You'll leave this demo inspired and empowered to do your own preserving at home.

Always wanted to learn how to can? Now is your chance to master the boiling water method which allows seasonal eaters to preserve their own jams, jellies, salsas, relishes, tomatoes, fruit and more. Join Sherri Brooks Vinton, author of “Put ‘em Up!”, at the gorgeous Sport Hill Farm for one of the four classes she will be offering there on July 30 (rain date July 31) at 9, 11, 1, and 3:00 pm. Come solo or bring some friends.

A light lunch will be served by Cecily Gans of The Main Course Catering, who will also be on hand to serve up and answer your questions about cooking with local foods. $50 per person includes one class, lunch, a small sample to take home and a gorgeous farm view. Class size will be small so sign up today to get a spot. You can send payment to, or drop it off at, Sport Hill Farm or register online using Brown Paper Tickets.

Sport Hill Farm, 596 Sport Hill Road, Easton, CT  06612

Sat. 7/30/11 : A CANNING PARTY (rain date July 31)

Class times: 9, 11, 1, and 3:00 pm

Fee: $50 per person which includes a chance to win a subscription to Edible Nutmeg, the event co-sponsor.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sherri Brooks Vinton in the founder of FarmFriendly LLC, which helps eaters, restaurateurs, and organizations support local agriculture. She is a former governor of Slow Food USA and a member of the Chef’s Collaborative, Women’s Chefs and Restaurateurs, Northeast Organic Farmers Association, and the International Association of Culinary Professionals. She is the author of The Real Food Revival and lives in Easton, Connecticut. Her Website is sherribrooksvinton.com

ABOUT THE BOOK

Put ‘em Up! A Comprehensive Home Preserving Guide for the Creative Cook, from Drying and Freezing to Canning and Pickling

Put ‘em Up! by Sherri Brooks Vinton moves canning out of Grandma’s kitchen and into the twenty-first century, with recipes for Szechuan Beans, Sweet Pepper Jam, and Berry Bourbon. With detailed information for the most timid beginner, Vinton takes the fear out of canning, and all that encompasses the preserving method. Her step-by-step illustrations and helpful graphics keep first-timers on track.

Don't look so cute and innocent, I know you ate the tops off my radishes. Add cages to your raised square food gardening beds to deter cute varmints who like to wreak havoc.

There are 3 farmers’ markets running during the spring and summer season in the Town of Fairfield this summer, the newest being the Greenfield Hill Grange Farmers’ Market at 1873 Hillside Road. Open from 9-1 on Saturdays, the market features 8 vendors and weekly special guests. This Saturday Certified Square Food Gardener Amie Hall will be holding a square foot gardening demo from 10:30-11:00am. I love square food gardening and advise anyone who wants to start up a home garden quickly and easily to take advantage of this opportunity. We now have 9 raised beds in the square foot style and they make so much sense. If you’re worried about critters, please staple chicken wire to the underside to stop burrowers and add on top cages (easily removable and lightweight) to deter all varmint from nipping and pillaging.

Also this Saturday, June 4, Julie Moffat, owner of Qigong for Health, will be offering 2 sessions of Qigong classes during the market. Qigong is a mind/body, self care practice from China. It coordinates gentle movement, relaxed breathing and meditation with self-massage to energize the body. Read more about it here: http://www.followyourqi.com/Home_Page.html

Summer Vendors:

Moorefield Herb Farm (organic herb, vegetable and flowering plants)

Sport Hill Farm (organic produce and some ground fruit)

Goatboy Soaps (goat’s milk soaps)

Daffodil Hill Growers (bedding plants, honey, jams, and maple syrup)

Blackbird Baked Goods (variety of fresh-baked goods)

Keeds Farm (eggs, sprouts, no pesticides or herbicides used)

Newgate Farm (conventional produce and fruit)

Geremia Farm (conventional fruit and produce)

Strawberries are the perfect edible crop to plant in your landscape, just be sure they get full sun.

If you’re growing some of your own strawberries, be sure to check on them starting today if you haven’t already done so. A few of ours are nice and ripe and we always scurry to pick them before the squirrels get to them.

