WILD HARE WEEKLY, SUMMER #10

It is the first week of August, and across the United States, we get a chance to honor just how delicious, vibrant and vital Farmers Markets are to our communities. We'll also be celebrating Irrigation Appreciation Week around here, given that the forecast has temps dancing around 90 degrees over the next few days. I've been lucky enough to be a market vendor on two coasts, and I can tell you that some of my favorite meals, longest days, hardest earned dollars, cherished friendships, incredibly supportive customers and greatest memories slinging vegetables for a living have come my way because of Farmers Markets. Mark and I are really honored to show our daughter the ropes these days.

I'll let you in on a little secret--Markets are really HARD, and that is coming from a farmer. We spend the day prior, harvesting, sorting, washing and properly cooling every bit of produce that you see come to market, usually harvesting more than we think we can potentially sell, because market shoppers are drawn to abundance. (If you've ever been the person to buy the very last bunch of something from our table, you're a special kind of awesome.) On Fridays, we do this prep three-fold in preparation of two markets and CSA distribution. On Saturday mornings, we're up before the sun, loading vans, using every square foot of space in the back of the van to fit all of the produce we can, surrounded by all of the tables, tents, weights, baskets, bins and bags that we need to present it to you all. It is kind of like moving or packing for a road trip three times a week, and when you arrive at your market destination, you might just have enough time to unpack it all and stage it all out in an appealing way. And then you are there for five hours actually selling, and if it hasn't rained and shoppers like what they see, you thank your lucky stars that you have less to fit back in that van at the end of the day when you repeat the whole cycle again.

We are, therefore, very fortunate to be a part of three unique but fantastic markets here locally. The staff and boards of people behind the Tacoma Farmers Market, Puyallup Farmers Market and University District go above and beyond and put an incredible amount of work into making the market days great for vendors and shoppers alike. In addition to all of the crazy marketing and logistics that come with setting up for a physical market in a place that every other part of the week is just part of the open street, the staff behind these organizations spend time applying for grants that help put fresh food into food insecure households and raising funds that incubate new businesses and support farmers who face adversity. This is all to say that there's so much more than meets the eye when it comes to Farmers Markets, and we're so thankful that ours have brought so many of you into our booths and lives. Tacoma Farmers Market is hosting theSecond Annual Grit City Gala next week on August 15th. If you'd like to support the work that this organization does for our community, and enjoy a fabulous seasonal meal, there still may be a handful of tickets left for the event.

Enjoy these hot August nights...and head out to a market this week!
Katie

Tomatoes
Scallions
Cucumbers
Zucchini and/or Summer Squash
Carrots
Plums
Blueberries

SEASONAL RECIPES & TIPS

SEASONAL RECIPES & TIPS

Healthy-ish Farmers Market Challenge - Bon Appetit

TOMATO-CUCUMBER GAZPACHO
Sunset Magazine

• 2 pounds very ripe tomatoes, seeded and roughly chopped

• 1 seedless cucumber or 1 pound Persian cucumbers, peeled and roughly chopped

• 1 red bell pepper, roughly chopped

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 tablespoon salt

• 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

• 1/4 cup diced red onion, rinsed in cold water and patted dry with paper towels (optional)

CONTINUE TO RECIPE

GRILLED SCALLIONS
Food Network Kitchen

1 bunch scallions, root ends trimmed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

CONTINUE TO RECIPE

SHIRO PLUM JAM WITH VANILLA BEAN
The Well Seasoned Cook

2 Cups Stone Fruit
Half a Lemon
Vanilla Bean

CONTINUE TO RECIPE

TRADITIONAL INDIAN RAITA
Bon Appetit

• 1/2 cup plain yogurt

• 1/2 cup chopped seeded English hothouse cucumber

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

• 2 teaspoons chopped green onions

• 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

CONTINUE TO RECIPE

SANTA ROSA PLUM GALETTE
Melissa Clark

• 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon cake flour

• ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon sugar

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces

• 8 ounces (1 package) cream cheese, chilled and cut into small pieces

FOR THE FILLING:

• 1 ¼ cups (4 ounces) blanched, sliced almonds

• ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar

• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

• 3 large eggs

• ¼ cup all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• Pinch of salt

• 10 ripe Santa Rosa plums, pitted and sliced

• Demerara sugar for sprinkling

FOR SERVING:

• Whipped creme fraiche or vanilla ice cream

CONTINUE TO RECIPE