It’s easy to think of the state’s farmers’ markets as a type of “supermarket” of locally-grown and produced foods.  While it’s true that each market location will have its own local flavor including local produce and other farm products, the range and quality at our market is really something exceptional.  Our vendors offer you the kind of stuff chefs covet for their restaurants, to which judges award top prizes, and food writers swoon over.  Before our WinterFresh Market season draws to a close at the end of this month, let’s take a moment to savor the spread we have to peruse each Sunday…

Sprouts: A “Wonder Food”

Two Guys from Woodbridge grows sprouts that look cute and offer a fresh variety of tastes and textures, but their greatest benefit may be overlooked.  Sprouts are a powerhouse of live nutrition and are widely recognized by nutritionists as a ‘wonder food’.  They are nutrient dense… rich in vitamins, minerals, proteins, and amino acids, and have high levels of disease-preventing phytochemicals but few calories. Estimates suggest there can be up to 100 times more enzymes in sprouts than in fruit and vegetables. Sprouts are easy to digest, so the body does not need to expend much energy to access the nutrients.  With more growth, a sprout graduates to microgreen, and later a baby green.  Just as sprouts are nutrient-dense, microgreens offer intensity of flavor. Chefs often use them as a garnish or to adorn a salad.

Raw Milk: We’ve got it!

Cows pastured on organic green grass produce milk with good health benefits but raw-milk enthusiasts feel that heat-treating milk during pasteurization destroys beneficial bacteria, proteins and enzymes that aid in digestion. Clean, raw milk from grass-fed cows is chock full of healthy amino acids and beneficial enzymes. Raw milk contains butterfat rich in fatty acids that protect against disease and stimulate the immune system. Some people swear by the curative powers of unpasteurized milk, praise its nutritional value, and its ability to strengthen the immune system. A study of nearly 15,000 European children showed that those who drank raw milk had lower rates of asthma and allergies. Another study suggested that most lactose-intolerant people can drink raw milk. Raw milk is pretty hard to locate, but Beaver Brook Farm offers it at our market each week.  Their raw milk has been tested by a private lab and found to be as clean, or cleaner, than processed milk. Read more about raw milk, or, if you opt for pasteurized local milk, Ladies of Levita Road offers that, too! 

LIVER: the best dog treat of all!

Dogs LOVE liver; even picky eaters will do just about anything for it! Liver is a healthy, all-natural treat. It’s nature’s most concentrated source of Vitamin A, contains all the B vitamins in abundance, and is rich with folic acid, iron and copper. Dehydrating liver maintains all the goodness of the raw product, and even a small piece makes a motivating training treat. Start with New Boston Beef’s hormone, steroid and antibiotic free, pasture-raised liver, and with minimal preparation, in 2 hours you’ll have a batch of liver treats your dog will adore. Here are some simple directions to get you started! If you prefer to buy liver treats ready-made from pasture raised beef liver, Haider Farm will have them!

The spotlight’s on Wave Hill Bread:

"Wave Hill Breads' Pain de Campagne is the best bread on the East Coast," say Michael and Jane Stern, food writers for Gourmet Magazine. In their book, 500 Things To Eat Before It's Too Late, the Sterns summed it up "there isn't a more satisfying loaf of bread in America." 

Margaret Sapir and Mitch Rapoport were determined to learn how to make the bread they tasted first at a restaurant in Stowe, Vermont. After more than 20 years in corporate life, they apprenticed to the baker and adapted his recipe.

Since autumn, 2005, when Wave Hill Breads started delivering bread to farmers' markets, they have made only one type of dough, a three-grain French country loaf: Pain de Campagne.  They also make their dough into demi-baguettes, boules, and epi's - large and small. Their breads are crafted by hand using age-old French methods.  They are made from King Arthur's unbleached wheat flour, organic spelt and organic rye berries that they mill for each batch, sea salt, water, and a pinch of yeast.  The pre-fermentation called a "poolish" is mixed and left to develop for six hours before it is incorporated into the dough. The dough ferments once before it is rounded and shaped. It then proofs again before baking.  The steaming jets in the oven help form the crispy golden brown crusts and significant "grignes", the ridges on the tops of the loaves. The loaves are then left to cool on oak racks. The entire process lasts around 12 hours.  

