Farmers Market season returns!

This year, we are excited to be available every Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday morning through the season around town and at your service! We will be part of three farmers markets in Winston-Salem. They are all producers-only and host the best of the best growers and artisans around the area. No resale is allowed and that is key to maintaining quality control.

Starting this week, we will return to two of these markets and then on May 12th, a new market will be opening: the Old Salem Cobblestone Farmers Market. We will be managing this market, as well as vending. More on that in a later post...


Find us starting tomorrow at:

Cobblestone Farmers Market Downtown
Third Street and Patterson Ave, Winston-Salem, NC
Every Tuesday from 10am-1pm from April 17th, 2012 to November 20th, 2012


and starting this Friday:

Reynolda Village Farmer's Market
Reynolda Village, Winston-Salem, NC
Every Friday from 9am-1pm from April 20th, 2012


and starting Saturday, May 12th:

Old Salem Cobblestone Farmers Market

In Old Salem behind T. Bagge Merchant, at the corner of West St. and Salt St.

Every Saturday from 9am-12pm from May 12th, 2012 to November 17th, 2012

An Educational and Adventurous Saturday in November

  On Saturday, Mom, Eric, Uncle Kirk, and I loaded up to drive to Century Farm Orchards, about an hour's drive northeast from Winston-Salem. 

  A picturesque fall day with the leaves at their peak- we were headed to the Old Southern apple specialists, the Vernon family who has been running the farm for over a hundred years. Because many of them are teachers, their hours are limited and are only open Saturdays in November to see the orchard and purchase trees!

  We had explored the catalog of apples, pears and figs beforehand and had pre-ordered a few to add to the pack, but once we stepped up to the massive table of apples, we knew we were in for a delicious education. Off the bat, the Goldrush apple made a very sweet impression. It had three times the intensity of others of its size and color and description. Not all are eating apples, of course. Some are best for cooking or for hard cider. A hearty fan of hard cider, I made sure the Hewe's Crab apple- described as making the finest cider- would be coming home with us. 

  In the end, we brought home 15 new trees, including a Goldrush apple, a Hewe's crab apple, a Magnum Bonum apple, 2 Royal Limbertwig apples, two Seckel Pears, 2 Black Violette figs, 2 Brown Turkey figs, 2 Celeste figs, and 2 Italian Golden Honey Fig!!!! Along the way, we listened to bluegrass music in the old tobacco barn, watched a demo of how to plant the trees, and wandered the hills of the orchard.

  Fully satisfied with our planned adventure, we nonetheless couldn't help stopping at the Perkins Ostrich Farm to purchase ostrich meat. The farm is owned by Jake, Jake the Snake, an 88-year old man who WILL live to one hundred and quite the charmer. He schooled us in ostrich as we googly-eyed the birds whose flexible necks bobbed around us, their strong jaws without teeth still intimidating. Ostriches can live up to 80 years, weigh 600 lbs. and are fascinating. The babies resembled giraffe dinosaurs, truly. 

   If you want Old Southern apples, there is no better than Century Farm Orchards and with the gorgeous road trip on 158, bluegrass music in an old tobacco barn at the orchard, and a stop at the ostrich farm, this was a perfect November excursion.

The Reserve of the Preserves

This coming Tuesday, November 1st, we are pulling out our beta verde limited stock jams and preserves. 
These include:
- earlier in the season choices: including Strawberry-Rosemary Syrup, Pickled Blueberries, Apricot Jam, and more...
- in-season options: including recently added Muscadine Grape Preserves and Arkansas Black Apple, Ginger, Chili Preserves
-ones you've NEVER SEEN! Some we have only made one or two batches.



This is the only week we will have ALL of it out at Cobblestone and so think about stocking up for yourself and your family. These are perfect holiday and hostess gifts, too! No pre-orders before Tuesday but after Tuesday, all is fair game.

With the end of market approaching, it is time to roll out THE RESERVE OF THE PRESERVES. Don't you think?

Chaos Cooking at Beta Verde in Winston-Salem Journal

Photograph by David Rolfe

   Michael Hastings, the food editor at the Winston-Salem Journal, visited Beta Verde on Sunday for Chaos Cooking's Brunch Through Lunch event. We knew he was going to write an article on Chaos but had no idea there would be two (article 1 and article 2)! As one of the organizers, it was such a thrill to see Chaos recognized so thoroughly!
 
   Chaos Cooking had their initial event over a year ago at Beta Verde and since then the baton has passed to a slew of other hosts, offering their kitchens or farms. A community-building event through the process of cooking one dish each all together in the same kitchen... it's a blast! It also hits home for what Beta Verde is about at its core: fostering community resources and memories through local food and eating together.

   Please feel free to "like" the Facebook group for Chaos Cooking Winston-Salem and join wherever it is next time!