Hey Tuesday Market Friends --

For the first time in close to 4 years, Ben has passed off the writing of this newsletter to me: Oona. My plan is to be as quirky, inviting, and funny as Ben with some of my own storytelling and food politics thrown in. And his photographs, of course.

Despite the rain again last week, you all turned out for the great beauty & deliciousness. That's part of why I love Tuesday Market. Weather doesn't keep you away. So here's what's in store for this week and what you maybe missed last week.

We are please to have Cricket Creek Farm from Williamstown at our market this season. I was struck last week by the incredible flavor of their grass-fed cow cheese and the amazing patterns on the rinds. Nicole, who was working the stand at the market this week, said that one of the cheeses that they make was traditionally pressed into its shape using straw. The pattern of the current mold they use works to replicate that visual of straw pressed into cheese. Food=Art=Work=Delicious.

This week our recipes focus on wonderful spring eggs. Before the loads of vegetables arrive, hens are out eating green grass and turning it into unparalleled golden-yolked eggs (the kind you can never find at a grocery store). And in our family, one of the magical things about eggs is that you can sneak just about any vegetable into them and they'll get gobbled up by veggie-phobic kids. Take your pick from the eggs at Crabapple Farm, Old Friends Farm, Mockingbird Farm, and Town Farm this week. 

If you're looking for new ideas for preparing eggs, try these: A delicious Frittata, which I think of as an omelette that doesn't require any flipping and is still good the next day for lunch. And a Maple Custard. This recipe is about as easy as it can get and is oh-so-good! You can pair it with fresh fruit or cooked fruit or the delicious spreads and jams from Bug Hill Farm and Beaumont's Berries.

How many laying hens do each of these farms currently have? Go ask! The first three people to get us a correct answer at the Tuesday Market stand will receive a $5 token to spend at the market (maybe on some eggs!). You can also pick up recipe cards at the market stand to take home.

In addition to our egg recipes you can find a ramp pesto recipe (ramps are wild onions available just during this time of year) on our website thanks to Paul from New England Wild Edibles. Paul also has – for a limited time – watercress fresh from an idyllic stream. And to make your table truly a pleasure to sit at, find a bouquet of Sweet William from Old Friends Farm this week. Missy says that most flowers are bred to have no smell but Sweet William's have not succumbed to that fate. They are sweet smelling carnations and this is their moment. 

Peter Blanchette – the famed instrument inventor, orchestra conductor and master musician – will be back at the market this week plucking his archguitar strings. Come listen and grow your brain with the intricate classical pieces. 

The artist of the week (yes, there will be one artisan a week for the whole season) is Debby Reelitz who will be bringing her beautiful calligraphied tshirts with some good market messages: Eat Fresh, Powered by Kale, etc...

Green River Ambrosia will also be back this week tasting and selling their fabulous mead.

The prize for first carrots of the season goes to Old Friends Farm, and the prize for first strawberries goes to Enterprise Farm. And what's the prize? Your delighted faces, of course.

You might have already seen the results of the recent contest in the NY Times Magazine to write an ethical argument for eating meat. The contest winner ran last Sunday. It's a great essay -- definitely worth a read, and the overview of the contest – including the sheer number of people who responded with essays and with comments – is fascinatng as well.

OK, that's all. See you at market!

Tuesday Market is located next to the parking garage in downtown Northampton.

We are open from 1:30 - 6:30.

Hello Friends –

What a wonderful opening day we had last week! Neither the rain nor the cool spring temps could keep our hearty customers from coming by to catch up with our farmers, and to take home the early-May goodness in the form of wine! radishes! cucumbers! arugula! sausages! maple syrup! salad mix! asparagus! There was so much food at market (for May 1st, at least). It was a special pleasure to watch peoples' faces as they took in the abundance. Can you believe that the soil of our valley makes all of this? Check out some of the pictures at the bottom of this newsletter.

