Tribute to Super Bowl 1 and Max McGee

Dear Market Goers,

Since this is Super Bowl week and the Packers are playing, I thought I’d pay homage to Super Bowl 1 and my all-time favorite football player, Max McGee.  When I was growing up in the rain forests of Oregon, there wasn’t a whole lot for a kid to do except chores, reading, watching TV, walking in the woods, riding our pony, and playing with my brother and sister.  Heck, there were only four channels in those days, ABC, CBS, NBC and public Television and we didn’t get NBC.  There were no video games and Pong hadn’t been invented until I was a teenager, or at least it didn’t get to our neck of the woods (pun intended) until later….

So I spent a lot of time playing catch with my older brother Steve.  Depending on the season, it was football or baseball.  Hours on end:  pitching, catching, fielding grounders and fly balls, passing, going out for passes.  Sports were everything at our little school.  All the boys played baseball or football every recess…and being a Grade A tomboy, I was right there in the mix.  In fact, that’s how I my lunch hour until I was a freshman in high school!

Since my brother Steve was older and pretty bossy, when we played football at home, he was usually the quarterback and I was the receiver.  He loved taking on the persona of his favorite players as well as adding colorful, play-by-play commentary, which made playing with him even more fun.  So he took on the role of Bart Starr and proclaimed I was Max McGee, “And Bart Starr drops back to pass…there’s the rush…he scrambles to the left, looks down the field and passes to McGee…30-20-10….HE SCORES…and the crowd goes wild….”  For some of you youngsters, Bart Starr was one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time and Max McGee was one of his receivers.  They both played for the Green Bay Packers under Vince Lombardi, who is considered THE greatest football coach of all time.  A legendary, inspirational character who actually went on to coach the Redskins.

Although I was too young to remember the First Super Bowl, if you are a fan of the Packers, you know of it.  Max McGee was nearing the end of his football carreer and had only completed 91 yards during the 1966 regular season. He thought there was no chance that he would get into the game and actually violated team curfew and spent the night before the Super Bowl partying.

“Boyd Dowler, wide-receiver separated a shoulder on the Packers’ second drive, and Lombardi summoned McGee. He had to borrow a helmet because he left his in the locker room. A few plays later, McGee made a one-handed snare of a pass from Bart Starr and ran 37 yards to score.”  (NY Times)

Check out this video of the one handed catch!  It’s pretty awesome and the narrator has a great voice! If your browser doesn’t like this link, go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0ZOzf62L9k

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So Max McGee ended up scoring the first points ever in Super Bowl history and catching seven passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns.  Green Bay won 35-10.  After the game McGee said, “When it’s third-and-10, you can take the milk drinkers and I’ll take the whiskey drinkers every time.” Come on… you gotta love that!  If you haven’t had enough football talk, here’s another GREAT video of that game…http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpAWyGPM9Rw.  There’s a part in it about how Vince Lombardi didn’t consider his team the greatest athletes, he chose his players based on their character.  Because he could mold people with charachter into winners.

Enough reminiscing!  So what do we have for you this week?  Lots of great food for your Super Bowl Sunday.  Betty has the best chips in the universe…I’m snagging some, along with her incredible black bean dip for the Super Bowl party I’m attending.  Holy Cow has some fantastic dips..horseradish cheddar is my fave.  We’ve got all kinds of great meats to make Super Bowl dishes…chili, brats, chicken, bacon…..also, artisan breads, desserts, pickles, wine, and more.

Thanks to Ellen James, our ethereal Celtic harpist and to Jake and the Burtones for playing last week.  Check out Jake and the Burtones Facebook page.  I posted a five minute video of the market with the Burtones in the background on the Purcellville Community Market facebook page.  If you know anybody who would like to play at the market, send them our way!

This is the LAST WEEK that the kids from Woodgrove and Loudoun Valley High Schools will be collecting gently used jeans for the Teens for Jeans drive, so get rid of your old jeans by bringing them to the market to benefit homeless teen.

Here’s who’s at the market this week….

Everona Dairy, (www.everonadairy.com), from Rapidan Virginia, makes unpasteurized, sheep’s milk cheeses in the Piedmont of Virginia, as well as a killer olive tampenade, lamb summer sausage, and crackers.  Their website says, “The Piedmont region of Virginia is the foothills of the ancient and beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains.  Everona is atop a limestone ridge with its delicious sweet water, and is covered by the rich red Piedmont soil that grows lush and tender grasses.

Stop by and say hi to Erica, of the Magnolia Girls. She’s been through heck lately, being ill and all.  She’ll be back with her delicious breads and cookies.  Can’t wait to get some of the best ginger cookies around!

