Vendor Profile: Collette Fruit Company

By: Beth Thiret, Master Gardener

Ask anyone who’s made the drive, and they’ll most likely tell you the trip from Palisade, on the western slope of Colorado, to Fort Collins isn’t a short one. So why would Dan Collette, of Collette Fruit Company, be willing to do this trip every Friday for three months out of the year?

“It’s a hobby out of control,” Collette says of his interest in growing cherries, apricots, plums and peaches. In 2004 the CSU alumnus bought his first orchard and four years ago offered to lease a neighbor’s trees, which he jokingly refers to as a “fruit cocktail” orchard with a mixture of cherry, peach, plum and apricot trees.

While he’s kept his day job in the oil and gas industry, Collette says his biggest challenge is trying to keep up with all the demands of the orchard. From growing to harvesting and selling, he has to make the most of his time and often finds himself picking fruit in the evenings. “It’s me or the birds or raccoons”, he explains. Fortunately, Collette beats out the local wildlife in the race to ripe fruit, and with the help of his daughter (home for a few more weeks before returning to Baylor University) and friends in Fort Collins and Greeley, he continues to enjoy the social environment of the farmers' market.

If you’re looking for some ideas on what to do with the fruit of Collette’s labors (pun intended), Collette says he enjoys it in a variety of ways. He’s got a friend who makes cherry wine for him, prefers to eat the apricots fresh or in jams, and then there’s the ageless favorite--peach cobbler.
Hurry in now while the peaches are at their prime. While you’re at it, ask if he’s got any peach wood chips available. They add a gentle smoky flavor to grilled chicken. You’ll find the Collette Fruit Company stand on the west side of the farmers' market backing Howes Street every Saturday through September.

Vendor Profile: Rabbit Creek Emu Ranch

By: Lesli Ellis, Master Gardener

Last week, I had the joyful experience of talking with Terry and Linn Turner of Rabbit Creek Emu Ranch. If you’ve been going to the Farmers’ Market for the past 15 years, you probably recognize them. The Rabbit Creek Emu Ranch booth has been a regular staple at the market since about 1995. Look for it near the Courthouse entrance in the middle of the market.

Terry and Linn’s best selling product at the market is the 100% pure emu oil. Emus are ostrich-like birds native to Australia. Emu oil has been known for centuries in the land “Down Under” as a natural anti-inflammatory skin agent. The oil can be used for all kinds of topical skin applications—as an anti-aging moisturizer, to relieve eczema, for diaper rash, and to help healing of cuts and abrasions. Terry handed me a brochure with about 30 more different types of applications – the list is too long to cite them all here, but stop by their booth and grab a copy. A two ounce bottle should last for six months or more, used sparingly (a little goes a long way). Terry and Linn also sell soap in many varieties (including unscented), and courteously gave me a bar of the Basil Tea Tree soap to try. I really like the scent, and it leaves skin moist and smooth!

Terry and Linn are extremely knowledgeable about emus, having owned and managed the Rabbit Creek Emu Ranch in Livermore for the past 15 years. Using humane and environmentally-positive approaches, they breed a colony of 10 emus for the oil and meat. Ask them about the benefits of emu meat (hint: it is lean and healthy). The ranch is a member of the American Emu Association, which Terry was recently elected to the Board of Directors.

The birds themselves are intriguing, almost pre-historic creatures. A few years back, this comparison prompted a study of the birds at Rabbit Creek Emu Ranch as possible links to 165-million-year old dinosaurs by Brent Breithaupt (University of Wyoming Geological Museum). He found that by observing the birds as they moved, he was able to resolve some mysteries of the tracks of pre-historic dinosaurs. Want to know more about emus? Stop by and chat with Terry and Linn--they'd be happy to share their knowledge.

Vendor Profile: Nunna' the Gluten

By: Lesli Ellis, Master Gardener

Nunna’ the Gluten (as in, “none of the gluten”) at the Larimer County Farmers’ Market provides gluten and dairy-free baked goods using alternative flours, natural and non-hydrogenated ingredients that taste great.

