Spring salad ingredients are stealing the spotlight at area farmers tailgate markets now. And we’re not just talking about the standards—although crisp local lettuces and radishes abound. Find everything you need for specialty side salads: slaw, pasta salad, even potato salad!
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Fresh at Farmers Markets This Week
Thanksgiving is the ultimate meat (or meat-alternative!) and potatoes meal, and who says spuds can’t be the star? Area farmers tailgate markets have the varieties you need to make the quintessential side stand out—whether you plan to mash, roast, or bake.
Look for fingerling potatoes, including the chef-favorite Russian Banana. These yellow banana-shaped ‘taters are known for their firm texture that holds up well to boiling, baking, and beyond. Also look for Green Mountain potatoes, spotted recently from Full Sun Farm at Montford Farmers Market and North Asheville Tailgate Market. Green Mountain was once the country’s most-popular baking potato, before the Russet took over the top spot. While only a few farmers grow the variety now, Full Sun promises that its unique buttery flavor is still the same.
Fresh at Farmers Markets This Week
It’s a pearfect week to pick up pears at area farmers markets! Asian pears have been spotted at tailgates around the region. They’re crisp (hence their nickname ‘apple pear’), juicy, and slightly sweet. They’re a tad tart, too, especially near their cores. Look for additional varieties in the coming weeks, and keep your eye out for vendor Fresh Pearspective to join Asheville City Market—and likely more markets—through the end of September. Last year, they offered both Bosch and Seckel pears.