Happy Holidays! Recipes:
by Joe and Dennis Fisher The Belfast Winter Marketplace will be ending its season on the 18th of this month, because the following Saturday is Christmas. Our cozy space at the new Belfast Agway has seen a lot of our familiar customers this season, many of whom like to visit a while, have some coffee, and chat with the farmers.
Which is fine with us. Here are a few of the goods that you can still expect to find at the Winter Marketplace.
Appleton Creamery is putting together some nifty gift baskets of goat milk soap, their award winning goat cheeses, and Fisher Farm flaxseed crackers. They also have aged and marinated goat cheeses, feta, goat milk fudge, cheesecake and much more.
The Spinneys continue their tradition of making fine fall crafts and preserves. Sandy's rose hip wreaths compliment the season and her chutneys and jellies are tasty accompaniments to holiday fare. John's woodcraft gets better every year. I particularly like his elegant little dessert spoons and pate knives for thoughtful gifts. You can usually find him at the market whittling away on a spoon, making the work seem easy- but of course, it isn't.
One of the great things about doing the winter market is around noontime you can have a steaming bowl of one of Penny Chase's hardy soups, like black bean or Minestrone. She also has tempting spreads, potted narcissus in bloom, and winter vegetables.
Sumner Roberts has his deep, heavy fleeces- a luxury present comparable to a Hudson's Bay blanket or some equally fine thing. He also, of course, has his fine guilt free beef, lamb ans veal, and I would like to recommend his mutton sausage, the robust taste of which really stands out in spaghetti sauce or gumbo. Sumner has four kinds: garlic, hot Italian, sweet Italian, and breakfast.
Tom Kimball, a newcomer at our market, is an accomplished beekeeper with a wide range of honey products. Look for his raspberry, blueberry and wildflower honeys, lip balm, moisturizing cream, and beeswax.
Peacemeal Farm has an abundance of winter storage vegetables and even some greens. You can stock up on spinach, carrots, potatoes, Brussels sprouts, turnips, Jerusalem artichokes, leeks, onions, and kale.
Fisher Farm has a variety of sourdough breads, plates of Christmas cookies, bottles of Joe's Famous Hot Sauce, dried tomatoes and soup mix, and tasty and healthy flaxseed crackers. This is also your last chance before the end of the century to buy a jug of Jim Freyenhagen's Maine made maple syrup and maple cream.
The farmer's market is held every Saturday from 10-1 in the new Belfast Agway on Rt. 1, rain or shine until December 18.
Hearty Kale Soup
Beth's Kale is frilly and flavorful. If you have never tried kale soup, you are missing out on one of the most warming winter dishes. The mutton sausage used in this recipe is garlicky and good.
- 1 package Meadowsweet Farm garlic mutton sausage.
- 2 cups onion, chopped
- 1 large clove garlic, crushed and chopped
- olive oil
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 1 large carrot, chopped
- 1 bunch kale
- 1/4 cup dried tomatoes
Soak the dried tomatoes in 2 cups warm water. Chop the sausages into ? inch pieces and boil 10 minutes. Drain. Wash and chop kale leaves.
Saute onions in olive oil until clear. Add garlic, saute briefly, and then add carrots and stock. Cover and simmer 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and simmer 20 more minutes. Season lightly with salt and freshly ground pepper.