Funky Friday Farmers Market at BADSEED - A MUST ON FRIDAYS IN THE CROSSROADS

Dearest Eaters & Seekers of "Local Organic Delights" -

Remember the saying: An Apple A Day Keeps the Doctor Away ??? I am sure you do. Well, something tells me they weren't talking about a pesticide coated, flavorless, strangely impeccable, glossy Red Delicious shipped from god knows where. Actually, they were talking about a sweet, crisp, charismatically ugly, undeniably delicious, and oooh so organic Apple picked in season from a nearby tree. Huh?? Unheard of you say?? Yeah, I guess that is pretty uncommon these days. Organic fruit in the midwest might as well be an oxymoron. Many of our blessed Missouri Orchards went out of style with prohibition and the ones that hung on got killed by a cheaper (much glossier) global market. And even so, those orchards weren't organic. Pest pressure in the midwest is nothing short of horrific, and most growers don't feel that fruit stands a chance especially now that the global market has created a consumer who craves aesthetics and false perfection over flavor and true character. Alas.....it is hopeless then!! I guess us "locavores" will just have to settle for kale and collard greens. But wait - I'm just pulling your leg!! Cancel that doctor's appointment and head on down to the BASEED Farmer's Market this Friday from 4-9 PMand get yourselves some LOCAL ORGANIC APPLES!!!!!

New Vendor Alert

Kendra and Steve Kluck and their Mini-Orchard in Olathe, Kansas!!

This fantastic family just bought a lovely home sitting on 3 acres in Olathe. They liked the idea of having a bit of (wooded) land and were delighted to discover that the jungle of over-grown trees that took up most of the backyard were in fact fruit trees......Apples, Peaches, Pears....oh my!! They quickly began clearing away excess brush, pruning, mowing, and bringing the lost orchard back into production. They have over a dozen apple varieties and each day they learn (and taste) something new. They are not orchardists, and they never meant to be, but sometimes life presents itself in the craziest ways. The story goes that the original owner had planted the trees as a tax write-off years ago. He apparently maintained the trees, and the owner after him hadn't touched them for over 7 years. So - by default they are now organic (unsprayed, untainted, and quirky). Kendra and Steve plan to keep em' that way and hope that the consumer won't "judge a book by it's cover". I explained that my customers were highly educated and understood that in the world of homegrown heirloom fruits and veggies....the uglier the better!!! Bring on the bruisers!!

This Friday they will have :

**Lodi Apples in both fresh-eating and sauce-making quality (Lodi are an early ripening variety that make particularly good sauce)

**Crab Apples (super sweet&sour)

**D'Anjou Pears (eat them fresh or poach them in brandy sauce and stuff them with goat cheese....mmmmm)

**Mystery Fruits.....(whatever other unidentifiable goodies they happen to harvest)

OK, OK......now get a hold of yourself! Fruit isn't the "is all, end all". What about those sassy and sensuous veggies...

***Sexy Veggie of the Week***

This week's runner-up is aromatic BASIL in a wild array of colors, flavors, and frills. These leafy ladies know how to spice up your seasonal cooking in 5 vivacious varieties including:

Thai (hints of licorice, to die for in any Asian fare), Lemon (makes a heck of a flavor-twist in pesto or any old recipe), Purple Ruffles (these deep purple, dense leaves have an intense sweet Italian flavor and simply make my head spin....personal favorite) Purple Opal (equally as purple, not quite as intense, smooth and delicious), and Genovese (your classic sweet Italian Basil good on anything and everything). If you are like me, then you'd eat pesto with a spoon like ice cream!!! Well, 'tis the season - Go wild!! **Local Pesto recipe at the end of this e-mail.

This week's grand-prize-winner is Striped German Heirloom Tomato.

Heaven help me! This voluptuous mama is ripe for the pickin'......and man is she juicy!! These gals are 2-3 lbs on average with yellow orange skin that blushes with an angelic pink striping as she begins to ripen. Her flesh is golden, super sweet, and full of flavor. She yearns to be sliced thickly and lavished with olive oil, sea-salt, "Goatsbeard" Blue Cheese, and Purple Ruffles Basil. Striped or Bi-Color tomatoes are in a category all their own. They have a certain personality that simply cannot be beat. Other striped varieties include Flame, Marvel Stripe, andPineapple. **Wicked Heirloom Tomato Recipes below. Can you say yummy???

Pictures are attached. You know the drill - print them out, blow them up, & plaster them all over the men's room!!

