Wow! It’s been 10 years. The Sustainable Food Center opened their downtown Austin market in Republic Square in 2003 and now has grown to be one of the premiere markets in the state and one of four markets that they run. I wasn’t at the market the first day it opened, but I made my way there not long after that.

I have learned so much over the years by shopping at, and writing about, the market and have made incredible friends with vendors, farmers and fellow shoppers. I’ve discovered foods I’d never heard of before (remember the kohlrabi?) and been challenged to rethink how I approach cooking. We’re fortunate to have a place where we can explore, share and celebrate right in the heart of our city.

Thanks SFC and here’s to decades more memories, learning and delicious food!

 

Color me thrilled that a new farmers market has opened down the street from my house in North Central Austin at the North Austin Trailer Yard (NATY), 1012 W. Anderson Lane. While I love going to the larger Downtown and Cedar Park markets, it’s nice to know there is a market a little closer to home.

The inaugural Funkytonk Farmers Market included four farms, a ranch and several food artisans. Of course, it wouldn’t be a farmers market in Austin without Johnson”s Backyard Garden and I met some charming farmers from Gordon”s Natural Garden outside of Manor.

I was delighted to find lamb, pork, beef and chicken from South Star of Texas. They had a great deal of one pound of each for $32. Bargain!

And, possibly in the score of the day, one gentleman was selling Wendish noodles which are fantastic in soups. You should do yourself a favor and get some.

With the music playing, kids playing on the playground and the trailers serving up food, the Funkytonk Farmers Market is a great place to hang out on a lovely Saturday morning. I can’t wait to go back next week.

 

Today bloggers and bakers from around Austin and Texas (heard their is a crew coming up from Corpus Christi) are raising money for the folks in West, Texas. Buy goodies at one of f eight bake sale locations around Austin.

Whole Foods Market Bee Cave, 12601 Hill Country Blvd, Bee Cave, TX 78738
Foreign & Domestic, 306 E. 53rd Street, 78751
Stiles Switch BBQ & Brew, 6610 N Lamar Blvd, 78757
Whole Foods Market Lamar, 525 N. Lamar Boulevard, 78703
Springdale Farm, 755 Springdale Road, 78702
Whole Foods Market Gateway, 9607 Research Boulevard #300, 78759
Round Rock Market Days, 221 E. Main St., Round Rock, TX 78664
Crema Bakery & Cafe, 9001 Brodie Lane, Suite B, 78748

They are also accepting gifts online through our secure online giving page.

I bought a few goodies at the Stiles Switch location. Happy to help and have a few snack for the house!

 

One of my favorite parts of the Austin Food & Wine festival is exploring the Grand Tasting tent and discovering new food artisans.  I couldn’t wait to get in there and see what they had in store for us.

I was delighted as always to see Nicole Patel from Delysia Chocolatier and see her new selection of crazy sounding but delicious chocolate truffles.  I raised my eyebrows and darted a skeptical look when I saw black garlic on the list, but it was luscious, creamy and not too garlicky.  You’d think by now that I’d know better than to doubt Nicole. Here’s a quick Vine of some of her new flavors and collections:

As for new vendors, I was charmed by Glorified Granola from Killeen and their sweet and tart Orang Dream granola.  I can’t wait for someone in Austin to pick them up so that it can be a regular part of my  morning table.

Another favorite was the Sweet & Spicy Pickle Chips from In a Pickle Foods from Fort Worth.   The pickles had a perfect crunch with just the right spice from the red chilis.  I’m going to have to bribe my DFW friends to send some my way.

I’ll have more news from the festival soon, but I couldn’t wait to share these two finds. I do so love discovering a new food artisan. Thanks Austin Food & Wine Festival!

 

Last year, Edible Austin magazine asked me to attend the Culinary Institute of America’s Healthy Flavors, Healthy Kids conference and pinpoint a story about kids and food for the Spring 2013 Wellness issue.  I knew some about school food and the hurdles faced by districts to revamp their menus, but had no idea how deeply troubling or complex the issue was.

As I started researching, I was struck by several things.  First, I was awed by the creativity and ingenuity with which people across the country were tackling the problem. It’s easy to blame the schools for serving less than desirable food, but the often maligned and very dedicated food service professionals in our schools are tackling hills of red tape, supply chain issues, equipment scarcity and, in some cases, disinterest to get healthier foods to the kids. Chef Kate Adamick of Cook for America calls school food professionals Lunch Teachers – our first line of defense in teaching kids how to eat healhty.

And, one of the biggest challenges is that there is no “one size fits all” solution.  What works in one district won’t necessarily work in another, even in the same state.  The changes and menus have to be retrofitted for the local community and the district structure – thus the complexity.  Organizations like School Food Focus provide technical assistance and networking tools for school food professionals to share solutions across the country so that everyone doesn’t have to reinvent the wheel even if they have to tweak it a bit.

Most importantly though, I learned that we have to model and reinforce healthy food at home for kids to embrace healthy food at school.  Intuitively, I knew this, but to see the empirical data that backs it up was eye-opening.  It’s easy to shift responsibility to the schools, but that won’t work.  We have to make healthy food a habit at home as well. I don’t have kids, but I consider it part of my responsibility as an aunt to help teach my niece and nephew healthy eating.  Chef Adamick said we all have kids whether they are biological or not, and I agree with her.

Reshaping Our Future Through Food was a fun piece to write, particularly exploring the great initiatives in the Austin and Houston school districts.  You can celebrate and explore real food with your kids at Edible Austin’s free upcoming Children’s Picnic and Real Food Fair on Sunday, April 7th, at the French Legation museum from 1:00-5:00 pm.