You will need to get in early if you want duck eggs as the ducks are molting and slow down laying, it is also last week or two of purple beans. Now for the good news, the first pick of passion fruit, water melon, and wait for it continental cucumbers that aren’t shrink wrapped,(OOOOH).

I don’t usually get into the political side of things on here but we read something in the Melbourne Farmers Markets’ newsletter that i would like to share with you to say thank you and we appreciate your support.

“A pinch and  a punch for the first of the month…that’s what Coles think anyway, ‘let’s beat up the farmers’, they’ve said  to themselves. ‘We’ve laid waste to the dairy  farmers already, we’re half job done with the free range egg people, let’s go  after the fruit and vege grower’.

And the sorry news is they can and they have; they wrote the  book on it.

Its been a wet week for us, too much rain means (yes again) the lettuce is suffering, so the whole fancy lettuce is in short supply.

We don’t have any corn for a few weeks, and but will be back. We do have some purple basil. It really looks interesting.

If you have some young kids you should check out the kids cooking camp at Taylor Sq Sydney Sustainable Markets. This is a cooking class where the kids not only learn how to cook but get to go around and visit the growers of the produce they are using and learn how and where its grown and how to select the best. If your interested see Kristy tomorrow and see what is happening.

Well we look forward to seeing you tomorrow, and hope the rain holds off.

Welcome back Everligh market this week. hope you enjoyed your time off over christmas and the new year, and we look forward to seeing you tomorrow.

One new produce this week, the chioggia beetroot is back, and i was serious about the cherry tomatoes, they go like hot cakes at a cwa meeting so get in early and come straight up to us before you miss out. We also have had a lot of great feedback on the super sweet juicy corn so we are bringing down more this week.

We have had a few request for loose garlic so i have split some up and will be selling some like that.

Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow, its going to be a warm one, bye for now.

Were starting off this year at Sydney Sustainable Markets at Taylor Square this saturday, so any Everligh customers please come over and see me (Lee) at Taylor Square on Oxford st and Forbes st with parking behind on Forbes or Bourke st.

Now the formalities are over and summer has started we have some fantastic new produce to kick off the first market.

Sweet corn, the juiciest corn with a lasting sweet flavor. Capsicums, these are the best around, the wholesalers are begging for these but we are only selling them at the markets for you. Cherry tomatoes, wow if you got to enjoy these last year you’ll be lined up before 8 am to get some more, these tomatoes were without a doubt the best selling produce we had last year, they were running out the markets.

Like last year we still have the Romano or Italian flat beans are in plenty, and zucchini by the box, and on the topic look out for Luke from Tetsuya restaurant who is coming down to pick up his Zucchinis.

All very exciting for a new start to a new year, i am also facebooking on the champion mountian organics facbook page so check us out and like our page and get some more information  on the day to day happenings on the farm. Come and see g’day and introduce yourself if your new, and grab the best produce around. Looking forward to seeing you this saturday.

There is no new produce this week, but we do have, (thanks to the weather) some baby lettuce. These have formed shape without growing to full size so you can get the freshest lettuce at its crispest taste, and its $1.50 each.

That is it this week, we hope to see all you customers that are left at the markets tomorrow and if not have a safe trip to where ever you are going and we wish you and your family and very merry christmas and a happy new year.

Well, you have all experienced the atrocious weather over the last few months and believe me it has been a very trying time producing enough to come to market each week. This week was no exception. Sunday morning was brilliant and I thought we’ll have plenty for next Saturday. But a solid dump of rain (flooding in some parts) and grey skies all weeks have not helped. BUT I FEEL CONFIDENT WE WILL HAVE A FULL RANGE NEXT WEEK.

ROCKET, WILD ROCKET, BABY SPINACH, LIMES, AND PLENTY OF MESCLUN AND SPICY SALAD.

Be early next week to ensure you don’t miss out and to be certain of your Xmas fare from us please ORDER FOR NEXT WEEK and we will put it aside.

Wishing you all a very enjoyable Christmas and a good rest, (if like me you need one)

Very best wishes

Michael Champion

First this week i know this is our second last week but for those who are going on away next week, we would like to thank all of you for coming and supporting the farmers at the markets this year, without you guys these markets would not work and there would be a bigger gap between the farmers, the produce, and your plate. We enjoy coming into town every week and selling our produce and educating the consumers on the who where and how it is grown. Special thanks to the market organisers, it takes a lot of work to get all together and make it work so thank you. Now the most important people, the readers of the blog, wow there are so many of you guys that come up and commented on the blog, i didn’t think anyone read it but Michael and Susie, but the more i blog the more people have been commenting about it, even one young lady (i wont mention your name Keely) who moved to japan and still reads it every week, so thanks, next year i will try and get the facebook page running with photos and more explanations on the day to day going ons on the farm.

This week there will be Santa Rosa plums are in, just, they might need a day or two to ripen but are as sweet as lollies to eat when they do.

We have more Spanish onions and lots of Roma tomatoes, and for your roasts we will have the only organic garlic, sage, thyme, rosemary and our olive oil. I think we should sell them in a pack for a special price, come and talk to me.

Hope to see you all tomorrow and if not next week have a good christmas and a safe and happy new year.

Once again not much whole lettuce and our tomatoes and basil is coming on slow, though we do have some. We also have some Romano beans or Italian flat beans, and purple beans. i have a recipe for garlic beans with crushed pecans. I have put the Romano beans in the recipe but you could use either or both.

Garlicky Romano Beans with Crushed Pecans

Total Prep Time: approximately 10 minutes

Servings: approximately 6

Ingredients:

· 4 cups Romano beans

· 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

· 1 tablespoon crushed pecans or walnuts

· 3 small cloves of minced garlic

· ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary

· 1 tablespoon of grated or shredded parmesean cheese

· Salt to taste

Directions:

· Add Romano beans to boiling water

· Boil beans for approximately 5-8 minutes or until tender

· When beans are boiling, in a small bowl, mix extra virgin olive oil, pecans or walnuts, garlic, rosemary, and parmesan cheese together (dressing mixture)

· Once beans are done cooking and tender, remove from stove, drain water, place back in pan or in a medium bowl, add the dressing mixture and salt to taste.

Hope you enjoy and we will see you at the market.

I would like to thank all the faithful people that turned up last week even though the weather was ordinary, it was much appreciated.

Due to the weather we have had we are short on spinach and rocket and whole lettuces, but we have some bigger zucchinis that are good for stuffing on these winter like nights.

We will also have wilson plums. mmm my mouth is watering at the thought. These are an early season plum that come in season in time for the work Christmas party or eat them as i eat them, like lollies.

We here’s hoping for sunny weather tomorrow, and we look forward to seeing you there.

Not all doom and gloom though, are beans have started, green beans will start at taylor sq sustainable market this week and purple king beans will start at everligh farmers market. Hopefully next week we will have enough to take some to each market. Also the garlic plats have been a huge success we have plated up some more so come and get them while they are there. We also will have our first gold beetroot for sale, come and get some and tell us what you think of it.

Plums aren’t far either, i saw the first box today, still hard, though when these ripen up yummy is the only word to describe them.

We look forward to seeing you at the markets tomorrow and hope there is no more rain.