1. food and drink
2. food
3. salads

A Publication of Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association
April 2015
Market Thymes
In This Issue
•
Spring is in the Air
•
What’s in Season
•
Shelly’s Farm Fresh & the
New Animal Cage Law
•
Peas, Please
•
Purslane
•
April Recipes
•
Natural Egg Dyes for
Easter
•
Farm to Fork Bill
Pastured Chickens, Shelly’s Farm Fresh, Brentwood.
Photo by Shelly’s Farm Fresh.
Spring is in the Air
With April being a kind of an “in-between” month for many fruits and
vegetables, and the weather notorious for its unpredictability, winter
produce like chard, broccoli, cauliflower, and beets are still producing
well, and citrus continues to be available, but tapering off. Flowers
and nursery stock are in full production, and orchards will soon bring
forth apricots, cherries, and other stonefruit.
•
Asparagus, spring lettuce, fava beans, peas, and green onions are
here now, while cherries, apricots, blueberries, and raspberries
arrive in another month or so, depending on weather conditions.
•
All kinds of greens are filling the farmers’ market tables. Gather up
some baby spinach, bok choy, arugula, red and green leaf lettuce,
and enjoy the fresh flavors of spring.
•
Pick up some farm-fresh eggs for Easter brunches and eggdyeing. Try natural egg dyes instead of synthetic.
What’s in Season
Fruit: Lemons, limes, oranges,
raspberries, strawberries.
Vegetables: Artichokes,
asparagus, beets, bok choy,
broccoli, Brussels sprouts,
cabbage, carrots, cauliflower,
celery, celeriac, chard,
garlic, endive, kale, kohlrabi,
fava beans, leeks, lettuce,
mushrooms, onions, parsnips,
peas, potatoes, radishes,
spinach, sweet potatoes, turnips.
Other Market Products: Cut
flowers, dried fruits and nuts,
pure local honey, olive oils and
balsamic vinegars, bakery items,
hot gourmet foods.
Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association
Our mission is to establish and operate community-supported certified farmers’ markets and other direct marketing
outlets that provide: viable economic opportunities for California farmers and food producers with emphasis on
family farms, local access to farm fresh products, support for local businesses and community organizations, and
education concerning food, nutrition and the sustainability of California agriculture.
Shelly’s Farm Fresh - Egg Production & the New Cage Law
You’ve probably noticed that egg prices in California are higher, with cartons costing as much as a dollar
more than last year, and the state’s new chicken cage requirements are being blamed for the increases. The
law requires that each egg-laying hen have at least 116 square inches in a cage to spread its wings. The voters
decided that extreme confinement of laying hens is inhumane and unacceptable.
The law, Proposition 2, the California Standards for Confining Farm Animals Act, was passed in 2008 with a
six-year window with which to comply going into effect on January 1, 2015. This has caused many farmers to
reduce the number of birds they house in existing facilities, or modify the caging systems they already have,
which they say is expensive. This means the costs are passed to the consumer and eggs now cost more.
Shelly McMahon of Shelly’s Farm Fresh in Brentwood says, “The only change that we have made due to the
new caging law is increased production. I appreciate that change is sometimes frustrating and will increase
costs but in the long run it is so much better for the chickens and for the healthier eggs they produce.”
She goes on to say, “We have always raised our hens on pasture. We
believe the hens are healthier and happier when allowed to forage
naturally. It is more work for the smaller family farms and more land is
required but it is worth it for the higher nutritional value and delicious
flavor of the eggs, not to mention the welfare of the hens.
“Raising hens on pasture allows the birds to roam and perform their
natural behaviors such as pecking and scratching for bugs and seeds,
and taking dirt baths. Hens are given fresh water, nesting boxes and
perches, and then rotated to new areas of pasture regularly so they
always have access to fresh grass. We raise our birds on pasture not
only because it makes ‘the girls’ happy, but because pasture-raised
eggs are tastier and healthier. Our eggs have a rich flavor and dark
yolks with beautiful shells of brown, blue or green.”
So think of the chickens and the humane way they are treated when
you pay a little extra for your eggs. They will thank you with delicious
healthy eggs. Look for ‘CA SEFS COMPLIANT’ on your egg cartons
for eggs compliant with the new law.
Photo by Shelly’s Farm Fresh.
