To view the enews letter on our website, click here

     
 

The smell of a ripe peach – sweet, fruity and floral all at once – is one of the greatest pleasures of the season. Bite into one at its peak and let the juice run down your arm, and your summer afternoon will be just about perfect.

Most early peaches are clings, varieties that have a firm flesh and whose pits are not easily removed. Because these peaches may not yield beautiful slices after you struggle to remove pits, they are great for canning. Wait a little later into the season and the freestones, with their delicate flesh and easily removed pits, will give you those picture perfect slices for your pies and tarts.

If you can smell the aroma of the peach as you bring it to your nose, you can be sure it’s ripe. Those with bruises or large soft spots should be passed over; a ripe peach will feel firm, but will yield ever so gently to pressure on its shoulder. And though lovely, the enticing red blush on a peach is not an indicator of ripeness. If those you buy aren’t quite ripe enough for you, store the peaches in a brown paper bag at room temperature for a couple of days.

For a complete list of Portland Farmers Market peach vendors, please go to our website and look under Product Availability and click on peach vendors. www.portlandfarmersmarket.org













  

The Peaches and Cream Festival celebrates the joy of fresh stone fruit with peach shortcake made from the areas finest peaches and topped off with whipped cream provided by Organic Valley Family of Farms. Mark your calendars for this juicy two-day event, set for Thursday, July 19, at the Ecotrust Market in the Pearl and Thursday, July 26, at the Eastbank Farmers Market. Area chefs will offer sweet inspiration with recipes highlighting the quintessential summertime fruit. Shortcake is best served with additional helpings of live music. Shoppers can enjoy the sounds of Colores de Alma at the Ecotrust Market and Vince Brown at the Eastbank Market

Sponsored by

www.organicvalley.coop



Bill Gibson of Bittersweet Farm in Estacada says the number one question at his honey- heavy booth is “How are the bees?” (referring to reports of national apiary troubles). His response, “My bees are fine, I counted them yesterday and they’re all there!”

Wandering Aengus Ciderworks of Salem has joined us for the season at our Saturday market with their artisan hard ciders. Using only certified organic heirloom apples they achieve flavors representing early American and European cider styles. Stop by and say hello to James and Nick, Ciderists.

Bellinger Farms, joins the Saturday’s market with their renowned Hermiston Watermelons, which they’ve been growing since 1941, when Ed and Ethel Bellinger settled in this Eastern Oregon community and began raising their family. The desert climate in Hermiston is ideal for growing melons and other produce -- the warm, dry days coupled with cool summer nights create a special condition that elevates the fruit’s sugar content. Third generation farmer, Jack Bellinger, and his wife Donna, have taken over the operation, which now includes a retail store. Donna hails from the Boston area and her retail experience has transformed a well-known fruit stand, once known as Tom Able Farms, into a unique farm store that includes espresso, gifts, gourmet foods, and of course, fresh picked produce from the farm. They have added cantaloupe, sweet corn, tomatoes, squash, gourds, cucumbers, pumpkins, and other specialty items to augment their watermelon crop.

About our newsletter anyway. We want to know how to best serve our loyal clientele and keep you all up to date on market happenings. Take a few minutes to answer some of our questions. We will happily reward you with a magnetic whiteboard for your refrigerator that contains a seasonal market produce schedule. Pick up your thank-you gift at any of the market’s information booths. Thanks for your input. E-mail your answers to info@portlandfarmersmarket.org

1. Why do you read the newsletter?
2. What part of the newsletter do you find most useful? Least useful?
3. What would you like to see in a Portland Farmers Market newsletter?
4. Do you like the frequency of the newsletter (2x monthly)? Would you rather see fewer newsletters per month or more?