Thursday, January 29, 2015

Indy Winter Farmers Market Vendor: Simpson Family Farm

Every week during the Indy Winter Farmers Market season, we'll be profiling one of our local vendors! You can find the full list of IWFM vendors and past profiles here.


Simpson Family Farm, 6th season at IWFM

Located in Martinsville, IN, the Simpson Family is focused on raising natural chicken, pork, beef and turkey with standards that go beyond organic. These animals are raised with care and humanely, producing healthier animals that do not require antibiotics or vaccinations. In addition to selling at markets, Simpson Family Farm offers online ordering and free delivery. Make sure you stop by and visit Darby next time you are visiting the Indy Winter Farmers Market for top quality meat products. 

What do you love most about IWFM? I love how it is managed, the outpouring support from volunteers and the fact that I'm inside!

What is your most popular item? That's a tough one, all of our forest raised pork products are super popular, especially the all natural bacon. Our chicken leg quarters and 100% grass-fed and finished ground beef are also a big hit.

What is something most people don't know about you? Before farming full time, I was a mechanical engineer and did HVAC and plumbing system design--including some really cool, large scale rain water catchment systems.


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Tuesday, January 27, 2015

1/31/15 IWFM Vendor List

Indy Winter Farmers Market runs this Saturday from 9am-12:30pm at the Platform, located in the west wing of the Indianapolis City Market. Here is a complete list of Saturday 1/31 vendors:

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Thursday, January 22, 2015

Indy Winter Farmers Market Vendor: Felege Hiywot Center

Every week during the Indy Winter Farmers Market season, we'll be profiling one of our local vendors! You can find the full list of IWFM vendors and past profiles here.

Felege Hiywot Center

Tucked in the back corner at IWFM, Felege Hiywot sells Ethiopian tea and lentils on injera, a native flatbread that can be described as a mixture between a crepe and pita bread. Felege Hiywot serves the urban Indianapolis youth community, second generation Ethiopians in Indianapolis and orphans in Ethiopia. This organization teaches service, teamwork, and leadership through its youth farm, which both sells produce and donates it to neighborhood members in need.

What do you love most about IWFM? IWFM is a local market and we are a not-for-profit organization and we want to further connect with our community citizens in the Indianapolis area, get to know them on a personal level and let them get a taste of Ethiopian food. We are raising money to expand our youth farm, which hires urban high school youth in the Indianapolis area

What is your most popular item? Ethiopian lentils with injera!

What is something most people don't know about you? Aster Bekele's (founder and executive director of the Felege Hiywot Center) first love is science, more specifically chemistry. She loves how farming helps her teach the science she loves.

What's your favorite local restaurant? Pogue's Run Grocer, it's a great places to have meetings with our partners

Connect: fhcenter.org // Facebook // Twitter
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Wednesday, January 21, 2015

1/24/15 IWFM Vendor List



It should be another sunny day on Saturday, the perfect backdrop for starting your day at the Indy Winter Farmers Market. Make sure you bring your little ones this weekend to participate in our monthly Kids Activity: rolled candle making. With the help from Wildflower Ridge Honey and our amazing volunteers, kids can come learn how to make their very own candle. (Suggested donation of $2-5/candle) We will also have a few special guest vendors this Saturday: Castaway Compost, Midtown Card Shop, and Chef Wendell Fowler. Chef Wendell, author, enthusiast, and 11 year host to WISH TV 8's "Eat Right Now" segment, will be selling his cookbook, "Eat Right Now: The End of Mindless Eating". This cookbook is written for the average American and will take readers on a journey toward wellness through clean, plant-based recipes, food history lessons, food facts both instantly usable and scandalous and genuine inspiration. Chef Wendell will have copies for sale, so make sure you visit his booth to pick up this locavore-centric book. We will also have a class from our IWFM + Yoga Series from 10:30-11:20am in the Indy Bike Hub YMCA. These yoga classes are by-donation, where we use the funds for our Eat Well Initiative. Here is a full list of vendors that will be at Market on 1/24:
Do you love the Indy Winter Farmers Market, the increase in number of local and urban farms, or the initiatives Indianapolis is implementing to increase fair food access? Help ensure your ideas are heard in crafting the future of our city by reviewing the Plan 2020 Bicentennial Agenda. Plan 2020 is hosting a public briefing session on Saturday January 24 from 10am to 11am just right around the corner from IWFM in Old City Hall. Get your shopping done and head on over to hear what’s planned for the city’s future. 
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Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Recipe of the Week: Celery Root, Carrot, and Kale Soup (via Verses from my Kitchen)

Whether or not people want to admit it, it's fairly safe to say that there are always a few vegetables you see at farmers market and have no idea 1) what they are and 2) what to make with them. Celeriac, aka celery root, is a common IWFM product people pass by from sheer unfamiliarity. Why does this mystery vegetable deserve a chance? It's low in calories and contains a great source of Vitamin K, antioxidants, iron and calcium. This recipe, courtesy of Verses from my Kitchen, is sure to spark your love for this knobby root vegetable. 

