Happy July 4th Weekend! Get your red, white and blue at the market:
-Red rasberries and cherries are in season – visit Kapnicks Orchards for the freshest in town!

-Black Rasberries are almost in season – we hope to have some from Hollow Hill Farm

-Get some ricotta from Greystone Creamery to complete the patriotic recipe below!

We are happy to kick off the Double Up Food Bucks Program (see program highlight below) this week, along with other health promotion programs such as:
Prescription for Health (starting July 13th) and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (also known as Bridge Cards)

Please visit the market information table for specifics on the programs!

At the non-profit table, the Friends of the Library and the Red Cross will be promoting a blood drive and book sale (July 13th) – stop by the table for more information from Jennifer Kundak.

In Season Recipe of The Week
Red, White and Blue Ricotta Parfait

Ingredients

1 tablespoon sugar (or honey)
1/2 teaspoon grated lime zest, plus 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 1/2 cups part-skim ricotta
1/2 cup cherries or red rasberries
1/2 cup black rasberries (blackberries or blueberries)

Preperation

In a bowl, toss together fruit, sugar, and lime zest and juice. Let stand 20 minutes. Top ricotta with fruit mixture, and serve.

ENJOY

Healthy Hacks for A Healthy July Fourth Weekend!
Try These Healthy Alternatives to Our All-American Favorites

Read through these Main Dish, Side, and Desert alternatives and check out the special tips to make your July 4th barbecue a healthy and happy affair! Click on the title of each dish for more information including ingredient lists, preparation instructions and nutrition facts!

Main Dish Alternatives:

Inside-Out Cheeseburger: Keep the cheese and juicy patties, but trade in some of the calories and fat with this alternative dish!Beer-Barbecued Chicken: Enjoy the popular poultry dish that all barbecue enthusiasts know and love, but by taking the skin off the chicken, you save a little on the calorie count and still get the delicious flavor!

Special Tips: Try a turkey burger or chicken sausage as an alternative for beef and pork: turkey and chicken are leaner meats, and will give you a healthy option without skipping out on your favorite summertime BBQ dishes!

Side Dish Alternatives:

Red, White and Blue Potato Salad: Ditch the predictable deli salads for a healthier, and tastier, barbecue alternative. Sticking with a vinaigrette will save on calories, fat and cholesterol, and give this summer staple a lighter taste. Tex-Mex Summer Squash Casserole: This side dish is for those who want to turn up the heat at your July 4th event. With jalapenos and green chiles, you’re guaranteed to spice up your barbecue! Of course, this recipe also fuels our love for summer veggies with one of our favorites: summer squash! Special Tips: Use oil-based dressings on pastas and salads instead of going for creamy dressings and mayo. This allows you to cut back a significant number of calories and fat, as long as you don’t over-compensate by adding extra! Add some of your favorite seasonal fruits and vegetables for color, and you’ll also get some extra doses of vitamins and minerals, too!

Dessert Alternatives:

Raspberry Bars: This delicious dessert is not only satisfying, but healthier for you than some of the other dessert recipes out there! Using low-fat or skim milk and nonfat cream cheese allows for guilt-free enjoyment.

EatingWell Flag Cake: Keeping with the guilt-free holiday, this recipe uses low-fat Greek yogurt and reduced fat cream cheese so you can enjoy this patriotic cake without having to worry about your waist-line. The strawberries, blueberries and raspberries not only add color, but can also be used in our other recipes, too!

Special Tips: Try incorporating more fruit dishes – more natural dishes will give you the taste of sweetness you crave, without overloading your system! Substitutes like Greek yogurt and non-fat/low-fat dairy products can help reduce some unwanted calories!

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Seasonal Vendors:

Back Forty Acres – Meats / Poultry / Eggs, all raised naturally
Beverly’s Crafts and More – Pillows, baked goods, body cream, soap, granola
Chandra June – Jewelry and garden art
Frog Hollar Farms – Produce, home-baked breads and cakes, crafts, cut flowers, and more
fresh – Locally roasted coffee beans
Greystone Farm & Creamery – Cream cheeses, camembert style cheeses, feta, and gouda, and manchego style cheeses from the sheep’s milk.
H & H Sugarbush – Maple syrup, maple cream, maple candy, maple nuts, popcorn
Heim Gardens – Perennials, annuals, hanging baskets, planters, produce (vegetables, raspberries, strawberries)
Janet’s LLC – Herbs and spices, blends and grilling rubs, flavored nuts, chocolate, jams, dolls and greeting cards
Kapnick Orchard – Fresh fruits, from strawberries and raspberries to apples and cherries.
La Baguette – French breads and baked goods
Mama Mofoods – 17 varieties of hummus, 8 varieties of seitan and pesto
Merkel Gardens & Greenhouses – Hanging baskets, flats and produce
Myer’s Blackberry Farm – blackberries, raspberries, jams and vegetables
Ruhlig’s Produce – Wide variety of vegetables and cut flowers
Stone Hearth Breads and Bakery – Artisan breads, bagels, favo, pepperoni rolls, cookies
Tantre Farm – Organic vegetables and cut flowers
Tasty Bakery – Gluten-free baked goods – NEW!
Zatkovich Pastures – Grass fed beef, eggs, poultry – NEW!

Daily Vendors:

Milos Creations – Jewelry
Country Hills Pottery
Angie Godek and Sis – Knit goods

Program Spotlight – Double Up Food Bucks

Fair Food Network’s Double Up Food Bucks program provides incentives to encourage healthier choices for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients, directly benefiting low-income families and local farmers.

Program Goals

The program uses existing infrastructure (i.e. markets, produce, trucks, farm stands, food share programs, and the Michigan Bridge Card) to:

Improve access to affordable, fresh fruits and vegetables in underserved communities
Grow the local economy by supporting purchases from local farmers
Shift public policy so that federal nutrition assistance programs address health, hunger, and nutrition and support a sustainable food system

The Double Up Food Bucks program is a highly successful, scalable model that encourages low-income consumers to leverage their federal food assistance benefits to purchase healthy produce, simultaneously increasing the income of the region’s farmers and making a positive impact on the local food economy. In 2012, participating farmers’ markets recorded more than $1.9 million in sales from SNAP benefits and Double Up Food Bucks combined, with the money going directly in the pockets of Michigan growers and food businesses.

How Does it Work?

When SNAP recipients shop at a participating site, the amount that they spend on their SNAP Bridge Card is matched up to $20 per visit with Double Up Food Bucks, which can be used to purchase Michigan-grown fruits and vegetables.

History and Future Plans

Double Up Food Bucks began as a pilot project at five markets in Detroit in 2009. Since that time, it has expanded throughout Michigan with over 90 markets, plus two food share programs, three mobile food trucks, and a network of farm stands in Detroit participating in 2013.

Double Up Food Bucks is demonstrating that a small incentive can change eating habits, positively influence health and grow the economy.

Who funds Double Up Food Bucks?

Double Up Food Bucks is generously supported by nearly 40 private and community foundations and corporations throughout Michigan and beyond, including: