Webb City Sentinel Column for June 10, 2011 by Carolyn Foat

How about a taking a quick trip around the world on Friday, Saturday or next Tuesday? No airport hassles or cramped plane seat—just come on over to the Webb City Farmer’s Market! South American coffee beans, scrumptious German pastries, aged European-style cheese, tropical pond plants, breads baked in European-style wood-fired ovens and possibly the largest array of Asian vegetables outside of the West Coast. Add to that dozens of local regional specialties such as honey, raw milk, tomatoes, eggs, jams, pies, heirloom plants, fresh flowers and more…The most amazing part is that all of these international delights are made, grown or processed right here locally!

Enjoy lunch on Friday: lasagna, side salad, garlic bread, chocolate fluff and drink ($6) or a luncheon salad ($4) while enjoying the music of the Granny Chicks.

On Saturday, June 11, the Art Market is our special feature. WC Choir Boosters will serve breakfast. Music will be provided by the Red Bridge Trio from Ozark, MO.

Next Tuesday, June 14, Flag Day, NALA (the adult literacy group) will be providing Cooking for a Cause while Rob Pommert performs.

I’ll be at these markets gathering up a huge variety of vegetables that are so fresh, clean, and perfect they almost look artificial! Newest additions are green beans, summer squash, and celery. This week, I’ll be focusing on gathering the ingredients in the following recipes:

Carrot Soup with Mint
Sauté ½ medium onion, 3 c. sliced carrots, 1 bulb of green (baby) garlic in 2 tbsp of oil (preferably olive or canola) until the vegetables are slightly softened. Move vegetables to your crock pot. Stir in 2 tbsp. flour and slowly add 3 ¼ c. chicken or vegetable stock (bouillon cubes work fine). Mix in ½ c. orange juice. Cover and cook on high for 1 hour/ 2 hours on low, or until the vegetables are very soft. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup in the slow cooker, or transfer it in batches to a blender. Stir in 3 tbsp chopped fresh mint and salt and pepper to taste. Cook another hour on low. Sprinkle crumbled Lomah Dairy aged cheese on individual servings. Refrigerate leftovers without cheese topping. Delicious reheated.

Impossibly Easy Vegetable Pie
Sauté in a large skillet: 2 tbsp oil, 6 chopped green onions, ½ bulb of green (baby) garlic – finely chopped.
Add 6 c. coarsely chopped spinach leaves and as soon as the spinach wilts, remove from heat.
Mix 1 c. shredded Swiss cheese with the spinach mixture and put in the bottom of a 9” pie plate that has been sprayed with cooking spray.
Mix together ½ c Bisquick, 1 c. milk, 2 eggs, ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp pepper, and 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh dill.
Pour Bisquick mixture over the spinach in the pie plate. Bake uncovered for 30-35 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting. Makes a wonderful appetizer, lunch, or breakfast dish. Leftovers taste even better when reheated.

Serve either of the above dishes with a fresh green salad with tomatoes and a big slice of Redings Mill Artisan bread. Top it off with some pie from Freda Mae’s Bakery and a cup of coffee made with beans from Small Cottage Roasters. You'll love it!!