This Week at the Market

A hearty THANK YOU to all who braved the weather to pick up their Easter orders on Good Friday. Your graciousness about being inconvenienced is most appreciated and confirms that Market customers are the BEST!

If you are a new customer, please know that our pickup location on the property of Dothan Nurseries is dependent on weather. We are usually outside in our shade tent on the south side of the Nursery, but will be inside the greenhouse if raining.

And a another THANK YOU to everyone who saves and brings their egg cartons to us. Most of them bless the farmers with chickens, and some wind up blessing preschool teachers who use them for various crafts. Either way they are not wasted and very appreciated!

The same goes for brown paper bags. Market bags are on shorter and shorter supply so if you have extras we’ll take them! And if you are new to the Market, we encourage you to donate TWO recyclable bags for your orders and rotate them from week to week. Your name goes on your bags and YOU are the only person who uses them.

If you’ve been eating any of the kale, collards, cabbage, lettuces, etc. for any length of time you are well aware of their superior quality. Greens are one of those foods that reward richly for growing them right! Many people think this is because of the variety, however it actually has everything to do with how we treat the soil. Sustainable agriculture respects that soil is a living breathing thing and treats it accordingly by refraining from using herbicides, pesticides, and chemicals such as ammonium nitrate which actually deplete it. Instead we employ natural methods of pest control, crop rotations, cover crops and natural fertilizers, in other words, we give it some love.

So enjoy your greens! The winter varieties will soon give way to summer crops and summer varieties will replace many of the lettuces we’ve enjoyed all winter. Know that no matter what “green thing” you eat, that you are doing yourself good.

Farm to Table Recipes

3 tablespoons olive oil
6 to 8 cups packed fresh kale leaves
? teaspoon salt
4-1/2 cups water
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 package (12-ounces) Fettuccine Pasta
3 garlic cloves, minced
salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
½-cup crumbled feta cheese

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Heat olive oil in a stockpot.
2. Add kale leaves and salt; cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes.
3. Remove from heat; add water, halved tomatoes, pasta, garlic, salt and pepper.
4. Cook over high heat and bring to a boil.
5. Reduce heat to a simmer and continue to cook for 13 to 15 minutes, or until pasta is thoroughly cooked and water reduced. Stir occasionally.
6. Remove from heat and let stand 2 minutes.
7. Drizzle with Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
Stir in crumbled feta cheese.
Taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly.
8. Serve immediately.

Footnotes

Market At Dothan is a small group of niche growers and producers promoting sustainable agriculture and supporting our local economy. Each grower/producer is dedicated to providing the freshest, highest quality products to their customers. Our growers use natural growing principles without synthetic chemicals. Local products available include: fruits, vegetables, herbs, eggs, beef, chicken, lamb, honey, baked goods, jams, jellies, goat cheese, frozen casseroles, pottery, nuts.
All growers /producers believe in providing locally grown foods and goods seasonally to promote a strong, local community and economy. Our goal is 100% Customer Satisfaction…comments, questions or concerns are welcome!