Farm Tour: 6 New Farms! Wine Sale Begins Friday! Wine Show Saturday! Wines on Sale Jazz Brunch & More

Carrboro Farmers' Market Open!! By Sheila Dalton Neal, Farmers' Market Mgr The Carrboro Farmers' Market opened its 27th season on March 19, 2005 and will continue to meet on Saturdays 7 AM - 12 NOON until December 17, 2005. While the weather is trying to figure out if it's winter still or spring, farmers are able to coax an array of produce that is delightful for the market customer to behold. This time of year you can expect these items to arrive at market: arugula, beets, broccoli, cabbage, cow's milk cheese, green onions, herbs, kale, goat cheese, greenhouse items like tomatoes, strawberries, zucchini, squash, and basil;   More...

Bring Louise Back!

Wine Wednesdays Owners Get 10% Off! New Spring Menus!

Weekly Produce Specials New Product: Deli Wraps

Recipe: Tagliatelli Agli Asparagi

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Carrboro Farmers' Market Open! (continued)

green onions, lettuces, locally raised meats, mustard greens, oriental vegetables, peas, pea shoots, radishes, spinach, turnips, watercress, baked goods, bedding plants, crafts, fresh-cut flowers, jams and jellies. And if you need a mid-week market fix, we have two options for you. Carrboro Farmers' Market's Wednesday Market begins April 13, 2005 3:30-6:30 PM and meets until October 19, 2005. Our Thursday Southern Village Market on the Village Green opens April 14, 2005 3:30-7 PM and goes until late September.

Read more about the Farmers' Markets.

Weekly Produce Specials
	Imported Organic Bartlett Pears	$1.19/lb.	Save 30¢/lb.
	Large Organic Lemons	$1.19/lb.	Save 60¢/lb.
	Grateful Harvest Organic Onions	3 lb. bag	2/$5.00
Read more about other Weaver Street Market Specials.

New Products: Deli Wraps

Market-made Wraps! In addition to our Rice and Bean Veggie Wraps, the Weaver Street Market Kitchen has rolled out a lighter line of freshly-made wraps in flour or spinach tortillas. Look for them in the clamshell cases in the Grab 'n Go case. On any given day, you may find Roast Beef, Turkey Club, Thai Chicken Salad and a Veggie and Vegan choice. Come early, these delicious wraps go fast! $5.25 each

Caroleena's Tuscan Kitchen Recipe: Tagliatelli Agli Asparagi

Local chef and cooking instructor, Carol Barrow, resided in the center of Florence and in the province of Tuscany for ten years where she learned regional cooking from the masters: restaurant owners, farmers, family and friends. She owned Ristorante Vien under the Volta dei Peruzzi in Florence for four years. Caroleena cracks the mysterious code of Tuscan cooking and translates her very special language into easy, delicious and healthy recipes. She will be sharing recipes and tips with us from time to time. Caroleena is available to cook for you in your home. Call her at 960-8875. Tagliatelli Agli Asparagi (Fresh Pasta with Asparagus) Italians have a really bad habit (just a joke) of using whatever is in season and turning it into a tasty dish that is usually simple and easy, yet truly delicious. When the Weaver Street Market features baby asparagus at the right price, nothing beats this plate of pasta, whether you eat it as a main course, or as a first course (Italians always eat pasta as their first course-their second course is usually a protein and a side dish). Are you ready? This recipe serves 4. Ingredients 1 lb fresh fettucini egg pasta (we call it tagliatelli - they call it fettucini - it is the same) baby asparagus (1 bunch) washed butter (2 sticks ought to do it) fresh, hand-grated parmigiano freshly ground black pepper (optional) Start by putting up a big pot of water to boil. When the water starts to boil, add enough salt (probably at least 2 palm-fuls of kosher salt) to make it taste like salt water. This is what makes your pasta taste great. Start cooking your pasta. It will be cooked after it turns white (about 6 or 7 minutes) but keeps its 'al dente' chewiness. Don't mark my words about cooking times; taste it yourself. Overcooking pasta will just make it taste mushy. At the same time, you can start preparing your baby asparagus. Hold the asparagus bunch by the tips. Hold onto the bunch and pull one spear toward you. What you want to do is to snap off the tough end (usually 3 or 4 inches from the bottom) and leave the tender part on. It will happen naturally; where the tough and the tender meet is where the asparagus breaks. Don't be afraid to throw the tough end away, we only wanted the tender half anyway. Either steam or boil the asparagus (I have a cooking tip that I am almost ashamed to pass on; if you put a little bit {about 1/2 teaspoon} of baking soda in the water when it is boiling, the asparagus will stay nice and green - although it may lose some of its nutritional value) until almost tender. Remove the spears from the water and cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces. Melt the butter either in the microwave or on the stovetop. Pasta should be ready by now. Drain it and put it in bowls. (I like shallow bowls because they make it easy to eat pasta). Split your asparagus into 4 even portions on the pasta. Be generous when you pour your butter on. You are using it as a sauce. Now add your parmigiano cheese. If, after you mix all of these ingredients the pasta is still nice and moist, then you HAVE put enough butter on. If you need more butter, add it! Last, but not least - a little black pepper on top always brings out the flavor of the dish. Buon Appetito! And remember - cook with love AND DON'T BE CHEAP!

