Hey Everyone–

My favorite moment from last week's market was when a girl about eight years old walked by me saying, to no one in particular, "Oh my God, everyone I know is here. Everyone!"

I think she speaks for a lot of us, adults and kids alike. Market really is the place to be on Tuesday afternoons. Well, all of us vendors would like to say a big thanks to each of you for getting the market off to such a great start this spring. What a blast! What a pleasure it is to be in your company every Tuesday!

Today I'd like to introduce you to a few of the market's newest vendors.

I'll start with coffee artist Patrick McCaughey of Western Woods Coffee. I don't throw the word artist around all the time, but Patrick fits the bill on a number of counts, including the fact that he's completely obsessive about every detail of his hand-made operation. Here's a recent article about him. Come on down and try one of your own custom-brewed cups from Western Woods!

Also new at market this season are two food artisans who want to make your dinner-table sing. Fior D-Italia Pasta & Cheese makes small batches of fresh pasta, ravioli, gnocci, and more.

When not at Tuesday Market, Maxwell & Lauren of Chanterelle-To-Go can be found in their food truck on Main Street, Northampton, among other locations. At market they offer frozen, pre-cooked, gourmet meals like Spring Risoto and Thai Green Curry, to name a few. Eat well. Eat easy. Eat local. All at the same time.

Finally, I'd like to welcome Alissa Williams of Williams Farm in Deerfield to Tuesday Market. We've been trying for years to bring a dedicated asparagus vendor to market. Alissa is great, and she'll be with at market for as long as asparagus season lasts.

Huge thanks to The Rambling Kind for brightening our mid-May afternoon last week. This week we'll be joined by Peter Blanchette, guitar virtuoso and director of the Happy Valley Guitar Orchestra. Click here to see a video of the whole orchestra at market last fall. And welcome back, Peter!

Nancy Howard Art & Design will be showing and selling her hand-made planters and terrariums. Please stop by and check them out.

See you at market!

Lilacs from Old Friends Farm

Squash starts from Crabapple Farm

2/5ths of The Rambling Kind, who'll return later this summer!

1/2 of Wes, of BerkShore

El Jardin Bakery

Alissa from Williams Farm

Tuesday Market is located next to the parking garage in downtown Northampton. We are open from 1:30-6:30. Here is our website, where you can sign up for this newsletter.

If you want to know whether a particular vendor will be at market this week, feel free to call or text Ben at 413 262 5489.

(Tell your friends! Tell your grandmother! Here's our website where you can sign up for this newsletter.)

Friends –

Come put some food in your hands (and smile), this Tuesday at Tuesday Market.

Williams Farm will have gobs of fresh-picked asparagus.

Goldthread Herb Farm, Bug Hill Farm, and Artisan Beverage Cooperative (a.k.a. Green River Ambrosia) return for a terrific season.

Wooden bowls from Spencer Peterman.

All your usual favorites, of course –

And The Rambling Kind spins us some fine tunes.

See you there!

And a huge thanks to Matt Lorenz/The Suitcase Junket for last week's awesome show!

Tuesday Market is located next to the parking garage in downtown Northampton. We are open from 1:30-6:30. Here is our website, where you can sign up for this newsletter.

If you want to know whether a particular vendor will be at market this week, feel free to call or text Ben at 413 262 5489.

And please don't hesitate to pass this newsletter along to a friend!

Bring your upside-down, smiling self to Tuesday Market

And bring your gardening hands to Tuesday Market

Bring your bike to Tuesday Market

And bring a chair to Tuesday Market

Bring a saladish grin to Tuesday Market

And bring your brother to Tuesday Market

Hey Wes, bring the ocean to Tuesday Market

Hey Jenna, bring the pasture to Tuesday Market


 Hey Sue, bring a pizza-fire to Tuesday Market


Bring two bottles for two lambs to Tuesday Market

And OK, Missy, just bring Mabel to Tuesday Market

Never forget to bring your mustache to Tuesday Market!

 And always bring your martian friend to Tuesday Market
 

And hey – enough of this already – just bring your whole rascally, radishy self to Tuesday Market, THIS TUESDAY, where Matt Lorenz (of Rusty Belle) will make music out of his suitcase! 

 
That's it! See you there!

Tuesday Market is located next to the parking garage in downtown Northampton. We are open from 1:30-6:30. Here is our website, where you can sign up for this newsletter. If you want to know whether a particular vendor will be at market this week, feel free to call or text Ben at 413 262 5489.

And please don't hesitate to pass this newsletter along to a friend!

