This is the Weekly E-Newsletter of Contra Costa Certified Farmers' Markets for Friday, November 3, 2006
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NEW RECIPES

napa

From Chef Lesley Stiles:



Napa Cabbage Salad w/ Fuyu, Feta and Lemon Oil

1 head of Napa cabbage, thinly sliced
1 Fuyu persimmon, quartered and sliced thin
4 scallions, thinly sliced
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
¼ cup crumbled feta
2 tablespoons of Big Paw Lemon Oil
1 tablespoon of Big Paw Blond Balsamic
Sea salt and pepper

Toss everything together in a bowl.

Fresh Pumpkin Risotto

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 red onion, chopped fine
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 cups Arborio rice
1 cup white wine
7 to eight cups vegetable or chicken stock
2 cups fresh pumpkin, peeled, seeded and cubed
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
3 tablespoons finely grated parmesana reggiano
2 tablespoons lemon oil

In a medium saucepan, heat the stock. Heat olive oil in a wide heavy pan. Add the onion and garlic. Sauté for a few minutes and add the rice. Sauté the rice until opaque in color. Add the pumpkin. Add the wine and let simmer for a minute. Add the stock a ½ cup at a time allowing it to absorb after each addition stirring constantly. The rice will become creamy. Taste occasionally to check for tenderness. Stir in half of the cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with other half of cheese and drizzle the lemon oil on top. Serve at once.
Serves 4 to 6.

For more recipes

ESSAY CONTEST WINNERS

This week's essay is from Cooper Ogden of Walnut Creek in the under 18 category.

What the Farmer's Market Means to Me, my Family, and my Community

Cooper Ogden, Age 9, Walnut Creek

The Farmers' Market is important to me because I can get natural fruit there. The Farmers' Market is fun to me because I get to ride my bike there and get good exercise.

I like talking to the vendors like Bakesale Betty and Michael, Bridget the Cookie Lady, Michelle the Apple Lady, the Hamada Farms guys, and Jim the Orange Guy. I also like talking to Hunter Holding, the Meat Guy. Bob, the Knife-Sharpening guy, is also nice.

I like buying things from the Chicken Teriyaki Guy and the Tamale People.

Some things I like getting from the Farmers' Market:
peaches, apple juice, baked goods, meat, Brazilian cheese bread, blueberries, and banana bread from Bakesale Betty.

Sometimes I see my friends from school there. We liked the empanada people and wonder where they've gone.

I enjoy the Farmers' Market every week.

For more essays

Vote November 7
A word about political campaigning at the markets... Our policy is to really make every effort to protect our markets and make them a "Political Free Zone". Some folks have the decency to ask for our permission to set up near the markets, others don't...! We apologize if you were accosted in Orinda! The question we ask is: Would the major super market chains allow you to approach their customers in their stores?
In this Issue:
UPCOMING EVENTS
Orinda:
Music: Jane Decuir
Manager: Janice Faust. E-mail: omarket@cccfm.org
From Jan Faust, Manager:
Take time to stop by the Farmers' Market this Saturday to pick up all the healthy stuff your family needs for the week. Whether you're watching sports, playing, coaching or driving kids to games, this is an active time of year. We have the market cornered on fresh, healthy and nutritious snacks for every activity. We will be looking for you every Saturday, rain or shine, through November 18. This week, why not bring a friend? See you at the Market.
For more info

Walnut Creek:
Music: Prairie Rose
Manager: Keith Farley. E-mail: wmarket@cccfm.org
From Jessie Neu, General Manager:
The mice played last weekend! What a beautiful fun day it was indeed! I saw you... but you could only hear me... you couldn't see me... camouflaged.

The participating farms really went over the top in their efforts to out-do each other in the costume and booth decorating contest. They each had a good campaign to make sure their customers voted for the best!

Barbie and Megan of Ratto Farms were the big winners!
They made terrific witches and went the extra mile to cover all the bases in "WitchVille".
Michelle of Rainbow Orchards pulled in 2nd place with her interpretation of an "Apple Tree" in the orchard environment! Good imagination!
Pirate Shirley from Cabrillo Farms came in an impressive 3rd place. She has been the winner for the last few years.
Congrats to all and thanks to all the customers who took the time to vote. The prize was a free booth on that day for the winner. I'm working on the participation prizes...

The Idyll Frets played music and they were great. This was their first time to play in their home town and they sure clogged the passage with admirers. They said they had a blast!

November brings us into our new look as our farms begin to finish with their crops. We will say farewell to our good friends from Alhambra Valley Pears in WC. They will still be in Orinda for 1 more week. If you get a hankerin' for their pears... go see them there.
With the closing of the Pleasant Hill and Martinez Markets, the Walnut Creek Market will have the addition of artists and crafters coming in this week.

Make sure you visit them and the rest of the market by shopping down the Critical Edge Isle and the "Creek-side" vendors where you'll find Curtis and his "Jammin Kettlecorn", Hawaiian Coffee, From Sea to You, and Aidells' sausage, Ledesma and Ruvalcaba Farms.
I'll see you again this Sunday!

