The Market is Open

Good Morning everyone,
The Market is open!

We enjoyed our 2nd Annual Little Rock Local Food Tour yesterday in Hillcrest. The weather cooperated, but that was the least of the blessings yesterday. It was really a great experience. Each site went above and beyond to welcome us and provide memorable experiences. Stephanos of Mylo Coffee Co. shared insight about coffee and let us all brew our own onsite. We learned about Thai food from kBird and sampled delicious duck fat fried rice. We pressed and drank warm apple cider while learning how to make fresh sausage from scratch at Hillcrest Artisan Meats, piling into their tiny space and kitchen like it was our home. Pulaski Heights Elementary School Garden made us fresh sweet potato pie and grits from just-ground corn, grown by the 4th and 5th graders there, who were eager to give us tours of their hard work. We chewed on honey comb and gawked at carnivorous plants in Dwayne McFarlan’s backyard and drank ginger beer at the CANAS Victory Garden. Backyard chickens with Chelsea (I might have tried to hug a chicken against its will), brick-oven baked pizza from Pizzeria Santa Lucia. It was an experience kind of beyond words.

But the kicker was walking up to Little Rock Urban Farming to find tables filled with people, happily eating butternut squash soup, ice cream from Loblolly, beer from Flyway Brewery, vegan treats from Solfood Catering, while George and Star West played music softly in the fading light. It felt like a something outside modern time: people who’d just met laughing and talking outdoors in the crisp Autumn air, communing over good food and community time. Walking up to that, I felt a little in awe of this place and its people. It’s exactly what we organized this tour for: to build community around food. For what it’s worth, I went to bed last night thinking that a person would be crazy to leave a place like this.
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What’s going on in food these days…

• Organic Lettuce Mix from Little Rock Urban Farming. If you’ve been to the Hillcrest Farmers Market lately, you’ve probably tried this lettuce mix. Picked very fresh, with great keeping quality and a nutritious variety of greens.
• Organic Beets from Armstead Mountain Farm. How I’ve missed these root wonders. So red, so nutrient rich, no reminiscent of the dirt they grow in.
• Organic Broccoli from Armstead Mountain Farm and Certified Natural Broccoli Greens from Kellogg Valley and Broccoli from Arkansas Natural Produce and Barnhill Orchards. Broccoli around here has a short season, so order up!
• Organic Mei Qing Choi from Laughing Stock Farms. An interesting new variety of Asian green I’ve yet to try. According to Josh, Arkansas residential experimental grower, it "is a deliciously tender cousin of Bok choi. I planted a few to see how they grow and wanted to share. Enjoy!”
• Peppers. Did you forget about them? They’re still here. And still tasty. All varieties: cayennes, bananas, bells, purple bells. In the November of their life span. Send ‘em out right.
• Turnip central at Crimmins: three varieties of organic turnips: baby Japanese, Japanese red, and Japenese white.All mild enough to eat raw, so Chuck Crimmins says. Three kinds as well from Armstead Farm.
• Organic fresh Turmeric from Laughing Stock Farm. This is a first in Arkansas; looks like brilliantly orange ginger. Here’s what Josh says about it: " Has a sweet taste to it that does not make finished products bitter. Contains about 4.8% cucurmins. This has been a 9 month learning process on our farm. Turmeric is an amazing health remedy for many joint problems, inflammation, and also acts as an antifungal. The fresh version is higher in cucurmins and has a wonderfully smooth texture. It will only be a 2-3 week harvest because we must keep it heated through the cold, so buy plenty and freeze whole to use for months to come.”
• Dried Spearmint from Victory Garden. Like buying peppermint tea in the store, only locally grown and just dried. It’s Fall weather: good time of spearmint tea.
• Chipotle Hummus from Geek Eats. Um, should I say something here? It’s delicious?
• Bluebird Hill just uploaded a variety of weights for their Beef Flank Steaks. Jerry also has beef hearts, a rare but interesting treat.
• Organic Peanuts from Crimmins. Raw and more fresh than anything you’d find in the store. Try roasting them in shell with this recipe for inspiration.
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And a tasty update from The Root Cafe:
“Warm days and chilly nights in Arkansas mean it’s green tomato time! Come dive in for a delicious serving of Fried Green Tomatoes this week at the Root.
Other specials: Bacon Caprese! What? You heard me! Falling Sky bacon, basil pesto (Ark Nat Produce basil), Barnhill tomato, and fresh mozzarella on Arkansas Fresh multi-grain bread. Grilled. Yes. It’s. Delicious.
Roasted fennel and shiitake mushroom salad with French breakfast radishes and sorrel.
Chicken Noodle soup with a biscuit wedge.
See you in SoMa!”

Sincerely,
Sam Hedges