Rob, of Community Gardens, won’t be at the market for a few weeks.  His product is growing slowly this time of year.  The good news is that he bought quite a few used greenhouses and will be expanding his operation so we will get to have his delicious salad mix and arugula next winter, all winter!  If you’re not doing anything, I bet he could use some help getting them up…

Here’s a message from the Matich’s of Liberty Hill Farm:

We will be selling pastured raised chicken, free range eggs and whole wheat products. Our chicken is offered as whole, skinless, boneless breasts and in parts.  We also provide chicken livers, necks and feet.   Our free range chickens, in addition to the grass they forage for, eat non-GMO (genetically modified) feed.  GMO grains are polluting our food supply.  Not many places offer this kind of feed–we travel two hours to obtain it in order to produce the best chicken and eggs we can.  We started shrinkwrapping our processed chicken which enables them last for up to a year in the freezer without getting freezer burn.

Free range eggs are very healthy for you as they create the “perfect food”, providing a perfect balance of Omega 3s and 6s. Confined chickens mess up this perfect balance of Omegas and actually produce eggs that are not as healthy for you.

Our organic whole wheat products includes:  freshly ground whole wheat bread, pizza crusts, apple cinnamon bread, cinnamon raisin bread and  delicious chocolate chip cookies.  We also bake apple cinnamon and cinnamon rolls.   These seem to be a growing favorite during market mornings.   We will be introducing granola this Saturday.

Stop by Liberty Hill Farm’s table to buy your eggs, chicken and whole wheat products or just to visit.   We do enjoy the conversations.   You may visit our website at www.LibertyHillFarmVA.com to get more information about our products or to place orders for market pickup.   See you at the market.

Liz Handcrafted Soaps will not be back at the market until next.  We will be at the market every other Saturday until the end of March.

Hondo Coffee and Pickled Goods - He’s coming!!!

North Gate Vineyard. Check out their facebook page to see the progress on the construction of their new, LEED Certified tasting room.  They will be at the market with their selection of great Virginia wines.

Lothar’s Gourmet Sausages will be at the market this week.  Here’s a message from Lothar…

Dear Valued Customers and Friends of Good Taste,

Good Evening everyone,it is a Super Bowl weekend ( is it?) and we have all of our Brats to enjoy for the game with your family and friends!

Sausages:  Nuernbergers, Weissbrats, Hot Mediterannean,Sweet Italians, English Bangers, Beorowurst, Beef TexMex, Lambbrats, Chorizos, DoubleSmoked, Country Bavarian and many more.

Meat Cuts:  Kasslers (good with saurkraut& potatoes), Filets, Chuck Eye, Schwenksteaks,Virginia Roasts, Spiessbraten, PorkLoins, PorkChops, NY Steaks, and more…

Bacons:  Basically Bacons Galore….

This week we promise you we will have Sirloin Goulasch and Paninis…so come and visit us at the market.  Thank you for your patronage and remember whatever choice of cut you desire, we can serve it for you:)

Lothar, June and Jack-Henry

The Stifler Family of What’s for Dinner Now will be bringing their delicous, all-natural, pasture-raised, grain-finished beef (www.whatsfordinnernow.com).

Get ready for the Super Bowl – Sunday, February 6th!!!!  Having a Super Bowl party?  Treat your guests to great tasting snacks, appetizers and entrees made with delicious and nutritious, natural beef.  Whether you choose to fire up the grill or plug in the crock pot, you can serve up their favorites.  Steaks, ribs, burgers, brats, roasts and more.  Stop by to see Mitch, Joyce and Josh of What’s For Dinner Now ? this Saturday and check out the variety of selections we offer.

Chris Carey, of HarvestMarket, will have the following incredible prepared foods made with fresh, local ingredients whenever possible. Here’s a message from his food blog….

February, the bleakest of months. The harsh winter winds constantly swirl. Snow and bone chilling cold invades your every being. No relief. We hide, we bundle, we hibernate. Yearning for warmth of any kind. The sun peeks from behind the steel gray sky and for a fleeting moment, we embrace the temporary relief. This month is for feeding the soul. Winter calls for braising and glazing. Slow crock pot cooking that warms the soul and body. Rich, deep flavors to fend off the chill. And ironically, bright citrus in the peak of their season to help us through these dreary days to the early signs of spring.

I love braising. The technique requires careful attention of the cook. Braising is one of the most utilized techniques in all of the worlds cuisines. It transforms lowly, humble, inexpensive cuts of meat or vegetables into succulent morsels. Braising is closely related to stewing, the main difference being less liquid and a searing of the meat or vegetable. The little step of searing adds layers of flavor into the final dish.