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10th Annual Piedmont Farm Tour Coming Soon! 6 New Farms!

Celebrate Earth Day this year by touring area small farms. The 10th Annual Piedmont Farm Tour will be held this year on Saturday, April 23 and Sunday, April 24. Farms will be open both days from 1pm to 5pm. This year, thirty farms are on the tour! All proceeds benefit the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association. Advance buttons are $20 for all farms. Buttons and maps are available at Weaver Street Market locations. We will feature a new farm here each week until the tour. Genesis Farm: Micro Eco Farm By Cat Moleski, Features Editor Trudy Matheny of Genesis Farm in Orange County has little stories to tell that link her past to her life now as a micro eco farmer. When I asked her why she farmed she recalled asking her daddy why he planted fifty tomato plants. His reply, which works for her too, was, I just like to watch them grow.' She keeps cows as 'Farm Art' (they are not for meat or milk) mostly because her uncle had a cow farm that she helped out on as a kid. She has a dream of selling vegetables out of the back of her truck at the end of Bethel Hickory Road because the man that sold fresh vegetables to her grandmother used to come with a mule and wagon until a truck replaced the mule. Her grandmother always had the best food and although Trudy says she can't cook like her grandmother, she says she can at least have abundant fresh vegetables like she did. Which brings us back to micro eco farming, the technique of growing large amounts of produce in a small amount of space. Trudy's been doing this for years. She had a small plot in the front yard of her apartment when she lived in South Carolina and when she first went on the Piedmont Farm Tour many years ago, she saw Cathy Jones of Perry-winkle Farm, standing in a small field with a tiller saying she had money in her pocket when she returned from the Farmers' Market. Cathy went on to grow her farm, but Trudy decided to start small and so far, to stay small. Although she has twenty acres, most of that is pasture for the cows. She has less than one acre under cultivation for vegetables. She believes that anyone can grow lots of good food for themselves with just a 10' x 8' plot. Most of her plots are about that big and within each bed she has very short rows that she'll plant with companion plants, plants that seem to thrive together. Beets and radishes go well together as do carrots and lettuces. Trudy doesn't know why exactly this works, but she says it does. She also grows turnips, spinach, mustard greens, chard, kale, snap peas, sugar snaps, Fava beans, and okra. Sharing Genesis Farm fulfills the spiritual side of Trudy. Her goal is to make the farm a school field trip destination where children and adults can connect with and learn about the origin of their food. She has already put together a program to work with summer camps and regular schools. She'll tailor make the topic of the farm visit to suit whatever the children are learning about: the dynamics of flight through flying kites, pollination by observing bees, insect life, farm animals, or pretty much anything she can think of. There's plenty for children to experience with chickens, guinea hens, ducks, cows, and a pond to talk about water life. Trudy also has a wealth of knowledge to draw on from her background as a biology teacher with a PhD in Primatology. Genesis Farm is also available to rent for family gatherings, weddings, or concerts. She has a small stage and lots of picnic tables if you're looking for a place to rest and eat your bag lunch while on the Piedmont Farm Tour. You can contact Trudy at 919-968-4759 or email her at: theny2003@yahoo.com

Read more about other local producers.

