Farm Show and Tell at Edible Earthscapes

Enjoy a bit of Farm Show and Tell with an Asian flair on Monday, August 2, 6-8:00 pm, at vendor Edible Earthscape's farm. Farmers Jason and Haruka Oatis specialize in Asian vegetables and other specialty crops. Visitors will see:

• Greenhouse production with in-ground crops such as tomatoes, cucumbers, turmeric, ginger and other crops.
• Vegetables, herbs, and flowers, including many Asian varieties.
• One-acre rice plot. Jason and Haruka are growing a Japanese variety of rice without any synthetic inputs or sustained flooding/irrigation through the season.

This event is part of a series organized by the Chatham County Center of North Carolina Cooperative Extension to educate farmers and consumers about sustainable agriculture and to increase awareness and understanding of our local food system.

Parking is very limited, so please carpool from Chatham Marketplace in Pittsboro at 5:45. Click here for directions to Chatham Marketplace, and email Debbie Roos for more information about this event.

Sunny Solutions & Savings: Solar Energy

There was so much interest in sustainable energy solutions when Yes! Solar Solutions of the Triangle joined us in the Education Tent last week, that we decided to talk with Kathy Miller, Vice President of the Cary company, to learn more.

Yes! Solar Solutions has shifted its focus in the last year to a more holistic look at sources of energy use and how you can conserve, Kathy said. So Yes! offers a range of energy assessment tools, where an energy specialist will walk through your home to advise you on simple ways to cut back on your spending and conserve energy. For instance, he may suggest adding a hot water heater blanket, sealing ducts, adding weather stripping to windows, or installing remote control turn-offs for your home electronics. These changes can mean real savings.

The company also can talk with you about how photovoltaic solar panels and solar thermal hot water can help you save some green while you go green. “When people want to re-landscape their whole yard, but don't want to spend a ton of money at once on it, they have a landscape architect come in and provide them with a plan they can put to use over time,” Kathy said. “That's similar to our goal. Let's see what we can do to help you be more efficient and put a plan together to make it happen.”

Rebates, Tax Credits and Cutting Energy Bills

Kathy said that there are rebates out there for all sorts of efficiencies. For instance, new windows, improved heating and air conditioning, or insulation. Yes! Solar Solutions keeps track of rebates to help its customers defray the cost of sustainable energy by cashing in on these rebates.

Kathy also pointed out that there is a 30% federal tax credit for solar energy, in addition to a 35% tax credit for North Carolina residents. “Say you spend $10,000 on a solar system; you can take $3,000 off your federal tax bill, plus 35% off your state tax bill. So a $10,000 system may end of costing you only about $3,500,” Kathy said.

In terms of return on your monthly utility bill, it depends on your home and your energy usage, Kathy said. Yes! Solar Solutions has a customer renting a 108-year-old home in downtown Cary. “The first eight months they lived there, the electric bills were so high,” Kathy said. “But now their bills are almost half of what they were, just since they installed the solar thermal hot water heater.”

Savings in a newer home, by comparison, will vary depending on the home and usage pattern. Kathy also noted that additional savings come when you are paid by the utility for the electricity you produce with solar power. Wow--a utility will pay me? Now that's intriguing... Kathy said that the company receives several hundred dollars each month for the electricity produced at its warehouse, which has the photovoltaic solar panels on the roof.

Solar Schooling

Yes! Solar Solutions offers free educational seminars at its store, with the next one on August 21. It is a layman's overview of the technology behind solar energy, as well as installation--a great way to get schooled on solar energy. While it's free, Yes! does ask that people sign up in advance because space is limited.

Kathy and her husband Stew, who is president of the company, feel that what they are doing at Yes! is important for the next generation. “This a big piece to the puzzle of solving our fossil fuel problem. Using fossil fuels the way we are now is just not going to be sustainable for the next 100 years.” Check out the web site or stop by the store to learn more about how you can improve energy efficiency in your home and harness the power of sunny North Carolina skies.

Get Creative with Crepes!

This past Saturday, I got a bag of peaches from Andy at Clayton Orchard. An overflowing bag-full, I gave a few to my mom and shared one with my sister Saturday after the market. This morning, I still had 7 perfect peaches on my counter and was contemplating what to do with them.

Of course, a perfectly delicious option is to simply eat and enjoy them whole, as is, but I had the itch to “make something.” Crepes came to mind. My daughter is returning from a visit with grandma in Asheville this afternoon, and she loves crepes. They are a simple, tasty snack and kind of a blank slate to which you can add anything you like. Similar to a pancake but in my mind, more versatile. With a greater proportion of egg in the mixture, crepes are more pliable than pancakes and can be used like a tortilla — breakfast, lunch, dinner or dessert. And you can put just about anything you like inside, wrap it up and enjoy!

