Fresh Produce Just Became More Accessible to Residents of Buffalo’s West Side

Curbside Croft, one of Buffalo’s flourishing west side urban farms, just announced they are now able to accept EBT and food stamps as payment! This is great news as everyone deserves access to fresh healthy foods.

They are harvesting a variety of vegetables and herbs right now including heirloom tomatoes! Here is a list of what is available:

Giant Musselburgh leeks

A variety of heirloom tomatoes: Aunt Ruby’s German Green, Cherokee Purple, St. Pierre, Flame, Favorita

A variety of heirloom carrots: st. valery, shin kudora, lunar white

Tomatillo

Summer squash

Zucchini

Cucumber

Yellow hot pepper

Broccoli florets

Red malabar spinach

White eggplant

Coriander

Basil – 4 varieties

Bronze fennel

Daikon seedpods – great salad addition

Chard

Nasturtium

Kale

Collards

Red orach

Pole beans – green and purple podded

New Zealand spinach

Curbside Croft is located on the corner of West Ave. & Vermont Street. They open for business on Tues and Thurs 4pm-6pm and Saturdays 10am-12pm.

Just went to Market for My Shiitake Fix…

So I just got back from visiting my friends, Julie & Steve Rockcastle of Green Heron Growers, at the Williamsville Farmers Market. While I was there getting my shiitake mushroom fix, I ran into my friend and Edible Buffalo contributor Lauren Maynard (and fellow shiitake lover) who happened to be picking up her 3lbs. of shiitake (for only $40).

As mentioned in the previous post, Green Heron Growers has just started coming to market as their shiitakes are in full bloom and ready for picking. Below is a pic of what a log looks like right before harvest time.  Isn’t it beautiful?

Shiitakes are an incredibly flavorful mushroom and have a rich, earthy, almost smoky flavor. I urge you to try the Shiitake Pate recipe I posted previously (and if you aren’t that industrious you can always purchase the pate right from Green Heron Growers). Julie shared with me their Recipe of the Week, Killer Baked Shiitake, which sounds equally as delicious.

Killer Baked Shiitake

1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1 Tbsp. Sesame Oil
1 Tbsp. tamari or soy sauce
2-3 Tbsp. white wine
Pinch of black pepper
1-2 Cloves of crushed garlic
1 lb. whole, fresh shiitake mushrooms

Mix oil, tamari (or soy sauce), wine, garlic and spices in a small bowl. Stir vigorously as the ingredients tend to separate. Set aside.

Cut the mushroom stems from the caps. Place gills face up. Do not slice mushrooms. (Stems can be dried and used for soup base or discarded). Baste the sauce onto the gills of the mushrooms, make sure the gills become saturated with the sauce.

In a 350 degree oven, bake mushrooms uncovered for 30-40 minutes.  Or you can barbecue on an open grill. Serve hot.  Unbelievable good!! Serves 2-4.  (from Paul Stamets Growing Gourmet and Medicinal Mushrooms)

I urge all you mushroom lovers to go to the Williamsville Farmers Market and purchase some organically grown shiitake mushrooms.  While you are there you should also pick up a jar of dried ones too!!!

Shiitakes Galore! Green Heron Brings their Tasty Fungi to the Williamsville Farmers Market

I’m excited about having just received word Green Heron Growers harvested over 30lbs of shiitake mushrooms from their farm and will be bringing them to the Farmers Market at the Williamsville Mill this weekend! The price is $40/3lbs.  Why this may sound like a lot of mushrooms, the beauty of shiitakes (aside from their yummy, smoky flavor) is that they freeze well.  So I recommend buying them in large quantities so you have them throughout the year.

Below is a great Shiitake pate recipe that Julie Rockcastle, owner of Green Heron Growers, shared with me, which is also published in our summer issue.  This also freezes well if you want to make it in advance for a party or to have on hand as a yummy snack.

Shiitake Hazelnut Pate

4 oz. Shiitake Mushrooms
3 tbsp. butter
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ cup toasted hazelnuts
3 oz. Neufchatel cheese
1/8 tsp. thyme
¼ tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. dry sherry
1 tsp. fresh parsley leaves

Trim and discard woody ends from the mushroom stems.  In a food processor, finely chop mushroom caps and stems.  In a skillet over medium heat, melt the butter.  Add the mushrooms and garlic, sauté for 5 minutes.  Stir in thyme, pepper and salt.  In a food processor, chop parsley.  Add the hazelnuts and process.  Add Neufchatel cheese and process until smooth.  Add sherry and mushroom mixture.  Process until well mixed.  Spread or mold in a serving dish.  Cover with plastic wrap.  Chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.  Serve with crackers.  Yield 1 cup.

As certified organic growers, Green Heron also sells processed whole organic chickens, eggs and a variety of vegetables.  Check them out at the market and tell them edible Buffalo sent you!

Get Your Zucchini Ready for the 2nd Annual Zucchini Derby this Weekend!

For anyone who grows or has grown zucchini, you know that it is very easy to have an over abundance of this versatile summer squash.  They are easy to grow and they are also easy to overgrow. If you aren’t careful, some zucchini can grow to be quite large and at that point, inedible.  So what do you do with all of this extra squash??

You take it to the 2nd Annual Zucchini Derby.  Back by popular demand, this fun-filled zucchini celebration takes place at the Holland Farmers Market this Sunday, September 6.  Located on Rt. 16 in Holland next to Ronni’s Pizza and the Fire Hall.

The events are as follow:

Best decorated - anyone can enter, the kids really let their imaginations go. This event will be judged about 12:00. Winners 1st. 2nd & 3rd

Heaviest weigh-in – can enter all day long. Winners (1st, 2nd & 3rd) will be announced towards the end of market.

The Toss – we will be marking how far you can throw a zucchini. This can run through out the day, announced towards the end of the market. Winners 1st, 2nd & 3rd.

The Derby – Post time for the derby is 11:00. The market will provide wooden wheels & axles for your cars (zucchini’s). You can paint or decorate your car any way you like. We will mark your distance (you get 3 chances for your best mark) Winners 1st, 2nd & 3rd.

Events can be entered all day long (8:30 – 1:00) The Derby is at 11:00. All events have 1st, 2nd & 3rd places and nice prizes will be given to each winner.

It is suggested you bring more than 1 zucchini for different events.  For more info. please call 537-9590.