Peanuts

What if we never “had” to eat food anymore, and just had to swallow a pill in order to get all of our nutrients? I once had a four-hour conversation with a stranger on a plane about this. He worked for a pharmaceutical company, and I, well….didn’t (and still don’t). “What about the emotional value of food? The comfort? The joy? The delight in it?” He smiled, as if my comment was “cute” and “naïve.”

He was also in his late thirties, charmingly Irish, and fun to converse with – but totally detached and unhappy with life. “Um. Hellooo, because you can’t even appreciate the sentimental value of something so precious as food,” I thought. We argued, sitting side-by-side, all the way to Chicago. We just agreed to disagree, smiled and moved on to our next connection.

Fall Week 10: Extra Recipes for Thanksgiving Break

This is a collection of recipes for your Thanksgiving dinner table that all use items from last week's share. There are entrées, stuffings, side dishes, sauces, and desserts all listed below. Scroll all the way to the bottom for a recipe from the team at Spring Rain Farm where we got the cranberries!

Happy Eating!
Love,
Anna P. & The BMSP Team

Sweet Potato Cranberry Leek Stuffing

Uses: Sweet potatoes, leeks, fresh cranberries, apples, fresh thyme
Additional Shares: Bread, eggs
You will also need: Chicken broth, celery, garlic, parsley, paprika, garlic salt, butter, olive oil, pepper
Read More »

How To Store Your Share 3

We know that many of our shareholders leave for Thanksgiving break fairly early, and we bet that many of you will have a hard time finishing your share before you leave town. To help you out, we've compiled some info about how to properly store each item of your share before you leave to make sure it'll last till you return to PVD.

Happy Thanksgiving from the whole BMSP Team!
-Anna, Antonia, Blain, Carlie, Erin, Estelle, Jenna, Maddy, Meg, Taylor L., Taylor S., and Wesley.

General Storage Guidelines:

1. Do Not Store Fruits and Vegetables Together. Fruits that give off high levels of ethylene (the ripening agent) can prematurely ripen and spoil surrounding vegetables. (Think of the "one bad apple" adage.)
• Also, do not store root vegetables and onions together, as they will spoil faster.
2. For Vegetables: Before storing, remove ties and rubber bands and trim any leafy ends. Leave an inch to keep the vegetable from drying out. Make sure the bag you store the veggies in has some holes punctured to allow for good air flow. Pack vegetables loosely in the refrigerator. The closer they are, the quicker they will rot. Leafy greens can be washed before storing by soaking them in a sink full of water.
3. Storage Buddies This Week (can be kept in bags together to save plastic!):
   -Leeks, carrots, radishes, turnips
   -Kale, lettuce, herbs
   -Sweet potatoes
   -Apples, cranberries

Introducing the new BMSP Coordinating Team!

As you may already know, Market Shares recently hired some new coordinators, who will officially begin work next semester. We’re excited to announce next semester’s coordinating team, which consists of five new and two returning team members. To formally introduce them to the community, we asked them each a few key questions. What vegetable would they be and why? What food institutions in Providence do they love? Laughs were had, stories were swapped, and the results are aggregated here for your enjoyment.

Carlie Peters – Operations Coordinator

Humans of Market Shares, October 16th

Why do you guys volunteer for Market Shares?

"Because I think sustainability is really important and Market Shares brings good quality produce to Brown students for affordable prices." - Hannah

What is your favorite thing you have made?

"I used the Angelito Herb and Garlic spread with boiled beets, arugula and tomatoes to make little sandwiches." - Victoria

Mid-Season Survey Response, Fall 2014

Thank you so much to those of you who filled out our mid-season survey! We spend a LOT of time going through the responses as a team, and it is always a great opportunity for us to learn, and also to brainstorm how to make things better. We love hearing from YOU about this program, and appreciate the great ideas you share about what we can do to improve BMSP. In the feedback we got from you last week, there were a few key questions you had that we wanted to address.

The three main issues you brought up in the survey were:

1. Why are there so many greens?
2. Fruit variety
3. FAQ and our purchasing process

You will have another chance to share your feedback at the end of this season, and we would love to hear how you think we did in addressing your concerns over the next few weeks.

Thanks so much for being a part of this season! If you still have any questions about the following points or anything else, please don't hesitate to talk to a coordinator at Market Day, or email us at info@brownmarketshares.com.

-Anna, Meg, Erin, Taylor, Jenna, Blain, and Antonia

BMSP Finds Second Home in the Jewelry District

This fall we launched a pilot packed share program for Brown community members in the Jewelry District. Our intention was simple: we wanted to ensure that Brown staff and medical students in the Jewelry District had access to the same things offered up on the hill – in this case, weekly shares of affordable, fresh, local produce. We had conversations with previous shareholders who told us they loved the program, but their one-hour lunch break on Thursday was not enough time to walk one mile up the hill, pick up their share, return, and still have lunch. Others said that working in the Jewelry District was sometimes isolating and that they wanted local food too!

So, we responded.

A Taste of Fall

As we fly through October, the weather gets colder and grey days seem to outnumber our sunny ones! Though many get the blues when the sun hides its face, cold and rain are things I’ve learned to look forward to. Where I’m from, it rarely gets cool enough to enjoy a good bowl of hot soup (which is a real shame because my mom is the queen of soup!).

To help those of you avoid those cold, rainy day blues, I have an incredible recipe for wonderful butternut squash soup to which my friend introduced me the other day. Not only is it simple enough to make in a college dormitory kitchen, the recipe (which I’ve posted below) makes a generous portion! When we made our batch, the butternut squash, garlic, and onions were all from Market Shares, making this soup even more delicious. The natural sweetness of the squash blends perfectly with the garlic and onions; if it’s too sweet for you or if you just want to add another flavor to the mix, sprinkle some gorgonzola cheese on top.

For those of you in college dorms, this soup really is ideal. While the squash, onions, and garlic bake in the oven, you can study, clean your room, or even attend a choir rehearsal (as I did!). All of the utensils required are standard, except perhaps the blender… Ask around. I’m sure someone has one you could use (and maybe you could promise a cup of yummy soup in return).

This soup is simple, flavorful, and makes for a perfect pick-me-up on those cold, wet days. Enjoy!

Katie Hay

BMSP Volunteer Fall 2014