Wave Hill bread is served at Michel Nischan's restaurant, The Dressing Room, in Westport and at Tim Labant's Schoolhouse at Cannondale, in Wilton, as well as Caseus and 116 Crown in New Haven and Pasta Nostra in Norwalk and available in over 40 fine markets and restaurants in Connecticut and Westchester, NY.

 
The best of the best…

Summer Hill’s lemon meringue pie epitomizes good old American comfort food… the stuff of grandmother’s kitchens and sparkling diners bustling with the lunch crowd that exist, now, mostly in our dreams. While purchased lemon meringue pies are typically filled with florescent, flakey, too-sweet filling, Summer Hill’s lemon meringue pie is the perfect balance of sweet and tangy. Its filling is thickened just right, is high and cuts well, is laid in a homemade, flaky, light crust, and crowned with a billowing mountain of fluffy, perfectly-peaked and golden-baked meringue!  

David Rosengarten, in the Rosengarten Report, rated Beaver Brook Farm’s lamb loin chops the best that he has ever eaten, and likens their Bolgonaise sauce to the sauce that his family used to make when he was a child in New York City.  Beaver Brook’s Pleasant Cow raw milk cheese was chosen as one of the fifty best artisan cheeses in the USA by Saveur Magazine. Beaver Brook’s products including gelato and pesto are available in stores throughout Connecticut and Rhode Island and they ship products nationwide including fine woolens produced from their flock.

Beltane Farm’s goat cheese is on the menu at the Max group restaurants.  Executive chef Scott Miller at Max’s Oyster Bar uses creamy Beltane Farms goat cheese in polenta and executive chef Michael LeFebvre creates wild mushroom pasta with artisanal goat cheese from Beltane.

Bear Pond Farm cultivates basil, rare Sicilian mintucha and Greek kaliteri oreganos, rosemary, mints, French sorrel and lemon verbena. Their pestos are stocked at health-food stores, co-ops, gourmet and independent grocers from the east coast to Colorado including many Whole Foods stores, and Dean & Deluca in Soho

Capa di Roma sauce has won the Best Sauce in CT 2008 and the Best Aged Balsamic Vinegar in CT from the Connecticut Specialty Food Association. Their sauces are available in all Big Y, Stop & Shop, Highland Park, Geisslers, and Stew Leonards Markets, at the Yankee Candle flagship store. Capa di Roma Marinara sauce is from their family restaurant, Romas in East Hartford.

Cato Corner Farm’s Hooligan was selected as the winner of the Gallo Family Vineyards Gold Medal Awards, Outstanding Dairy Product.

Can’t Beet It makes an all-natural savory condiment from beets and horseradish in the Authentic Ukrainian/Polish manner. Chefs at Burton's Grill, at Evergreen Walk, and Guytano's in Westerly use it and you’ll find it at the Whole Foods stores In West Hartford and Glastonbury.

New Boston Beef is on the regular menu as the "Local Burger" at The Vanilla Bean in Pomfret and 85 Main Restaurant in Putnam.  Rising Moon Natural Foods in Plainfield also carries Jonathan’s beef.  Jon brings us sausage made with beef instead of pork; it contains less fat but is flavorful and more heart-healthy!

Unique products, incomparable quality:

Meriano’s Bake Shoppe hand-filled cannoli… our market is only place around where you can get a scratch-made cannoli filled to order. There’s none fresher or better tasting! Friends who buy five cannoli will get a sixth free!

You want organic?  This week, you’ll find three certified organic growers at our market!  Wayne’s Organic Garden is harvesting baby bok choy, spinach, kale, chard, collards, and bringing those sweet red onions.  There’s more light now, and warmer night temperatures… Wayne’s been planting onion seeds.

