It’s Thyme to enjoy our local farmers markets, one of my favorite times of the year. Farmers markets offer a time of the year to taste fresh fruits, veggies, and enjoy other goods made by local farmers and artisans. Most of the farmers markets in the state will be opening by May 1 and many are already open selling early season produce like kale, salad greens, spinach, asparagus, as well as flower baskets and bedding plants. Farmers markets are more than just fruits and veggies, but they offer a wide variety of locally-grown and –produced products including herbs, flowers, plants, eggs, meats and cheeses. Choosing your local farmers market means that you not only enjoy some of the freshest and best tasting products around, but that you also support our local family farms.
I am fortunate to live near one of the 5 farmers markets that are open all year long. I would like to spotlight the Waverly Farmers Market, also known as “32nd Street Farmers Market” this is where I enjoy my “Hot Thyme in the City”. The Waverly Farmer’s Market boasts breads and produce to ethnic foods and plants, and the vendors come from all over the Mid-Atlantic.
Waverly Farmers Market is a non-profit organization offering membership to shoppers, farmers, and community residents. What I like most about the Waverly Farmers Market is that money left over after paying expenses is given back to the community in the form of small community grants. The 32nd Street Farmers Market welcomes applications for small grants from community groups and from organizations in the Greater Baltimore Region that are tax exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Revenue Code. The 32nd Street Farmers Market funds programs that reach residents of communities surrounding the market to strengthen educational opportunities and increase individual access and opportunity. In the past the market has funded local schools, libraries, education programs, and neighborhood initiatives.
Highlights of the 32nd Street Farmers Market
If you enjoy coffee, you will love Zeke’s Coffee, locally fresh roasted coffee. How cool is this.
If you love soap like myself, you will love “You and Me Soaps” featuring handmade bar soaps with all natural ingredients, for all skin types and problems, liquid soaps and shampoos, body and hair butters, sugar and salt scrubs, bath salt blends, massage oil, and a variety of wooden soap dishes.
South Mountain Creamery features glass bottled milk (skim, 2%, whole, chocolate, strawberry; 2% and whole come homogenized or with cream on top), nine flavors of yogurt, five flavors of farmers cheese, brown eggs (regular and free-range), butter, buttermilk, kefir (lowfat yogurt drink), and sweet tea.
I don’t want to give away too much, you should visit, anytime during the year on Saturdays from 7 – 12 noon. Below you will find information on other farmers markets that are open all year in Maryland.
BALTIMORE CITY
32nd Street/Waverly Farmers' Market
E. 32nd Street and Barclay Street
Saturday: 7:00 a.m. to Noon
Contact: Marc Rey 410-889-6388 or 410-917-1496
Web:http://www.32ndstreetmarket.org/
WIC and Senior FMNP Checks Accepted
FREDERICK COUNTY
The Great Frederick Fair Farmers' Market
Fairgrounds: 797 E. Patrick Street
Saturday: 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Contact: Robert Fogle 301-663-5895
WIC and Senior FMNP Checks Accepted
MONTGOMERY COUNTY
Montgomery Farm Women's Co-op Market
Bethesda: 7155 Wisconsin Avenue
Wednesday: 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Saturday: 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Friday: 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Contact: Barbara Johnson 301- 652-2291
Takoma Park Farmers' Market
Old Town Takoma Park on Laurel Ave. (between Carroll Ave. & Eastern Ave.)
Sunday: 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Email: tpfarmersmarket@gmail.com
Web: http://www.takomaparkmarket.com/
WIC and Senior FMNP Checks Accepted
WASHINGTON COUNTY
Hagerstown City Farmers Market
25 West Church Street Saturday: 5:00 a.m. to Noon
Contact: Susie Salvagni, 301-739-8577, ext. 183
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Super Bowl Skillet Gathering
Our Super Bowl Skillet Gathering was held on February 1, 2009 and it was the perfect opportunity to focus on men and enjoy the Super Bowl! On the men’s team: a college student, a recent college graduate, two college professors, a construction and trucking contractor. On the ladies team: a doctor, a writer, an entrepreneur, a retiree, and Hot Pepper & Thyme. As usual, we outnumbered the men! Go Team Ladies! I (Thyme) digress and got a little carried away, excuse me.
During the course of our conversation, the men’s team let us know that they do cook. They are trying to get a balance between eating out and eating at home. They are interested in eating healthy but it’s hard due to work schedules. They expressed interest in cooking at home more often and cutting out fried foods. Even though the guys were there to watch the game, they knew they had to be engaged in a conversation about food. It turned out to be a lot of fun and was quite revealing for them and us.