This week's organic offerings from our gregarious gang of growers:

BADSEED Farm, Brooke Salvaggio & Daniel Heryer (South KC) www.badseedfarm.com

*GARLIC (in German White!)

*Summer Squash (in Costata Romanesca, Raven, Eight Ball, French Patty Pan, White Scallop, and Yellow Crookneck)

*Red Russian KALE, Dino KALE, Red Bore, Winter Bore, and Rainbow Lacinato

*RAINBOW CHARD (oooh my God....what else can I say?)

*BRONZE FENNEL (heavenly)

*Chives, Chocolate Mint, Savory, and Italian Flat-Leaf Parsley!!

*BASIL (in Lemon & Thai & Purple Ruffles & Purple Opal....AND Genovese!!!)

*fresh pulled TROPEA ONIONS (super sweet)

*Bodacious Beets (the last of the Spring harvest....more to come this Fall)

*Purple Mosaic Beans!! (crazy chinese long beans in pinkish-lavender with a righteous flavor)

*Heirloom Tomatoes!!! (succulent beauties in all shapes, sizes, & colors......come right at 4 PM if you want the full selection!!!!)

Herb"N"Gardener, Lew Edmister (Westside, KCMO)

From the Lips of Lew:

"it looks like the heirloom tomato ship is still docked steady and unloading profusely.. man, i just ate a Cherokee chocolate and it put me over the edge of tomato rapture.!!! i'm having to pick everyday just to try to keep even. we'll see what turns up.

i blabbed last week that i wouldn't have arugula this week, but, low and behold, i was wrong. today's rain perked up the flagging new crop of filet beans, and the ever faithful and ultra nutritious, kales and collards will be presented for your consumption. over the weekend i smoked and froze the anaheim and hungarian hot peppers i had left. they'll be bagged and available for you. you can even sample if you'd like

i know my addled brain has left out a few goodies, but that's the way it goes in the mater patch...."

JJ Farms, John Kaiahua (Raytown, MO)

*Farm-Fresh EGGS

*Detroit Dark-Red BEETS!

*Fresh-Dug Potatoes

*Gorgeous "Islander" Purple Sweet Peppers & Green Bell Peppers

*Chinese Cabbages

*Summer Squash

*Tomatoes

*Cucumbers

*Kale & Swiss Chard

*Japanese Long EGGPLANT!!!!!

*Red and Yellow Onions

Bigg Blue Farm, Stan & Carmen Biggs (Mosby, MO)

*Zucchini and Yellow Crookneck Summer Squash

*Big Green Candy Onions!!

*New Potatoes in Yukon Gold and Red Viking

*Cucumbers!!

*Tomatoes!! (gorgeous red slicers)

PJ's Mushroom Farm, Paul & Judy Miller (Warrensburg, MO)

*A whole lotta' Shitake Mushrooms!!

*and totally delicious Oyster Mushrooms!!

*Farm-Fresh Brown Eggs

*Hand-made rugs & stained glass items (from 100% recycled materials)

Parker Farms, Tom and Paula Parker (Richmond, MO) www.parkerfarmsmeats.com

**Grass-finished LAMB available this week in both ground lamb and lamb chops!!!

**Free-range Chickens (100% pastured) available this week!!

*A variety of 100% grass-fed beef and all natural pork including:

*Pork Chops & Pork Brats

*Pre-cooked Chipotle Brats

*Pre-cooked Franks

*Country Breakfast Sausage

*T-Bones

*Stew Meat

*Rib Steaks

*Sirloin Steak

*Ground Beef and patties for the grill!!

*Homemade soy based candles and gourd birdhouses (compliments of their lovely girls who grew the gourds on the farm!!) as well as embroidered Tea Towels and homegrown Mint Teas!!!!

Bread Of Life Bakery, The Crowther Family (Stewartsville, MO) www.breadoflifebakery.net

*sandwich breads

*savory breads

*sweet breads

*specialty treats (vegan as well)

**ALL MADE FROM 100% Locally Grown, Organic Wheat!!!!

Puddin' Head Coffee, Harry Lee, (Raytown, MO) www.puddinheadcoffee.com

*Only the BEST fair-trade/organic/micro-roasted coffee in town!!

Get yourself some beans or grab yourself a mug.

COFFEE BY THE MUG IS ONLY $1.00!!!!

.....speaking of "liquid elixirs", the lovely Angela Hoffman with her Wheat Grass Shots & Trays is back in town. She'll be greenin' it up with her oh so sweet winter wheat!! Take a shot and feel fine. We missed you Angela!!!