Peas, Please“How luscious lies the pea within the pod.” - Emily Dickinson
Like beans, peas are divided into two categories, those with, and those without edible pods. The peas
we know as the green pea, English pea and garden pea fall into the latter category. Most commercial
peas are either called Garden or English peas. Petits pois are not a variety of pea, but merely green peas
that have been picked before full maturity. Thus, they are smaller than normal green peas.
Snap peas look like mini versions of the pods of green peas. The difference is that these pods are edible.
Sugar snap and Sugar Daddy are the two varieties of sugar snap peas, the latter being a cross between
the green pea and the snow pea. In addition, the Sugar Daddy is stringless. However, even sugar snaps
with strings don’t necessarily need to be stringed before cooking.
Snow peas used to be seen only in Chinese restaurants. Now they’re available everywhere. The pale
green, edible pods are flat and wide with little bulges— the immature peas inside—rippling throughout
the pod. There are often strings, but again, they need not be removed. Snow peas are also called sugar
peas, China peas and in French “mangetout,” meaning “eat all.”
For green peas, the closer you are to the time of picking, the better. The
pea pods should be firm, crisp and bright green with a fresh appearance
and a velvety touch. Tough, thick-skinned pods are an indication of
overly mature peas. Also avoid pods that have poor color (such as gray
specks or yellowing) or show any sign of decay or wilting. Your peas
will taste fresher if you shell them yourself and cook immediately. Avoid
buying peas that are already shelled because you don’t know how long
ago they were shelled.
New Year Ahead
April Recipes
Basil Peas and Mushrooms
2 cups shelled peas
1 medium carrot, sliced
1 cup sliced button mushrooms
1 cup sliced shiitake mushrooms
2 green onions, cut in 1/2-inch
pieces
1 tablespoon margarine or butter
1 tablespoon snipped fresh basil or
1/2 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
1/4 teaspoon salt, dash pepper
Purslane Veggie Salad
1 bunch of purslane
1 cup Romano beans, blanched
and cut
A handful of cherry tomato,
halved
1 Persian cucumber, sliced
1 small onion, sliced
Enough olive oil to coat salad
Squeeze of lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
Cook peas, covered, in a small
amount of boiling salted water for
3 minutes. Add the carrots. Cook
for 7 to 9 minutes more or until
peas and carrots are crisp-tender.
Drain well. Remove from pan.
Macerate onion slices in red wine
vinegar let sit for 5-10 minutes.
Bring a pot of salted water to a
boil. Add Romano beans and cook
through, so they still hold their
shape but are not squeaky (about
10 minutes). Remove from water
and let dry. Wash purslane and
then pluck off the leaves.
Purslane’s stem is round and
smooth, and it trails along the
ground like a small vine. Young
plants have a green stem, but,
with maturity, stems take on
reddish tints. Purslane has
small, oblong, green leaves
which form clusters. The leaves
resemble small wedges and,
like the stem, are juicy.
Place macerated onions in the
salad bowl first and then mix in
cucumbers, Romano beans, cherry
tomatoes, and purslane. Season
with salt and pepper and then
toss with olive oil. Finish with a
squeeze of lemon.
Purslane can either be used raw
in salads or sautéed as a side
dish. In addition to the crispy
texture you would expect from
a succulent, purslane also has
an interesting peppery flavor.
In the same saucepan cook
the mushrooms and onion in
margarine or butter until onion is
tender but not brown. Stir in the
basil, salt, and pepper. Add the
carrots and peas. Heat through.
Recipe: PCFMA Staff.
Deb’s Crustless Spinach Quiche
6 fresh eggs
2 cups grated Swiss cheese
1 bunch fresh spinach, washed,
stems removed
1 small yellow onion, chopped
2 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350°F. Sauté
onion in oil until softened. Add
spinach to onion and cook until
wilted. Let cool.
Crack eggs into a large bowl, add
cheese, spinach onion mixture
and salt and pepper. Stir well.
Pour into an oiled 8x8 square dish.
Cook for 45 to 50 minutes until
firmly set and edges are slightly
brown. Recipe: Debra Morris, PCFMA.
Recipe: Cookin’ the Market’s Chef Mario.
Simple Mixed Green Salad
1 large bunch mixed spring greens
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup fresh green beans, cooked
1 tablespoon silced black olive
1 hard boiled egg
Salt and pepper
Wash and dry greens and plate.
Top with green beans, sliced egg,
and olives. Mix together oil and
vinegar, add salt and pepper to
taste. Drizzle over salad. Top with
croutons, if desired.