Thyme: I hosted this Skillet Gathering in my home because of my love for men and sports. I chose a menu that would be appropriate for the occasion. Burgers and hot dogs are sports food, but to put a spin on it with mini burgers and hot dogs made them a little more “healthy”. Smaller portions of any food is better than supersizing your food. To make sure everyone had their veggies, I disguised them in the pasta salad (black beans, corn, red peppers, green peppers, onions, olives, green peas), and no one was the wiser. Then just in case they didn’t eat salad, everyone was encouraged to decorate their mini burgers with little tomato slices, little lettuce slices, and little slices of cheese. The mini burgers looked so cute when they were done up like that. Stay tuned for our next skillet gathering which will be held March 20th.
Menu
Appetizers
Pickled Okra
Chips & Salsa
Guacamole
Cheese & Crackers
Main Course
Green Salad
Pasta Salad
Lemon Pepper Wings
Mini Burgers (turkey & sirloin)
Mini Salmon Burgers
Mini Hotdogs
Condiment tray (lettuce, tomato, pickles, and cheese)
Beverages
Modela Negra
Citrus Punch
During the course of our conversation, the men’s team let us know that they do cook. They are trying to get a balance between eating out and eating at home. They are interested in eating healthy but it’s hard due to work schedules. They expressed interest in cooking at home more often and cutting out fried foods. Even though the guys were there to watch the game, they knew they had to be engaged in a conversation about food. It turned out to be a lot of fun and was quite revealing for them and us.
Thyme: I hosted this Skillet Gathering in my home because of my love for men and sports. I chose a menu that would be appropriate for the occasion. Burgers and hot dogs are sports food, but to put a spin on it with mini burgers and hot dogs made them a little more “healthy”. Smaller portions of any food is better than supersizing your food. To make sure everyone had their veggies, I disguised them in the pasta salad (black beans, corn, red peppers, green peppers, onions, olives, green peas), and no one was the wiser. Then just in case they didn’t eat salad, everyone was encouraged to decorate their mini burgers with little tomato slices, little lettuce slices, and little slices of cheese. The mini burgers looked so cute when they were done up like that. Stay tuned for our next skillet gathering which will be held March 20th.
Menu
Appetizers
Pickled Okra
Chips & Salsa
Guacamole
Cheese & Crackers
Main Course
Green Salad
Pasta Salad
Lemon Pepper Wings
Mini Burgers (turkey & sirloin)
Mini Salmon Burgers
Mini Hotdogs
Condiment tray (lettuce, tomato, pickles, and cheese)
Beverages
Modela Negra
Citrus Punch
Inauguration Skillet Gathering - Some Additional Tidbits
We chose our menu because we wanted it to be healthy, colorful, and most of all, delicious. It was cold that day! But, Hot Pepper still ran in and out of the house to grill the chicken. To her surprise there was no barbecue sauce in the pantry. But you can’t keep a good cook down, so she whipped up some, “not on your neighborhood grocery shelf” barbecue sauces. This meant combining ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, hot sauce, garlic powder, a little red wine, and chili powder for the chicken. Not to be outdone, Thyme hooked up her version of barbecue sauce for the salmon. This meant combining chili powder, brown sugar, cinnamon, cumin, salt, and lemon zest. Needless to say, and not to brag, everyone licked all 10 of their fingers over our masterpieces.
Menu
Appetizers
Roasted garlic hummus & pita chips
Pickled Okra
Olive mix
Boursin Cheese & Crackers
Main Course
Barbecue Chicken
Barbecue Salmon
Green beans with garlic
Roasted Root Vegetables (turnips, butternut squash, and yams)
Roasted Peppers & Onions
Salad with Mandarin Oranges
Cornbread
Beverages
Sangria Punch
Juice
Modela Negro
Menu
Appetizers
Roasted garlic hummus & pita chips
Pickled Okra
Olive mix
Boursin Cheese & Crackers
Main Course
Barbecue Chicken
Barbecue Salmon
Green beans with garlic
Roasted Root Vegetables (turnips, butternut squash, and yams)
Roasted Peppers & Onions
Salad with Mandarin Oranges
Cornbread
Beverages
Sangria Punch
Juice
Modela Negro
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Hi! I’m Hot Pepper – the senior voice more so in terms of professional years :-) I chose this name because I’m spiceeecy…. I like all things hot, probably because of my Louisiana roots.
Hi ! I’m Thyme – this is a most appropriate name for me since I love all things that have to deal with food and cooking. Herbs are the way that I give spice to each and every dish that I cook. My friends always say that I infuse love into food that I prepare, and I would say that it is so true. I chose the name Thyme because this is my time --- my time to shine and to show the world what I am made of.
Welcome to our blog. This is our first attempt at writing a blog, so please bear with us as we fine tune our entries and get this dish cookin’. Please excuse the play on words related to food, but we’ll probably be doing some of that unless it gets obnoxious or boring. However our desire to use food metaphors is very much connected to reasons for this blog. Let us explain.