(to Tuesday Market where even though it is only April 30th and it even though it's just opening day there will be SO MUCH FOOD including salad turnips, asparagus, dayboat scallops, home-made pasta, arugula, aged, semi-firm, whole-milk cheese with a rustic rind, choice cuts of lamb, chocolate truffles, whole chickens, lettuce & salad mix, maple syrup, freshly-made pizza and yes, ok, radishes which is why the man is pointing the way...)
with a radish

–a haiku by Issa

See you there!

Tuesday Market is located next to the parking garage in downtown Northampton. We are open from 1:30-6:30. Here is our website. If you want to know whether a particular vendor will be at market this week, feel free to call or text Ben at 413 262 5489.

Hey! People! It's been a while. A winter's worth of snow has fallen since I last wrote, and a good portion of that snow sat on our market plaza well into April. Every time I rode my bike through the plaza I imagined all of you there, gathered around that mountain of dirty snow, waiting for some happy music to come erupting out of it. Well wait no longer! (Or, OK, wait just a little bit longer!) Tuesday Market starts April 30th, and right now I have much news to report.

Let's start with what matters. Tuesday Market welcomes two new little radishes into the bunch. Mabel was born to Missy & Philip of Old Friends Farm last December. Many of us watched the bouquets that Missy was making last season move farther and farther away from her face as that little tadpole grew in her belly. Now we say, Welcome Mabel!

And just a couple days ago, Jen & Nate from Crimson & Clover Farm brought forth little Noah. I received a picture a few minutes ago, and in the picture Noah is just smiling away. Maybe it's gas, or maybe he's laughing because his parents are farmers and he's forcing them take a whole bunch of days off in late April! You go, Noah. Don't let those parents of yours work too hard.

We are so psyched to have these new kiddos – and all of your kids – grow up at Tuesday Market.

So, maybe you noticed our new poster around town? The one of the butch fox and the femme goose all spiffed up and heading to market? Doesn't he look like he could just devour her? The poster was made by illustrator Rob Bridges, who happens to be the nicest person I've ever met on the internet. Do you know about the internet? It's that place where you can find 130 different recipes for baked cod and still feel lonely. Well, if you ever need someone to make you a poster, I cannot say enough good things about Rob Bridges. Here's his website.

Also, maybe you heard that Tuesday Market was voted Best Farmers Market in the Valley in the 2013 Best of the Valley Readers Poll. To that we say, Hey, Thanks. We are so honored. If you clicked on the link above, or if you saw us in the paper, you probably noticed it's just a picture of me and Silas, which is ridiculous, since this market is what it is because of the dozens of growers and bakers and brewers and boilers who gather together every week (not to mention all of you who come to see all of us), but still, someone had to show up for the photo shoot.

I mean, really, someone had to show up – a certain someone was given no choice, because his father had forgotten all about the photo shoot that morning and so had picked the boy up from school and dragged him to the Delaney House to get their picture taken. Who cares the kid had had a rotten day? Who cares another kid had stepped on his paper barn owl and the paper barn owl was now lost and also he'd had to write about galaxies when he wanted to write about grizzly bears? It was a rotten day. And then we're walking into the Delaney House, tears freshly rubbed from his eyes, and there are these people in nice suits and skirts and fancy shoes and they are looking down at Silas and shaking his hand, saying Congratulations! and offering him free food and candy and soda, and Silas is looking up at me – pleased, perplexed – whispering, "Poppa, Poppa, what did we win?"

"Play it cool, dude," I say. "We're representing the best farmers market in the valley."

And that's all for now. Next week I'll actually tell you about this season's market, and then – so soon! – we'll see you on Tuesday, April 30th.

For now, enjoy the blossoms!

(Tell your friends! Tell your grandmother! Here's our website where you can sign up for this newsletter.)

We hope you had a great Thanksgiving and that your table was decked out with delicious food from market. We already miss all of you, which is why I want to remind you that many of your Tuesday Market friends can be found every Saturday at the Northampton Winter Farmers Market, located on the lower level of Thornes Marketplace, every Saturday from 9 to 2, all the way through April. Bug Hill Farm, Berkshore, Crabapple Farm, Apex Orchards, Town Farm, Hosta Hill, Cricket Creek Farm, and Mockingbird Farm are all there, along with a bunch of other stellar vendors. The vegetable farms grow greens straight through the winter, and – as you know – there's no better way to stay bright and sunny through the long, cold months than eating tender greens fresh out of the ground. Come on by!

