Farmers Market Oct 16th 2010

I had been looking forward to getting to the market this week for days! I had to go to Las Vegas for work the past week and not only missed the Sat market, I was overstimulated with bells, sounds, smoke, air conditioning, lights and drunk people. By the time I got back to Austin, I craved some fresh air and some local food! We had some on reserve in the freezer but SO happy to stock up this morning!

This week we got lots of stuff cause we pretty much had butter left over and that was it! This weeks grocery list include: Eggs, Black Bean Hummus, Indian Summer Casserole, Gingersnaps, Jalapeno Spread, Ground Pork, Shrimp, Scallops, Red Snapper Fillets, Cucumber, Sugar Cookie, Dog Treats, Tomato's, Jalapenos, Sourdough Bread, Bell Peppers, Free Range Chicken, Chips, Cow Milk, Habenero Pasta, Portabella Mushrooms, and some tasty Hill Country Cupcakes!


I was great to stop by the Dog Boutique with it all decked out for Halloween. Once again Sushi made it onto some of the Halloween promo material and that makes up proud parents! We got the girls some pumpkin shaped treats that will last over a few days.

We had little control over ourselves at the Gulf Seafood booth today. After some arm twisting - we ended up with Scallops, Shrimp and Red Snapper fillets. I'm currently obsessed with Scallops and will no doubt make that first. Stocked up at the grocery store on some Old Bay Seasoning and Breadcrumbs so I am ready!!

I'm not sure why it took us 6 months to make our way to the Mushroom booth but we stocked up on Portabellas. They look amazing and cannot wait to see how those will book up with some butter and white wine!

I love the signs of fall all over the market! I couldn't resist getting myself a pumpkin sugar cookie! We saw signs about bringing your dogs in costume on the 30th. Cant wait to show Sushi off as a Banana Split and Saki as a Taco!

Rotisserie Chicken Oh My!

When the Hello Kitty toaster finally gave out - it was decided that an adult toasting machine was in order. With all our tasty chickens from the farmers market - I could not resist something with a rotisserie feature. Seems any chicks under 3 lbs fits great as long as we tie up the legs and arms in. I call this Bondage Chicken. We roast it on 400 degrees and after smothering it with butter - toss with salt and pepper and whatever spices you like. We enjoy Rosemary from the front yard! Another fantastic way to enjoy chicken!

Look - its Mindy!

Ok - Mom, this is for you. As I mentioned my mom always says that Im not in any photos - and not a one of this blog. So here is one of a very fun day when my parents came to Austin for a visit and we spend a great morning at the Farmers Market together. Mind you its very early on a Sat morning so Im not decked out in all my fashion but hey - its me.

Salsa Fiesta!!

With so many great peppers and tomatoes at the Market - I couldn't help myself!
I made 3 kinds of salsa - red jalapeno, green tomatillo, and habanero! I have froze some for a cold day later that needs a little ZIP!!

Kale Chips

We got a large bunch of Kale from Johnson Backyard Farm this week and decided to make kale chips. All the online recipes talk about how great they taste to I was pretty excited to try it out.

Its super easy - just wash your kale, rip of large leaves from stem, toss with olive oil in a bowl. Lay leaves out flat on cookie sheet. Toss salt over kale. Pop in oven for 15 minutes at 350 degrees.

When I first ate them, a had a mixed re-action - kinda like seaweed texture without the fishy taste. The salt was yummy. Then, the next day I was feeling snacky and went right to them and enjoyed the flavor. The best way to review the taste is that regular chips taste better but if you want a salt fix - these may do the job and best of all, is a method to eat kale which is SO very good for you!

If you try this - let me know what you think of the flavor and texture! They are so thin!

Farmers Market October 2, 2010

It was so a nice and cool morning this week at our Farmers Market. We decided to bring the dogs again - eventhough my hubby walked them around the parking lot a few times, they were still a little too wound up. Sushi barked in some lil girls face - sorry green stripey socks adorable girl - and Saki kept jumping up and down in the "pick me up" eye contact manor. Mike and I separated for a lot of the shopping just to keep the pups moving.

The scene at the market is certainly changing - it, just like my garden, is teaching me patients. For example - there are two farmers that I have come to count on each week as the best of the best and for the past two weeks, they haven't been there. Instead of freaking out and being sad, I just need to embrace the new farms that are coming. I need to remind myself that this is not a grocery store and I cant get the same thing week after week like Im used to. The bummer side is things like that amazing cantaloupe cant be found other place and I really want some more! Not to mention I really enjoyed the banter with both farmers - I miss talking to them. I understand that all the apples are sold from Bat Creek - good for them - the more they sell - the more motivated to stay in business - the better off we ALL are. Bad for me as I was planning on making a major batch of homemade applesauce as some gifts. I will be on the lookout for a local orchard if anyone can hook a sister up - lemme know!!