Hot Pepper: We both are nutritionists by training with academics, research, science, dietetics, doctorates and other initials out the ying-yang behind our names. A few years back, I started this non-profit, the Community Food and Nutrition Institute (CFNI), to begin doing some programs and activities outside of my real job. I’m a frustrated bureaucrat, who wanted to give back to my community hopefully in a meaningful way. Needless to say life took over and for various reasons my dream didn’t really take off. In 2008, I decided no matter what, I was going to start back on CFNI, come hook or crook, cohorts or not, money or not. I thought the best way to get started was to create a website and web-based activities that could be done in addition to working for food and a roof over my head.
I started talking to Thyme who’s the more technologically astute among the two of us. She was game and off we went. The goal was to establish the website by the end of 2008 ---- mission accomplished. A major, major objective was to have fun. Thyme suggested writing a blog and now with this entry ---- mission accomplished. With that said, let us tell you a little bit about how we hope to plan the menu, shop for the ingredients, cook up a storm, lay the table, and enjoy the fruits of our labor. Again the food metaphors, but thru this blog we plan to:
1. Journal the development of CFNI.
2. Highlight our Skillet Gatherings.
3. Feature recipes.
4. Describe visits to local food venues (i.e., farmers’ markets, farms, interesting places to eat) so look out for Hot Thymes in the City!
5. Provide food and nutrition information.
6. Display lots and lots of pictures.
Thyme: Our first Skillet Gathering was a dream come true --- a forum where we blend food, conversation, and community. We invited those who came from far and near to share in our first Skillet Gathering on January 20, 2009. This marked a new beginning for us. A time when we celebrated the inauguration of our first African American President, and it was important for us to celebrate the launching of the CFNI website, this marks the dawn of a new day. Through Skillet Gatherings we hope to share food, recipes, and great meals with friends, new and old --- a format that we hope to share with the world. Gone are the days of what not to eat, but here comes a fun way to share and live a life full of enthusiasm for what food can be. Food was meant to nourish our souls and heal us from within. If this is what you are looking for, then you have come to the right place.
It’s our thyme!
Hi ! I’m Thyme – this is a most appropriate name for me since I love all things that have to deal with food and cooking. Herbs are the way that I give spice to each and every dish that I cook. My friends always say that I infuse love into food that I prepare, and I would say that it is so true. I chose the name Thyme because this is my time --- my time to shine and to show the world what I am made of.
Welcome to our blog. This is our first attempt at writing a blog, so please bear with us as we fine tune our entries and get this dish cookin’. Please excuse the play on words related to food, but we’ll probably be doing some of that unless it gets obnoxious or boring. However our desire to use food metaphors is very much connected to reasons for this blog. Let us explain.
Hot Pepper: We both are nutritionists by training with academics, research, science, dietetics, doctorates and other initials out the ying-yang behind our names. A few years back, I started this non-profit, the Community Food and Nutrition Institute (CFNI), to begin doing some programs and activities outside of my real job. I’m a frustrated bureaucrat, who wanted to give back to my community hopefully in a meaningful way. Needless to say life took over and for various reasons my dream didn’t really take off. In 2008, I decided no matter what, I was going to start back on CFNI, come hook or crook, cohorts or not, money or not. I thought the best way to get started was to create a website and web-based activities that could be done in addition to working for food and a roof over my head.
I started talking to Thyme who’s the more technologically astute among the two of us. She was game and off we went. The goal was to establish the website by the end of 2008 ---- mission accomplished. A major, major objective was to have fun. Thyme suggested writing a blog and now with this entry ---- mission accomplished. With that said, let us tell you a little bit about how we hope to plan the menu, shop for the ingredients, cook up a storm, lay the table, and enjoy the fruits of our labor. Again the food metaphors, but thru this blog we plan to:
1. Journal the development of CFNI.
2. Highlight our Skillet Gatherings.
3. Feature recipes.
4. Describe visits to local food venues (i.e., farmers’ markets, farms, interesting places to eat) so look out for Hot Thymes in the City!
5. Provide food and nutrition information.
6. Display lots and lots of pictures.
Thyme: Our first Skillet Gathering was a dream come true --- a forum where we blend food, conversation, and community. We invited those who came from far and near to share in our first Skillet Gathering on January 20, 2009. This marked a new beginning for us. A time when we celebrated the inauguration of our first African American President, and it was important for us to celebrate the launching of the CFNI website, this marks the dawn of a new day. Through Skillet Gatherings we hope to share food, recipes, and great meals with friends, new and old --- a format that we hope to share with the world. Gone are the days of what not to eat, but here comes a fun way to share and live a life full of enthusiasm for what food can be. Food was meant to nourish our souls and heal us from within. If this is what you are looking for, then you have come to the right place.
It’s our thyme!
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