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  • Our Market Blog

    Don’t know how to cook your new veggies? Google recipes for Market veggies. Then share your cooking experiences, and find new ones, on our Market Community Food Blog!

    Stop the Presses

    What Are We Up To?



     
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    Market NOW Open - June 22nd, 2015 - ORDER FOR JULY 4TH


    Ready To Order?

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    FIRST TIME CUSTOMERS You are invited to watch our Market Tutorial before you begin. If you do not receive an email confirmation immediately after you order, then you did not click the SUBMIT ORDER button and we did not receive an order from you. Call your Market Manager for help.

    SPLG BENEFIT: Recipe Relief

    One of the many things I enjoy as Market Manager is sharing recipes that inspire you to try the produce we sell. In addition to the recipes I promote, we have blog authors on our
    Market Community Food Blog, like customer Kim Munshower, who posts pretty regularly. I just love when customers share their experience so we all can learn new ways to surprise our palates. Here are several more recipes that Nathan and I enjoy as well using a variety of produce on the Market this week: eggplant, swiss chard, and a variety of basils for hummus and pestos. Trust me that this Szechuan Eggplant Stir-Fry is better than what we have been coveting as our favorite from a local restaurant. In addition, this recipe for Curried Red Lentil and Swiss Chard Stew with Garbanzo Beans is good year round and especially in the summer now that chard is still available. I’ve turned alot of people onto this make-ahead stew, saving time and excess heat in the kitchen. Not familiar with pestos? If you have never made pesto before, they are great on pasta, fish, beef, etc. You can even add pesto to any sauces you make. You can substitute whatever nuts you have on hand just as long as you finely chop them. Cheese is not necessary. I add real butter too! Make a creamy consistency to your liking and savor this wonderful condiment called Pesto. Like hummus? You haven’t lived til you make one with peanut butter! OMG here it is… Thai Basil Hummus. Super major flavor and very satisfying. Bon Appetit!

    Summertime Volunteer Opportunities

    ALL OPPORTUNITIES are listed on our Q&A page. Please take a look and give me a call 727-515-9469. You are needed this summer! Particularly needed are delivery teams and administrative helpers.

    St. Pete Locally Grown Market in St. Pete is the hub for selling fine products of many of the Growers below needing volunteers—and all those listed on Our Growers page.

    Nathan’s Natural Veggies in St. Pete
    Pioneer Settlement Garden in St. Pete WORK IN PROGRESS. RAY NEEDS HELP NOW!
    The Dancing Goat in Oldsmar
    Alexandra Lake Farm in Dade City

    Message from Your Market Manager

    PLEASE HELP US have a good turnout at the next potluck social on June 27th. Our speaker is driving down from Dade City and I would like to have a good showing for his talk. Thanks so much if you can make it! Come meet your fellow locavores and enjoy a relaxing few hours with new friends.

    WHY YOU SHOULD drink cucumber water. Everyone says I must try this but I am SO hooked on lemon water right now! What has been your experience with it?

    FOOD BLOGGERS UNITE!
    We are grateful to everyone who blogs on our Community Food Blog, especially customer Kim Munshower who is diligent about posting her experiences. If you aren’t following her, here’s your change to catch up with how busy she has been. She even mentions her use for pestos in this interesting post for Grilled Cheese with Roasted Carrots. Sincere thanks to Kim! If YOU want to blog for us, just send me an email and I’ll add you as an Author.

    FOURTH OF JULY FOOD FARE
    Having a Holiday gathering for the Fourth of July? Although we can’t plan your menu, we can surely provide many of the ingredients for great summer fare and offer suggestions with recipes that have worked for us. After delivery from SPLG on Friday you’ve got a whole week to prepare for your July 4th gathering using pastured eggs, ham, and apricots from our Market this week. DON’T MISS more recipes in “SPLG BENEFIT: Recipe Relief” on the sidebar at left. Some of the fruit you purchase this coming week will be perfectly ripe for the upcoming Holiday weekend. We suggest some good old standards with a twist here and there. For starters, try this French Style potato salad recipe that is one of my favorites from Cook’s Illustrated. Here’s your chance to
    make devilled eggs from pastured eggs. I’ve heard that it helps to add a pinch of baking soda to the boiling water. Ever tried making pulled pork in a crockpot? Just get a ham and let the crockpot do its thing. For an adventurous ice cream dessert try Brown Butter Apricots Brioche and Ice Cream. Need a time saver? Lately I’ve been making pies (buying the refrigerated crusts you unroll into a pie pan) and using up all leftover fruit I can find. No waste and what a treat! SPECIAL THANKS to Customer Merilee Hampton for sharing this link to desserts for the Red, White, & Blue!

