Summertime Market

Farm to Table Dinner

2011-02-07T18:37:00.000-08:00

Sixty community members and friends gathered at Quiet Creek Farm for a local meal and to support a great cause. Guests enjoyed four course meal served family style, prepared by Christine Ferris and donated by us The Summertime Market. Proceeds from the evening went to the Saugatuck Center for the Arts and Saugatuck Green Market.

What is Ethical Eating?

2010-08-04T12:58:00.001-07:00

What is ETHICAL EATING? Is it the difference between organics and non-organics, choosing not to eat meat, buying from only local suppliers or is it as simple as knowing the name of the cow that is now your dinner? Alan Richman a food writer for various publications including GQ magazine presents an interesting and detailed story on what it means to eat ethically in the July issue of GQ, titled “Eat no Evil”.

If you do not feel like reading the entire article here are Alan Richman’s 10 Commandments of Ethical Eating:

1. If you have to eat in a hurry, eat a salad, difficult as that might be.

2. Food wrapped in plastic or Styrofoam is ethical only if you’re an astronaut.

3. Know how the animal you eat was raised. You can lead an unexamined life but your food cannot.

4. Transform your front lawn into a garden. (Be prepared for your neighbors to consider you a fruitcake; or worse a European.)

5. Unless your mom cooks from scratch, she has no business telling you what to eat.

6. No body's health ever declined from eating unadvertised products.

7. Consider vegans a waring sign of ethical eating run amok.

8. Buying eleven-grain bread instead of seven grain bread does not make you a better person.

9. The $4.99 all-you-can-eat pancakes special at IHOP is not an ethical meal, even without bacon.

10. If you have to eat in airports, don’t. (but you already knew that.)

Whats For Dinner? Beet Enchiladas

2010-07-14T12:14:00.000-07:00

Feel like stepping outside the norm for dinner tonight? Might we suggest a recipe for Beet enchiladas, from our very own Laurie Knudsen. With such an easy ingredients list based completely on vegetables the prep time is short and simple. In fact we suspect most of your time will be spent hovering around the oven, anticipating when you will be able to taste this interesting take on a Mexican favorite.

Ingredients:

3 good size beets
Equal amount of carrots to beets
1 onion
2 tomatoes
1 cup black beans
1 can of enchilada sauce
1 pack of ten corn or flower tortillas
Handful of cilantro for garnish
1 package of Mexican mix cheese
1 can of vegetable gravy
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
Soak black beans over night, next day quickly cook them while prepping everything else.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Dice your beets, carrots, onion and saute in olive oil
Fold the beans, vegetables, gravy and a little cheese into tortilla and place in a casserole dish
Repeat until the casserole dish is full
Smother the folded tortillas with the enchilada sauce
Cook for about 35-40 minutes
Once out of the oven lightly cover with cheese, diced tomatoes, and cilantro

Tell us what you think!

Drink to Your Health

2010-07-12T13:59:00.001-07:00

Salads are refreshing, sandwiches are filling, pies are sweet but SMOOTHIES are fun! Every now and then a smoothie is an enjoyable experience that everyone should have. Depending on what you throw in them, smoothies offer a wide range of immediate health results. Breakfast, Lunch or just because, The Summertime Market has the best produce and natural foods to get you liquefied. These three smoothies feature a menu of fat fighting, brain firing, muscle building and heart helping ingredients to add a little mix to your daily pallet.

Never made a smoothie before? Pull out your blender, throw in all the ingredients and let it blend to a creamy consistency. If it is too thick just add more water, ice or juice to get the thickness you desire.

Morning Power Smoothie: All berry in this antioxidant powerhouse to keep your brain in tip top shape and ready for the day ahead.

1/2 cup fresh Krupka’s blueberries
1/2 cup fresh Visser raspberries
1 cup of Hilhof milk
1/2 cup of Greek style vanilla yogurt
Handful of flax seed

Body Karma Smoothie: Mix all these ingredients together to make your body simply feel good.

