Ah, November. What a grand month. Berries and asparagus. Mild days and frothy green leaves. Reborn gardens and the happy promise of holidays to come.
True, Christmas can be a bit of a fly in the ointment - but it needn't be. This year, make a pledge to enjoy the festive atmosphere without getting sucked into the madness. Buy gifts if you want to - not because you feel you have to (a hand-picked bunch of flowers and bottle of wine is the kind of pressie everyone likes).
If you want to shop, shop with the Clevedon Village Farmers' Market (we're allowed to be commercial - we've got a conscience, too). Consider giving loved ones a big basket of market goodies - choose from fresh fruit and veggies to wine, gourmet meats, cheese, preserves, nuts and sweet treats. Heritage seeds or plants make a wonderful gift for gardeners, and you can't go wrong with handmade lavender beauty products for the girls. Best of all, you can bask in the knowledge that you're supporting local business and buying Kiwi-made. Hurrah!

Festive hours
In the interests of making your lives easier (and your feasts yummier), we'll be holding our first-ever Christmas Eve market this year. 8:30am to 12:00pm, Wednesday 24th December.
Please also note that we're closed for the Clevedon A&P Show on Sunday November 9, and we're also taking a well-earned break on Sunday, December 28. Cheers.

Meals with wheels
Got a thing about classic cars and good food? November 16th at the Clevedon Village Farmers' Market is just for you. That's because the good folk of the Auckland Mustang Car Club are paying us a visit - and leaving their gleaming machines on display. Argh argh argh, as Tim the Tool Man would say.

Blind drunk
As the silly season approaches, here's an amusing fact to ponder… the phenomenon commonly referred to as "beer goggles" (suddenly finding gorgeousness in every member of the opposite sex after a few drinks) isn't a figment of your imagination. Alcohol is believed to activate the striatum - the part of the human brain associated with feelings of attraction. Bloody striatum.

Market Mercy
We all know it's not wise to over-imbibe. Swollen liver, foul mood, banging head, blah de blah. Still, sometimes one forgets that one has already consumed one's limit and consumes a bit more. Lucky we've got a couple of fail-safe hangover cures to offer:
Get ye down to the market for fresh juice, fruit, coffee and pastries. That alcohol in your system won't stand a chance.
So it's the middle of the week and you're really hurting. Reclaim your mojo by mixing up a Prairie Oyster:

Why would you? Because the olive oil acts as a liver and gall bladder flush. The raw egg contains an amino acid called N-acetyl-cysteine that clears out nasty toxins. The tomato sauce provides bioflavonoids or vitamin P which boosts the immune system and flushes toxins. Vodka's the best optional tipple to add, because it contains less additives than any other alcoholic drink - which explains why you get less of a hangover when you stick to it.

RECIPE OF THE MONTH
Lemon blini with buffalo ricotta & strawberries

Buffalo ricotta is a delicious low fat alternative to cream , its subtle flavour is complemented by the sweetness of the berries and the sharp clean hint of lemon. Raspberries would be wonderful as well in this dish, they are in season and at the market this month.

• 20g castor sugar
• 2 eggs separated
  
• Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
• A pinch each of salt and sugar
  
• 100g self-raising flour
• 1 Tbsp of olive oil
  
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 pot of buffalo ricotta – approx 250gm
  
• 2 tsp of melted butter
• Fresh strawberries – 200gm
  
• 150ml milk
• Icing sugar, for dusting
  Sauce
  
• 250g strawberries
  
• Juice of 1/2 a lemon or more to taste
  
• 75g icing sugar

To make the blini mix together sugar and lemon zest. Sift in the flour and baking powder, mix to combine. In a separate bowl whisk the egg yolks milk and melted butter to make the batter. In another bowl whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt and sugar until they form stiff peaks then fold them into the batter. Leave to stand for 10 minutes.

To make the sauce puree the strawberries and pass through a sieve. Stir in lemon and icing sugar – adjust the quantities to taste.

Heat the olive oil in a heavy pan on a gentle heat. Drop in 2 tablespoons of batter at a time to form blini that are roughly 10cm across. Cook till bubbles appear and then flip to cook other side. Keep warm as you cook the rest, you will need 8. Serves 4.

Place a blini on each plate. Carefully slice across the ricotta with a sharp knife and use a thin fish slice to lift and place each portion onto a blini. Layer with cut strawberries. Put ½ a teaspoon of the sauce in the centre of the berries to secure and place a second blini on top. Dust with icing sugar and then swirl sauce around the desert onto the plate.

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

• "I love pies" at the market

  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
• Bruntwood Farm - asparagus and berry fruit
• 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
• Zakar - BioGro beef cuts; premium beef mince and sausages
• Broccolini - broccolini
• 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 Cafe - gourmet provisions
  

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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