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Greens a Symbol of Spring
Greens a Symbol of Spring
Farmers' Markets
DENISE MILLER
For the Albuquerque Journal
April at your local growers' market is a sure sign that spring has arrived.
This is the last month markets will be operating under winter hours, and it's a great time of year to get back in the habit of eating locally grown food.
Spring is always about fresh greens -- lettuce mixes, arugula, pepper cress, pak choy, collards, Swiss chard, spinach, kale, mustard greens, micro greens, even cilantro.
Among those ready and waiting for spring is Valerie Hertzler, a full-time farmer from Sandia Park who is primed to return to market this month with cilantro and fresh eggs. Later in the season Hertzler will have a large spectrum of vegetables. But this time of year, Hertzler, like many farmers, has specialties that fit the distinctive nature of her farm.
She farms on one-quarter of an acre, and Hertzler has been gardening since she was 9 years old. She says she is attached to her farming lifestyle because it allows her to grow good food, educate her community and raise birds.
Versatile cilantro
Cilantro is one of the first crops out of Hertzler's garden because, she says, it has a cool spot in her strawberry patch. An observer of weather patterns, Hertzler watches as the tricky spring temperatures fluctuate.
But her outdoor-raised cilantro seems to be particularly hardy.
"Sometimes people want to have control and start things inside, but that doesn't always work because we're dealing with Mother Nature," she explains.
Fresh cilantro may not be a product many of us consider before going to our local growers' market for staples, but enjoying what is fresh and in season means looking closely at market tables and adjusting our menus.
A versatile herb like cilantro easily fits into Southwestern and Asian cuisines, and whether you're making burritos or spring rolls, buying market fresh cilantro will add pizazz to your regular meals.
Cilantro may look like parsley, but it has a pungent aroma all its own. Hertzler's fresh cilantro always sells out. Expect to find it at market for about six weeks, and then again in fall.
Once you get your cilantro home, Hertzler recommends snipping the ends, then bunching and storing it in a small bowl of water covered with plastic in your refrigerator. The extra humidity will help keep the cilantro fresh for as long as two to three weeks, she says, though for optimum flavor you'll want to use it as soon as possible.
People interested in growing their own kitchen herb gardens will find that many herbs are easy to grow and can tolerate a wide range of soils and growing conditions. At market, most growers are happy to talk to you about growing techniques because as Hertzler says, "we have to get educated."
Birds and eggs
Hertzler is also a bird person who raises ducks, chickens, turkeys, quail, guinea and pheasants, plus six pet cockatoos. She raises the heritage birds to continue the breeds and supplements her farming income by selling live birds, bird feathers and bones.
"My mom raised me to be aware that if I wasn't a vegetarian, the meat was coming from somewhere, and then my dad went into the chicken business, so I learned how to care for birds from him," she says.
Hertzler often brings 20 dozen fresh eggs to market, but not just chicken eggs. She also sells turkey, goose and duck eggs. She describes those specialty eggs as having a much richer flavor than chicken eggs, and of course they are larger. Hertzler says one turkey egg equals about 1½ chicken eggs, and one goose egg equals about three regular eggs.
Hertzler says most people like the variety of eggs, but if you aren't sure how you feel about the less common varieties, she sells the big eggs individually. "Turkey eggs make great scrambled eggs, and they're all great in baking," she adds.
Now that spring is here, get back in the habit of visiting your neighborhood farmers. And if you find yourself suddenly craving scrambled turkey eggs with fresh cilantro and a side of toasted rye, you'll know just where to go to satisfy it.
CILANTRO SLAW
I added extra honey (to help win over the kids), and used a dash of coriander powder in place of cumin seeds.
Ingredients
5-6 cups cabbage, shredded
1 cup firmly packed cilantro leaves, minced
¼ cup lime juice
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon honey
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
salt and pepper, to taste
In a large nonmetal bowl, mix all ingredients together. Enjoy. -- Adapted from "Sunset Low Fat Mexican Cookbook"
FEATURED GROWER: Valerie Hertzler, Ferdinand's Farm
FEATURED CROPS: Cilantro and a variety of eggs
WHERE TO FIND HER: Los Ranchos Growers' Market (April and beyond), Cedar Crest Growers' Market (summer)