First Annual Spring Wine Sale Starts this Friday!

This spring, the sale will be held from April 1 until April 17. And just like last fall, GREAT deals can be found on wines from around the world - some up to 40% off! This is a no risk wine sale, as you can stop by either wine show to sample every wine on sale. The show in Carrboro will be held this Saturday, April 2 from 1 until 5. The show in Southern Village will be held on Saturday, April 9 from 1 until 5. Tickets are $5.00 and are available at both Weaver Street Market locations. A portion of the proceeds from the ticket sales will benefit Women's Birth and Wellness Center.

Read more about Women's Birth and Wellness Center.

See all of the wines on sale.

First Annual Spring Wine Show - this Saturday!

From 1pm until 5pm on the lawn in Carrboro. Taste over 40 wines, enjoy hors d'oeuvres, live music and the opportunity to indulge in your favorite wines at great values. Tickets are $5 and are available at both Weaver Street Market locations. A portion of the proceeds from the ticket sales will benefit Women's Birth and Wellness Center.

Wines on Sale
Here's a sample of the most deeply discounted wines you'll find at the wine show. Don't miss out! The wine sale is 'first come first served, while supplies last'. Visit our website to view a complete list of the wines to be sampled and sold.
Oak Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon	sale:$4.99	regularly:$6.99
Chateau la Berberine Cotes du Rhone	sale:$5.99	regularly:$8.99
Firefly Merlot	sale:$5.99	regularly:$10.49
Los Cardos Cabernet	sale:$6.25	regularly:$9.99
Deakin Shiraz	sale:$7.99	regularly:$12.99
Sylvan Ridge Pinot Gris	sale:$9.99	regularly:$15.99
Rex Hill Willamette Pinot Noir 2002	sale:$17.99	regularly: $27.99
Langasco Barbera d'Alba 1999	sale:$17.99	regularly: $27.99
Find out about all of the wines on sale.

Jazz & More! Brunch Band Schedule - 2005 - Sundays from 11 - 1 pm

Our popular Sunday music series will return to the lawn in Carrboro beginning Sunday, April 17th. Bring a chair or a blanket to enjoy an eclectic mix of music and feast on fresh breakfast fare from our hot bar and pastry case - eggs, pancakes, home fries, muffins, croissants, and loads of fresh, hot coffee! April 17 - Saludos Compay Trio - original and South American Music April 24 - The Dave Youngman Group - classy jazz and blues sounds along with the smooth vocals of Lola Youngman

Find out about all of the Weaver Street Market Events here.

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Bring Louise Back!

Our good and steady friend Louise, pictured at left with musicians from the Carrboro Music Festival a few years ago, was vandalized last fall, and we miss her so much. Please contribute what you can into the donation jars at the Weaver Street Market registers to help Louise's creators get her back in shape and back on her bench on Weaver Street.

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Wine Wednesdays

Due to popular demand, Wine Wednesdays continues through the month of March. Each Wednesday, Panzanella features 5 different specially selected bottles of wine for only $10 per bottle (tax not included)! Don’t miss this chance to enjoy a great bottle of wine at a great value. Featured wines are available by the bottle only. Regular wine list is available.

Visit Panzanella's website to view all menus (lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch).

Owners Get 10% Off!

Through the end of April, owners will receive a 10% discount EVERY time they eat at Panzanella Sunday through Thursday (closed Monday). Simply print out the coupon available in the link below, fill out your name and owner number and sign each coupon. Present to your server upon ordering your meal. Unlimited usage but you must have a coupon each time you dine. So print out a stack of coupons and dine often! There are so many delicious items on the menus this winter - you’ll want to sample them all!

Click here to print your coupons.

New Spring Menus!

We've changed our Brunch, Lunch and Dinner menus to reflect springtime goodies! The patio is open on warm days - come on by and check out our delicious Spring menus.

Visit Panzanella's website to view all menus (lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch).