May Farmers' Market Message
There's a spring harvest recipe at the end of this message!

Thursday June 12th opening day of the 2008 Belmont Farmers' Market
season is right around the corner! This year, we are looking forward
to a special performance by the Meyer Family Brass Trio who will play
at Opening Day, June 12, 2008. You won't want to miss this musical
start to the season. Do you have suggestions for other performers or
events you'd like to see at the market? Send suggestions, just reply
to this email or write belmontfarmersmarket@...

Events:
May 18th Spring Harvest Dinner at Kitchen on Common
If you prefer that your Belmont-grown vegetables be cooked and served
to you, visit Kitchen on Common in Cushing Square, Belmont. In the
next few weeks veggies from the Belmont CSA will again be on the menu.
Check out the Kitchen on Common Spring Harvest Dinner on May 18. This
will be a fun and tasty way to explore new ways to prepare the veggies
you will find at the first Farmers' Markets of the season. Chef Joh
Kokubo, Kitchen on Common, will prepare dinner using local, in-season
vegetables and herbs. Joh will join us, share his recipes and answer
questions about cooking with spring vegetables. The Spring Harvest
Dinner will be at Kitchen on Common, 442 Common St., Belmont , MA on
May 18, 5:30-7:00 PM. The cost is $30/adult, $20/child ages 6-15.
Please call Kitchen on Common to make your reservations, (617)
484-4EAT. See the Kitchen on Common website at
http://www.kitchenoncommon.com/

Free Outdoor Concert:
And if you like outdoor music, check out the upcoming Earth fest on
May 24th http://www.celebrateboston.com/events/earthfest/earthfest.htm
at the Hatch Shell in Boston. Presented by Whole Foods Market,
EarthFest will take to the stage from Noon to 6:00 p.m. featuring a
stellar music line-up, a host of environmental activities celebrating
the earth, an interactive family area, a local music stage and more.
The 2008 Radio 92.9 EarthFest is committed to being environmentally
sound and providing information about environmental issues to all
attendees. Radio 92.9 is working to ensure the event is
carbon-neutral. In addition, Waste Management will be onsite
throughout the duration of the show, implementing a host of recycling
initiatives.

More than 100 booths onsite will offer educational displays, exhibits
and food sampling. The booths will be staffed by event sponsors and
local environmental and non-profit organizations.

Links:
Stay in touch with local farming and gardening by visiting the blog
sites of our very local Belmont Farm at http://belmontcsa.blogspot.com
and http://carletongarden.blogspot.com.
There are a wide variety of resources available online for learning
about the benefits of shopping at a Farmers' Market. Here is a link to
a well composed two page flier with tips for shopping for good
nutrition at the Market, as well as advice on how best to store and
use the produce you bring home. http://lancaster.unl.edu/food/farmmkt.pdf
If you'd like some further information on the science of
sustainability and how it relates to food choice, check out the
remarkable work done by the Bon Appetit management company. Bamco is a
food service company that values sustainability and supplies the needs
of college cafeterias and similar institutions. They have created a
well designed interactive website full of statistics and background on
things like Low Carbon eating and environmental stewardship:
http://www.circleofresponsibility.com/
www.eatlowcarbon.org includes a calculator to help you evaluate the
carbon footprint of your food choices.

Volunteering:
We have many opportunities available, reply to this message for
further details or check the Volunteer Positions description document
on the Yahoo group page: www.BelmontFarmersMarket.org.
We are currently recruiting writers for Roots and Spouts, and
contributors to this newsletter. We also need individuals willing to
assist with our marketing efforts. Time commitment can be one hour or
much more.
If you have Thursday afternoons free, we are still looking for "market
managers" to help with the logistics of market days. You don't need to
have extensive training, and it's a great way to meet new people!
Think about making a commitment for just one day, to see how you like
it. All market managers work in teams, and you only need to commit to
the first or second half of the market day.

Chicken with Sugar Snap Peas & Spring Herbs
from EatingWell.com
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients
1 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon flour, divided
1 pound thin-sliced chicken breast cutlets
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
8 ounces sugar snap peas, cut in half (2 cups)
1 14-ounce can quartered artichoke hearts, rinsed
¼ cup sprouted beans, optional (see Ingredient note)
3 tablespoons minced fresh spring herbs, such as chives, tarragon,
parsley, oregano, or dill
2 teaspoons champagne vinegar or white-wine vinegar

Instructions
1. Whisk broth, mustard, salt, pepper and 2 teaspoons flour in a small
bowl until smooth.
2. Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with the remaining 1 tablespoon
flour. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
Cook the chicken in two batches, adjusting heat as necessary to
prevent burning, until golden, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer the
chicken to a plate; tent with foil to keep warm.
3. Increase heat to high; stir the broth mixture and add to the
skillet along with snap peas, artichoke hearts and sprouted beans.
Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to maintain a
gentle simmer and cook until the snap peas are tender-crisp, about 3
minutes.
4. Return the chicken to the pan, nestling it into the vegetables, and
simmer until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in
herbs and vinegar.

Ingredient Note: Sprouted beans, not to be confused with bean sprouts,
are beans that have just barely sprouted - they look like a bean with
a tiny fiber attached (rather than the more fleshy-looking sprouts
commonly used in Asian cooking). Eat raw in salads or add to cooked
dishes; they're an excellent source of fiber and protein. Look for
them in the produce section near other sprouts. Or you can try making
them yourself, check http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sprouting