Do you know why JP & Marian from Justamere Tree Farm always look so relaxed at Tuesday Market? Because summer is their down time. Winter is when things really get cooking at their farm, first with  Christmas trees, and then in February with next year's batch of maple syrup. (OK OK, JP and Marian are actually relaxed all the time, but whatever.) Their farm is extraordinarily beautiful, and you can discover that for yourself by going and cutting your own tree anytime between now and Christmas. While you're there you can pick up all the holiday gifts you might need, including handmade brooms, maple products, and other great crafts. Check out their website for all the details.

Be well!

Hey Tuesday Market Friends --

This week's list:

Yards of tiny white lights after 5 pm

Jigs and reels from the Jewetts

The blue afternoon light of late November

Plenty plenty of good food for your oven, stove, grill, table and belly plus wonderful gifts for your friends and family

Many thanks to all of you for making and keeping our market and our farming community vibrant!

See you outside again in May! And inside this winter on Saturdays.

Here are highlighted offerings from all of this week's vendors:

Apex Orchards: Honeycrisp, Spitzenburg and Golden Russet apples

Beaumont's Berries: Low sugar, no sugar and honey-based jams are great edible gifts bringing the taste of summer to your winter table.

Berkshore: Cod and scallops and more (maybe you want to wrap your scallops in bacon before you them cook them up)

Black Birch Vineyards: Blaufrankisch, a red wine with tones of cranberry and raspberry that will pair well with your Thanksgiving meal

Bug Hill: Gooseberry Sauces called The Goose and The Blue Goose that are tangy and sweet and great for turkey or Gooseberry Fool (a simple whipped cream dessert)

The Bun Always Rises: Vegan Challah with or without poppy seeds plus Sweet Buns with golden raisins and brown sugar

Carr's Ciderhouse: Apple Pomeau -- a festive autumn hard cider blended with apple brandy and aged in an oak barrel for 18 months

Crabapple Farm: Oodles of Winter Squash (butternut, buttercup, delicata, acorn and pie pumpkins) to bake and mash and turn into pie

Cricket Creek: For $15, wheels of Maggie's Round make a great holiday present! Plus special this week, delicious baked goods made with local whole wheat, maple syrup and honey and their own dairy products. Whole oat bread and dinner rolls, maple oatmeal bread and dinner rolls, maple oat granola, Scottish shortbread and wilderness fantasy cookies.

Enterprise Farm: Brussels Sprouts! Yum.

Goldthread: Warming teas to finish off your meal and keep you warm and healthy throughout the winter

Green River Ambrosia: Winter Warmer and Bourbon Cyzer Mead aged in recycled Jack Daniels Barrels all made from local honey

Hosta Hill: Traditional Korean kimchi made with napa cabbage and fish sauce

Justamere: Holiday Gift Boxes full of an assortment of maple products plus ANYONE that stops by Justamere at market on Tuesday, gets a FREE maple candy!

Leyden Glen: Lamb Shoulder Chops to use in Mrouzia

Mockingbird: Roasting Chickens

Next Barn Over CSA: Apple, apple-cranberry, wild blueberry, pumpkin, sweet potato, pecan, maple-walnut, strawberry-rhubarb, and peach-blueberry rustic PIES plus cranberry-nut bread and pie crust all made from local organic ingredients

Old Friends Farm: Micro greens for decoration and salads and sweet potatoes on sale for $1.50/lb

Red Barn Honey: 3 shades and seasons of honey -- light, amber, and dark.

Sangha: Spiced pumpkin chevre and spiced pumpkin chevre truffles

Sweet Roots Gardens and Arms of Eden: Lavender Lovies kits -- a simple felt sewing project stuffed with their farm's lavender

The Laughing Tomato: The Magic Mushroom Medley Pizza made from NE Wild Edibles exotic mushrooms, leeks, roasted garlic paste and brie cheese.

Town Farm: Celery for stuffing and for soup

We look forward to the Tuesday Market Counting Book -- 2013 release date

Here Are All The Vendors Who Come Every Week:

Apex Orchards

Beaumont's Berries

BerkShore

Black Birch Vineyards

Bug Hill Farm

Crabapple Farm

Cricket Creek

Crimson and Clover, done for the season

El Jardin Bakery

Enterprise Farm

Goldthread Herb Farm and Apothecary

Hosta Hill Provisions

Justamere Tree Farm

Leyden Glen

Mockingbird Farm

NE Wild Edibles, done for the season

Old Friends Farm

Red Barn Honey

Sangha Farm

The Laughing Tomato

Town Farm

Here Are All The Vendors Who Come Two Times Per Month and Will Be at Market THIS WEEK: 

     GReeGreen River AmbrosiaGreen River AmbrosGreen River Ambrosia

      Carr's Cider

Today's Artist:

      Malea Rhodes, Potter
Sun, 18 Nov 2012 15:23:49 -0600

Hey Tuesday Market Friends --

We are nearing the end of a wonderful season of Tuesdays with all of you. But before we put our tents into the barn for the winter and head inside for the Northampton and Amherst Winter Markets, we want to supply your Thanksgiving table with the best local food around.

