscus Flower
• 6 Juicing Oranges
• 2 Lemons
• 1 Lime
• 2 Gallons of water

Directions
1. Steep Hibiscus in hot (not boiling) water for 5-10 minutes.
2. Wash oranges, lemons, and lime
3. Slice lemon, lime, and 4 oranges
4. Squeeze juice from 2 orange
5. Add to water and let sit in refrigerator for 1 hour
6. Add ice and serve.

Wild West Ferments

One of the newest additions to the Napa Farmers Market, is Wild West Ferments, which is owned and operated by partners, Luke Regalbuto and Maggie Beth Levinger.  Wild West Ferments is based in beautiful Point Reyes Station, California.  They sell traditional-styled fermented foods and beverages, rich in probiotics.  Wild West Ferments believes that fermented foods are the perfect synthesis of raw foods and whole foods.  According to Luke, the fermentation methods that Wild West Ferments employs, stretch back 1,000 years, before the advent of refrigeration.

Wild West Ferments sources all of their produce from local, organic farms.  They offer a variety of fermented foods at the Napa Farmers Market, including four flavors of sauerkraut (including their signature sauerkraut – a twice-sown sauerkraut with cumin and coriander seeds), a taqueria-style curtido consisting of fermented carrots, radishes, jalapeno peppers and cabbage brined in Mexican spices, and the ever-wildly popular kimchi (these were moving especially swiftly during market).  These fermented foods are versatile and can be paired with just about any dish, especially sauerkraut, which can be eaten with pizza, salad, sandwiches, etc.  Wild West Ferments will be rotating weekly specials, so that a visit to their market stall will never be the same twice.  Weekly specials in early July included two varieties of sauerkraut – green garlic and lemon dill.

Wild West Ferments also sells fermented fruit sodas, including varieties self-dubbed as “Professor Plum” and “Apricot Cardamom.”  These fruit sodas take one week to ferment.  As Luke describes it, the process of fermenting fruit sodas is similar to making Kombucha, except his sodas do not impart a strong vinegar flavor.
Although fermented foods do not spoil, Wild West Ferments nevertheless recommends that customers consume their products within six months from the date of purchase for optimum flavor.  Wild West wants the public to be aware that there has never been a recorded case of foodborne illness involving fermented foods.
Luke is enthusiastic about sharing his knowledge of fermentation with the general public.  He previously ran a raw foods café and has been fermenting foods for 10+ years.  Luke will be teaching krauting classes locally, both now and the future—not to be missed if you are fan of fermented foods or are curious about learning more about them.
Make sure to stop by to see our live demo events!  Start time: 10:00am and admission is free!

July 14, 2012 - Fermenting with Luke Regalbuto of Wild West Ferments
July 28, 2012 - Pickling with Aram Chakerian, local pickling expert
August 4, 2012 – Chef Elizabeth Skylar and BOCA Farms
August 11, 2012 - Home Canning with local canning experts

Get Grilling

Just walk down your street around 6:00pm and smell. Is that barbeque? I swear, it should be outlawed—just like popcorn in a small office space, no one has the right to cook it. Not unless they share, anyway.

July 4th is tomorrow. That’s right. And you know what that means: Time to fire up the grill. The Napa Farmers Market has two local meat producers with just the thing to make your barbeque and tummy happy.

Long Meadow Ranch’s grass-fed beef comes from their own herd of Scottish Highland and Shorthorn cattle, all of which are chemical-, hormone- and antibiotic-free. The bulls and selected cows are housed at the ranch in St. Helena, while they have several cooler climate pasture leases in Humboldt county where the herd is rotated daily to feed on nutritious grasslands. The resulting meat is lean and full-flavored, and every week they bring a different selection of steaks and other cuts, including ground beef and the best hotdogs I’ve ever eaten. There’s a reason that restaurants want to serve this meat and that Farmstead (their wonderful, seasonally-driven restaurant at the entrance to St. Helena) cook it up in various fantastic dishes including carpaccio, chili, beef ragu over housemade gnocchi and a juicy steak of the day. Paired with their own LMR wine, olive oil and veggies grown in their own Rutherford Gardens…well, pretty hard to beat.

