Fall Favorites
The air is starting to turn crisp, and some of the leaves are turning – fall is here! To celebrate, we’d like to highlight some recipes featuring squash, apples and seasonal ingredients from the farmers market. In this newsletter, we also want to help de-mystify the common terms for some of the local food lingo you might be hearing, and let you know some good resources to learn more about contributing to the health and preservation of local agriculture.
Some of our favorite fall ingredients:
- Why it is great: high iron, potassium, magnesium & fiber, + excellent source of vitamins B6, A & C, carotenoids & beta carotene
- Health Benefits: supports heart hearlth, proper functioning of the nervous and immune system, and helps protect against heart disease & cancer.
- How to select and store: look for squash with hard skin, free of bruises or mold, with a fat neck and small bulb, and heavy for its size. Do NOT refrigerate butternut squash, they have a long shelf life and become sweeter with time. Place in a cool, dry, dark place for a month. Peeled, it will keep for 2-5 days, refrigerated.
- Tips for Preparing: Peel the squash after roasting rather than before, cut off the top, cut in half lengthwise, scoop out seeds.
Butternut Squash & Black Bean Chili
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
2. Rinse beans under cool running water & drain liquid.
3. Cook (saute) diced onions, garlic, squash & bell peppers in fry pan/skillet over medium heat until browned & soft.
4. After about 10 minutes, add all other ingredients. Bring to a simmer for 15 minutes, then enjoy or let simmer over low heat until ready to serve!
Tip: try serving chili in mini-pumpkins or acorn squash for a fun, fall main course!
From: Prescription for Health
Apples:
- Why it is great: Packing in quite a bit of soluble fiber (4 grams per medium apple) for a modest amount of calories (95) makes apples a filling, sweet snack. Plus, a medium apple counts as 1 cup of fruit, so after eating one you’re well on your way to meeting your daily fruit quota (around 2 cups for adults on a 2,000-calorie diet). They also are a good source of immune-boosting vitamin C (providing 14% of the Daily Value).
- Health Benefits: Supports a healthy immune system, and can help to control portions with high fiber content, keeping you full longer.
- How to Select and Store: There are many varieties of apples at the farmers market (Northern Spy, Honeycrisp, McIntosh are just a few). Ask a farmer to tell you if they are a “baking apple” or an “eating apple” to get a sense of sweetness level. Look for firm, but don’t be turned away by a few blemishes – many farmers at the market don’t wax apples (like at the grocery store) and use fewer or no pesticides, so some markings might occur. Store in you fridge, or in a cool dark place that is away from potential pests.
- Tips for Preparing: Peel apples if preparing for pie or for applesauce. Eat with peels for best nutritional benefits!
Apple, Leek and Butternut Squash Gratin
INGREDIENTS
2 medium leeks, white part only, trimmed of roots and tough outer leaves, thinly sliced crosswise, well washed and dried
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1/2 cup dry sherry or white wine
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage, plus leaves for garnish
1 pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and sliced 1/8-inch thick \
1 pound apples, such as Gala or Cortland, peeled, halved, cored, and cut into 1/8-inch thick slices 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
DIRECTIONS
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a 10-inch skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Add leeks and 2 tablespoons water; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to brown, about 10 minutes. Add sherry and sage and cook until liquid is reduced to a glaze, about 3 minutes; set aside.2. In a 2-quart shallow baking dish, arrange squash in overlapping layers; season with salt and pepper. Spread leeks evenly over the squash.
3. Arrange apples in an overlapping layer over the leeks. Brush apples with remaining tablespoon oil. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake 45 minutes.
4. Uncover and sprinkle cheese over the top. Raise the oven temperature to 450 degrees and bake 10 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and is golden brown. The tip of a paring knife should easily pierce the gratin. Let cool 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with sage leaves.
From: http://www.marthastewart.com/344010/apple-leek-and-butternut-squash-gratin
SPECIAL EVENT – FALL MARKET GREENS TASTE TEST!
Another favorite at the market this time of year is the return of fall greens! Taste of Health, an arm of the Health and Wellness non-profit, Grass Lakes Sanctuary, will have a booth tomorrow and will be selling their their seasoned kale chips as a fundraiser, as well as other recipes and health tips on incorporating greens into your diet!
MARKET BASKET GIVEAWAY!
The second event this week will be the return of the market basket giveaway! Take out quick survey and get entered to win a bag full of fall market prizes.
Prescription for Health (starting July 16th), and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (also known as Bridge Cards)
You can also visit the market information table for specifics on the programs!
Many farms in our area offer ways to learn about your local food, how it was made and what goes into sustainable agriculture. Below are some experiential opportunities to get some hands on experiences!
- Zatkovich Pastures offers tours of their sustainable chicken and beef farm, modeled on Joel Salatin’s Polyface Farm featured in the bestseller book, the Omnivore’s Dilemna. Chelsea Community Kitchen will be leading a tour of their grass-fed, organic operation, which is truly fresh, local and free range.
