Sustainable Sunday at the Market

The 3rd Sunday of each month is our Sustainable Themed Market and is sponsored by Tonia Reyes Uranga, our 7th district councilman.  Thanks Tonia!

Chickens-

We are a little chicken crazy these days with approximately 50 chicks in the Green Lab coop right now.  This Sunday at the market, the Hughes Goes Green Team will have information on keeping chickens in Long Beach…and a couple of chickens for you to ogle.  If you are really interested in Backyard Poultry, please join us at the Wrigley Garden this Saturday morning for a meet up of the Urban Chicken Enthusiasts.  There will be a potluck breakfast at Wrigley Community Gardens-located at 1960 Henderson…with a quick trip over the Green Lab Urban Farm to see the baby chicks!

Square Foot Gardening-

Jennifer van der Fluit will be at the market Sunday teaching a 45 minute seminar on the Square Foot Gardening technique.  Such a great way to grow your healthy veggies in the city.  Have one box in a small space..or line them up in your yard!!  You can find out all about it this Sunday at 11am.

What is the real Cost of all those plastic water bottles?-

Local resident Laura Wilbanks will be out to talk about the amount of oil it takes to make a water bottle and she will also conduct a water tasting.  She has shared with us some interesting links, Take Back the Tap and The Story of Bottled Water…food for thought…this is important stuff to keep in mind.  It’s not hard to pack your own water.  It’s probably the easiest thing to get into your lunch bag!

Food-

There is a rumor circulating that the Artisan Bakery – Shortnin’ Bread will be bringing tiny biscuit and ham sandwiches.  Yum!!

Another foodie favorite will be rolling back in to town…that hot pink truck, Baby’s Badass Burgers will be sliding in to market this week too!!

Don’t forget to check in with Salsa Anytime for their soup selection – a couple quarts of pozole in the fridge for the beginning of the week is just the right thing to do.

Farmers-

If you don’t think you can eat your way through a flat of strawberries, let me help you out with that lack of confidence!  Take half the flat and make 5 full pints of strawberry sauce.  Pack the rest in lunches.  Don’t wash the strawberries until you use them, and keep them in the fridge.  I send a cup of strawberries and with a little cup of dipping…maybe powdered sugar or a little cup of lemon curd!  It’s better for them than those nasty cheese and crackers…I think they just like the process of all the dipping.  Just a thought!!

Strawberry Sauce-

Rinse half a flat of berries.  Cut in to quarters.  Place in stock pot with 6 T sugar, juice of 2 lemons.  Simmer gently.  Mash or put through a food mill.  You have a chunky, tangy sauce that is perfect over that greek style yogurt from trader joe’s and some Shortnin’ Bread granola!  Try it with New York Cheese Cake, or add a little pectin and use as jam.  The recipes I have read for jam have 7 cups of sugar!!  This has a dash, but really nothing compared to standard recipes…the sugar also helps with the thickening…hence the “sauce” description.  You’ll love it and so will your friends, as it is the perfect hostess gift!