This Saturday, the market’s not only your premier destination for Knoxville’s best fruits, veggies, baked goods and crafts- we’ve got two great activities that are fun for all ages- tasting and judging East Tennessee’s best tomatoes and learning how to pickle.

The annual market tomato tasting extravaganza is this Saturday from 10:00-1:00. It’s free, and just showing up enables you to try tomatoes that aren’t as common as your basic red globe varieties. Last year we had green zebras, and beautiful yellow, striped-Romans, not to mention classic favorites such as the Better Boys or Cherokee Purples. We’ve noticed youngins’ really love the sweet-as-candy cherries and tend to come back for seconds and sometimes thirds. Adults found the zesty lemon boys particularly tasty along with the pink Brandywines. Come down to the market on an empty stomach to ensure you have room to sample all the tasty fruits.

The process is simple- farmers are able to submit maters in four categories: Heirlooms, hybrids, cherry/plum and roma. We’ll slice and label them, all you’ve got to do is come by to sample all the goodies and vote for your favorite in each category. The event is free and enjoyed by all ages.

After filling your belly, stop by our Ball Canning Pickling Party. Kat Raese, canning expert, will host a workshop on pickling things other than your standard cucumber. The first workshop at 10:00 features Pickled Roasted Red Peppers and the second workshop at 11:00 teaches you how-to preserve Summer Squash Pickles. You can find the recipes below. In addition to learning the basics of food preservation, you’ll be able to sign-up to win a gift basket from Ball, grab free coupons for jars and discovery kits and free stickers. We also want to give a big thank you to Earth Fare for providing tables, tents and man-power to make our event possible.

Pickled Roasted Red Peppers

2 roasted cloves of garlic
3/4 C. white vinegar
3/4 C. cider vinegar
3/4 C. white wine
1/4 C. water
1/2 C. chopped onion
1/4 C. sugar
1 Tbsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. salt
10 medium sweet red peppers, roasted, peeled, seeded, deveined, and cut lengthwise

1. Prepare canner, jars, and lids.
2. In a saucepan, combine garlic, vinegars, wine, water, onion, sugar, oregano and salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and stir to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat and boil for 5 minutes.
3. Pack room-temperature peppers into hot jars within a generous 1/2″ of top of jar. Ladle hot pickling liquid into jar to cover the peppers, leaving 1/2″ headspace. Remove air bubbles, adjust brine level. Wipe rim, center lid on jar, screw band on until resistance is met.
4. Place jar in canner, bring to a boil, and process for 15 minutes

Summer Squash Pickles

4 C. peeled summer squash, diced into half inch pieces
1 1/3 C. sliced onion
2 C. water
1 1/4 C. sugar
1 C. white vinegar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1. Prepare canner, jars, and lids.
2. In a large bowl, mix squash and onion, set aside.
3. Combine remaining ingredients in a large stainless steel saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add squash and onions. Return to a boil, and cook for 10 minutes, until vegetables are heated through and slightly tender.
4. Pack vegetables into jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Wipe rim, place lid on jar, and screw on band.
5. Place into canner and process for 10 minutes.

DOWNTOWN WINE + SPIRITS-1st 

Demi liquor-Gazela Vino Verde-Mint Simple Syrup-fresh squeezed lime-pureed cucumber

SAPPHIRE

White rum- white grape juice- champagne- simple syrup- lemon-cucumber juice-cayenne pepper rim

NAMA Amaretto- crown royal- pineapple juice- bitters- diced cucumber-cucumber spear

LA COSTA

Gin- simple syrup- triple sec- fresh lemon- fresh lime- pureed cucumber

PRESERVATION PUB

Patron Citronage tequila- watermelon vodka- cucumber water- frozen watermelon spear

LATITUDE 35

Rum- lemonade- sour- muddled cucumber- sugar rim- cucumber slice

Thanks to all of our participating restaurants and bars for creating refreshing, innovative beverages. The next mixer is on August 20th from 12:00-7:00. Tickets are $20 and tomatoes will be the secret ingredient. The participating locations are Nama Sushi Bar, Preservation Pub, Sapphire, Cafe 4, Downtown Wine and Spirits, Oodles and La Costa on Market Square

Get ready for the most fun you can have on a miserably hot Saturday summer in Knoxville. This weekend, the market will feature the oh-so-refreshing cucumber as our star ingredient in our monthly Market Mixer contest. We’ve got a great line-up this weekend!  We are excited to welcome Downtown Wine + Spirits to our line-up of regulars- Nama Sushi Bar Downtown, Sapphire, Latitude 35, Preservation Pub and La Costa. La Costa and Sapphire are tied 1-1 in our summer long challenge.

The event takes place on Saturday July 16, from 12:00- 7:00. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased at the participating restaurants or at the MSFM info booth. The event includes a sample portion of each cocktail at participating locations. Tips are not included so be sure to tip your bartender!

Check out the article written about the Market Mixers in the Knoxville News Sentinel!

Farmers’ Market Makes Challenge to Restaurants by Cortney Newell

Cuke Facts

Cucumbers are members of the squash family–they are vines crops that grow low to the ground, and are very adaptable to the dry, humid Tennessee summers. Cucumbers are nearly 96% water- we’re making sure you stay hydrated as you tramp through the city streets in quest of thirst quenching libations.  They are very high in fiber, potassium vitamin A and vitamin C. As far as mineral value, they’ve got iron, magnesium, manganese, and phosphorus.

