With schools starting back up and many of us still without clean running water, preparing weeknight meals may be more of a challenge than usual. Savor the changing season and the last of the warm-weather crops with a few super simple meals your kids (and you) will love.
Cheesy quesadillas make a quick supper that’s always a hit—and sheet tray quesadillas make cleanup even easier. Sneak a combination of roasted veggies in with the cheese to make this a filling, healthy meal. Many farms still have peppers, like poblanos, available, plus you can use fall crops like sweet potatoes, winter squash, kale, or broccoli. Use the last of the season’s tomatoes to make fresh salsa with cilantro, scallions, and lime juice to top them off.
To make quesadillas, preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Cut whatever veggies you want to use into bite-sized pieces, toss them with olive oil and salt, and roast them on a parchment or foil-lined sheet tray. You can start longer-cooking vegetables, like winter squash, first, then add the quicker-cooking ones. You can even roast greens, like kale or broccoli leaves, this way! Greens will get crispy and add a nice smoky flavor to your quesadillas. Winter squash will cook for about 30-35 minutes; sweet potatoes and peppers for 20-25 minutes; broccoli and greens cook in about 10-15 minutes. Once your veggies are cooked, layer a spoonful of veggie mix onto a flour or corn tortilla along with cheese of your choice. Top with another tortilla. Repeat until you have enough quesadillas to feed everyone. Place the quesadillas on the sheet tray and bake them for six minutes. Flip and bake on the other side. (If the foil or parchment on the sheet tray has too many baked-on bits, replace it and thinly coat it with oil.)
Tomato soup and grilled cheese is a tried-and-true weeknight meal that’s especially comforting as cooler weather sets in. Look for the last of the tomatoes at farmers markets in the next week. Use a blender to make a creamy, no-cook soup that can be served at room temperature or heated up. Place six to eight quartered tomatoes (about a quart) in the pitcher of a blender. Add one torn-up slice of soft bread, half an onion, a clove of garlic, a pinch of fresh or dried herbs like thyme and oregano, and a cup of water or stock. Blend, drizzling in two tablespoons of olive oil, until everything is smooth. Add more water or stock to thin soup to desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Want to make it even easier? Look for frozen soups from Feast of Eden at West Asheville and River Arts District markets. The vegan soups include tomato-herb, potato-leek, butternut bisque, and oyster-mushroom chowder, with ingredients sourced from their farm in Marshall. Serve prepared soup alongside a vegetable-topped flatbread from Hominy Farm (River Arts District and North Asheville markets); ham and cheese croissant from Flat Rock Village Bakery (River Arts District Farmers Market); or savory quiche from French Broad Pantry (Asheville City or North Asheville markets).
As we move into Daylight Savings Time, look out for market time changes. West Asheville Tailgate Market hours change to 3:30 to 5:30 on Tuesday, Nov. 5. River Arts District Farmers Market hours change to 3 to 5:30 on Wednesday, Nov. 6. Enka-Candler Farmers Market has closed for the regular season, but will hold its holiday market on Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 16 and 17. Weaverville Tailgate Market will move back to the Weaverville Community Center beginning Nov. 6 and Biltmore Park Farmers Market extended their season on Thursdays through Nov. 21.
Remember that if you qualified for Disaster SNAP, you can use this benefit at farmers markets that accept SNAP—and get an additional $20 to spend on fruits and vegetables at markets participating in ASAP’s Double SNAP for Fruits and Vegetables. Visit your market information tent to find out more and to use your SNAP card to get tokens. Find more details about farms and markets throughout the region, including hours and location, in ASAP’s online Local Food Guide at appalachiangrown.org.
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ASAP's mission is to help local farms thrive, link farmers to markets and supporters, and build healthy communities through connections to local food.
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There are no new events on our Community Calendar at this time but stay tuned or post your own at
asapconnections.org.
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If you were able to qualify for Disaster SNAP to replace your lost food due to power outages during Helene, those benefits can be used at SNAP-accepting farmers markets. Restock your lost food while supporting local farmers!
Double your D-SNAP for fruit and vegetable tokens up to $20 per market visit at participating Buncombe County farmers markets. Head to your favorite market's info booth and use your issued SNAP/EBT card. Swipe it like a debit card and get tokens for the amount of money you want to spend.
For more information and to find SNAP incentive markets, head to asapconnections.org/snap.
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Photo at RAD Farmers Market in its relocation to Stein Mart.
Farmers markets maintain their reputation as community hubs and places that we can feel some sense of normalcy in our weekly routines. While there have been many changes to location, hours, and vendors at markets, shoppers are certainly happy to have these spaces back, even if a little different.
Citizen Times, Tiana Kennell, visited Asheville City Market and the North Asheville Tailgate Market last Saturday. Both markets reported that their vendors have been impacted: "We have some longstanding members who aren’t able to be here because of the devastation of Helene which is difficult because they’re a part of this family," says Jason Mogen of the North Asheville Tailgate Market.
Read more from the Citizen Times about how Buncombe County farmers markets are responding to these impacts.
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