Hours & Locations: 

Tuesdays:  3:30 pm to 6:30 pm.  The market is located in the South Stadium lot with entrances off University Blvd.  (Use 2100 University Blvd. if using computer generated directions.)  Parking is free for market patrons.

Saturdays: 9 am to 1 pm.  The market is located at the corner of University and Greenbriar Boulevards.  (Use 5620 Greenbriar if using computer generated directions.)  Parking is free for market patrons.

It's the Sip & Shop Market

Last month it was Beer Market with St. Arnold's passing out samples of their Christmas Ale.   This month we are very lucky to have our friends from Haak Winery visit the Market on Tuesday, November 10th, to sample and sell some of their best vintages. Haak Winery is located in Santa Fe and has been producing award winning wines for over 20 years.  These are terrific wines that are perfect for holiday entertaining. If you have been a skeptic when it come to Texas wines, now is the time to give these a chance. 

Chef's Square:  Chef Jason Kerr

Looking for inspiration, a quick cooking tip, or even a whole recipe?  Chef Jason Kerr of Cafe Rabelais in Rice Village will be at the Saturday morning Market on November 14th, at 10 am.  See what authentic dish the Chef will whip up from ingredients available at the market that day.

 Charcuter-What?

If you have even a passing acquaintance with French the word will not look that unusual. Charcuterie is how Al Marcus defines his line of specialty bacons and sausages. One can tell by the name of his business – The Grateful Bread -- that this is someone who does not take life too seriously. Food, yes; life, not so much. He has been perfecting his line of bacons and sausages for so long he can’t recall when he made his first attempt at a specialty meat. But somewhere along the way he found himself purchasing ever larger, more industrial grade equipment to meet the demand of friends who fell in love with his bacon. From there it was a just a matter of time before he took his talents beyond his large circle of friends and into a farmers market booth.

If your cardiologist has made you swear off sausage or you have seen one too many exposés of meat packing plants, you can find redemption with Al. His sausages are made from boned pork shoulder that has been trimmed of all excess fat. Any liquid needed to give the ground meat the correct consistency to be squeezed into a casing is pork stock prepared by Al himself. Although conventional wisdom warns against watching sausage making or legislating, Al will be happy to show off his technique (probably not his recipes, though). You can find Al at the Tuesday market at Rice and read more about him on a local restaurant blog 29-95.com, Grateful Bread Artisan Meats Without Bread.

Gobble, gobble

One potato, two potato, sweet potato more

Sweet potatoes are showing up at the Market.  Here is a recipe that can entice the youngest to eat their vegetables:

Orange spice mashed sweet potatoes (click on the link for printable recipe cards)

5 lbs sweet potatoes 1 tsp cinnamon

4 tablespoons butter chopped 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 cup orange marmalade 1/4 teaspoon ground mace

1 tablespoon minced crystallized ginger or 1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger

1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 cup pecans

Bake sweet potatoes in 400^o oven for one hour until soft. Remove from oven and turn heat down to 200^o. Scoop out potato flesh into a large mixing bowl. Mash with butter. Stir in marmalade, ginger, salt, the spices and vanilla. Mix well and adjust salt or cinnamon to taste.
Transfer the mixture into an 8x8 baking dish and cover. Place in oven until hot (approximately 25 minutes). Stir and top with pecan halves. Increase heat in oven to 350 and place dish in oven until the pecans are toasted.

This dish can be made ahead of time (without the pecans) and reheated in a 350 oven. Add pecans for the last 5-10 minutes.