If you’re planting cucumbers you’ll want to give them space because they spread out and may overtake your garden if they aren’t given ample room. They work best planted after the last frost and need warm weather to thrive. Plant them in an area with 8-10 hours of daily sun. There are many varieties to plant: pickling, slicing, seedless, European, Armenian, etc. Try a few varieties at the market, figure out what tickles your fancy and talk to your farmer about it!

Thanks to all of our farmers for growing such tasty, crunchy cukes!!!!

The Market Square

Farmers’ Market

Chef Challenge

Now Sponsored by

Three Rivers Market!

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Yes, it’s true! We are excited to announce that Knoxville’s only local food cooperative, Three Rivers Market, is now the sole sponsor of our monthly Chef Challenge event at the farmers’ market for the second year! The “co-op” as it is dubbed by many Knoxvillians, is a cooperatively-owned, locally-focused grocery specializing in organic and certified naturally grown produce. A handful of items from our vendors, such as organic eggs from JEM farm, cheese from Locust Grove and milk from Cruze Farm, can be found at the store. We are excited to work with an organization that not only supports the farmers’ market, but reaches out to local farmers and artisans as well. TRM is currently located at 937 N. Broadway, but will soon be moving to their spiffy new building off Central Ave. just outside Happy Holler.  Stop by any day of the week between 9am-9pm or sign-up for their newsletter or check out what they are all about here.

The second chef challenge of the year is going to knock your socks off. We’ve got veteran participant Chef Stephen Myers from the Airport Hilton versus market newbie Chef Jeffrey DeAlejandro from the Crown and Goose.

Chef Myers, a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu in Atlanta, has a resume downtown including the long-running Regas restaurant and a coveted externship at Blackberry Farm. In addition to participating in our Chef Challenge last year, this locavore also did a cooking demonstration at the inaugural 2011 Maryville Farmers’ Market. Check out this awesome video of Myers discussing local food with the Knox News Sentinel while he was working at Regas here.

Chef Jeffrey D. co-owner of Knoxville’s own British gastropub, The Crown and Goose, is a graduate of the University of Tennessee Culinary Institute. The Chef, is defiantly not scared of a crowd, in addition to time in the kitchen he also hosts his own cooking segment dubbed “Marble City Eats” every Friday at 3 p.m. on KnoxIvi.com.

Here’s the schedule for the Chef Challenge event, which will take place on Saturday July 9th

10:00-11:00 Shopping at the market for the freshest meat, dairy and produce in Knoxville

11:00-12:00 Turning those local groceries into a 3-course meal for two

12:00 Judging of the event and auctioning of the meals.

Tickets for the auction can be found at the MSFM information booth or at the event tent. The suggested donation is $1.00 and all proceeds go to benefit the market. We will choose two raffle winners to win a three course meal for two, prepared onsite by the participating chefs. If you have any interest in volunteering at the event, email Kimberly at kpettigr@gmail.com

Once again, we want to thank Three Rivers Market for making this event a reality! Look forward to seeing you at the Chef Challenge!

It was a rainy Saturday for a Market Mixer, but during the brief periods of sunshine between the sheets of rain, you could find many a market mixer dashing through the square to reach their next mixed berry libation.

We had a great group of participants, with diversely delicious divulgences.

Cafe 4: Blueberry, raspberry, black raspberry and blackberry sangria with a mixed berry mini-cupcake. The cupcake really took the cake so to speak, even for those who usually don’t eat desserts. It was divine!

Latitude 35: Berry puree + blueberry stoli + sprite + pineapple= a slightly tropical twist on local berries. The pineapple was a great, subtle compliment to the berry goodness.

Preservation Pub: The drink, dubbed a berry spritzer, was light and refreshing. A stewed berry syrup with vodka, soda and a lime would be perfect at-home on a humid summer afternoon cocktail.

Nama: They took the traditional margarita and married it with local blackberries for the perfect citrus berry drink. It’s hard not to make berry drinks too sweet, but this margarita was balanced- a little bit sweet and tart.

La Costa: This bar has really taken things to the next level in mixology this year. They won the first challenge with their strawberry margarita and nearly took home the prize this month with their mixed berry guava lemonade. It knocked my socks off, with it’s tangy, sour sweetness. I cannot wait to see what these guys come up with next month.

Grand Prize Winner: Sapphire

This month our winner took a risk- we’ve had numerous bars in the past make a spicy concoction, but no one has ever won with a spiced-up beverage…until this month. Although spice can really turn off some tastebuds, Sapphire managed to win the spice-lovers and spice-phobic drinkers alike with their jalapeno, black raspberry beverage. They mixed tequila with fresh jalapenos, black raspberries and simple syrup, and garnished each beverage with a much-needed sugar rim. Sapphire really knows how to make a delicious local libation. We’re so lucky to have them participate!

The next market mixer will be on Saturday July 16 and will feature cucumbers. We have the usual five participants, and a couple of new ones. We’ll announce the official line up on our web site and facebook as the event approaches. Thank you to everyone who braved the weather, I know we had a great time! Keep drinkin’ local.