The final holiday farmers markets of 2018 are upon us. The last Saturday markets of the year fall this weekend (December 15), and this coming Tuesday and Wednesday (December 18 and 19) are the last weekday markets. This is your chance to grab any last-minute holiday gifts from local farmers and artisans and to fill your pantries with local food items to get you through until January. To find holiday markets throughout other regions, visit the Farmers Market Closings and Holiday Dates.
Fresh at Farmers Markets
Start your shopping list and get meal inspiration each week with ASAP’s roundup of what’s fresh at farmers markets. Although this report focuses on vendors at Buncombe County markets, many products mentioned can be found at markets throughout the region. Want to get this report in your inbox each week? Subscribe to ASAP’s Weekly Farmers Market Report newsletter. Looking for a yearlong view? Check out ASAP’s produce seasonality chart.
Fresh at Farmers Markets This Week
Sure, holiday farmers markets are focused on gifts right now, but market shoppers still want to get groceries each week. What produce and gifts can you expect to find at area farmers tailgate markets now?
Fresh at Farmers Markets This Week
With the past week of Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday, it’s nearly impossible not to think about holiday shopping. Area farmers markets host holiday markets across the region to give you the opportunity to find the perfect gift, all while buying fresh, locally grown groceries.
Fresh at Farmers Markets This Week
Ask a group of friends, family, or coworkers what are their favorite Thanksgiving side dishes and watch as energetic debate (or emphatic agreement) ensue. Sure, turkey gets a lot of attention, but for many, side dishes are what make us the most excited for the holiday meal. Below are just a few ideas of side dishes to make using in-season produce from area farmers tailgate markets.
Fresh at Farmers Markets This Week
Thanksgiving is just around the corner and local turkeys are on the minds of head chefs of the home kitchen. Unfortunately, there is a very limited availability of local turkeys this year. Due to the closing of the nearest poultry processor last year, many farmers opted out of raising turkeys. What will anchor your Thanksgiving meal if you don’t cook a turkey?
Fresh at Farmers Markets This Week
If autumn happens without pumpkin flavor, is it even autumn? Though pumpkin flavored specials permeate our nation’s idea of the holiday season, many farmers and bakers will tell you that of all the winter squash varieties, pumpkins are among the least flavorful. So, are pumpkins really responsible for the symbolic autumnal flavor?
Fresh at Farmers Markets This Week
Halloween is just around the corner, and though produce typically doesn’t fit in the holiday’s emphasis on candy, there are plenty of creative sweet treats you can make at home using items from area farmers tailgate markets.
Fresh at Farmers Markets This Week
The extraordinarily wet weather we’ve had this year has impacted farmers’ crops in various ways. One result is that some rock star produce of early October farmers markets may be late to arrive; appear in much smaller quantities than past years; or not make it at all. Among these are cauliflower, broccoli, and romanesco. What are some alternatives to these favorites that you can find flush this fall?
Fresh at Farmers Markets This Week
This week is the very beginning of what’s considered to be kimchi season for Koreans and other kimchi enthusiasts around the globe. Kimchi is a fermented cabbage dish native to Korea and widely popular throughout the world. Mid-October to late November is known as gimjang (or kimjang) season, which is the name for the traditional production of kimchi. So, in the name of preservation and fermentation, we bring you suggestions of preservation recipes, using the produce at area farmers tailgates now.
Fresh at Farmers Markets This Week
Familiarity is often equated with comfort, and unfamiliarity, discomfort. But that’s not always the case — the unfamiliar can offer exciting and enriching new experiences. And, what is unfamiliar to one person (or culture) may be the most familiar to another, so it’s quite a relative designation. This week, we’re highlighting some potentially more unfamiliar items at tailgate markets right now.