 |
Market News
-----------------
Its
National Farmers Market Week and HFM has got everything you need to celebrate! From farm fresh produce to strong local economies, farmers markets provide countless benefits to our communities. Stop by our info booth to grab your "
I <3 Farmers Markets" temporary tattoo and purchase an HFM T-shirt, bag, or hat to show off your farmers market pride!
|
With summer produce at its peak, berry season almost over, and tomatoes in their prime, now is the time to get preserving! Stop by
Flying Coyote Farm,
Deep Roots Farm, and
Big B Farm to pick up flats of tomatoes for canning, then head over to
Unger Farms,
Liepold Farms, and
Happy Harvest Farm for a flat of berries to freeze and jam.
|
Its August and that means we've got an abundance of eggplants! Pick some up from
Winter Green Farm,
Sun Gold Farm,
Sweet Leaf Farm, or
Naked Acres Farm this Saturday to grill, roast, stew, blend into dip, cover in parmesan and more.
|
Shelling beans, Asian long beans, dried beans, snap beans and more! Our vendors have got loads of varieties ready to fill your market bag with this Saturday.
|
Got any extra shopping bags laying around? We
collect durable, reusable shopping bags for community use at the market. If you have any extra you can part with, please leave them in the metal bins on either end of Hancock St for any forgetful shoppers to grab.
|
Power of Produce kids program continues every Saturday!
-------------------
Remember, we'll be offering
free, fun and educational kids activities
(for ages 5 to 12)
EVERY SATURDAY
at the farmers market through September 1st. And kids who participate get
$2 in farmers market tokens
to spend on fruits and veggies. Stop by the POP Club booth this Saturday and join in!
|
It's Time for Thyme!
-------------------
by Susan Gibson, HFM volunteer
(This article is part of a series, Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme, which explores the many uses of locally-grown herbs).
Thyme has been used since the beginning of time- no pun intended. We most often associate this herb with culinary uses, but before we dive into how to grow and consume it, check out these fascinating facts.
|
Thyme, botanically known as Thymus Vulgaris, has been used since ancient times not only for culinary purposes but for also medicinal purposes as well as other fascinating uses. Thyme’s uses have included: embalming, incense, bathwater, cheese flavoring, alcoholic beverages, and easing the side effects of a hangover. The Romans are known to have offered it as a cure for reproductive ailments, melancholy or shyness. During the Middle Ages, it was thought to bring courage, and women would embroider a sprig of thyme into the scarves they gave to their errant knights going into battle. When the Black Death swept across Europe in the 1340s, posies of thyme were worn for protection.
So with the extraneous facts out of the way, let’s talk about current day uses in food. What is this magical herb called thyme? Indigenous to the area around the Mediterranean and southern Europe, thyme is a fragrant perennial herb that is part of the mint family and grows as a low shrub or ground cover. It is one of the sturdiest and most versatile of Mediterranean herbs. Most varieties are frost-hardy, small, aromatic evergreen perennials that flower late spring to mid summer. While it is typically found in warmer climates, don’t let this put you off from trying one of the many varieties that can be grown in Portland. I grow thyme outside year round. Just look for a variety that does well in our particular climate.
Thyme is also an exceptionally easy herb to grow and can produce abundantly in both containers and/or home gardens. The plants thrive in a dry, sunny location (at least four hours of direct sun). Most culinary thymes grow 6-12" tall and combine very well with other culinary herbs such as parsley, sage, rosemary, and lavender. There are varieties of thyme that are used exclusively for ground cover such as wooly thyme, and they should not be used for culinary purposes.
Propagation is accomplished through seeds, cuttings, or dividing rooted sections of the plant. It is low growing and makes an attractive addition in rock gardens, along garden walls, or on stone paths. Plant in spring after the last frost. Thereafter it grows as a perennial. I use rain gutters on a fence, and a single, small plant produces enough thyme for all my needs. They often get leggy after three years when they can be sheared back and rejuvenated, or replaced.
Thyme grows in long, thin sprigs with tiny spear-shaped green leaves. Its grayish-green leaves rarely are greater than one-fourth inch long. In early spring, small delicate flowers emerge and can be used as well as the leaves and sprigs in food preparation. Thyme is sold both fresh and dried. While summer-seasonal, fresh greenhouse thyme is often available year round. Fresh or dried the leaves are good for cooking, though fresh is more aromatic and flavourful, but also less convenient since its storage life is rarely more than a week. However, the fresh form can last many months if carefully frozen.
Fresh thyme is commonly sold in bunches of sprigs. A sprig is a single stem snipped from the plant and it is composed of a woody stem with paired leaf or flower clusters ("leaves"). Depending on how it is used in a dish, the whole sprig may be used (e.g., in a bouquet garni), or the leaves removed and the stems discarded. A recipe may measure thyme by the bunch (or fraction thereof), by the sprig, or by the tablespoon or teaspoon.
Usually, when a recipe specifies "a bunch" or "a sprig", it means the whole form; when it specifies spoons, it means the leaves. The leaves are the most common part of the plant used in cooking, though the stems can be used for seasoning a soup or braise if removed before serving. Leaves are easily removed from the stem either by scraping with the back of a knife or by pulling through the fingers or tines of a fork. It is perfectly acceptable to substitute dried for fresh thyme.
|
|
|
|
Entertainment and Events
-------
----------
Music
Olivia and Rene
Community Booths
POP Club Activity
Melon Tasting!
|
Vendors at Market on
August 11th
|
Featured Products
August 11th, 2018
|
Padron Peppers
Sun Gold Farm
Padrons are small, sweet peppers, great grilled or pan-fried with olive oil, and then sprinkled with salt. Right now, they are pretty much all mild, but as we get later in the summer, watch out! - a small minority of padrons will be hotter.
Rio Santiam Goat Cheese
Fraga Farm
One of two Fraga Farm cheeses made with raw milk (the other is their feta), the Rio Santiam is aged for several months, and has a complex flavor, almost reminiscent of an aged cheddar. It's also hard enough to grate finely and use as a substitute for parmesan.
|
Looking for a farmers market to pick up some midweek groceries?
|
Tuesdays 10am-2pm
Year Round!
|
|
|