Owner Stephanie Schilling has been working long hours in the kitchen and has been selling her delicious alternative baked goods at the winter and summer farmers’ markets since 2009. She offers muffins, cookies, breads, pizza crust, brownies, cakes and more. As she says, the aim is to make each taste as close to the original as possible—with “all the goodness,” but without gluten and dairy. Rest assured, all her products are prepared in a commercial kitchen that is free of gluten or dairy processing. So, if you have gluten or dairy sensitivities or a celiac lifestyle, these baked good can help you dine without a sense of deprivation.

Nunna’ the Gluten best sellers are French bread and lemon bars. I sampled a lemon bar and was impressed that is was a very close cousin to the flour and dairy-variety. I especially liked the poppy seed muffin, which was moist and tasty.

When you visit Stephanie’s booth on the Howes Street side of the market, bring a coupon from the “Be Local Northern Colorado” book for a “Free Big Cookie with a $10 Purchase,” and enjoy!

For more products and information, check out: http://www.nunnathegluten.com/

Vendor Profile: Horsetooth Hotsauce

By: Garth Bontrager, Master Gardener

Is 95 degrees in the shade bringing a little sweat to your brow? Michael Anne and John Comeau have captured that heat, mixed it with delicious garden products and are turning out a first-rate hot sauce that will raise your temperature, peak your taste buds and light even the most tender-hearted on fire with desire for spice in a bottle. This brother-and-sister act sells their spicy pleasure under the catchy name of Horsetooth Hot Sauce. This is their first year at the Larimer County Farmers' Market, and they're excited to be expanding their new business, which Michael Anne believes is the only exclusive hot sauce company in Fort Collins.

"People in Fort Collins are super supportive of local products, " says Michael Anne on why they chose to have a booth at the LCFM. It's the perfect venue to reach out and shake hands with the public that supports their product at local grocery stores and restaurants. On the other hand, it's also the perfect venue to give out samples! Get on over to the Horsetooth Hot Sauce booth and try some. They're all delicious, but the Comeaus give particular attention to their products which bring seasonal flavors into the bottle. For instance, red habanero and mixed berry hot sauce, or prickly pear and tequila may be just the right zest you're looking for on your next BBQ, garden salad or burrito.

There's always stimulating tasting going on at the Horsetooth Hot Sauce booth. They will have a Bloody Mary mix soon, and new seasonal flavors. This summer they're growing their own hot peppers for a special fall flavor of hot sauce that is sure to get your tongue wagging. Michael Anne says they have a lot of fun naming their products and talking about them.

Products are all natural and the Comeaus don't use any extracts, so you're sure to get pure garden goodness in every bottle. The most popular comment they get upon tasting is, "That's hot, but good." So, don't expect Horsetooth Hot Sauce to cool you down; rather it can elevate heat to a whole new plateau of sensory appreciation. Check 'em out on Facebook and at www.horsetoothhotsauce.com.

Vendor Mitzi Davis Wins Big at the County Fair

By: Allison Level, Master Gardener

The Larimer County Farmer’s Market is fortunate to have great vendors. This year, Mitzi Davis of Mitzi’s Flowers, entered her asters in the Larimer County Fair flower competition and hers were selected as Grand Champion. You can see some of the asters, the beautiful pink ones with a yellow middle, in bouquets which are available for sale at the Saturday market. She said she grew asters for awhile, but then had problems with bugs, and just recently started growing them again. She has been entering some of her flowers in the fair for 6 or 7 years. When asked what she likes about the fair, she says, “I just think it is fun. I like to see all the things people have grown. I like to hear the comments and critiques from the judges.” Next time you are at the farmers' market, stop by and see Mitzi’s prize-winning flowers and enjoy a bouquet for yourself.

Vendor Profile: M.H. Palmer

By: Garth Bontrager, Master Gardener

As so many gardeners find out after starting their gardens, you often get more seeds in that little packet then you can grow and eat yourself. M. H. Palmer has been growing that extra produce and setting up a stand at the Larimer County Farmers’ Market for the last 7-8 years. At M. H. Palmer’s stand you can find the fruits of a gardener’s labor of love: raspberries, gooseberries, sour cherries, peaches, pears, apples, shallots, garlic, onions, broccoli, basil, lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, fingerling potatoes… The amazing list of this home gardener’s bounty goes on and on.

The very fun aspect of Mr. Palmer’s booth is each variety of produce is selected for the flavor of the vegetable. He isn’t growing produce for uniformity, size, color formation, or shipping quality. He grows produce he likes to eat. Repeat. He grows produce he likes to eat, a lot. Produce must pass the Palmer taste test. He’s traveled all over the world, and discovered some very tasty vegetables in the process.

