Watauga Farmers' Market

open rain or shine

From the Watauga County Farmers' Market

The Watauga County Farmers' Market has made a few changes this year, with extended vendor spaces and new hours on Wednesday from 4 to 7 p.m. The spring crops are coming in well now, and market-goers will find a good selection of fresh foods this weekend.

Shiloh and Jason from Tumbling Shoals Farm will be harvesting radishes (French breakfast and easter egg), red leaf lettuce, romaine lettuce, arugula, zucchini and zephyr squash, sugar snap peas, beets, fennel, kale, rainbow chard, collards, radicchio, broccoli, and maybe a few strawberries for the market.

Ann from Rose Mountain Farm will have pork cuts born and raised on the farm, organic vegetables, including loose leaf and head lettuce, bunched onions, arugula, kale, beets, broccoli and fresh herbs, such as basil, dill, oregano, chives, thyme and rosemary.

Ann will have shiitake mushrooms and mushroom logs and also rhubarb plants. Brad Hinckly will be bringing garlic scapes, with garlic cloves expected in two weeks, collards and kale. Brad also has tomato, bell pepper, basil and collard plants ready for the garden.

Erik Selvey has a selection of garden-ready perennials, including Hellebores, Jacob's Ladder, Lucifer flower and wormwood ready for planting.

Megan Ward and Caleb Crowell with Hold the Heat Raw Food Makery offer gluten-free granola with nut milk and fruit for a healthy breakfast, as well as raw fresh sprouts, flax chips, vegan nut cheese, chocolates, kombucha and nut milk.

Megan and Caleb also have produce from their garden, including spring salad greens.

Billy Joe Ward will have bark buckets, planters, different types of bird feeders, more mountain toys and other unique items.

Becki Henderson-Gow will be offering functional handcrafted stoneware pottery featuring mugs, bowls and lidded jars. Becki also has raku vases in a variety of glaze colors and designs to decorate the home.

The Watauga County Farmers’ Market is open every Saturday morning and Wednesday afternoons (starting June 17) at the Horn in the West in Boone. Turn next to First Citizens Bank on the N.C. 105 Extension and go to the top of the hill. Call market manager Karen Bauman at 1-828-355-4918 for more information.

The market will be open rain or shine.

The following fresh market recipe was submitted by Shiloh Avery of Tumbling Shoals Farm.

Radish and Garlic Scape Canapé
* 8 oz. plain chevre (goat cheese), softened from Ripshin Farm
* 1 Tbs. butter, softened
* 1⁄2 to 3⁄4 cup finely chopped radishes from Tumbling Shoals Farm
* 1⁄2 cup chopped fresh garlic scapes from Fog Likely Farm
* salt

In a medium bowl, beat together the cheese and butter until fluffy. Lightly squeeze the radishes to press out extra moisture and add to the bowl. Add the chopped garlic scapes and mix well. Season with salt to taste, cover, and refrigerate until firm but still spreadable, at least one hour or up to overnight. Serve with raw food crackers from Hold the Heat, or on sugar snap peas from Tumbling Shoals Farm. Garnish with thinly sliced radish rounds, watercress tips, and/or whole chives.
Makes about 1 cup.
Adapted from The Gardener’s Community Cookbook by Victoria Wise