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Farm in the Spotlight. What's at the Market?
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Saturdays to September 28th | 8 am to Noon
Beargrass Christian Church, 4100 Shelbyville Road

Farm in the Spotlight 
Triple J Farm

Triple J Farm is our Spotlight Farm this week. Triple J produces 20 plus acres of vegetables as well as free range hens and all-natural beef. During the summer, their farmhouse kitchen turns out a variety of yummy baked goods.

The name of the farm itself speaks to the value they place on family. The Triple J concept came from the names of Stewart Hughes’ three children, now the 4th generation: Jeremy, Jared, and Jessica. The children grew up to be an indispensable part of the farming operation. Their hope is that their farming tradition may continue through the children and grandchildren and reach out into our surrounding communities.

Triple J Farm is similar to other farms throughout Kentucky in that they were originally a tobacco and cattle operation. Triple J sits on 370 rolling acres in Scott County and the family tradition of farming goes back four generations. This farming tradition is valuable to the family and to their way of life and Stewart comments, "Therefore, it is important to us to keep that tradition going."

Jessica says her husband, Matt McQuade, is the grower and she's the seller.  Matt and Jessica met at the market and married in 2009. Matt was with Gallrein Farms. The couple welcomed two children.

Jessica is glad her dad, Stewart Hughes, had the foresight to join the St. Mathews Market. During that time she has seen lots of growth but with loyal customers who began attending 10 years ago still coming. "The relationships you build are so nice," Jessica exclaimed, "It is a unique environment."  Triple J supplies the yeast rolls for the breakfast sandwiches at the Garey Farms Breakfast Tent. They are delicious!

Over the last decade, the farm has diversified by raising small fruits and vegetables, farm direct beef, farm fresh eggs, and compost, while continuing to raise grain crops (corn, wheat, & soybeans), plus cattle feed such as hay and silage. Now, the farm’s focus is to provide healthy and fresh products to customers within the community. They continue to offer pasture-raised, grain-finished beef cattle with no hormones, no antibiotics, no steroids and no additives in the beef. Triple J also has 400 laying hens, which provide farm-fresh brown and blue eggs daily. Year after year they have expanded their produce production and sell produce through local farmer’s markets, a CSA program, and off the farm.  They also wholesale to restaurants and restaurant suppliers! Learn more at http://triplejfarm.org/

The photo above is courtesy Triple J Farm and was captured during a beautiful late evening while sitting on top of the grain bin looking out across the farm and reflecting on the hard work, blessings, and relationships that have come from sharing their harvest with so many.  With this respect for the land and her many resources, is it any wonder Triple J Farms and Gallrein Farms found love at the farmers market?

What's at the Market this week?

Green beans, tomatoes, fruits, and summer squash are plentiful. Cucumbers, onions, and hot and sweet peppers, beets, and winter squash abound. Cut flowers, muffins, bread, salsa, cheese spreads, rolls, croissants, nut and seed butters, soaps and lotions. Healthy dog treats. Fried pies, sausage, angel food cake. Corn will be in until at least mid-September 15. Duck Eggs are amazing and are available from several farms. Beef, baked goods, honey, eggs, peaches, peppers, kale, cabbage, potatoes, eggplant, watermelon, and cantaloupe. Our musical guest is Don Brockmeier. Our alternate vendors are: Kentucky Made & More, Beaded Treasures, Nuts About Cha, and Hot Off the Lathe.

Featured Recipe
Old Fashioned Tomato Pie

In summer’s fleeting moments, heirloom tomatoes—Brandywines, Cherokee Purples, Green Zebras—are still thriving and make for a vibrant filling. This recipe is an old-fashioned tomato pie.  Last week Beth Fowle from Full Heart Farm made delicious individual sized ones for $4. They were divine! Remember you can purchase your cheese from Sapori d’Italia and your vinegar from Primo Oils and Vinegars. Don't forget that many of our farmers sell homemade mustard. Granny's Delights, Triple J, and Garey Farms' are delicious. 

