Welcome to the October edition of Fresh. It's growing time again, which means we're warming into our famous annual pumpkin growing competition.

Once again, there's plenty at stake - not just the honour of claiming one of our gorgeous hand-made rosettes, but also generous prizes for our top young and adult growers.
Get the kids motivated by mentioning that there's a super-cool iPod up for grabs. Adults compete for their own harvest treat - a mouth-watering Clevedon Village Farmers' Market hamper (valued at over $300). There'll also be spot prizes for our less conventional categories (ugliest pumpkin; tallest pumpkin etc) on the day. Pumpkin weigh in will be held on March 29, 2009.

Seed is available now from the espresso stall for $2 (three seeds per pack). You must register at the espresso stall to enter the competition when you purchase your seed. We have assembled the following tips to make sure the family pumpkin makes it through those crucial early stages:

Pumpkin seeds won't germinate if the soil temperature is under 20C, which means it's best to plant seed in a large pot and keep it in a sheltered spot or inside until those last-gasp cold snaps pass. Plant the seed with the rounded end pointing upwards. It's a good idea to ask for a shallow white polystyrene bin from a supermarket (these non-recyclable bins are used to store fruit and then thrown out in their thousands) and store your plant(s) inside it - the polystyrene retains heat for optimal growing conditions and can be used for planting again and again (just poke some drainage holes in the bottom).
When your young plant is hardy enough for the garden, dig a 90cm wide x 60cm deep hole and add compost and well-rotted manure. Place your plant in the hole - taking care to disturb its roots as little as possible - and fill with loose, humus-rich soil. Don't walk on this soil as it will compact, which may stunt the roots and prevent water from getting to the plant.
Consider your pumpkin's placement carefully - it will need around 5m x 2.5m when it is fully grown. Some of our biggest examples have been grown atop piles of soil mixed with compost and / or well-rotted horse poo (and there's plenty of that around Clevedon).
As your pumpkin grows, cover its stem in places with soil to encourage it to root beneath the leaf joints. This allows it to take up more nutrients and increases its stability. Feed and water your pumpkin little and often right up until it is picked - too much feeding may make it split or become tender.
You want your plant to put all its energy into growing just one mighty pumpkin. To encourage this, pick off the male flowers that have no fruit behind their petals and pick off all developing fruit except the one you intend to win with!

Lewes unit
Discovering that 80% of its supermarket takings left the local economy within minutes, the enterprising UK town of Lewes decided to introduce its very own currency. Naturally, Lewes money can only be spent in Lewes, thus encouraging residents to support local products and services. Clevedon Cash, anyone?

Show time
Please note that the market will be closed for Clevedon's annual A&P Show on September 9 (the show runs from September 8 - 9). Some of our stallholders will be at the show this year for what is a wonderful, festive weekend that celebrates our unique rural lifestyle on the edge of Auckland. See you there.

RECIPE OF THE MONTH

Clevedon Farmer’s Breakfast

A big breakfast with a tiny carbon foot print , sourced from the farmers market, the ingredients have minimal food miles. Free range or organic eggs, bacon with no preservatives or additives, spray free spinach, tomatoes, organic apple juice, fresh sourdough and because its delicious, a scattering of fresh torn Clevedon buffalo mozzarella on the eggs.

Method
1. Break eggs into a bowl, add cream and beat lightly .
Season with salt and pepper.
2. Heat a nonstick pan, melt butter, then pour in the egg
mixture and cook over a medium heat.
3. As the egg sets around the edges, draw the set mixture
into the centre of the pan with a wooden spoon.
Repeat until all the egg mixture is just beginning to set but is still moist.
Place a small handful of torn mozzarella on the eggs while hot so it can melt into them.

Cook’s notes: Cream makes delicious scrambled eggs, but you can substitute milk if preferred. The trick with scrambled eggs is to use fresh quality eggs and not to overcook mixture . Remove mixture from your pan while it is still a little runny, the eggs will continue to cook and set once taken off the heat.

CLEVEDON VILLAGE FARMERS' MARKET VENDORS & PRODUCE

• Farmhouse Treats & Produce - fruit; vegetables and provisions
• Soggy Bottom Holdings - purveyors of rare breed free-range meats
• Sunset Coast Organics - organic fruit, vegetables and herbs
• Holmbrook Produce – chutney jams, mustards, pickles
• Clevedon Animal Farm - pony rides for the kids
• Bentru - smoked specialty meats and sausages; traditional prosciutto
• Hamlin Nursery - garden plants
• Blueberry Deli - blueberries
• Clevedon Valley Cheese - hand-made cheese
• Piako Pete - wet fish; smoked fish & eel
• Pasta La Vista – Fresh Artisan Pasta
• Pacific Skye - seasonal fruit; fruit juice
• Wild Bee - fresh local bush & field honey
• Cuconics - telegraph cucumbers
• Salmonman - hot smoked salmon cured in a variety of ways
• Heart of the Globe - Highland beef products; artichokes
• Running Brook Seeds - quality heritage flower and vegetable seeds
• Wild Wheat - artisan bakers of traditional and sourdough breads
• Paella Pan - traditional paella cooked on-site; fresh crepes
• I Love Pies – handmade pies with an NZ flavour
• Limes on the Firth - fresh limes; cooking demonstrations 10-11am
• Hungarian Twisters - ‘Kurtos Kalacs’ traditional Hungarian pastries
• Alison’s Pony & Trap Rides - pony & trap rides for kids and adults
• Willow Brook - lavender products; Iris plants and lavender
• Tulip Pastries - Dutch handmade cookies and dough logs
• Clevedon Village Caterers - Cornish pasties & quality baking
• Zakar - BioGro beef cuts; premium beef mince and sausages
• Broccolini - broccolini8
• Strawberry Corner- fresh strawberries
• Mandeville Gardens - native plants
• Sweet Art - cakes and chocolates
• Nature’s Corner - free-range eggs
• Estuary Orchards – Citrus
• Alvita- fresh & roasted nuts
• Pilgrim’s - organic lamb
• Clevedon Proteas - Proteas and Waratahs
• Blackwood’s Gourmet Breads - freshly-made bagels and flatbreads
• Waiuku River Wines - red & white wines, verjuice
• Fancy Lettuce - lettuce; spinach; living herbs
• Dig This - Eion & Ann Scarrow’s garden plants
• Market Espresso - great coffee and refreshments
• River Estate - premium olive oils and table olives
• Dullumbunda Farm - fruit; vegetables and herbs
• Hungarian Deli - traditional air-dried meats and sausages
  

Clevedon Village Farmers Market
Every Sunday 8:30am-12 noon, Clevedon Showgrounds, Monument Rd, Clevedon.

Visit our website at www.clevedonfarmersmarket.co.nz
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