Getting to Know Clay

We've known Clay for many years, but he just joined us as a staff member at Daisy Mae's this year. In addition to being great at stocking and displaying our fresh produce, we've discovered that he has a natural ability to interact with the customers. Clay has lived his whole life in Milford, Ohio, and he's a proud member of the Milford High School football team. In addition to football and working at Daisy Mae's, he spends his time on schoolwork and hanging out with friends. He enjoys the diversity and the many friendly people he meets at Findlay Market. If you're looking for a good treat, Clay suggests our Windy Acres snacks and nuts. He's partial to the lemon drops, but he'll be happy to help you find a variety that works for you.

Fresh Cabbage for St. Patrick's Day

With St. Patrick's Day coming soon, it seems only fitting that we should feature fresh cabbage at our Findlay Market stand. Like many Americans, I have a little Irish blood in me. My grandmother's maiden name was O'Shea, and I vaguely remember her cooking corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick's Day. I also recall hearing that my ancestors had emigrated from Ireland when the potato famine hit in the mid-1800's. About a million people died in Ireland because of the famine, but thousands of others left the country in order to survive. When they immigrated to America, they brought with them recipes for such traditional foods as Irish stew, Shepherd's Pie, Mulligatawny soup, and Colcannon. 
Colcannon is a mixture of cabbage or kale, potatoes, leeks and butter. In a common colcannon recipe, you boil 1 lb. cabbage until tender; then remove and chop or blend well. Set it aside and keep it warm while you boil 1 lb. potatoes. Remove potatoes from heat and drain. Chop two leeks (green parts as well as white), and simmer them in just enough milk to cover, until they are soft. Season and mash the potatoes. Stir in cooked leeks and milk. Blend in the cabbage and heat thoroughly. Make a well in the center and pour in 1/2 cup melted butter. Mix well and serve. 
Cabbage is high in Vitamin C, rich in fiber, low in calories and has no cholesterol. Its antioxidant properties make it a vegetable you should try to include in your diet. If you shop at Daisy Mae's Market this week (3/11-3/16), we'll make it easy for you. You'll receive a free cabbage with your $15 purchase. You might call that a great deal, but we call it the Luck of the Irish! 
(Original post March, 2012) 

12 Weeks of Healthy Food: The Carrot

What's up, Doc? Maybe nothing's up with the Doc if you've been eating your carrots. Yes, carrots are the featured item for Week 3 of our 12 Weeks of Healthy Food. Bugs Bunny loves 'em and so do we!
Carrots are high in Vitamin A and also a good source of Vitamins K and C, dietary fiber, and potassium. Just like Mom said, carrots really can help you see better. The beta-carotene gives them their color and also helps convert Vitamin A in the body to improve vision...especially at night. Carrots are also an antioxidant, and numerous studies show that carrots reduce the risk of certain cancers. In one study, one carrot per day cut the lung cancer rate in half. Now I'm not saying that carrots are a cure for cancer, but I certainly don't see anything harmful in eating a few carrots each day.
Raw carrots are great for snacking or in salads. But did you know by cooking carrots you increase the nutritional benefits? Cooking breaks down the cellular nature of the carrot so the body can absorb the nutrients better. So if you're looking to cook up a carrot dish tonight, here's a delicious recipe for Glazed Carrots that I recommend. Stop by Daisy Mae's Market at Findlay Market this week (1/17/12-1/20/12) and receive a free 1 lb. bag of carrots with your $15 purchase.
That's all, folks!

Something for Your Sweet Tooth

It's Day 7 of our 12 Days of Healthy Foods. Today we climb to the top of the nutritional chart with sweet potatoes. The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) ranks the sweet potato #1 in nutrition for vegetables. The sweet potato's ranking is based on its dietary fiber, naturally occurring sugars, complex carbohydrates, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, protein, iron, and calcium all packed into a low-calorie food. We also know that the orange coloring of the sweet potato is caused by betacarotene---a powerful antioxidant. In addition, a baked sweet potato supplies about 20% of an adult's daily potassium requirement, and research has shown that potassium can help regulate blood pressure, reduce the risk of kidney stones, and even decrease bone loss. Sweet potatoes have also been shown to improve blood sugar regulation even in persons with Type 2 diabetes. So if you thought sweet potatoes were only for Thanksgiving, you're wrong!
Sweet potatoes can be baked, roasted, fried, steamed, broiled, or grilled. They're relatively inexpensive, and they make a great addition to soups and stews, too. There's really no excuse not to add sweet potatoes to your weekly grocery list.
If you're reading this in Cincinnati, you know it's pretty wintry today. Wouldn't this be a perfect day for some sweet potato soup? Daisy Mae's Market at Findlay Market is open every day except Monday year-round. Findlay Market only closes when there's a Level 3 Snow Emergency in Cincinnati...and believe me, that doesn't happen very often. So come to Findlay Market today (1/11/11), and we'll toss in some free sweet potatoes with your $15 purchase at Daisy Mae's Market. Now isn't that a sweet deal?

