Classic Summer Caprese Salad:
Tomatoes (chose several colors where available)*
Fresh Mozzerella
Fresh Basil*
Balsamic Vinegar & Olive Oil, plus salt and pepper to taste*
This sure to impress dish, could not be more simple and delicious! Thick-slice tomatoes and mozzarella, arrange on platter. Julienne basil or tear apart, sprinkle on tomatoes and cheese. Drizzle with vinegar & oil, finish with a seasoning of salt and pepper.
*Items that can be found at CCCFM markets. For a special twist, try one of our favorite vendors “Bistro Blends”, found rotationally at all three of our markets, their specialty vinegars are the perfect way to spice up this classic summer favorite!
Walnut Creek Shopper and friend of Il Pastaio Fresh Pasta, Suzanne’s Sensational “Single” Lasagna.
Il Pastaio fresh spinach lasagna noodle (aprox. 9” x 4”)*
¼ cup tomato sauce (can)
1 link of Sweet Italian cooked chicken sausage sliced into ½” rounds
3oz Sliced Mushrooms (white or cremini)*
3 cups Fresh Spinach*
¼ cup Vegetable Broth (can use chicken or beef)
¼ cup shredded Mozzarella – finely shredded or diced
Seasoning to taste – salt, pepper, dried or fresh oregano, basil, rosemary, etc.
Sauté mushrooms in ½ tsp of olive oil util soft, then add sausage and ½ of the mozzarella until warm. Add fresh spinach and broth and cook down briefly. Meanwhile, boil water in a saucepan, add salt, add lasagna noodle, bring back to a boil, and boil for 2 minutes. Remove noodle from pan and run cold water on it to cool enough to handle. Put ½ of the tomato sauce in the bottom of a round ramekin or small square baking dish to keep pasta from sticking. Place noodle on bottom of dish in sauce. Top with sautéed sausage mixture. Fold lasagna noodle over the filling. Pour remaining sauce over the top and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese. Cover and bake in preheated 375 degree oven for 30 minutes. Remove cover and bake an additional 15 minutes. Allow to cool 10 minutes. Serve with a s ide salad and bread – a healthy, wonderful meal you can enjoy over and over again!
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We agree, thanks Suzanne!
If you have a recipe you would like to submit for our Lettuce Leaf or website, please paste the text in the body of an email to: assisted@cccfm.org
Great for Summer Birthdays! Give a gift that encourages fresh, healthy habits by purchasing Contra Costa Certified Farmers' Market Gift Certificates. Certificates are available for cash purchase at all Market Information booths.
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In this Issue: |
Tomatoes, tomatoes, tomatoes, late but worth the wait!
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| A Lafayette family enjoying a nice early evening ride to the market!
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Parking woes got you down? Biking to the market is your perfect solution! Get a big basket to mount to your handle bars, suit up with safety gear and enjoy the ride.
Double benefit, you can enjoy that tamale or crepe guilt-free on your ride home!
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LAFAYETTE:
Thursdays 3:30 - 7pm
Hurry in, closes Sept 29th!
For more information: Lafayette
ORINDA:
Saturdays 9am-1pm
Now extended through November!
For more information: Orinda
WALNUT CREEK:
Sundays 8 - 1pm
Open Rain or Shine, year-round!
For more information:
Walnut Creek
EBT is available.
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 It’s been a long wait but the vine-ripened tomatoes are finally at their peak. Cool spring weather delayed harvest by up to a month for several of the local farmers, but if all goes well the season will be extended into the later months of the year.
Aficionados of this member of the night shade family appreciate the ever-expanding varieties of heirloom tomatoes. Heirloom tomatoes are fragile and need some respect when it comes to handling, but these old fashioned varieties are grown more for outstanding flavor than shipping long distances!
An intriguing list of names comes with the heirloom tomato family. During the next few weeks Smith Farms will be featuring the Ananas Noire (Black Pineapple). The skin comes in shades of green, purple, orange and yellow and the flesh boasts a bright green flesh with bursts of red streaks. I particularly like this one for its aesthetic appeal and its subtle flavors. You’ll also want to check out some of the other choices at the Smith Farm stand including Brandywine, Flame, Green Zebra, Cherokee Purple and even some green tomatoes for our pickling and relish making fans.
Rose Lane Farm sets out boxes of carefully picked tomatoes now filled with several different heirloom tomatoes. The Zapotec Pleated is a New Mexico Indian variety tomato and shows off a deeply pleated, pinkish red exterior – definitely an eye catcher when sliced thick and served with slices of fresh mozzarella, slivered basil and a splash of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. A generous portion of cracked black pepper makes this dish a winner.
 J & M Ibarra features yellow and red cherry tomatoes and are a favorite to roast and serve with pasta. Cut tomatoes in half, place on a baking sheet, sprinkle with olive oil and coarse salt and roast in a 325 degree oven for 30 to 40 minutes. Add to hot, cooked pasta, along with slivered basil and top with a generous portion of Asiago or Parmesan cheese.
Sauce or paste tomatoes are available at the Ledesma stand. Red or yellow plum tomatoes or pear shaped Roma tomatoes are grown for their sturdy, meaty texture necessary for making delicious, rich sauces.
A few notes about tomatoes:
Never refrigerate tomatoes - the cold temperatures affect the flavor and texture.
Freeze extra tomatoes for winter time soups and sauces. Wash and pop them whole into a freezer bag. When thawed the skins slip off easily.
Store tomatoes in a single layer.
Tomatoes are an excellent source of Vitamin C and 1 medium sized tomato contains around 35 calories.
Enjoy and see you at the market!
Health and Wellness Business Sponsorship |
Please support the wellness and green businesses that help your local market!!!
A big thank you to Solar Universe and Functional Endocrinology.
Also a welcome and thank you to upcoming September sponsors Ritchie Family Chiropracticand The Specific, sponsorship supports comfort stations for our customers such as café tables & chairs, hand-washing stations, restrooms and even music!
Interested in l earning more about Green Solar Energy?
Give our market supporter, Solar Universe a call for a FREE site survey 925 228-478.6
If you or someone you know would like to promote a Health / Wellness and Sustainable Environment Business through sponsorship, please see our website for more information or email assisted@cccfm.org.
Market Fund Raising Booth |
 Have you seen our market bags with long handles? You are sure to see them everywhere at CCCFM Markets. That’s because they last for years and are so stylish and versatile that customers love them. We have tested many shopping baskets over the years and these are the best, visit the information booth and purchase one for just $15! All funds help sustain your favorite market so you can feel good about your investment!
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Feature by Barbara Kobsar, content & layout by Staci DeShasier,
edited by Jessie Neu ED
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