The Westport Farmers' Market will be opening for the season in just one week, beginning on Thursday, May 23rd. This weekly summer market runs every Thursday, from 10 am to 2 pm at Imperial Avenue Commuter Lot in Westport.
If you haven't yet made it to this Market, you'll want to mark your calendar. This all-organic market will be announcing the final vendors next week and will be selecting a rotating group of featured artists, vendors, guest chefs and non-profits to join the Market each week.
So who's at The Westport Farmers' Market this year??... (this is the fun part) See below for a complete list of vendors:
With 15 entries and some stiff competition, the judges Nancy Roper and Bill Taibe ate their way through traditional and not so traditional cabbage dishes. After careful consideration and much deliberation, a winner was announced with two dishes tied for second place.
Drumroll.....Chef Selma Miriam and Noel Furie, owners ofBloodroot Vegetarian Restaurant, were winners with their S'chee (Russian cabbagesoup) recipe. Their soup was delicious topped with a dollop of sour cream and pinch of dill. The women of Bloodroot have been supporting local and organic before these terms were even considered part of our daily lingo. Check out their winning recipe below:
Cabbage -A cultivated plant (Brassica oleracea) eaten as a vegetable, having thick green or purple leaves surrounding a spherical heart or head...
Do you have a cabbage recipe that you think can win a contest for the best cabbage recipe?
On January 19, next Saturday, The Westport Farmers' Market will be accepting all entries. At 11:00 a.m. celebrity Judges/Chefs Nancy Roper (from Boxcar Cantina and Truck) and Bill Taibe (from Lefarm and Whelk) will taste their way through the entries declaring a winner at high noon.
The winner will receive a Westport Farmers' Market tote filled with market goodies worth well over a $100 and have the option to share their recipe with the 3,000 people who receive the WFM newsletter each week. There is one stipulation to the contest - the cabbage that is used must be from a local farm and the name of the farm must be noted with the entry.
Chef Michael Batt has been on the Food Network, trained under master chefs Geoffrey Zakarian (Town, LeCirque), Gray Kunz (L’Espinasse) & Terrence Brennan (Picholine, Artisinal), and is coming to this Thursday as the guest chef at the Westport Farmers’ Market on July 12.
Eight years ago Michael Batt was the talk of New York, well on his way to becoming the next big thing in the City. Working at restuarants including City Hall, Thom, and Terrence Brennan’s Seafood & Chop House, Chef Batt was rapidly working his way to the top. Then fate stepped in and he met his wife, Gallia. Shortly after, the two moved to Connecticut and took over Food Design, then run by another husband and wife team. Today, Michael and Gallia run their business like a family, with many of the staff with them since 2004.
Farfalle, Fettuccine, Orecchiette, Penne, Fusilli, Orzo…..the list goes on, and my heart beats a little faster each time I hear one of these magical words. That’s what pasta is really, a little bit of magic. It has the power to transport you to your first bite of mac and cheese in your Grandma’s kitchen, to Sunday night baked spaghetti, to home. Although I am not Italian, pasta has always been a part of my life and my weakness. This long-lasting relationship began when I was in a high chair, with bowties and butter and has since spiraled to squid ink fettuccine topped with sautéed scallops served in a warm Gorgonzola cream sauce as a college student today. In between, there has been shrimp alfredo, orecchiette with broccoli rabe and sweet sausage, vegetable lasagna, and the classic Bolognese. As I grow, so does this list.
Jamie Cooper, Head Chef and Owner of Bonda in Fairfield, will be offering a Summer Farm Salad at the Westport Farmers’ Market on Thursday, June 28th between 10 am and 2 pm.
Chef Cooper’s inspiration for his appearance at the Market came from Riverbank Farm in Roxbury, CT. He will be assembling a simple summer salad with all ingredients sourced locally from Riverbank Farm. His demonstration will not only show how light and delicious dinner can be, but just how easy it is to shop locally. Cooper will compile a mix of crisp sugar snap peas, scallions, ripe gold tomatoes, and fresh fennel topped it off with a refreshing lime basil vinaigrette. As the heat continues to beat down, there is something so satisfying about a summer salad and a meal that leaves the market 90% complete.
Let the festivities begin! This Thursday, June 21st at The Westport Farmers’ Market, Bill Kaliff Executive chef and Co-owner of Festivities will be providing hungry shoppers with a taste of one of Fairfield County’s premier catering companies.
Chef Kalif will begin the first of his two demos at 11 am, with a Faro Ancient Grain Pilaf served with fresh sautéed vegetables and arugula sourced from Ambler Farm. His second dish of the morning, Tabouli with Hearts of Romaine, will be served with his infamous Legacy Olive Oil (which tastes just a little bit like heaven). At 1 pm Chef Kaliff will again show how fun and simple entertaining can be in his second demonstration of the day. Kaliff will be offering a pulled chicken sandwich, served in baby pitas mixed with yogurt, cucumber sauce, and his signature “Magic Sauce” which is known to draw a sizable crowd on its own and is now a staple in my kitchen.
