Market Fare Featured in Cookbook 
Recipes in the new cookbook will include fresh produce sold at the Ithaca Farmer’s Market.
The Ithaca Farmer’s Market has been the face of produce in the Finger Lakes for more than two decades. Throngs of visitors find fresh, exotic and common fruits and vegetables among the dozens of booths. From heirloom apples and tomatoes to lowly onions and potatoes, ethnic food, fine crafts and Finger Lakes wine — if it’s raised or made within 30 miles of Ithaca you might find it at the market.
By summer’s end, market fans will have a colorful cookbook to take home. The Ithaca Farmer’s Market has announced an ambitious cookbook project, intended to put the cooperative in permanent view of readers both locally and around the country.
Jan Norman, a long-time vendor and board member of the IFM, is excited about the idea of a cookbook that transports readers to a specific community, showcases regional bounty and provides the history and memories of its locale through recipes. An IFM cookbook has been talked about for over a dozen years, but this project didn’t get off the ground until mid-summer of last year.
“I was part of a committee for a cookbook in 1996,” Norman remembers. “Most of those people are gone now. George Sheldon, a Farmer’s Market vendor, professor and bread baker, started a project with hand-drawn illustrations and recipes compiled from vendors. That was early in the history of the market. Now we want to do something more than a folksy spiral bound book; something that reflects the current market.”
Under the direction of local food writer and former restaurateur Michael Turback, the book will be developed and printed entirely within a 30-mile radius of Ithaca in accordance with the market’s rule for membership. Over the next several months, Turback will collect unique recipes for cooking local and unusual produce.
“It was like a dream come true when Michael came on board,” Norman says. “What he wants to do is radically different. Michael’s vision is exactly what we’ve been thinking all these years. Something that gives the flavor of the market and applies the criteria of the market to a cookbook.”
“As a restaurateur, I supported the buy-local concept early on and encouraged my chefs to shop at the market. As a writer, I have previously written 10 cookbooks,” Turback says. “In keeping with the 30-mile rule of the market, we are now reaching out to restaurant chefs who will develop recipes using market produce. In addition, we know there are talented nonprofessionals who have found interesting ways to incorporate purchases from the market. We’d like to hear from them as well.”
Market vendors are already contributing to a collection which will top 100 original recipes, all highlighting the abundance of seasonal produce. Local chef Sean O’Brien (formerly of Willow) has created “Oyster Mushroom Broth with Mushroom Couscous Cake” using local mushrooms from Blue Oyster Cultivation. In addition, the cookbook team seeks input, including recipes, from home cooks using market products. Stories, histories and personal memories from the market are also being collected.
“The Ithaca Market has long been influential in the local food movement. The book is intended to put our local market on the national stage,” Turback says. “We hope readers will be thrilled to have access to such a wide array of recipes and to help celebrate the long life of this vibrant institution.”
In collecting recipes, Turback hopes to create a balance among different styles of food (meatbased, vegetarian, raw and ethnic foods) for entire meals, from soup and salad to desserts. Many recipe ideas are still in the developmental stage, and there will be an extensive period of taste testing. One of the confirmed contributions is for “Sweet Potato Pierogies” from Muddy Fingers Farm.
Liz Martin of Muddy Fingers Farm says, “The recipe is one I have made for several years. It’s a part of the semi-annual pierogiesmaking party that we host for our CSA members. It all started with a friend telling me that she preserved the potatoes from her garden by making pierogies with friends. Everyone brings a recipe or two, makes and fills pierogies, and then we freeze them randomly mixed in bags. When you enjoy the pierogies in the winter there is a nice mix of colors (if different colored potatoes were used) and flavors... and its surprising and fun!”
“As author and project developer, I am interviewing all the foodrelated vendors at the Market. I am enjoying the opportunity to get to know them better and listen to their stories,” Turback explains. “More than just a collection of recipes, this book is intended to connect readers with the farmers/ producers who grow what we eat.”
Martin notes that by self-publishing the cookbook, it can be updated periodically to reflect new vendors at the market. “We view this as a living book, which will continue to be relevant over time,” Norman adds.
“I hope to capture the sense of community that defines the market experience,” says Turback. “Recipes and reminiscences from both professional and home kitchens will be important to the concept. Many patrons think of the market as one of the best reasons to live in Ithaca.”
Anyone wishing to participate in the Ithaca Farmers Market Cookbook project should contact Michael Turback at michael.turback@gmail.com or 277-0300.
