What’s New 13th May 2015
Congratulations to Donna Henson who won the composting kit given away as part of International Composting week last week.
You are invited to a Farm visit – Sunday 14th June (please see details below)
Fact: 90% of our farmers travel less than 55 klms to bring their fresh produce to the market and Cecil Farm is aprox. 30 kilometres from the market so take this opportunity to visit Cecil Farm’s first ever farm walk offer.
The market is still bursting with a HUGE choice of great seasonal vegetables. Local fruit varieties are increasing with dragon fruit, papaya, custard apples, apples, pears and our range of bananas. We see the long anticipated return of local citrus – in early June.
What’s in season?
Sweet potato is now in great supply and such a versatile vegie to use. This orange fleshed vegetable is a rich source of beta- carotene.
If you are using the purple-fleshed sweet potato – it contains anthocyanins — primarily peonidins and cyanidins — which have important antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
And a tip about maximising your uptake of beta-carotenes: It can be helpful to include some fat in your sweet potato-containing meals if you want to enjoy the full beta-carotene benefits of this root vegetable. Recent research has shown that a minimum of 3-5 grams of fat per meal significantly increases our uptake of beta-carotene from sweet potatoes.
Recent research has shown that particularly when passing through our digestive tract, sweet potato cyanidins and peonidins and other color-related phytonutrients may be able to lower the potential health risk posed by heavy metals and oxygen radicals. Just a tip though – cook immediately after peeling or cutting to prevent darkening (oxidising) from contact with air.
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=64
So whichever sweet potato you use you can be assured that it has wonderful health benefits and tastes great.
Jumping Red Ant, Clothiers Creek Fresh Produce, Cecil Farm and Sylva Lining Organics all carry sweet potatoes.
I love sweet potatoes washed and chopped into bite size pieces, sprinkled with freshly picked thyme and roasted with a dash of coconut oil. Perfect with your evening protein of choice and divine the next day for lunch tossed with a green or mixed salad. See a recipe further on for sweet potato thins topped with guacamole.
Lots of rocket, kale and fancy lettuce are also available at a number of farm stalls including organic. 
Cecil Farm also freshly picked cabbages and Bio Organic Farm has an increasing variety of greens every week including Chinese cabbage, coriander, mint, parsley, silver beet collard greens and more.
TANZO Apples has their new season pears and Granny Smith and Pink Lady apples.
Stallholder Updates and Supporting the Community:
Dragons Abreast Mt Warning will be at the market again this week so do stop and have a chat with Meg Main and her colleagues.
Beagle and the Bagels:
Visit Lani this week at her stall and try some delightful GF Persian Love Cake and pick up a jar of the tastiest Granola. Her very popular bagels are a must to have at the market filled or take home some to enjoy throughout the week. 
Entertainment:
Guy Kachel – singer songwriter and accomplished musician who brings a rich vocal with hints of country, rock and blues to the market. we are blessed to enjoy his music.
The weather forecast – a mostly sunny day with a chilly 10 degree start but warming to a pleasant temperature of 24 degrees. Another perfect market day.
Seasonal fruit or vegie recipe:
As Caralee says on her Facebook page Real Food Pledge
Holy guacamole! This weekend if you are having a few people around how about whipping up these little babies! So delish and healthy. They are sweet potato thins topped with guacamole.
SWEET POTATO THINS TOPPED WITH GUACAMOLE
from Real food Pledge The Cookbook by Caralee
INGREDIENTS
1 large sweet potato – sprayed with coconut or olive oil
2 ripe avocados
8 cherry tomatoes
½ red onion
1/2 lemon juice
1-2 sprigs of coriander
pinch of chilli powder
pinch of paprika salt and pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
- Peel the sweet potato & slice thinly
- Steam for 15 minutes or until just soft
- Place the cooked sweet potato in a single layer on a baking tray lined with baking paper
- Spray with oil & crack some salt over the sweet potato & place in the oven under the grill on high, keeping a close eye on them, turning once brown
- In the meantime while you are waiting for the sweet potato to cook, finely dice the onion, cut the cherry tomatoes into quarters & finely cut the coriander
- Cut the avocados in half & scoop out the flesh into a bowl
- Squeeze half a lemon on the avocado as well as adding a the chilli powder, paprika, salt & pepper
- Mash the avocado in the bowl. Once mashed add the onion & tomato, stir in
- Taste & add more salt, pepper & chilli to your taste
- When both sides on the sweet potato are browned, remove from oven & place on a plate
- Top with the guacamole & serve while hot
Murwillumbah Farmers’ Market Farm Walk – FREE
The farmer’s market is about bringing you the freshest local food, supporting our local farmers and connecting the community. Our farmers work hard day in day out through all seasons of the year to bring you fresh produce. They would love to share with you how they grow their produce and what is in season now. So we thank Des and Donna Cecil for inviting us to their farm for our first farm walk in 2015.
WHEN: Sunday 14th June 9.15 am – 1.00pm
WHERE: Cecil Farm – tours departing from the farm at 9.30am and 11.00am
269 Doon Doon Road Doon Doon
COST: Market families are all FREE
WHAT TO BRING: Sturdy foot wear, sun and rain protection, water bottle and warm layers of clothing.
RSVP: In person at the market or on the market’s Facebook site. Numbers are limited so be quick.
Produce of the week (newest season produce is in bold):
- Apples (Pink Lady)
- Avocados (Fuertes)
- Bananas
- Beans
- Cabbages
- Corn
- Cos lettuce
- Cucumbers (Lebanese)
- Custard apples
- Dragon Fruit
- Fancy lettuce
- Kale
- Pears
- Passionfruit
- Red Papaya
- Rocket
- Sweet potatoes
- Sprouts
- 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, Micro greens (+ wide variety of organic such as alfalfa, barley greens, 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, Dragon Fruit, Grapefruit, Lemons, Limes, Mangoes, Oranges (organic), Passionfruit, Paw Paw, Pears, Rock melons, Strawberries, watermelons.
Nuts
Pecan nuts and macadamia nuts (back in April)
Dairy
Cows milk, cheeses and yoghurt, kefir.
Goats milk and soft cheeses, kefir
Honey
Raw unprocessed honey, creamed honey and creamed honey with cinnamon! And bees wax candles also.
Breads
A variety of artisan sour dough breads baked with organic flours and flavours that use local market products including macadamia nut bread!
Meat
Beef, lamb and pork (All Natural Meat Company), Salami (Nimbin Valley Diary)