1/2 can of pineapple
3 leaves of kale or spinach
1 ripe banana
4 fresh mint leaves, for taste
1/4 inch of ginger root
1 cup of ice
1/2 cup of water
1/2 cup Greek style vanilla yogurt
Handful Good Life Granola
For a nice boost try adding, beets, parsley, cabbage

*Recipe and greens from CJ Veggies

Protein Punch Smoothie: Build your muscles back stronger and charge your metabolism with this ultimate power drink.

1/2 Tbsp peanut butter of the Cream-Nut or Sweet Ella’s organic variety
1 banana
1/2 cup Hilhof milk
1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 cup Greek style yogurt
1 Tbsp protein powder
1 Tbsp flax seed
3-4 ice cubes

What’s it good for?

Blueberries The huge amounts of antioxidants, such as anthocyanins, in blueberries have been shown to slow brain decline and reverse memory loss.

Raspberries An antioxidant powerhouse bursting with fiber, manganese, and vitamin C, these berries will keep your heart and brain in top shape.

Bananas Heavy on potassium, fiber, and vitamin B6, bananas do wonders for your heart and provide good carbs to keep you full and energized.

OJ & Pineapple OJ has vitamin C, and pineapples contain bromelain, a cancer-inhibiting, inflammation-reducing enzyme.

Low-fat milk All the calcium and protein, none of the fat.

Greek style yogurt Apposed to regular yogurt, Greek yogurt is low in all things bad and high in all things good like; protein, carbs, sodium and it offers a thicker and creamer taste.

Peanut Butter Packed with protein, manganese, and niacin, peanuts can help stave off heart disease and, when eaten in moderation, promote weight loss.

Flax seed A tiny seed that has been around for centuries, known for its Omega-3 essential fatty acids. These good fats have shown evidence to help reduce risk of heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes.

Ginger root Aside from being known as a super herb packed full of useful nutrients, ginger reduces inflammation and also helps lower cholesterol.

Spinach, Kale and other leafy greens Are usually at the top of many super food list for being loaded with calcium, folic acid, iron, fiber, vitamins K & C and carotenoids.

Beets One more root vegetable that has positive effects for the whole body including; digestion, blood circulation, kidney disorders, skin care, gall bladder, cancer, and heart diseases.

Water & Ice A little more H2O is always a good idea.

*information gathered from various Men’ Health publications and WebMD

Eating Local on the Go

2010-07-07T11:59:00.000-07:00

What happens when you combine this area’s premier caterer with the magnificent array of ingredients available at The Summertime Market? We all benefit and have one more reason to stop in and shop at Summertime Market on our way through town.

This past weekend The Summertime Market was thrilled to welcome the talents and creativity of Chef Christine Ferris to the Market. She stopped in to deliver our first order and offer a few samplings.

For more than 20 years, Chris’ love of delicious fresh, local and organic produce has been the heart of her creations. Now, instead of hoping she’ll be the one catering the next big summer event on your schedule, you can enjoy a collection of unique salads and sandwich wraps, created specially for Summertime Market, anytime!

Using only ingredients available at the Market, Chris will be making pesto chicken salad, bean salad with fresh tarragon and tender spring vegetables, and a few other taste treats we can all enjoy…whenever we want!

Whether heading out for a hike at the State Park, a relaxing afternoon at the beach, or a lazy day out on the boat, stop in and pick up some great food that’s ready to go…all in compostabl packing of course.

Whats For Dinner at the Douglas Social?

2010-06-30T09:26:00.000-07:00

This week at the Douglas Social The Summertime Market will be bringing you the best the area has to offer for dinner and desert. Look for our tent to be serving Evil Jungle Thai salad and tomato basil sandwiches for dinner. For desert we will offer Palazzolo's Gelato and Crane's Pies.

