August is NH Eat Local Month...Celebrate! Buy Fresh, Buy Local at a Farmers Market

Buying your food locally is good for your health, your environment and your community. Simply put, buying local means to buy food produced, grown or raised as close to your home as possible.

Local food is fresher and tastes better than food shipped from other countries or states. Local food is hundreds or even thousands of miles fresher and fresher foods make for better tasting foods. Fruits and vegetables shipped in from distant states or countries can take one to two weeks before they arrive in the supermarket. As a result, food is less fresh and contains fewer nutrients. In order to increase shelf-life for lengthy transport, foods are treated with preservatives, grown with pesticides and even subjected to irradiation.

Small, local farms are generally more environmentally friendly than large-scale industrial agriculture operations. Small family farms tend to utilize sustainable farming techniques, often raising organic products without pesticides and other harmful chemicals.

August is NH Eat Local Month, and what better time to celebrate and enjoy all that our local food community has to offer! Salem is so fortunate to have Peters Farm Stand  opened daily and the Salem NH Farmers Market where we offer every week the vendors bringing their own NH & MA grown and raised products.  

The Salem NH Farmers Market offers fresh produce, fruit (some organic), grass fed meats, cheeses, honey, jams, relishes, maple syrup, eggs, breads, bake goods, fresh made pasta and sauces, spinach pie, granola, natural soaps and lotions and more.   The Farmers Market is open every Sunday 12 to 4 p.m. through Sept. 30 and our winter market November through May, hosted by Lake Street Garden Center. Come and try the true flavors of buying fresh buying local!

Visit our web site for more information www.salemnhfarmersmarket.com

Come and pick from the wonderful choices of produce at our market bringing to your family the highest in nutrients and shelf life.

Wondering what to do with the beets and greens?

Roasted Beets and Sautéed Beet Green

Ingredients

 1 bunch beets with

    greens

    1/4 cup olive oil, divided

    2 cloves garlic, minced

    2 tablespoons chopped onion (optional)

    salt and pepper to taste

    1 tablespoon red wine vinegar (optional)

Directions

    Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (175 degrees C). Wash the beets thoroughly, leaving the skins on, and remove the greens. Rinse greens, removing any large stems, and set aside. Place the beets in a small baking dish or roasting pan, and toss with two tablespoons of olive oil. If you wish to peel the beets, it is easier to do so once they have been roasted.

    Cover, and bake for 45 to 60 minutes, or until a knife can slide easily through the largest beet.

    When the roasted beets are almost done, heat the remaining two tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and onion, and cook for a minute. Tear the beet greens into two to three inch pieces, and add them to the skillet. Cook and stir until greens are wilted and tender. Season with salt and pepper. Serve the greens as is, and the roasted beets sliced with either red-wine vinegar, or butter and salt and pepper.

Nutritional Information Amount Per Serving  Calories: 204 | Total Fat: 13.9g | Cholesterol: 0mg

See you at the Market!

Jane Lang

Volunteer Market Coordinator