I’m submitting this terribly late in hopes it’s able to be seen before our final market, Saturday, Dec. 18. If so, you’ll know this will be a packed market: filled with plenty of produce despite many farms ending their season and all our delicious prepared and packaged food vendors you’ve come to know and love. We’ll also have close to 30 craft vendors, many who come throughout the season on a rotating schedule, but lots of new ones who’ve just come for our Fall/Holiday Craft Market. This will be the biggest week for this event.
No matter when you see this, you can know it felt like a perfect year for this farmers’ market manager. Assuming this coming week will be rain-free as predicted, we’ll have skated through with no major rain that would have warranted cancelling or concern at either market. We’ll also have avoided fires, which have plagued us several years in a row. Despite COVID-19, our market has felt like a safe and sane place to shop and socialize outdoors, so we’ve gained customers during this period. We were even able to do our beloved Zucchini and Pumpkin Festivals without issues.
I had a great group of vendors this year. I sound like a school teacher talking about her class, but it is like that, in a way. It’s all about connections, and with very little exception, it felt like we created a wonderful market family this season.
And of course, all of you are also in the “great group” category. Your consistent attendance, your enthusiasm and your generosity, all contribute to a feeling that the market holds as much an important place in your hearts as it does mine.
So now we come to our off-season, which is both liberating and lonely for me. I cherish the Tuesday and Saturday mornings I don’t have to get up at 5am. But you’ll see me at other markets visiting everyone. The market is my social life. I’ll put in a plug for attending other markets during this season. Both Santa Rosa markets are open year ‘round on Saturdays, and some of your favorite folks are there.
And I’ll show up here in March next year full of news of the 2022 market … stay tuned.
May your holiday season be healthy and joyful!
Here’s a great recipe for a potluck or dinner party. As always, I tell you who has what at the market.
Pasta Broccoli Mushroom Bake
Ingredients:
3 cups pasta of choice ( Portico)
1 head broccoli, cut into small florets (Preston, Alexander Valley, Ortiz)
3 tablespoons butter (Achadinha)
1 onion diced (Middleton, Hector, Ortiz, Preston)
5 or more cloves garlic, chopped (Middleton, Ortiz, Preston, A Valley)
1 dozen small mushrooms, sliced (Duncan)
3 tablespoon fresh thyme (Alexander Valley)
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1.5 cups grated cheese of choice, divided (Valley Ford, Achadinha)
1 cup parmesan, divided (Valley Ford)
2 tablespoons bread crumbs
Directions:
1. Heat oven to 375. Grease a 9×12 baking pan
2. Bring a pot of water to boil and cook the pasta. Five minutes before the pasta is finished, add the broccoli. Drain and put in the greased baking pan. Save a few tablespoons of the cooking water.
3. Melt the butter in a skillet and sauté the onions, garlic, thyme and mushrooms until cooked. Add the flour and stir up to create a paste in the pan.
4. Add the milk slowly, stirring with a whisk. Allow to bubble. Add the water from pasta cooking and the mustard. Cook for a minute, stirring all the while. Shut off the heat and add half the cheeses (both kinds). Stir until all blended and pour over the top of the pasta/broccoli.
5. Mix the remainder of cheese together with bread crumbs and spread over the top evenly. Cover with foil.
6. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes covered, then uncover and broil the top until golden, about 5 minutes or less. Let cool before serving.
Janet Ciel is the manager of the Healdsburg Farmers’ Market. She can be reached at [email protected].