Grapefruit for Day 6 of Our 12 Days of Healthy Foods

On the 6th day of our Healthy Foods, your true love should bring you some grapefruit. Grapefruit is another of those favorite citrus fruits with loads of health benefits and particularly high in Vitamin C. Many studies show that Vitamin C supports the immune system, and it can help fight off those nasty winter colds. Grapefruit is also high in fiber and can help regulate the digestive system.
If you prefer the Ruby Red grapefruit, you're in luck. The red or pink color is caused by lycopene that can help fight oxygen-free radicals that damage cells. Several studies show that lycopene-rich foods can help reduce the risk of prostate, colon, and lung cancer. Grapefruit and grapefruit juice have also been shown in some studies to reduce the risk of calcium oxalate kidney stones. Other research shows evidence that grapefruit may help lower cholesterol. (A word of warning, however, if you take certain medications. Grapefruit and grapefruit juice can interfere with the liver's ability to metabolize cholesterol-lowering medications.)
It's easy to either squeeze the grapefruit for juice or to take a serrated knife and just section the grapefruit to eat. But how about adding a little something extra to your breakfast? Try broiling the grapefruit next time for a little added treat.
So today...be a true love, and bring someone special some grapefruit from Daisy Mae's Market at Findlay Market. With your $15 purchase on 1/9/11, you'll receive 3 free grapefruit.

Quick Pick Produce is Here!

We all know the fun of shopping at Findlay Market is the chance to take your time, chat with the vendors about your purchases, watch the people, and enjoy some food while you're there. However, we also know we live in a fast-paced world of rushing out of the office, picking up the kids, racing to the store, and throwing something together for dinner. We've come up with a solution at Daisy Mae's for part of your hurry-up world: Quick Pick Produce! 

We've designed a convenient plan where you can call ahead with your grocery list. Tell Barry what fruits and vegetables you need, and we'll pack it up and have it ready for your pick up at our Daisy Mae's stand. Or better yet, we'll deliver your produce to your car at the curb on Race Street! There's a convenient loading zone right at Daisy Mae's so when you pull up on Race, we'll run your purchases to your car. Imagine: Drive-through groceries!

Quick Pick Produce works for large or small orders. Maybe it's a 5-pound bag of potatoes you need, and you don't want to carry the bag to your car in the parking lot. Just call ahead, drive up to the loading zone on Race Street, and we'll bring the bag of potatoes to your car. Or maybe it's a larger order...Maybe you need 6 oranges, 3 tomatoes, a green pepper, some garlic, and a pound of bananas. We'll pack it up in a convenient shopping bag and have it ready and waiting for you to pick up either at our stand or at the drive-up loading zone.  No need to worry about quality either. Our reputation means the world to us so if you're not happy with something, just let us know and we'll replace it. 

So what are you waiting for? We know you're in hurry...Call 513-602-5601 to place your order for Daisy Mae's Quick Pick Produce. And don't forget to store Daisy Mae's phone number in your cell phone for those last minute pick-ups! 513-602-5601

Note: At this time, Quick Pick Produce is a "weekday only, cash only" program. 

Who Wants Mushrooms?

Barry and Jeff have spent the day on a buying spree. We have an extensive inventory for tomorrow's opening. For starters, we hit the jackpot with mushrooms. Besides white mushrooms, we'll have maitake, beech, oyster, trumpet, and porcini mushrooms! We also have some great looking apples, grapes, greens, parsnips, peppers, potatoes, oranges, and squash. It looks like we'll have over 70 items this week. The first few weeks will be a bit of a learning experience. We really will make an effort to stock what our customers want and need...some for the everyday buyer and some for the gourmet cooks. When we get a good deal or a specialty item, we'll try to tweet about it. Stay tuned.

www.twitter.com/daisymaesmarket