Muy Importante Info for Market Goers…

Dear Market Goers,

So much good news abounds…  Looking out my office window yesterday, I noticed a redbud in bloom on Loudoun Street in downtown Leesburg….Pretty soon, the pain of getting my sad greens from the grocery store (the weeks when Rob sold out) will subside… We’ll have vegetables, potted plants, and flowers in our midst.  I have spoken to some of our spring and summer vendors this week about when they are coming back.  More on that next week.  We have two new vendors that will be starting soon that are pretty exciting and I can’t wait to tell you about them.

 

Derek Kilmer

And we are claiming a food victory!!!  Derek Kilmer, our awesome Purcellville Community Market fruit man, just got a contract to supply a number of Loudoun County Schools with apples (http://www.leesburg2day.com/articles/2011/03/24/schools/845farmschool032111.txt).  How great is that?  Our local schoolkids will be able to eat great tasting, local apples….while at school!  Imagine that!!  It’s kind of sick that that should be so unusual and newsworthy.  Why aren’t we feeding ourselves and our kids the best and freshest food available? Why do people feed themselves and their families out of Costco boxes, Seven-Elevens, and Super Wal-Marts?  Are our lives so busy and complicated that we can’t even take care of ourselves properly?  Don’t we think more of ourselves?  Don’t get me wrong, I’m guilty too…I have moments when I take shortcuts, but I know that my kids and deserve better.  I, for one, am tickled to death that Loudoun County Schools are opening their eyes to the connection between food and the well-being of the children that are entrusted to their care.  Anyway, I sure hope they get the Pink Ladies and the Honeycrisps.  Those are our favorites…

This is our last week inside.  WE ARE SO GRATEFUL to It’s Bazaar for welcoming us inside during the brutal January, February and some of March weather.  STARTING NEXT WEEK, we will be outdoors….unless it does something crazy like snow…then Bill and Rebecca told us we could come crawling back…

Thanks to Ellen James for playing upstairs and wooing vendors and customers with her Celtic Harp and ethereal vocals…and Jake and the Burtones,  for playing their awesome tunes for the people of Purcellville! We’ll have two of the Burtones at the market this week, along with some special guests from Seussical and Fiddler on the Roof!  Two outstanding, top-notch productions that will be playing at Blue Ridge and Harmony in the upcoming weeks.  You wouldn’t believe how talented these kids are….check out this video clip of Fiddler on the Roof that I took over a month ago on the Fiddler facebook page!  It is guaranteed to make you smile!

You won’t see me at the market this week because as a part of my full-time job, I will be working at the 2011 Leesburg Youth Job Fair (check it out on facebook).  It is a job fair for high school and college age kids and about 40 different businesses with summer, after school and weekend work.  Tell your students to drop by the Leesburg Airport…A couple of our vendors will actually have farmers market sales jobs too!

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

Unfortunately, Lothar will not be at the market this week as there has been a death in his family.  Please say a prayer for him…

Micaela, of Millstone Bakers will have baguettes, challah, seeded loaf, and a few others, but no focaccia or ciabatta this week.  She just got back from Arizona and is home baking right now!

Herban Avenues, will be back with their incredible teas and lotions.  Their teas are made in small batches from potent/organically grown herbs, they contain trace minerals, anti-oxidants, chlorophyll and vitamins.  These products are so special….I use them almost every day.  I know I’ve said this before, but I love their Vitamin C Punch tea.  I cut up chunks of ginger and steep them along with local honey and fresh lemon…then when it cools somewhat, I add a Vitamin C Punch teabag….even my kids (teenage boys) like it.  Need I say more?  OK, if you insist!  My Zumba instructor was sick last week (she taught anyway) and she told me she was out of the  Vitamin C Punch tea.  I told her I had quite a bit of it at my place and she followed me to my apartment after class and I gave her some to help her get over her mega-cold.

Joey, of Cornerstone Bakery, has a message:

As soon as the weather turning and I am in my garden planting I want to start making warm weather cupcake flavors.  So this week I will have two new cupcake flavors which include Lemon 3-Ways (lemon cake with lemon buttercream and a homemade lemon curd injection) and Chocolate Raspberry (chocolate cake with a raspberry buttercream).  I will also be offering Sticky Toffee Pudding (dense dark toffee soaked cake with sweet whipped cream topping),  Vanilla Vanilla (decorated for Spring) and Espresso.  One thing I have been telling people about the Sticky Toffee Pudding is that if you are bringing it home and want to be super indulgent have it with a scoop of ice cream.  It sort of takes it to the next level.  You will not be disappointed.
You can always pre-order cupcakes, donuts or dog treats by e-mailing me at joey@cornerstonebakedgoods.com.  I also have free local delivery during the week so if you ever have an office function or want to treat your co-workers with cupcakes or donuts just let me know.
I will have donuts at the market this week.  They are baked cake donuts and the flavors include plain chocolate, plain vanilla, cinnamon sugar, chocolate covered vanilla, chocolate glazed and chocolate chocolate.  They are delicious, filling and addictive (in a good way!).

