We would like to say a sincere “Thank You” to everyone who applied for the Business Manager position at RVG&CM. The depth of talent is astounding. We will now be evaluating the resumes and contacting the finalists for job interviews. For those who applied we wish you great good fortune in the future, and in your job search endeavors. Thank you again for applying.

The sunny but cool morning was enlivened by great music. Not only did market favorite Intuitive Compass perform their rockin/stompin eclectic blend but we also had a fabulous concert of European/Balkan/Gypsy folk music performed by Nils Olaf Soderback and Finn Juehl on violin and accordion.  They were truly traffic stoppers as people paused to enjoy the music, dance a bit, and savor the market atmosphere. When I asked the name of their group they paused and conferred and said Border Patrol although just which border would be a matter of question! You can reach them through Nils at 541-944-7009. The contact for Intuitive Compass is Aurelia at 520-245-5045.

Bundle up and enjoy the change of seasons! Susan

Neil has offered to come for another demo featuring Bradford Farms rabbit and showing us how to cut and disjoint this delicious meat which many of us are not yet as familiar with as we are a chicken. Stay tuned to the facebook page for the date!

Happy Days Calmyrna figs

Last Tuesday I spent my market time visiting some vendors who were new to me as well as an old friend. I have been buying wonderful things from Chris Anderson and his mother Georgia at Happy Daysfor years – unusual plants in the spring and produce all summer. They have been farming in Central Point for 17 years and coming to the Tuesday and Thursday markets as well as to Ashland on Saturday. A visit to their booth is worth it just for the smiles! At this time of year my favorites are their peppers and the excellent Calmyrna “white” figs. Try those stuffed with a chunk of Crater Lake Blue from Rogue Creamery. Oh my!

I also visited with the Fish Queen, Judy Little, and her fisherwoman daughter Fish Princess Chani Little. Chani fishes sustainably with her father John Little in Alaska’s beautiful Bristol Bay where they take extra pains to protect the quality of the catch. Their boat has refrigerated seawater and the fish go into the hold on a slide to minimize damage. Then they go daily to a tender where they are filleted and custom processed with two layers of ice. This gives them a year and half shelf life and no colors are needed/used to preserve the gorgeous sockeye color and of course the flavor. Short of going to Alaska yourself, this is as fresh as you can get! And just a short trip to the Tuesday or Thursday market! It is worth noting that these pristine fishing waters are under threat from the proposed Pebble Mine whose gold and copper extraction could destroy the spawning grounds of the main rivers feeding the bay.

My next stop was at Higher Power Raw Foods for a chat with Maria DiMaggio who makes an amazing           array of products with her partner Roy Cruz. The world of raw is one that I haven’t explored much                         beyond my love of a great green salad and the newly popular kale chips so this was a revelation. Of course             I started with the kale chips, so crunchy and good and nutritious, regular and spicy. Then I moved on to               the nut mixes which are sprouted and dehydrated to crispy goodness. A real surprise was the falafel made           from sprouted sunflower seeds and perfectly spiced. As a former falafel maven I’m pretty picky about them and can only say these are delicious! Then it was on to a dessert sample sweetened with dates – sinfully good! Then there are the crackers and the pates and energy bars, and grawnola, and cookies, and, and, and. All organic, gluten and dairy free.

Maria ate raw for many years before there was much support for the idea and so believes that Higher Power makes this healthy choice easier for people to follow whether they are complete adherents to the concept or just looking for some wholesome additions to a varied diet.

I am usually so food obsessed when I go to market that I miss the crafters. For years I have been noticing the delightful Katrina’s Cards booth without stopping in for a closer look. My loss! A visit there is like spending time in a fine art gallery with the exception that you can afford to buy what you have fallen in love with! A cheery card with a whimsical greeting for a friend, or just to have on your desk to brighten the day? A cotton canvas bookmark? T-shirts, bibs, tote bags, aprons, banners – so much to choose from to give  or to have. Katrina Meister and her husband Michaelfollow the best business practices as well, using recycled paper, water based inks, organic cotton Fair Trade or US made garments.

