Connie Ash: Celebrate Flavors of Spring in NE Arkansas

Celebrate the Flavors of Spring

In Northeast Arkansas spring is a time for being outside, enjoying the warmth of the sun and the freshness in the air. 

In Blytheville, spring means it is time for the Farmer’s Market.  Several years ago Blytheville started looking for ways to draw people to Main Street. A once thriving place, where most of the city’s businesses were located, it was then sparsely lined with businesses among empty buildings and sidewalks.

Sitting on the west end of Main Street is a blue building prominently displaying a vertical sign with lighted letters, identifying the building as the Greyhound Bus Station.  The city and Main Street Blytheville organization has diligently worked to restore the building to its original grandeur. The building is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places; it is believed to be only one of three of a kind still in existence. Built in 1939, the building houses the local tourist information center, Main Street Blytheville, and now the Saturday morning Farmer’s Market.

Blytheville_Greyhound_Bus_Station

 

Not as large as some Farmers Markets, Main Street Farmers Market in Blytheville is a taste of small town Northeast Arkansas. You can buy fresh vegetables, locally baked goods and craft items.  On almost any Saturday morning, there will be coffee and homemade tamales available. 

blytheville farmers market

Being a vegetarian in a family of carnivores, I often try to cook recipes that will bring my meat-eating family members over to the vegetarian side. One of my family’s favorite recipes is fried spinach artichoke balls. My boys never make fun of my vegetables served up southern fried.

Print
Fried Spinach-Artichoke Balls

Ingredients

  • 9 ounces fresh green spinach, sautéed with a pinch of salt and pepper
  • 1 (6.7 ounce) jar artichoke hearts (drain and pat dry)
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 2 loves minced garlic
  • 1 cup plain panko
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 lemon, cut into slices
  • 1 pinch coarse salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 cups canola or sunflower oil

Instructions

  1. Sautee the green spinach in a skillet lightly coated in vegetable oil add a pinch of salt and pepper cook till wilted. Drain well on a paper towel.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the spinach, artichoke hearts, mozzarella, Parmesan, mayonnaise, garlic, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
  3. Place bowl in the freezer for 10 minutes to firm.
  4. Place the panko, eggs and flour in 3 separate,small bowls.
  5. Roll the spinach mixture into 1-inch balls.
  6. Lightly roll in the flour, shaking off any excess.
  7. Dip each ball in the egg wash, then lightly roll around in the panko.
  8. Fry in hot sunflower oil until golden brown, about 3 minutes total.

Notes

If you ever in Blytheville, Arkansas stop the Grey Hound Bus Station. We would love to have you visit our little corner of Arkansas. Connie

https://arkansaswomenbloggers.com/connie-ash-celebrate-flavors-of-spring-in-ne-arkansas/
 

Connie_AshConnie is a 50-something wife, mother, Nana, doggie mom, vegetarian, living in the small community of Blytheville, AR. located in the far Northeast corner of the State. She shares a home with her husband aka The Big Man, 14 rescue dogs and 10 chickens. Collectively they have five adult near-perfect children and five perfect grandboys and 5 awesome granddogs. Connie is a family nurse practitioner and manages a free health clinic (Great River Charitable Clinic). She and the Big Man also own and operate Bed and Biscuit Boarding. Connie is an active member of the Blytheville Humane Society. Her lbog Scrapbook Wife chronicles her journey to live a balance simple life making her little corner of the world a better place to live.

Twitter

Facebook