The Arlandrian: 4MRMarket Report - '4MRMarket Meal' Edition

Looking to make a meal with fresh, local ingredient bought entirely at the market (minus perhaps some salt and pepper)? Try this on for size, complete with a fancy Belgian name: Salade Liegeoise. Local farm fresh bacon from What's For Dinner Now, new potatoes and green onions from Pleitez Produce, and fresh-picked green beans from C&T Produce. A 100 percent 4MRMarket meal!

Here's a rough recipe (feel free to tweak to your heart's delight) — Makes about four servings of the salad as the primary dish and about 6 servings as a side.

1. Boil off about 10-12 new potatoes and blanch off about a pound of green beans (both in well-salted water). 
2. Dice up six to eight pieces of bacon, then cook slowly on low-medium heat to render off the fat. When cooked to desired crispiness (should be a little soft, but everyone feels differently about bacon), remove the bacon and keep about two tablespoons of bacon fat in the pan. Add a half cup of red wine vinegar and heat it through.
3. Chop up just the green portion of four to six green onions. Toss the green onions and blanched and drained green beans into the bacon fat, now heated to medium-high heat (be sure green beans are dry so they don't cause the fat to sputter). 
4. Add seven or eight pepper grinder turns of freshly ground pepper and a pinch of salt (adjust to taste, but remember, the bacon will already have some salt). Toss the green beans and onions in the bacon fat to coat and allow them just to begin to color (2 to 3 minutes of sautee time). 
5. Add the bacon and potatoes to the pan and toss to coat once again. Serve warm on a plate mat from Uncommon Knits. Enjoy! 

Now that you're hungry, let's help you fill up that bag of groceries!

This week, you'll find lots of in-season local produce and herbs, baked goods, grass-fed beef, heritage chicken eggs and a host of other goodies. We apologize that the made-to-order crepes and smoothies weren't there last week due to a last-minute conflict that arose for Divine Foods, but they're back this week!  Enjoy a gourmet breakfast in the 4MR Market Lounge.

Here is who you'll find at 4MRMarket this week:

• The Stifler Beef Farm aka "What's For Dinner Now" (Shenandoah) — Natural, locally farm-raised black angus beef, and now fresh, farm raised pork, including bacon and andouille, chorizo, and breakfast sausage too (all flash frozen for convenience). 
• Pleitez Produce (Northern Neck) — A full range of locally grown produce, herbs and more. 
• Herban Avenues at AHHA Ranch (Lovettsville) — Herbal remedies, amazing soaps, heritage breed chicken eggs and a variety of herbs. 
• Patowmack Farm/Divine Foods (Lovettsville) — Crepes and Smoothies made-to-order, plus organic, value-added products. 
• Bread and Chocolate (Arlandria) — A range of baked goods. 
• C&T Produce (White Oak) — A huge selection of locally grown produce. 
• St. Elmo's Coffee Pub (Del Ray) — Brewed coffee, tea, and a few extra goodies. 
• Tom's Amish Cheese Store (Lancaster, Pa.) — Artisan Cheese, plus Pennsylvania honey. 
• Uncommon Knits (W.V.) — Handwoven linens made with 100-percent cotton and hand-stitched hems for your kitchen, dining room and bath. 
• Ron RLR-Designs (Herndon) — Artistic photo prints to dress up any wall 

Find yourself lacking in local market promoting apparel?  Fear not, Four Mile Run Market is now selling T-shirts for $12 in many sizes and colors. Proceeds go toward improving Four Mile Run Park and keeping the market going strong. You can also get yourself a free BuyFresh BuyLocal reusable bag to conveniently tote your market purchases home. Keep bringing the bag back throughout the season and you might be rewarded for repeat business. Ask a market manager!

If you're a SNAP/EBT participant, remember to come out and take advantage of the Inova-sponsored "Double Dollar" program that doubles the first $10 SNAP participants spend at the market. 4MRMarket is the first farmers market in Northern Virginia (and still the only) to accept SNAP.

Please support your volunteer-run neighborhood farmers market. We can't do it without neighborhood support! Also, volunteers are always welcome to help find musicians to play the market and to help book the community tent with City agencies, non-profits, etc. Find a Market Manager and ask to help, or email us at 4mrm@arlandria.org for more info.

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The Four Mile Run Farmers and Artisans Market (Alexandria, Virginia 22305) brings fresh, nutritious food to people of all income levels, provide an opportunity for local artisans and producers of goods to bring their wares to market, strive to reflect the diversity of the community, and improve the quality of life for Arlandria residents and visitors. It is part of an overall vision to expand and improve Four Mile Run park and the surrounding neighborhood.

4MRMarket is open every Sunday from 8am until 1pm from May through October in Four Mile Run Park at 4109 Mt Vernon Avenue, Alexandria.  

(click here for directions)

For more info see: http://www.4mrmarket.org/

Or contact us at: 4mrm@arlandria.org