Blue House Farm

Mercado Kitchen: Watermelon – Lemon Cucumber – Mint Agua Fresca

Posted on by Mission Community Market in Blog, Blue House Farm, Happy Boy Farms, Mercado Kitchen, Recipes, Tomatero Farm | 2 Comments

DJS_4044 copy

To celebrate the beginning of summer and the start of the most delicious season, we made Agua Fresca. When the summer heat comes this transformable beverage is fantastic to sip on a warm afternoon or as a fresh accompaniment with a weekend breakfast. Easy to make and simply delicious, you can use just about any fruit you have on hand to make Agua Fresca and you can make it as sweet as you like by controlling the amount of sugar that you add.

DJS_4053 copy

For this batch, we used juicy pink Watermelon from Tomatero Farm, bright Lemon Cucumbers from Happy Boy Farms, and crisp clean Mint from Blue House Farm. The Watermelon was ripe enough that we didn’t add very much sugar to assure that our beverage was refreshing and thirst-quenching and less dessert-like.

To make this recipe you will need:

1 medium-sized watermelon

3 lemon cucumbers

1/4 c. sugar (Adjust this to your preference level) or agave nectar

1/4 c. water

1 bunch of mint

1 tray of ice cubes (about 12 cubes) Read more

Strawberry Bonanza at MCM!

Posted on by Mission Community Market in Blog, Blue House Farm, Tomatero Farm, Vendors, Yerena Farms | Leave a comment
From the Top: Albion, Rosa, Eclaire, and Seascape Strawberries

From the Top: Albion, Rosa, Eclaire, and Seascape Strawberries

Strawberries may possibly be the most plentiful summer fruit at the market these days. Many people don’t know that there are actually several varieties of strawberries, and those of you who do might wonder how to choose between them! Well, you can’t really go wrong with any of these delicious offerings, but, there are indeed a couple key differences amongst them.  Thank you to Spencer from Tomatero Farms, Minnie from Blue House, and Sylvia and Justice from Yerena Farms for breaking down the features of the strawberry varieties they bring to market…

Albion – These big guys are one of the most common commercial strawberry varieties grown in California, particularly in the northern parts.  They are firm, hollow, and more sugary than other kinds of strawberries. Minnie from Blue House said that Albion is a “classic, sweet, juicy red berry which is great for baking or snacking.”

Chandler – The most commonly grown variety across the United States, Sylvia from Yerena says that they are “the most juicy.” Although we do not have one pictured above, Chandler’s vary from being long and wedge-shaped to large and conical.

Éclair – With their early season productivity a big plus for farmers, Sylvia likes this variety for their light sweetness.  Typically, she says, they are white on the inside.

Rosa – Another great choice, Spencer describes the Rosas as “smaller and juicier” with a more tropical flavor that is reminiscent of pineapple.

Seascape – Developed at UC-Davis, this variety is hearty and resistant to many diseases that can afflict strawberries while they are growing.   Sylvia says the Seascapes are “sweet, with a little bit of sourness.”

Sweet Ann – A newer variety on the strawberry scene that is making waves for being very flavorful, Spencer calls them “big, very sweet, and more juicy” than other varieties. They are larger, with medium firmness, and can have a sharper conical shape.

So next time you are at the Mission Mercado, keep an eye out for these varieties and don’t hold back–ask the farmers which berry is right for you!

People of MCM: Chris

Posted on by Mission Community Market in Blog, Blue House Farm, Chaac Mool, People of MCM, Peter's Kettle Corn, Roli Roti, Shrimp & Love, Tomatero Farm, Twin Girls Farm, Vendors | Leave a comment

peep o week

Chris regularly comes to MCM with his family. The rest of the family was feeling a little camera-shy, but they all love visiting the market!

Where do you live? Noe Valley

How often do you come to the MCM? Twice a month, after picking up the kids at the Friends School nearby.

What are you buying? We always stop for kettle corn at Peter’s Kettle Corn!  Today, we got fruit from Twin Girls, carrots and berries from Tomatero, some other veggies at Blue House. Sometimes we get a chicken from Roli Roti, or dinner from Chaac-Mool.  We’ve also bought the ceviche from Shrimp & Love Ceviche.

What’s your favorite part of the market? It’s very convenient and friendly. We love the live music, too.

What’s the best kept secret at MCM, or something you would like people to know about? We tell all our friends to stop by, because you can easily find a parking spot on Valencia towards the beginning of the market.

Mercado Kitchen: Roasted Beets & Sauteed Beet Greens

Posted on by Mission Community Market in Achadinha Cheese Company, Blog, Blue House Farm, Mercado Kitchen, Recipes, Terra Savia | Leave a comment

Most people compost things like beet greens and chard stems, but lots of unloved vegetable parts can actually be quite culinarily useful, not to mention tasty! These gorgeous beets are from Blue House Farm, and this simple recipe for roasted beets with wilted greens will show you how to utilize just about all of your beets.

IMG_0457

What you’ll need:

1 bunch beets with greens attached
1 shallot, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil from Terra Savia (divided)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar or the juice of 1 lemon
Salt & peepper to taste
Capricious cheese from Achadinha Cheese Company (or other hard cheese) Read more

People of MCM: Kevin, Raffle Winner!

Posted on by Mission Community Market in 4505 Meats, Blog, Blue House Farm, Bok Ssam, Chaac Mool, Marla Bakery, People of MCM, Twin Girls Farm, Vendors, Yerena Farms | Leave a comment

Meet Kevin, who was the lucky winner of $50 towards shopping at MCM in our neighbor appreciation raffle! Neighbors who received an MCM flier on their door were eligible to enter, and Kevin took home the prize!

kevin2

Where do you live?  21st and Shotwell

How often do you come to the MCM?  This is my third time!

What are you buying?  I bought dinner for us– pulled pork from 4505 Meats, a Korean Fried Chicken & Waffle Sandwich from Bok Ssam, and nachos from Chaac-Mool.  I also got beets and spring onions from Blue House, nectarines from Twin Girls, raspberries from Yerena Farms, and a lamb tart from Marla Bakery.  I even have $4 left for next week!

What’s your favorite part of the market?  I like that it’s so close.  We don’t have a car, so it’s super easy and very straightforward.  Also, we just met some neighbors here, and there’s a sense of community.

What’s the best kept secret at MCM, or something you would like people to know about? There are not the same throngs of people here like other markets, it’s more mellow.