Restaurant Widow

When do the Markets Start?

It's finally time to start talking about hitting the farmer's markets on a regular basis.  This is just a look at the Central Ohio markets I frequent, along with a brief description - as I get more information on start dates, I will update.

If this is your first year as a marketer, or if you are looking for some guidance, you might want to check out my weekly market and CSA reports from last year.  I always find it helpful to look back, so that I have an idea what will be available on a weekly basis, just so I can have some sort of menu in mind.  Here's also a general list of what's growing when, also for menu planning.

• North Market - as I mentioned before, this weekend's Cinco d'Ohio marks the official opening of the North Market's farm market.  The North Market, of course, has a huge indoor market as well as an extensive farmer's market outside.  I love the Market, both parts - you can seriously do all of your shopping for the week and be sure you are buying 90% local products - I love the meat at Blues Creek, and like to hit them before hitting the fruit and veggies to help me round out my shopping.  I was also notified that one can indeed purchase basics such as milk (from Curds & Whey) and paper towels (from the Good Earth).  Here's a secret about the market - don't tell anyone.  Skip the market parking lot!  Unless it's raining, it's a nightmare trying to get in and out.  Instead, opt for street parking (High street meters).  If you don't mind walking a little and you can get to the market early, there is always a lot of metered parking in the Short North, and there is also a free lot (between the Burgundy Room and the Yukon building).  Of course, the earlier you go, the easier it is to park. 
  
  Some of my favorite North Market farmers:  Toby Run Mushrooms - hands down the best shitakes I've ever had.  I have to buy these every week and try to get to the before Husband.  Dearsman Farms - a conventional farm who grows everything - the basics we all need like broccoli and onions, as well as loads of different beans and the like, greens, and of course, sprouts.  Also they sell tons of things for canners, small cucumbers and lots of peppers.  Prices are beyond reasonable.  Quiverfull Farms - locally grown and milled oats, wheat and corn, plus granola.  Toad Hill Organics - can always be counted on for a vast assortment of greens (including lots of interesting Asian greens including my favorite Mizuna) in the Springtime, tomatoes in the summer, and potatoes in the fall.  The variety of potatoes alone is astounding; each has a description.  Just This Farm - garlic and garlic scapes galore.  Wayward Seed Farm - growing unusual and hard-to-find things (salsify, anyone?), especially for foodie types who are looking for that unusual ingredient.  And of course, Elizabeth Telling Farm, my CSA provider - always has lots of good-for-you greens which are picked small and delicious.  Also fabulous eggs which are reserved for the CSA subscribers, alas.
• Clintonville Farmers Market, located just North of North Broadway on High Street at Orchard.  The Clintonville market has a mix of non-produce and produce vendors, food vendors (granola, bread, cookies, etc) as well as the occasional art and jewelry vendors.  The market takes place on Saturdays at 9am and will commence on May 19th. 
  
  Some of my favorite Clintonville vendors: Sippel Family Farm - always have the basics, plus fun things like personal size watermelons.  Magik Granola Company - love the blueberry.
• Worthington Farmers Market takes place at the just south of the intersection of High Street and route 161, in picturesque Olde Worthington.  Like the North Market, this can be a crowded market and it pays to get there early.  Parking is more readily available, however, as there are lots of free public lots around.  The Worthington Market is probably the largest, most spacious in the Central Ohio area, and it's my favorite for strolling (something I rarely have time to do).  Vendors sell everything from produce and meat to preserves, sweets and dog treats.  The Worthington Farmer's Market will kick of on Saturday, May 12th with the annual plant sale. 
  
  Some favorites at the Worthington Market: Zemnicki farms sells lots of basics, can be counted on for onions, peppers, leeks and things.  Pop & Judy's farm sells kohlrabi and red popcorn - two favorites of mine, as well as great catnip sachets, which the cats love.  Sundog Organics grows giant flowers to brighten your house.  Gillogly Orchards keeps in me in nectarines all summer long, and Garden Patch Produce sells really great tomatoes and tomato plants.
• Westerville Farmer's Market will begin Wednesday, May 9th - another good weekday option for those of you who can't make it through the week.  The market is located in charming uptown Westerville at the intersection of Home and State Streets from 3pm - 6pm.
• Another weekday option is the Pearl Alley market, downtown on Tuesdays and Fridays, 10:30 - 2pm beginning June 1.  The Market is located on Pearl between Gay and Broad streets.  Park on Gay at meters - bring lots and lots of change, a nickel buys you one minute and the meter maids are vigilant, to say the least - or in lots on Long Street.  Or walk over from your office.  Farmer attendence can be spotty, but I always find lots of strawberries in June.  The other bonus is being right next to El Arepazo, my favorite lunch spot. 

One Woman's Weed is Another's Breakfast

   
Update: for those of you who are interested in tasting some ramps, in the past Alana's and G. Michael's could always be counted on for incorporating some tasty ramps into their springtime specials.

