Fresh at Farmers Markets This Week

It’s a great time to shop at farmers tailgate markets! We are seeing the season starting to transition from spring crops to summer. Spring’s finest such as asparagus, strawberries, and scapes are just ending, and early season summer favorites like squash, cucumbers, and tomatoes, are starting to pop up at vendors’ tables. Plus, broccoli, kohlrabi, and much more are hitting their peak.
What else can you find? Ten Mile Farm (Asheville City Market and River Arts District Farmers Market) and Paper Crane Farm (West Asheville Tailgate Market and Asheville City Market) are both selling cauliflower. Find beets courtesy of Blue Ribbon Farm (Asheville City Market and River Arts District Farmers Market), Aardvark Farm (Yancey County Farmers Market, Asheville City Market, and River Arts District Farmers Market), and Gaining Ground Farm (North Asheville Tailgate Market, Asheville City Market, and River Arts District Farmers Market).
Summer squash is back at markets, including patty pan squash, a wonderful variety that lots of farms grow in the region including Full Sun Farm (North Asheville Tailgate Market and River Arts District Market), Flying Cloud Farm (North Asheville Tailgate Market, Asheville City Market, and River Arts District Farmers Market), Aardvark Farm, and more. Try preparing patty pan squash by roasting it with garlic and fresh herbs. Or make squash pancakes utilizing onions and local eggs. You can serve squash pancakes with a simple tomato sauce, fresh basil, and with goat cheese from any number of local creameries at markets.
Strawberries are at their season’s end, but cherries, peaches, blueberries, and raspberries (both black and red) should be returning to markets in the next couple of weeks. Keep your eye out for these highly anticipated summer fruits and ask your farmers when you can expect them.
A new vendor at Asheville City Market is Serotonin Ferments, who is scheduled for every other week. They have several flavors of sauerkraut, kimchi, raw kraut crackers, beet kvass, shrubs (drinking vinegars), seasonal fermented pickles, and more. Say hello, and find out which local farms they are sourcing their ingredients from.
Area farmers tailgate markets take place throughout the region. As always, you can find information about when tailgate markets, farm stands, and other farms to visit, are open by visiting our online Local Food Guide.

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