Look for strawberries at farm stands and farmers’ markets throughout the county and in green markets like the Double L Market in Westport, which makes it a point to source from small family farms, giving preference to local producers. Riverbank Farm will have their first organic strawberry crop for sale for $3 per half pint at the Westport Farmers’ Market this Thursday. You might want to look for some rhubarb while you’re there for a strawberry-rhubarb compote or pie.

For a fun pick-you-own (PYO) strawberries experience perfect for the whole family, head to Jones Family Farm in Shelton. They plan to open to PYO in the second week of June and the best way to get an update is to call (203) 929-8425. Always call ahead for the crop report and picking hours as many PYO farms close to outsiders if the weather has been very bad. At this time, we are not aware of any organic PYO farms in the area.

For a complete guide to Fairfield County Farmers’ Market, click here.

The Fairfield farmers’ market at the Promenade at the Brick Walk, located at  1189-1215 Post Road between the Jos. A. Bank and Trek stores, opens for the season on Saturday, June 4, 2011. The market is open every Sat. from 9-12 through October and guests can shop for locally grown and produced food and other goods then run errands at the Brick Walk shops.

Some of the vendors mentioned in this video will not be participating in the market this year so please refer to the 2011 vendor list below. Personally, I think Farmer John should wear a shirt and hat in this year’s video. What do you think?

2011 Market Vendors

OXEN HILL FARM (organic)

RED BEE HONEY

ORONOQUE FARMS

STELLA WHITTLE (Pickles)

CHAPLIN FARMS

RONGORONGO (Cards)

GOAT MILK SOAPS

COOKING TEENS/CAROL DANNHAUSER

EAGLEWOOD FARMS

NOTHING BUT… (award-winning granola)

MITCHELL FARMS

On Wednesday, June 1, the first Elite farmers’ market will open in the parking lot of the Danbury Fair Mall with over 38 farm and food vendors. Founders Tony and Melanie Lee want to open “many, many more” farmers’ markets in partnership with very large shopping centers and other high traffic locations so a greater number of people can access them. There’s no question that vendors were excited about the new concept. According to Tony “150 wanted to participate and we picked 50. This new concept is winning for the farmer and the consumer.”

Elite, determined to create a beautiful market with a country look and feel, is supplying all the tents and table coverings to their vendors. The market also boats numberous special features including lunch vendor Caroline’s Kitchen which makes fresh wraps drawing on local produce and supplies; seasonal canning, pickling and fermenting demonstrations using farm fresh products with Michaela Hayes (formerly a chef at New York’s Gramercy Tavern) each week under a tent sponsored by Ball Jar company; guest chef cooking demos (including award-winning sustainable Chef Bun Lai from Miya’s Sushi in New Haven); a children’s tent where kids can do arts & crafts and activities related to the environment and fresh food; and an area called the Greenius Barn (like the Genius Bar in the Apple store) where experts and authors on topics including composting and cooking with fresh food discuss and demo to educate the public in their area of specialty.

Elite @ Danbury Fair Mall will run each Wednesday and Saturday from 10-2 through the end of October. Most of the vendors are there both days. Special events: There will be live music in Saturday, June 3. Sat. For a complete vendor list, click here. No WIC or SNAP benefits accepted.

For vending and guest demo inquiries, please contact Tony Lee at tony@elitefarmersmarkets.com.

Elitefarmersmarkets.com

Danbury Fair Mall: 7 Backus Avenue, Danbury, CT 06810, (203) 743-3247

What do you get when you mix a professional pastry chef who is passionate about crafting highly creative and sustainable dessert products with milk from two local goat farms? An incredibly decadent, versatile, and palate-pleasing line of CT Grown dessert sauces. Move over dulce de leche, cajeta caramel has arrived.

Cajeta Caramel sauces – cinnamon, Applejack, lemon, curry and rosemary – also play into the growth trend in lesser-known ethnic foods.

Aimed at today’s eco-conscious consumer, Peace Tree Desserts‘ luxurious Cajeta Caramel sauces – cinnamon, Applejack, lemon, curry and rosemary – also play into the growth trend in lesser-known ethnic foods. “Cajeta Caramel is a Mexican pantry staple that’s similar to dulce de leche, except its base is goat’s milk rather than cow’s milk” explains Chef Eads. “I developed these sauces for adventurous consumers who are consciously choosing environmentally correct foods that are made with locally-grown ingredients.”