Whether you come hungry for conversation or for a full plate of salad we hope to see you at the Douglas Social, this Thursday night from 5:00-9:00 PM

Cheese Tasting with Evergreen Lane Farm & Creamery

2010-06-29T06:46:00.000-07:00

In general it can be difficult to refuse a sampling of cheese but when it is an Evergreen Lane chevre it is impossible. This past Saturday the cheese maker, Ms. Halinski debuted her new pleasantly sweet fig and honey chevre cheese with the Summertime community. Simply presented in a paper cup the creamy cheese left your taste buds in a quandary believing they had just had a spoon full of ice cream. The Fig and Honey Chevre is now available at the Market. View more images from the event on our Facebook.

In addition to debuting her new cheese, Ms Halinski used some of the products at the Market to pile up a chevre bruschetta with wild chard, pickled beats and fennel. Bellow you will find the recipe for how to cook and prepare the seasonally perfect snack and in the Market you can find all the ingredients needed to try it yourself at home. Enjoy!

Chevre Bruschetta with Wilted Chard, Pickled Beets, and Fennel
1 baguette
Chevre
Wilted Chard (see recipe below)
Pickled Beets (see recipe below)
Chard
3 quarts Swiss Chard (about a dozen leaves)
2-3 tbsp olive oil
Dash of sea salt, to taste
Remove stems and slice into thin ribbons “chiffonade” style—roll a few leaves at a time together lengthwise and slice. Place ribbons into a tall heavy-bottom pot and toss with 2-3 tbsp of olive oil and a dash of sea salt. Cook on medium heat for a few minutes, just until steaming, stirring gently. Remove from heat, cover, and let sit for 1-2 minutes. Remove from pot to cool. Use at room temperature to assemble bruschetta, or cook ahead of time and store in fridge for later.
Beets
1 LB beets
1 medium onion, Vidalia or red
1 cup apple cider vinegar
½ cup water
1/3 cup sugar
Trim stems to ½ inch and wash whole beets to remove soil. Boil whole beets for 15 minutes, let sit for 5. Rinse in cold water and slip skins. Slice boiled beets and set aside in a large bowl. Slice onion in thin rings. Toss onion rings with beets slices. Mix vinegar and water in a saucepan, stir in sugar, and bring to a boil. Immediately pour over beets and onions to cover, cover the bowl with a plate and let sit overnight—refrigerate after everything has cooled to room temperature.
Assembling
Slice baguette to ½ inch pieces, toast in oven or use fresh. Top with a large spoonful of greens, spread on a tablespoon of fresh chevre then top with beet and onion slices. Garnish with fennel sprigs.

Fresh Cherry Reduction Sauce

2010-06-25T14:49:00.000-07:00

Cherries are usually reserved for eating by the pit spitting contest and eating by the hand full, however, they can be used dress up a nice piece of meat. Featured here is a grilled grass fed pork chop lightly covered in a fresh cherry reduction sauce. With cherries just coming into season this is an exciting option for dressing up a weekly dinner.

Ingredients
1lb fresh pitted cherries
1 cup ruby red port
1/2 cup of sugar
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
Preparation
Place cherries in saucepan and add port, sugar vinegar and honey. Cook over high heat, stirring slowly, until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for approximately 12-15 minutes, or until the cherries are soft but still retain their shape.

Don’t forget to tell us how you liked it, enjoy!

2010-06-25T14:31:00.000-07:00

Alan Greene’s article “Brown vs. White Rice: a fork in the road” reminds us of the importance of developmental lessons in young children with regards to nutrition. What will allow children to make positive food choices in the future will stem from their understanding of the parallels of their own uniqueness and the food they put in their body. Early awareness and appreciation for foods full sensory experience will instinctively create a gravitation to foods that can be picked up, felt, smelled and seen, rather than something that comes in a cold ambiguous package.

Got to Love Evergreen Lane Farm.

2010-05-22T11:10:00.000-07:00

Have you ever been around baby goats?

Each spring, when I visit Evergreen Lane Farm in Fennville, I seriously contemplate scooping up one the adorable kids so I can put her in the backseat of my Jetta.

So far, I’ve resisted.

