Growing for 37 Seasons in Northern Colorado

2012 Dates: Saturdays, May 19 to October 27

Time: 8 a.m. to noon

Location: 200 W. Oak Street, Old Town Fort Collins

More info: http://www.larimercountyfarmersmarket.org/

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Dates set for 2011 season!

The dates for the 36th Annual Larimer County Farmers' Market will be June 25 to October 15, 2011!

Thank you for your patronage for the 2010 season--it was our most successful. I would like to extend a BIG thank our customers, vendors and volunteers. We look forward to seeing you again next summer at the Larimer County Courthouse!

Monday, October 11, 2010

Vendor Profile: Pope Farms Produce "The Pepper People"

By: Lesli Ellis, Master Gardener

Ahhh, the smell and sound of roasting chile peppers! In my opinion, this is one of the best parts of fall. You’ll find the peppers roasting at the Farmers' Market by the Pope Farm truck in the Southwest corner of the parking lot. “The Pepper People” will be happy to roast a full bushel or half bushel ($16) while you wait or shop… or buy the ready-roasted chilies for $5 a bag. The roasted peppers freeze well (after removing skins and seeds), ready for fresh-tasting green chile sauce well into winter and spring.

Pope Farms, owned and operated by Susan, Derek, and Duane Pope, is located in Wiggins, which is east of Greeley and about an hour and a half from Fort Collins. (I admit, Google maps helped me find it.) That means the truck leaves long before dawn on Saturday mornings to get to the market, set up, and be ready for 8:00 a.m. shoppers. That’s after having to harvest and load the truck. And, if that’s not enough hard work, you will also find Pope produce at the Fort Collins Farmers' Market on Lemay and other Northern Colorado markets.

Peppers aren’t the only freshly harvested veggies you can buy from the Popes. Check out the eggplant, watermelons, cantaloupe, pumpkins, and all sorts of other wonderful produce too.

But back to peppers, here’s a basic recipe for making green chile sauce to drizzle over your breakfast burritos or enchiladas – after you purchase your roasted chili peppers from “the Pepper People”:
--Sauté chopped onions and garlic in olive oil.
--Sprinkle in about a tablespoon of flour to help thicken the sauce.
--Add a few cups of chopped roasted green chiles (the level of heat is based on the type of peppers you select). First, skin them and remove the seeds.
--Add Cumin, Mexican oregano, salt and pepper to taste.
--Add a cup or two of chicken (or veggie) bullion, depending on how thick you want the sauce.
--Simmer.

Enjoy!

Friday, October 1, 2010

Vendor Profile: Sweet Epiphany

By: Garth Bontrager

Erin Messing and George Young own Sweet Epiphany. With a name like that, and a product like individually sized cheesecakes wrapped in baklava, the business is decadent inspiration. “My favorite dessert is cheesecake, his is baklava,” says Erin, so they combined the two. I say, “Wow!” The use of local ingredients is just another reason to rush over and see the offerings from Sweet Epiphany at the next Larimer County Farmers' Market.

Erin describes the basic flavor to me, honey-flavored cinnamon and nut (cashew, almonds and pistachios) baklava, around a yogurt-centric cheesecake. This dessert is anything but basic--it just sounds so divine! Well, it’s "basic" compared to the local raspberry and white chocolate seasonal cheesecake she just finished making. Look for other seasonal flavors from local products coming up. Is it possible that there are samples of this? “Absolutely,” says Erin.

Go to http://www.sweet-epiphany.com/ for more enlightenment on the company, and go directly to their booth on the north side of the LCFM for a taste of these wonderful desserts. There are two sizes, both easy to handle. They use recycled bakery boxes that fit their desserts perfectly. To help foster the community spirit they love at the market, they bike their products every Saturday morning to their booth which they share with Good Seed Breads. Being bike-powered offers them a little more authenticity when talking with customers. Sweet Epiphany has been a great addition to the LCFM, and they’re very excited to share their creation with the Larimer County community.