Shoppers may notice that vendors Jan and Rudy Montgomery (J & R Farms) are not at the market this September and October.

The 2008 spring flooding is still plaguing most farmers in the Spring Green area. Jan and Rudy's late season crops were all ruined so they have nothing to sell.

Fields may look all right as you drive by but the ground is still so saturated that equipment can't get into the field without getting stuck in the mud.

We will miss their bright lime green shirts, warm friendliness, mischievous humor and wonderful squash, pumpkins, and other fall goodies.

We wish them well over the winter and we wish them a normal level of precipitation so they can have a prosperous year next year. We will be glad to see their smiling faces again next May when the market opens for the 2009 season. If you'd like to receive news from Jan about their return next spring or just wish them well, you can send an email to Jan.

A few weeks ago, at the height of berry season, we were eating a lot of shortcake. So my weekly trip to the Northside Farmers Market always included a stop at Blue Marble Dairy for a pint of delicious whipping cream. On this particular morning I was later than usual, and all of the pints of cream had been sold. The only option was to buy a half-gallon.

What in the world would I do with a half-gallon of whipping cream, I asked. Make butter, of course.

Really? Butter? I had never attempted it, but curiosity got the better of me. Working with local, natural foods is a passion, so this could be good fun.

These days, churning butter is not the manual process that our grandparents endured. No, my Kitchenaid mixer was the only equipment needed.

Here is a description of the process:

Step 1: Separate out a pint of whipping cream for later use.

Step 2: Pour the remaining cream into the mixer bowl.

Step 3: Whip it! As the cream becomes thicker and thicker, it remains white until that magical moment when it becomes butter. And it does happen in an instant. All of a sudden, the whey separates from the cream and the solids become yellow. Just like that, WHAM!

 

How good is it, you ask? Fabulous. I had never tasted such pure delight. We ended up with almost four pounds of butter, which was used in no time. When calculating whether this was an economical solution, it seems that the cost per pound is higher than regular unsalted butter. But when you take into account that this is fresh, organic butter, the cost is right in line with similar options.

Music and Food this Sunday...

at our 4th Annual Harvest Festival on September 7

Celebrate 2008's summer bounty with your Northside Farmers Market friends.

Foods for sale from approximately 9:30 to noon: High Cliff Camp Chili, Arizona Veggie Chili, Corned Beef Hash & Scrambled Eggs

Music by "OLD COOL" from 11-noon. A fun group who performed at the winter market and earlier this season.

Our NFM Vendors anticipate these new products at the September 7 market:
  
– Chocolate zucchini bread
– Apples (more varieties)
– Squash and pumpkins
– New! Pork
– New! Coffee Caramel
– New! Tomato Jam

What else you'll find at the market:

Alaches, Angus beef, basil, beets, bell peppers, bison, bok choy, cabbage, cauliflower, cheese (Asiago, curds, parmesan, provolone, romano, swiss), chocolates, cilantro, cipollini onions, collard greens, corn, cucumbers, elk and red deer meat, espazote, farm-fresh chicken, fresh eggs, gourmet brats and grilling sausages, green beans, green onions, herbs, honey, hot peppers, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, maple syrup, milk, mint, multi-colored peppers, okra, papaldos, parsley, pears, pepichas, potatoes, preserves, radishes, shallots, snow peas, sour cream, spinach, squash flowers, sweet candy onions, sweet peas, swiss chard, tomatillos, tomatoes, yogurt, zucchini.

Fresh fruit juices, smoothies, coffee, biscotti, healthy and delicious cookies and fresh bakery every Sunday.

This list could change due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances.

Ingredients
4 cups coarse bread crumbs
1/2 cup melted butter
4 apples, peeled and sliced
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons dry sherry
Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream for serving

Directions
1. Stir together bread crumbs and butter; set aside.

2. In large bowl, combine sliced apples, brown sugar, lemon juice and spices and blend well.

3. Spread 1 cup of bread crumbs mixture in bottom of greased 2-quart casserole and top with one third of apple mixture. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sherry.

4. Repeat #3 two more times for a total of three layers.

5. Top with remaining bread crumbs.

6. Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes in a 375° F oven. Remove foil and bake 30 minutes longer. Serve warm (not hot) with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.