Cruciferous vegetables, also known as brassicas, are autumnal superstars. Broccoli, cauliflower, romanesco, cabbage, kohlrabi, and other varieties are just now beginning to come into full swing. Broccoli is back and other brassica are on their way!
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
The return of the root vegetables is imminent. Though some root veggies are around for most of the year — for example, potatoes last from midsummer harvests through their midwinter storage crops — other root vegetables come and go. Radishes and turnips have just begun to appear at farmers’ stands, and more (carrots, beets, sweet potatoes, etc) are on their way.
Fresh at Farmers Markets This Week
The first sweet potatoes always arrive later than the first winter squash. Once that initial squash makes an appearance, it’s only a matter of weeks before the sweet potato does, and for fans of these tubers, those weeks are a countdown.
Fresh at Farmers Markets This Week
Winter squash is beginning to take center stage at area farmers tailgate markets, along with the cooler temperatures and crisp, fall-like weather. There’s already a range of squash varieties. Kabocha, Delicata, Butternut, and Acorn are all here, ready to be roasted. These squashes have so much flavor, you need not add more than butter and … Read more
Fresh at Farmers Markets This Week
Long, hot summer days are fading into cooler evenings and the first hints of fall. That means a new crop of late-summer fruits at area tailgate farmers markets, even as you savor the last of the berries and peaches.
Fresh at Farmers Markets This Week
Of course, there is an abundance of food at area farmers tailgate markets. But that isn’t the only cornucopia — people and a sense of community abound at markets as well. There is something fulfilling and wholesome about seeing the same faces week after week, year after year. As a visitor or newcomer, you’re sure to be welcomed with smiles, conversations, and ready answers to questions. Food certainly makes markets, but they would be nothing without the extraordinary people who grow, raise, produce, preserve, bake, and bring all that food to us.
Fresh at Farmers Markets This Week
As it starts to feel increasingly more like late summer, preserving the flavors of summer looms larger in many minds. There are folks who are fantastic at preserving all season long — starting with jam from the first strawberries. And then there are others that do it inconsistently — some pickled beans here, some frozen peaches there. Of course, not everyone takes part; some folks prefer to buy fresh each week throughout the whole year, only eating summer’s bounty at the point it’s harvested.
Fresh at Farmers Markets This Week
Area farmers tailgate markets are full of delights to discover. On any given week, you can find locally grown and locally made treats that can surprise you, make you smile, and give you something to look forward to cooking or preparing when you get home.
Flowers. More and more produce farmers are growing and selling flowers at farmers markets. It’s a way for them to diversify their market offerings and attract pollinators to their farm. And for shoppers, it’s an opportunity to bring home something fresh and beautiful to decorate your home with each week, as well as an additional way for you to support local farmers.
Fresh at Farmers Markets This Week
Though there’s plenty of “back-to-school” talk, summer is still in session. There are two weeks left until most kids in the area go back, and that leaves enough time to pack in last-minute swimming excursions and grilling. At area farmers tailgate markets, local farms have all the goods to have a great cookout!
Pick your protein: farmers have locally raised meats including beef, pork, chicken, turkey, rabbit, lamb, and trout. Of course, the meat is the main event for a cookout, but let that not distract you from the classic summer side dishes that turn the meat into a full meal.
Fresh at Farmers Markets This Week
Tomato sandwiches can be a surprisingly contentious topic. There are the traditional minimalists who say that there is only one, true tomato sandwich: store bought white bread and mayonnaise, a thick-cut raw beefsteak tomato, and a pinch of salt. But, if you’re daring, there are many variations of the tomato sandwich worth giving a try, and with ingredients from area farmers markets, you might find the tomato sandwich that’s just right for you.