current generation of Gleason Ranch Family farmers

Gleason Ranch is new to the Napa Farmers Market, though not new to the locally raised and produced meat scene. Coming to us from Bodega, this sixth-generation family-run business is committed to sustainability, conservation and hormone-free animal husbandry. Like Long Meadow Ranch, they are also pasture-fed, and the meat they butcher is small-scale, just what they know they’ll need for market and for their customers…no waste. They bring a varied selection of lamb, pork and heritage-breed chicken to market, including Freedom Ranger chicken (aka Poulet Rouge) that’s pretty much made for July 4th. I bought a thick pork roast, coated it with Apricot Ginger Rosemary jam (made by NFM vendor The Handmade Pantry) and cooked it as a slow, long braise, and it was mouth-watering and pull-apart tender.

Any of these meats—beef, lamb, pork, chicken—will be stunning on your barbeque tomorrow or any other day. Dive in, and know that this is the most local, most sustainably raised, most healthy meat you can serve to your family and friends. And to yourself, of course. This is celebration of local American food at its best.

Take note: Blueberries are only here for another week or so, as are cherries. Get ‘em now or hold your peace until next year!

Grass-fed Beef Brochette Kebabs

From Long Meadow Ranch comes this easy and delicious recipe. Leftovers make terrific toppings for pasta and rice, too.

Ingredients:
• 1 pound LMR Grass-fed Beef Brochette                            
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp dried sumac
• 1 tbsp fresh garlic, minced                                
• Kosher salt, to taste
• 2 tsp fresh oregano, chopped                                                    
• 2 tsp Sambal chili paste              
• 1 large yellow bell pepper, cut into 1”x1” pieces
• 1 large green bell pepper, cut into 1”x1” pieces
• 1 red onion, cut into 1”x1” pieces
• 1 lemon

Directions:

Mix first seven ingredients in a bowl and marinate for 6 to 24 hours.
Alternate beef and vegetables evenly onto skewers.
Grill over high heat using wood or natural charcoal. The key is to caramelize the vegetables and cook the meat medium. Squeeze fresh lemon over the meat and finish with additional salt, if needed.

Rare Fruit Finds

By Jill Klein Matthiasson: Napa Farmers Market Board Member

It’s starting to be that time of year again when, first apricots and apriums (a cross between apricots and plums) and then peaches, nectarines, plums, pluots (another plum/apricot cross) and other stone fruit appear at the Farmers Market. Stone fruit is a truly seasonal treat, and the most flavorful, ripest, juiciest fruit appears at the market for a small window from Mid-June to Mid-September. Like tomatoes, there is really no substitute for freshly picked stone fruit, so now is the time to hit the Farmers Market in full force!

Blenheim Apricots

You can start your visit at the Bera Farms stand for their coveted Blenheim Apricots. In the early 1900’s, the Blenheim Apricot was the most commonly planted apricot variety in California. However it is a slightly homely fruit, with a green shoulder (the area next to where the fruit attaches to the tree) and a tendency for the fruit to get a lot of scars, and since the fruit is very soft it doesn’t ship well. So although there were 32,000 tons produced in 1988, that number had dropped to only 4,000 tons by 2008 and the number has gone down every year since.

Because of it’s amazing flavor, with the perfect balance of acid and sugar, a number of chefs and foodies are rallying to bring the Blenheim apricot back into popularity. As one Blenheim farmer has said, “It has a complex flavor and only reaches its perfection in certain climates. It has a perfect balance of sweetness and acidity, aromatics and true apricot flavor. When they both reach perfection, everybody celebrates.” Because of the limited production of this delicious fruit, they are rarely available at the grocery store, but you can find them at the Napa Farmers Market.

Santa Rosa Plums

Another delicious variety of stone fruit that will make an appearance at the market very soon is the Santa Rosa plum. The Santa Rosa plum was bred by a brilliant horticulturalist name Luther Burbank.

