Categories
Community

What’s at Market: July 10th

Check out what’s at the Carrboro Year-Round Farmers’ Market . . .

Melons, corn, heirloom and various varieties of tomatoes, basil, butter beans, fillet beans and other bean varieties, eggplant, tomatillos, okra, peaches, plums, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, fennel, carrots, snow peas, parsley, bell peppers, zucchini, cucumbers, summer squash, new potatoes, greenhouse tomatoes, leeks, lettuce, chard, onions, flour, onions, garlic, arugula, beets, cabbage, radishes, collards, fresh herbs, kale, mustard greens, salad greens, sweet potatoes, turnips, squashes, pecans, herb and vegetable starters, flowers such as zinnias, sunflowers, lilies, gladiolas, snap dragons, status, meats like goat, beef, pork, lamb, chicken, buffalo, and various specialty meats like liverwurst, bologna, hotdogs, etc, cow’s and goat’s milk cheeses, eggs, breads, doughnuts, tortes, pies, cakes, jams, and relishes .

Categories
Community

Cold Cucumber Soup with Herbs

From Sheri Castle of Creative Cooking with Sheri Castle

If the soup is a bit bland for your taste, shake on a little hot sauce or stir in a bit of your favorite salsa.

1 pound small, firm cucumbers
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups whole-milk yogurt or sour cream
1/2 cup whole milk or buttermilk
2 tablespoons chopped dill, plus more for garnish
2 tablespoons chopped mint, plus more for garnish
1 to 2 cloves fresh garlic
Salt and pepper

1.Peel half of the cucumbers, but leave the skin on the rest. Halve all of the cucumbers lengthwise and scrape out and discard the seeds. Coarsely chop or grate the cucumbers and toss with the salt. Transfer to a sieve and let stand over a bowl for 30 minutes.
2.Transfer the drained cucumbers and 2 tablespoons of the liquid to a food processor or blender.
3.Add the sour cream, milk, garlic, dill, and mint. Purée until smooth. If the soup is too thick, add a little more of the reserved cucumber liquid.
4.Refrigerate until well chilled, at least one hour and up to one day.
5.Season to taste with additional salt and pepper.
6.Serve cold and garnished with additional herbs.

Makes 4 servings

Categories
Community

Tomato Day at the Carrboro Farmers’ Market

Saturday, July 25th: Tomato Day at the Carrboro Farmers’ Market

As you know, tomatoes are one of America’s favorite fruits. There exist about 7,500 varieties of tomatoes grown throughout the world and some of the rarest and tastiest of those varieties are grown by our farmers just outside of Carrboro! Ever heard of the variety Plum Crimson? Razzle Berry? Black Marble? How about Mortgage Lifters and Super Sonics? Doubtful you’ll see varieties like that in the grocery store but guaranteed you’ll find them at the Carrboro Farmers’ Market. Visit Peregrine Farm and ask to try an Italian Ox Heart tomato. Never heard of it?? Probably because Alex and Betsy Hitt saved seed from tasty tomatoes they discovered on a trip to Italy and brought home to grow in NC soil.

To celebrate our beloved fruit, The Carrboro Farmers’ Market is holding one of our biggest and tastiest events throughout the year! Saturday, July 25th, the Carrboro Farmers’ Market will be celebrating the TOMATO for our annual Tomato Day. When we started Tomato Day over 10 years ago, our farmers had 15 varieties of tomatoes. Today, you can find over 60 varieties of heirloom and backyard tomatoes any Saturday morning at the Carrboro Farmers Market!

Rare, bizarre, backyard, and just plain tasty tomatoes will be incorporated into delicious tomato sauce, jam, juice, and gazpacho for customers to taste as they shop. Our tomato MC will be hosting the event, sharing various tomato facts and trivia throughout the morning. Enter through any of the 4 corners at Market and customers will receive sweet, tart cherry tomatoes to refresh their palate for a tomato morning at the Market.

