Blueberry GoatCheese Cheesecake

Blueberries are in season at the farmers' market-get them before they're gone! Freeze a bunch, eat some fresh, and make this delicious dessert to impress all of your friends!

Ingredients:
CRUST:
1 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup butter melted
1T sugar

FILLING:
2 1/2 cups fresh wild blueberries (or frozen, thawed)
1T cornstarch
2 8oz blocks cream cheese
1 8oz container plain chevre goat cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup sugar
2T cornstarch
1/4 t salt
5 large free-range eggs

TOPPING:
1 1/2 cups sour cream
2 T sugar
1/2 t vanilla extract

SAUCE:
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1 cup fresh wild blueberries

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 325
2. To prepare crust, combine first 3 ingredients in a medium bowl. Drizzle with butter, toss with a fork until moist, firmly press mixture into bottom of a 9-inch springform pan and bake for 10 minutes-cool
3. To prepare filling, combine 2 1/2 cups blueberries and 1T cornstarch in a food processor, and process until smooth. Place puree in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook 6 minutes, or until slightly thick, stirring constantly. Cool slightly. Reserve 1/2 cup blueberry puree for sauce; set remaining 1 cup puree aside.
4. Place cheeses in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed for 3 minutes or until smooth. Add sourcream and blend. Combine 1 cup sugar, 2 T cornstarch, and salt. Add sugar mixture to cheese mixture; beat well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Pour batter over prepared crust. Pour 1 cup blueberry puree over batter; gently swirl with a knife. Bake at 325 for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until cheesecake center barely moves when pan is touched. Remove cheesecake from oven; place cheesecake on wire rack. (do not turn oven off)
5. To prepare topping, combine sour cream, 2 T sugar, and vanilla in a small bowl, stirring well. Spread sour cream mixture evenly over cheesecake. Bake at 325 for 10 mins. Remove cheesecake from oven; run a knife around the outside edge. Cool to room temperature. Cover and chill at least 8 hours. Remove sides of springform pan.
6. To prepare the sauce, combine reserved 1/2 cup blueberry puree, 1/4 cup sugar and water in a small saucepan. Cook over med heat for 8 minutes, or until sauce is thick, stirring constantly. Gently fold in 1 cup blueberries. Remove from heat, and cool. Serve sauce with cheesecake.

Vendor Profiles: Kelly Chapel Produce

The Doss Family have been selling at the Abingdon Farmers' Market for over 3 years. They have a great variety of produce, including Chinese cabbages, several varieties of lettuce, peppers, onions, and lots of tomatoes. Head over to spot #30 to see what they have to offer this week!

Vendor Profiles: Diva Treva Soapworks

Diva Treva is our vendor of the week! She has been selling at the market for 3 years, and is a customer favorite! Her wide variety of scented body products include amazing combinations like ginger & orange, patchouli, cedar, rose, sagewood and more! Her soaps are almost pretty enough to display as artwork in your bathroom, but you will quickly give up that notion when you see how great your skin feels after you use it! She has expanded her offerings this year to include soy candles, bath salts, goat's milk lotion, body mist, sugar scrubs and laundry detergent! Come by and see her smiling face, at spot 23, every Saturday at the Abingdon Farmers' Market!

Cantaloupe and Pancetta Cream Sauce

Cantaloupes are a universal favorite, especially among kids. Besides cutting it up and enjoying it fresh, what else do you do with the melons? Emeril has a recipe that sounds crazy, but tastes amazing! Try it this week, and report back here to let us know how you like it! (Pancetta can be replaced with bacon if you prefer)

Cantaloupe and Pancetta Cream Sauce for Pasta

Ingredients:
3 T unsalted butter
2 oz sliced pancetta, diced
1/4 cup minced shallot (or small red onion)
3 cups diced ripe cantaloupe (approx 1 medium cantaloupe)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 t salt
1/4 t freshly ground black pepper
1 t minced fresh marjoram (or oregano) leaves
8 oz spaghetti, linguine or fettuccine
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiana-Reggiano cheese

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

2. Heat 1 T of the butter in a large saute pan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring frequently, until it is crisp and has rendered most of its fat, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the shallot and cook, stirring, until softened, 1-2 minutes. Add the remaining 2 T butter, and when it has melted, add the melon. Cook, stirring frequently, until the melon completely breaks down and forms a smooth, thick sauce, 8-10 minutes.

3. Add the heavy cream, salt, pepper and marjoram and cook until the cream has reduced by half and the sauce has a smooth, thick consistency that coats the back of a spoon, about 3 minutes. Remove the sauce from the heat.

4. Add the pasta to the boiling water, stir well, and cook until al dente (about 10 min). Drain well, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water.

5. Add the hot pasta and 1/4 cup of the Parmesan to the warm sauce. Return the pan to medium heat, and toss until the pasta is nicely coated with sauce and heated through. Should the sauce seem too thick, add a bit of the pasta cooking water to help toss the pasta and thin the sauce.

6. Serve the pasta immediately, garnished with the remaining Parmesan cheese and with freshly ground black pepper.


Source: Farm to Fork: Cooking Local, Cooking Fresh by Emeril Lagasse

Terrific Tuesdays in July!

Terrific Tuesdays are here! We are celebrating our customers in July by offering 10% off of your purchases! Come out and support your local farmers who work so hard to feed our families! We'll be there from 3-6 every Tuesday! Look for vendors with a Terrific Tuesday sign when you shop.

Nearly 50 farmers and other vendors provide a rich array of fruits and vegetables, organic produce, healthy, hormone-free meats, poultry and eggs, gourmet cheese, delicious baked goods, jams, jellies and sauces and now, even homemade pasta! Artisan crafters, local musicians, periodic cooking demonstrations by local chefs and a cup of locally roasted coffee round out the experience. It’s all local, its all grown or made by the vendor, and it’s all at the Abingdon Farmers Market.

Featured Vendor of the Week: Blue Door Garden

Our featured vendor this week is: Blue Door Garden. The Petersons have been selling at the Abingdon Farmers' Market for close to a decade. Tom and Deni grow all sorts of produce along with gorgeous floral bouquets. They utilize hoop houses, and other growing techniques, in order to bring AFM customers produce early and later in the season. You can also find much of their goodies at local restaurants, including: The WhistlePig, The House on Main, The Troutdale and more. Tom and Deni love to answer questions about growing techniques and give you tips for your own gardens. Stop by and pick up some great eats and beautiful flowers at Blue Door Garden-spot #34!

Featured Vendor: The Baker Homestead

Our Featured Vendor this week is The Baker Homestead. Blake, Kristin, Grayson & Ren run the only Grade A Goat Dairy in Washington County, VA. The Bakers have a herd of 13 and are milking 7, with hopes of expanding their herd soon. As a Micro-dairy, the small scale production allows this family to be hands on in every aspect of production. They use as many local, fresh ingredients as possible, supporting many other farmers in the process.

Flavors include: Roasted Garlic, Plain Chevre, Fanny Nanny Blackberry, Herbs de Provence, Pimento, Cajun, Roasted Red Pepper, Chocolate Goat, and more! Check out their homemade granola, egg salad sandwiches and goat's milk soaps.

You may also enjoy their cheeses at one of many favorite local restaurants: The Martha Washington Inn & Suites, The House on Main, The WhistlePig, Pop Ellis Sodashop, The Wildflour Bakery & Cafe, Chef Heather's, or enjoy our cheese with a nice glass of local wine at The Abingdon Vineyard & Winery!