Our braises and other offerings for this week are:

Braised salsify with thyme, bay leaf, and gremolata (vegetarian, vegan, gluten free)

Braised Belgium endive with garlic, walnuts, and herbs (vegetarian, vegan, gluten free)

Braised savoy cabbage with local house cured bacon, onions, and herbs (gluten free)

Stilton, leek and potato soup(vegetarian, gluten free)

Chicken noodle soup(gluten free)

French onion soup(gluten free)

Limited supplies of :

Asian style coleslaw(vegetarian, vegan, gluten free)

Shrimp salad (gluten free)

Check out Chris’ new food blog, www.harvestmarketdc.blogspot.com and on Facebook:   HarvestMarketDC, and Twitter:   HarvestMarketDC/Twitter.

Micaela Keene of Millstone Bakers

I tried Millstone Bakers’ pane Siciliano last week…after the market I served it to two hungry teenage boys and it was gone in minutes.  I did manage to get a bite without losing my fingers and it was fantastic!!!  Micaela will be at the market this with rosemary, asiago, and sundried tomato foccacia, country whole wheat boule, baguettes, ciabatta, challah, walnut fougasse, seeded whole wheat baguette, rosemary and sea salt rounds and dried cherry and pecan scones.

Samantha, of Holy Cow Delivery, will be selling her cousin’s (South Mountain Creamery) whole, cream top, 2%, skim, and chocolate milk, fantastic yogurt and yogurt drinks, to die-for cream cheeses, regular butter and honey butter. Here’s a message from Samantha:

Holy Cow!!!  We have lambchops, lamb stew meat, and lambburger.  In addition to our fantastic lamb, we have some awesome dairy products.  Our chocolate milk makes the best hot cocoa!!!  You gotta try it

TOATS, a wheat, egg, and dairy-free cookie made right here in Loudoun County!  They have 0 trans fats and even the box is organic.  Stop by and chat with Marisol about her journey creating this unique product and ask for a taste these delicious, healthy snacks (www.toatsorganic.com).

Joey, of Cornerstone Bakery, will not be at the market this week.  Look for her great cupcakes next week.  I love the pancake, bacon and maple syrup cupcake.  The base is pancake flavored cake, the frosting is maple flavored and it’s sprinkled with bacon bits….Oh. My.

As always, she take custom orders for your party needs.  Just e-mail her at joey@cornerstonebakedgoods.com and let her know what you need. You can pick up your order at the next market or she can deliver them to you during the week.

If you’re jonesin’ for one of The Smoothie Guy’s (Mike Schreiber) fresh fruit smoothies, don’t forget he’s at the Purcellville Sports Pavilion in his Smoothie Hut.  Just walk in, even if you’re not a member, and order one of those fantastic smoothies…he’ll be back at the Best Little Market in Loudoun when the weather gets warmer..

Linna the Locavore

UPCOMING PCM  APPEARANCE…. Come see me at the market this week!  I will be at the market this week to get you excited about planting your garden this spring!  I will have my gardening books, some extra seeds, and some bean teepee’s for sale.  Come by with any questions or just to dream of spring with me!

If you have any extra seeds bring them by to swap.  Check out all of my GET READY FOR SPRING articles!

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Be vocal.  Eat, think, and buy local!

www.foodscaper.com!

Follow me on Facebook: look for Foodscaper Friends

Follow me on Twitter: Locavore_Linna

Check out my upcoming workshops

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We hope you stop by in all kinds of weather now.  If you’re coming from the east, it’s just the first right past the town hall and then up the block on your left.  Look for the signs.  Don’t forget, there is parking in the town lot down the street and also behind It’s Bazaar.  Don’t park in the little parking lot between Nichol’s Hardware and It’s Bazaar.  We want to be good neighbors to our favorite hardware store!!!

We really appreciate your support and hope that we have been a positive influence in your lives beyond providing great, healthy food for you and your families.  Check out our website at www.purcellvillecommunitymarket.com, our info on www.loudounfarms.org and on facebook, where we post pictures of happy customers and vendors each week! Check the market table for all kinds of info, cookbooks, recipes, community events, local businesses, health information, and my favorite magazine, Flavor!

Don’t forget to try to remember to bring your Purcellville Green and Buy Fresh, Buy Local shopping bags…

So come out on Saturday, try all of our samples, purchase some GREAT, HEALTHY, LOCAL foods, have a chat with your faithful vendors, happy neighbors, and enlightened folks from other communities and sip some fresh coffee and have a bite to eat. We will be there from 10 am to 1 pm inside It’s Bazaar at 143 N. 21st Street in beautiful, old town Purcellville, VA.

Enjoy!

Juanita Tool

yours truly!

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