Market Chatter

Just a reminder about these markets – every 4th Saturday in Leamington and only when there’s a 5th Saturday in Warwick.  There’s still lots of lovely fresh salad and vegetables on sale at the moment – make the most of it before the clocks change and it starts to feel like winter.

Farmers’ market organizers Sketts are bringing this exciting new event to Brindley Place within the Birmingham Food Festival.  On Friday 21st and Saturday 22nd October the heat will be turned up with fire eaters, music and salsa dancing and a chilli eating competition.

Stratford upon Avon farmers’ market has a slightly re-designed layout.  The new layout should ensure that visitors get to see all the stallholders and not miss any of the traders as they walk through the Rother Street marketplace.  It seemed to work well on Saturday – let usknow what you think.

This weekend sees the second annual Food Festival in Stratford upon Avon with hundreds of exhibitors of specialist food as well as cookery demonstrations by guest chefs – all centred on the recreation ground.

As part of the festival, there will be farmers’ markets on both Saturday and Sunday in the main part of town – there’s no entry fee for this so come along to see your favourite stallholders if you’re a regular or to see what local produce is all about if you’re a newcomer!

British Cheese Week begins this weekend.  Farmers’ Markets are a great place to buy local cheeses and you can usually sample before you buy.  We have five specialist cheese makers who regularly attend our markets – find out more about them on our Producers page where you can usually link through to their own website:

Gorsehill Abbey Cheeses

Bertelin Farmhouse Cheeses

Lightwood Cheeses

Fowlers Forest Dairy

Simon Weaver Organic

Earlier this summer, Tan Rosie Foods won a Great Taste Award for their garlic and pepper sauce.  I met Mother and daughter, Monica and Lee, at Warwick farmers’ market to congratulate them and they gave me a couple of recipes to try.  Here’s one for Tan Rosie’s Baked Garlic and Pepper Chicken:

Ingredients

4 chicken portions, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp soya sauce, 1tbsp Tan Rosie’s garlic and pepper sauce, pinch of salt and pepper, 1 garlic clove finely chopped, 1 shallot finely chopped

Method

Make a couple of slashes on each chicken portion, place chicken in bowl.  In another bowl, place other ingredients and blend together, massage mixture into chicken pieces, leave for a couple of hours or preferably overnight.  Place in roasting tray and bake for 40 minutes on gas mark 7.  The chicken is cooked when pierced with skewer, juice runs clear.  Serve with basmati rice and a green salad.

September is a great month for foodies as the area hosts two big food festivals at which the farmers’ market will be well represented:

Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th September – Leamington Spa Food Festival

Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th September – Stratford upon Avon Food Festival

The last of the extraordinary farmers’ markets for this summer takes place on Friday 30th September in Birmingham at Brindley Place.