Don't miss these at the farmers markets

You'd think all that fresh food getting ripe would be enough reason to turn out at a farmer's market. But they're cramming in special events, too. A roundup:

The Matthews Commmunity Farmer's Market will have Tomato Tasting Day on Saturday from 9 to 10:30 a.m. They'll have 30 varieties for tasting and you can vote on your favorites. In other MCFM news, the Tuesday Twilight Market has officially ended, but some farmers apparently to keep coming out on Tuesday evenings at 6:30 for as long as customers keep coming. You know what to do. 208 N. Trade St., Matthews. 7:15 a.m.-noon Saturdays.

The 7th Street Public Market has a whole list of special events: July 28 from 11-2 p.m. is Sweet Saturday, with a focus on sweet treats. Aug. 4, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., is Totally Tomatoes. Aug. 11, they're having a Back to School party, and Aug. 18 from 10-11 a.m. is something called the Great Cookie Crumble.
In addition, they're adding a weekly Thursday night wine tasting at Bond Street Wines from 4:30-7 p.m. Cost is $10 and can be applied toward any purchases.
The Public is in 7th Street Station; parking is free if you take your ticket inside and remember to stamp it.

Atherton Market, 2104 South Blvd., has several things coming up: You need to register in advance to enter the South End Ice Cream Churn-Off Aug. 4. It's free and open to the public, but you have to register by Aug. 1. Get details and an application at southendclt.com.
Also on the hook: Dan Huntley, AKA Dan the Pig Man, will return with a series of grilling and barbecue demos starting Aug. 11. Track Atherton stuff on their Facebook page.

At the Davidson Farmer's Market, Saturday is the third annual Salsa Showdown. Contestants have to buy all their ingredients at the market and then have 90 minutes to make their salsas. Tasting and voting starts at 10 a.m. Winner gets $25 in market bucks. That market is behind the stores on Main Street; to get there, turn right on Jackson Street and look for the parking lots with the red trucks on the signs.

Finally, wouldn't it be great if we had a local winner in American Farmland Trust's annual America's Favorite Farmer's Market Contest? Atherton came in third last year, but we have a lot of worthy contenders. I won't lobby for a market, but I'll lobby for you to vote: Go here. Deadline is Sept. 3.

Farmers market shoppers: Tips from a pro

Oh, she sees you out there, struggling to figure out what you're going to do with a cardoon, looking all lost and confused because you got there after the best corn was gone, squeezing the peaches when you think no one is watching.

Pauline Wood, the manager of the Matthews Community Farmer's Market, is watching, usually with her trademark good humor. In one of her recent newsletters, Wood shared her own list of tips for shopping at farmer's markets. I'm passing them along (with a few extra tips of my own):

The market is busiest between 8 and 10 a.m. That's definitely true at Matthews, where the market bell rings at 7:15 a.m. Later in the morning, you may find some stands with less to sell. "Please understand that farmers come to market planning to sell out, hoping not to bring much with them." (Not all markets are for early risers, though, so check their web site before you go. I have turned up bright and early at markets in some cities only to find there's no one there but me and the truck drivers.)

Come with a flexible shopping list. "Plan your menus once you get to the market and see what farmers have brought that day." (That's the joy of shopping at a market -- finding what's freshest and tastiest that day. Pretend you're French for the morning.)

Carry small bills. Thanks to those little gadgets that fit web-phones and tablets, some sellers can take cards. But those are mostly the folks who carry high-dollar food, like meat. (Don't expect a friendly smile if you drop a $20 bill on someone for two-for-a-dollar cucumbers. It doesn't just slow down the transactions, it also might keep them from making the next sale if they can't make change.)

Chat with farmers. Ask about how the produce is grown and how to cook it. Buy something you haven't tried before. If you don't know how to cook something, there's usually someone around to offer advice.

Don't squeeze the tomatoes - or any other produce. If you have questions about ripeness, ask the farmer. Squeezing produce you're not going to buy just leaves bruised food that no one else will buy, either.

Bring sturdy bags and baskets. There's only so many plastic bags you can hang from your arm. (I have the tennis elbow to prove it.)

Plan to go straight home. Fresh produce, plants or flowers shouldn't be left in a car, especially this time of year. If you have to stop on the way, make sure you bring a cooler and some freezer packs.

Take your children. This is how they learn where food comes from and how it looks when it comes out the field. (And Purvis' addendum: Don't take your dog, no matter how well-behaved. I love my dog as much as you love yours, but she has no business licking and sniffing at a farmer's market. It also puts the market managers in the uncomfortable position of asking a customer to leave.)

The Matthews Community Farmers Market, at North Trade Street in downtown Matthews, is open from 7:15 qa.m. to noon Saturdays through Nov. 18,. and 6:30-8:30 p.m. through July 24. If you want a good list of what their sellers are bringing every week, sign up for Pauline's newsletter or get details at www.matthewsfarmersmarket.com.

Matthews market holds annual baking contest

This year's annual baking competition at the Matthews Community Farmers' Market is wide open: You can enter any baked-from-scratch baked good, from a dessert to bread. Entries are judged on flavor, appearance and creativity.

The contest starts at 9 a.m. Saturday, May 5. Judges this year include chef-instructor Peter Reinhart, cooking teacher Heidi Billotto and Sam Stachon, executive pastry chef at King's Bakery. Market customers also can vote on a People's Choice award.

For a list of the rules, go the market web site, www.matthewsfarmersmarket.com. The market is in downtown Matthews on North Trade Street.