Born in 1849, Luther Burbank, famous for breeding the Russet Burbank potato, the Freestone peach (any peach which comes away easily from the pit or stone), and the Shasta daisy, introduced more than 800 new varieties of plants. Though he is most famous for the potato that bears his name, fruit lovers might argue that his crowning achievement was the Santa Rosa plum. Introduced in 1906, the Santa Rosa is still the gold standard for plum flavor, and though it has fallen out of favor commercially, you can find these plums at the Napa Farmers’ Market in late June and early July. And after you bite into a rich, tangy Santa Rosa, almost anything else tastes insipid.

Apricot Jam

Blenheim Apricot Jam

2 ½ lbs Blenheim apricots, pitted and cut into quarters
3 cups sugar
Noyaux (apricot kernels *see below)- 10 or fewer
juice of 1 lemon

Stir the diced apricots and sugar together in a large heavy-bottomed nonreactive pot.  Let the mixture stand at least 30 minutes, to overnight...this will let the apricots release their juices and the sugar dissolve.  Chop up your noyaux and add to the fruit and sugar (they are strong, so don't use more than 10 for a batch this size).  Put a small plate in freezer to use later for checking the consistency of the jam.

Prepare four 8-oz. canning jars and self-sealing lids, per manufacturer's directions.

Bring the pot of fruit to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally to make sure it isn't sticking to the bottom.  The mixture will bubbleup dramatically, rising high up the sides of the pot.  Skim off any light-colored foam that rises and collects on the sides.  Soon the jam will boil down, forming smaller, thicker bubbles.  At this point, start testing for consistency by putting a small spoonful of jam on the plate.  This will cool off the jam sample quickly so you can tell what finished texture will be like.  When the jam has cooked to the thickness you want, stir in the lemon juice.  Turn off heat and carefully ladle the jam into the prepared canning jars, allowing at least 1/4" of headroom.  Seal, per manufacturer's instructions.  The jam will keep for about a year.  Alternately, make a smaller batch and keep it in the fridge or use it right away.

* the Noyaux is the kernel inside the apricot pit. It has a very good, bitter almond flavor. To prepare the Noyaux, place 10 apricot pits on a sheet/pan and roast them in a 350 degree F oven for ~15 minutes.  Then crack open the pits to extract the kernel (noyaux).  The kernel is very hard, so use a hammer or the butt end of the knife...or a nutcracker.  Put the kernels back in the oven and roast them for another 10 minutes. Chop them up and they're ready to use.

The Napa Farmers’ Market is held Tuesdays and Saturdays from 7:30a.m.-noon, May through October in the Oxbow Public Market parking lot.  It accepts WIC and Cal Fresh benefits.  For more information on upcoming events visit us online at www.napafarmersmarket.com and on Facebook.

Enhance the farmers’ market experience through Facebook!

By: Isla Ruffo, NFM Board Member and former NFM Market Manager

     In modern society, where grocery stores can sustain a wide array of produce from all over the world, all year long,  the awareness of what’s in season locally has become elusive.  You can buy perfectly sweet table grapes imported from Chile in the middle of December when our local climate is too cold to grow them. It’s nice to have the luxury of limitless produce year round, but it also forces us to lose touch with the seasonality of our own geographic area.

Now there’s an easy and fun way to keep track of what’s in season and what will be available at the market each week. Use Facebook to connect with the Napa Farmers Market and with our vendors, then ask them for information about produce and products or place a special order to be picked at market.  If you’d like to be better in tune with local seasonality but don’t know where to start, you can begin by “liking” the Napa Farmers Market  on facebook to receive updates of what’s new each week.  Tenbrink Farms actively uses this communication tool, and if you hit them with a “like”, you will find out that succulent apriums (apricot-plum hybrid) are now in full swing and that there’s something delicious out there that you’ve never tried, like a loquat - a unique and delectable fruit, indigenous to southeastern China, that successfully grows here in California right now, for a short time.  

You can also keep up-to-date on other market news through Facebook, such as the seasonal debut of Story Time, which begins today at ten o’clock – it’s a half hour of  animated story telling for the little ones.  You may also want to know that Napa Humane will be at the market this coming Saturday with some very special four legged friends--including Lofty, the friendliest and sweetest pup that I’ve had the pleasure of meeting and who, ironically, has been at the shelter since November.