Whether it's mashed sweet potatoes with maple syrup, stuffing packed with sourdough bread and celery, a leg of lamb, an apple tart, buttery mashed potatoes, a lovely bottle of wine, or a tender & delicious green salad, Tuesday Market will supply you with the ingredients you need to make your Thanksgiving wonderful. In next week's newsletter, we will be even more specific about what each vendor will have to offer. For now, please let all your friends know that they'll be able to get most of their Thanksgiving shopping done on Tuesday afternoon, right here in downtown Northampton.

But that's enough about next week. Here are all the vendors that will be at market this week. And before the Thanksgiving hustle, make some simple Pickled Ginger and keep it in your fridge for a couple months to add to sushi or rice salads. Or throw together this Wild Mushroom Veggie Burger.

Here's Old Friends Farm and Town Farm selling vegetables in the dark—

And while you're thinking about yummy food and being thankful, we have one last plug for your support of our FoodStampsX2 program at the market:

As we look toward Thanksgiving this year, we know we have many reasons for gratitude, not the least of which is the ease we feel about our ability to cook a beautiful, bountiful, locally sourced, healthy and delicious holiday meal. The last Tuesday Market helps us with this meal as it falls just two days before Thanksgiving.

We also appreciate on this Thanksgiving that, at Tuesday Market, we help many families receiving SNAP benefits (Food Stamps) have access to healthy, delicious local food by doubling the value of their SNAP benefits at our market every week. Over fifty individuals and families use and double their benefits every week at the market.

In order to double SNAP benefits, the market raises $300 per SNAP user for the whole market season. We have $2500 left in our $12,000 goal for this year—that’s enough to fund benefits this season and give us a cushion to start off again in 2013.

Can you help us make this Thanksgiving more easeful for someone else? Please give toward the wish of bounty—and healthy, local, beautiful food—for all.

And work on your pies this holiday, in anticipation of next year’s Tuesday Market Pie Contest!

You can bring your donations to the market tent over the next 2 weeks or mail it to us Tuesday Market, 1 Venturers Field Rd., Northampton, MA 01060. Tax-deductible donations should be made out to Federation of Mass. Farmers Markets and non-tax-deductible to Tuesday Market.

With gratitude and best wishes,

Oona Coy, Ben James, and Sarah Buttenwieser

THANK YOU!

Happy Man Happy Head of Tatsoi from Town Farm

Hey Tuesday Market Friends --

We missed you last week, but we hope that if you came to market and found the plaza empty, you found a carrot or an apple to hold you over until this week. There will be plenty more carrots and apples at market this week including the beautiful and delicious russet apples pictured here. November is a month of plenty.

Crabapple Farm will have grass-fed beef and lamb including beef kabob that you can grill or make into a quick stew full of root vegetables because of its tenderness. Cricket Creek Farm will have their bratwurst (German) and chorizo (spicy Mexican) sausages to add to any meal -- also all grass-fed beef. Berkshore will be back with scallops and fish. And of course there will be vegetables to fill those soup pots and salad bowls and bellies. The list of all the vendors at market this week.

Here are some recipes from great food blogs in quick succession. Apple Cider Caramels from Smitten Kitchen. The skinny on parsnips from Food 52. Thai Carrot Soup from Happyolks. And Chicken and Mushroom and Shallot Fettucine from (not so)urban hennery. By the way, if you're wondering how you're going to get chicken breasts at the market, consider buying a whole chicken, cutting off the breasts yourself and using the rest of the bird for a great chicken soup.

For the first time this season, a new vegan bakery, The Bun Also Rises, will be selling their delicious challah at market. Lyla Denburg, one of our first interns two years ago, is the baker. So come by to have a taste -- they say you can't tell it's vegan at all.

Petermans Wooden Boards and Bowls is the artisan of the week -- beautifully crafted functional kitchen art that has made Oprah's "O" list 3 times.

Manou from The Black Rebels will be setting the groove for the day with his reggae beats and compelling voice and words.

And there will be paper bag mask making with Zoe who is so incredible at finding and reusing recycled materials for art projects. Come play with her.

See you there!

Dark Buckwheat Honey

This Guy Biked from Seattle and Got Some Maple Syrup to Take Back