I was so happy to see many Ashland visitors shopping in their booth at the Saturday market and taking some of our local talent home with them.

Don’t forget to check our facebook page for more photos! See ya at market, Susan

But my time is short so I will concentrate on just some of the great produce available, specifically by telling about the two chef’s demos we did this month. At the Ashland market on Sept 6th, Chef Jeven Showers of Tabu Restaurant delighted us all with grille3d pizzas. Who knew how easy it could be? Jeven simply sauteed his toppings while the New Sammy’s prebaked pizza rounds were grilled on both sides (3-4 minutes/side) over a small propane grill on low heat. The toppings were then slid from the pan onto the top side of the round, topped with cheese and last minute additions, and replaced on the grill for another few minutes. The first two pizzas featured lardons of Willow Witt bacon with caramelized onion, fresh corn kernels, garlic, chanterelles, and Mama Terra chevre. So delicious on the crispy crust! and who would have thought of corn pizza? Jeven. The second round featured onions, sweet peppers, shallots, garlic, tomatoes, Rogue Crermery Touvelle cheese, and tomatoes. Simply excellent, all local and fresh, easy, easy, easy! Perfect hot weather fare.

Just today we had another demo. I did not have a guest chef so filled in myself and made one of my family summer harvest standbys which I call summer melange. This dish is based on a class of Mediterranean vegetable “stews” which feature varying ingredients and seasonings depending on local availability and cultural preference. The most commonly known term is ratatouille. Today the ingredients were olive oil, onions, romano beans, garlic, peppers, eggplant, summer squash,  tomatoes, and basil. And they were added into the pan in the order listed because, just like a stir-fry, the cooking qualities of the ingredients must be considered. Onions first since they are a wet ingredient giving off their juices while lightly browning but acting as a thickener as the cooking progresses. The beans come next so they can saute and absorb the oil and onion flavors in the pan, and then the garlic so it will soften but not burn. Then the diced eggplant is stirred in with a little more olive oil, followed by the summer squash. Toss gently and cook until these later vegetables are just beginning to brown, then stir in the diced tomatoes, spices as desired, and basil and lower the heat. Cook until everything is tender and there are very little juices in the pan,  just enough to act as a dressing for the vegetable melange. I added two favorite spices of mine just before the tomatoes went in – allspice and smoked paprika.

I realize that this is not really much of a recipe. No quantities are given, no times. It is infinitely variable – one could as easily omit a vegetable or add oregano or dill for flavor to personal preference.  The key is to manage the heat and realize that it is a slow process. I used the wonderful ox heart tomatoes which are very meaty and release very little juice to water down the stew. If you have juicier tomatoes, squeeze the juice and seeds out before adding them.

I like to make a big batch of this. It’s great to toss with pasta or serve over rice. It is good cold on a crostini or bruschetta as  snack, or can be used a  filling for peppers or squash topped with a little cheese and baked. It will keep in the fridge for 5 or 6 days.

Well, so much for food. At the Saturday Ashland Market I came across a craftsman.artist I had not visited before – Bryan Boyle of Autumn Woods who comes to us from the Trinity Alps and makes incredible utilitarian/beautiful and beautiful/utilitarian wooden objects. In the first category are lovely cutting boards, small bowls and dishes, and right and left handed spoons, some of which have holes so they function as colanders. The second category is made up of one-of-a-kind burl bowls whose minor holes and cracks are filled with turquoise stones or a paste of ground turquoise and are astonishingly beautiful as art pieces but also functional for salads, fruit display, etc. As I waited for my chance to talk with him, he was taking orders for shipments to two other areas of the country from visitors to our market. I think that’s pretty cool! I also learned something from him about the care of wooden cutting boards. When you wash your board, be sure to wipe both sides. That way both sides are equally moist and the board will remain flat. It is the uneven absorption of moisture that causes the board to warp. Another who knew!