Since blueberries will be available at the market for only two more weeks, I’m including this simple but delicious recipe that I came up with last summer, which allows us to enjoy the simply beauty of the fruit itself, fresh and raw.  Enjoy!

Fromage Blanc & Blueberry Toasts

Yield: about 20 bite size pieces

-6 ounces of fresh blueberries

-1 small loaf of walnut bread

-1  half-pint size container of Fromage Blanc

-1 lemon, juiced

-1/2 teaspoon of Honey

-Sea salt to taste

-Mint leaves for garnish

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

1- Slice bread about 1/8 of an inch thick so that there are at least twenty bite size pieces. You may cut the pieces in half to make them smaller if they are too big around.

2- Place bread on a sheet pan in the hot oven for about ten minutes or until they start to gold. Then pull out and let cool.

3- Wash blueberries and place them in a bowl along with the lemon juice and honey, and toss together being carefull not to damage the berries too much.

4- Scoop a small spoonful of the Fromage Blanc on each piece of toast and then drop a few of the marinated berries on top.

5- Garnish each toast with a  few grains of sea salt and a small mint leaf.

Morningsun Herb Farm

For 17 years, Morningsun Herb Farm has been a staple at the Napa Farmers Market. That’s quite a legacy for garden-planting Napans!  Every Tuesday and Saturday morning, Rose Loveall is there, helping her loyal customers—and customers she’s just met—with potted herbs and plant starts so they can be assured of strong, healthy gardens in their own backyards. For those who are new market goers, this is the go-to place for all of your planting needs.

Named after the glorious sunrise that glows over the hills above this Vacaville property, Morningsun Herb Farm has been in business for 18 years on Rose’s family property where she has lived since she was 3 days old. With the support and hands-on help of her father, mother and brother, Rose and husband Dan made Morningsun happen. It was very much a group effort, with Rose and her father at the helm. And every day is a testament to that strong union.

Supplying some of the larger local gardening shops with inventory, Morningsun Herb Farm is well known for its healthy plant starters and knowledgeable advice on how to nurture those babies into adulthood. They host two large events on their home turf in Vacaville: Open House on the day before Mother’s Day, and Tomato Day with more heirloom varieties to taste and be amazed at than you’ve ever imagined in mid-August.

What to plant now? “EVERYTHING!” says Rose.  “Honestly, this is the main planting time for all your summer veggies, herbs and even perennials. Put in peppers, eggplants, melons and squash—both summer and winter varieties—now. And your short season tomatoes, too (cherry tomatoes and early girls, for example). All annual herbs, like basil and parsley, should have a second planting now.” And for those of us who love a garden filled with blooms year-round, don’t just go for instant color. Think three months ahead and get those vibrant autumn-blooming perennials into the ground. (Make sure your watering system is plumbed up and ready to roll, too.)

Anything to avoid planting? “Cilantro. It will bolt, unless you have a really shady spot for it,” says Rose. Instead, substitute Vietnamese cilantro (aka rau rum), a shade-loving perennial that adores our climate. Who knew? Rose…of course!

Asian Super Slaw

This easy salad, featuring Vietnamese cilantro, is a favorite at the Loveall table -- and was served at Morningsun’s recent Open House.

Ingredients:
• 6 tbsp rice vinegar                              
• 6 tbsp vegetable oil                            
• 5 tbsp creamy peanut butter
• 3 tbsp soy sauce                                
• 3 tbsp golden brown sugar, packed
• 2 tbsp fresh ginger, minced and peeled                                                          
• 1 ½ tbsp. garlic, minced                    
• 5 cups green cabbage, thinly sliced                                                                
• 1 bunch chives
• 2 cups red cabbage, thinly sliced    
• 2 large red or yellow bell peppers, cut into matchstick-size strips
• 2 large scallions, cut into matchstick size strips                                            
• ½ cup fresh Vietnamese coriander (rau rum), chopped

Directions:
Whisk together the first seven ingredients in a small bowl to blend.  Cover, and let chill. (This dressing can be made 1 day ahead).  Let the dressing stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before continuing. Combine the remaining ingredients in a large bowl.  Add the dressing and toss to coat.  Season the salad with salt and pepper, and serve.

