Here are some folks and foods that we encourage you to connect with this Saturday:

This week at the 61st Street Farmers Market:

• Mick Klug Orchards will again be regaling us with STRAWBERRIES! While it is the start of the season for sugar snap peas and sweet cherries, it will be the last day for asparagus. Get yours while you can!
• Supposedly, the average American eats a half a radish in his/her lifetime. Let's

This week at the Market, you can expect to see more product and some new producers! Here are some of this week’s highlights:

CREAM OF ASPARAGUS SOUP

Recipe adapted from Gourmet, March 2001 (Simple to make and a hit even with
kids who refuse to eat asparagus!)

INGREDIENTS

2 pounds green asparagus
1 large onion, chopped (could also add shallot)
3 cloves garlic minced
3 tablespoons butter or 2 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon extra virgin
olive oil
1 small red or Yukon gold potato, scrubbed and cut into small pieces (helps to
thicken the soup)
5 to 6 cups chicken broth
Splash of dry white wine (optional)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, or to taste
Salt and pepper

Check back here for highlights for the week's market.

Along with your usual favorites, this week at the 61st Street Farmers Market will feature:

• Faith's Farm is offering a 'Buy 3, Get One Free' deal on Ground Berkshire Pork! Kim's sustainably raised pork is truly the highest quality pork you will find. She also has brats, roasts, beef, and a variety of other products. (Recipe for Cream of Asparagus soup)
• Mint Creek Farmwill be at the Market with their fabulous organic lamb, goat, beef, chicken and eggs. Eggs go particularly fast, so if you want to get some, make yourself an early riser this Saturday!
• Mick Klug Orchards will give you another reason to get up early—STRAWBERRIES! They will be bringing more than their first harvest last weekend, but strawberries will go fast nonetheless, especially with the '2 For' deal they will be offering. Mick Klug will also be taking pre-orders for frozen cherries.
• Envision, one of our new non-profit producers, will be selling radishes, kale, loose lettuce, mint, butter head lettuce, and spinach. We encourage you to ask Trevor about Envision's program to assist people with developmental challenges and disabilities.
• Mike & Clare will have an abundance of lettuce mix, spinach, arugula, radishes and baby kale. They will also be bringing seedlings for your home garden.

We are counting down to the start of the 61st Street Farmers Market's 5th season! Only a few days to go before we can reconnect with our farmers, our food and our neighbors every Saturday from 9am-2pm on 61st Street between Dorchester and Blackstone Avenues! We are very excited to see what the precocious spring has readied for us to put on our plates. You will be happy to find most of the farmers and producers whose products you have come to know and love, as well as some new ones!

It is with an annual mixture of sadness and relief that I remind you that this Saturday, December 17, will be the final market day of the 61st Street Farmers Market 2011 season! The land has yielded its harvest, the chickens (mine anyway) have produced their eggs for the year and, like them, our farmers are ready for a rejuvenating winter's nap. We, too, will be financially and physically rejuvenating so that we can bring you another season of the region's best produce, meats, dairy, cheese, and baked goods in 2012!

Begin this holiday season by supporting your local economy at the 61st Street Indoor Farmers Market!

Here are some of this week's special holiday highlights:

To officially mark our holiday season, Abbey Brown Soaps will return to the Market with their extensive line of gourmet soaps and bath products. They make fabulous gifts for women and men!

Thanks to all of our faithful shoppers, the kick-off of the 61st Street Indoor Farmers Market season was a great success! If you didn’t make it last week, you don’t know what you’re missing. With the holiday season upon us, now is a great time to shop the Market.

* Mint Creek Farm is taking orders for holiday Turkeys.

* Faith’s Farm has wonderful holiday Roasts for sale.

* Brown Sugar Bakery will have Cakes on display and is taking orders for your holiday dessert needs.