This week we got some real treats - we indulged at Hill Country Cup cake which we haven't gotten in weeks. I think the vanilla vanilla is my favorite. The flavor list is rather intimidating and I would love if they had a sign listed of each product so you didn't have to listen the the workers repeat all the details. They of course are very nice people but it would speed up the process a bit. My two bits. ;)

We purchased Pork Belly for the first time this week - essentially it looks like really thick bacon that has not been flavored or smoked. Ive been online looking at recipes and they are very complicated - some taking up to three days of preparing the meat. I have settled on a 3 hour roasted pork belly from Jamie Oliver - Naked Chef fame. How could I not trust a guy who names his kids - Petal Blossom Rainbow, Buddy Bear, Poppy Honey and Daisy Boo. ( I may steal Daisy Boo - thats a kick ass kid name)

I could not let this post pass without giving some MAJOR props to Aunt Nita and her Pumpkin/Squash Lasagna. Hands down the best lasagna I have ever eaten! And I spent two weeks in Italy, damn it! If you pass her booth and this is an option - buy it - dont think twice. You will be :)

Some other recent highlights have been Scallops from our favorite funny fishbooth. Aren't they a hoot? Some Kale from the Johnson Backyard Farm we turned into Kale chips. Sweet asparagus from McKemie and his very amusing blog/web page. And of course our roasted chickens we cant stop talking about from 6J Ranch.

Next week, the husband will be on his own as I am still in Vegas working that day. I have faith that he will pick up some great things! It should be fun to see what he gets.

Thanks all for your great comments and for saying hi at the Market!
My Mom says there are no photos of me on this blog so will be adding one. Like I have said many times on this blog, Im a photographer first and fall into the stereotype that I really don't like to be the focus of the photo but the artist behind the lens.

Beautiful morning @ the Farmers Market: Peaches, Kale, Habenero Pasta, Bfast Tacos, Red Onions, Lil Tomatoes, Pork Belly, Serrano Salsa, Butter, Ground Pork, Pumpkin Lasagna, Snickerdoodles, Chips, Sunflower Bread, Goats Milk, Hill Country Cupcakes & Green Bean/Blue Cheese/Pecan salad, and La La's Lemonade - consumed before the photo.

Improving your digestive function

This is a great article on 5 things you can do today to improve your digestion.


Poor digestive function can cause nutrient deficiencies and numerous health problems like fatigue, emotional instability, skin disorders and more.


http://www.naturalnews.com/029668_digestion_tips.html

Farmers Market Sept 11 2010

This week we had a solid plan of getting to the market by 9am because I NEEDED onions and have not been able to find any for weeks. We did manage to set the alarm for 8 am but we had played Wii and done shots the night before so - Im just gonna admit it - I was WAY hung over this shopping trip.

We got there by 9:45 at least! We were met by our friends - the Cokal's - Miss B and Erhan and their lil Aydin. It was his first shopping experience at the farmers market and he was a pro with his lil bucket and love for peppers!

This week we stocked up on meat - chicken, pork and tuna steaks! Also - we got pie from Pie Fixes Everything - it was so adorable and so tasty! Im not even a pie person but the cherry was tart and how can I resist the lil cherry's on top of the pie. Hooray for tiny pies!

I stocked up on jalapenos and canned 2 jars today. They are a cheap price and will taste so good once we are out of season. Also made a large amount of salsa today b/c the tomatoes I got this week were much more ripe than I thought. It was enough to enjoy this week and to freeze a small jar too!

This week from the market - we got the elusive white onions, Sun dried tomato pasta, homemade chips, cantaloupe, 2 lbs of ground pork, free range chicken, tuna steaks, zucchini, jalapenos, tomatoes, bell peppers, black bean hummus, peaches, sourdough bread, apples, peach cobbler, mini cherry pie, goats milk, and oatmeal cookies. Today was a good day.

Had such a good time with our friends and so many items were "in stock" by the time we got there. I have read that we should expect asparagus, sweet potatoes, and shallots. Ive very excited to experience fall in a new way!

Thanks for checking into the blog!!

How to Make Your Own Chicken Stock

Since we are addicted to our free range chickens and eat at least one a week - we thought we would try making our own chicken stock. It was very simple. Just toss the fresh chicken carcase in a big stock pot and cover with cold water. Add carrots, celery, garlic bulbs, onions & parsley. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 1 and half hours. Pour through wire colander. Discard all veggies and bones. Pour clear liquid into jars - let cool - and freeze. Easy and making the most of all you got! ** You get a bonus point if you have a compost pile and compost all the items from the stock pot.

Homemade Apple Sauce

There is a really great vendor at our market - Bat Creek Farms that has tons of apples this time of year! Today - I asked if I could have any of the imperfect apples at a discount and he gave me half off - 3 lbs for $3. And the apples looks great - not a brown spot in the bunch!