The Cycle of Life is a Wonderful Thing

by Lassa Skinner

In 1953, Harold and Jean Taramasso moved their family to the Napa Valley. Harold grew apples and pears and raised chickens, and Jean grew tomatoes and raised their boys. A daughter came along and the farm shifted to raising horse and cattle. That daughter, Joan Taramasso, is now grown up and the ranch has come full circle—back to raising chickens and growing tomatoes.

Some of you know Joan well as the former manager of our market, which she lived and breathed for 12 years (and, before that, she was a vendor). Joan also managed the Napa Chefs Market for 7 years, and the Napa Wine & Craft Fair for 6. And now, amazingly, she’s back as a vendor at the market again—selling eggs laid by free-roaming, pastured chickens on her family ranch, and ready-to-plant heirloom tomato starts.

Joan, Matthew Blach, and Cohan Sculley are the industrious team behind Taramasso Ranch, which began raising chickens over a year ago and now have 1000-plus vigorous, thriving chickens of many shapes and sizes. Because of the different breeds—including Buff Orpington, Barred Rock, Dominique, Aracauna, Pearl White Leghorn and White-Crested Black Polish—their eggs come in a spectrum of colors, from pale blue to light tan, darker brown, and bright white. All of them, though, have extra-thick shells and deep orange yolks, the mark of freshness and health.

In addition to eggs, Taramasso Ranch raises heirloom tomato plants (7 varieties) and will continue selling them at the market through the end of June. Once tomatoes start coming, canning and sauce-making will begin--all part of Joan’s family heritage. “It is shaping up to be an epic tomato growing year,” she says, which means it’s time for all of us to get those plants in the ground before the heat sets in. The future? As the ranch evolves, there will be other crops for market as they figure out what the property will best sustain. Stay tuned!

Look for Joan, Matthew and Cohan on Saturdays with their eggs and tomato starts, as well as Matthew’s Organic Karma coffee every Tuesday and Saturday—which he sells both brewed onsite and by the whole bean or ground. For 4 years, Blach was the proprietor of the Organic Karma Café on Third Street, and he continues to slowly tumble-roast his delicious coffee beans locally. Try his signature blend, Karma, or his 100% Guatemala Single Estate. Alongside a couple of Taramasso Ranch fried eggs, perhaps—sunny side up.


Joan’s Auntie Jean’s Torta

This recipe will sound like your average, everyday frittata, but "torta" is what our family always called it. While I don't know the exact derivation of the word, I'm sure it's from the Genovese dialect, since that's what my entire family spoke as a first language prior to my generation's birth.

Ingredients:
• 4 cups of any combination or single item of the following:
• Raw zucchini or squash, diced
• Cooked green beans
• Left-over white or brown rice
• Steamed chard or spinach
• Raw or cooked whole kernel corn
• 5 Taramasso Ranch eggs
• 1 tsp crushed garlic (or more, if you really like garlic)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1/2 cup Parmesan or Pecorino cheese, grated
• 1/2 cup Bisquick
• salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Lightly coat a 13x9-inch baking pan with olive oil.
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, then whisk in the garlic and olive oil.
• Add the diced onion, grated cheese (save 2 tablespoons for later) and Bisquick, and stir to combine.
• Add salt and pepper to taste (1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper is about right for most).
• Combine wet mixture with the 4 cups of vegetable(s) you have chosen.
• Pour everything into the prepared baking pan, and sprinkle the top with a little more grated cheese.
• Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes, or until top is a light golden brown.
• Serve hot, cold or room temperature.

Seeing Red!

by Alexis Handelman


Red is one of those colors that really gets our juices flowing...pumps us up...revs our engines. It identifies bold women with ruby kissed lips, exquisite designer shoes, hello Christian Louboutin, and even keeps us aware of global issues through the RED campaign which focuses on the fight to eliminate extreme poverty and preventable disease thanks to rock star leaders like Bono.