We will have our all-natural sugar free Doggie Delicious Cookies and Pupcakes at the market this week.  I have a lot of repeat customers on my dog treats.  I think the dogs really love the taste of something that has real good ingredients.  Also, for the dog cookies I have new shapes which include bones and fire hydrants which are decorated with yogurt.  There are also now 4 cookies in a package but the same great cookie recipes.

The fabulous Betty!

Betty, of Betty’s Salsa, will have her to-die-for corn chips, bean dip, and salsa.  Betty is working on expanding her business and adding more products….I, for one, am very happy to hear it!  Bring back the enchiladas…

Erica, of The Magnolia Girls, will be back with her delicious breads and cookies.  Can’t wait to get some of the best ginger cookies around!

Rob, of Community Gardens, will be back this week.  He will also be expanding his product line this spring.  I can’t wait to see what he has to offer.  I hope he does more salad dressings.

Hondo Coffee and Pickled Goods - He’s coming with his local and non-local pickled goods…tasty pickles, sauerkraut, pickled beets…..and coffee.  In fact, my friend Kim Nevin, owner of King Street Coffee, actually had a Saturday off from her kid’s sports and came out to visit our little market.  She mentioned that she loved Hondo’s Mom’s beets, and Betty’s Chips and….!!!  If you are in Leesburg, visit King Street Coffee…it’s the best coffee in Leesburg!!!!
Liberty Hill Farm provides pastured raised chicken, free range eggs and freshly ground whole wheat products.  I had yet another customer mention to me how wonderful those eggs:  how yellow the yolks are and when you crack them into a pan, how they stay together instead of spreading all over like old, store-bought eggs.  And they are healthier for you!!!

Visit their 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 be here this week.  Come and get pure and beautiful soaps that treat your skin like it deserves.  You really owe your skin….it protects you from so many things!

We hope you stopped by North Gate Vineyard’s new tasting room.  I stopped by after last week’s market with some of the vendors and t is beautiful!!! – Check out their facebook page to see the prics of their new, LEED Certified tasting room and their sweet, dedicated staff.  They will be at the market with their selection of great Virginia wines.

The Stifler Family of What’s for Dinner Now will be bringing their delicous, all-natural, pasture-raised, grain-finished beef (www.whatsfordinnernow.com). I had their skirt steak the other day,  I turned the oven to 350. I covered the steak with olive oil and salt and pepper, seared both sides in a cast-iron frying pan on the stove top on medium high and then slid it into the oven until the thermometer showed medium rare.  Took it out of the frying pan and let it rest, covered with foil, on a cutting board for 10 minutes.  MAN WAS IT GOOD!!!  Here’s a message from Joyce:

Our angus beef is farm raised and is never fed growth hormones or antibiotics.  Natural beef is not only a healthy choice, but its oh so flavorful.  Thank you for your business!

Mitch & Joyce Stifler

Chris Carey, of HarvestMarket, will be at the market this week.  Check out his weekly cooking story on his new food blog, www.harvestmarketdc.blogspot.com.  He’s also on Facebook:   HarvestMarketDC, and Twitter:   HarvestMarketDC/Twitter.

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 lamb burger.  In addition to our fantastic lamb, we have some awesome dairy products.  Our chocolate milk makes the best hot cocoa!!!  You gotta try it!

 

Marisol

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).

Everona Dairy, will be at the market this week.  Their cheeses are so unbelievably good…!  Here’s a video they posted of some day old lambs on facebook…lamb video.

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.  I’m not kidding, it looks like an Island 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

Are you looking to give your seeds and plants the best possible start this season?  If you are trying to make sure odds are in your favor, try making this plant juice recipe to keep your plants growing strong.  Note that disease’s like damping-off can quickly kill your seedlings and plants .. this ‘plant juice’ will help prevent diseases like this.  Happy sprouting!
‘Linna the Locavore’
Motivational Garden Speaker & Teacher

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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 almost every week! Check the market table for all kinds of info, cookbooks, recipes, community events, local businesses, and health information.

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

703.967.0431

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