Local farmers markets these days are selling lots more than tomatoes, peppers and eggplant. Just as shoppers become bored with the same old thing, many farmers look to challenge themselves with new crops.
Michael Hendricks, of Indian Ridge Farm in Clarksville in the northeast Georgia mountains, says adding turmeric to his offerings was the side benefit of a different plan. “We already had it in mind to grow ginger and the same company we got our ginger stock from was offering turmeric. We decided to give it a try,” he said. That first try was successful, so he’s now in his second year of bringing turmeric to market.
On Saturday mornings, you’ll find Hendricks at the Peachtree Road Farmers Market, selling produce from the three-acre farm. Fresh turmeric is also available at markets that serve an Indian or Asian customer base.
If you want to try growing turmeric on your own, Hendricks suggests it’s best to start with disease-free stock, and that means buying from a company that offers seed stock.
True to its tropical roots, turmeric requires a long growing season. “We sprout our turmeric in perlite, a non-soil medium, in March so that, by the end of April, it’s ready to go into the ground,” he said.
Growing, the turmeric resembles cannas, or canna lilies, with large tropical-looking leaves. As a matter of fact, the leaves are used as a wrap for steaming foods, just like banana leaves or corn husks, and Hendricks can supply turmeric leaves at the market if customers will place an order ahead of time.
Turmeric stays in the ground about six months before it’s ready to harvest. “You can dig it earlier, but we like to get it as close to mature as possible. The edible part is the rhizome, which comes up as one big mass. We break that mass apart into fingers,” said Hendricks. He should be bringing his turmeric to market just about now.
Each piece, or finger, of fresh turmeric is from 1 to 3 inches long with an orange-tinged beige skin and bright orange interior. Those who use the dried spice know that turmeric will stain your fingers, dish towels and cutting boards, and the fresh variety is no different.
Do his customers recognize it? “It’s kind of 50-50. The ones who know what it is are very excited to see it. Others don’t know what it is and don’t know what to do with it. I tell them I like it sauteed with other vegetables and our customers like Restaurant Eugene and Empire State South like to use it to make pickles,” Hendricks said.
Turmeric is widely used in Asian cooking. A simple Indian pickle is made from peeled turmeric, cut into small rounds or julienned and then marinated in fresh lime juice. A little bit of pickled or fresh turmeric added to rice dishes will both flavor and color the dish. In Thailand, it’s widely used in curries, soups and stir fries.
Hendricks also says that, every week he has it at market, he hears from more and more customers who value it for its medicinal properties. “I understand it’s good for balancing out blood pressure. There seems to be a laundry list of stuff it’s good for,” he said.
Fresh turmeric will keep several weeks in the refrigerator if it’s dry and stored in a plastic bag.
At local farmers markets
Cooking demos:
4 -8 p.m. Thursday, October 31. Chef Seth Freedman of Forage and Flame offers demos throughout the market. East Atlanta Village Farmers Market, Atlanta. www.farmeav.com
9 a.m. Saturday, November 2. Chef Hector Santiago of Abbatoir, working with turmeric. Also book signing by Anne Quatrano for "Summerland: Recipes for Celebrating with Southern Hospitality." Morningside Farmers Market, Atlanta. www.morningsidemarket.com
10 a.m. Saturday, November 2. Cookbook authors: Sheri Castle, Rebecca Lang and Virginia Willis. Peachtree Road Farmers Market, Atlanta. www.peachtreeroadfarmersmarket.com
For sale
Vegetables, fruit and nuts: apple cider, apples, arugula, Asian greens, beets, broccoli, broccoli raab, cabbage, carrots, celery, chard, chestnuts, collards, cucumbers, dandelion, eggplant, escarole, fennel, field peas, frisee, garlic, ginger, green beans, herbs, Jerusalem artichokes, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuce, muscadines, mushrooms, mustard greens, okra, onions, pea shoots, pears, peppers, persimmons, popping corn, potatoes, pumpkins, radishes, sorrel, spinach, spring onions, summer squash, sweet potatoes, sweet potato greens, tomatoes, turmeric, turnips, winter squash.
From local reports
Jenn Robbins’ Turmeric Lamb Tikka
Hands on: 30 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes plus marinating time
Serves: 10
Jenn Robbins is a big fan of turmeric. When pondering recipes for this column, she considered coconut and turmeric soup with sweet potatoes, yellow curry grilled chicken wings, golden split pea soup and turmeric and ginger pickled cauliflower. Turmeric Lamb Tikka was the “winning” recipe. She suggests if you’re using bamboo skewers for your tikkas that you soak them in water for at least an hour. This recipe is great served with rice pilaf, and the marinade is as good on chicken thighs as it is on lamb. Robbins has been with Avalon Catering for several years and is now going to St. Cecilia, a new restaurant opening in early December in Buckhead.
8 ounces (1 cup) plain Greek yogurt
6 medium-size turmeric roots (about 3 ounces)
1 small finger ginger, peeled (about 1/2 ounce)
2 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons lime juice
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon garam masala spice blend
2 1/2 pounds boneless lamb leg or shoulder, cut into 1-inch cubes
Scrub turmeric well. Using a microplane or medium grater, grate turmeric and ginger.
In the jar of a blender, make marinade by combining yogurt, turmeric, ginger, garlic, salt, oil, lime juice, cumin and garam masala. Puree. Reserve 1/4 cup marinade and refrigerate.
In a non-reactive bowl, combine lamb cubes and remaining marinade. Toss to coat evenly, cover and refrigerate overnight or up to 24 hours.
Preheat grill to medium heat.
Arrange meat on skewers. To prevent meat from rotating on skewers, use two skewers for each kebab.
When grill is ready, lightly oil grates. Arrange meat on grill. Rotate skewers every minute to cook evenly. Grill until done to your preference. Eight minutes total will yield medium skewers, 12 minutes for well-done. Drizzle with reserved 1/4 cup marinade just before serving.
Per serving: 250 calories (percent of calories from fat, 59), 18 grams protein, 8 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 16 grams fat (6 grams saturated), 65 milligrams cholesterol, 630 milligrams sodium.
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