Garlic: New season purple garlic is in. Sylva Lining Organics are harvesting both Russian and purple garlic. Purple garlic is the sweetest most beautiful baking garlic also known for its strong flavour – a little goes a long way! Russian garlic – also known as elephant garlic is easier to peel than smaller garlic cloves and has a mild flavour. The plant has a tall stalk with edible leaves and is topped by pink-purple flowers during the spring and summer growing season. 
Russian garlic cloves have a milder flavor than purple garlic so if you want the full garlic flavour choose purple. Russian garlic is a cross between garlic and onion.
Herbs and spices:
A number of farm stalls offer a range of herbs and spices from coriander (almost always available at the Gourmet Salad Hut), parsley, basil, rosemary, ginger and turmeric to name a few.
Here is a tip from The Gourmet Salad Hut if you want produce from their stall to last longer: As soon as you get home, cut off the roots, pop your greens in an airtight plastic container and put them in the fridge. Don’t wash them – you want them to be as dry as possible, so just wash as you need. Stored this way they’ll last up to two weeks – no more sad shrivelled lettuces in the crisper!
Another great tip? Bring a cool bag to the market (especially in this weather). It will help stop your precious greens from wilting and you can put your other produce such as milk, cheese and meat in there too.
Many herbs and spices have powerful medicinal properties used by generations of healers over thousands of years.
For example – one of the star attractions over the past couple of years is turmeric – the yellow to orange coloured curry spice used so extensively in Indian cuisine.
In recent years its star quality has been revealed because of its acute pain-relieving properties and for the treatment of inflammatory disorders. Curcumin – the bioactive ingredient in turmeric has undergone many studies that have identified its ability to cross the blood-brain barrier providing many brain health benefits and its potent anti cancer properties.
I use turmeric in my green smoothie every day just as an insurance as I need to preserve every brain cell that I have ….
If you are interested in knowing more about the possible 150 therapeutic benefits of turmeric visit http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/10/13/turmeric-curcumin
Tomatoes of all kinds
This prolonged heat has brought on large flushes of tomatoes from organic cherry tomatoes at Sylva Lining to heirloom by the bucket full. So take your pick.
Congratulations to the three chefs who cooked up an amazing menu from farm fresh market produce at last week’s Cook-Off. There was a rush for garlic flowers after seeing how versatile these are!
In particular congratulations to Jonathon Evans from Ju Ju’s who won by a very small margin.
A Christmas Special Market – 17th December – Food and Culture – Creating Connections – Designer and Artisan stalls.
On Wednesday 17th we are offering you an extra special market. We are combining food and culture – farmers and artisans! You will be able to buy that very special Christmas present from a local designer or artisan at this market – a once a year opportunity. What could be better than picking up all your fresh produce for that busy Christmas week AND your last couple of very special and unique gifts.
Two Hands has booked a site and here is some of the amazing range that Glenn designs:
Visit Glenn’s website or Facebook page at http://www.twohandsaustralia.com.au/
https://www.facebook.com/twohandsaustralia
Stall changes:
Healing Foods Cafe is back after a very long break. Tamar will have the following on her menu:
- Spelt and butter milk pancakes with maple and blueberry sauce
- Spelt and butter milk kale pancakes with tzaziki
- Shakshuka
- Herb omelette
- Sprouted brown rice salad with roast pumpkin, caramelised onions and toasted almonds
Nudgel Nuts will NOT be at the market this week. Ian has assured me that from next week he will be at the market EVERY week.
Entertainment: Music this week is Broadfoot
Coming soon!
3rd December –
- Supporting the community – NSW Police are setting up a marquee to raise awareness about domestic violence.
- CWA joins the market for their annual stall leading up to Xmas.
17th December – invited artists join with famers and food vendors for a one –off Xmas market opportunity – bringing Xmas festivities to the market.
24th December – Christmas Eve Market – Green Cauldron Tours has booked a group of seniors coming to the market.
Produce of the week (newest season produce is in bold):
- Apples
- Avocados
- Bananas
- Beans
- Beetroot
- Blueberries
- Bok Choy (organic)
- Cucumbers (Lebanese)
- Garlic
- Paw Paw
- Pumpkins
- Strawberries
- Tomatoes
Seasonal Produce List Updated:
Vegetables
Beans (+organic), Beetroot (+organic), Broccoli, Cabbage, Capsicum, Cauliflower, Chard (organic), Chilli, Cucumber (+organic), Corn (+organic), Eggplant (+organic), Garlic (+organic), Herbs (basil + organic basil, coriander, ginger, rocket, turmeric and more), Kale (+organic), Lettuce (cos organic), Fancy Lettuce and mixed salad greens, Microgreens (+ wide variety of organic such as alfalfa, sunflower, broccoli, chick pea), Mizuna, Onion (+organic), Pak Choi (organic), Potato (Sebago) , Pumpkin (+organic), Salad Mix, Silver Beet, Sprouts (+organic), Spinach (+organic), Sweet Corn, Sweet Potato (+organic), Tatsoi (organic) Tomatoes (+organic), Taro, Watercress, Wheat grass, Zucchini (+organic).
Fruit
Apples, Avocados, Bananas (Cavendish, Lady Fingers and Little Gem), Blueberries, Grapefruit, Lemons, Limes, Oranges (organic), Passionfruit, Paw Paw, Pears, Strawberries
Nuts
Pecan nuts and macadamia nuts
Dairy
Cows milk, cheeses and yoghurt, kefir.
Goats milk and soft cheeses, Kefir
Honey
Raw unprocessed honey, creamed honey and creamed honey with cinnamon!
Breads
A variety of artisan breads baked with organic flours and local market products including macadamia nut bread!
Beef, lamb and pork (All Natural Meat Company), Salami (Nimbin Valley Diary)