However, there’s no resisting the artisan cheeses handcrafted by Cathy Halisnki.

Let’s start with the chèvre: it’s fresh, snowy white, soft, easy to spread, and has a mild goat flavor. Caution…addiction is possible.

When I first sampled Cathy’s Pyramid Pointe soft-ripened cheese, I found (another) new

favorite. It has a distinctive pyramid shape and natural rind that’s blackened with ash. The flavor becomes more pronounced as it ages, and it’s fabulous at any stage.

If you prefer cow’s milk cheeses, Evergreen Lane Creamery makes some of the best. La Mancha MOO! is an outstanding camembert. Poet’s Tomme is a raw milk cheese made with The Poet stout from New Holland Brewing.

By: Micheal Shaw

Koeze Makes Organic Peanut Butter?!?!

2010-05-20T04:17:00.000-07:00

Mother Nature knows how to achieve perfection all by Herself.

For 84 years the people of Koeze Gourmet Nuts have been making peanut butter the way nature intended it to be.

Crafted in small batches, Cream-Nut Natural Peanut Butter (crunchy or smooth!) boasts a deep roasted peanut taste and contains only two ingredients: peanuts and a pinch of sea salt.

Go ahead; look at a jar of Jif and compare. Do we really need to be tripling our sugar intake?

When you want peanut butter the natural way, you want the good stuff: Koeze Cream Nut Butter. It consistently wins taste-testing awards, and it’s made right in Grand Rapids. So, go ahead and eat what’s naturally delicious; Mother Nature will thank you!

Monique Deschaine Loves Pasta

2010-05-18T10:25:00.000-07:00

In 1981 Monique Deschaine decided that she wanted to make perfect pasta.

Following the advice of Julia Child to “Find something you’re passionate about and keep tremendously interested in it,” Monique started her quest for perfection.

29 years later, we are lucky enough to enjoy the results of Monique’s commitment to her passion.

Meet al dente® Pasta Company from Whitmore Lake, Michigan.

Starting with the best ingredients, al dente® works their dough by hand. Their technique guarantees the difference in texture that you will taste.

With a cooking time of just 3 minutes, al dente® noodles make dinnertime easy to enjoy. Choose from a wide variety of fettucine, linguine, and low-carb noodle options. Try one of Monique’s™ Sumptuous Sauces as a topping, or experiment with one of the delicious recipe offerings found on the noodle bag or al dente’s website: www.aldentepasta.com.

We are exited to be adding some Michigan Italian to the Market this year.

Meet McClure's Pickles

2010-05-17T04:18:00.000-07:00

We love everything about McClure’s pickles!

Let’s start with the fact that their recipe has been passed through the generations from Great Grandmother Lala.

Learning their craft from both their Grandfather and Father, the McClure brothers use local produce whenever possible and whenever it’s in season. As a second best alternative, either Joe or Bob calls the farmers and to converse about getting the best, freshest produce around.

From there, the cucumbers are hand sliced and the jars are hand packed.

We also thought you’d want to know that their labels (composed of soy and vegetable based inks) are printed on a rolling press run by wind-powered electricity.

Now that’s cool.

Oh, did we forget to mention how darned irresistible their pickles are????

www.mcclurespickles.com

Sharecropping is Back

2010-04-26T03:58:00.000-07:00

It's time to start think about planting your garden. Don't have space? That's ok because sharedearth.com is a website that is bringing sharecropping back by connecting land owners with gardeners and farmers. However there are currently no listing for our area this is a great concept, be the first to put a listing for our communities.

Today is Earth Day!

2010-04-22T10:37:00.000-07:00

There are number of things you could do to celebrate. Whether its something big like planting a tree, to something simple like unplugging small appliances when not in use or by eating local, please take time out TODAY to do something to make it happen! DO IT NOW!

