Categories
Food

Recipe of the Week: Sweet Potato Collard Soup

This soup is great in the winter time especially if you happen to be under the weather. The red pepper adds the right amount of heat to counter the sweetness of the sweet potato. If you’ve frozen some poblanos from earlier in the season, these make a great addition if roasted and added to the stock. ~Sarah Blacklin

4 Tbsp. of olive oil
1 med. onion
3 cloves of garlic (pressed or minced)*
3 good size sweet potatoes*
1 qt. chicken stock/vegetable stock/ or bullion if neither is available
4 Tbsp. of Apple Cidar Vinegar
A handful of fresh sage, thyme, and oregano if available
1 bunch of collards (can be substituted for spinach, kale, or other available greens)*
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbsp. of crushed red pepper

Heat the olive oil on med. heat in a large stock pot. Add onions, sauté until soft. Add garlic and fresh herbs finely chopped to onions. Sauté briefly (don’t burn the garlic). Add the stock. Bring the heat up to high. Add chopped sweet potatoes (skin adds nutritional value, but can be removed for a smoother consistency). Add vinegar and the remainder of the spices. Once the soup reaches a boil, cut the heat down to med-low. Cook potatoes at a low boil until they are soft. Using an electric hand mixer or with a nice stiff wooden spoon, mash the potato chunks into a puree (there will be chunks). Add the greens, washed and chopped. Keep soup at a simmer until greens are tender. Salt and Pepper to taste

* Ingredients Available at Market

Categories
Community

What’s at Market

This week at the Carrboro Farmers’ Market

Lettuce, pac choy, flour, onions, garlic, arugula, beets, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, radishes, cauliflower, collards, fresh herbs, kale, leeks, mustard greens, salad greens, spinach, sweet potatoes, turnips, turnip greens, winter squashes, pecans, maple sausage, smoked ham, smoked ham hocks, liverwurst, lamb, bacon, chicken, eggs, cow’s milk cheeses, breads, pies, doughnuts, tortes, cakes, jams, and relishes.

The Market runs from 9am-Noon every Saturday.
Please Note: The Market is closed for the holidays this Saturday, December 27th. We will reopen the following Saturday, January 3rd.

Categories
Community

What’s at the market

This week at the Carrboro Farmers’ Market:

Lettuce, pac choy, flour, onions, garlic, arugula, beets, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, collards, fresh herbs, kales, leeks, tomatoes, mustard greens, salad greens, spinach, sweet potatoes, turnips, turnip greens, winter squashes, pecans, maple sausage, smoked ham, smoked ham hocks, liverwurst, bacon, chicken, eggs, cow’s milk cheeses, breads, bread crumbs, pies, cakes, jams and relishes.

The market runs from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday.
Please note that the market will not be open Saturday, December 27.

Categories
Miscellany

Worth a good read every now and then

The Bill of Rights that is. This from the fine folks defending it:

Annual Reading of the Bill of Rights: Proclamations by Orange County Commissioners and mayors of Chapel Hill and Carrboro, reading of first 10 amendments to US Constitution by welcomed participants, remarks by NC Senator Ellie Kinnaird in memory of Joe Herzenberg for his dedication to civil rights. Noon, Mon, Dec 15, Peace and Justice Plaza, East Franklin and Henderson Streets, Chapel Hill. Orange County Bill of Rights Defense Committee. Info: 942-2535.

Categories
Community

Holiday parade this Saturday

Plenty of good reasons to be downtown this Saturday morning as the Chapel Hill Jaycees present this year’s Chapel Hill-Carrboro Holiday Parade Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon. The parade begins near Morehead Planetarium and will make its way down to the Carrboro Town Hall.
As a celebration of community spirit awards will be given for: Best of Parade, Most Original, Best Holiday Theme, Most Creative and Best Scout Troop. Come out and see the parade and show your community and holiday spirit!

Categories
Weather

70s on Wednesday

After this recent cold spell, Wednesday’s weather may seem a bit freakish.
Predictions now call for temps in the low 70s and thunderstorms.

Categories
Arts & Music

New art up at Driade, Open Eye

This just in from Scot Conary, owner of the Open Eye and Caffe Driade

December Featured Artist showing at the Caffe Driade Gallery

Valerie Tan

“I want my paintings to reflect our society in terms of a simpler time. My worklooks to a time where nostalgic small towns exist, and a place where small quaint farms exist. I try to create that feel through the use of simple forms and colors.”

December’s Featured Artist at the Open Eye Cafe Gallery

Shannon O’Connor

A graduate of Parsons School Of Design, NYC, Shannoncame here in 1993 to work
in Environmental Education with the Haw River Festival, and began salvaging old
barn boards that she found in the country side surrounding the Haw. After 13
years, Shannon has created many hundreds of these unique pieces of art–all of
which are now in private collections. She likes to keep her work in line with the Folk
Art Tradition–colorful and affordable.

Also at the Eye: Live music will be performed by Saludos Compay on the 2nd Friday artwalk on 12/12 at 8pm.

Categories
Community

Neal’s Deli: It’s what’s for breakfast

There’s another option for your morning nosh in Downtown Carrboro. Neal’s Deli (100 E. Main St.) has begun serving breakfast Monday through Saturday from 7:30 to 10:30 a.m. The menu, which will vary slightly, includes bagels (from Bagels on the Hill), made-from-scratch buttermilk biscuits, and toast. And all that bread product comes with nifty stuff to slather all over it, like savory cream cheese, baked eggs, and even Neal’s Holiday Ham.

Categories
Miscellany

Deer thread

Nice discussion on deer going on over at Orange Politics.

Categories
Miscellany

CHPD issues holiday shopping safety tips

This from the Chapel Hill Police Department:

Shopping Safely this Holiday Season

The holiday season is quickly approaching. The Chapel Hill Police Department would like to remind all citizens to be vigilant this holiday season and to report any suspicious activity to the police by calling 911.

Some crime prevention tips while shopping this holiday season:

• Park in well-lit areas, preferably near the door.
• Don’t leave anything in plain view inside your car. Place items in the trunk.
• Carry one credit card for all purchases.
• Shop with a friend.
• If you are alone, don’t be afraid to ask a security guard for an escort.
• If you are carrying cash for purchases, split the cash between several pockets to avoid showing a large amount of cash when paying for items.
• Have your keys in your hand when you leave the store.
• Walk to the parking lot with a group.
• Do not be so overburdened with shopping bags that you cannot defend yourself or enter your car quickly.
• Before unlocking your car, quickly check to make sure no one is hiding inside or underneath.
• If you see something or someone that looks suspicious, go back into the store and call 911.

Categories
Miscellany

East Chapel Hill 77 in top 100 list

Newsweek’s annual rankings of the top 100 high schools in the country puts East Chapel Hill High at 77.
No other schools in Orange or Chatham counties were on the list although Woods Charter and Chapel Hill High received honorable mentions. The Early School at Guilford and Raleigh Charter were in the top 25 on the list. Here’s the link to the full NC list.
The list ranks the schools mainly on the basis of advanced placement tests.