Our first-ever WINTER MARKET was great! Thanks to all our customers for coming down, and to Jesse at KDLT for putting us on the air. Hope we'll see you again in the weeks to come!

Ruth Hammer's Irises

I will be back again this year in August selling many color varieties of tall bearded irises. They will be sold for $2.00 each with the tax included. Look forward to seeing you all there!

Tomatoes, tomatoes, tomatoes...

ROASTED TOMATOES
Serve as a side dish, add to omelettes or hot or cold pasta dishes. Keeps for several days in refrigerator, with a bit of olive oil.

about 2 lbs. fresh plum tomatoes, cored and halved or quartered, depending on size
1 red onion, thinly sliced
4 cloves peeled garlic, minced
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1-3 T. olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss all ingredients together with just enough olive oil to coat lightly. Bake on a heavy, foil or parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet for 30-45 min., turning or stirring occasinally, until the tomatoes are very soft, slightly caramelized and beginning to shrivel.

Recipe is easily doubled or tripled

Variation: Use baby plum (romanita), cherry or grape tomatoes, or heirlooms

HERBED OLIVE OIL
Looking for ways to use those big bunches of green onions and herbs you want to buy at the market? Keep this in the fridge all summer. You'll find endless ways to use it. Saute vegetables, mushrooms, meat, shrimp, scrambled eggs. It's also a good start for anything done on the grill. Additional herbs may be added at any time -- try rosemary for lamb, sage for chicken, thyme for beef or pork, oregano and/or basil for Italian dishes.

Combine finely chopped garlic, Italian parsley and either green onions or chives, in whatever proportions you like, with olive oil to make a thick paste (a food processor or hand blender makes this easy). It keeps for weeks in the refrigerator.

Recipe from Linda O'Connell


ROASTED GARLIC OIL
This also keeps in the refrigerator for weeks. We use it as a dressing for cherry tomatoes with sliced sweet onions, any kind of homemade salad dressing, pasta salad, sauteed with vegetables, spread on baguette slices and topped with cheese -- you'll think of many ways to use it.

4-6 whole heads of garlic
olive oil
freshly ground black pepper
basil
red pepper flakes

Cut the tops off the garlic (leave heads intact). Arrange in a heavy oven-proof skillet or pan. Drizzle with olive oil. Cover the pan (foil works fine) and bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 min. Cool completely, then squeeze the garlic out of their husks into a glass container. Cover with more olive oil (be sure to add the oil from the pan), add basil, pepper and red pepper flakes to taste. Garlic cloves may be left whole, but I prefer to mash them coarsely with a fork or process with a hand blender. Cover tightly and store in refrigerator.

Recipe from Cider Hill Farm

Jared Hanisch is back at the market. Stop by and pick up a chicken from him to try this dish.

CHICKEN CAESAR WRAP

3 strips bacon
8 oz. cooked chicken breast
6 small flour tortillas or wraps
shredded romaine or other lettuce
optional - 12 anchovy fillets, drained and finely chopped

Dressing (or use bottled):
1 egg yolk (can substitute 1 T. mayonnaise)
1 T. lemon juice
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 c. olive oil
1/4 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Broil or saute bacon until crisp. Cool and cut into thin strips. Shred chicken into large strips.

To make dressing: Combine egg yolk (or mayo) and lemon juice, Worcestershire, salt and pepper. Beat until frothy. Gradually beat in olive oil a little at a time until thickened and glossy. Add 2 T. water to thin sauce, then stir in the cheese.

On each tortilla lay down romaine (or lettuce) in a strip down the middle. Top with chicken, bacon, anchovies, spoonful of dressing, then more lettuce. Wrap into a roll, then wrap the roll into a napkin. Chill.

One of our loyal customers has graciously agreed to be our recipe guru. So thanks to Linda O'Connell for the following (and more to come).

Think green! Spread this pesto on grilled meats, with cream cheese on baguettes, even a dollop on top of your soup.

1/2 c. packed fresh garlic chives
1 c. packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/2 c. packed fresh spinach leaves
2 T. walnuts or pistachios
1 large garlic cloves, smashed
3 T. good extra-virgin olive oil
2 T. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Blend chives, parsley, spinach, nuts and garlic until finely minced. Add oil and cheese, process until blended. Store in a covered glass container in refrigerator, or freeze. Makes about 3/4 cup.

