Oakton Smart Market: Rhubarb is Here

Dear Shopper,

These are turbulent and perilous times for food safety, and it seems we have to worry about food actually being food. But there is one place where you can do your food shopping and not have to worry about toxins, bacteria, viruses, GMO foods, wax coatings, or anything added to your meat that isn’t edible: the farmers’ market, of course!

Thanks to the great warm weather we have been having, and in spite of little rain thus far, the market is looking more like mid-may than mid-April. Ignacio will return Saturday with early greens, spring onions, a wide variety of leaf lettuces that are really tasty at this time of year, and asparagus and strawberries! Heritage Farm and Kitchen is picking mustard greens, baby kale, Swiss chard, lovely baby beets, hothouse cucumbers , and more! Max Tyson will also have some asparagus and rhubarb, and we will have some great strawberry and rhubarb recipes for you as well as the first of some new spring veggie recipes. Here is an article about the nutritional benefits of kale with a few recipes. And here is a recipe for a delicious strawberry-rhubarb sherbet.

Our very own master gardener Joe Belsan will be back on the 28th with his vast storehouse of knowledge which fits in his very own brain. He will also bring lovely organic plants from his own garden. And best of all, he will conduct two half-hour gardening classes for children, at 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., so bring the children and learn with them how to plant something of their very own, watch it grow and enjoy it for lunch one day in July. No need to register — just show up!

This season you will receive your newsletter earlier in the week, but we encourage you to check out your market’s Facebook page and look for Twitter updates as we get closer to the weekend for more details of market fare for your Saturday.

See you at the market!

Jean