Featured Vendor: Honey Locust Farm Herb Patch

We are happy to introduce Karen Baker and her mother, who operate Honey Locust Farm Herb Patch. You can catch them every Saturday and Tuesday selling herb plants and old time flowers. When you buy a potted herb from Honey Locust, bring back your container and receive a discount on your next purchase! We love to see their recycling efforts! Honey Locust Herb Patch was generous enough to donate 2 gift baskets for our recent raffle. The winners will be announced this weekend! Currently available: chives, garlic chives, cilantro,dill, tarragon and parsley. Fresh mints for teas and dessert treats -- apple, chocolate, and spearmint. Other herbs will be available as we enter into Summer at the Market. We also have some unique flowers to include: black-eyed susan, coreopsis, lamb's ear, lavender, money plant, primrose, and yarrow. Special orders welcome. We look forward to seeing you at the Market !!

Beets

Beets are in season! The youngest, most tender beets can be found now at the Abingdon Farmers' Market. These delicious roots are crunchy when raw, and when cooked, they are sweet and buttery! The greens attached to the beet roots are delicious and can be prepared like spinach or Swiss chard. They are incredibly rich in nutrients, concentrated in vitamins and minerals as well as carotenoids such as beta-carotene and lutein/zeaxanthin. (Source) If you've never prepared a fresh beet, now's your chance. Here's a recipe to get you started:

Ingredients

• 1 bunch beets with
• greens
• 1/4 cup olive oil, divided
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons chopped onion (optional)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (175 degrees C). Wash the beets thoroughly, leaving the skins on, and remove the greens. Rinse greens, removing any large stems, and set aside. Place the beets in a small baking dish or roasting pan, and toss with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. If you wish to peel the beets, it is easier to do so once they have been roasted.
2. Cover, and bake for 45 to 60 minutes, or until a knife can slide easily through the largest beet.
3. When the roasted beets are almost done, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and onion, and cook for a minute. Tear the beet greens into 2 to 3 inch pieces, and add them to the skillet. Cook and stir until greens are wilted and tender. Season with salt and pepper. Serve the greens as is, and the roasted beets sliced with either red-wine vinegar, or butter and salt and pepper.

Get out of your vegetable rut and try something new!

Vendor Profile: Watson Greenhouse & Produce

Vendor Profile: Louis Watson of Watson Greenhouse & Produce

Louis Watson has been an Abingdon Farmers' Market vendor for over a decade, when it was just half a dozen vendors in a parking lot! And he continues to sell on Saturdays, and Tuesdays beginning in late June at the Market Pavilion. He offers various bedding plants and hanging baskets, as well as eggs, sausage, bacon, and vegetables of all kinds. He's happy to give you cooking or planting advice, and is always greeting his customers with a big 'ol grin. Come by and visit Louis at booth # 13.