Mayan Hot Chocolate

A decadent but healthy cool weather treat.

Ingredients:
1 c cooked butternut squash pulp
3 1/2 c milk
3 oz dark chocolate
3 oz semisweet chocolate
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

Preparation:
1. In a blender, puree the squash with one half milk until smooth.
2. In a large saucepan, mix remaining half of milk, chocolate & spices.
3. Stir over low heat with a wire whisk until the chocolate is melted, then add pureed squash. Do not boil.
4. Strain through a coarse sieve to remove any trace of squash fiber before serving

Market Offerings for Oct. 28

Burt's Texas Garden, Laverne's Vegetable Patch, Munkebo Farm: More rain! What a blessing! This week we should have Yellow Squash, Zucchini Squash, Turnip Greens, Turnips, Swiss Chard, Radishes, Lettuce, Cucumbers and Hot Peppers (jalapeno and cayenne), bell peppers, hatch green chilies, basil, oregano, escarole, endive, salad greens, chard and garlic. In addition, we'll have Dill Pickles, Pickled Beets, Chow Chow, Farm Fresh Eggs, Salsa and Jalapeno Jelly

Ray the Noodle Man: Texas Wendish Heritage Society Noodles made the old fashioned way with eggs, flour and salt....just like his Mom, known all over Central Texas as The Noodle Lady, started making some sixty years ago in Giddings.

Laura with Gourmet Tamales: Green Chili Turkey, Red Chili Pork or Chicken with vegetables. Hot from the steamer and ready to eat with some home-made salsa from the market.

Richardson Farms: Humanely raised, all natural beef, pork and poultry from a small family farm in Rockdale. Visit their website at www.richardsonfarms.com for the complete story on how your family's food is raised and cared for.

A Wild Soap Bar LLC: Eco-friendly native soaps, body balms, and gift sets. Take advantage of their discounted Farmers Market prices! Use the contact form on their website by 10am Wednesday morning to order specific items for delivery to the Market or browse their fragrant weekly selection when you get there. Cash only.

Goodwin Homestead: Providing handcrafted, glass mosaics for home and garden and 100% wool hand dyed and felted coin purses.

Petal Works: Happiness flags, sparkling semiprecious stone beadwork, photography, greeting, gift, and postcards, coasters.

3rd Annual Harvest Party A Roaring Success!

Manor area children picked out the perfect pint sized pumpkins to carry home while others participated in old fashioned gunny sack races at the 3rd Annual Manor Farmers Market Harvest Party on Oct. 21. 100+ young folks and old folks and everyone inbetween came together for a special afternoon of fall family fun! To view a slideshow visit http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/creativeapps/slideShow/Main.jsp?token=813303114114%3A1951582118

Harvest Party Oct. 21 - Free Pumpkins!

The Manor Farmers Market is hosting a Harvest Party on Wed, Oct. 21 from 4-7 pm at Jennie Lane SmartPark in downtown Manor with live music by Chrissy Engle in the gazebo. There will be a free pumpkin giveaway to Manor children at 4 pm while supplies last, gunny sack races & games for the kids, gardening demos, rain harvesting info, a spinning wheel demo, and more in addition to the usual fresh produce, farm eggs, delicious prepared foods, and local artisans.

The Harvest Party is sponsored this year by Manor Veterinary Hospital, John Jonse Farmers Insurance, Jerry Farmer Lawn & Grass, The Law Office of Jamie Balagia, KST Electric, Bluebonnet Electric, Austinuts, Anderson's Coffee, A Wild Soap Bar LLC, Decker Creek B&B & Biscuit, Organics by Gosh, Sustainable Food Center, and Country Vista Residential Care Home. Thank you Manor area businesses!

Come on out, meet your neighbors and enjoy some Fall family fun while supporting your farmers market. Buy local. Buy Manor!

Food of the Week

Food of the Week . . . Cauliflower
Did you know that along with its wealth of vitamins and minerals, cauliflower, like the other cruciferous vegetables, contains powerful sulfur compounds that have repeatedly been found to help prevent cancer? Since 1993, the National Cancer Institute has been demonstrating that prevention, rather than cure, is the way to decrease deaths related to cancer. And they have found the way to prevention is eating the proper foods! Research on the prevention of cancer, as well as diabetes, heart disease, and obesity, all points strongly to the food we eat as a factor that has the potential to cut back dramatically on the rates of these chronic diseases. And some of the best foods for disease prevention are the sulfur-containing cruciferous vegetables, such as cauliflower. These vegetables contain compounds, including sulforaphane and isothyiocyanates, that help the liver to neutralize potentially harmful cancer-causing compounds and to suppress tumor cell growth and the movement of cancer to other parts of the body (metastasis).

