Hello!
I hope you are all enjoying this fabulous late summer weather! The days are getting shorter, the nights cooler. It feels great! It doesn’t make the heat-loving plants happy (tomatoes, cucumbers, etc.), but it’s perfect for the fall greens. In fact, the transition from summer to fall crops is well underway.
So what about the food at the farmers market this week? We’ll be bringing a great variety, as we did last week. (Were you there? The market stand looked simply amazing.) I’m posting the list of foods below, and take note of the last item … stir fry greens! You may recall that Bill brought this to the market two years ago, and it was quite a hit! The stir fry greens will be young plants thinned from the rows so that the other plants have more room. Thus, each bag will contain small leaves (pretty much ready to eat!) of arugula, tatsoi, and bok choi … perfect for sautéing right out of the bag (after you wash it, of course!).
This week I want to focus on one vegetable: bok choi. Have you had it yet? It’s wonderful!
The name “bok choi” actually covers a range of leafy greens. What they all have in common is their mild flavor and crisp texture. Bill grows three varieties, one of which is called “joi choi”! Funny, eh? At this point, all of the choi that Bill will be bringing to the market will be fully mature. (In some markets you’ll find chois at various stages of development.) The stalks of bok choi are satiny in texture topped with lightly curled leaves. They have a similar texture to Swiss Chard and can be prepared in much the same way. (Stalks cook a bit longer than the leaves, for example.)
Bok choi can be stir fried, ribboned up into soups, or oven-braised with stock. Here are a couple of recipes from Elizabeth Schneider (Vegetables A to Z):
Spicy Bok Choy Salad
Thin-slice bok choi leaves. Cut stems lengthwise into narrow strips. Toss with salt. Let wilt ½ hour. Rinse and dry. Combine with red pepper julienne, hair-thin Thai chilli strands, sliced mint and Thai basil, slivered ginger in syrup, toasted sesame seeds, rice vinegar, salt, and pepper. Serve freshly made as soon as assembled.
Crispy “Seaweed”
Wash and dry the leaves. Cut into a chiffonade. Spread on baking sheet. Dry 20 minutes in a low over. Cool. Deep-fry in small batches of peanut oil; drain on towels. Toss with salt, sugar, and toasted pine nuts.
I have two exciting, farm/food-related events to tell you about …
1. Nutraceutical Evening at the ISU Hort Center TONIGHT (Thursday, Sept. 11). I’m pasting a bit from Patt Mitchell’s email (you know Patt – co-owner of Mitchell’s market stand!). She had such a good description that I thought I’d spread it around. All credit to Patt, and here goes …
“We've all heard that you are what you eat, but have you ever really thought about HOW the food you eat (all local of course!) affects your health? Everywhere we look, plant extracts & essence are in EVERYTHING – but is there really a benefit or is it just another marketing ploy?
My good friend, Jessica Chambers, queen of the ISU Hort Center (http://www.horticulturecenter.ilstu.edu/), has taken on that question in her 2008 garden plan, The Nutraceutical Garden. Nutraceuticals, a combination of nutrition & pharmacetuical, are foods that contain a medical health benefit beyond that of simple nutrition. Interesting, no? Jessica and her tireless staff of volunteers & students have created 6 interpretive gardens that focus on different nutraceutical plants.
This Thursday, September 11 from 5 pm to 7 pm, the Hort Center is hosting a Nutraceutical Evening for the public to learn about what they eat and how it affects their health. There will be garden tours, info booths, Farmer's Market (yes, Bill Mitchell and Bill Davison will be there!) and seminars.
Also mark your calendars for Saturday, October 4. Why? It's the Hort Center's Annual Autumnal Festival! If you haven't been out to this, make sure you come this year. Why, you ask again? There is a bird watch/stroll, more kid activities than you can shake a stick at (lots of fun!), cooking demo utilizing pumpkins and squash, corn maze (again, tons of fun) scarecrows and the chance to get your fall pumpkins and gourds."
Here’s the link to last year’s festival for more information … http://www.horticulturecenter.ilstu.edu/events/autumn.shtml.
2. The Future of Food – FREE documentary AND panel discussion by local farmers and food folks at the Normal Theater (MONDAY night, Sept. 15). Bill Davison will be on the panel and hopes to see some familiar faces in the audience. The documentary is supposed to be very well-done, and it’s a rare opportunity to talk about our growing local food system. Please try to attend and help us put the spotlight on local food. For more info on the movie, check out www.thefutureoffood.com.
Here’s what we’ll be bringing to the market this week:
French Filet Beans
Eggplant
Beets (Traditional, Golden, and Chioggia)
Kale
Parsley
Basil
Swiss Chard
Summer Squash/Zucchini
Cucumbers
Garlic
Leeks
Tomatoes
Okra
Head Lettuce
Sweet Peppers
Hot Peppers
Bok Choi
Arugula
Ruby Streaks
Daikon Radish
Japanese Turnips
Fennel
Pears
Grapes
Tatsoi
Stir Fry Greens
Bill’s now delivering to the Garlic Press in Uptown Normal on Thursdays 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. Call us at 467-9228 or email us at blueschoolhouse@yahoo.com if you have questions.
Thanks!
Mercy Davison
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