5 Minutes to an Improved Market

We are in full swing planning the exciting 2012 season of the Medford Farmers Market!  We have some ideas that we think you will like, and we know you have some ideas that we will like. 

Can you take a few minutes to share your ideas?

Please click this link to take a short survey that will certainly improve our market!

Thank you!

The Medford Farmers Market Board of Directors

AppleFest Winning Recipe

Thank you so much to Julie Kaufman for submitting the winning entry to the Medford Farmers Market AppleFest Bake Off!  It was delicious!

Julie agreed to share her winning recipe on one condition- everyone can enjoy it, but please do not enter it in next year's AppleFest Bake Off. 

Here it is

Ritz Fruit Crisp

1 1/2 c. Ritz cracker crumbs (about 40 crackers)

1/4 c. flour

1 1/4 c. brown sugar

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

(1/4 tsp. ginger)

1/2 c. butter (1 stick)

4-5 c. sliced apples, peaches, etc.

1.  Combine Ritz crumbs, flour, sugar and spices.  Rub in butter until crumbly.

2.  Put half of fruit into greased dish.  Sprinkle with topping.  Add second layer.

3.  Bake until crisp is bubbly and fruit is soft; time depends on depth of pan.

4.  Crumble mixture.

Unbaked crisp can be frozen.

October 13th Newsletter

This week marks the last week of the market.  It is a bittersweet ending to a lovely season.  Please join us in celebration for a successful market year at this year's Apple Fest and Bake-Off! The Apple Fest is a family friendly event where you can learn about how apples grow and their local history, taste apple cider and different apple varieties, decorate mini pumpkins and take your Halloween costume for a practice spin. There are also around a dozen entrants into this year's apple bake-off. Stick around to find out who wins! If you'd still like to enter the Bake-Off, here are the details: Join your fellow neighbors for a friendly competition judged by Mayor McGlynn, Whole Foods, and market vendors. Bring your favorite and most prized home-baked apple dessert (pie, tart, muffins, crisp, you name it!) to the market for tasting by 5:30pm, as judging will begin at 6pm. The winner will receive a gift basket of goods from the market. To enter your dessert in the contest, email medfordfarmersmarket@gmail.com. And don't forget to invite your friends through our facebook event page! Fruitfully yours,  The Board of Directors of the Medford Farmers Market   Susan Fairchild, President   Michael Quinn, Treasurer   Heather S. Hannon, Clerk   Syrah McGivern   Marc Gurton    Let Us Entertain You This week's entertainment and events Apple Fest is going to be bushels of fun!  From 3 to 7 you can enjoy free pumpkin painting for kids, apple & apple cider tasting, and learn about apple growing in Massachusetts.  Don't forget to come in time for the Bake-Off judging. We've got around a dozen contestants competing to be crowned this year's Medford Farmers Market Apple Bake-Off champion and a slew of judges eager to taste the best that Medford has to offer.  The judging begins at 6pm.  Check out how much fun we had last year in the pictures from last year's Fest on our slideshow. From 4 to 5:30 we've got music from musician John Colvert. John has played allover the place and is the founder of New England Americana.  Get a taste of his tunes on his website.  At 5:00, contributing to the Apple-goodness, we're excited to announce a home canning workshop put on by Robin Cohen of Doves and Figs!  Robin will be demonstrating how you can take advantage of the season's bounty and continue to enjoy goods you've purchased from the market all season long!  If you can't make it to the demonstration, stop by her tent and purchase some of her preserves. She'd be happy to talk to you about the process! From 5:30 to 7 you can enjoy the guitar and vocal stylings of Tim McGivern.  Tim is a local Medford resident who can be frequently found at the Farmers Market.  Come cheer him on, and listen to his music beforehand on his myspace page. Thank you to all of our performers, educators, chefs, and innovators for a spectacular year of entertainment! Notes from the Market Manager A weekly rundown of your farmers market  Its hard to believe that this is the last week of the market!  Nevertheless, this market is shaping up to be another great one.  We've got most of our regular vendors scheduled to attend this week, except Buttergirl and Enchanted Cottage.  The farms are showing a lot of apples, fall greens and winter squash, root vegetables, and if we're really lucky, tomatoes.    For a complete list of this week's vendors, check out our website.