To set this year apart from others, our farmers have asked our community to participate more than ever. This year the Market is creating a keepsake “Totally Tomato” Booklet comprised of tomato-y recipes and personal tomato stories contributed by our wonderful customers and vendors. Visit the Carrboro Farmers’ Market to read recipes shared, taste cherry tomatoes, samples tomato dishes, and celebrate with fun facts, events, and trivia all morning long! Tomato Day: July 25th from 7am – Noon on the Town Commons next to Town Hall. Tasting available as long as supply lasts.

Categories
Miscellany

Safety tips on insect stings

Via Orange County EMS:

Medical Safety Tips on Allergic Reactions to Insects

Orange County Emergency Services would like to remind everyone to be cautious around stinging insects over the summer months. Whether you are cleaning up an old brush pile, mowing grass or enjoying an afternoon picnic, stay alert for nests, swarms and hives.

Captain Dinah Jeffries, Communications Operations Manager for Orange County Emergency Services stated that in Orange County in a three month period of April through June of this year there were over 15 calls to 9-1-1 for allergic reactions due to insect bites or stings. “Allergic reaction calls to the 9-1-1 Center increase over the summer,” Jeffries said. “Both insects and people are more active outdoors and sometimes they are active too close to each other.”

Most reactions to bites or stings from insects are mild. However, some individuals are far more sensitive to insects and suffer severe allergic reactions to the toxins injected with the sting of bees, wasps, hornets and yellow jackets. These individuals may require emergency medical help.

First aid for severe reactions

1. Check the person’s airways and breathing. If they have trouble breathing, their throat feels tight or severe swelling around the face, call 9-1-1.
2. Reassure the person. Try to keep him or her calm.
3. Remove rings and constricting items near the affected area as swelling may continue.
4. Use the person’s Epi-pen or other emergency kit, if they have one. (Some people who have serious insect reactions carry it with them.)
5. If appropriate, treat the person for signs of shock. Remain with the person until medical help arrives.
6. If they are turning blue begin rescue breathing and CPR.

Do NOT give the person stimulants, aspirin, or other pain medication unless prescribed by the doctor.

The bites of most insects and small bugs such as ants, mosquitoes, flies, spiders, ticks, and mites – do not cause a severe reaction. Sometimes, it may be hard to tell which type of insect has caused the skin inflammation after a bite, as many insect reactions are similar. Flying insects tend to strike exposed skin areas, while bugs such as fleas tend to bite the lower legs and around the waist, and often have several bites grouped together.

General steps for most bites and stings:
Remove the stinger if still present by scraping the back of a credit card or other straight-edged object across the stinger. Do not use tweezers — these may squeeze the venom sac and increase the amount of venom released.
Wash the site thoroughly with soap and water.
Place ice (wrapped in a washcloth) on the site of the sting for 10 minutes and then off for 10 minutes. Repeat this process.
If necessary, take an antihistamine, or apply creams that reduce itching.
Over the next several days, watch for signs of infection (such as increasing redness, swelling, or pain).
The following methods of prevention are offered by The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Department of Health and Human Services.
Avoid provoking insects whenever possible.
Avoid rapid, jerky movements around insect hives or nests.
Avoid perfumes and floral-patterned or dark clothing.
Use appropriate insect repellants and protective clothing.
Use caution when eating outdoors, especially with sweetened beverages or in areas around garbage cans, which often attract bees.
For those who have a serious allergy to insect bites or stings, carry an emergency epinephrine kit (which requires a prescription). Friends and family should be taught how to use it if you have a reaction. Wear a medical ID bracelet.
For more information on first aid for stings and bites from insects, feel free to contact the Orange County Emergency Services at 919-245-6100.

Categories
Miscellany

Winter’s coming on

We sounded the alarm in last month’s MILL that due to the continued trajectory of Earth, we would soon be entering the season of summer. If the warmer weather and the sudden drop in morning traffic hasn’t convinced you of that, then perhaps this weekend the scent from several thousand grills firing up at once followed by the boom and pop of fireworks will drill it home.