Here at the Napa Valley Farmer’s Market our very own rock star vendors bring us our own red campaigns. As you walk through the market you’ll see what I mean. Check out Rodriguez Farms and the basket upon basket of plump and succulent strawberries. Pretty hard to resist! Haven’t we been waiting oh so patiently since November to once again see those locally grown beauties?

And how about the first of the season heirloom tomatoes so lovingly grown by Bruin Farms. It does my heart good, to say nothing of my sandwiches and salads, to see those luscious orbs of red ripe juiciness lined up just waiting to be rushed home for the first of the season BLT’s!

But, perhaps the most surprising find right now at the market is Tenbrink Farms red walnuts! Gorgeous nut meats tinged a deep crimson, a variety rarely seen but, now available from one of our most reliable vendors of truly delicious produce.

If you’ve been consumed with the thoughts of leading a greener life think about jazzing it up this month with splashes of red. Your eyes, your heart and your taste buds will thank you.

Strawberry Sorbet
Puree enough strawberries in a blender to yield 3 cups. Mix in 1 cup of simple syrup made with equal amounts of sugar and water. Add a few dashes of salt to pull up the flavor of the berries and 2 teaspoons of lemon juice. Chill this mixture till cold. Follow the directions of your ice cream maker or chill in a shallow tray in your freezer, mixing every so often to keep the mixture smooth. Put the finished sorbet in a bowl covered with plastic wrap or a non-reactive container with a lid. Will keep for several days.

Easy Heirloom Tomato Salad
Find a pretty platter or dinner plate and cut into 1/4 inch slices enough heirloom tomatoes to fill it. Thinly slice a quarter of a red onion and scatter on top of the tomatoes. Crumble some Danish feta cheese over the tomatoes and onions and sprinkle with 2 or 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and 1 or 2 tablespoons of your very best aged balsamic vinegar. Serve at room temperature.

Red Salad
Roast 3 medium sized beets covered in a pan in a 400 degree oven for 45 minutes. Cool, peel and dice into small cubes. Grill 4 or 5 radicchio leaves brushed with olive oil and slice thinly. Slice a half of a red endive into thin pieces. Toss it with a tablespoon or three of aged balsamic vinaigrette. Sprinkle the top with red walnuts, halved red grapes and chevre and gently toss again.

Alexis Handelman sees, eats, drinks and serves red everyday at Alexis Baking Co. and sits on the board of the red hot farmers’ market.

Get Yer Green On!

People came out in droves for the kick-off of the 2012 season last week, joined by oodles of sunshine and giggles from kids.  There is always great anticipation with the market’s opening and with such a wide variety of vendors to choose from, everyone shares in the bounty.

The selection in May is certainly different from what you’ll find in August, and that’s a great reason to indulge on all the wonderful spring offerings. From strawberries and fava beans to veggie starts and beets, think outside the grocery bag and bring a few new items home to play with.


In addition to their abundance of heirloom tomatoes and peaches this year, Tenbrink Farms is featuring a variety of leafy greens such as Italian dandelions and “Shingiku” – chrysanthemum leaves - which have a little kick similar to wasabi.  We sautéed it last night with sesame oil, rice vinegar and ginger and paired it with fish and quinoa.  Sublime.

Gauchito Hill Farms from the Capay Valley is also offering a nice selection of lettuces and kale which are almost too pretty to eat (but we will.)  Kale is high in calcium and fiber and is delicious served in salads, sautés, or smoothies.

One of my taglines is: our bodies need everything all the time.  Now while you might think that gives license to overindulge, it is actually suggesting variety in our diets to make sure we cover all bases with vitamins and minerals.  There’s no better way to do so than by buying your produce fresh from the source as nature intended.   And that is why we so love the farmers’ market.

Green Smoothie – Serves 2
There are a gazillion variations to make smoothies.  The key is to stock up now on the fresh fruits and freeze them to use all summer. I also freeze my greens if I can’t use them right away. Almond butter adds a shot of protein and keeps you satiated all morning.

