More chevre and — more times to shop — at Red Stick Famers Market

Red Stick Farmer’s Market regulars will remember the phenomenal farmstead goat cheese produced by Wanda Barras of St. Martinville, who returns to the market in coming weeks. Last month, the market added a new goat cheese vendor, Ryal’s Goat Dairy from Tylertown, Mississippi, which supplies well-textured plain and herbed chevre along with really interesting unsweetened classic-style goat’s milk yogurt. The yogurt’s thin consistency and natural tang make it useful in all sorts of recipes, including this solid tsatsiki, the Greek yogurt sauce made with garlic, cucumbers, lemon, salt and pepper and mint. As for the mild, salt-free plain chevre, I slathered it on slices of French boule with fresh Louisiana strawberries and mint, painted the exterior with a little olive oil and grilled it over charcoal. It worked even better when the goat cheese hooked up with whole preserved figs, available from market vendor Judy Piker. See photo of my Grilled Fig and Chevre Sandwich here.

The Market’s bounty is hefty right now, and will just get richer in coming months. A new mid-week market opens next Thursday, providing area shoppers with three chances to shop open-air throughout the week. See hours below.

Enjoy, and please eat local. Things just taste better when you do.

Market hours:

Red Stick Farmer’s Market

New! Thursday Mid-Week Market

Opens March 19

Grand Opening March 26

7246 Perkins Road, in front of PJ’s Coffee/Martin’s Wine Cellar across from Baton Rouge Clinic

9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Tuesday Mid-Week Market

8470 Goodwood Boulevard

Unitarian Church parking lot

8 a.m. to noon

Saturday Downtown

8 a.m. to noon

Fifth & Main Streets

Main Street Market (Indoors)

Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Saturday 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Maggie Heyn Richardson’s food writing has appeared in EatingWell Magazine, Taste of the South Magazine and on the public radio program, On Point. She is a regular 225 contributor.