NPR: CSA/Produce Clubs

We found this article on NPR.com and wanted to share- its a neat profile of a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). The author chronicles the excitement of cooking from a surprise box of fresh veggies, not at all unlike our own Produce Club here at the Windmill. 

Once difference with the Produce Club and a CSA, however, is that we contract with and buy from numerous local farms as opposed to just one (what you usually get with a CSA). This way you are supporting more small farmers in our area and we retain control the items we purchase so as to avoid a monotony of winter greens, an over abundance of potatoes, or a mountain the same crop week after week. 

We also include recipe ideas each week, as you have no doubt seen if you have spent any time on this blog. We also love to share recipes from our customers, so send them in if you have them!

Oh, The Things You Can Do With A Farm-Share Box

by NICOLE SPIRIDAKIS

June 8, 2011

I stared at the box brimming with vegetables, wondering what I'd gotten myself into. Unidentifiable greens, tiny round potatoes, a clutch of dirt-dusted, perfectly red radishes, a small container of wild strawberries — all this bounty was mine, if only I could figure out what to do with it.

For an urbanite such as myself, being connected to a farm brings a bit of the country into the city. It reminds me that there's a vast acreage out there not bound by concrete and tall buildings, helps me to eat with the seasons, and brings home how important it is to know the source of my food.

Variety

They say its the spice of life, but sometimes you need some definition for your variety! Here we have our own version of Cliff's Notes for the pear varieties we included in this week's Produce Club boxes. Can't wait to see how our members cooked these beautiful local fruits!

Recipe Files

This week's recipe files from the Produce Club include the following tasty treats:

Chickpea and Sweet Potato Curry

Eggplant Salad with Olives and Sherry Vinaigrette

Honey-Pecan Roast Pears

Ham & Pear Panini with Oven-Baked Fries

Soft-Shell Crabs with Wilted Spinach
and Warm Tomato-Basil Vinaigrette

Windmill Artist Chosen as Jubilee Festival Artwork

We are so pleased to announce that the Eastern Shore Chamber Jubilee Festival Planning Committee has selected one of our own for the festival official artwork!

The event, which takes place in Olde Towne Daphne September 24 & 25, has been ongoing for the last 23 years and always selects the work of one local artist for the design of the t-shirts and posters you will see around town. This year they have selected "Pelican Racers" by longtime Windmill vendor and photographic artist Michael Thomas of Mic Designs.

The work depicts two brown pelicans racing through the bay, enjoying a swim. The image was shot at the boat launch in Fairhope early one morning. It is a mixture of digital painting that overlays photography, creating the appearance of a true painting. This unique style has won Michael tons of fans and followers- you may have seen some of his other images of boats, beaches, historic landmarks and downtown Fairhope in the market.

Michael has a long background in photography dating back 35 years when he was employed at Meteor Photo, a photo lab in Detroit, Mich. He worked in the darkroom developing film and enhancing images for the automobile industry and commercial photograhers. Then when digital photography technology was developed he started to work with that medium and expanded his knowledge in the field of photography and art. He relocated to Baldwin County two-and-a-half years ago and found a new way of living and has further developed his creative abilities.

“I started working on painting digital photography using various programs when I moved here,” he said. “I print the images on canvas so they will have more of an appearance of a painting.” He added that he prints his images a variety of items such as canvas, paper, coasters, mouse-pads, books, cards and postcards.

Shea Dean, the chairman for the Jubilee Festival was having lunch at MaryAnn’s Restaurant in the Windmill Market when she discovered his work and asked him to submit some of his artwork to the committee for consideration.

Michael said the artwork depicts a celebration of wildlife in lower Alabama. His love for the water has been his lifestyle since his youth living around the numerous lakes in Michigan. Moving to Gulf Shores and exploring the region was a perfect fit for him.

“I love the lower Alabama climate and the culture here,” he said. “It’s a slower pace and the people are so nice.”

Festival goers will be able to see more of Michael’s work at the Jubilee Festival. He will have a double booth set up showing and selling his art. The t-shirts and posters will be on sale at the information booth. Festival hours are 10 am – 4 pm daily. The festival takes place on Main Street in front of the Daphne City Hall. There is no admission to the festival. For more information visit www.eschamber.com.

Congratulations Michael!

Saucy stuff

It's no secret we love LOCAL around here- that is the essence of the Windmill Market and the WestSide Grocery. With that in mind, it is easy to understand why we get pretty excited when we find a new locally-made product to stock our shelves and delight our customers. We have two new such sauces perfect for your summer BBQs that you have to come try!

Sweet Melissa's is made by a husband and wife team from Birmingham with a long history of good cooking. Randy and Beth Thomas have turned a passion into a home-based business now selling in stores all across the state of Alabama and beyond. Their sauces are decidedly southern, and as they say, spunky, spicy and undeniably sassy! What that means in regular terms is that this sauce is outstanding! She delivered two products to the WestSide last night: The Jalapeno Dipping Sauce, which is great as a dip for, or on top of, meat, cheese, fruits and veggies! And The Ruby Red BBQ, which is good on all grilled meats and she recommends you even mix it into your ground beef for your next burger!