    SUMMER EGGS
    According to Pam of The Dancing Goat, summer egg layers pose a challenge as they want to go broody and hide their eggs. This can make eggs too mature for sale. SO, before you crack them open, put the eggs in a bowl of room temp water. The floaters should be discarded and your Market Manager notified so the eggs can be replaced.

    GIVEAWAY PRICING
    GIVEAWAYS are your chance to try items you might not otherwise try. This week our “giveaways” include gourmet eggplants, Florida mangoes, all salmon, and a variety of local pork including Pork bratwurst, chorizo, and mild Italian sausages. Now available at giveaway pricing just in time for the 4th of July Holiday.

    SPLG’S FRUIT BASKET
    Fancy lemons, Pink Lady apples, Apricots, Dark Sweet Cherries, Medjool dates, Florida mangos, and papayas.

    SATISFACTION GUARANTEED
    Our Market has high standards for what it sells. Despite that—as seasons transition—the challenges of evolving weather and pesky insects can take its toll on the crops. Market Growers are being very selective about what they are willing to present to you. No, it won’t always be picture perfect (which is part of its charm) and sometimes an insect is going to evade capture! But we won’t send you anything that we wouldn’t eat ourselves. If for any reason we have goofed and you are dissatisfied, please report it to me right away so we can rectify the situation. That’s how we get better and we all benefit from that. Your satisfaction is key to our success as a resource for St. Petersburgs’ lovers of chemical-free, organically & locally grown vegetables.

    WELCOME TO OUR NEWEST CUSTOMERS
    Once you have submitted your order, if in doubt about what you owe, you can always confirm what you have been charged for by checking your account history and viewing your most current invoice. Instructions on how to do that are on our Q&A page under the question entitled Since you don’t provide an invoice with delivery, how do I know what I owe? Also, since your vegetables are picked fresh within 24 hours of delivery, they should be lasting for WEEKS in your refrigerator. When you accept delivery, please take a few minutes to inspect your order to protect your vegetables from unnecessary spoilage. Lastly, it is imperative that you understand our policy on Unclaimed Orders found on our Q&A page. When you make a purchase you are agreeing to abide by this policy.

    Upcoming Events

    All these and more are posted on our Calendar of Events

    WORKSHOPS & EVENTS

    • “Monthly Potluck Social”, June 27th, Nathan’s Garden Tour Begins at 5:30PM for active Market customers, growers, and volunteers. BY Whoozin.com e-vite ONLY. SPEAKER THIS MONTH: The special guest speaker for this social is Leon Elt, owner of Alexandra Lake Farm and provider of our Market’s lamb cuts. He will talk about raising animals in a sustainable and humane way and volunteer opportunities up in Dade City for those who want to learn from his experience. Leon is also a Permaculture designer, specializing on integrating animals in living systems of any scale and if you have questions about that you will have a chance to ask them. Also, as co-founder and the President of a non-profit farm incubator (Big Small Farm, Inc.), Leon is knee deep in advocating the production of healthy local food and teaching other people to do that. Leon is making the trip all the way from Dade City to join us so let’s get a good size group here to meet & greet him! Please RSVP if at all possible so we can plan for adequate space!
    • “Successful Urban Farming in St. Petersburg” on July 11th, 8-10AM Cost $35/$25. RSVP NOW
    • REAL DIRT: Make Your Own” on July 18th, 8-10AM Cost $35/$25. RSVP NOW

    We thank you for your interest and support of our efforts to bring you the healthiest, the freshest and the most delicious locally-produced foods possible!