Linda's Gardens - 6 May 2010

I'll be bringing swiss chard along with lettuces, spinach, arugula, chinese cabbage, rhubarb, winter onions (like green onions) and turnip & beet greens.

You have to get some of this romaine from Linda's Gardens. And some of the lettuces, too. Come on down to 8th & Railroad on Saturday, May 1 for our first market! We'll be there from 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

NEW MARKET DAY

GOOD NEWS! Sioux Empire Farmers Market is adding a 3rd day this year. Beginning the first Thursday in May we'll be selling in the Shopko parking lot at the corner of East 10th St. and Sycamore Ave. Now you'll have 3 opportunities EVERY WEEK to shop for the freshest products:

TUESDAYS 3-6 at Kohl's on S. Louise
THURSDAYS 3-6 at Shopko, E. 10th & Sycamore
SATURDAY 9-1 at 8th & Railroad downtown

See you soon!

Linda's Gardens - April 11th

My first planting of green beans in the warm season high tunnel are germinating, some area about 3" tall already. The cucumbers are starting to shoot their "true" cucumber leaves and the tomatoes are really growing. I've transplanted lots of little plants into peat pots, some of which I will sell at the market, but most are for transplant into the fields once the weather and field conditions are right. Last night (10th) we had our first fresh lettuce salad of the year from the cool season high tunnel.

Linda's Gardens - April 7th

We've been very busy at Linda's Gardens; getting the high tunnels ready for planting, starting seeds in our little germination greenhouse, transplanting plant plugs (small transplants) into the high tunnels, and many other tasks too numerous to mention. In our cool season high tunnel I've planted lettuces, onions, peas, carrots, kohlrabi, beets, turnips, spinach, arugula, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, and swiss chard. The first lettuce I planted was loose leaf head lettuces varieties like romaines and buttercrunch. Those are big enough to be cutting right now, and should have fully formed heads by the time the market opens May 1st. I've been starting plants that will be planted outside as soon as we're able to get the ground ready, and I feel comfortable with the weather. I've also been starting plants that I will be offering for sale at the market and in our yard at Linda's Gardens as well. My husband intends to plant his first planting of potatoes April 10th and hopefully will be able to start planting onions next week. Once we get started planting outside, we're pretty much in the full swing of things and will be alternately planting, seeding, getting seed beds prep'd, harvesting, pruning, putting up trellis's for peas, cucumbers, and tomatoes, and about a hundred other chores.

Herban Gardens

It's SPRING!! The weather has turned warm and toasty...for now that is. My herbs are ready to be infused in one concoction or another! Most of all they can't wait until it is warm enough to be planted outside to soak up some sun.

Sioux Empire Farmers Market has joined the South Dakota chapter of Buy Fresh, Buy Local

Sticky, gooey, yummy...be on the lookout for caramel rolls from Cider Hill Farm Bakery at the market this summer. We use honey, not corn syrup, for the caramel, and even throw a little wheat into the dough. Come hungry!

This promises to be an exciting year for our market. We're exploring the possibility of a third market day in another location and maybe even a couple of Sunday markets. It's a big world out there!

Linda's Gardens - 11 Feb 2010

I noticed today while watering my seed trays that some of the lettuce has already germinated!!

Linda's Gardens - Feb 9th, 2010

This afternoon I seeded lettuce, onions, and cauliflower in our little germination greenhouse (which we keep in our barn). I then went down to the south high tunnel where Jim was working on installing new ceiling fans. While taking a short break with him, I remembered I hadn't yet dug the gladiola' that were planted ...in there last summer.
So, I got the fork and dug them up and brought them up to the house to dry out.

While out in the high tunnel, we noticed a number of dandelions growing with a number of them getting ready to bloom.

The south side of the high tunnel (inside) was wet about 3' in from the snow melting and soaking into the soil.

No cheese again today. Forecast bad weather has scared off my assistant, who was bringing the milk.

It may not look much like market weather, but the ball is rolling. Our "growing" vendors are starting seeds and soaking up what sun there is in their greenhouses. Crafts vendors are sitting by the fire (well, at least I am) painting, drawing, knitting, finding new recipes. And those hard-working farmers with animals are tunneling through the snow to feed.

Our vendor meeting is coming up next week. We have lots of ideas to explore to expand, promote and improve our market.

Joan