Eating Local and Organic Foods is Good for the Environment

Two aspects of the industrialized food production system create excessive carbon emissions: the use of fertilizers and pesticides to grow food crops, and the use of fossil fuels to transport food products. Buying local and organic fruits and vegetables can help limit these activities. When demand for local produce is high, it cuts down on food transportation costs, benefitting the local farmer and the environment. In addition, local organic farmers practice techniques that focus on conserving soil and water. They also grow foods that are free of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers. Eating local, organic food is a healthy choice because it is free of the harmful chemicals that are in traditional pesticides and fertilizers. It also provides consumers with the freshest produce available.

Organic and Grass-Fed Meat are Environmentally Friendly

Meat production takes an incredible toll on the environment. Animals raised on feed lots require feed shipments. Their manure releases toxins in the air and piles up, stressing the local land and water supplies. Food guru Michael Pollan, author of Omnivore's Dilemma, proposes a meatless Monday as one way to reduce your carbon footprint and enhance your health.

Purchasing locally grown foods cuts down on the fossil fuels required to transport the food, and also cuts down on the energy needed for refrigeration during the transportation process. The term "Food miles" refer to the distance a food item travels from the farm to your home. The food miles for items in the grocery store are, on average, 27 times higher than the food miles for goods bought from local sources. In the U.S., the average grocery store's produce travels nearly 1,500 miles between the farm where it was grown and your refrigerator. About 40% of our fruit is produced overseas and, even though broccoli is grown all over the country, the broccoli we buy at the supermarket travels an average of 1,800 miles to get there. Notably, nine percent of our red meat comes from foreign countries, some as far away as Australia and New Zealand. Our food is trucked across the country, hauled in freighter ships over oceans, and flown around the world. A tremendous amount of fossil fuel is burned to transport foods such long distances, releasing carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, particulate matter and other pollutants that contribute to global climate change, acid rain, smog and air and sea pollution. The refrigeration required to keep our fruits, vegetables, dairy products and meats from spoiling during their long journeys burn up even more fossil fuel. In contrast, local and regional food systems produce 17 times less CO2.

The Modern Local Food Movement: A Timeline

The modern local food movement gained notoriety in 2005 when four women invited community members to pledge only to eat foods grown within the San Francisco Bay foodshed. These women coined themselves as “locavores,” and take credit for starting the grassroots local food movement. In 2006 Michael Pollans, The Omnivore's Delimma hit the NY Times Best seller list. Followed shortly after by Barbara Kingsolvers top selling Animal Vegetable Miracle. A couple years later, Alisa Smith and J.B. MacKinnon challenged themselves only to eat foods grown within 100 miles of their home in British Columbia. They coined their experiment “The 100 Mile Diet” and launched a book and a website that discuss their experiments and invites other people to also take the local challenge. Today its almost impossible to pick up a magazine or newspaper that doesn't contain an article or a section devoted to eating locally!

Happy Earth Day,

Melissa

Earth Day Count Down

2010-04-21T21:41:00.000-07:00

1) Eat brown rice. Yes, brown rice is better for the environment than white rice. It's because brown requires less processing. + Plain white rice has far less Vitamin E, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folacin, Potassium, Magnesium, Iron and over dozen other nutrients. Added to that, the dietary fiber contained in white rice is around a quarter of brown rice.

Earth Day Count Down

2010-04-20T12:55:00.000-07:00

2) Reduce junk mail. Save paper and aggravation by reducing the amount of junk mail landing in your box. Visit stopjunkmail.org for a free, downloadable Stop Junk Mail Kit.

Earth Day Count Down

2010-04-19T10:01:00.001-07:00

Get a Tankless Water Heater! They can be 24% to 34% more energy-efficient. Plus you never run out of hot water.

http://www.thedailygreen.com/living-green/definitions/tankless-water-heater

Earth Day Count Down

2010-04-18T15:34:00.000-07:00

Plant drought tolerant native plants in your garden. Commit to planting a tree in your yard or neighborhood each year. A properly placed tree can reduce your cooling costs in the summer and improve the overall health, aesthetic, and value of your home. Work with a local landscape specialist to assist you with finding the right plants for your needs!

