December 20th, 2008 Newsletter

Bardstown Road Farmers’ Market, Inc

Sarah’s Corner

From our friend Sarah Fritschner

After this Saturday, The Bardstown Road Farmers Market takes a break for the holidays and comes back in a contracted form in early January, so it’s time to stock up on kale, winter squash, cabbage and apples because it’ll be a few weeks before they return.

It’s so amazing that the market really breaks for just two weeks. There was a time when June was the start of the growing season for market sellers, and “farmer” described someone who grew produce.

That was the time when lettuce, green onions, and radishes couldn’t make enough money for a farmer to justify him or her loading a truck and making a drive to market. And few consumers were attracted to a lettuce-and-radish market.

But the vegetable farmers started growing asparagus, snap peas, sorrel, arugula and greens. And other farmers, who sold meat and eggs, flowers and plants, baked goods and cheese, started joining them at the market.

Pretty soon, shoppers came to understand the rhythms of what the seasons offered them – that meals with salads and roasted asparagus would give way to green beans and squash, and then corn and tomatoes, then Brussels sprouts and butternut. Bratwurst and bison, chicken and eggs would fill out those meals. Consumers and farmers began to add weeks to both ends of the growing season, extending it spring and fall, until now it is virtually year round.

Though this is the last Saturday of the official market season, the “winter market” will be open from Jan 3 until the end of March, and the “official” market will open again the first Saturday in April.

Bundle up and keep supporting local agriculture.

Grits with kale and sausage

This is a southern version of an Italian favorite. If grits don’t sell well in your house, call it polenta. But use the same recipe.

Grits

2 cups grits, coarse ground if possible (like Weisenberger)

1 teaspoon salt

½ cup grated Kenny’s asiago cheese (or other hard, flavorful grating cheese)

Kale and sausage:

2 bunches kale

½ pound Italian sausage, or other flavorful sausage

3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)

½ teaspoon salt

1 to 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, optional

Remove and discard kale stems. Chop kale.

Heat a wide, deep pot over medium-high heat and add sausage. If it’s in casings, remove the casings before putting sausage in the skillet. Add the garlic, salt and rosemary, if using, and cook, stirring and breaking up the sausage, until the garlic has softened and the sausage is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add kale and ½ cup water and put a lid on the pot. Reduce heat to simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the kale is as tender as you like, or about 30 minutes. Remove lid and let excess liquid boil away.

Divide grits among plates or wide soup bowls and top with kale and sausage. Serves 8.