Ingredients
4 shallots, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
9-inch pie shell
1 lb. assorted heirloom tomatoes, sliced ¼-inch thick
3 oz. goat cheese, crumbled
½ oz. fresh basil chiffonade
1  tbsp. Grenache vinegar
½  cup fresh bread crumbs
1 oz. grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper
 
Preparation
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
 
In a small pan, sauté shallots and garlic in 1 tablespoon of olive oil until tender, about 3 minutes. Stir in mustard, and set aside.
 
Place pastry shell in a 9-inch pie dish. Layer in half of the tomatoes, and season with salt and pepper; spread shallot mixture over top. Add goat cheese and half of the basil, distributing evenly. Layer in remaining tomatoes, and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle 1 tablespoon each of olive oil and vinegar over the tomatoes; top with remaining basil.
 
In a small bowl, combine bread crumbs, remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle evenly over tomato filling.   
 
Bake 30 minutes, or until topping and crust are golden brown.
 

Cherokee Purple Wins
Annual Tomato Tasting

The votes are tallied. Our tomato winner is Cherokee Purple, an heirloom variety grown by Hambley Farms and also by Granny's Delights. Our cherry variety winner is once again, the Sun Gold, a hybrid grown by Valley Spirit Farm. Thank you to all our participating farms. Gallrein Farms, Triple J Farms, Coulter's Good Earth Farm, Hambley FarmsGrannys DelightsDuncan Farms, Rootbound Farm, Elmwood Stock Farm, Valley Spirit Farm, and Amina Osman Farm. More than 1,750 tastes were served from more than 20 varieties. Visit our facebook page to learn about the Garden Peach variety grown by Coulter's Good Earth Farm, it's fuzzy skin and slightly pinkish yellow color make it resemble a peach. Up next is our Honey Tasting on September 7 featuring tastes of the honey from our market farms and information about the bees kept at Cave Hill with the Cave Hill Foundation. 

Market Maker
Highland Moor

Native plants, beautiful hydrangeas, and smiling faces are what you can find every Saturday at the Highland Moor Stall. Owner, Kristine McNiel, her daughter Emily Tibbetts, and sister, Kathryn McNiel Fields, are always here to greet you and share their vast knowledge of Kentucky native plants, and shrubs. Started in 2003 with their father, Robert McNiel, a retired professor from the University of Kentucky, Highland Moor is one of Kentucky's largest plant propagation nurseries. Located in Frankfort in Central Kentucky, they specialize in Kentucky native species and popular woody ornamentals and also offer a variety of perennials and wild flowers.
 
Highland Moor is the leading producer of Hydrangeas, for specialty cut stem production and landscape use, in Kentucky. Highland Moor is the industry leader in Pink Hydrangea macrophylla Cut Stems and as a cutting-edge producer with over one hundred cultivars in production.  Hydrangeas make a wonderful foundation plant, a fine hedge in a shady area, and even a delightful ornamental specimen.  They also carry beautiful Peonies.
 
The folks at Highland Moor are passionate about saving native flora from urban development and other threats of destruction. The McNiels remind us to plant wisely! Native plant alternatives to exotic invasives are plentiful.
 
Popular native varieties include Southern Blue Flag Iris, Great Blue Lobelia, Cardinal Flower, Rattlesnake Master, and False Aloe. Other favorites, by season, are:
Spring: Columbine, Jacob's Ladder, Yellowwood, Ninebark
 
Summer:  Southern Blue Flag Iris, Great Blue Lobelia, Cardinal Flower, Rattlesnake Master, False Aloe.
 
Fall Foliage:  Itea 'Henry's Garnet', Yellowwood, Sweet Gum, Spicebush, PawPaws

Market Maker
Hot Off the Lathe

Corey Smithson says he and his wife picked up woodturning about 8 years ago. The couple profess it has been very rewarding and a fun hobby that taught them to work better together. The Smithsons started out small, and as they progressed friends kept asking them to try and make different things. Every year they have 1 or 2 new items.
 
