Despite the recent snow, area farmers tailgate markets are as full as ever with delicious and colorful fare. The fall produce is abundant including squash, roots, and greens. Some summer veggies are also still around, such as tomatoes and peppers, not to mention all of the breads, cheeses and other amazing goods available at markets every week.
Some of the first parsnips of the season have been spotted from Flying Cloud Farm (Asheville City Market, River Arts District Farmers Market, and North Asheville Tailgate Market). Though often overlooked as being a white carrot, a parsnip is not, in fact, a carrot, but rather a unique vegetable that deserves as much attention as its more colorful relative. Parsnips are to carrots as sweet potatoes are to potatoes: the sweeter, more flavorful, but less ubiquitous of the two. Great in soups, roasted, or sauteed, parsnips are a wonderful cold weather staple.
Typically thought of as summer produce, tomatoes are surprisingly still around. According to Chrisan from Blue Meadow Farms (Asheville City Market, Asheville City Market—South, and West Asheville Tailgate Market), there will likely be tomatoes all the way to Thanksgiving! Multiple farmers have tomatoes and peppers this late in the year due to season extension practices such as hoop houses. These tomatoes are still delicious and can make a great and unexpected addition to your Thanksgiving meal!
Nothing makes a dish more spectacular than to season it with fresh, whole herbs. Blue Meadow Farms has thyme, oregano and parsley, Gaining Ground Farm (Asheville City Market, River Arts District Farmers Market, and North Asheville Tailgate Market) has dill and cilantro, and Thatchmore Farm (North Asheville Tailgate Market and West Asheville Tailgate Market) has sorrel. Just remember when using fresh herbs that they are much stronger than their dried counterpart, and it’s best to start with a small amount first, and add as needed.
Thanksgiving is around the corner and area farmers tailgate markets have planned special holiday markets to make it easy to turn your Thanksgiving meal into a celebration of the local, seasonal harvest. We’ve compiled a list of holiday markets to make it easy to find them all!
For a complete list of Appalachian Grown™ certified tailgate markets browse our online Local Food Guide or online farmers market calendar.
Fresh at Farmers Markets This Week