Charlotte farmer's market news this weekend

Spring has got me in the mood; let's hope the lettuce feels the same. But before we give the roundup, I need to mention this:

At the Davidson Farmer's Market, just before the opening bell at 9 a.m., there will be a moment of silence for market founder and supporter Carol Harris Mayes. Carol, 58, died Feb. 12. She was an activist for land conservation and a lively voice in the market world.

The Matthews Community Farmer's Market is still on winter hours, opening from 8 to 10 a.m. Saturday. But the list of fresh stuff is growing longer. Besides fresh meats and crafts, manager Pauline Wood expects sellers to have carrots, turnips, beets, Swiss chard, kale, arugula, collards, lettuces (yeah!), green onions, spinach, corn shoots, pecans and herbs. Laughing Owl Farm is skipping both the Matthews and Charlotte regional markets this weekend, though, so eggs might be in short supply.

The Davidson Farmer's Market, behind Summit Coffee in downtown Davidson, is open from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday. Besides the tribute to Carol, this week also brings Breakfast of Champions, a sampling of hot dogs, brats, sausage and beer, from 10:30 a.m. to noon. Tickets are $10, but only 60 are available. They go on sale at 9 a.m. at the DFM booth.

Charlotte food news: What's coming up

What's coming up, going on or taking off in Charlotte food in the next few days:

• Get your farmer's market food shopping done this Saturday: Several markets, including Atherton in Southend, the Matthews Community Farmer's Market and the Davidson Market, are closed Dec. 24 for Christmas Eve. UPDATE: The Charlotte Regional Farmers Market, 1801 Yorkmont Road, will be open Dec. 24 until 2 p.m., although some farmers have already announced they won't be there that day. Manager Frank Suddreth says the market also will be open Dec. 31, although it might close early.
  
• Get your latkes on, Saturday at the Atherton Market, 2104 South Blvd. Bill Averbach of the popular Pickleville stand, will do a command demonstration of last year's latke cooking demonstration, at 10 a.m. and noon. Get your food shopping done: The market will be closed next Saturday for Christmas Eve.
• If you're looking for food gifts with a local flavor, the Harvest Moon Grille at the Dunhill, 237 N. Tryon St., is running a mini-holiday market from noon to 6:30 p.m. weekdays until Dec. 23. Look for things like bacon brittle, biscotti, pepper or raspberry jam, sausage, molasses-brined smoked ham and more.

Hot ticket for some hot barbecue

Tickets go on sale Saturday for a fun food event, the annual Matthews Community Farmers Market Barbecue. The actual barbecue is $5 to 7 p.m. Sept. 27.

The barbecue part is Grateful Growers pork cooked by Alex Ranucci of Ranucci's Big Butt Barbecue. That's served with sides by several Charlotte chefs. $12 gets you barbecue, sides, dessert and a drink; $10 gets you a pound of 'cue. Proceeds go to support the market and its upkeep.

You have to buy tickets in advance. Get them at the market, 188 N. Trade St. in Matthews, during market hours (7:15 a.m.-noon Saturdays) or at Renfrow's Hardware right up the street.

In other Matthews market news: The market hours will be short on Labor Day Saturday, because of the annual Matthews Alive festival. The market will only be open from 7:15 to 9 a.m., and the only parking will be in the open lot behind the market.

Today in Food: More on Matthews and plates

If my column inspires you to visit the Matthews Community Farmers' Market, this weekend's 20th anniversary celebration on Saturday morning will include free cupcakes, prints of a market painting by NoDa artist David Thayer French, a grilled-pizza demo by Art Institute chef Joe Bonaparte, live music and speechifying. The market is at 188 N. Trade St. in Matthews. Details: www.matthewsfarmersmarket.com.

Also in today's food coverage: Andrea Weigl breaks down the new healthy-plates logo, and recipes for turkey keema, tuna steaks, apple pie and Gwyneth Paltrow's version of chicken stir-fry. Find all that at www.charlotteobserver.com/food.

Name that fruit: Ground cherry

I was finishing up my Saturday shopping at the Matthews Community Farmers Market the other day when manager Pauline Wood ran up and said, "You've got to taste this."

The name of the blog is I'll Bite, after all.

What she had found were tiny yellow fruits covered in a light green husk. They looked like very small tomatillos. But they didn't taste anything like them. Pauline described the flavor as crispy pear. I'd say sweet with a hint of pineapple.

What we had stumbled on were the first ground cherries I've seen in markets around here. Our confusion is understandable: They hide under a lot of names -- strawberry tomatoes, husk tomatoes, dwarf cape gooseberries. They are a member of the nightshade family, so they are distantly related to tomatoes, but nightshade is a mighty big family. The genus is Physalis in the solanaceae family. Apparently, green ones can make you sick, so don't try to forage for them unless you really know what you're getting.

Technically, a tomatillo is a cultivated ground cherry, so my first guess wasn't too far off. But ground cherries are much sweeter.

Latin and family matters aside, they are tasty little things, with a haunting, sweet flavor and crispy texture. Besides eating them raw or in a salad, you can make them into jam, bake them into little tarts, or dry them with a dehydrator. In a 2007 issue of Edible Boston, I found a suggestion from chef Anna Sortun to toss them in a pan with warm olive oil and use them in a stuffing with Serrano ham.

Whichever you do, you'll have to do it quickly. The vendor only brought them to let people sample them, and he expects to only have enough to sell them next Saturday. They're so rare in this market, he's s not even sure what to charge for them. If he has them, they'll be in the second tent from the entrance by the parking lot, next to the Community House.