Got food allergies?  Our Shayna B’s bakes delicious wheat-free/gluten-free vegan treats by using locally-grown and organic products.  This week, Christine will bring soy-free, naturally-sweetened pumpkin spice cake...made with CT-Grown pumpkins.  Friends, please stop by for a free Wendy Bite.

Morning Glory Homemade's butter rolls, in plain, garlic, and dill, are made from scratch from sourdough starter, buttered layer by layer, and twisted by hand into the distinctive shape that makes for perfect pull-apart fresh-baked heavenly bites.

Carole Monnerat Artisan Truffles are hand crafted from start to finish in the French artisanal tradition crafting small batches without the use of industrial equipment.  Made from the finest chocolate, they contain no preservatives or artificial flavorings.

Bethany Homecrafts makes "Elfkin" Baby Booties of super soft cashmere… we can’t think of a sweeter baby gift!  This week, Friends who buy a hat, get mittens or wrist warmers at 25% off.


All of KDCrop Farm’s products are soon to be featured at Artisanmade-ne.com, a specialty store located in Southbury.  Kelly and Derrick make an outstanding Cranbanerro Jelly and very unusual Kohlrabi Krazy pickles… a zesty treat sure to be a conversation starter. Friends enjoy 50 cents off their total purchase.

Healthy Cleaning Solutions creates natural cleaning products like Toilet Bowl Fizzies a blend of baking soda, citric acid, corn starch and essential oils. Pop one into the toilet bowl, watch it fizz for a minute or two, use toilet bowl brush and flush.  You are done in no time and your bowl is free of germs and sparkling clean. Starter kits are $1.00 off for Friends!

This week:

Alica and Kevin of Fabyan Sugar Shack will be bringing their first of the season, Super Light Grade A Fancy Syrup. (Friends enjoy $1 off a quart of this syrup!) They’ve been putting their new equipment, a Steam Away and Flu Max evaporator, to the test. Gary reports they’ve averaged, from cold start to finish, an honest 140 gallons of sap boiled per hour. You are invited to see the Fabyan Sugar Shack crew in action through the sugaring season: Saturday & Sundays from 10 am to 4 pm, at 384 Fabyan Road in North Grosvenordale.  For more information, please call 860-935-9281 or 860-617-5159.

Summer Hill is making Vegetarian Roasted Winter Vegetable Soup, Chicken and Sausage Gumbo, plus Chicken Pot Pies, Vegetable Pot Pies, and Macaroni & Cheese, all 100% homemade from their own recipes.  They’re baking Apple, Pecan, Key Lime, Chocolate Cream, and Lemon Meringue pies and peach galettes. As the market winds down, you’ll likely want to stock up on their pot pies for the rest of the winter. To be sure to get what you want, pre-order by Monday, Feb 22 via email at kim@summerhillsauces.com or by calling us at 203-421-3765 to have your order ready for the closing market day, Feb 28. Summer Hill’s website offers more information! 

Suzi’s Seafood freezes well because it's fresh… stock your freezer before the WinterFresh market ends! As requested, Suzi and Dan will be bringing additional pounds of fish cod, haddock, flounder and salmon plus scallops and shrimp.  Fish pairs well with herbs, salsas and especially oven-baked, wrapped in foil with pesto from Bear Pond Farm!  Place pre-orders for pick up on Feb 28 by speaking with Suzi this Sunday, or emailing suzisseafood@yahoo.com. 

Ladies of Levita Road will have a good supply of milk and yogurt this week, plus feta cheese.

Morning Glory Homemade makes its last appearance at the winter market this weekend, bringing a collection of favorites, including butter rolls, hermits, Harvest bread, sour cream pastry sticks, English muffin bread, and melt-in-your-mouth cookies. Scott also continues his celebration of National Cherry Month with cherry chocolate brownies and will bake another round of cherry sour cream sticks, given their popularity at last week's market. Friends are invited to enjoy a free hermit. 

Haider Farm joins us with farm-fresh eggs, pasture-raised beef, leather covered handcrafted journals, Kick-Ass Cold Remedy Tea, and their new Certified Organic Anti-Arthritis Loose Tea containing herbs selected for their abilities to ease pain and inflammation.