Celery Root, Carrot, and Kale Soup

INGREDIENTS:
  • 1 medium celery root, peeled and diced
  • 4 carrots, peeled and diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 2 cups kale, roughly chopped
  • 1 leek, thinly sliced
  • 1 celery, thinly sliced
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 6 cups vegetable stock
  • sea salt & fresh ground pepper
  • 1/4 cup tubed pasta
  • 2 tbsp. chopped flat leaf parsley
  • 4 slices baguette, cut on the bias
  • 2 tsp. unsalted butter
  • garlic clove, cut in half
  • Parmesan cheese, grated
PREP:
  1. Heat oil in a stockpot over medium-high heat and add the celery root, carrots and garlic. Cook until golden, about 10 minutes. Stir in the leek, celery and kale and cook for another minute. Pour in the stock and add the bay leaves and season well. Bring to a boil and reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the vegetables have softened.
  2. Boil salted water and add in the pasta and cook according to the directions, roughly 8 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 425F degrees. Butter the baguette slices and place in the oven until golden brown, roughly 5 minutes.
  4. Discard the bay leaves and and stir in the  pasta and parsley. Ladle the soup into a bowl and top with a baguette slice and some grated Parmesan.
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Wednesday, January 14, 2015

1/17/15 IWFM Vendor List

The Indy Winter Farmers Market runs this Saturday, 1/17, from 9am-12:30pm at The Platform, which is located in the west wing of the Indianapolis City Market. Join us this Saturday for a cooking demo featuring a crustless quiche recipe from Leanne Brown's cookbook on how to eat on $4/day, "Good and Cheap". We will also have a class from our IWFM + Yoga Series from 10:30-11:20am in the Indy Bike Hub YMCA. These yoga classes are by-donation, where we use the funds for our Eat Well Initiative. Here is a full list of vendors that will be at Market on 1/17:
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Tuesday, January 13, 2015

A Couple Cooks Recipe of the Week: Loaded Sweet Potato Skins w Pinto Beans

This recipe is courtesy of A Couple Cooks, a cooking blog created by Indianapolis residents Sonja and Alex Overhiser. Frequent visitors of the Indy Winter Farmers Market, these recipes often feature farm fresh seasonal veggies you can pick up at IWFM. Visit their website to view this recipe along with other equally beautiful and delicious eats.
Loaded Sweet Potato Skins with Pinto Beans
 
If using Hurst Hambeens, do not use the flavor packet and save for future use. If desired, you can make this recipe in advance and reheat the potatoes by warming them for 15 to 20 minutes at 350°F. We believe these would also freeze well; freeze in a tightly sealed container and reheat at 350°F until warmed through.
by: 
Makes: 4 as a main, 8 as an appetizer
What You Need
  • 2 ½ pounds small to medium sweet potatoes
  • 1 cup cooked Hurst HamBeens Pinto beans, cooked using this method or this method
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder, divided
  • 1⅓ cups shredded Mexican blend cheese, divided
  • ⅔ cup fresh or frozen corn
  • 1 green onion
  • ¼ cup chopped cilantro
  • Fresh ground pepper
  • Sour cream (optional, for garnish)

What To Do
  1. Cook the beans using this method or this method (in advance for easy prep). If desired, freeze the beans before using (they stay for many months in the freezer in a sealed container).
  2. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Wash the sweet potatoes, and prick them with a fork. Bake for 40 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the size of the sweet potatoes, until tender.
  3. Mix 1 cup cooked beans with a drizzle of olive oil, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, and ½ tablespoon chili powder.
  4. When the potatoes have finished baking, remove them from the oven and let them cool a bit. Transfer to a cutting board and cut each potato in half with a serrated knife, then scoop out the insides into a bowl, making sure to keep a layer of sweet potato within the skin so that it can stand on its own. Return the skins to the baking sheet face up and drizzle with olive oil. Reduce the heat to 400°F and bake while you mix up the stuffing (about 5 minutes).
  5. In the bowl, mash the sweet potato insides with a masher, then stir in 1 cup shredded cheese, ½ tablespoon chili powder, ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, and fresh ground pepper.
  6. Fill each potato skin with the filling. Top with beans, a sprinkle of corn, and a sprinkle of extra cheese. Bake until heated through and the cheese melts, about 5 to 10 minutes.
  7. Meanwhile, thinly slice 1 green onion and chop ¼ cup cilantro. Remove the potatoes from the oven and garnish with green onions and cilantro. Serve hot, garnished with sour cream if desired.
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Saturday, January 10, 2015

Pruning with Spotts Garden Service

The IWFM is proud to partner with Spotts Garden Service to help bring educational topics to the market! Did you know that winter is an ideal season for pruning trees? Spotts Garden Service’s ISA Certified Arborist Jerome Delbridge (IN-3334A) has some tips for pruning your own.

Can you prune it yourself?

Only prune young trees, and only if you can do it with both feet on the ground. If you must use power tools, climb the tree, or if the branch is within 10’ of a utility line, call an arborist.

Pick the right tools.

Use sharp bypass pruners or loppers. For larger branches, use a sharp arbor saw with a curved blade. Wear eye protection!

