ASAP's Weekly Farmers Market Report - November 20, 2020

Fresh at Farmers Markets

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Thanksgiving dinner is often a meal centered around abundance—many dishes, crowded tables, perhaps some long-distance travel, and (hopefully) plenty to be grateful for. This year, of course, will be different for lots of folks. Maybe a turkey and all the fixins is overkill for your small family. Maybe you’re only cooking for yourself while Zooming into a larger gathering elsewhere. Maybe you simply need to say no to any added stress, particularly the kind that makes a mess of your kitchen. 
 
Shopping for whatever size meal you need at farmers tailgate markets can be a way to focus on food and community and find opportunity for gratitude. If you’re sticking with tradition, you’ll find many of the ingredients you need, including apples, potatoes, sweet potatoes, pumpkin and winter squash, eggs, greens, carrots, celery, sausage, cheese, and bread at markets. But if you want some inspiration for a single dish that gets at the essence of Thanksgiving without committing to the whole shebang, we have a few suggestions.
 

Want something that fulfills your pie and main course needs all in one? Try a savory galette—such as sweet potato and goat cheese or greens and mushrooms (or all of the above). A galette is a freeform version of a pie and usually simpler to pull together. (Hint: it’s supposed to look messy.) Get mushrooms from Black Trumpet Farm : [link removed] (North Asheville Tailgate Market : [link removed] and River Arts District Farmers Market : [link removed]) or Asheville Fungi : [link removed] (ASAP Farmers Market : [link removed] and West Asheville Tailgate Market : [link removed]). Find goat cheese from Three Graces Dairy : [link removed] (North Asheville Tailgate Market : [link removed], West Asheville Tailgate Market) or Spinning Spider Creamery : [link removed] (North Asheville Tailgate Market, River Arts District Farmers Market). 
 

Love the melded flavors of dressing? Make it the whole meal by stuffing an Italian sausage-apple-rice version into a winter squash. A medium acorn or small butternut squash sliced in half will feed two (or one with leftovers). Get rice from Lee’s One Fortune Farm : [link removed] (ASAP Farmers Market, Black Mountain Farmers Market, West Asheville Tailgate Market, and River Arts District Farmers Market). Want to add some crunch? Full Sun Farm : [link removed] (North Asheville Tailgate Market and River Arts District Farmers Market) has local hazelnuts. 
 

You can Google “sheet tray Thanksgiving” to find all sorts of ingenious tips for cooking the entire meal at once on a single tray—turkey breast on top of stuffing on one side, marshmallow-topped sweet potatoes and bacon-y green beans on the other, parker house rolls running down the middle. But we think you can make this even easier by simply roasting a small chicken or pork loin and an assortment of your favorite market veggies. Carrots, beets, and fennel would be a great combo, or kohlrabi, apples, and winter squash. 
 

Find more details about farms and markets throughout the region, including special holiday hours, in ASAP’s online Local Food Guide : [link removed].

Find Your Local Christmas Tree

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Did you know that nearly 20 percent of live Christmas trees sold in the U.S. are grown in Western North Carolina (second only to Oregon as a tree-producing region)? Many of those tree farms open their season as early as this weekend. Not traveling for the holidays this year? All the more reason to make a memorable family outing to find the perfect tree. Find Christmas tree farms : [link removed] throughout the region and other Appalachian Staycation : [link removed] ideas.

Connect with Us

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appalachiangrown.org : [link removed] | fromhere.org : [link removed]
asapconnections.org : [link removed] | growing- : [link removed] : [link removed]
 
Donate to support local food, strong farms, and healthy communities today! : [link removed]
 
ASAP's mission is to help local farms thrive, link farmers to markets and supporters, and build healthy communities through connections to local food.

Upcoming Events

11/28
Small Business Saturday Market -Travelers Rest Farmers Market : [link removed]
 

12/1
Community Conversations: Racial Wealth Gap Simulation : [link removed]

View the full calendar : [link removed] of events.

ASAP on the Air

: [link removed] Local farmers have been working all year to bring a fall feast to your table. Meet the farmers who grew the bounty on your Thanksgiving plate in this episode of Growing Local : [link removed]. You can listen to all Growing Local episodes on SoundCloud : [link removed], iTunes : [link removed], or on ASAP's website : [link removed] & Farm News

Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina's support for ASAP's Appalachian Farms Feeding Families program was featured on its blog : [link removed] as well as by Charlotte's WSOC-TV : [link removed] and Morganton News Herald : [link removed].


North Carolina Health News : [link removed] took a look at female migrant farmworkers who have had to bring their children to work during the pandemic. 

Benne on Eagle has a new chef. Malcolm McMillian takes over for Ashleigh Shanti, who is stepping down to pursue other projects, reports the Asheville Citizen Times : [link removed].



ASAP (Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project) - 306 W. Haywood Street - Asheville - NC - 28801

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