Business & Tech
PHOTOS: Food Demos at Richfield Farmers Market a Win for Food Lovers
Attendees of the Richfield Farmers Market were treated to cooking demonstrations for two tasty dishes Friday and Saturday.
Local residents treated Richfield Farmers Market attendees to two unique and flavorful dishes from opposite ends of the world Friday and Saturday.
The best part?
Not only were the dishes healthy, nearly all of the ingredients could be found at Richfield's market. Of course, spectators were also able to taste the freshly prepared dishes.
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Salsa de Nopales
Richfield resident and student Stephanie Chavez was the first chef of the day Saturday, demonstrating a recipe from Emilio Avalos—also of Richfield—who said it was passed down to him by his mother.
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Salsa de Nopales, or Cactus Salsa, is a traditional Mexican dish. The interesting salsa is simple: tomatoes, cilantro, onions, jalapeños, a dash of salt and baking soda, of course, cactus.
Cactus may seem like an odd ingredient if you are not familiar with Mexican cooking, but it is a very healthy addition, according to Emilia Avalos, Emilio's daughter who was helping prepare ingredients.
“The cactus is very healthy ... and good for cholesterol," Emilia Avalos said. "[This recipe] is a good way to get your vegetables and your fiber.”
Emilio Avalos was on hand at the market on Saturday to give it his stamp of approval.
Vietnamese Tofu Spring Rolls
Thuy and Hai Nguyen-Tran, who are sisters that live in Richfield, demonstrated how to make Vietnamese Tofu Spring Rolls along with a tangy dipping sauce Saturday.
The attendees watched closely as the sisters folded and rolled the delicate, paper-thin sheets of rice around the ingredients to give the spring roll its signature look. While the dish was a vegetarian version, the chefs pointed out that you could add shrimp or chicken as well. Lettuce, basil and chives were among the fresh ingredients used that could be found at the market.
In addition, a free raffle was also held and the prize was a bag of fresh ingredients from the market, which could be used to make the two dishes.
The cooking demonstrations were sponsored by Bloomington Public Health and the , and funded with Statewide Health Improvement Program (SHIP) dollars. The recipes for both the dishes are attached to this article as PDFs.
