Farmers Market Report: May 25-26, 2013

There are going to be Hill Country peaches at the markets this weekend! The peach crop is going to be small this year, even tiny -- but there are going to be some. The terribly dry conditions have concentrated the peach flavors; the ones I bought last weekend from Markley Family Farm had amazing, intense flavor and color.

STAR Market, Markley Family Farm, and Caskey’s Orchard will all be selling peaches at the Barton Creek Market; Lightsey Farms will have peaches for sale at the Downtown SFC Market, the Tuesday SFC Market East, and the Wednesday Triangle Market.

I got to the Caeda Farm stand at Barton Creek by 9:30 last Saturday, but the blackberries had already sold out. This week Don and Cathy Miller promise to bring many more baskets of blackberries, so they might last until 10 o’ clock. Hill Country Homestyle Canning will also be bringing blackberries to the Barton Creek Market. So how about that Lobster Roll I was so excited about last week? It was fantastic! Garbo’s Lobster Rolls, what can I say, we are so lucky, folks. Truly we are blessed. The lady who runs the trailer, Heidi Garbo, hails from a family of lobster fishermen in Maine. They send her lobster overnight at member-of-the-family prices. Unbelievably fresh lobster, and, the lobster rolls are only $13! They come in two styles: Maine Style with mayonnaise, celery, and Bibb lettuce, and Connecticut Style, with lemon-tarragon butter and scallions. As if that weren’t enough, our very brief (sometimes only two weeks long) sweet corn season is beginning. Boggy Creek Farm will have sweet corn this Saturday at the farmstand, and it may even last two or three weeks. This has been an excellent spring in terms of sweet corn growing, unusually cool well into May. As far as I know, none of the other Farmers Markets will have sweet corn yet, but they are expecting to see some in the coming weeks. Oh wait: just got the news that 2 Happy Children farm will have sweet corn at the Barton Creek Market. Dewberry Hills Farm will be at the Downtown SFC Market only this Saturday, since they did Sunset Valley last week. They still have a few of those enormous five-pound birds, which they are willing to split in half for you. I bought one last week and truly, each half is nearly the size of a whole chicken. In spite of its size, mine was incredibly tender, and only $3.50 a pound. Call or email Jane to reserve a bird, or get there at one minute to nine.

Fruitful Hill Farm will be selling summer squash, basil, cabbage, carrots, kohlrabi, garlic, and several varieties of onions. Markley Family Farm also is bringing big beautiful white and red onions, and Winfield Farm will have purple and green snow peas, carrots, potatoes, and Texas Legend onions.

Govinda of Winfield Farm makes wonderful jams and jellies out of the fruits found at the market, and this week has Bluebarb, Rhubarb Ginger, Strawberry Ginger, and Lemon Marmalade. Her Rainbow Rice is a pre-prepared meal that has many fans. It’s made with organic short grain brown rice, non-GMO tofu, carrots, beets, kale, fresh ginger, sesame seed, and gluten free soy sauce. It’s a healthy, vegan, gluten-free fast food that stores well in the fridge for at least a week. Tecolote Farm continues to amaze with their wide variety of produce. Last week they had gorgeous radicchio, beets, small purple cabbages, and carrots, among other items. Flint Rock Hill Farm had small perfect artichokes, crisp fennel, and a late crop of salad turnips, as well as Sunset Valley’s best-tasting tomatoes.

I have been writing about Concha’s Seafood at Sunset Valley these last few weeks, but I have never had a photograph. Here’s a picture of the lady herself, photographed with a whole red snapper.

There is a new Saturday Farmers Market beginning this week: the Funkytonk Farmers Market, located at 1012 W. Anderson Lane, near the intersection of Research and Lamar. It's in the same shopping center parking lot as The North Austin Trailer Yard. This new market plans to offer local produce, food artisans, homemade noodles, salsa, soups, food trailers, desserts, live music and more. This Saturday Funkytonk will be presenting the City of Austin’s Home Composting Challenge at 10:30 am as a special event. Dai Due Butcher Shop (Downtown SFC and Mueller) will be selling Chow-Chow ($8) and Bread and Butter Pickles ($8) this week along with many varieties of sausage. In fact, sausage is the word this week; in observance of Memorial Day, Jesse is serving up a variety of Hamburgers and Hot Dogs:

Machacado and Egg Taco with pico de gallo; Dry-aged Burger with cheddar, bread and butter pickles, onion & Fireman’s 4 mayonnaise. Mexican Dog with bacon, sauce especial, pickled pinto beans and pico de gallo; Kimchi Dog with cactus kimchi and mayonnaise; German Dog with sauerkraut, Bavarian sweet mustard, onions and dill pickles; French Toast with stewed strawberries and Neufchatel cheese; Cafe a la Olla Mexican coffee with sorghum syrup, brown sugar and spices; Loquat Leaf Sweet Tea with pineapple guava blossoms, mint and honey.  

See you at the Market!