5-Minute Healthy Sauteed Cauliflower

Enjoy the extra flavor and health benefits from combining cauliflower with turmeric for this easy-to-prepare, great-tasting side dish that will complement almost any meal. Turmeric has long been recognized as a powerful anti-inflammatory in both Chinese and Indian systems of medicine, and modern scientific research continues to reinforce the benefits of this tasty spice. (I use tumerice to color soups, beans & rice.DL ) One serving of this dish also provides 181% of the daily value (DV) for vitamin C, 46% DV for vitamin K, and 33% DV for folate. Enjoy!

Prep and Cook Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:
1 lb cauliflower
5 TBS low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1 tsp turmeric
Mediterranean Dressing
3 TBS extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp lemon juice
2 medium cloves garlic, pressed or chopped
sea salt and pepper to taste

Optional:
1 TBS chopped cashews (pecans)
2 TBS Parmesan or Romano cheese
2 TBS chopped cilantro
1 TBS mango chutney
1 TBS chopped cilantro


Directions:

Cut cauliflower florets into quarters and let sit for 5 minutes to bring out their hidden health benefits.
Press or chop garlic and let sit for 5 minutes.
Heat 5 TBS broth in a stainless steel skillet on medium heat.
When broth begins to steam, add cauliflower and turmeric and cover. For al dente cauliflower, cook for no more than 5 minutes.
Transfer to a bowl. For more flavor, toss cauliflower with the remaining ingredients while it is still hot. (Mediterranean Dressing does not need to be made separately.)
Serves 2

Used by permission from World's Healthiest Foods www.whfoods.org

Fall Vegetables & International Spinning & Weaving Week Demo on Oct. 7

Sharon Bramblett will demonstrate an ancient spinning tool and a modern spinning wheel this week in honor of international Spinning and Weaving Week . Sharon shears her llamas once a year and has the fleece processed by Texas Fiber Mill near McDade. She then spins the clean fleece into yarn. In addition to her demonstration, Sharon will have samples of the fleece and spun yarn for Market visitors to enjoy. The ancient art of spinning connects us to our ancestors. Stop by the Manor Farmers Market this week to learn more about this traditional craft.

Frank Toussaint is a local beekeeper living in the Manor area. His "beeyards" are located in the Blake-Manor, Littig and FM 973 areas. Frank sells his local honey at the Manor Farmers Market on the first Wednesday of each month. He has been keeping bees for over 35 years and is more than happy to provide assistance to others wanting to learn. Stop by the Market to chat with Frank and take home some of his delicious local honey.

A Wild Soap Bar LLC, located on Union Lee Church Rd, has been serving up premium natural soaps and body balms since 1995. Their eco-friendly products are sold at Whole Foods, Central Market, select HEB’s, and fine boutiques across the country. Stop by the Market to meet Soap Bartender Maggie Hanus and her Bar-Back Jory, and take advantage of their special discounted Manor Farmers Market ONLY prices! Use the contact form on their website by 10am Wednesday morning to order specific items for delivery to the Market or browse their fragrant weekly selection when you get there. Cash only. See you at the Market!

Burt's Texas Garden: Rain, glorious rain! Please come by early, as Stephanie will probably have to leave the market by 6pm this week for a family obligation. This week we will have Yellow Squash, Spaghetti Squash, Acorn Squash, Zucchini Squash, Turnip Greens, Okra, Swiss Chard, Toscana Kale, Green Beans, and Peppers. In addition, we'll have Dill Pickles, Bread & Butter Pickles, Pickled Beets, Chow Chow, Farm Fresh Eggs, and as of Saturday's big Bake-Off win...AWARD WINNING Jalapeno Jelly...I'll even bring the trophy!

Laverne's Vegetable Patch: Yellow Squash, cucumbers, salsa and eggs from chickens that run around in the fresh air and sunshine!

Bloor House handcrafted necessities has luxurious Bath Milks for theentire family, Lavender Texas Beer Soap, fresh Body Cremes, All Natural Laundry Soap that's great for sensitive skin AND safe for grey water systems, Liquid Soap with Jojoba Oil, Healing Lip Balms, and more! All new for September: Oil-Free Moisturizing Face and Body Scrubs!Pre-orders being taken for holiday gift baskets

Ray The Noodle Man with Wendish Texas Heritage Society Noodles a noodle shop in Giddings started by his Mom "The Noodle Lady" some sixty years ago.

Laura the Tamale Lady with Green Chili Turkey, Red Chili Pork and Chicken Vegetable Tamales

Manor Farmers and Vendors would like to thank all the local businesses that make the market possible each week: Manor Chamber of Commerce, East Rural Community Center & Manor Veterinarian Hospital.

The Manor Farmers Market is now on Twitter. Please follow us at http://twitter.com/ManorFarmersMkt for the latest on Market offerings, local food, and sustainable agriculture