We also received a delivery this morning from the Head Brothers out of Mobile who make some smokin' sauces, including a Traditional BBQ Sauce and a Yellow Habanero Mustard Dipping Sauce. The later I tried on some grilled smoked sausage from Farm Fresh Meats (also sold in the WestSide Grocery) and it was to die for- this coming from someone who doesn't like banana peppers OR mustard. That should tell you something. Coming from them next week: a Spicy Peach BBQ Sauce! Wholefoods bought the entire lot so we have to wait another week, but that should tell you something about how good it is.

Come give these sauces a try on your pork, beef or chicken tonight!

Recipe Files

This week's Produce Club recipes include some cool and fresh ideas for summer:

Fried Green Tomato “Blt”

Green Tomato and Honeydew Melon Salad

Cold Cucumber Mint Soup

Seared Salmon with Cilantro-Cucumber Salsa

Summer Vegetable Frittata

Cantaloupe Summer Salad

Alabama Jumbo

The newest member of the Windmill family is an oversized metal shrimp now hanging over the outdoor patio!  The shrimp, named "Alabama Jumbo," was created by the unbelievably talented Bruce Larsen and is sponsored by Lulu's at Homeport Marina.  

It has become a real crowd pleaser and attention grabber- how could you not be when you are a 10 foot shrimp??? A portion of his parts actually came from a dilapidated piece of farm equipment from the farm of Windmill owner's Mac and Gina Walcott, completely reinvented & repurposed by the visionary artist. As with all of Larson's sculptures, it is a "Where's Waldo" puzzle trying to identify all the various parts that made up the whole.

So come by and check it out for yourself... maybe over lunch?? Alabama Jumbo hopes you stick to chicken salad. 

The project, sponsored by the Committee on Public Art (COPA), is a fundraiser to provide funding for a new piece of public art for the City of Fairhope.  COPA's last project, which featured pelicans, provided the funding for the Mullet Run fountain on display on Bancroft Street behind the Fairhope Museum of History.

Bay creatures (shrimp, crabs and flounders) by various artists are on display all over town as we speak! You can view them in their downtown spots through August, after which they will be on display at the Eastern Shore Art Center. 

On October 1 each unique work of coastal art will be auction off at the "Catch of the Day" event at the Fairhope Civic Center. More info to follow on this event.

However, the "Alabama Jumbo" is so massive that it will be at the Windmill Market until it is purchased at auction!

About the Artist

Bruce Larsen is one of Alabama’s most recognized artists, known for his uncanny ability to take natural objects found in the environment and manmade objects from junk heaps and fuse them into sculptures with line and texture rivaling traditional art mediums. As a special effects artist, his work is seen such movies as Black Knight, Planet of the Apes and Dumb and Dumber.

Larsen finds discarded tractor parts, bones, gears, fans, dolls—anything and everything—and transforms these bits and pieces of creations that are simultaneously spiritual and whimsical.

Larsen graduated from Auburn University with a degree in Illustration in 1987. For several years, he lived in Atlanta and created animation for advertising. It was during this period that Larsen started working in special effects on film. After returning to Fairhope, he began focusing more on his sculpture, eventually moving into the film industry by creating animatronic horses for such movies as Dreamer,The Patriot and Ruffian.

In June of 2009, the American Sport Art Museum and Archives (ASAMA), a division of the United State Sports Academy, commissioned Larsen to craft a sculpture in honor of seven-time Tour de France champion cycler Lance Armstrong. The piece will join three additional Larsen sculptures already displayed on Academy grounds, as a significant step in the development of a Sport Sculpture Park.

Artist information taken from Alabama Public Television.

Check out this video of Bruce Larson from Fox 10 News.

Other's junk is Bruce Larsen's art: fox10tv.com

Local Furniture, Local Inspiration

The quaint wooden cottages which have lined the shores of Mobile Bay for generations inspired the style of Interior Designer Michelle Russell to found Fairhope Furniture Company. This water-front community's  laid-back, old fashioned coastal lifestyle is reflected in the designs of this local furniture company, whose brightly colored wooden dressers, tables and cabinets are are on display at the Windmill Market.

Fairhope Furniture Company was born from a desire to design fun, fresh and colorful furniture that reflects the local landscape and will last a lifetime and beyond.  Each piece is made to order using a variety of details and a palette of 25 custom colors. Using the highest quality materials and construction methods, our designs are brought to life by the hands of local craftsmen.  We use solid maple and maple ply from US forests.  Our drawers are built with traditional dovetail joints and are equipped with soft close, full extension undermount slides.  Each piece is hand-painted with premium lacquer. 

Come see their pieces at the Windmill today and see what inspires you!

Recipe Files

This week's produce Club recipe ideas include the following:

Roasted Figs and Prosciutto

Grilled-Potato Salad

Zucchini and Corn Torta with Cilantro-Lime Crema

Beef and Bulgur-Stuffed Zucchini

Recipe Files

For this week's Produce Club recipes, the Windmill Market is thrilled to be partnering with The Delicious Dietitian. Their staff has pulled together recipe ideas that are tasty, exciting, and healthful. The Delicious Dietitian is a group of Registered Dietitians providing nutrition services in Mobile and Baldwin County.  For more information, check them out on the web at www.thedeliciousdietitian.com.

Pink Eyed Pea Hummus

Crab, Corn and Tomato Stack

Yellow Squash Ribbons

Bread and Butter Pickles

Lamb Meatball Gyros

Fresh Blueberry Sauce