Categories
Community

Best Bets

ADF
The American Dance Festival continues in July with major performances by some of the world’s premier ensembles, including Pilobolus (July 9-11), Doug Elkins and Friends (July 13-15), Paul Taylor Dance Company (July 16-18) and the Mark Morris Dance Group (July 23-25). You can check out all of the performers and the extensive schedule of special performances at americandancefestival.org

Mergeboro
July 22-26
We delve into the details of Merge Records’ 20th anniversary celebration in the following pages. The four nights of action at Cat’s Cradle have been sold out since pretty much the day they were announced, but here’s a reminder that there are still tickets available for the big Memorial Hall show on Sunday, July 26, with She and Him, Wye Oak and American Music Club.

Categories
The Eater

The Eater

This month The Eater turns over the reins to Merge Records’ Paul Cardillo, a budding food writer. We asked Paul to offer an insider’s guide for out-of-town peeps in town for XXMerge. Here’s his advice:

Neal’s Deli
You can’t go wrong at Neal’s, and could conceivably eat all your meals here. The breakfast biscuits are amazing, fluffy and light on the inside with an unexpected toothsome crispness on the outside. Try the pastrami, baked egg and swiss biscuit. All the lunchtime sandwiches at Neal’s are great too, but the hot dogs trump pretty much everything. A great veal and pork dog on a brezel sub roll from Durham bakery Guglhupf. One isn’t enough. Two is too many. Get them “all the way” with spicy mustard and sauerkraut.

Categories
Arts & Music

Welcome to Mergeboro

OK, maybe calling our little town Mergeboro is a little over the top. But come the last couple of weeks of July, you may start believing the moniker is appropriate.

And if you were around five years ago for Merge Records’ 15th anniversary celebration, you might remember the packed shows and the odd sight of various stars of the indie rock universe wandering around town looking for coffee or thumbing through the offerings at local record stores and book shops.

Now, with an even bigger milestone approaching, chances are good that if you’re out and about on or around the last weekend of the month, you’ll run into a pacel or two of musicians and music fans roaming the streets of this old mill town.

Categories
Arts & Music

July Shows & Happenings

7/3
Elvis Tribute
Southern Village
Keith Henderson lives not far from Southern Village, but once he takes the stage he and you will head straight to Vegas and/or Hawaii.
7pm, $10

7/4
Evil Weiner Roast
The Cave
Do your patriotic duty — have a hot dog and rock out.

7/5
Curtains of Night
Local 506
Nora Lincoln and Lauren Fitzpatrick rock out in the name of heavy metal like only girls can.
9 p.m., $5

7/7
CyTunes Benefit
Reservoir
Blag’ard, Pinche Gringo and Simeon unite on behalf of Cytunes and Tisch Brain Tumor Center. 10 p.m. Free

Categories
Arts & Music

Mill Calendar

ART
Carrboro

The ArtsCenter
Center Gallery: Pastel Society of NC. East End Gallery: “Don’t You Hear What I’m Not Telling You,” line paintings by Mandey Brown and Pottery by Jason Abide.

The Beehive
“Miss Bee-havin’” — works by the Beehive employees, Alison Nickles, Emma Cabrera, Kim Martin, Meredith-Gray Lipscomb, and Tonya Sink.

Carrboro Branch Library
“Faces of the Earth” — environmentally themed art from students, faculty & staff of Duke’s Nicholas School of the Environment.

Carrboro Century Center
The Artist and the Model – New oil paintings and drawings in mixed media by Steven Silverleaf.

Carrboro Town Hall

“Carrboro Greenways: Today and Tomorrow” — photographs by Dave Otto.

Fleet Feet Gallery
Call for information.

Jesse Kalisher Gallery
“The Smithsonian Collection” — Through July 9. “The Things We Build” — July 10-Aug 6

Categories
Arts & Music

Rising water, hurricane parties and a runaway pit bull

By Vicky Dickson

Chapel Hill’s Nic Brown might be the only writer around who sees the sale of his first book, Floodmarkers, as “the second-best thing that happened to me that day.” Given that Brown had also just completed the first draft of his second book (Doubles), he felt like one lucky guy on the day his first child, a daughter, arrived.