Earth Day Count Down

2010-04-17T21:48:00.000-07:00

Switch your font. Century Gothic Uses 30% less ink than Arial! Bet you didn't think of that one.

Earth Day Count Down

2010-04-17T21:46:00.000-07:00

Don't Rinse. Skip rinsing your plates before putting them into the dishwasher. On average you will save 15 gallons of water per load.

Earth Day Count Down

2010-04-15T10:14:00.001-07:00

7) Get motion-sensing light switches. If you tend to forget to turn lights off, consider installing motion sensors to help reduce lighting-related electricity use (which accounts for about 10 percent of total household consumption).

Earth Day Count Down

2010-04-14T10:06:00.000-07:00

8) Don't fertilize your yard before a rain storm. Fertilizer runoff can pollute rivers, lakes, and bays, and cause problems in recreational areas or fishing grounds.

Earth Day Count Down

2010-04-13T10:21:00.001-07:00

WALK – our community is very walker-friendly. Next time you go to the post office or the library, walk instead! It will save gas and make you healthier.

Earth Day Count Down

2010-04-12T06:48:00.000-07:00

Install a Low-Flow Shower Head. Evolve's Road-Runner Low-Flow Shower Head saves about eight gallons per five-minute shower. The water slows to a trickle when its fully heated, letting you know when its time to step in and pull the tap for a full-strength spray. Check it out athttp://evolveshowerheads.com/

Earth Day Count Down

2010-04-11T07:18:00.001-07:00

Stop mowing! A traditional gas powered lawn mower produces as much air pollution as 43 new cars each driven 12,000. Check out our 4 solutions.

Plant a no mow lawn. Save water, time and energy.

http://www.supereco.com/how-to/how-to-plant-a-no-mow-lawn/

Get a reel push mower.

http://www.cleanairgardening.com/reelmowers.html

Solar powered lawn mower by Studio Volpi

http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/8/view/9136/studio-volpi-solar-powered-lawn-mower.html

Artificial turf is always green and short. Perfect for the lazy OCD types.

http://www.frassfakegrass.com/

Earth Day Count Down

2010-04-10T10:36:00.001-07:00

SHUT DOWN your computer, screen savers do not save energy.

Earth Day Count Down

2010-04-09T03:40:00.001-07:00

UNPLUG your cell phone charger, it uses energy even when your phone is not attached!

Earth Day Count Down

2010-04-08T03:48:00.001-07:00

CONTAIN THE RAIN

We all know that when it rains, it pours; and with the right rain barrel, all that rainwater can be saved. Rain water harvesting is important because it decreases the high demand for domestic water in which residential irrigation can account for up to 40% of consumption. By collecting rain water and storing it a rain barrel you’ll have water for future use, whether it’s for watering the garden or just keeping it handy for emergency situations. Check out Aaron's Rain Barrels made from 100% recycled plastic and wood at http://www.ne-design.net/

Earth Day Count Down

2010-04-07T03:32:00.001-07:00

COMPOST! Give up your garbage disposal, compost your food scraps instead. Its actually better to throw them in the trash, than to grind them in the disposal. Food sent down the drain often winds up in the landfill after the sewage treatment plant, so save the electricity - and 2,000 gallons of water per year!

http://www.epa.gov/osw/conserve/rrr/composting/by_compost.htm

Earth Day Count Down

2010-04-06T09:47:00.001-07:00

CARBON FOOTPRINT – visit carboncounter.org for information on checking your homes carbon footprint.

Earth Day Count Down

2010-04-05T11:29:00.000-07:00

Invest your green in green companies.

www.greenrankings.newsweek.com/top500

2010-04-04T10:13:00.000-07:00

VOLUNTEER for a local clean-up event

Saturday, May 8, 2010, Saugatuck Dunes State Park , 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Help us pull garlic mustard and restore these amazing dunes. Join the Saugatuck Dunes Coastal Alliance and the Stewardship Network, West Michigan Cluster in their quest to rid this amazing state park of a nasty invader. Enter the park from 138th Avenue and meet at the state park's main parking lot.