Each month we'll be featuring a recipe for a seasonal pizza. This month it's Arugula, Mushroom, & Sausage Pizza. The great thing about pizza, of course, is that you can tailor-make it to the different members of your household. Here in our house, Oona puts yummy vegetables and more flavorful cheeses on one half, and straight-up tomato sauce and mild cheese on the other. This is, ostensibly, because the kids want it easy, although they never fail to wolf down the "adult" side as well.

Buy a ready-made pizza crust from the store, or make your own if you have something to prove. If you're cooking gluten-free, it doesn't get better than this recipe, which Oona makes whenever we badger her enough times. Our boys, who are not technically gluten-free, think all other pizza tastes weird.

Another pleasure from our first market was the fiddle and mandolin playing from Baron Colins-Hill and Zoe Darrow. They were so good! I only learned later that Zoe is an internationally known, award-winning fiddler. At the time I was just tapping my feet and enjoying the music. And guess what – they're playing again this week, and they'll have CDs available for you to bring home. Thanks Baron & Zoe!

This year, Tuesday Market has more vendors than ever, and that's not just good news for your dinner-table, it's good news for your garden as well. I want to welcome Bear Root Herb Farm to the market. Lauren and Danielle grow vibrant, beautiful bedding plants, from vegetables and culinary herbs to hard-to-find medicinals like evening primrose & stevia. And of course there are tons of garden starts to be found at Sangha Farm, Enterprise Farm, and Crabapple Farm as well. Each of our farmers is full of knowledge and would be happy to advise you on how to best use the plants in your garden. Just ask!

This year we've booked a featured artist or craftsperson for every week of the season, starting with Lou's Upcycles. Lou makes useful and beautiful items from all of our discarded waste. Very cool stuff, and his blog is a trove of information.

Chef Daniel Martinez has been busy running Bistro Les Gras, starting his new restaurant – GRUB – and even offering an occasional cooking class at Different Drummers' Kitchen. This Tuesday's class is A Seafood Feast and it sounds incredible. At market, Daniel will have Wild Ramp and Potato Soup from BLG, and Spicy Peanut Noodles from GRUB.

Amanda & Cakery Dauphine join Daniel under the Bistro tent with Pistachio Rhubarb Cupcakes and Salted Chocolate Caramel Cupcakes! Yesssss.

Two new vendors – Black Birch Vineyard & Carr's Ciderhouse – will be offering samples of their wine and hard cider at market this week. The beverages are delicious - really - but I'll have to leave it to the experts to offer a professional discussion of their flavors. What I want to talk about is the labels. Both of these young businesses have serious style! Check them out online, or – if you happen to like real, actual people – come by the market and say Hi.

Mim advises spending some time on Happyolks. Awesome recipes & sweet designs. Here in particular is a lovely and extremely pertinent recipe, as long as you show up at market in time to get some of the much-coveted asparagus. But if you miss the asparagus, the market is still loaded with wonderful spring greens, scallions & green garlic, salad turnips, radishes, eggs, lettuce, and so much more.

Hey, sorry if you're having trouble finding the market tent and the credit/debit/ebt machine. We're having some wireless signal issues and need to to move it around to find the best location. Just look for the lavender-colored tent and you'll find us. Thanks!

Can't wait to see you on Tuesday!

Tuesday Market is located next to the parking garage in Downrown Northampton.

We are open from 1:30 - 6:30.

Hi Friends –

I am thrilled to announce that Tuesday Market begins its fourth season this Tuesday, May 1st! Come on down to hear Baron Collins Hill and his Band. Meet some of our newest vendors, including Black Birch Vineyard, Hosta Hill (yay Tempeh!), and Goldthread Organic Herb Farm (more about all the new vendors next week). And go ahead and pick up a couple of our new recipe cards from Mim at the Tuesday Market Tent.

This week's featured recipes are Salad Turnips Sauteed in Butter and Three Dressings for Lots of Salads. Please admire the artwork on our recipe cards. They are made by friend Laura Protzel. Thanks Laura!

