Posts Tagged ‘Farmers Market’

Farmers’ Market Recipe of the Week: Potato Soup with Pesto, good warm or cold

Thursday, August 18th, 2011
Bamberg potatoes

Image via Wikipedia

It’s that time of the year when squashes, herbs and tomatoes begin coming into season. This week we’re highlighting a potato soup seasoned with pesto courtesy Chef Franklin Biggs and the Farmers’ Market farmers. This soup is good cold as well as hot.

8 potatoes, peeled and sliced

12 cups chicken or vegetable stock

As needed corn starch

To taste salt and pepper

4 cups cream

1 cup fresh pesto made with 2 cups basil, 1/4 cup browned garlic, 1/4 cup pine nuts, 1/2 cup parmesan or asiago, 1/2 cup olive oil

If serving cold, chill in refrigerator, or in an ice bath. Just before serving stir in the fresh pesto to give a wonderful color and fresh flavor.

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Help Pepper Place Saturday Market Be America’s Favorite Farmers’ Market!

Monday, August 15th, 2011

It’s summertime and that means two things:  1) There are loads of delicious farm fresh produce available at Pepper Place Saturday Market every week; and 2) American Farmland Trust’s America’s Favorite Farmers Markets™ contest has kicked into gear and we need your votes to win!

The process is simple.  To vote for our market, all you have to do is:

1.)    Go to www.farmland.org/vote

2.)    Type in our zipcode of 35205 or type in Pepper Place Saturday Market; and,

3.)    Click “Vote”

That’s it. That’s all it takes to bring Pepper Place Saturday Market one step closer to being America’s favorite farmers market!

Now American Farmland Trust has introduced leader boards where you can keep track of the Top 5 markets receiving votes in Alabama.

Want to support multiple markets in Alabama? Search by state and you can vote for more of your favorites – just remember, you only have one vote to cast per market!

According to American Farmland Trust (AFT), the purpose of this contest is to re-connect local consumers to local farms, with the ultimate goal of keeping our nation’s farm and ranch land productive and healthy!  Buying at the farmers market keeps money in the local community and helps farms and ranches remain economically viable. By voting, you’re helping support farms and communities across the nation. As American Farmland Trust says, “No Farms No Food™!”

So don’t forget to vote for Pepper Place Saturday Market at www.farmland.org/vote and spread the word!  Big thanks to everyone who has already voted!

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Farmer’s Market Recipe of the Week: Ratatouille, Southern Style

Friday, August 5th, 2011

Each week, in preparation for the Farmer’s Market, we highlight a recipe that includes ingredients that you can expect to find that Saturday. This week, we chose this recipe by Chef Franklin Biggs. It’s a Southern take on a French classic.

We’d love to hear how your dish turns out in the comments. For this and other recipes, you can sign-up for our weekly newsletter by going to www.PepperPlaceMarket.com.

Ratatouille, Southern Style

1/2 cup olive oil

2 cups onions, diced

1 cup zucchini, diced

1 cup yellow squash, diced

1 cup eggplant, peeled and diced

2 cups fresh tomatoes, peeled and diced

½ cup garlic, browned (or roasted), chopped

2 cups fresh lady peas (or black eyed peas), cooked

2 cups sweet corn, stripped from cobs (roasting optional)

½ cup parsley, chopped

1 cup fresh basil, chopped just before use

to taste salt, pepper, balsamic vinegar

Cook peas and reserve.

Saute onion in part of the olive oil until soft. Remove from saute pan and add to large pot.

Saute separately, in succession, zucchini, squash, eggplant, tomatoes, adding each to large pot.

Add garlic, cooked peas, corn and parsley to large pot and stir together.

Add water, if necessary, to keep from sticking.

Simmer for ½ hour, stirring occasionally or cook partially covered in oven for 1 hour.

Season to taste.

Serve by itself as a side dish, as part of the following Tortilla Samfaina, or as a base for fish or pork.

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Peas and Beans Come Early This Year to Pepper Place Market

Friday, June 24th, 2011
Peas and beans

Image by Matt Biddulph via Flickr

This week at the market we are looking forward to the early peas and beans…along with all the other fresh Alabama produce. Clif and Maureen Holt of Little Savannah restaurant in Forest Park will be hosting our Chef Demo, beginning at 9:00 a.m. Clif is very involved in the local food movement here in Birmingham. He buys from local farmers and supports the “buy fresh, buy local” approach. The Birmingham News Garden stage is featuring Marvin and Wayne, a market favorite with their laid back and mellow sound. Blue grass enthusiasts love Birmingham’s Mike Hipp. He will be on the Dekalb Office Front Porch along with his smokin’ banjo! Peanut returns after a long absence to the Jim ‘n Nicks 29th Street Porch, 29th Street. Peanut and her guitar are popular with regular market goers and it will be great to have her back at Pepper Place this weekend! We also welcome Birmingham’s own Bob Carlton to the market. Bob brings his famous pimento cheese, so be sure to stop by and have a taste on 29th Street. As always, we thank you for your support of the Pepper Place Farmers Market. We invite you to come on down and ‘get fresh with us’! Rain or shine from 7am- 12 Noon.

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Pepper Place India Day – Saturday August 7, 2010

Monday, August 2nd, 2010

Last week I had the privilege of sitting down with Sanjay Singh one of the minds behind a cool new event coming to the Pepper Place Farmer’s Market this Saturday called India Day. The conversation that I had with Sanjay was pretty awesome. I expected to be chatting with him for only 15 minutes or so, but I ended up sitting there for over an hour as we discussed the various Indian related events he is a part of. Sanjay is one of those people who has done it all and knows everyone. The “interview” was a ton of fun and very enlightening.

Back to India Day – in a nut shell, the India Day event will transform the Saturday market into an outdoor India themed cultural experience for all to enjoy. There will be all sorts of neat things going on during the market such as classical Indian dancing, live music, and sampling of Indian food. Sanjay said it best, there is going to be “Indian Culture all over the place”.

You’re going to be really excited when you see exactly what all this week’s market has in store for you. The classical India dancing will be presented by Nanda Sane, the president of the Indian Cultural Association of Birmingham, so you definitely don’t want to miss out. Once the dancing is over, you should make your way over to see Pinder Gill, the head chef at Taj India, who will be preparing authentic Indian food using the large array of fresh ingredients available at the market. After you’ve sampled some delicious Indian dishes just browse the market as usual, you’ll end up running into a few venders displaying Indian Art as well as some applying Henna Tattoos. If there was ever a Saturday to attend the market, Saturday August 7th, 2010 is that day. I’ll see you there!

-AS

If you enjoy the Indian theme at this Saturday’s market, you’ll probably also want to know about another India event/concert coming up on Sunday September 5, 2010 at the Birmingham Museum (5.00 p.m. – 7.00 p.m). Performing will be Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt – Mohan Veena (modified Guitar) and Pandit Subhen Chatterjee – Tabla. FYI: Pandit Bhatt is a Grammy Award winner.