2010-04-03T05:27:00.000-07:00

HANG CLOTHES OUTSIDE on the line to dry. Indulge in Spring freshness on your bed linens! Save 4.4 pounds of carbon per load by line drying your clothes. Plus, it will also increase their life, the heat from your drier breaks down the fibers in clothing very quickly!

Earth Day Count Down

2010-04-02T03:18:00.000-07:00

Follow our Earth Day count down and learn (or be reminded) how we can all be a little greener this year

Clean your environment and ours.

CLEAN GREEN – Most of the conventional cleaning products we all grew up with are petroleum-based and have dubious health and environmental implications, use green cleaning products instead:

Better Life http://www.cleanhappens.com/

Seventh Generation http://www.seventhgeneration.com/

Mrs. Meyer's http://www.mrsmeyers.com/

Ready Made Blog.

2009-09-27T09:28:00.000-07:00

Look at us!

http://www.readymade.com/blogs/readymade/2009/09/21/hdygtfaj-andrew-milauckas-of-the-summertime-market/#more-2742

This week save 10%

2009-09-15T04:51:00.000-07:00

If you save some fossil fuels this week we'll save you some money. Just walk or ride your bike.

S|M|L|XL

2009-08-22T15:30:00.000-07:00

Tee shirts are here.

They are American Apparel Sustainable Edition, green and organic!

$16.00

Summertime Bruschetta: Tomato, Avacado, Basil and Mint

2009-08-21T03:50:00.000-07:00

1 Baguette, cut crosswise into 1/4-to 1/3- inch thick rounds. Seedy Salt Bread or Ciabatta would be perfect

Zoye Oil

1 C chopped onion

1/4 C chopped basil

1/4 C chopped mint

2 T fresh lemon juice

1 T chopped jalapeno chiles with seeds

1 lb. tomatoes, stemmed, coarsely chopped, juices drained

2 lg avocados, hlved, pitted, peeled, cut into small cubes

Preheat oven to 425. Arrange bread on large rimmed baking sheet. Brush with oil; sprinkle with salt (i use Kosher salt) and pepper. bake until crisp about 12min. Cool.

DO AHEAD can be made 2 hours in advance. Let stand at room temperature.

Press garlic into medium bowl. Add onion, basil, shopped mint, lemon juice, and chilies. Mix in tomatoes, then avocados; season with salt and pepper. spoon onto toasts; garnish with mint leaves.

Thanks Joan.

Grill IT!

2009-08-19T09:42:00.000-07:00

This is so easy.

Shuck the corn

Brush on Zoye Oil Zoye is healthier than olive oil, has higher temperature tolerance (won't burn or flame the grill), and is made in Zeeland, Mi.

Sprinkle on the Tuscan Blend Spice Mix You can get this from us or the Spice Merchant downtown Saugatuck. (Tuscan Blend is also great for mixing with oil and using it for dipping Seedy Salt Bread or Ciabatta.)

Grill IT until corn looks like the picture.

You can thank cookie lady Renea for this one.

“So that’s what real milk tastes like”

2009-08-15T13:24:00.000-07:00

I was first attracted to the glass bottle but after trying the milk and knowing about the farm I’m hooked. Hilhof has 34 Holstein dairy cows that are 100% grass fed, antibiotic-and hormone-free. Which means their milk is much higher in Omega-3, CLA, and Vitamin E. Connie and William Hilhof even deliver the milk themselves in a truck covered in cow spots. We carry quarts and half gallons of fat free skim, 2 percent, whole milk, and half quarts of cream (great for whipping).

OPEN!

2009-06-25T12:47:00.001-07:00

Seedy Salt Bread!

2009-05-27T09:19:00.000-07:00

YES! It’s true; we will have “that” bread! Lots of you have been asking, so I’m very excited to confirm it is true. It’s now called Salt Of The Earth, "Home of the original Seedy Salt bread" and is still be made by Mari and Chris Reijmerink. Mari and Chirs with the help of their daughter Hazel also have an organic fruit farm called Kismet Organics.

