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FRESH

Market news from the farm gate and beyond...

     Feb/Mar 2010

Welcome to Fresh 2010. New to Fresh is our very own comic strip (below) penned by one of our market gardeners to give a new perspective on the market through younger eyes.

Top picks and growing news
In season right now we have tomatoes, watermelon , sweet corn (and we mean sweet), strawberries, peru peru , blueberries, figs, peaches, plums, avocados, beans, fennel, new potatoes, rocket, basil, peppers, eggplant, cucumbers and salad greens.

A warm welcome to Juan Pablo from Pasta Nostra who brings to market fresh handmade gnocchi, and pasta. Try his wonderful lemon infused linguine– it’s glorious. Doug the peru peru man is back for the season with his easy to cook delicious nutty Maori potatoes, kumara, kumi kumi and squash.

Nuts
Ever wondered why some food labels have warnings about traces of nuts, particularly peanuts, when the product and process seem so unrelated to peanuts it was like saying you had moon dust on your sneakers. The answer is the genetic engineering – a seemingly unrelated food product may contain genetic material from a known allergen or the factory may process a product that contains genetically altered ingredients that contain genetic material from the allergen. Incidentally if GE ingredients in a product make up less than 1% GE labelling is not required in New Zealand.

The thing that really makes us nuts though is that 30 years ago we could buy large bags of beautiful fresh locally grown peanuts in the shell – and they weren’t fattening because the effort it took to peel them out of the shell (given that you dropped one in five) negated the eating. If someone starts growing peanuts locally again please give us a call.

Pumped up
Competition is growing for contestants in this year’s Clevedon Village Farmers Market Pumpkin Growing Competition. 1st prize for the heaviest pumpkin in the adult category is a delicious market hamper stuffed with market goodies and valued at many hundreds of dollars. The winner of the younger grower’s category will receive the latest iPod nano 8 gig. We also have prizes for the smallest, tallest, strangest, ugliest and prettiest pumpkins on the day. Weigh in is on March 28 from 9.30am, winners will be announced at 11.00am.

MARKET PROFILE
Curious Croppers


Anthony and Angela

Curious Croppers, Anthony and Angela, have been growing tomatoes in their McNicol road hot houses for 20 years. Since joining the market in November 2008 the couple have been supplying market shoppers with big hearty heritage and small sweet cherry tomatoes, tomato berries, mushrooms and gourmet vegetables through the seasons. Being dedicated to enjoying life they have plenty of great recipes for their produce to share with you.

Summer preservation
If you still have them now is the time to start dusting off those preserving jars. Nothing gets as close to the taste of summer as home preserves. Line up the jars of preserves in your pantry and they glint like medieval stained glass giving you endless satisfaction.

One of the easiest ways to preserve summer flavour is to freeze fresh basil from the garden. Harvest in the morning when the concentration of oils is at its greatest. Wash your basil and allow to dry, separate the leaves and place in a lidded plastic container and freeze. Frozen basil is only suitable for cooking , but it imparts the delicious flavour of fresh basil to sauces and stews

Another idea is to make herbed salt by combining sea salt and fresh torn herbs (use a single herb or a combination to suit) in a ratio of 2 salt to 1 herbs. Store in a resealable bag until the mixture is dry then transfer to jars for use.

The winner of our ‘09 Christmas Raffle, Michelle Blom of Papakura (pictured), took home $690 worth of market produce to share with friends over the holidays.
"Love and eggs are better when they are fresh" - Russian Proverb

RECIPE OF THE SEASON
Beer Can Chicken

Beer can chicken

This is a great way to avoid cleaning roasting pans this summer and the bird is deliciously moist and flavoursome. You will need a BBQ with a lid and your heat source must be indirect.

We used a charcoal drum BBQ, allowed the charcoal to burn down till glowing, and put a large rock it the centre of the coals to keep direct heat away from the chicken. If using a 3 burner gas BBQ place the chicken in the centre and only use the burners either side.

Ingredients

  • 1 free range chicken size 16
  • 1 can of beer
  • Olive oil

Seasoning

  • 11/2 tsp rock salt
  • 1 tsp grated lemon rind
  • 3 tsp finely chopped thyme and sage
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 2 tsp paprika
  • 3/4 tsp cumin
  • 2 cloves of garlic minced


Method

Brush your chicken with olive oil, combine seasoning ingredients and then rub onto the chicken.

Drink half your can of beer and then put the remaining seasoning into the beer can. To cook the chicken place the beer can in the chicken cavity and using the chickens legs and can as support place the chicken upright onto your grill – cover and roast for about 1 hour until the juices run clear. Stand your chicken for a few minutes before removing the can with tongs and carving.

Cook’s note
Beer can chicken frames that make standing your chicken up a cinch are available on trade me and in some retail stores.

CLEVEDON VILLAGE FARMERS' MARKET VENDORS & PRODUCE

  • The Curious Croppers - top tomatoes
  • Holmbrook Produce – preserves
  • Clevedon Animal Farm - pony rides
  • Oh Fudge - superb handmade fudge
  • Ardmore Valley Blueberries - blueberries
  • Bentru - smoked specialty meats and sausages; traditional prosciutto
  • Piako Pete - wet fish; smoked fish and eel
  • Pacific Skye - seasonal fruit; fruit juice
  • Wild Bee - fresh local bush and field honey
  • Cuconics - telegraph cucumbers
  • Salmonman - hot smoked salmon cured in a variety of ways
  • 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 and lemons
  • Hungarian Twisters - traditional Hungarian pastries
  • Alison's Pony & Trap Rides - pony and trap rides
  • Willow Brook - lavender products; Iris plants and lavender
  • Zakar - Biogro beef cuts; mince and sausages
  • Eureka Nurseries - flowers and produce
  • Sweet Expectations- cakes muffins and slices
  • Nature's Corner - free-range eggs
  • Clevedon Catering - Cornish pasties
  • Alvita - fresh and roasted nuts
  • Clevedon Proteas - Proteas and Waratahs
  • Wofem Bagels - traditional bagels
  • Waiuku River Wines - red and white wines, verjuice
  • Fancy Lettuce - lettuce; spinach; living herbs
  • 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 Cuisine - gourmet provisions
  • Clevedon Juice & Icecream - juice and icecream
  • Roses Galore - fresh cut roses
  • Ness Valley Nuts - fresh roasted and chocolate macadamia nuts
  • Kipdale Farm - free range chicken
  • Maxwell's - quality garden plants
  • Miss Figgy - export figs and preserves
  • Earth Energies - Kawakawa remedies
  • Suncakes Fruit & Veges - fruit and veggies, Asian vegetables a specialty
  • Strawberry Corner - strawberries
  • Mandeville Gardens - native plants
  • Peach Tree Farm - free range pork
  • Clevedon Valley Buffalo Company - buffalo mozzarella, ricotta, blue cheese, yoghurt
  • Avoculture - avocados
  • Base Camp - venison salami
  • Zip - organic freshly roasted coffee
  • Bruntwood Gardens - berries
  • Peru Peru Man - Maori potatoes
  • Pasta Nostra - fresh pasta and gnocchi


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

Visit our website at www.clevedonfarmersmarket.co.nz
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