As summer begins, we all look forward to Fourth of July parties, and the onset of tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and corn. The farmers market has been plentiful this spring, and our current vendors have lots of goodies becoming available. However, we are always seeking new vendors, especially those who have something new, or different to offer. How great would it be, to be able to find sustainably harvested wood products, fiber products, raw milk, fish, and other crafts/ value added products? We would love to provide that opportunity. Do you get these products somewhere locally already? Please pass the word, that we would love them to join our farm family! Contact Peter Robinson, at 564-7433, for more information.

Additionally, the farmers market has been providing booth space for other local non-profit agencies, to promote healthy eating, gardening,conservation, human services, and other crucial community services. Do you know of an agency that would like to participate in our market? Our schedule is filling up, and it's time to catch those "summer people"! If you know of an agency, or are part of an agency, that would be interested, please contact Janet Sawyer at: 564-3638

No it's not Skittles, it's veggies! Most nutritionists will tell you, that it would be unnecessary for anyone to take multi vitamins, if we simply balanced our diet, by how it processes in our bodies, and by color. Not to mention that our recent weather is conducive to rainbows!

Here are some great ideas for packing all of your vitamins and minerals, into your meals. They are all vegetarian, but make an excellent compliment to traditional meat dishes! These recipes serve 8.

Rainbow Skewers:

Ingredients

1 bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 stalks celery, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
16 cauliflower florets or mushrooms
16 cherry tomatoes
2 cups hummus

Directions

Skewer the vegetables onto a wooden skewer and wrap with aluminum foil. Grill. Serve with the hummus.

Rainbow Salad:

Ingredients:

2 raw medium beets (any color) trimmed, scrubbed & quartered
1/4 red cabbage, quartered
2 large carrots, scrubbed & trimmed
1/4 white cabbage, quartered
1 apple, quartered
1 cup walnuts, roughly bashed
2 handfuls Italian parsley and mint, chopped

for the dressing:

1 tablespoon Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
sea salt & ground pepper
Worcestershire sauce
hot sauce

Put a coarse grater attachment into a food processor and push ingredients through in the following order (to stop the beets from staining everything): beets, red cabbage, carrots, white cabbage and apple. (If your food processor is small, do this in batches.) Turn vegetables out onto a platter so get a pile of rainbow colors. Mix the yogurt, mustard, vinegar, and oil, then season with salt, pepper, Worcestershire, and hot sauce. Add walnuts and herbs and toss everything together until you get a big, beautiful plate of dressed vegetables.

Rainbow Skillet:

Ingredients:
1 medium butternut, or summer squash, squash (about 2 pounds)
1/4 cup reduced-fat butter, melted
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 medium green pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium sweet yellow pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium red onion, cut into wedges
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups grape tomatoes

Directions

Cut squash in half; discard seeds. Place cut side down in a microwave-safe dish; add 1/2 in. water. Microwave, uncovered, on high for 10-12 minutes or until almost tender.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the butter, brown sugar, chili powder, cilantro, salt, pepper and cinnamon; set aside. When squash is cool enough to handle, peel and discard rind. Cut pulp into 1/2-in. pieces.
In a large skillet, saute peppers and onion in oil until tender. Add tomatoes and squash; heat through. Transfer to a large bowl; add butter mixture and toss to coat. Yield: 9 servings.


Rainbow Chili:


Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 zucchini, sliced
1 yellow squash, sliced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 fresh jalapeno pepper, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes, with liquid
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained

1 (15 ounce) can chili beans in spicy sauce, undrained
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

Directions

Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Stir in zucchini, yellow squash, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, jalapeno, garlic, and onion. Cook 5 minutes, just until tender.
Mix tomatoes with liquid, tomato paste, black beans, corn, and chili beans in spicy sauce into the pot. Season with chili powder, oregano, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally.