Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Recipe of the Week: Fried Eggs with Bulgur and Spinach (via A Couple Cooks)

Local food bloggers, A Couple Cooks, have created another recipe that delivers delicious flavor while also nourishing your body with nutrients: Fried Eggs with Bulgur and Spinach. Now that the weather is warming up, the hens are happily laying eggs again. Pick up eggs, spinach and mushrooms at the Indy Winter Farmers Market and you're just about set to make this recipe.

 
The smoked paprika is the finishing touch, and worth adding to your pantry if you can find it. We've found it's available at most mainstream grocery stores.
by: 
Serves: 4
What You Need
  • 2 cups bulgur wheat (coarse ground)
  • 16 ounces baby portabella mushrooms
  • 8 cups spinach
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 15-ounce can cannellini beans (1 ½ cups cooked)
  • 4 eggs
  • Smoked paprika
  • Olive oil
  • Kosher salt
  • Black pepper
What To Do
  1. Boil 2 cups of water in a teapot. In a heatproof container, combine 2 cups bulgur wheat, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 2 cups boiling water. Cover and allow to sit for 25 to 30 minutes until tender.
  2. Meanwhile, brush any dirt from the mushrooms and slice them. Rinse the cannellini beans and peel 1 clove garlic (it can be left whole).
  3. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat. Saute the mushrooms with the whole garlic for 3 to 4 minutes until tender. Add the cannellini beans and spinach; saute for another 3 minutes until the spinach is wilted. Season with ½ teaspoon kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. Taste, and adjust seasonings as desired. Remove the vegetables from the skillet.
  4. If necessary, add a little olive oil to the pan and bring to medium heat. Add four eggs and cook sunny side up until the whites have hardened.
  5. To serve, place bulgur on a plate, and place vegetables along side. Top with an egg, and sprinkle generously with smoked paprika.

3/14/15 IWFM Vendors

As the snow melts and temperatures slowly increase, it's time to get excited for Spring! While it's safe to say majority of Indianapolis is eager for this warmer season to arrive, ALL of our IWFM vendors are ready for winter to be over and eager to get their hands back in the dirt. The Indy Winter Farmers Market runs every Saturday through April 25 from 9am-12:30pm at The Platform. We'll see you Saturday!

Here is a complete list of 3/14 IWFM vendors:

Thursday, March 5, 2015

Learn about Composting from IWFM Sponsor Spotts Garden Service

In addition to a full line up of vendors, Indy Winter Farmers Market sponsor Spotts Garden Service will be in attendance at market on Saturday 3/7. The Spotts crew will be educating guests on how to compost and get your garden ready for spring. They will also have seeds for sale! Here is some beneficial information from Spotts Gardens on composting:

Ready, Set, Compost! As we get ready for spring in the garden, organic gardeners everywhere turn to compost!

Why compost?
Compost feeds the soil that feeds your plants. It's full of slow-release nutrients and billions of microorganisms that stimulate plant growth and help plants resist disease. Compost also improves soil texture, allowing it to hold more water.

How do I use it?
In spring, our top three ways to use compost are:
  1. Spread it in kitchen garden beds before planting.
  2. Side-dress your plants. As shrubs and trees start budding (in April), put a ring of compost around the stem of the plant and gently scratch it into the soil. Don't put it up against the stems, though.
  3. Add compost to the bottom of planting holes when you divide perennials or when you plant annuals. Add some to your container gardens too.
How do I get compost?
Make your own! All you need is approximately equal volumes of brown materials (high-carbon stuff like dried leaves, shredded newspaper, and straw) and green (high-nitrogen materials like grass clippings, weeds, and kitchen waste). Learn how to build your own compost pile with this article from Spotts Garden Service.

Alternatively, you can buy compost. Choose compost that looks dark brown and crumbly, like really good garden soil. If you need a lot, buy it in bulk rather than in bags.

Stop by the Spotts Garden Service table at this week's market to ask your garden questions and talk compost. They will also have seeds for sale!