- Chelsea Community Kitchen holds seasonally inspired classes throughout the community – check their online calendar for the latest updates!
- Visit Pregitzer Farm Market, LLC to enjoy some fun fall activities with the kids! Their website has all the details on hayrides, petting farm, pumpkin picking, corn mazes and more!
- Are you interested in starting your own food business this fall? Check out Ypsilanti’s Growing Hope for details on their FREE “Building Blocks for Local Food Entrepreneurs” workshop series.
- Do you have a bounty that you don’t know what to do with? Terry Peyton is offering a course every Saturday, to learn how to can all your fall favorites to enjoy winter long:
Curious about what some of the local food “buzz words” are all about? Check out this handy glossary of definitions from Cornell Cooperative Extension for answers:
New Vendor Offerings this Week:
Seasonal Vendors
* Ingredient for In-Season Recipe
Coming Soon: Bunch O’Pines will be joining us next week with fall raspberries!
Kapnick Orchards: Several varieties of apples, peaches, plums, nectarines, raspberries, pears, fudge, bread and baked sweet rolls.
Kapp Farms: Basil, cherry tomatoes, green beans, kale, tomatoes and apples. Baked goods include oatmeal cookies, cinnamon sugar cookies, garlic twists, pretzels and more!
Lutchka Angus and Farm Market: sweet and cooking onions, kale, winter squash, jalapenos, hot and sweet peppers, cabbage, cukes, corn, eggplant, apples, cherry tomatoes.
Oak Hill Farm: honey, bee pollen, lotion bars, candles, cut comb honey, gift bags with assorted honey products.
Mark’s Farms and Greenhouse: maple syrup, kale, chard, beets, green and sweet onions, broccoli, cabbage, zucchini, five varieties of potatoes, corn, tomatoes, peppers, carrots, cabbage sprouts, cantaloupe, kohlrabe, eggplant, cukes.
Golden Fleece Farm, LLC: Grass fed beef products including ground beef, ground round, rib steaks, T-bone steaks, sirloin steaks, hamburger patties, beef brats, Italian sweet sausage, soup bones, chuck roast, English roast, swiss steak, ox-tail, liver, grass fed chickens raised on organic corn, soy-free feed (no GMO) at 3.5-4.5 pounds at $5 per pound.
Greystone Creamery: feta, possibly ricotta, Man-chel cheese, possibly cow Gouda, Chelsea-cam, Rosy-cam, blue Man-chel, sheep Gouda, butternut, garlic pepper and plain cream cheese.
Pregitzer Farm Market, LLC: CSA pick-up, broccoli, summer squash, kale, corn, cabbage, peppers, eggplant, green beans, cauliflower, canning pickles, potatoes, watermelon.
Janet’s LLC: grilling rubs, jam, flavored nuts, suckers, cajun butter, assorted fudge. spices to make flavored butter, U-M and MSU dolls, and greeting cards.
Mama Mo: hummus and seitan. Hummus flavors include ginger squash, tan/cran orange, sesame chive satay, kalamata rosemary, black pepper walnut, roasted pepper, horseradish, roasted garlic, traditional, lemon zest, curry lime, tomato basil, onion dill, roasted beet, wasabi, jalapeno, chipotle. Seitan flavors include: nuggets, traditional, fajita strips, Italian fennel sausage, breakfast sage sausage, vegan BBQ, BBQ, roast.
Bordine Farm: cut flowers, including zinnia, pin cushions, gladiola, snap dragons.
Kniffen Famly Farms: eggs, whole and half chickens. FREE dog eggs to pet owners!
Enrichment Center: vegetables (swissh chard, beets, tomatoes, peppers, basil), Michigan baskets, goat milk soap, soy candles, lip balms, bar lotions, bracelets, wooden toys (trucks, airplanes), hand sanitizers, pens with decor that changes with the season.
Lutz Orchards: Please welcome our newest vendor! Lutz Orchards specialize in unique apple varieties, as well as quince and asian pears.
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Get to Know Your Vendor – Bordine Farms
Duane Bordine is no stranger to farming – he started out at 16, at his family’s farm in Canton, which has been in operation since 1836. Back in his youth, Duane’s family farm consisted of sweet corn, which they sold at markets and at Kroger, and grew to a larger commercial operation. Duane moved to his current farm in Stockbridge, MI, where he’s owned over 200 acres since 1979, including vegetable, soybean, wheat, muskmelons and pumpkins. He’s started farmers markets in Northville and Livonia, and hasn’t let hardship get in his way. After having his lower legs amputated, Duane decided he still wanted to keep farming in some way. He’s built raised beds from 55 gallon drums, cut in half (over 50 of them) so he can fill them with soil and pick flowers for the market from his wheel chair, as well as vegetables for his family. Duane has a positive attitude, and he council’s other farmers who have a disability that “just because you’re an amputee, it’s not the end of your farming days.” Come visit Duane for beautiful flowers: gladiolas, zinnias, pin cushions, and occasionally some veggies from one of his special raised beds.