His French Gray Shallots are the chef’s choice. They are so unlike your usual shallot experience that Mr. Palmer includes a fact sheet with each purchase. They taste like a cross between onion and garlic, and are invaluable in real French cooking. The fingerling potatoes that Mr. Palmer speaks so fondly of were discovered in Peru. At a Peruvian market you may find 50 varieties of potatoes, and not one Russet. All the potatoes you’ll find in Peru have a distinctive flavor. So, too, do Mr. Palmer’s fingerling potatoes. He’s really bringing an international flair to the market.

Along with his international varieties of vegetables, he also brings heirloom varieties. The heirloom tomatoes he grows have fantastic flavor despite their anti-box store looks. Don’t be fooled by a vegetable’s appearance—some of the best flavored produce may look different then what you’ll find in a typical shopping situation. Mr. Palmer only sells at one market, and only brings the freshest produce that’s ready in his garden the day of the market. Ask him what he has at the next market, and you may be engaged in a conversation about world travel, gardening, and open-pollinated seed collecting. In any case, Mr. Palmer has some unique and delicious offerings at the Larimer County Farmers’ Market. Ask him about the Bolivian tuber, jacon, that he’s coaxing for a September harvest. The Larimer County Farmers’ Market is a great place to try new things!

Vendor Profile: Corner Market Secret Recipes

By: Beth Thiret, Master Gardener

Take a cube of bread, dip it into any of the eight sun-warmed varieties of olive oils and feel yourself momentarily transported to the warmth of Spain. Move down the table and sample the seven balsamic vinegars. Now you’re in Modena, Italy, where they’ve been known to age their vinegars for a lifetime. Notice the exceptional quality of the 18-year-barrel-aged balsamic vinegar. Turn around, taste the three varieties of mustards . Could this be Germany? Finish off your whirlwind tour with the flavors of Mexico in the salsas. Thanks to the knowledgeable assistance of Corner Market Secret Recipes’ Jim Shubin, your mini vacation didn’t require any airfare or a passport.

The flavors and creations of the Corner Market Secret Recipes come from the owner and Fort Collins native Carol Ann Steele Kates. As a grocer’s daughter, Kates grew up working around food. “We stocked shelves before we could read. We did it by the pictures, “ she explains. After the closing of the Steele’s Markets in 2001, Kates turned her attention to what she knows best—the food business.

At the Corner Market Secret Recipes stand each Saturday, you can find her award-winning cookbook, Secret Recipes from the Corner Market, written as a tribute to her father and the vanishing breed of independent grocers. Along with the taste extravaganza above, you can also sample barbecue and dipping sauces.

In order to utilize more local ingredients Kates is creating a raspberry chipotle salsa in addition to an Italian salsa. Keep your eyes out for the introduction of a porcini mushroom olive oil that Kates hopes to have out by the end of this season. Her new cookbook, Cooking Seasonally in Colorado, should be available at the beginning of the growing season in 2011.

When asked why she likes farmers markets, Kates says she especially enjoys encouraging younger cooks that come to her with questions. “I’m not a fan of 4am, but the connection with the customers is what I really like.” Return customers are her favorite form of recognition and she understands the importance for customers to develop relationships with the people who are growing and making their food. While Kates may not be at her booth every Saturday, you can always find friendly help and advice from Shubin. He’ll personally guideyou through the tastes, but he’ll leave the final decision between you and your tastebuds.

Oodles of Zucchini!

Zucchini is one of the most bountiful veggies in the garden. If you're overwhelmed by the amount your fridge is currently holding, consider this tasty recipe, courtesy of Linda Wilson, Master Gardener volunteer:

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread
Thoroughly mix together:
3/4 cup sugar
3 Tbsp. oil
2 eggs

Add each of the following, mixing as you go:
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 cups flour
1/2 cup ground flax seed
2 Tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
2 cups shredded zucchini
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Grease/spray baking dishes and bake at 350 degrees until the toothpick comes out clean. You can make this recipe in the following:
1 bread pan: 45-60 mins
7"x9" baking dish: 30-40 mins
18 muffin tins: 20-25 mins