2 cups chopped kale or spinach
1 cup strawberries
1 banana
½ cup parsley

Pour 2 ½ cups water into blender and mix with all ingredients.

Parmesan Kale Chips
Warning!  These are highly addictive and won’t last long.  Kids love them, too. Also! Must thoroughly dry the leaves before baking and make sure to watch the time.  30 seconds too many and they can burn.

1 bunch kale
1 tsp. olive oil spray
Dash of sea salt
½ cup shredded Parmesan

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray two large baking sheets with oil.

Wash and thoroughly dry kale. Remove the leaves from the thick stems and tear into bite sized pieces.
Place on baking sheets, spray with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.

Bake about 10-12 minutes, turning and moving them around as they shrink to make sure they evenly crisp up.

Top with shredded parmesan cheese, keeping a close eye on them, bake an additional 5 to 6 minutes until the edges are crisp but not burnt. Time will vary depending on your oven.

Recipes from www.cook4seasons.com

The Wait is Over

It’s May 1and it’s here -- finally! The start of the Napa Farmers Market season has arrived, and today is the first day of the market season. Though it hasn’t been a particularly hard winter, it has been a long time since we’ve had our favorite farmers right in front of us selling the veggies and fruits of their labors—and this is traditionally the start of what we consider to be summer. It’s time! We’re ready!

There are several new vendors added to the market roster, though many of the faces will look familiar. Keep your eyes peeled for Joan Taramasso, long-term Napa Downtown Farmers Market manager and Napa native. She’ll be on hand with fresh eggs from her free-range Napa-based chickens, and her partner Matt will be pouring brewed coffee and selling coffee beans from his locally-based roasting company, Organic Karma Coffee. Among the other familiar faces are Soul Food Farm (Vacaville)’s Alexis Koefoed with her pastured chicken; Long Meadow Ranch (Rutherford)’s Laddie Hall; Big Ranch Farm (Napa)’s Mark and Teresa Haberger; Morning Sun Herb Farm (Vacaville)’s Rose Loveall-Sale; and Tenbrink Family Farm (Fairfield)’s Linda Tenbrink. And these are just a sampling of the farmers that will be joining this first week.

There are also some new farmers to welcome: Gleason Ranch (Bodega), with grass-fed lamb, pork and beef, and Gauchito Hill (Capay Valley) which brings certified organic produce from one of the best known northern CA growing areas.

So, what’ll we find in season now at the market?
Cherries, green garlic, baby chard, lettuces of all varieties, endive, broccoli, carrots, tomatoes (yes!), oranges, almonds, walnuts, olive oil, honey, eggs, chicken, beef, lamb, pork…and a huge variety of veggie, herb and perennial plant starts. Time to get your veggies in the ground at home, too!

For those of us addicted to ABC Bakery’s cinnamon bun and other local bakeries’ pastries, they’ll be there too. As will Annie the Baker and her fabulous cookies, East and West’s Afghan breads and dips, Handmade Pantry’s granola, and a slew of other new and delicious things, including hummus, sausage rolls, Vietnamese sandwiches, sorbets, lemon curd and breads.

So bring your cart, bags and boxes and load up.
See you at the Napa Farmers Market!


ENDIVE SPEARS STUFFED WITH HERBED GOAT CHEESE

A quick & easy hors d’oeuvre that can be made ahead of time (the filling) and whipped up at the last minute. (From “Relax, Company’s Coming!” by Kathy Gunst).

Ingredients:
• 4 ounces fresh, soft goat cheese (chevre)
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 4 ½ tablespoons mixed fresh herbs, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh chives, minced
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1 large head endive, or 2 small heads
• 2 tablespoons toasted, finely chopped walnuts or almonds (optional)

Directions:
• In a medium bowl, cream the goat cheese with the back of a wooden spoon. Add cream, chopped herbs, chives, and pepper and mix until smooth and creamy. (Add more cream if particularly thick.) Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Bring to room temperature before assembling.
• Core the endive and separate into spears. Spoon the filling into 20 endive spears, filling each spear about halfway. Assemble on a plate and sprinkle with the chopped nuts (if using). Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.