Use the 3-step method.

1. Cut one-third of the way through the branch on its underside.
2. Cut 2” to 4” beyond the undercut to remove the bulk of the branch.
3. Make the final cut just outside the branch bark ridge and trunk collar (the bulge where branch meets branch).

Choose cuts carefully.
  • Locate the central leader (the vertical stem at the top of the trunk). 
  • Do not cut the leader or remove more than one-quarter of the tree’s mass.
  • Remove branches...
  • that are dead or damaged.
  • where the branch’s diameter is more than half as wide as the trunk’s.
  • that are growing too closely together.
  • that are lower than one-third of the tree’s total height (but only if they impede ground traffic).

Visit the kind folks at Spotts Garden Service, and be sure to ask Jerome your pruning questions. And join Spotts Garden Service on January 27 for their annual Soup and Seeds party!
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Thursday, January 8, 2015

Indy Winter Farmers Market Vendor: Full Hand Farm

Every week during the Indy Winter Farmers Market season, we'll be profiling one of our local vendors! You can find the full list of IWFM vendors and past profiles here.

Full Hand Farm, 4th season at IWFM


Continue reading a Q & A with Genesis and Eli of Full Hand Farm. This family farm team was recently featured on the cover of the January 15 issue of Farm Indiana.


What do you love most about IWFM? We love the warm and energetic atmosphere at the IWFM, created by the organizers, volunteers, and patrons who we see week after week. The hustle and bustle of an indoor market downtown is invigorating for us country bumpkins. It also offers us a chance to have year round income from the farm, making farming a very realistic full time occupation for our family.

What is your most popular item? Kale and brussels sprouts are really popular while we have them. Once we get into the depth of winter, it's carrots.

What is something most people don't know about you?Genesis worked in the restaurant industry for 15 years, including at Recess Restaurant for 3 years while we were getting the farm up and running. Eli worked at The Smoking Goose during the farm's very first year in operation, and he can fit two quarters in one nostril!

What's your favorite local restaurant? So many--we especially love Recess and Bluebeard though. Recess for its ability to push the palate of the city with its pre fixe menu (and for employing Genesis for so long!) and Bluebeard for it's incredible cocktail program and wildly creative menu.
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Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Recipe of the Week: Roasted Nourish Bowl (via A Couple Cooks)

This recipe is courtesy of A Couple Cooks, a cooking blog created by Indianapolis residents Sonja and Alex Overhiser. Frequent visitors of the Indy Winter Farmers Market, the sweet potatoes, beets, cabbage, and greens in this recipe were purchased from our very own IWFM vendors. Visit their website to view this recipe along with other equally beautiful and delicious seasonal eats.

Roasted Nourish Bowl with Lemon Tahini Dressing
 
For easy prep, cook the grain, make the dressing, and chop the veggies in advance; the day of, roast the veggies and put together the salad.
by: 
Makes: 4
What You Need
  • 1½ pounds sweet potatoes (2 medium)
  • 1 head cauliflower
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • Fresh ground pepper
  • 1 to 1 ½ cups black rice or quinoa, uncooked
  • 15-ounce can chickpeas (1½ cups cooked)
  • 1 beet
  • ¼ head red cabbage (we used a combination of savoy and red)
  • 12 cups salad greens
  • ⅓ cup sunflower seeds or pepitas
  • Lemon Tahini Dressing (below)
What To Do
  1. Preheat oven to 450°F.
  2. Dice the sweet potatoes; place them in a bowl and mix with 1½ tablespoons olive oil and ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and pour the sweet potatoes onto half of the sheet. Cut the cauliflower into florets; place them in the same bowl and mix with 1½ tablespoons olive oil and ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Pour them onto the other half of the baking sheet. Add fresh ground pepper and roast until tender, about 30 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, prepare the rice or quinoa according to the package instructions.
  4. Drain and rinse the chickpeas; mix them with a drizzle of olive oil and a few pinches kosher salt.
  5. Peel and thinly slice the beet. Thinly slice the red cabbage.
  6. Make the dressing (below).
  7. To serve, place the salad greens in a bowl. Arrange small piles of each component. Drizzle with dressing and top with sunflower seeds or peptias.
Lemon Tahini Dressing
 
The dressing quantity makes much more than needed for 4 salads; save the remaining dressing for later use (you'll want more!). Resist the urge to substitute bottled lemon juice for fresh lemons; fresh lemons are integral to the taste. Tahini is a Mediterranean sesame seed paste; invest in a jar and you'll have it in your refrigerator for months to whip up delicious dressings and sauces.
by: 
Makes: 1 cup
What You Need
  • ½ cup tahini
  • 2 large lemons (about ½ cup)
  • ¼ cup water
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
What To Do
  1. In a canning jar or small bowl, combine ½ cup tahini, the juice of 2 large lemons (1/2 cup), ¼ cup water, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Cover and vigorously shake the canning jar, or whisk together the ingredients in a bowl.
  2. Reserve extra dressing for later use; it saves for about 1 month in the refrigerator. Bring the dressing to room temperature before serving (it becomes thick when chilled).
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