Ingredient sourcing for the Cajeta Caramel line began with forging relationships with Connecticut goat farmers using organic and sustainable agricultural practices and maintaining high standards of animal welfare. Chef Eads then sought out the most flavorful chocolates, spices, and salts from sustainable agricultural communities around the world to flavor the milks for each variety. In the case of the Applejack Cajeta Caramel, an artisan product from another local producer provided the impetus for the product’s creation. According to Chef Eads “the spirits producer, a micro-distillery in New York’s Hudson Valley, is turning out an incredibly smooth and flavorful product made from their own apples. I was so impressed with their dedication to the craft. I knew instantly I could translate this into an eco-luxe dessert sauce.”

The first public tasting and sale of Peace Tree’s Cajeta Caramel sauces will take place on Thursday, May 26, from 10 am until 2 pm at the award-winning Westport Farmers’ Market at the Imperial Avenue Parking lot adjacent to the Women’s Club. Chef Robyn Eads invites to the public to enjoy a taste and buy a jar or two to share with their families and friends. “It’s excellent on ice cream, in coffee or tea, and as a dip for fresh fruit. We’re encouraging fans to post their photos and share their favorite uses for the sauces on our Facebook page.” Anyone who signs up for the  Friend of the Westport Market loyalty program on opening day will be eligible to participate in a drawing to win a free jar of Cajeta Caramel sauce. Four winners will be drawn and market master Lori Cochran will announce the lucky recipients at the 11 am, 12 pm, 1 pm and 2 pm drawings.

About Peace Tree Desserts LLC:

Peace Tree Desserts is an eco-luxe bakery that sources exclusively local, organic, seasonal, and sustainable ingredients for our reimagined baked goods and specialty food products. Our line of small-batch, artisan dessert sauces proudly carries the CT Grown label and is available in gourmet food stores and our online store. We source our ingredients as close to home as possible, giving preference to local farms, while also scouring the world for sustainable agricultural communities producing the most unique and flavorful salts, spices, and chocolates. Our commitment to sustainability extends to everything we do –from ingredient sourcing to product packaging, shipping, and marketing.

About Sustainable Pastry Chef/Owner Robyn Eads:

Sustainable Pastry Chef Robyn Eads is the founder of Peace Tree Desserts.

After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America in 2002, Chef Eads went on to  perfect her craft in celebrated culinary establishments including the Relais Gourmand restaurant at Blackberry Farm in Tennessee, Gotham Bar and Grill in New York City, and The Schoolhouse at Cannondale in Connecticut. Her ingredient- inspired creations have garnered recognition on “The Martha Stewart Show” and were awarded “Best of Connecticut” in 2009 by Connecticut Magazine. Her uncompromising commitment to sourcing exclusively local, sustainable, and organic ingredients paired with her immense amount of talent and creativity, are the heart of Chef Eads’ highly imaginative and exquisite desserts. Her dedication to sustainability extends to her relationships with local farmers and involvement in community organizations such as the Connecticut Specialty Food Association, the Connecticut Department of Agriculture’s Farm to Chef Program, and the Connecticut chapter of NOFA, the Northeast Organic Farming Association.

For more information on Peace Tree Desserts LLC, visit www.peacetreedesserts.com

Disclosure: Peace Tree Desserts LLC is a client of the business consulting services division of Fairfield Green Food Guide LLC.

Chef Emily Brooks of the Edibles Advocate Alliance will be unveiling Connecticut Farmer & Feast at the Grand Opening Day of the Coventry Regional Farmers’ Market!

Connecticut Farmer & Feast Book Signing

WHEN:  11-2 PM, Sunday June 5, 2011.

