Welcome to July! We missed you all on Wednesday, but hope you had a wonderful 4th. The market resumes it’s normal schedule on Saturday and summer-season produce is in full swing! Our farmers will have raspberries, cherries (and we’re anticipating possibly blueberries and huckleberries), in addition to sweet onions, summer squash, the first field-grown tomatoes, and a host of summer veggies. We expect peaches to be available starting as early as next week!

FRESH THIS WEEK: Raspberries, Blueberries, Huckleberries, Cherries, Tomatoes, Sweet Onion, Zucchini, New Potatoes, Fennel, Summer Squash, Peas, Carrots, Beets, Green Onions, Fresh Basil, Kohlrabi, Kale, Swiss Chard, Cabbage, Chives, Salad Mix, Lettuce Heads, Spinach, Cilantro, Dill, Radish, Mustard, Arugula, Mizuna, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Rhubarb, Red Onions, Heart Nuts, English Walnuts, Hazelnuts.

Live Music Featuring:

Saturday: Bill Bozly

Wednesday: Blue Country Band

Power of Produce (PoP) Club for kids!

The Inland Northwest Food Network’s Power of Produce (PoP) Club is going strong! Last week over 120 children participated in the club. They have tasted and tried seasonal fruits and veggies – all produced by local farmers. They have planted seedlings and created their own salads. This week, kids will be exploring pea pods and creating fabric art!

It is not too late to join the fun! Children between the ages of 5-12 are eligible to participate in the program free of charge. Upon registering, they will be given a reusable shopping bag and a PoP Club button. In addition, each week club members will receive a token worth $2 to purchase a fresh fruit, vegetable or plant at participating farmer booths at the market, or they can choose to save their tokens to buy a larger item such as a fruit tree.

The PoP Club would like to thank the Plant Patch for generously donating handmade trowels to every child who joins the PoP Club! Another great supporter is Willow Wood Honey Farm LLC that is donating a sample size of natural beeswax hand butter to everyone who volunteers at the PoP Club booth. A final thanks goes to Mudd-Works by Cookie for donating the clay for our seed balls. Volunteers are needed and appreciated! You can use the following link to sign up or stop by the booth any Saturday. http://signup.com/go/VxmRPZy Thank you for helping us support our local farmers!

This Week’s Activity: Pea Pods and Fabric Art!

Heirloom Tomato and Fennel Salad

This bright, savory salad will liven any summer meal.

Servings: 6

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds heirloom tomatoes, or cherry tomatoes (halved)
1 small bulb fennel
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 ounces chevre goat cheese (optional)

Instructions

Remove tomato cores and cut into bite-sized wedges. Remove the top of the fennel (save fronds for garnish) and slice the bulb very thinly crosswise with a knife or on a mandoline. Toss the tomatoes and fennel in a bowl with the olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Add chevre, if desired. Garnish lightly with chopped fennel fronds.