Join us for some great music!

Hello friends!

We just closed out our season at the Normal Trailside Market. Thanks to all who made it such a great success! We sold 20% more in Normal this year as compared to 2007, and we’re sure it was because of the increased crowd. NOTE that the Normal Market is still running UNTIL THE END OF SEPTEMBER. Be sure to continue supporting the rest of the vendors who will continue to bring great produce and baked goods until the very end.

Of course, we’ll still be at the Bloomington Farmers Market for ANOTHER TWO MONTHS! That’s right, two more months of the best food on the planet. This is a wonderful time of year for fresh produce, with all of the bounty of summer merging with the beginning of the fall crops. In fact, this week Bill will be bringing ARUGULA for the first time in weeks. It is PRISTINE – like a misty mountain-top (that’s what Bill just said, and he has no idea I’m putting that into the email!). Seriously, it’s young, tender, and very flavorful.

We’re also bringing more pears – Bartlett and Asian. We just turned a few pears into dried fruits for the boys’ lunches, and they’re delicious. For once I agreed with Bill that it tasted, indeed, “like candy.” (He’s always saying that about vegetables, and it’s not quite true. At least not for anyone acquainted with the sweetness of real candy.)

And finally, we’re bringing grapes – purple, seeded grapes. They are spectacular, and you get to spit seeds. (Bill just eats them, as they are very nutritious.) Seeded grapes are healthier than seedless, so be sure to grab a bunch.

This week’s big news revolves around our good friend, Peter Kennell, a great musician who will be playing THIS SATURDAY at the market! Whoo-hoo! I strongly encourage you to check out his act. He’s a wonderful singer-songwriter whose music is hard to classify. We just like it a whole darn lot. He’s playing from 9 to 11 a.m. You can check out his stuff at http://www.peteradriel.com/home.html or on MySpace at http://www.myspace.com/earthrock where you can hear Peter and Jake playing. I just love this new-ish thing that he’s been doing with his guitar – he attached a little, tiny piano thing to it called a calimba. He also has this noise box get-up that he uses for percussion. I’m sure it’s painful for anyone with musical talent to read this description, so I’m just going to stop. But suffice it to say that my kids are enthralled when he plays.

Peter is also organizing this FANTASTICALLY COOL event on Sept. 5 and 6 at The Depot in El Paso. You may recall a similar event last year, which involved local music, local art, and local food. It was totally awesome! Well, it’s happening again. Here are the details from Peter:

On Sept 5 and 6, El Paso's historic railroad depot comes to life for
Alt. Corn Fest 2008 – two days of live music, art installations, and great
food and beverages – all locally produced!

On Friday, enjoy artisanal goat cheeses from Prairie Fruits Farm and fresh
fruits from Blue Schoolhouse Farm, Teresa's Fruit and Herbs, and Henry's
Farm. You can wander the Depot's lush grounds and enjoy an art opening
filled with sculpture, photography, paintings, and thought-provoking
installations from cutting-edge local and regional artists. 6-11 pm.

On Saturday, arrive early for a fresh-grilled feast of Woodford County
organic beef burgers (with all the trimmings), Dave's famous curly fries
(local potatoes!) and more ... Dinner is served at 6, and quantities are
limited. Then the Depot Theater doors open for great live music from local
folk-rock artists Peter Adriel, Ben Schreck, Ghosttown Gramophone, and
more. 5-11 pm.

The depot is an all-ages venue, open all day on Friday and Saturday. With
gardens, koi ponds, and mini-golf, there's something for everyone!

Location: On Rt. 24 in El Paso. (11 E Main St.)

I know everyone has a busy schedule, but this is really worth checking out. I now that last year’s audience was blown away by the quality of the music. And Dave’s curly fries are to-die-for.

Here’s what we’ll be bringing to the market this week:

Green Beans, Yellow Wax Beans, and French Filet Beans
Eggplant
Beets (Traditional, Golden, and Chioggia)
Kale
Parsley
Basil
Swiss Chard
Summer Squash/Zucchini
Cucumbers
Carrots
Garlic
Leeks
Radicchio
Tomatoes
Okra
Head Lettuce
Sweet Peppers
Hot Peppers
Grapes

Bill’s now delivering to the Garlic Press in Uptown Normal on Tuesdays and to Common Ground in downtown Bloomington on Saturday mornings. So if you miss a market or just run out of veggies, head to Common Ground! And if you need the veggies prepared into a fabulous meal, Garlic Press is right down the road.

We’ll see you at the Downtown Bloomington Farmers Market on Saturdays from 7:30 a.m. – noon. BRING YOUR BAGS!!

Please let your friends know about the blog. We plan to put out the email sign-up sheet during the market season again. Call us at 467-9228 or email us at blueschoolhouse@yahoo.com if you have questions.

Thanks!
Mercy Davison