WHERE:  2299 South Street, Coventry, CT

Emily Brooks will be on hand to sign Connecticut Farmer & Feast with 12 of the 43 highlighted farmers in the book.  In addition to the regular farmers’ market vendors, these special guests include:

• Wayne’s Organic Garden, Oneco
• Hurricane Farm, Scotland
• Killam & Bassette Farmstead, South Glastonbury
• Deerfield Farm, Durham
• Treat Farm, Orange
• Fort Hill Farms, Thompson
• Millstone Farm, Wilton
• Gazy Brothers Farm, Oxford
• Sweet Wind Farm, East Hartland
• Futtner’s Family Farm, East Hartford
• Joseph Preli Farm and Vineyard, South Glastonbury
• Winterbrook Farm, Stafford Springs

Connecticut Farmer & Feast

Official Book Trailer:

Behind the Scenes at Millstone Farm, Wilton

Connecticut FARMER & FEAST is a revolutionary new cookbook that will introduce readers to Connecticut’s agricultural bounty and those passionate individuals – Connecticut’s farmers and producers – who toil endlessly to bring us our food.  Meet more than 40 of Connecticut’s devoted farmers and producers who proudly produce Connecticut’s “locally grown” vegetables, fruits, meats, cheeses, and other food items featured in farm stands, farmers’ markets, and top restaurants throughout the Nutmeg State.

In the book, Emily Brooks will help consumers to learn where their food comes from, eat healthier, and support the farmers and producers in their communities.  Published in 2011 by Globe Pequot Press.

The Coventry Regional Farmers’ Market

New England Travel Magazine calls The Coventry Regional Farmers’ Market the “Connecticut’s preeminent farmers’ market.”  The Nathan Hale Homestead provides a gracious backdrop for this vibrant market and it is the largest and most diverse farmers’ market in Connecticut.

Building on Paul Newman and Michel Nischan’s vision, the Westport Farmers’ Market has blossomed into its sixth year.  2010 proved to be very successful and fruitful for the Westport Farmers Market (WFM), earning it its third consecutive consumer vote as the Best Farmers’ Market in annual Best of the Gold Coast Awards.  With this success, and the ever-important need for local, healthy and sustainable food, WFM claims to have some of “the strictest guidelines in the state” to participate to ensure shoppers enjoy products of the highest quality.

Many of last year’s favorites, including lunch vendor Boxcar Cantina, Fort Hill Farm and Starlight Gardens, are back and have new offerings.  A few of WFM’s new and exciting vendors are Peace Tree Desserts, Thimble Island Oyster Company, and Speckled Rooster Farm.  A full list of the 2011 vendors appears below.

The market opens for the season on May 26 and will run every Thursday from 10 am and 2pm through November 3 in the Imperial Avenue Commuter Parking Lot in Westport, located adjacent to the Women’s Club.

The market will host a local chef each week who is committed to sourcing fresh, seasonal ingredients from local farms, including some of those participating in the market. Each of these chefs will provide instruction on how to utilize the seasonal ingredients found at the market to make a delicious dish. Bill Taibe, chef/owner of the award-winning leFarm restaurant in Westport, Tim LaBant chef/owner of the award-winning restaurant Schoolhouse at Cannondale in Wilton, and chefs from local favorites including Barcelona, The Dressing Room, and Match will be showcasing and sharing their expertise with shoppers.

Each week one local artist will be featured at the market and onecommunity non-profit each week including Westport Library, Spin Odyssey, Earthplace.

MXenergy is a year-round sponsor of the WFM and Cohen & Wolf, Doris Ghitelman Realtor, Education Homestay and SavaTree are new supporters

Contact: Lori Cochran Dougall, Market Director, director@westportfarmersmarket.com, (307)690-1759

Visit the WFM online at http://www.westportfarmersmarket.com/ or join their Facebook page.

Vendors

Treat mom to some special herbs and vegetables for her containers, patio garden or vegetable garden from Gilbertie’s Herb Garden at 7 Sylvan Lane in Westport. Gilbertie’s is a family-owned business started in 1922 and is the largest grower of herb plants in the US. They supply over 400 different varieties of USDA Organic herbs, some of which are very hard to find, to outlets in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern US. Visit their garden center in Westport to enjoy the formal display gardens, themed greenhouses and gift shop offering herbs and vegetables from the usual to the exotic. Open Saturday from 8:30-5:30 and Mother’s Day from 9-4.