You've waited all Winter. You've been patient. You've eaten produce flown in from countries far away, and had daydreams involving fresh blueberries. But now, your wait is over. It's time to rejoice with fresh local farm fare. The Farmers' Markets are back in session. And there's more good news. The Westport Farmers' Market is hosting 24 guest chefs this season, who will demo seasonal recipes and prepare tasting samples for Market guests. Wait till you see the lineup: Elm, The Boathouse, le Farm, Match, Sugar & Olives, Barcelona & more. CTbites will bring you continued coverage on the upcoming market chefs. and you can view the complete schedule below:
Please welcome Conor Johnson, one of CTbites' summer interns, who will be covering the local Farmers' Markets throughout the 2012 season.
This past Thursday at the Westport Farmers’ Market, the grilling, searing, and sautéing began as they kicked off the season with their first of the many scheduled guest chefs. The first chef featured was Jon Vasst, Executive Chef of The Dressing Room, who awed a sizeable audience as he worked his culinary magic before their hungry eyes. His first of two demos began at 11 am, the second at 1 pm, with upcoming market guest chefs Bill Taibe, of LeFarm and Arik Bensimon, of Napa & Co. in the audince to show their support.
The Westport Farmers' Market opened today with an official ribbon cutting ceremony attended by members of the Fairfield County community who came to show their support for the market and "living local." First Selectman Gordon Joseloff and State Representative Jonathon Steinberg brandished their scissors with vigor as market shoppers applauded the start of the Westport Farmers' Market season. Also poised for the big day wasChef Jon Vaast of Dressing Room, one of the 23 guest chefs who will be appearing at the market throughout the season doing recipe demos and tastings (more on that later). The crowd was packed with people enjoying theirSkinny Pines Pizza, Raus' Cold Romans, Boxcar Cantina Tamales, and Du Soleil Fine Foods...and the rain held out. VIEW PHOTO GALLERY HERE.
Festivities, one of Fairfield county’s premier catering companies for over 28 years will be “popping up” with their signature, hand-made party food- Party Express at the Wilton Farmers’ Market. Opening day is Wednesday, May 30 from 2-6 p.m. and running each Wednesday through September 12th.
Party Express at The Wilton Farmer’s Market offers freshly made party foods featuring the harvest from local farms. The rotating menu includes a wide range of delicious foods from “Snacks For Beach & Patio” to “Bento Box Meals To Go” to ‘Legacy Foods” borrowing world flavors from our families of origin. Also offered are weekly vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free alternatives. Executive Chef/Co-Owner, Bill Kaliff is particularly excited to be expanding his menu to showcase “legacy foods” while incorporating Connecticut Grown whenever possible.
The New Canaan Farmers' Market opens today, May 12, in the Old Center School Parking Lot in New Canaan, CT. The market will run every Saturday through November 17 from 10 am to 2 pm.
Opening day specials include $3 off all bottles of Cold Roman (while supplies last). Check out our post of the Market from last year and come down every Saturday and see for yourself.
The New Canaan Farmers Market is located at the Old Center School Parking Lot at the Corner of South Avenue, Maple Avenue and Main Street in New Canaan, CT. The market will run every Saturday from May 12 through November 17 from 10 am to 2 pm, rain or shine.
The Westport Farmers' Market will be opening for the season in just two weeks, beginning on Thursday, May 24 from 10 am to 2 pm. This weekly summer market runs every Thursday, from 10 am to 2 pm at Imperial Avenue Commuter Lot in Westport.
If you haven't yet made it to this Market, you'll want to mark your calendar. This all-organic market will be announcing the final vendors next week and will be selecting a rotating group of featured artists, vendors, guest chefs and non-profits to join the Market each week. In addition, the Market is adding a new "Education Booth" to share information on healthy cooking, planting and living.
The Market is also excited to share their opening day with Wholesome Wave and Michel Nischan's evening fundraiser, The Whole Hog, an all-star cast on the evening on May 24 that many from the Westport Farmers' Market community will be supporting. For more info, visit Wholesome Wave.
The Westport Farmers' Market held their firstever gala fundraiser last weekend, Fork It Over, with 200 guests in attendance. Gilbertie's Greenhouse in Westport was transformed into a rusticly chic party space through the generous support of Lillian August. Even Martha Stewart was there...and she stayed all night.
