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Weekly Market Notes Library

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Weekly Market Notes for October 18, 2007

Hello Market Friends:

A special surprise for this week: recently, we learned about a project in Tiny Township (up near Penetang). A new enterprise, Seventh Generation, has been working to rehabilitate an orchard of 37 acres (with 3700 apple trees in ten varieties), planted in the 1980s but never maintained. Seventh Generation combines traditional First Nation practices and organic methods. Their first season has been good. This fall they received organic certification, and they're working on plans for the future. They'll be coming in for a visit to the market and bringing some of their final harvest (Spys and Red Delicious). Please join in welcoming Beth Elson and company.

News from the market farms:

From the Sosnickis:

Ben's birthday is Friday, and we usually have had a killing frost by this time, but Mother Nature has decided to be gracious and keep us working! The weather was beautiful for harvest. Ben will be packed with lots of sweet red peppers still, hoping to have an entire bin of sweet corn this time, as we are picking fresh in the morn, green, purple and sweet chocolate bell peppers, red & yellow Spanish onions along with big cooking ones, bunched broccoli, our new patch of sweet carrots (most tops already donated to our horse!), cabbage, chard, parsley, lots of very tasty big leaves of spinach, beets, eggplant & potatoes! Enjoy this wonderful mild weather, and if it does rain, we'll sell out of the back of the truck! Jessie.

From Greenfields:

It's officially Sunchoke season! We have been busy digging up the cute pink little roots and cleaning them up nicely for market. They are a delightful veggie that can be prepared any way that potatoes can, and are excellent for creating creamy soups and mashes. Other root news- the Lutz beets are HUGE and delicious! We had one weigh in at 6lbs! Don't let their size scare you though, since they have a very developed rich, sweet flavour that is brought out well with both roasting and boiling. The Brussel Sprouts are loving the cooler weather, as is the Kale, Arugula, Chard, and Dandelion. Perfect complements to a fall stew are Celeriac, Oyster Root, Parsley Root, and a selection of Red, Yellow, Spanish and Shallot Onions. More of the tasty 'alien' Romanesco and Purple Cauliflower, lots of intense Fennel, Radicchio, a bunch of sweet red and green Peppers as well as plump Eggplants!

If we're as lucky as last week, there's still time to make and freeze pesto (to chase away your blues in February) from Ted Thorpe's delicious basil and Angelos' olive oil. Also, Ted's big Nappa cabbages make wonderful coleslaw. If anyone out there has a favourite dressing recipe, please send it along.

FunGuy Farms will be absent this time.

Beretta specials for this week:
Stewing Beef
Pork Hocks (not smoked)
NY Striploin Steaks
Diced Pork
Serena will have lots of interesting ideas for recipes that include these items, and will also be offering delicious Oktoberfest Sausages again.

If you want to celebrate the rain (and the attentive care of Michael Monastyrskyj, who steps in with the sprinklers whenever needed) take a little tour of our summer market area, and see how beautifully green it is now. It does the eyes good.

See you at the market!

Anne

Dufferin Grove Organic Farmers' Market
Thursdays, 3-7 pm, year-round
www.dufferinpark.ca

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