So, I've been trying to convince some farmers at the North Market to bring in ramps for a few weeks now.  "No one ever wants them!"  The farmer said.  "I do!"  I said.  "I pulled so many of those out of my flower beds - I just threw them away!" was the farmer's response.  Fortunately, later that day, the Widowphone rang - my super secret ramp delivery had arrived.  $9 a pound.  One farmer's weed, one woman's mission. I wait for these all year long, as they are fleeting.  Sadly, Husband doesn't like ramps.  I have to be stinky all by myself; I hope this is the year we make a convert.  Expect some wonderfully aromatic recipes.  To read more about ramps, see last year's ramp post.

April 21st Market Report

This morning dawned warm, sunny and beautiful.  It seemed wise to get outside as early as possible and enjoy it before I had to go to work.  Perhaps for this reason I awoke at 7:30 and couldn't go back to sleep.  This gave me a chance to get to the North Market early and enjoy some coffee in the sunshine before I purchased some arugula and mache from Combs herb farm, some "mizspoona," a green similar to mizuna, but with a broader leaf (pictured above) from Toad Hill Organics, and a potted chive plant from Somerset Herbs.  I'm going to have to get some planting done soon!

Because it was still early, I decided to check out an event I recommended this week, the CCAD Spring student art sale.  I bought some Japanese style ink drawings (India Ink on rice paper) by Sara Richard. I love the juxtaposition of the creepy crawlies painted so delicately:

You can see more works by the artist here.  It was interesting to walk around and see all of the students; some are quite prolific and make some great things. 

First Market Report

Guess what?  There were a few brave souls at the North Market this morning!  I bought some great (greenhouse) carrots, spinach and eggs from Just This Farm, and some catnip and radicchio from Combs fresh herbs. 

With winter greens this delicious, you need only drizzle them with some very good extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkling of sea salt.  It made the perfect salad to go with my roasted chicken.

Think About Community Supported Agriculture

Yesterday we talked about planting; today let's talk about having someone else plant for you.  I've been getting a few requests for CSA suggestions, and I thought it would be good to discuss choosing a CSA.  It might be too late to sign up for some of these, I have not contacted them to see if they are full or not, and some of this information might be out of date; the best thing to do is contact them for yourself.

So, what is a CSA?  CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture.  Basically, you pay a farmer at the beginning of the season, and they grow a variety of foods for you, called a "share."  You will be picking up your share weekly, sometimes at a Farmer's Market or a local Co-op.  Pictured above is one of my boxes from Elizabeth Telling Farm, taken in mid August last year.  If memory serves, I also had tomatoes which came in a separate bag.

What should I expect from my share?  Different farmers provide different things.  You should discuss this with potential farmers.  If the farmer sells at a farmer's market, you can also get a good idea of what they will offer in the CSA by seeing what they sell at the market.  Keep in mind, however, that many farmers keep their best products for their CSA subscribers, and may frequently grow things just for their subscribers.  This is true of my CSA; you can only get eggs from the farm as a CSA subscriber. 

How many will the share feed?  This is another thing to discuss with your farmer, and it is very important to consider before paying in to the farm; you don't want things to go to waste.  I have found from my experiences and those of my friends that there is rarely too little.  There is almost always some amount of waste or sharing with friends.  I found halfway through that I had a coworker who would take any of my uneaten salad greens.  I like my CSA because it is perfectly geared towards my living situation: adventurous eating small families.  There is about the perfect amount of veggies for 2 people who don't cook at home every day.  The boxes feature small amounts of various items; some CSAs have loads and loads of things like green beans and kale; suitable for bigger families, or for really dutiful canner/freezer/cook once a monthers.  You might want to consider going in with a friend on a share, especially if this is your first year or you are single or have a small family.

Be aware that your share might start out small.  If you are unfamiliar with the growing season in Central Ohio, you might be disappointed to find your first few shares; expect a lot of leafy greens and radishes.  Once the growing season is well under way, however, there will probably be no shortage of tomatoes, sweet corn, and other veggies. 

It's nice to plan ahead.  This Central Ohio growing calender is a good tool to use when planning menus, whether based upon your CSA share or the Farmer's Market - or both.  You will probably be surprised to find that things like leafy greens last a lot longer when purchased from a farm than the ones you buy at the supermarket, which traveled here from California.  Last year I had bags of lettuce which lasted 2 weeks with only the slightest sign of browning. 

Here are a few CSAs I am aware of, and any details I could find:

Elizabeth Telling CSA - of which I am a subscriber, designed for smaller families, Sandy knows a lot about vegetables and is particularly fond of greens.  She plants continuously and picks greens when very small.  Superb eggs, 1/2 dozen every week.  Also makes lots of fun things like woodland wreaths and onion garlands, occasionally sells goat's milk soap made by her neighbor and helper.  Shares are $350 and go from Memorial Day to Thanksgiving, roughly, and are picked up at the North Market Farmer's Market Saturday mornings.  Call 740.484.0243

Green Edge Organic Gardens - organic, relatively new, these shares are picked up at the Bexley Natural Foods Co-op on Tuesdays (508 n. Cassidy Ave) Shares are $475 for 20 weeks or $250 for 10 weeks (every other week) Call Becky Ronde 740.448.4021

Kame Farm - Shares can be picked up at farm or at Worthington Farmers Market on Saturday mornings.  Shares are $450 for full or $250 half.  Call Karen Johnson 419.566.4268.

