The big food news out of Orange County this week is that Chapel Hill will have its own farmers’ market beginning April 5. Farmers of Orange (farmersoforange.org), a new group, has partnered with A Southern Season (University Mall, 201 S. Estes Drive, Chapel Hill, 929-7133, www.southernseason.com) to establish the South Estes Farmers’ Market in the store’s parking lot (fronting South Estes Drive) on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon.
Charles Holeman, co-owner of Flat River Nursery in Timberlake and the group’s vice president, says there will be about 20 farmers and vendors to begin the season. A wide variety of seasonal produce will be available, as well as meat and cheese.
Most members of the group, Holeman said, were longtime vendors at the Hillsborough Farmers’ Market, but became dissatisfied with the management there. Efforts to found another market culminated in the deal with A Southern Season, he said.
(Click here for the Indy‘s list of all Triangle farmers’ markets.)
The North Carolina Folklife Institute created NCFOOD (ncfolk.wordpress.com) to feature news about upcoming food events in North Carolina, and blogging by North Carolina historian David Cecelski. The deal is this: If you’re a historian, you gotta travel the state, right? And if you’re traveling you gotta eat. Cecelski is “a closet chowhounda connoisseur of little country cafes, old recipes and backyard barbecues.”
Now he’s sharing his finds with us. Check out these delicacies: molasses gunger, pine top tea, poke salad and dandoodle. And submit your own contributions as well. “It’s our hope that visitors to the site will comment on articles and share your own recommendations and recipes (there’s space to do this at the end of each article), and mark on the site’s Platial map your own favorite restaurants, stores, produce stands, festivals, community suppers and more.”
Locopops (286-3500, www.ilovelocopops.com), those makers of Mexican paletas in fun flavors, expanded once again. Originating from 2600 Hillsborough Road in Durham, the store now has outlets in Chapel Hill (431 W. Franklin St.), Raleigh (1908 Hillsborough St.), and soonthey hope by March 15Hillsborough (121 W. Margaret Lane). All locations are open noon to 9 p.m. daily.
Also in Raleigh, Red Room Tapas Lounge (510 S. Glenwood Ave., Raleigh, 835-1322, www.redroomraleigh.com) will host a Spanish wine and cooking class from noon to 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 15. The class will focus on Spanish paprika, saffron, chorizo, Spanish cheeses and shellfish dishes, and also include a discussion of three Spanish wines. Each participant will receive a take-home bag that will include ingredients for a traditional Spanish meal and Spanish wine. Cost of the class is $50 per person, and 10 percent of all proceeds will be donated to the American Heart Association. For more information or to sign up online, visit www.rockytophospitality.com.
Know about a special food happening in the Triangle? Send it to Now Serving at food@indyweek.com.