In 2014, the Smithsons adopted 2 little girls, moved to Indiana and expanded so that Corey’s wife could be a stay at home mom. Now as the daughters are getting older they are taking an interest in making handmade crafts. Maranda and her sister, Alyssa, are frequent vendors at the farmers market selling handmade wooden containers planted with succulents. Visit them on the Shelbyville Road side of the market to say hello.

Market Maker

Sunergos Coffee
Sunergos is our Maker in the Spotlight this week. Sunergos is all about showcasing great coffees and creating great coffee experiences.  Sunergos was established in 2003 and won the prestigious destinction as America's best espresso. They roast all their coffees and have 3 locations in Louisville in addition to the Market. Visit their website at https://www.sunergoscoffee.com/

Searching out coffees that prove their potential in the cup and are sourced through responsible and sustainable partnerships is a constant pursuit of the Sunergos team, whether through retail, wholesale, or coffee by mail order.  Highlighting origin characteristics and their best development dominates their roasting philosophy.  Sourcing and roasting great coffee is a responsibility the team takes seriously and selections include Mexico Chiapas, El Salvador Santa Ana, and Ethiopia Oromia to name a few.
 

Market Maker

Kentucky Smoked BBQ
Kentucky Smoked BBQ is in the spotlight this week. You can find them smoking down the road as they make their way to the market each week.

Today's Vendor in the Spotlight is family owned Kentucky Smoked BBQ.  The Louisville-based Kentucky Proud smokery is owned by Charlene Harty, who has a passion for great BBQ.  They are at the market each week and proudly serve pork barbeque by the pound or on sandwiches with homemade barbeque sauce and a fresh Heitzman’s roll. You can add a cooked-to-order Gemstone Farms egg, a thick slice of Colby cheese, and finish it with homemade sauce to make it a breakfast sandwich. They also offer smaller breakfast sliders with a fresh egg and locally made pickles.
 
Their craft pulled pork is sourced from local farms; it is slow smoked over hickory for 12-14 hours and bursting with flavor.  Gemstone farms in Henry County and Acorn Lane Farm in Crestwood generally supply the meat. Jarod’s Grass Fed Certified Angus Beef from Dutch Creek Farm is also sometimes on the offering. Local market farms and vendors supply other ingredients. Charlene had a great reputation as a cook and she adds, “I was looking for something that would keep me local to the community, and the feel of the Farmer’s Market has a small-town feel.” She and her family love the atmosphere at our market.

The secret, Charlene says, is a low and slow cooking process. The cooking starts around dinner time on Friday and the meat cooks all night long and smokes until it is done, a total of 11-14 hours on the smoker. They smoke over hickory wood and only use wood for smoking.  They make their own rub that helps the flavor and it’s based in coarsely ground black pepper, garlic, salt, paprika, and other spices. They rub the meat down by hand prior to smoking and then during the smoking process, they spray it with apple juice which give it sweetness and makes it moist. Pulled pork is delicious if it’s done well. And, it has to be done slowly to make it moist and delicious. They pull the meat off the shoulder right before its served. If it’s pulled too far in advance of serving it will be dry.  That’s the secret. Taking time and paying attention to the details.
 
For the pulled pork, they generally start with a pork shoulder, and are smoking about 150-175 lbs. per week. Each shoulder averages 7.5 lbs. so that adds up to 50-60 shoulders per week! That's a lot of pork. 
 
The buns come from Heitzman’s Bakery. The quality of the buns is superior and that makes a great sandwich. The sauce is handmade from scratch and includes a unique bourbon sriracha with local Kentucky bourbon, an original BBQ sauce made with beer from Against the Grain brewery and a Fig Sauce.
 
Charlene says, “The customers are the best. We have our regulars that come every week. It is nice to get to know people and we look forward to seeing them. The first day back at the market every year is like a mini reunion. We get to catch up with what everyone has been doing in the off season and start up another season meeting new people who become regulars.”
 
Kentucky Smoked BBQ is also at other local events such as Oldham County Days, and Paws in the Park and they are available for catering.
 
Find them in the rear parking lot and learn more about them at their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/kentuckysmokedbbq




 
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