go to freshfarmmarkets.org Get Fresh! Buy Local! Celebrate the Seasons! The FRESHFARM Markets are dedicated to the farmers, food and farmland in our Chesapeake Bay watershed region. Every week you will find the freshest, locally grown foods from our family farmers who care about the land and the quality of the food they grow. By supporting our market farmers with your food dollars, you are ensuring a future for farming in this diverse growing region. Our “Chef at Market” and other market educational programs are designed to showcase the delicious foods and flavors in our region. As you enjoy eating fresh-from-the-farm food, you will be reconnected to the seasons and the rhythm of the farming so near by. Every day you eat, you are part of a “Delicious Revolution” to nourish yourself and your loved ones and to sustain our family farmers and local farmland. As Kentucky farmer and author, Wendell Berry says, "Eating is an agricultural act." Spread the word and share the bounty of our local farmland! Visit us at www.freshfarmmarket.org Asparagus Soup Stephen Mangasarian, Executive Chef and Owner, Restaurant Columbia Transforming fresh farmer’s market produce into innovative culinary creations has earned Stephen Mangasarian’s Restaurant Columbia the highest of honors. Accolades include: 4 stars and “Restaurant of the Year” award by the Baltimore Sun, the 2001-2003 Wine Spectator Award of Excellence and the Critics Choice Award by Chesapeake Life Magazine. Visit the restaurant at 28 South Washington Street in Easton, Maryland. Tel: 410/770.5172 A spring soup to celebrate the new season. Serves 4 1 pound fresh asparagus, coarsely chopped (discard woody stem ends) 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 1 shallot(s), diced 1 small rib celery, diced 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/8 teaspoon white pepper(s) a scant 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg 3 cups chicken stock 1 cup heavy cream Place the asparagus, butter, shallot, celery and seasonings in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cover and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the asparagus turns bright green and the shallots turn translucent, approximately 10 minutes. Add the chicken stock, bring to a boil, then turn down to simmer and cook uncovered for about 10 minutes. Slowly add the cream and bring back to a simmer. Place in blender and process on high until smooth, then pass through a fine sieve into a bowl. Serve warm.