Paiges' Produce - CSA subscription includes plants and flowers as well as produce.  $275 half share or $475 full share. Call Brian Helser 740.477.7291.  Shares can be picked up at numerous local farmer's markets - Athens, Clintonville, Lancaster and the Pearl Alley markets. 

Sippel Family Farm - Shares are $545, and pick up is either Clintonville Farmer's Market or Worthington Methodist Church. Call Ben or Lisa Sippel 419.946.1394.

For more information about eating locally in Ohio, please visit the Local Harvest website, which contains a wealth of information.  If you know of any other CSAs in the Central Ohio area, please e-mail me and I will add it to the list.

Pictorial Meditation for Winter

The snow is melting, it's a seemingly balmy 45 degrees outside, and walking around outside is a battle between the ice and the 3 inches of gray sludge on top of it.  Yes, it is late winter in Central Ohio.  Lest we all begin to fear spring and summer will never come, I thought I might prepare this slide show so we might all remember that it's the cold, gray, foggy, sludgey days which make the summer so much more beautiful.  Click on the thumnail to see the larger picture; don't forget to look at all three pages. . . Here's to summer!  Cheers!

(To get your own cool Flickr sideshow, click the "info" button at the bottom of this post - it's very easy!)

New Winter CSA

For those of you who are missing your CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) from the summertime, I have just learned of a new Winter share available from Athens County.  Green Edge Organic Gardens has a 20 week subscription which will run from now until April and includes all manner of greens as well as root veggies (beets, rutabagas, daikon).  Shares are $250 for half or $500 for full and will be picked up Tuesdays at Bexley Natural Market (508 N. Cassidy Ave in Bexley).  For more information, please e-mail Green Edge.

CSA & Market Report for November 4th

The North Market was this week reduced to only a few few vendors - selling mostly apples, apple cider, greens, garlic and potatoes.  I swung through long enough to contemplate buying 7 varieties of potato, but dismissed the thought almost as soon as it hit. 

My CSA box this week included rutabagas! oh, how I love, love rutabagas - one of the most ignored of the cruciferous veggies.  I can't wait to make a little pork chop on roasted rutabagas.  And who doesn't love saying roasted rutabagas?  Along with the rutabagas were carrots, potatoes, garlic, onions, radishes, greens (a good thing since my crisper froze everything last week), scallions and eggs.  I have only 2 weeks left for my box and then my body will still wake up at 7:30 on Saturday mornings and wonder why it isn't getting up and buying produce. 

CSA & Market Report for October 28th

Look!  Thanksgiving dinner!  Anyone who has ever been in my parents' house and seen the giant picture of me, as a 4-year-old, standing next to a live turkey, knows I have a sordid past with live turkeys (how was I supposed to know not all creatures want me to pet them!?).  For that reason, I was a little nervous while sticking my camera lens into the cage to shoot this picture, but I really wanted to feature the extra skin over his beak.  I wonder how one would go about finding the real name of that particular body part...Snood!  Just looked it up at kidzone.com.  Snood!  What nice word.

The markets this week were very thin, of course, and it was cold - really cold.  There were still a few diehards out there selling squash, apples, gourds, greens and cauliflower.  I bought my last box of Toby Run shitake mushrooms for the year, and my last peppers, chiles, sprouts and onions from Dearsmans. 

My CSA box this week included eggs, potatoes, bell peppers, arugula, greens, mixed lettuce, cauliflower, bok choy, scallions and bitter greens, which I used to make this yummy bitter green salad.  There's nothing like it when eaten with or after a rich meal; I highly recommend it.  This was a mix of radicchio and frisee with the bunch of arugula thrown in for good measure.  Wash in several changes of water, spin dry, and dress liberally with olive oil, sprinkle over some nice sherry vinegar, cracked black pepper and a good shower of sea salt:

CSA & Market Report for October 21st

Radish pods - aren't they fun?  A strange mix of sweet, watery crispness with a hot radishy bite at the end, good raw in salads or stir fried - I'll let you know what I find to do with them (these came from the Wayward Seed farm).
My CSA box this week included eggs, lettuce mix, mixed mustard and other greens, potatoes, cilantro (which I donated to another, cilantro-loving member), radishes, green tomatoes, and this cute dumpling squash:

And now, a photo montage of my other purchases, most of which came from the Wayward Seed Farm (of course, I also purchased the week's shitake mushrooms from Toby Run, and onions, peppers and Brussels sprouts from Dearsman farms, but you've seen those all a million times before).

Small purple kohlrabi:

Purple scallions and undeveloped cippolini onions:

And a nice bunch of garlic from Just This Farm, who has a new website and is currently accepting orders for turkeys, one of whom I met Saturday at the Farmer's Market.  Furthermore, they are selling boxes of many of the ingredients needed for Thanksgiving dinner for $48, so you can have a local Thanksgiving.: