As you can see in this week’s cover picture The Masons did not let a little bit of Father’s Day rain get in the way of a rocking BFM debut! Nor did it put a damper on the enthusiasm of the Market’s vendors, customers, and volunteers in their pursuit of supporting the local foods scene. But I do think it had poor BFM board member Scott Duarte’s arthritis acting up. That is acupuncturist Gus Saldaña of Healing Minds Clinic giving Scott a check-up during the Clinic’s one year anniversary celebration at last week’s Market.

 

I was informed by the “powers that be” this past week that, so far, Let’s Get Fresh has been treating the Market’s most important product like the proverbial red-haired step-child. I refer, of course, to the magnificent vegetable. Maybe it’s a repressed childhood memory on my part since I wouldn’t have come within ten feet of a vegetable when I was a kid, especially a yucky green one! Yes, I was, as George Carlin put it, a “fussy” eater. I’m happy to report that I have outgrown my aversion.

 

As I have mentioned in previous installments, the Market features locally grown, seasonal produce exclusively. The vegetables you purchase at the Market were grown by the same people that sold them to you. The Market does not allow vendors to resell produce bought from other sources. Hence, you will find no tomatoes from South Carolina. Although we have seen the first WV grown tomatoes of the season it is still a bit early for the truly great ones.

 

What you will find at the Market this week are plenty of fresh greens like kale, Swiss chard, and spinach. Also available this week are sugar snap peas, green tomatoes, cucumbers, broccoli, beets, green onions, carrots, and that green Sputnik looking thing in the above picture. It is called kohlrabi (pronounced Coal Robbie) which comes from a German word meaning “cabbage turnip”. Kohlrabi is actually part of the cabbage family and can be eaten raw or cooked. It tastes like a cross between a broccoli spear and a radish. Even us old fussy eaters like it! You can find recipes for kohlrabi here: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/kohlrabi/

 

The Market is happy to welcome Kaycee Lamb of Sunny Patch Farms in Alum Bridge, WV, back to the fold this week. Visit Kaycee’s tent and check out the Sunny Patch line of all natural and organic bath and body products. Later in the season Kaycee will also be offering fresh produce from her farm.

In other news, the Market is now a certified Tobacco Free Zone. The BFM Board was inspired by the recent City Council decision to make all City Parks tobacco free.

 

This coming Tuesday evening we encourage you to attend the Bridgeport Public Library’s ongoing Adult Education series. This week BFM vendor Frank Abbruzzino of Hawthorne Valley Farm will be the featured speaker. Frank will be talking about the benefits of eating grass-fed beef. His presentation starts at 6:30pm. And not only is it free of charge, but Frank will also be giving out $5 Market coupons that can be used at any BFM vendor. It’s like getting paid to be educated! Now there’s an idea that would bring Bridgeport’s already low dropout rate even lower!

 

This blogger will be on a long anticipated vacation next week so until the week after next, Stay Fresh!

 

The Bridgeport Farmers Market Association is the five member all volunteer board of directors that governs the Bridgeport Farmers Market. It is supported by a wonderful group of community volunteers who help in the setup and maintenance of the market. For more information on the Farmers Market or to see how you can help please e-mail us at bridgeportfarmersmarket@yahoo.com or, better yet, LIKE us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

Thursday Notebook

by John Antonik