Hello Everyone
I hope you had a lovely weekend.
Oh dear I was so excited about the return of music to the market last week and then – THE LOCKDOWN caught us out unexpectedly. I have my fingers and toes crossed that it will be lifted this Tuesday and we can once again enjoy music while we linger over our shopping. it is such a joy to meet up with family and friends to absorb and revel in the whole market experience.
But if the lockdown continues then sadly – no music and no lingering. It will be shop and go only.
It does feel a little like being Alice in Wonderland.
What is NEWS at the market?
Junji from Oki Food is missing you all as are our other stallholders from across the border. Junji contacted me last Monday – after the newsletter had winged its way to you – to confirm his return. On Tuesday this all changed as the Queensland Premier increased border restrictions following the Tweed LGA lockdown.
All the stallholders currently restricted are looking forward to coming back but when, is the million dollar question!
Let’s keep them in our thoughts and send good vibes that they can return soon.
What is GREAT at the market?
Jumping Red Ant has delicious creamy green beans (variety – Jade) as well as lots of baby carrots. Briana, in the photo above, is busily sorting and washing carrots preparing for the market.
And the very top photo this week shows JRA’s old Ford looking beautiful in the lovely rain that we have been blessed with overnight. It is the epitome of farming life – working, machinery and beauty too. Sunflowers alway lift our spirits and what a great contrast on this photo.
Summit Organics has bunches of carrots (lined up in the photo above in prep for bunching up). They have so much more flavour than the store bought carrots.
Everest Farm has slim Dutch carrots that are so sweet and crunchy.
Carrots make the perfect dipping stick to enjoy with pesto. This beautiful sunny weather encourages us to reach for salads so check out our carrot and ginger salad with cranberries and orange juice. The recipe is on our website.
One of my favourite chefs – Belinda Jeffery – inspires me with her Sunday Instagram posts. I look forward to them every Sunday and this week Belinda talked about simplicity and food and allowing the true flavours to shine through. She mentioned “how the produce itself drives what we cook and how we cook it.”
Belinda’s Asian beef salad with chilli lime dressing captured my interest as the chilli lime and mint give it such an authentic freshness. Summit Organics always has the Vietnamese mint listed in the ingredients for this recipe featured below in our recipes section in our customer newsletter this week. And our Esperanza Farm stall has delicious farm fresh beef.
Belinda is an enthusiastic market shopper supporting local Northern Rivers farmers who get to know her well at the Mullum farmers’ market.
Belinda introduces this recipe with this:
About the only thing to keep in mind is that the mint gives it a really beautiful refreshing flavour, so I’m loath to leave that out, but otherwise mix-and-match as much as you’d like.
