Hi, friends! We’re already gearing up for Wednesday… lovely veggies, delicious food, wonderful music and perhaps a cool breeze. OK, the cool breeze may be stretching things but there may a cloud or two to add a little shade…. Time to break your day with a relaxing lunch at the Market.
Saturday will dawn bright and shiny – a perfect Market Day. So grab your coffee, the biscotti are just waiting to be dunked and stroll your way around the grounds. Hi-Ho BBQ, a new restaurant in Covington, will be in the cooking tent serving up some of their lip-smacking barbecue.
I wasn’t there last weekend and am anxious to see what’s on the vendors’ tables.
I’m hoping the blueberries are finally ready for picking (and eating). I just love when there are a variety of fruits available at the market. Oh! the pies! the cobblers! the smoothies! that’s if there’s enough left by the time you get home. Or blend any of the fruit with softened butter or cream cheese (Mauthe’s Dairy) to make a wonderful fruit “butter” to serve with your toast – and, have we got the best bread for that toast! To make a great cobbler, melt ½ cup of Mauthe’s butter in a baking dish. Then mix 1 cup flour (Betty Rue has gluten free flour), 1 cup sugar, ½ cup Mauthe’s milk and 1 tsp vanilla (Herbs and Spice) and pour over the melted butter. Add at least a cup (I like a little more) of blueberries or sliced peaches to the top. Sprinkle with cinnamon or nutmeg or nothing, bake at 350°F for about 40 – 45 minutes and enjoy. You’ll probably need a great cup of coffee to go with that so stop by Coast Roast to see what international delight Kevin has this week.
Don’t think that just because it’s too hot for lettuce that you can’t make a great salad. Have you seen the cucumbers? Just cut one into chunks or slices, add yellow squash, carrots, and/or zucchini, sliced or cut into chunks and some lovely little tomatoes…the salad pretty much makes itself. WOW! What a colorful salad and it hasn’t even been dressed yet. Drizzle your salad with Bechac’s Blue Cheese or Roasted Garlic & Tomato, or Basically Basil’s Tomato Basil, Spicy Lime or Raspberry Vinaigrettes. By the way, her red pepper basil sauce is excellent spread over chicken or mixed in pasta, and (surprise! surprise!) we have both at the market. Nanette makes a terrific raw salad that love a little drizzle of any of those dressings.
I got some of Nuccio’s Tangerine Balsamic Vinegar a couple of weeks ago and have been using it like crazy ever since. I poured it over sliced peaches (mmmmm!), marinated my shrimp in a little before broiling (grilling would be great, too), added a scant teaspoon to my chicken salad (oh, my) and naturally used it as a salad dressing (who knew?). I was going to mix a little with some peanut butter as an exciting twist to my infamous peanut butter pizza but haven’t had time.
I’ve been babbling on and on and haven’t mentioned a third of the delights you’ll find at the Market. You’ll just have to come out and see for yourself. Just remember to stop by and say, “hello”. Personally, I cant wait to find out what’s new and exciting at the market!
Lots of love
Saturday will dawn bright and shiny – a perfect Market Day. So grab your coffee, the biscotti are just waiting to be dunked and stroll your way around the grounds. Hi-Ho BBQ, a new restaurant in Covington, will be in the cooking tent serving up some of their lip-smacking barbecue.
I wasn’t there last weekend and am anxious to see what’s on the vendors’ tables.
I’m hoping the blueberries are finally ready for picking (and eating). I just love when there are a variety of fruits available at the market. Oh! the pies! the cobblers! the smoothies! that’s if there’s enough left by the time you get home. Or blend any of the fruit with softened butter or cream cheese (Mauthe’s Dairy) to make a wonderful fruit “butter” to serve with your toast – and, have we got the best bread for that toast! To make a great cobbler, melt ½ cup of Mauthe’s butter in a baking dish. Then mix 1 cup flour (Betty Rue has gluten free flour), 1 cup sugar, ½ cup Mauthe’s milk and 1 tsp vanilla (Herbs and Spice) and pour over the melted butter. Add at least a cup (I like a little more) of blueberries or sliced peaches to the top. Sprinkle with cinnamon or nutmeg or nothing, bake at 350°F for about 40 – 45 minutes and enjoy. You’ll probably need a great cup of coffee to go with that so stop by Coast Roast to see what international delight Kevin has this week.
Don’t think that just because it’s too hot for lettuce that you can’t make a great salad. Have you seen the cucumbers? Just cut one into chunks or slices, add yellow squash, carrots, and/or zucchini, sliced or cut into chunks and some lovely little tomatoes…the salad pretty much makes itself. WOW! What a colorful salad and it hasn’t even been dressed yet. Drizzle your salad with Bechac’s Blue Cheese or Roasted Garlic & Tomato, or Basically Basil’s Tomato Basil, Spicy Lime or Raspberry Vinaigrettes. By the way, her red pepper basil sauce is excellent spread over chicken or mixed in pasta, and (surprise! surprise!) we have both at the market. Nanette makes a terrific raw salad that love a little drizzle of any of those dressings.
I got some of Nuccio’s Tangerine Balsamic Vinegar a couple of weeks ago and have been using it like crazy ever since. I poured it over sliced peaches (mmmmm!), marinated my shrimp in a little before broiling (grilling would be great, too), added a scant teaspoon to my chicken salad (oh, my) and naturally used it as a salad dressing (who knew?). I was going to mix a little with some peanut butter as an exciting twist to my infamous peanut butter pizza but haven’t had time.
I’ve been babbling on and on and haven’t mentioned a third of the delights you’ll find at the Market. You’ll just have to come out and see for yourself. Just remember to stop by and say, “hello”. Personally, I cant wait to find out what’s new and exciting at the market!
Lots of love
Charlene LeJeune
Abundant Life Kitchen
Market Hours: Wednesday, Covington Trailhead, 10am – 2pm; Saturday, Columbia St (by Justice Center) 8am to Noon. Visit us at http://www.covingtonfarmersmarket.org/
Market Hours: Wednesday, Covington Trailhead, 10am – 2pm; Saturday, Columbia St (by Justice Center) 8am to Noon. Visit us at http://www.covingtonfarmersmarket.org/