Mari and Chris have a very interesting story. They met in the Netherlands working/volunteering at a non-profit farm that blends social outreach with outdoor activities and farm life. When returning to the states for a visit they decided to stay, marry, and farm. Their farm is located in Fennville and started with a 50-year-old pear orchard that they spent 2 years renovating. Now they have expanded to include many fruits: strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, peaches, currents, gooseberries, and heirloom tomatoes.

www.kismetorganics.com

Eaters Guild Visit

2009-05-17T14:15:00.000-07:00

We are proud to announce Eaters Guild will be a main supplier of organic produce. They are located in Bangor and farm 40 acres that have been certified organic for over 30 years. The owners and operators are Laurie, husband Lee and daughter Iris, this year will be their 9^th season as organic farmers. Many of you may already know them from the Friday morning green market in Saugatuck, or as suppliers to Journeyman restaurant in Fennville.

Melissa and I paid them a visit last Friday afternoon to check out the farm. If Laurie and Lee didn’t have lots of work to get done I don’t know if we would have ever left. Laurie greeted us while in one hand trying to correct a disabled chicks neck that was born the night before. She then introduced us to their new goats that they birthed earlier in the week (I think I want a pet goat). We met Lee while Laurie gave us a tour of the 40 acres he was heading in with a huge basket greens that he just finished harvesting. We couldn’t help but all grab a handful. Laurie and Lee are a truly amazing couple, this spring they built two new barns by hand with wood they milled themselves, quite incredible. When Melissa and I finally left they sent us off with fresh asparagus, which was oh-so-tasty., We are hopping we can open the market in time to catch the tail end of the asparagus season.

Check out their website: www.eatersguild.com

The sign goes up!

2009-05-17T13:54:00.000-07:00

We have a sign!

Painted by Robert Krause.

Summertime Market & Providence Farms

2009-04-25T12:19:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to let everyone know that Providence Farms will be our exclusive provider of meats. It can't get any more local than that. If for some odd reason you haven't heard of Providence Farms you should check out their website. Grass fed meats are healthier for you, healthier for the animals, and better for the environment. providencefarms.org

We are currently working on lining up our suppliers for the summer. If you have suggestions feel free to post them.

Article in the Commercial Record

2009-04-25T11:52:00.000-07:00

Douglas Summertime Market planned

By Scott Sullivan
Editor

Wednesday, April 22, 2009 2:38 PM EDT

A 1930’s landmark Douglas gas station that has since been a laundromat, fish market, bank, you name it ... will return this June as The Summertime Market selling fresh local produce, meats and more.

Andrew Milauckas, set to win a bachelor of fine arts degree in advertising design from the Savannah College of Art & Design June 1, will return home this summer to blend edibles with aesthetics in the small-but-singular building at 176 Blue Star Highway, northwest of the Blue Star bridge.

“Our brand concept,” said Milauckas, who interned last summer with an ad firm in New York City, “is to create an environment reminiscent of a 1950’s fruit and vegetable stand ... a place that resonates, where the eggs were laid that morning and produce inventory depends on what the farmer harvested the night before.

“With the rebirth of this pastime comes a healthier and cleaner future,” Milauckas said.

The Summertime Market’s goals are to:

Provide the community with high-quality, safe and healthy products.

Create a mutually-beneficial relationship with local farmers and suppliers.

Have a positive impact on the community and environment.

Educate the community on the benefits of eating locally.

Recycle, reuse and reduce waste.

Local Providence Farms owner Mike O’Brien will sell organic meats at the market, Milauckas said. Providence employee Melissa Sax is setting up contacts with other farmers.

“Between now and June we’re rehabbing the building (a cell-phone sales outlet in its most-recent incarnation),” said Milauckas. “Once I’m back, we will plan to be open each day till fall.”

http://www.allegannews.com/articles/2009/04/23/cr_news/6.txt