Ambler Farm in Wilton and Holbrook Farm in Bethel are also excellent sources for organic vegetable and herb transplants. Ambler Farm will be selling transplants and maple syrup from the farm on May 7 from noon until 3 pm. The farm stand opens for the season on May 23. Holbrook Farm’s Farm Market & Bakery is open Monday through Saturdays from 9-5 and is a great place to buy fresh vegetables and eggs from the farm, raw milk from Stonewall Dairy, milk and other dairy products from Arethusa Farm, award-winning Flaxette bread, and other artisan and farmstead products. Holbrook Farm has a wide variety of organically grown vegetable seedlings for sale including more than a dozen varieties of heirloom tomatoes. I was thrilled to see the Mortgage Lifter on the list.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Babycat Milkbar, a pop-up store opening on May 10 in Wilton, was conceived by mompreneur Jeena Choi as a great place for locals to gather and enjoy coffee, tea and wholesome treats.  “Milk bar is an old world term that’s big in Australia and the UK, and I’m bringing the term to life in Wilton” explains Choi. Babycat Milkbar will be popping up inside New England Historical Connection, a retail store selling custom-made furniture from New England craftsmen.

The temporary “store within a store” concept, known as a pop-up store, has been become a very popular way for retailers to  create a unique  experience for their customers. At Babycat Milkbar, customers can relax on New England Historical Connection’s cozy furniture while enjoying the best of local artisan foods including hot or cold tea from Mamacat’s Q. Tea, Choi’s organic, hand-blended herbal tea line; Zumbach’s Gourmet Coffee that’s roasted fresh in New Canaan daily; milk and yogurt from local farms; cupcakes and macaroons from the Cake Box in Ridgefield; savory baked goods from Upper Crust Bakery and Cafe in Darien and the SoNo Baking Company and Cafe in Norwalk; and single nectar sources honeys from Red Bee Apiary in Weston. The pop-up milk bar will occupy 765 square feet of space and feature rotating art work and crafts from local residents.

Mamacat’s Q. Tea was born out of a desire to enjoy caffeine-free, refreshing teas that were gentle and tasty enough to share with children. Unhappy with the choice of commercially available teas, Choi began experimenting by hand blending a variety of organic, whole leaf herbal teas to create unique teas that would satisfy her adult palate, but also appeal to her three-year-old daughter. Lightly sweetening the blends with whole leaf Stevia appealed to kids and anyone looking to reduce refined sugar in their diet. It’s no accident that Choi developed the tea line while pregnant with her second child and suffering from gestational diabetes.

Jeena Choi’s husband is co-owner of In Pursuit of Tea, a premium supplier of fine, loose-leaf teas to top restaurants including those run by Chef Daniel Boulud. “He’s a real purist and won’t do blends, so I conceptualize the teas starting with the main flavor note I want in the blend, then hand blend whole leaf organic teas until my desired flavor profile is achieved.” Choi then lightly sweetens each with whole Stevia leaves and turns them over to her husband, a master tea blender, for final tweaking.”Teas are like wine” explains Choi. “Even the same varieties taste different from year to year.”

Mamacat’s Q. Tea flavors include Ruby Slippers, Emerald Wonderland, Amber Maharani, Blossom Hill, Casablanca Mist and Golden Slumbers. Choi describes Emerald Wonderland as a mellow, beautiful blend of French lavender and Goji berries. With Casa Blanca Mist, she wanted to create a Moroccan green tea, which is traditionally super sweet and caffeinated. By choosing spearmint instead of mint and blending in rose petals, licorice root, elderflower and stevia, Choi created her “favorite new elixir that’s both rejuvenating and relaxing.”

Mamacat’s Q. Tea’s line of fine, hand-blended and packed 100% organic teas can be enjoyed by the cup at Babycat Milkbar, Darien’s Upper Crust Bakery and Cafe, and the Cake Box and can be purchased for home use at Wilton Village Market, CT Farm Fresh Express and in the company’s online store.  Mamacat’s Q. Tea will be a vendor at the Wilton and Rowayton farmers’ markets. Requests for for stevia-free blends are accepted. The teas can be enjoyed cold or hot, and even make great mixers for cutting edge cocktails and mocktails.

Babycat Milkbar will celebrate their grand opening on Tuesday, May 10 and will be open Monday through Saturday from 9am to 5pm and Sundays for private parties only. Address: 300 Ridgefield Road, Wilton, CT (inside NE Historical Connection). http://www.mcqtea.com/Home.html