Recipe: PCFMA Staff.
Purslane
Chef Mario Hernandez
Long considered a weed (and
still is) culinary artists have
suddenly taken a liking to
purslane and its peppery taste.
This diminutive little weedy
succulent is filled with omega-3
fatty acids, just like the kind
in salmon. They also contain
ample vitamin C.
Give purslane a try, but be sure
to purchase it from a reliable
source like the farmers’ market,
rather than picking it from your
backyard! Be safe!
Natural Egg Dyes for Easter
Try some natural egg dyes using farmers’ market fresh eggs and
produce when making Easter eggs. The good thing is there are no
petro-chemicals or other additives in them.
Pacific Coast
Farmers’ Market Association
5060 Commercial Circle, Suite A
Concord, CA 94520
925.825.9090, Fax 925.825.9101
www.pcfma.com
Board of Directors
Patrick Fabian
President
Shelly McMahon
Vice President
Mike Billigmeier
Secretary
Leonard Conniff
Treasurer
Narsai David
President Emeritus
John Paul Barbagelata
Al Courchesne
Steve Fernandes
Vidal M. Navarro
Les Portello
Phil Rhodes
PCFMA Staff
Allen Moy, Executive Director
Vanessa Bonilla
Chantal Boyer
Cody Brooks
Valentina Cekovski
Laura deTar
Thomas Dorn
Jessica Echols
Emily Finkel
Stephanie Hadsell
Dimitri Hagnéré
Sara Haston
Mario Hernandez
Maureen Hovda
Ron Jackson
Jeff Jelsma
Jessica Jenkins
Pat Lane
Travis Lee
Shawn Lipetzky
Minnie Low
AJ Mahon
Sarah Maze
Douglas Mena
Moises Mena
Jessica Millender
Debra Morris
Eden Olsen
Ben Palazzolo
Tomas Pascual
Michael Peterson
Alyssia Plata
Sameer Poudyal
Greg Pursley
Leah Ricci
Stefan Robinson
Laura Salcido
Jennifer Sepulveda
Chong Thao
Ramiro Tovar
Ron Ulrici
Jorge Vega
Keith Wall
Eric Winkler
Editor: Debra J. Morris
Comments, suggestions:
[email protected]
Put eggs in as large a pan as possible. Don’t stack on top of each other. Fill the pan with water so eggs are covered about 1/2 inch. Add 2
teaspoons white vinegar (don’t add vinegar when using onion skins. Optional: Add 1/2 teaspoons alum to water to make colors brighter.
Add the natural dye material. For example, use 2 tablespoons
turmeric, 2 cups of packed onion skins, 1 cup berries. Bring water to a
boil. Reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes. With a strainer, remove the
eggs into a bowl lined with paper towel.
Here are some natural dyes, but experiment with it. Mix and match
materials for different shades.
Red/Pink: Fresh beets, canned crushed cranberries (not cranberry
sauce).
Orange: Yellow onion skins.
Light Yellow: Lemon peels,
orange peels or ground cumin.
Golden yellow: Ground turmeric
Light green: Spinach, kale.
Blue: Red cabbage leaves or
blueberries (crushed). Preboil red cabbage leaves for 30
minutes.
AB 2413 - The Farm to Fork Bill
Governor Jerry Brown has signed a group of bills aimed at
promoting the “farm to fork” movement in California that seeks to
bring fresh produce and other foods closer to consumers, including
many not served by traditional grocery stores.
Brown signed AB 2413, a measure that creates a state Office of Farm
to Fork to promote food access and increase agricultural products
available to schools and under-served communities. Assemblyman
John Perez (D-Los Angeles) authored the bill, which puts the new
office within the California Department of Food and Agriculture.
The new Office of Farm to Fork will work with city councils and
county supervisors to identify under-served areas for new farmer’s
markets and other non-profit food delivery operations. This office
will encourage food hubs, work with regional and statewide
stakeholders to identify urban and rural communities that lack
access to healthy food, and determine current barriers to food
access. The bill will “identify opportunities and provide technical
assistance for collaboration between farmers, regional and local food
banks, partner agencies, and nonprofit charitable organizations in
the gleaning, collection, and distribution of agricultural products for
the purposes of reducing hunger and increasing access to healthy
foods.”*
If you would like to get involved in the California
Food to Fork movement visit cafarmtofork.com.
There you will find ways to help and additional
resources and publications.
*AB 2413 introduction statement