Your Community Table  This week we've got two community groups sharing our space.  Come check them out! Oxfam is an international confederation of 15 organizations working together in 98countries and with partners and allies around the world to find lasting solutions to poverty and injustice. The Action Corps will be on-hand to talk about food justice issues in our community and beyond.     Medford Community Housing is a non-profit Community Development Corporation dedicated to the promotion of affordablehousing in Medford.  Stop by to find out about ways that you can get involved, or find out about the state of affordable housing in the City of Medford. Apple-filled Grilled Cheese Sandwich, in Three Ways  Continuing with our Apple Month theme, here is a tasty recipe for an apple-filled grilled cheese sandwich.  This classic comfort food is the latest thing to go gourmet.  You can now buy fancy cheese sandwiches at two different food trucks in Boston, and restaurants are featuring a feat of cheeses to please your palate.  But why pay restaraunt prices for a dish you can easilly whip up at home?!  There are just as many ways to make appley-grilled cheese sandwiches as there are apple varieties.  Here are a couple of tips for making your own!  Sweet-tart apples like McIntosh or Cortland seem to be the best varieties for these sandwiches, but of course, feel free to experiment!    The Classic: On a multi-grain or rye bread melt a traditional sharp cheddar or jack.  Add caramelized onions or bacon for an extra dash of flavor. The Sweet-tooth: Layer gruyere, honey and a crisp green or yellow apple on sweet or white bread.  Grill it or eat it cold as a quick snack! The Artisan:  On sourdough bread, layer goat cheese, apple and arugula and toast well.  Sprouts and grilled mushrooms are also welcome additions to this spread.

October 6th Newsletter

Greetings!    "A Bag, A Buck, A Brand New Shirt" promotion continues this week! Stop at the Market Manager's Tent and pick up a specially colored card.  Shop with at least four vendors, getting a punch in the card at each one.  Bring your card back to the market manager's tent and you get a prize! Next week we're having our annual Apple Fest, complete with a whole host of activities.  You can enter the apple bake-off, learn about how apples grow and their local history, taste apple cider and different apple varieties, decorate mini pumpkins and take your Halloween costume for a practice spin. Win tasty prizes from the market! Bake-Off Details: Join your fellow neighbors for a friendly competition judged by Mayor McGlynn, Whole Foods, and market vendors. Bring your favorite and most prized home-baked apple dessert (pie, tart, muffins, crisp, you name it!) to the market for tasting by 5:30pm, as judging will begin at 6pm. The winner will receive a gift basket of goods from the market. To enter your dessert in the contest, email medfordfarmersmarket@gmail.com by October 10th. And don't forget to invite your friends through our facebook event page! Fruitfully yours,  The Board of Directors of the Medford Farmers Market   Susan Fairchild, President   Michael Quinn, Treasurer   Heather S. Hannon, Clerk   Syrah McGivern   Marc Gurton    Let Us Entertain You This week's entertainment and events Some of our farmers do more than just grow food; they also play music!  Come on down to the market this week between 3 and 5 for a chance to catch Eric Lipseir of Brigham Farms cover a Johnny Cash song or two.  Eric will be stepping away from the Brigham tent for a little while to treat your ears to some tunes.  Maybe you'll want to sing along!    In case you missed her a few weeks ago, stop by the entertainment booth from 5 to7 to find out more about the Chiropractic services provided by Dr. Molly Oullette, founder of Jade Chiropractic in Arlington. Dr. Ouellette believes in treating the root cause of the problem, not just the symptoms.  To find the root cause of any problem, she investigates influencing factors such as posture, daily activities, muscle imbalances, dietary influences, and gait. This approach will allow her to fully diagnose and treat each patient as an individual.  If you'd like to sing, dance, lead an activity, or otherwise capture the spotlight at our market, send us an email. Notes from the Market Manager A weekly rundown of your farmers market  Sun is finally forecast for a market day!  Now is the time to stock up on your late summer vegetables and can them while you can.  Our farms still have tomatoes, eggplant, and other summer goodness, but it's definitely fall at our market.  Brigham has a nice selection of mums to get you in to the spirit of things, and Springbrook has all sorts of squash.   Seacoast Butters will be with us for the rest of the season, so if you haven't stopped by to taste their tasty infusions, you still can! Good weather means When Pigs Fly, the Enchanted Cottage, and Buttergirl Baking Co are back this week.  No need to go anywhere else for your baked good needs!  For a complete list of this week's vendors, check out our website.

Your Community Table  This week we've got two community groups sharing our space.  Come check them out!   Green Medford educates the Medford community on our environmental impact, and empowers us to make more sustainable energy, transportation, and food choices. The West Medford Community Center was re-built in 2007 as a forum to connect the diverse people of West Medford and the Mystic River Valley through social, educational, cultural, health and recreational activities. Recipe for Apple Cabbage Slaw  Originally posted at fete. October is officially Apple Month.  That's right!  A whole month devoted to apples.  What better way to celebrate than coming down to the market and securing all the fixins for this lovely apple cabbage slaw. Picture courtesy of fete. Ingredients: 1 medium head of green cabbage, cored and chopped fine 2 teaspoons salt 2 Granny Smith apples, cored and cut into thin matchsticks 2 scallions, sliced thin 6 tablespoons vegetable oil 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar 1/2 cup sugar 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1/4 teaspoons red pepper flakes Toss cabbage and salt in colander set over medium bowl. Let stand until wilted, about 1 hour. Rinse cabbage under cold water, drain, dry well with paper towels, and transfer to large bowl. Add apples and scallions and toss to combine. Bring oil, vinegar, sugar, mustard, and pepper flakes to boil in saucepan over medium heat. Pour over cabbage mixture and toss to coat. Cover with plastic and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 1 day. Serve.