The Arlandrian: 4MRMarket Report: "Cool as a Cucumber" Edition

We'll be continuing to gather names for our drawing this week! Bring your re-usable Buy Fresh, Buy Local bag to the market and you can enter to win $5 to spend at the market. Several winners will be selected! We have more bags to give away, so stop by the 4MRMarket tent and ask a market manager.

This week, we feature a lovely cold cucumber soup from almost all market ingredients. It's one of my personal favorite summer soups, it's healthy as it gets, and you barely have to lift a finger:

Cold and Creamy Cucumber Soup:
(This one is all made in the blender, so you don't have to do much prep at all)

Ingredients:
2 cups yogurt (From Tom's Amish Cheese)
1/2 cup regular or low fat sour cream (this one you have to get at the store)
Hand-full of Mint Leaves and Dill, picked off the stems (From C&T Produce, Pleitez Produce, or Herban Avenues)
1-3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed (From C&T Produce or Pleitez Produce)
2-3 cucumbers, peeled and cut into big chunks (From C&T Produce or Pleitez Produce)
Salt & Pepper to taste (at least 1/2 tsp of each, but probably closer to 1 tsp)
2-3 dashes of cayenne pepper

Directions:
Throw everything in the blender and blend until more or less smooth (can be a bit chunky). Start with 1 garlic clove because raw garlic can add a real kick. If you like it spicy and garlicky, add the 2nd and maybe the 3rd clove. Remember to add a bit more salt if the flavor doesn't really pop in your mouth. It should be a refreshing but bright, spicy, herbaceous tasting soup. Serve by ladling into bowls and topping with a couple drops of olive oil and some chopped herbs. Add a side salad from market ingredients and some toasted, crusty bread from Bread and Chocolate and you have yourself a nice light lunch or dinner.

It should be another nice week at the 4MRMarket. It will be a bit cooler and cloudy in the morning, with no rain expected until later in the afternoon. Come by and take advantage of another temperate morning before the heat sets in!

Here is who you'll find at 4MRMarket this week (note: Tom's Amish Cheese and Stifler Farm are back this week):

The Stifler 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! (all flash frozen for convenience)
Pleitez Produce (Northern Neck) - A full range of locally grown produce, herbs, and more.
Bread and Chocolate (Arlandria) - A range of baked goods.
Herban Avenues at AHHA Ranch (Lovettsville, VA) - Herbal remedies, amazing soaps, heritage breed chicken eggs, and a variety of herbs.
C&T Produce (White Oak, VA) - 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, yogurt and Pennsylvania honey.
Chris Waters Furniture - Beautiful, rustic tables, bookshelves, and other furniture items, all handmade.
Uncommon Knits (WV) - Handwoven linens made with 100% cotton and hand-stitched hems for your kitchen, dining room and bath.
Ron RLR-Designs (Herndon, VA) - Artistic photo prints to dress up any wall
Simply Healthy Water (Vienna, VA) - Try Dennis and Eileen's homeostatic filtered water and see if it's something you want to be able to enjoy every day.
Sweet Hearts Patisserie (Fairfax, VA) - a Northern Virginia based patisserie specializing in gourmet victorian petit fours and other miniature sized pastries. Sweet Hearts petit fours are made in a variety of delectable flavors and designs, and make the perfect gift or tea time treat.

VeloCity bike co-op will be on-site doing teaching bike maintenance and repair. In our 4MRMarket Tent come meet folks from the Dominion Green Power Program.

INOVA at Whole Foods 5% day
raising funds for Double Dollar Program.

All SNAP/EBT participants, 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. Thanks to everyone that came out to Whole Foods in Old Town on August 17th to support the Inova Hospital Foundation Double Dollar program! It was a big success and should help the market be able to continue offering double dollars for a good long while!

If you'd like to volunteer with the 4MRMarket, go to: volunteer.4MRMarket.org to sign up or look for the "volunteer" tab on our website. You'll be able to volunteer to help process SNAP/EBT sales, help us keep our books, help set up or tear down for the market, or help us find musicians to play the market. You can also find a Market Manager to ask to help, or email us at 4mrm@arlandria.org for more info.

Do you like to bike to 4MRMarket? If so, please fill out this survey from the League of American Bicyclists to help get 4MRMarket certified as an official Bike Friendly Business.

_______________

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.