McKenzie Fox: What's happening at the Franklin County Farmers Market - State-Journal.com

Kids Cooking Kits

While we are not having Kids Day this month (and will probably not for the next few months), you can bring the fun home with our free kids cooking kits!

This Thursday and Saturday, we will be distributing salad kits, complete with all the veggies you need to make a yummy salad and homemade dressing. It will also come complete with kitchen tools including tongs, a peeler and a grater, plus yummy recipe ideas!

You can add the kit to your regular order for the week and it will come to your trunk when you arrive during your assigned time. Thursdays and Saturdays at the Franklin County Farmers Market are by online pre-order only, so you must add the kits to your order at fcmarket.localfoodmarketplace.com in order to receive one. Likewise, you must meet the $10 minimum order to receive one. Limit one per 18-years or younger child.

A variety of vegetables are available at the Franklin County Farmers Market. (Photo submitted)

This month’s kit is sponsored by Bluegrass Realty & Investments. We also want to give a special thank you to the Franklin County Cooperative Extension and the Kentucky State University Cooperative Extension for their donation of supplies including the bags and goodies inside!

Food Pantry & Farmers Market work together to bring locally-sourced veggies to pantry

In a collaboration between the Food Pantry of Franklin County and the Franklin County Farmers Market, locally-sourced veggies are now being supplied to customers of the pantry. Last week’s “share” included greens, broccoli, carrots, zucchini and summer squash. This collaboration will continue throughout the summer, and we thank the Food Pantry for their partnership!

Farmers Market Update: Changes coming in July

With the ever-changing situation of COVID-19, the market board has been making decisions about market operations month-by-month this season. However, the market board has now decided that starting in July, the market will be open on Saturdays for in-person sales (with an option for pre-order).

Here’s what that means for our customers:

• For June, the market will continue to be open to in-person sales on Tuesdays only from 9 a.m.-noon. No pre-9 a.m. sales are allowed in order for our vendors and staff to properly set up for social distancing. We have seven Tuesday vendors including Cedar Ring Greens, Happy Jacks Pumpkin & Produce, Bluebird Hill Farm, Russell Gardens, Kuhndog Ridge, Essentially Hemp and Morgan Rae Farms. If you arrive early this coming Tuesday (but not before 9 a.m.), you might even snag some tomatoes. Thursdays and Saturdays will continue to be online pre-orders and pick-up only. You can register as a customer and order by visiting fcmarket.localfoodmarketplace.com.

• For July-Sept, the market will be open to in-person sales on Tuesdays and Saturdays (first Saturday being July 4). We know many of you like ordering throughout the week, so you will also be able to pre-order for Saturdays, but you will pick up your order from each individual vendor. Thursdays will continue to be online pre-orders only and will still be pick-up with delivery to your trunk.

We are still welcoming new customers on Thursdays, and current Saturday customers are welcome to switch to Thursday pick-up if you prefer to continue having your market goodies delivered to your trunk. Saturday customers who choose to preorder can pick up their orders from individual vendors at any time during the Saturday market.

The online pre-order for Saturdays will allow customers to reserve their items in advance and pay for all of it at once with their credit card. The in-person market on Tuesdays and Saturdays will look different from how you remember the market, but you will still be able to pick up fresh, local goodies and say "hi" to your favorite farmers.

When coming to the market, expect to wear a mask (we have extras), follow arrows and stand on spaces to keep you away from others while waiting in line, and not be able to touch the product until you purchase it. You can expect the market and vendors to wear masks and gloves, wash their hands and sanitize their tables often, and set up the market to encourage social distancing.

What We’re Eating

We’re enjoying the early summer/late spring crop, eating lots of zucchini, peas and greens. My new favorite way to eat peas is sautéed on the stove with oil, salt and pepper. It is so easy and so quick, only taking about 3-4 minutes (until the peas turn a bright green).

We also recently tried a new recipe for chard quinoa patties, which we served alongside some balsamic vinegar mushrooms — both delicious! Last week we also tried cauliflower rice for the first time, which I turned into fried rice with a mix of other veggies, and it turned out surprisingly well. Paired with lettuce wraps, we certainly ate well that night.