I used this simple recipe at my first attempt - although I did revise a few things:
#1 - I added 4 stripes of lemon peel - after the boil - before I pureed it - remove the lemon peel and discard.

#2 - I added a splash of nutmeg and a decent amount of Cinnamon, It made for a very tasty and flavorful apple sauce.

#3 - I ran mine through a food processor rather than a masher. It came out great!

Hope you enjoy this simple recipe and make sure to make a double batch since this freezes so well!

HOMEMADE APPLESAUCE
4 med. apples 3/4 c. water 1/4 c. sugar (brown or white) A few shakes of cinnamon Peel, core, and cut the apples into quarters. Put cut-up apples, sugar, cinnamon, and water into a 2-quart saucepan. Cover and cook at medium heat (simmering) for 15-20 minutes. Let apples cool, then mash them with a fork. 4 servings.

Farmers Market Sept 3 2010 - Diggity Dog

We took the pups out to the Farmers Market this week! Its something we have been wanting to do all summer but since it was so busy and hot, we thought it might be a bit much. Saki our chihuahua tends to get overwhelmed with big crowds. Since the market crowds have thinned a bit and it was a cool 85 degrees so it was perfect. They did great! Both pups met many dog friends including a very sweet German Shepard and Sushi our doxie was amazed by the huge Great Dane. They also did good with kids who were all about "petting the doggies". Only once when they had kids surrounding them on all sides did they get nervous. Sushi was also very excited to see that her birthday photo is now on display sign for Poochie Trends - we always told her to get out and get a modeling job and now she has! Cant wait to take them as much as possible in the fall.

I noticed a few new vendors this week including a home baked good - Lil Mama I think? We got cheese bread and a few cookies from them - very nice people! We also spotted the new Gelato vendor but so far they have been sold out within about 45 min. Hoping that they make more or we get there super early. Speaking of - I have noticed that getting there any later than 10 am - there is a much less of variety. Our meat guy was down to 1lb and out of eggs. No onions anywhere. Now that we are in between seasons, we've got to get movin faster in the mornings!

This weeks groceries are: Apples, Eggs, Goats Milk, Bell Peppers, Pasta, Dog Biscotti, Chips, Cheese Bread, Jalpenos, Tomatoes, Sugar Cookies, Cantaloup, Ground Pork, Cilantro Cream Salsa, Mexican Corn Salad, Pralines, Bread Pudding, and Fresh Mozzerella! So good!!

Farmers Market Aug 28th 2010

We had a Great day at the market! I got lots of advise on what is happening in my personal garden - I have been advised to keep my tomato plants growing and they may take off again in October with more fruits. The feeling at the market is calmer, less people and less veggies - it will be interesting to see how the fall goes. Lots of melons, peppers, and eggplants everywhere! Our haul: zucchini for bread, yellow squash, black & white cookies, apple bacon dog treats, lump crab meat, local butter, homemade chips, goats milk, free range chicken, roasted red pepper hummus, McKermies blackberry jelly, mexibell peppers, tomatoes, 2 eggplants, ground pork.

Do the Can Can!

Its been a canning/freezing bonanza round these parts of Texas lately. Our freezer is filling up fast due to freezing cans of veggies that are disappearing fast from our market. With peaches & tomatoes - I blanch them for 3 minutes and then dunk into ice water -the peels come off like a breeze. I fill each can with at least and inch headroom and stick in the freezer.

The green peppers, I blanch in boiling water for 3 minutes but do not peel them. Just cut into a medium dice and fill cans with an inch for head space.

My corn and squash, I didn't blanch - just cut the corn from the cob and just sliced up the yellow squash - canned with 1/2 inch headroom.

Once I have a cool dark space, I will be moving onto a water cannery but for now while my garage is 100 degrees, freezing is the way to go! There are rumors of us even getting a deep freeze cooler too!

Farmers Market Aug 21st 2010

We had the flu bug for over a week and missed going to our market for the 1st time in many months. It was sad but now we are better and slowly but surely got the food for this week to help us heal. We still have tons of meat in the freezer since our stomach bug reduced us to crackers and Sprite the past week. This week we got: tomatoes, peaches, jalepeno's, cucumbers, bell peppers, long beans, cilantro salsa, spinach pasta, ground pork, goats milk, homemade chips..., sunflower bread, oatmeal cookies, Aunt Nita's pesto spinach lasagna, farm fresh eggs and homemade dog treats. I have no idea what to do with a long bean but couldnt resist trying something new!!

Harvard study connecting grocery store pesticides and ADHD

More evidence comes out everyday of how residue on our grocery store produce is effecting our health and those of our children. Please check out this article to see the Harvard School of Public's video that suggests a link between the two. If you have a ADHD kid, or your yourself have tendencies - try to change their diet before you medicate.

http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_21444.cfm