Article Contributed by Judith Lessler, Durham Farmers’ Market Vendor Legumes are extremely important to farming and food production because they have a symbiotic relationship with a type of bacteria, Rhizobia. Rhizobia colonize plant roots, pull nitrogen from the air, and convert it into a type of ammonia that plants can use. The plant then makes …
Missives from a Market Farmer: Alliums and Health
Article Contributed by Judith Lessler, Durham Farmers’ Market Vendor I no longer believe that food is food, and that we can ignore the details of what we eat as long as we do not eat too much, have 5 servings of vegetables/fruit a day, and consume enough protein. My recent research on ancient beliefs concerning …
Does summer vacation exist for market vendors?
Growing up, summer vacation was always a given. Looking back on those long summer months, I probably took for granted the family trips we would take together. Now as an adult, I find myself counting down the days until vacation, looking forward to traveling and cherishing those moments to decompress and explore a new place. …
Missives from a Market Farmer: Alliums—Onions and Light
Article Contributed by Judith Lessler, Durham Farmers’ Market Vendor At the start of this series, I noted that garlic was a member of the genus, Allium. Other important members of Allium are onions, scallions, shallots, and green onions. Classification of plants and animals into similar groups was practiced in a rudimentary form by the ancients. …
Missives from a Market Farmer: More on Garlic
Article Contributed by Judith Lessler, Durham Farmers’ Market Vendor Garlic’s current status is summed up by the following quote from The Oxford Companion to Food published by Oxford University Press, “To say that by the beginning of the 21st century garlic had conquered the world would be something of an exaggeration. … [; however,] it …
Luscious lettuce & glorious greens: It’s the season for salads!
Eating healthy and preparing meals can feel overwhelming. With an endless to-do list and busy schedules, cooking at home or bringing your own lunch to work can easily get pushed to the side. Salads are simple to make, but it’s easy to get into a rut, using the same type of lettuce or green every …
CFSA Piedmont Farm Tour, welcoming new vendors & more!
After a rainy start to the new season last weekend, we’re looking forward to warmer temperatures this Saturday. We’re very excited to welcome Chef Xavier Pino and the Bull City Vegan Challenge to the market for a cooking demo at 10:00 am. They are cooking hempeh with chermoula sauce and sautéed savory collards. Trust us – you don’t want to miss sampling …
Staying creative with seasonal veggies
As I spritz the last slice of lime into my steaming curry sauce, I smile with relief that I’ve made it out of a cooking rut. I tend to ebb and flow in the kitchen with creativity; it’s easy for me to fall back into a world of stir-fry this and stir-fry that. As a …
Nourish your body & support your community with your new year’s resolution
This is a time when many of us plan for the year ahead. This year, do you want a new year’s resolution that improves both your health and supports the community? Then try adding one salad per day to your diet with ingredients purchased at the farmers’ market. This salad can be anything from the …
Reduce waste in the kitchen this holiday season with soups and stock
With one major holiday behind us and several more coming up this month, healthy eating can be a challenge due to the hustle and bustle of the season. One of the easiest ways to get ahead this month is preparing holiday meals in advance and freezing them. With the variety of flavors available at the …