This week’s market featured our annual cherry pit spitting contest! Each market had multiple contests, testing for both distance (who could spit their cherry pit the furthest) and accuracy (who could hit the gong from the furthest distance). The longest distance reached in Salida was 34 feet. In Buena Vista, Rafe of Colorado Grown, succeeded at not only beating Salida’s winning competition distance, but also last year’s record of 37 feet. Rafe set the CCFA’s cherry pit-spitting contest’s newest record of 39 feet. If you missed the action, the video below features some of the competition at the Salida market.
Musical Guests at this week’s market were:
Salida: Local Honey and Beth Longwell
Buena Vista: Beth Longwell
Local Food Recipe Contest: Kale
This week’s local food recipe contest ingredient is: Kale. What are your favorite ways to prepare kale? Post your recipe as a comment below for the chance to win 5 Market Bucks! Recipes must be posted by 5pm Friday to be considered. Make sure to include your name and email so we can contact you if you win!
Vendor Feature: Rosita Mary’s
Rosita Mary’s sells spritzers, lotions, soaps, and salves all handmade by Mary in Rosita, CO. Mary is a certified herbalist who has been studying herbs for more than 20 years. She considers herself a lifestyle herbalist – working to make all of her own medicines and sharing her remedies with others.
All of her products are made in small batches using only high quality ingredients. She sustainably harvests arnica and some of the other herbs used in her products wild from the mountains. Mary also grows some of the herbs used in her products, including calendula and comfrey.
In addition to harvesting or growing her own herbs, Mary raises her own bees using top bar hives (rectangular in shape). She uses the honey and wax that she harvests from her hives in some of her products, including one of her soaps.
You can find Rosita Mary’s both the Salida and Buena Vista Farmers Markets.
Massaged Kale:
Massaged kale is a recipe that you want to make with the freshest kale possible – either freshly harvested from your garden or made the same day as market. To make massaged kale: tear up kale into bit sized pieces and place in a large bowl. Drizzle the kale with olive oil and either some lemon juice or apple cider vinegar. Add a sprinkle of sea salt and start massaging. Work the oil, salt, and lemon juice or vinegar into the kale with your hands making sure that every piece of kale is massaged and tender. Depending on the quantity and the kale this can take anywhere from two to ten minutes. Taste throughout the process and add more oil, salt, and lemon juice or apple cider vinegar as needed (the salt and acid of the lemon juice or vinegar help break the kale down and make it tender).
Once the kale is tender, season to taste. I like my massaged kale drizzled with sesame oil and a pinch of ground hot peppers. Alternately you can drizzle with tamari and add some freshly grated ginger, or all of the above. Enjoy!