Market Watch: And the Rain Came
Last Saturday was the worst weather in current market history. Heavy rains and strong wind gusts made the opening hour of the morning difficult for farmers and vendors who were holding on to their tents and protecting their goods.
The rain didn’t end until 8:30 a.m., and several vendors packed it up and headed home calling the day an entire wash. (Pun intended.) Eventually the skies cleared, and patrons showed up in droves turning it into a pretty good day for everyone involved.
Tons of food. The big news: the first sweet corn of the season from Kliess and Schottman Farms. Unfortunately, it sold out before I got any, but thankfully there will be more coming Saturday along with more potatoes, peaches, nectarines, green beans and zucchini. We are sure to see more tomatoes in the coming weeks as all the great heirloom varieties begin to ripen up. Plenty of basil and garlic will be available as well.
For the adventurous:
Grilled Peaches “Melba”
Recipe Courtesy of Bobby Flay
4 (1/2-inch thick) slices pound cake
8 firm-ripe peaches, halved and pitted
Vegetable oil, as needed
1 quart vanilla ice cream
Raspberry sauce, recipe follows
Toasted slivered almonds, for garnish
Preheat an outdoor grill or grill pan. Grill the pound cake, turning once, until slightly charred. Divide the slices among 4 plates.
Brush the cut sides of the peaches with oil and place on the grill, cut-side down. Grill until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Turn the peaches over and grill until almost soft, about 1 minute more.
Cut the peaches into about 1/2-inch thick slices.
Place a scoop of ice cream on each grilled pound cake slice. Top each with some of the sliced peaches, drizzle with the raspberry sauce, and sprinkle with the almonds. Serve.
Raspberry Sauce:
1 pint fresh raspberries
3 tablespoons sugar, or more to taste
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon Framboise, optional
Place all the ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. Strain into a small bowl. Sauce may be refrigerated for 1 day.
Yield: 1 cup
Market on the Square runs every Saturday from 7 a.m.-noon, rain or shine now through Nov. 8. It is located in the parking lot of Urbana Square Mall on the corners of Vine and Illinois streets.
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This makes me so sad. (Happy to live in Urbana, though!) Crave Truck has been a GREAT addition to the food choices in C-U, and it’d be a travesty to chase them away. This town should be supporting small businesses. I’m glad to hear that they’ll still…
This weekend will mark the first appearance of Kayla Brown’s Fire Doll Candle booth at the Market. Check it: http://www.facebook.com/firedollcandles
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Excellent additions, LY.
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Most Recent Comments
The Alan Partridge lookalike on the right in the first small photo has nothing to condescend to anyone about. AH HA!
Snell and the little Hitlers of the neighborhood association need to chill out. Legitimate businesses should have the freedom to exist without having to endure the slings and arrows of ignorant and misguided opposition.
represent, Matt.
Yeah, I’d agree that Transporter Room 3 is the worst house venue I’ve ever seen.
Food trucks are the start-up, small businesses of the future for those unable to afford real estate. No surprise, that merchants who pay rent, utilities, and maintenance on a property would despise the traveling competition. Or developers who build more empty retail spaces would want to close…
Not so much far-right Tea Party as a balanced, moderate viewpoint between letting businesses succeed and protecting society with reasonable regulations. In spite of what the city reps are saying, the interpretation of policy on this issue certainly has changed. Letting a business start up under one…
I think it’s neat that SP has turned rightward, now espousing a Tea Party-style frustration with government regulations & taxes.
This makes me so sad. (Happy to live in Urbana, though!) Crave Truck has been a GREAT addition to the food choices in C-U, and it’d be a travesty to chase them away. This town should be supporting small businesses. I’m glad to hear that they’ll still…
*slow. clap.* Still offering no threat of intelligence…. I know I said I thought you should just write this whole column yourself next year, Isaac, but now that you’ve gone and taken a “part deux” run at it, I’d like to modify my request: Best Music 2013,…
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What? Echo! (Echo!) Where’s the dischord and dissent?
This weekend will mark the first appearance of Kayla Brown’s Fire Doll Candle booth at the Market. Check it: http://www.facebook.com/firedollcandles
And without bloodshed. Sounds like the Savoy trustees aren’t as narrow-minded as some of their whiny pants constituents. Do you think quack Snell is already planning an asinine counterattack or is he still laying low after those “threats” against his person?
hey, if hair ain’t gon’ be over your head, my jokes may as well be.
Okay, almost 24 hours later and I finally got Issac’s Summer joke. I’m an idiot.
Excellent. I am glad sometimes American dreams are encouraged, rather than stifled.
Swap the dog for a fire pit and it sounds like you’re writing about my back yard. Very nice.
funny, as your summer begins, another Summer ends.
@Dan - Wow. Unfortunately, I have to refrain from further comment due to a previous employment relationship. But with that brief context you might be able to imagine possible comments or responses I could have.
Oh, by the way, the “Champaign County YMCA” no longer exists. The official name is now the “Stephens Family YMCA” (the website has not been updated, but check out the latest program guide). And no, it’s not just the name of the building. It’s the name of the organization.
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Food trucks are the start-up, small businesses of the future for those unable to afford real estate. No surprise, that merchants who pay rent, utilities, and maintenance on a property would despise the traveling competition. Or developers who build more empty retail spaces would want to close…