Indy Winter Farmers Market Vendor: Pet Lovers Organic Bakery

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.


Pet Lovers Organic Bakery

What do you love most about the Indy Winter Farmers Market? I love the diversity of people that attend the market. Vendors and customers look forward Saturday mornings at IWFM.

What is your most popular item at IWFM? Scrumptious Salmon Treats. We get our salmon from fellow IWFM vendor, Wild Alaska Salmon.

What is something people don't know about you? I have a "real" job that pays the bills, but Pet Lovers Organic Bakery is my passion!

What is your favorite local restaurant? It's not really a restaurant, but Natural Born Juicers. They have my yummy Raw Gourmet Delights goodies too!

What is your favorite thing to do downtown? I like to just walk around and people watch.

How do you relax after a long day of working? A nice, hot bubble bath.


Wednesday, March 4, 2015

Recipe of the Week: Superfood Salad (via A Couple Cooks)

Local food bloggers, A Couple Cooks, have created another recipe that delivers delicious flavor while also nourishing your body with nutrients: Superfood Salad. This healthy bowl features many ingredients patrons can find at the Indy Winter Farmers Market.


Superfood Salad
 
Makes: 1
What You Need
  • ⅓ cup cooked chopped sweet potato
  • ½ cup cooked wild rice
  • 1 raw beet
  • 2 radishes
  • ¼ cup shredded cucumber
  • ½ avocado
  • 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
  • 1 handful spinach
  • 1 handful mixed greens
  • 1 tablespoon pepitas
  • 1 lime
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
What To Do
  1. Preheat oven to 450°F.
  2. Dice 1 large sweet potato; place it in a bowl and mix with enough olive oil to coat and a sprinkle of kosher salt. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and pour the sweet potatoes onto the sheet. Add fresh ground pepper and roast until tender, about 25 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, prepare the wild rice according to the package instructions.
  4. Peel and thinly slice the beet. Thinly slice 2 radishes. Peel and grate ¼ cup cucumber. Slice ½ avocado. Chop 2 tablespoons cilantro.
  5. To serve, place the salad greens in a bowl. Arrange small piles of each component. Drizzle with the juice of 1 lime and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Top with sunflower seeds or peptias.

3/7/15 IWFM Vendors

Join us for the first Indy Winter Farmers Market in March! IWFM runs from 9am-12:30pm and is located at the Platform, which is found in the west wing of the City Market. In addition to a full line up of vendors, IWFM sponsor Spotts Garden Service will be educating patrons on composting and getting your garden ready for spring. 

Here is the full list of vendors that will be at the IWFM on Saturday, 3/7:

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Indy Winter Farmers Market Vendor: Grabow Orchard and Bakery

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.



Located in Pendleton, IN, Glen Grabow's Orchard and Bakery is no stranger to the farmers market scene and has been participating in central Indiana markets for over 20 years. Prior to starting his orchard, Grabow worked as an Aerospace Engineer and spent his time from 1960-1967 developing a new type of steering control for Polaris Ballistic Missiles. 

Grabow always had fruit trees on his property growing up, so he figured an orchard would be a good supplement to his time after her retired as a rocket scientist. In the spring of 1989, Grabow bought property for his apple orchard and planted a total of 120 trees, which each of the 10 rows housing a different variety. In the following years, Grabow added more varieties and even dabbled with other fruits like berries. With the completion of building a sales barn, Grabow’s wife began making pies to sell in addition to the apples at their farm stand. Since then, Grabow’s Orchard and Bakery has expanded to over 20 apple varieties and a delicious line of handmade, preservative free quick breads and dumplings. 

Now, Grabow is planning to expand his farming operation to include many vegetables and will utilize a green, no chemical regime on his produce. After a long day of farming, Grabow likes to keep his mind busy by playing brain games and puzzles. Make sure you stop by the Grabow Orchard and Bakery booth at the Indy Winter Farmers Market and chat with this smart, passionate scientist turned farmer.