Other goodies will include:

ARTISAN GOAT CHEESE from Goatsbeard Farm

Aged & Fresh varieties including Prairie Bloom (a bloom-rind crotin style cheese with a rich and creamy center), Taum Sauk (a distinguished and nutty, appropriately aged, raw milk cheese), Osage Orange (a European-style muenster with a beautiful washed rind), Herb Crusted Chevre (a delightful fresh cheese in a flavorful herb crust), Marinated Chevre (fresh cheese relaxing in scrumptious olive oil, red pepper, and herbal goodness) and Greek-style Feta (residing in a salty brine that will make your head spin....sooo good)

Certified Organic Flour from Heartland Mill

Our new order has arrived!! We will have freshly ground & locally grown whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour, unbleached all purpose white flour, malted all purpose flour for bread baking, & blue corn meal!!!

RAW HONEY!!!....YES!! Les Miller (our wicked honey man) has a delightful new batch ready to go. He will be a buzzin' this Friday with that godly golden nectar and bees wax to boot!

and, of course, Kombucha Mushroom Tea (Brooke's home brew)

Sip while you shop!

Don't miss our up-coming Urban Homesteading class:

The Essentials of Herbalism & Plant Based Medicine-Making

*Sunday, Aug 8th, 1-4 pm at the BADSEED Market, 1909 McGee, KCMO, 64108

Don’t know an infusion from a decoction?…..well have no fear, herbal medicine-making Guru, Amy Bousman, is here. In this course, Amy will equip students with the necessary “herbal lingo” and basic knowledge to navigate their way through the wonderful world of herbs. Students will receive a healthy dose of intriguing herbal history, and then get hands-on as they learn to make Hyssop-Infused Honey (a fantastic anti-viral remedy great for coughs and sore throats) and an alcohol-based Lemon Balm Tincture (another fantastic anti-viral herb great at lifting one’s spirits and soothing strep throat). Each student will walk away with a four ounce container of Lemon Balm Tincture (a $36 dollar value!), a dropper bottle for their final tincture, one cup of Hyssop Honey, and abundant knowledge empowering them to make plant based medicines in their own home (for free!).

Cost of class: $50

To see a full list of classes or to sign-up please visit : www.badseedfarm.com

Remember:

LIVE NUDE VEGETABLES !! and other organic delights...

EVERY FRIDAY AT BADSEED

An apple a day!!!!!

Yours Truly,

Brooke

- farmer and mistress of the BADSEED

Yummy Local Recipes

Heirloom Tomatoes with Peaches, Goat Cheese & Pecans

1. Whisk together 1/3 cup White Balsamic Vinegar, 1 clove minced Badseed Garlic, 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar, 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil & 1/8 teasp salt.

2. Stir in 1 large peeled & diced fresh (local) Peach & 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh Basil.

3. Spoon over sliced Heirloom Tomatoes (about 2 lbs.) Top with 3 oz crumbled Goatsbeard Fresh Goat Cheese & 1/2 cup chopped toasted Missouri Pecans.

Heirloom Tomato Stacks with Blue Goat Cheese & Purple Ruffles Basil

Take 4 (strikingly different) varieties of heirlooms and cut them into thick slices. Then build your stacks sandwiching Goatsbeard Farm’s Moniteau Blue Cheese and Badseed Farm’s Purple Ruffles Basil in between each layer. *I make mine 4 layers high with a nice big pink beefsteak (like a Brandywine or Mortgage Lifter) as my base followed by a Green Zebra, a Purple Calabash, and lastly an Ivory Egg. I drizzle the finished masterpiece with a little extra virgin olive oil, a sprinkling of Sicilian sea-salt, and a painfully decadent balsamic reduction.

Easy and Tasty Pesto Recipe

(for a crazy twist use Lemon, Thai, or Purple Basil....or stick with Genovese for tradition's sake)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups basil leaves, tightly packed

2 cloves Badseed garlic, halved

1/2 cup pine nuts (or a local nut of your choice), raw or lightly roasted

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/3 cup grated Goatsbeard's Taum Sauk cheese

fresh ground pepper

Directions:

Put the basil, garlic, nuts and salt in a food processor and process until smooth. Gradually add olive to the mixture. Put the mixture into a bowl and mix in parmesan cheese and black pepper to taste.

Serve with pasta or store covered in the refrigerator for up to a week. Freeze for longer storage.

BADSEED

An Urban-Organic Farm & Market
Celebrating Local Food, Culture, and Community

Fridays, 4-9pm

1909 McGee*KCMO*64108

www.badseedfarm.com

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