A word from.. Tibet - Mr. Keith is Alive and Well.
He will be back on Nov. 12.

The mighty "Frequent Shopper Cards" will be available starting this Sunday. Bring your purchases to the table to have the folks at the Info Table sign your card once a week. Once the card is signed 5 times you'll be rewarded with 3 market bucks for being a frequent shopper. Remember that there is one card per family and remember to bring your friends and neighbors to the market with you every week... even in the rain. We'll be there every Sunday rain or shine!
For more info.

Martinez & PLEASANT HILL:
Markets closed for the season
FROM OUR MARKET by Chef Leslie Stiles

By Halloween it is officially chilly at night, in Pleasant Hill anyway. You can set your clock by it and not be disappointed. Just chilly enough to get the bug to invite some friends over and come up with a fun way to use up the pumpkins you may have acquired from Penny and Vince, at your farmers' market or grown. I like to whip up a big luscious, creamy pot of pumpkin risotto. Studded with bright orange chunks of sweet pumpkin, bits of reggiano and lovingly ladled back into the pumpkin shell or a Turban squash this is sure to get you at least one or two nice friends to spend an evening with. This is a great dish for a Rhone style wine such as Pinot Noir or Syrah. A couple logs in the fireplace... Now if that don't warm you up you might want to call the MD. When pumpkin is roasted in lemon olive oil and a little sea salt it definitely loses any resemblance in word it may have with a can of burnt umber weirdness. You can also roast pumpkin with a little butter and turbinado sugar, purée and now you have your own version of the weird stuff from the can.

I am happy to say that I will be representing Contra Costa Certified Farmers' Markets at the Ferry Plaza farmers' market this Saturday at 10:30 by doing a chefs cooking demo there. Now I can see how the big girls do it. I get to go early and shop there for my class and they have three people to assist me. Their demo area/kitchen has 3 six burner stoves, 2 convection ovens, a walk in etc. This is going to be a little weird as I am really used to an ez up in the parking lot. I like street cooking but I may be able to gel with this set up too. The best part is I get to shop there and go to the source for some Humboldt Fog, a few dozen different varieties of Miette's sandwich cookies, orange flavored olive oil and a few other things to go with my risotto. Can you say FIELD TRIP!

For all you Pleasant Hill shoppers that have been so loyal and kind all season we thank you for all your support of the market this season and for coming out the last day. I have the recipe for or cabish or lettuce salad that I made ala minute the other day. I still don't know what that stuff is called but it is an amazing mix of cabbage and lettuce. Sweet, nutty and a little spicy like cabbage but really soft and velvety like leaf lettuce. A mystery to be addressed for next week's solutions. I found it at Chong Vang’s stand and they are now only in Orinda at the farmers' market. The market is Saturday from 9 to 1 on Avenida de Orinda off Orinda Way.

Thanks go out to Martinez as well for a great season of support from all you healthy, vibrant, loyal farmers' market shoppers. We had a good one and hope to continue to grow the market when we open again in May BUT until then, don't give up your remarkable season of sustainability just yet! Get over to Walnut Creek even if it is a pain in the rump and continue to obtain the freshest, tastiest and most sustainable produce you can get. This can be a year round never ending cycle of massive yum. Walnut Creek is Sunday from 9 to 1 in the library lot at the corner of Lincoln and Broadway. You are not going to be sorry.

The days are numbered for hiking and walking on any dirt. I recommend taking advantage of the dry trails and getting out there. You get rewarded with some amazing natural color schemes, a lot of hawks swooping down and flying low getting a lot of snakes off of the trail for you - and best of all a nice, sore butt.
Use it or lose it.

Footnote: Read "Julie and Julia, My Year of Cooking Dangerously." Very amusing and highly recommended.

Lesley Stiles can be reached at chef@cccfm.org or on the market hotline 925 431-8361
News From Our Sister Market in Nelson, New Zealand
Thanks to an alternate indoor market site, our first anniversary celebration complete with balloons, streamers and hoopla, came off as well as could be expected. The reason: We woke up to horrendous winds and gusting rain and there went our outdoor program, as well as fun for the kiddies in the shape of pony and train rides, llamas, chickens and rabbits. However, we survived indoors with our regular stalls, live guitar music, cooking and tai chi demonstrations, and a new touch, cooked bratwurst on the barbeque, all wrapped up in a hotdog bun with onions, sauces, etc. They sold well, too. Our coffers will sparkle with part of the revenue, as well as the money from the raffle with a prize of a market bag full of goodies, plus a bottle of wine and a four pack of organic ale from the brewery next door. We ended up with a round of 'Happy Birthday' with everyone present treated to a slice of chocolate cream cake. We're not out of the woods yet by a long shot, but yesterday, even with its seeming adversity and thanks to a bunch of spirited people, projected its own special shaft of light. Glad you got to see some of your advertising gift in action. Happiness. Geoff.
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