So I whipped up a batch, then prepared one for myself, thinking I would add my fresh sliced peaches and a drizzle of maple syrup. But then I opened the fridge and saw the basil from Ben's Produce. On top of the peaches went chopped basil. And some goat cheese from Hillsborough Cheese Co. A last-minute decision was the drizzle of local honey instead of maple syrup. Mmmmm. The dish was light, fresh, sweet but not too sweet, and so easy! I ate two, and there are plenty left for my daughter.

So, whip up a batch at home and add your favorite local ingredients for an easy, delicious dish - anytime. The photo isn't the clearest, but it gives you an idea of how my crepe creation came together.

Crepes

Yield: Eight 8-inch crepes

• 1 cup flour
• 1½ cups milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 TBS oil

Whisk all ingredients together. Let batter sit for 30 minutes. Into hot skillet, pour batter, ¼ to ⅓ cup at a time. As soon as batter is poured into skillet, move the pan around to spread the mixture, forming a thin circle. Cook for 20-30 seconds on each side or until lightly browned. Layer crepes with waxed paper to prevent sticking to each other.

Submitted by Market Manager Kim Hunter

Fall Farm Tour: Save the Date!

The 5th Annual Eastern Triangle Farm Tour will be held September 18 and 19 from 1 to 5 PM on both days.

The brochure with details is coming soon, but the map is available now. There will be 24 sites on this Fall’s tour, including eight new farms and two market vendors: Edible Earthscapes and Spain Farm. An educational event and fundraiser for the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association (CFSA), the tour showcases farms with sustainable and humane livestock operations, plus urban mini-farms and community farms so you can see how much can be grown on small plots of land, even in the city!

Load up a car with your friends and family, choose the farms you will visit, and enjoy the countryside! The tour is self-guided, and farms and sites are located throughout the Eastern Triangle in Wake, Durham, Franklin and Chatham counties. Visit any farm in any order. Many farms also will have foods for sale.

Foodies, locavores and everyone looking for a great activity for the family is invited! Visit CFSA’s site for more information and to purchase your “button” for $25 for access to all the farms! You can also visit one farm for $10.

Volunteer one afternoon, and you’ll be able to attend the whole tour for free! Get an inside look at the farms,help out, have lots of fun and get a free t-shirt! Contact Fred Broadwell to volunteer.

A Vote for Our Market Is a Vote for Local Farmers

Voting closes at the end of August for the America’s Favorite Farmers Markets™ contest, and we need your help to win! We're in the top 20 for our market's size, but we need a lot more votes to win. That's where you come in!

Please take one minute to click here, then click the "Vote" button--it's that easy. (Our market is already selected at this page, so you don't need to enter it in. Just click "Vote".)

Our market could win the title, along with a supply of No Farms No Food® tote bags for our market shoppers and other other prizes, including free printing and graphic design services. With these services, we could let even more folks know about our market and help support local farmers.

The contest (a project of the American Farmland Trust) is designed to raise national awareness about the importance of supporting fresh food from local farms and farmers. Please show your love for our market with your vote, spread the word through your email, Facebook and Twitter accounts!

Tomato Stack Salad: Wow!

You have to love the simplicity of the tomato sandwich come summer time. Fresh sliced tomatoes, a little salt and pepper, a touch of mayonnaise, on toast. That's one of my favorite lunches in the summer.

But if you're looking for a recipe that highlights the great flavor of tomatoes, is easy to put together and has a bit of “wow” factor, the Tomato Stack Salad is it!

I made this last summer for myself and a group of friends after reading that it won first place in The Washington Post's Top Tomato contest. Enjoy! (Photo by James M. Thresher for The Washington Post).

Market Shoppers Enjoy Local "Firecracker" Sliders

Mini burgers, or sliders, are all the rage these days and shoppers were able to sample a local version in the Education Tent last weekend. Created by market shopper and volunteer Andy Hethcote, the burgers were aptly named firecracker sliders in the theme of Independence Day, with hot chile sauce providing the 'just beyond subtle' spiciness. Most of the slider ingredients can be found at the market, including ground beef, lettuce, red onion, eggs and feta cheese. Buy your ingredients at the market for a local rendition on traditional summer grilling!

Firecracker Sliders (makes 24)

1 lb ground beef
1 egg
3 T bread crumbs
2 T Worcestershire sauce
2 t salt
1 t pepper
toppings (below)
3/4 cup blue cheese or feta dressing (below)
6 hot dog buns, sliced into quarters for 4 slider buns per hot dog bun

Combine beef, egg, bread crumbs, Worcestershire and hot chili sauce. Divide meat mixture into 24 pieces, forming small round patties. Cook beef on grill, stovetop or "slider maker". Assemble sliders in sliced hot dog buns, adding toppings and 1/2 tsp of dressing to each.

Toppings:
thinly sliced red onion
chopped lettuce
blue cheese or feta dressing

Dressing: (makes about 1 1/2 cups)
1/3 cup blue or feta cheese
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 t Worcestershire sauce
1/2 t hot sauce
1 cup olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in food processor. Pulse until combined.