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Availability for April 16
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Athens Locally Grown
http://athens.locallygrown.net
Recipes
Asparagus and White Bean Salad with Feta and Lemon Dressing
Served with crusty bread, this salad makes a terrific meal. White beans provide a delectable hearty-tenderness, without overwhelming the delicate asparagus. Tangy feta, zesty lemon, and a touch of mint give this salad a bright and refreshing flavor. From the Farmer John Cookbook.
Serves 4
1 pound asparagus, cut on an angle in 1-inch pieces (about 3 cups)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon chopped fresh mint
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup cooked or canned white beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup thinly sliced radishes
2 tablespoons thinly sliced scallions
1. Place the asparagus in a steamer basket set over 1 1/2 inches boiling water, and cover. Steam until the spears are tender-firm, 4 to 7 minutes depending on thickness. Drain and place in an ice water bath (or under cold, running water) for a moment to stop the cooking.
2. Put the olive oil, lemon juice, fresh mint, lemon zest, salt, and pepper in a small bowl and whisk until well combined. Drain asparagus.
3. Combine the beans, feta, radishes, and scallions in a large bowl. Add the asparagus pieces. Pour on the dressing and gently toss. Serve at room temperature or chilled.
Market News
I’m trying something a little different with the email this week. Some of the other locallygrown.net markets (did you know that there are nearly 100 communities across the country now using our system to feed themselves?) asked me if they could send out “newslettery” emails instead of just the plain text ones like I usually do. I tweaked the system a little to make it easier to do just that, and thought I’d give it a try myself. What do you think?
I know I’m always talking about how the market is growing, but last week I actually dug up some old numbers to see how they looked. I noticed last Thursday that is was still a month before the traditional start of “farmers market season”, yet our availability and total sales hod more of a mid-summer look to them. So when I got home I looked through the records and saw that last week’s total sales were just about twice the same week from last year, and a full ten times larger than the same week just two years ago. By pretty much every metric, sales, number of growers, number of customers, and items available, we’ve been pretty much doubling every single year. Many of our growers have told me that they are planting even more than ever before this season, to try to meet the demand of Athens Locally Grown and the Athens Farmers Market. And when/if we move to a new location, I’ll have to make sure the new place can handle the growth too. It’s a challenge, but really it’s a good problem to have. Thanks to you all and your demand for locally produced food for making it all happen!
We will be doing our popular “farmer for a day” program this year, starting in May. We’re still working out the schedule, and we’ll announce at least the first one as soon as its set. We’ll do one a month, and for those of you not familiar with the program, we visit a farm, spend a couple hours pitching in to do simple but much needed work, have a provided lunch, and then take a full guided tour. Space is limited, and we’ll be taking reservations as soon as we schedule the dates. There’s no charge, and it’s a great way to visit the farms and get a better idea of the people, places, and effort behind your food.
As always, we thank you for your continued support! We’ll see you on Thursday from 4:30 to 8pm at the old market on Broad Street.
Coming Events
The Southern Seed Legacy is holding their 12th Annual Seed Swap next Saturday at the Agrarian Connection Heritage Farm in Oglethorpe County. Don’t let the name fool you — you don’t have to bring any seeds to swap. You can find many heirloom seedlings and seeds to try, for free or for a donation to the SSL. Or just come for the old timey music and the slow cooked barbeque. All the details are on their website.
Split Creek Farm (the goat dairy that offers the wonderful cheeses and fudge every other week) is holding their spring festival on Saturday, May 2nd. Spring means babies at Split Creek, and this even is a wonderful family affair. They’ll have tours and demonstrations throughout the day, and you’ll find details and directions on their website.
And finally the Athens Farmers Market is reopening for the season on Saturday May 9th at Bishop Park. It’s a totally separate entity from Athens Locally Grown, but you’ll find many of the same growers at both. And of course, you can learn more about that market on their website.
We thank you for your interest and support of our efforts to bring you the healthiest, the freshest and the most delicious locally-produced foods possible!