This Week at the South Durham Farmers' Market

This Week at the South Durham Farmers' Market

• Music by Kristine Welsh-Loveman from 10am - 12pm   
• Education: Ali & Elizabeth of Starting Fresh Cookbook will be sampling a green garlic dish, and talking about the importance of seasonality!
• The Master Gardeners will be on hand to answer your spring planting questions!
• In Season: STRAWBERRIES, ASPARAGUS, TOMATOES, and MUCH MORE!
• Market is open 8am-Noon Greenwood Commons, 5410 HWY 55 Durham, NC 27713  

Flowers...

Flowers are, of course, beautiful. They display the vigor of spring and summer, the importance of color, sunshine, and warmth. But why is it important to buy local, sustainably-grown flowers at SDFM? First and foremost, you know that  your flowers are being grown nearby, and not jetting from another continent, sparing the earth those nasty carbon emissions. You also get to enjoy the heart and passion of the farmer who grows them and you see yourself; many of them, like Sassafras Fork Farm, McAdams Farm, and LadyBug Farm, grow heirloom varietals, with stunning and moving color schemes never found in those "factory" flowers wrapped in cellophane. Finally, the scent, aroma, perfume, one of the most important features, is largely lost due to sprays and pesticides; these precious features are kept intact with the use of sustainable growing practices and wild/heirloom types. Celebrate anything this Saturday with some of our vendors beautiful arrangements, and be sure to wow someone with the true color and scent of local flowers.

Garlic!

You've seen green garlic at the market, but what exactly is it and what do you do with it? Green garlic is young garlic, pulled early. In the culinary world, people use it in the same way you might use green onions. The difference being that green garlic is has a stronger and garlicky taste (though not as pungent as garlic itself). You can use it to make pesto with pizazz, in an omelette, or you can even pickle it! (click here)

Vendors like Fickle Creek Farm & Sassafras Fork Farm carry green garlic in the spring, and you'll see it at the market over the next month or so, until the full-grown version becomes available!

This weekend, in honor of National Garlic Day, Elizabeth Turnbull & Ali Rudel, authors of an upcoming Durham-based farmers market cookbook, will be at market demonstrating how to make a simple crostini using bread and green garlic from the market. They'll be handing out recipe cards for the demo as well, or you can find the recipe on their website (Click here!).

***Call for volunteers at the Farmer Foodshare donation station for the summer!*** Please email Katy Phillips lindleyklp@gmail.com