The Market Edition – General commentary, market rundown, cheat’s truffle pizza.
WInter’s produce is really on song this season, with favourable growing conditions not seen in recent years. At Harvest, the squash are sweet and tender, the leeks are rich and finely layered, and the parsnips are not woody. Let’s be serious though, you want to know about a cheat’s truffle pizza, so let’s lead with that.
Cheat’s Truffle Pizza
First and foremost, get yourself a coffee of your choosing, and a cinnamon scroll from Rae at Delicious Little Things. Then, go to see Dave and Ali at Takin’ it Home to pick up a pizza base. Next, off to Josef and Antonia at Elgaar Farm for a jar of mascarpone and a sharpish number, let the experts guide your choices there. Pop over the way to Xiong at Yang’s 4 Seasons for some garlic and chives. Continue down the line to Louisa at Truffles of Tasmania for the pièce de résistance, a fresh Tasmanian black truffle. The world’s finest. Optional: if you’re feeling flush, grab some truffle salt for a sprinkle. Be serious, if you’re buying fresh truffles, you’re feeling flush.
Preheat the oven to 200. Cut a clove of garlic in half and rub the cut side all over the pizza base. Spread the base with mascarpone and your grated sharp cheese. Bake that sucker until the cheeses are bubbly. While it is in the oven, drink wine and chop chives. Remove the pizza and while hot, shave that truffle – yes, the whole thing don’t be stingy – over the pizza base. sprinkle over the chives and a little sea (or truffle) salt. Thank our Chef de Mission when you see him at the market.
At Harvest
As always, the full list of stallholders has been posted. And this week at Harvest let us tell you, we’re really out to celebrate our weekly rock stallholders. While there are a couple of unfortunately timed, illness related non-started this week, our cohort of stalwarts is strong. You can see the list for yourself, and anyone familiar with it will know exactly what we’re on about. Instead of rattling them off like always, we’ll take a different tack: names. We’re talking about Tim and Jesse, Rae, Ibrahim, Dean, Nic and Em, Robyn, Karen, Rob and Jenny, Willie, and the (expanding) family Campbell. If you don’t know who these folks are, or what they represent, you can find out by chatting around the market. It will soon become clear.
We’ve not named everyone for brevity, not because we’ve forgotten, we know them all and as the operators of this wonderful community space for 4 hours a week, it feels great to be able to do so. Speaking of…
Farmers’ Markets, like the one at Harvest
These vibrant marketplaces unite farmers, artisans, and neighbours, creating a unique and thriving hub for fresh produce and a genuine sense of community. Unlike big grocery stores, farmers’ markets showcase local farmers and their exceptional work. These farmers are ensuring that we have access to the freshest, seasonal fruits, vegetables, and herbs. Farmers’ markets are win-win situations. We, as a community, get to enjoy the incredible flavours and nutritional benefits of locally grown food, plus directly support our hardworking farmers, who pour their heart and soul into their crops.
Moreover, these markets offer an opportunity for face-to-face connections, where you can strike up conversations with the people who grow your food, learn about sustainable farming practices, and even exchange recipes with fellow shoppers. Farmers’ markets foster a sense of belonging, promote sustainable agriculture, and contribute to the local economy. So, a huge thanks to you for always swinging by your local farmers’ market and experiencing the magic firsthand!
Thanks for reading, see you next week!