Friday, May 20, 2011

Market Season has started. Hope to see you soon!

We are in Exira, Iowa every Friday from 4 to 7 PM.     The produce, jams, breads, pies, herbs, trees, vines and shrubs you want are at this great market.     Live plant sales of Sugar (Hard Rock) Maple, Red Osier Dogwood, raspberry cane, and Silver Maple (rapid growing shade tree) will be augmented by Jack in the Pulpit later in the season.    Come see us, get your gardening tools out and grow your own Eden, then relax to a meal of the freshest greens and produce.

Exira is between Atlantic and Audubon.     Little town, with community spirit and a desire to have a market as big as the larger towns around.      Come see us, make it a Friday date night or bring along the kids.     We are on the East side of the park downtown.

Here's what is in now:
Asparagus-winding down the season, but wet weather should give us several more weeks.
Spinach-Top green for the early season.    Nutritious, whether fixed as a salad or cooked like  Spanacopita.    Ask for the recipe if you have not tried the mediterranean dish.
Radishes-Sweet, now at their prime.   We have French Breakfast, Scarlet Globe and Giant Crimson Globe.
Rhubarb-Now at its peak flavor.    Pies, jams, jellies, sauces, crisps;  the list of possibilities is endless.
Baby Mustard-We have curly green, Osaka Purple, green slick.     The leaves have that great mustard taste, but are so young and tender, there is no bitterness at all.    Add these to your sinach salad, topped with radishes.
Green Oakleaf Lettuce-There is an exotic taste; tawny, hint of oak.    This goes well as a salad base for that special dinner with a good Shiraz, Bardolino or Pinot Noir.    Definitely do the candlelight romantic meal with green oakleaf as your base.
Tongue Tickler Salad Mix-A combination of spinach, green oakleaf, baby mustards and all the reds like Rouge d' Hiver, Roasatto and Flame.    Limited quantities available until June 1.    

Doris has been busy.    She's baking apple, apricot and strawberry-rhubarb pies, apricot bars, banana bread, white and whole wheat loaves.     We will feature a different jam each week, to go with your choice of bread.     The list is endless, each small batch hand crafted by the lady who really knows jam, syrups and ice cream toppings.

Beginning Saturday, June 4, we will be opening the Harlan Farmer's Market at the Pamida store parking lot.    The other vendors will join us later.   We will be in Atlantic on Tuesdays and Harlan Wdnesdays when the markets officially open.     Our produce is featured at Tomato-Tomato in west Omaha, both in their produce case and for their CSA. 

We will host a Garden Walk at the farm Saturday, July 9, as a benefit for the Grist Mill Fine Arts Alliance, whose newly renovated McCready Theater in Maceonia, Iowa now features the chairs you used to sit on at the Omaha Community Playhouse.    Tickets are available by mail order, by pick-up at Hummell Insurance or at the farm.    Several other gardens, mostly floral, are also featured.     We will not be at the Harlan Farmer's Market that week.

Good eating to you all!