The chefs that stepped up to support the market brought their A game, and the result was a spectacular evening of innovative cooking and very serious grazing. Each chef prepared 4-5 dishes; guests were handed quaintly mis-matched fine china; after that it was all a delicious blur. The chef lineup included: Bill Taibe of leFarm/ The Whelk, Matt Storch of Match, Tim LaBant of The Schoolhouse at Cannondale, Michel Nischan of Dressing Room,John Barricelli of Sono Baking Company and Fountainhead Wines.
Some of the evening's menu and flavors are pictured below.
Craving a new date night experience? Perhaps a chic city spot with the casual atmosphere you love in Fairfield County? Look no further. The Westport Farmers’ Market has the answer...an exclusive night of great food, great wine, great friends and a great cause.
On January 28, 2012 the greenhouse at Gilbertie’s Herb Gardens will be transformed into a “Pop-Up” restaurant with a chef lineup that will make you drool. CTbites got the list and we are happy to share: Bill Taibe of leFarm, Matt Storch of Match, Tim LaBant of The Schoolhouse at Cannondale, Michel Nischan of Dressing Room, and John Barricelli of Sono Baking Companywill provide the dessert course.
Each chef wil prepare four dishes, and the entire menu will be paired with inventive cocktails and wine. This is truly an evening not to be missed.
Cauliflower is a tough sell at my house. My husband is a reluctant vegetable eater at the best of times, and I’ve tried to get my boys to try it under clever marketing names like “brain vegetable.” But alas, little success. As a risotto pusher, however, I’ve been victorious. If its on a menu, hubby will always order it, and if I cook it for dinner (which admittedly isn’t often), it will vanish. So I thought, Why not combine the two and see what happens?
Lovely, almost petite heads of cauliflower abound in the greenmarket now, so buying it is an easy temptation. Once home, I separated the cauliflower into florets and roasted them--and if you don’t know my stance on roasting, I strongly advocate it for bringing out the best in vegetables. The cauliflower caramelizes in a hot oven, with yummy, toasty browned edges. Folded into a creamy risotto, it’s one of the best vehicles imaginable for cauliflower, and over at my house, one way it will always get eaten.
As we creep into November, the look of the greenmarket changes. More gourds, potatoes, and with the exception of collards and kale, less greens. I’m ready for a seasonal change but part of me is still holding onto warmer months past and long to see some leafy goodness. This week at the Imperial Avenue market I spotted some gorgeous rainbow swiss chard. Now chard and I have a history, one in which I could never imagine a future promoting it. Growing up in suburban New York, my parents maintained a good sized garden where swiss chard thrived; in fact, took over. Mom and dad couldn’t give it away fast enough, and the stuff that remained made its way to our dinner table just about every night. Later in life I renewed my relationship with chard. At Gourmet, our Executive Food Editor couldn’t stand the stuff, but to her credit, she was open minded enough to know that other people enjoyed it--or at least should eat it, and because I had more than a passing familiarity with it, chard crept into a few recipes I developed at the magazine.
Quite honestly, I never met a roasted vegetable I didn’t like. I roast it all: carrots (the only way to eat them besides raw), onions, okra, even broccoli. So now we’ve come to squash. I don’t know why I’m initially reluctant to prepare it, especially this time of year when it’s everywhere and the varieties are endless. Squash is like a misunderstood pitbull, tough on the outside, but sweet and tender on the inside. It can be daunting to approach at first, but really it’s no big deal. I’ve been drawn to acorn squash this season. The flesh has a pleasant vegetal quality that’s a breeze to prepare and it’s equally delicious with fish, meat, and poultry. Sliced into crescent moons, tossed with butter, olive oil and chile flakes, it gets a drizzle of maple syrup towards the end which caramelizes the squash ever so slightly. A combo of sweet and sassy. The skin is tough and inedible (remember, it’s still part pitbull), but eaten with knife and fork, it’s Autumn on a Plate.
A recent Westport transplant from NYC, Melissa Roberts was a food editor for Gourmet for almost 9 years, where she toiled happily in the test kitchen developing and writing recipes for the magazine. She was also a cook and stylist in the Food Network's kitchen.
Last Thursday’s Imperial Avenue Greenmarket in Westport fell on one of those perfect crisp and clear Fall days. The Greenmarket’s atmosphere was buzzing, complete with live music commemorating its 6th birthday. I joined in the celebration by treating myself to a Breakfast Pizza (pecorino, local bacon, fried egg) from Skinny Pines Pizza with Raus’ cold Roman Coffee to wash it all down. But my mission was not only to treat my belly, but to find inspiration amidst the produce, and it was there in spades beginning with a pile of deep green lacinato kale from Riverbank Farms in Roxbury, CT. Often with the freshest veggies the best way to treat them is the simplest. In this recipe, kale is shredded then tossed with a straightforward dressing of lemon and olive oil which brightens its earthy, mineral-like flavor, and a generous shower of nutty Parmigiano Reggiano.
