Fresh at Farmers Markets This Week

Shiitake Mushrooms

After weekend market closures, freezing temperatures and even some snow last week, we’re all itching to get back to our regularly scheduled farmers markets for some fresh, local produce! One veggie (or fungi, rather) you’ll be able to find year-round, no matter the temperature, are mushrooms! Local mushroom growers and cultivators are plentiful at winter … Read more

Fresh at Farmers Markets This Week

If you’re planning on sourcing locally for any holiday meals or end-of-year celebrations, make sure to visit your local farmers tailgate market this week, as they’ll be taking a break starting Dec. 23 through Jan. 2. While this week is the last for the West Asheville Tailgate Market, four markets will be opening back up … Read more

Shakshuka

shakshuka with tomatoes and eggs

Shakshuka was first prepared in North Africa and the Middle East after tomatoes were introduced to the region from the Americas in the 1500s. It’s popular as a breakfast food, but it also makes an easy and satisfying vegetarian dinner. Try substituting different types of peppers you like from the farmers market to see how … Read more

Fresh at Farmers Markets This Week

dyed brown eggs from Dry Ridge Farm

Ready to up your egg dyeing game this spring? Whether you are decorating eggs as part of an Easter tradition or to celebrate other springtime rites, farmers tailgate markets have lots of options. Shop for an assortment of sizes—from tiny quail eggs to giant goose eggs—for a unique basket.  If you visited Asheville City Market this past … Read more

Fresh at Farmers Markets This Week

kale sausage strata

Whatever holiday traditions you keep—opening gifts on Christmas morning or sleeping till noon on New Year’s Day—chances are you could use at least one great make-ahead breakfast dish in the next few weeks. You’ll need to do your local ingredient shopping this week, as farmers tailgate markets will take a hiatus between Dec. 22 and the first week in January. Two markets will continue through the winter. River Arts District Winter Farmers Market will return to Plēb Urban Winery Jan. 5 and ASAP Farmers Market will reopen at A-B Tech’s Asheville campus on Jan. 8.

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Fresh at Farmers Markets This Week

As eggplant joins the march of summer produce available at farmers tailgate markets, our thoughts are turning to Middle Eastern meze. You can easily fill several platters with a colorful combination of tomatoes, cucumbers, roasted squash and beets, babaganoush, hummus, tzatziki, eggs, olives, pickles, and pita for a feast. Or you could toss everything into a single pita for thoroughly satisfying sabich sandwich.

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Fresh at Farmers Markets This Week

new potatoes and summer squash

Freshly dug new potatoes in red, yellow, and purple are here! You really don’t need to do much to enjoy these. They are delicious on their own, salt-boiled or roasted with olive oil. But new potatoes also work well in simple salads that celebrate some of the best summer produce at markets now, including green beans, cucumbers, tomatoes, and more. Look for new potatoes from Full Sun Farm and Gaining Ground Farm at North Asheville and River Arts District markets; Sleight Family Farm at West and North Asheville markets; Root Bottom Farm at West Asheville Tailgate Market; Smallholding Farm at Weaverville and East Asheville markets; and Ten Mile Farm at ASAP Farmers Market.

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Fresh at Farmers Markets This Week

As a new flock of hens starts to lay, their first eggs are smaller, with firmer whites and more deeply colored yolks, than regular eggs. Not to be dismissed, these pullet eggs boast a richer flavor and creamier texture. For the next few weeks, these will be the only eggs available from Dry Ridge Farm at the ASAP Farmers Market. It’s a great chance to try something truly unique to farmers markets, as grocery stores stick to uniform, regulation sizes.

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Fresh at Farmers Markets This Week

radicchio

Maybe you’re still happily eating leftover pumpkin pie for every meal (no judgement). But chances are you need to restock your fridge to make a few lighter, healthier meals this week—say, salad. Fall greens are abundant at farmers markets right now, so there’s no need for these meals to be boring!

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Fresh at Farmers Markets This Week

Farmers market eggs, photo by Lauren Gallagher

It’s common for chickens to slow down their laying in January and February, meaning that eggs can rise to a new level of scarcity at winter markets. If you’re looking to score a dozen (or more), it’s best to get to market early and head straight for one of the following vendors. 

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