I'm sure you haven't forgotten that Tuesday Market doubles the value of food stamps (SNAP benefits), but here's some new news. Through a collaboration with the Food Bank of Western Mass, our staff is now trained to provide information and to screen potential SNAP recipients right at market. Once you've filled out an application, we will provide $5 in market tokens to likely SNAP recipients (from our FoodStampsX2 program), just to make sure you leave the market with something fresh and delicious!

It's a tradition: Town Farm brings goat kids to market this week. This year it's triplets – Aspen, Thorn, & Lava (the second graders at Jackson Street School know them already). Come at 3:30 and you might get a chance to help bottle-feed them! Also check out the kids' art projects from 2:30 - 5:30 under the trees in the center of the plaza.

Hey, we want to know what you cooked! Stop by and tell us next week, or keep us posted on our Facebook page. What did you make with the gorgeous food you brought home from Tuesday Market? Post pictures, post recipes, post descriptions of your darling's face after he or she took their first bite. Post your favorite pictures from the market, too!

So, people, I know it's May 1st – early spring and all – but Tuesday Market has FOOD: Salad mix, shitake mushrooms, wild ramps, green garlic, jams, salad turnips, arugula, asparagus, kale, collards, nettles, eggs, lamb, pork, and much more! As always, come early for asparagus. We can't wait to see you there.

Tuesday Market is located next to the parking garage in downtown Northampton.

We are open from 1:30 to 6:30. The first hour in the parking garage is always free.

Crabapple Farm, Chesterfield, MA

Enterprise Farm, Whately MA

Crimson and Clover, Northampton MA

Sangha Farm, Ashfield MA

Green Meadows Farm, Northampton MA

Town Farm, Northampton MA

Mushrooms from New England Wild Edibles

Jam from Beaumont's Berries

Cordials, Spreads, and Elixirs from Bug Hill Farm

Mead from Green Mountain Ambrosia – (2nd & 4th Tuesday of every month)

Lobsters, Scallops and Seafood from Bershore

Teas from Goldthread Apothecary

Tempeh, Saurkraut and Kinchi from Hosta Hill

Honey and Pollen from Red Barn Honey

Local and Regional Wines from Black Birch Vineyards

Apex Orchard

Town Farm, Northampton MA

Crimson and Clover Farm, Northampton MA

Bug Hill Farm, Ashfield MA

Old Friends Farm, Amherst MA

Bear Root Herb Farm, Florence MA

Crabapple Farm, Chesterfield MA

Enterprise Farm

Goldthread Apothicary, Florence MA

Sangha Farm, Ashfield MA

Leyden Glen Farm

Hosta Hill, Housatonic MA

Crabapple Farm, Chesterfield MA

Town Farm, Northampton MA

El Jardin Bakery, South Deerfield MA

Hosta Hill, Housatonic MA 

The Woodstar Cafe, Northampton MA

Oona: Welcome to Tuesday Market, Mim. We're really excited to have you on board this year. I have a few questions to help everyone out there get to know you a little better. Tell me one of your favorite memories of growing up on your family's homestead in rural Vermont.

Mim: Well, we had pigs that my two sisters and I would often play with. They lived in the foundation of an old house. We always rode around on their backs and scratched them and gave them girly hyphenated names like Shirly-Pinecone and Bonny-Bacon. Our farm is named Rosefire Farm after a TS Eliot poem that my parents read at their wedding.

Oona: What connections do you draw between your organizing work with teens and teen moms and managing a farmers market?

Mim: I guess it's a combination of all the logistics of who will be where when, and the overall nutritional focus of the job.

Oona: Describe your personal cooking style.

Mim: Lots of veggies and lots of canning and measuring spices in the palm of my hand.

Oona: What new things at Tuesday Market this season are you most excited about?

Mim: I'm really excited about the focus on simple recipes so that cooking can seem less daunting to people. I'm looking forward to helping folks try new products and vegetables.

Oona: Do you like people or vegetables better?

Mim: I like people, but I REALLY like fennel and radishes.