This time of year marks a sweet spot where summer devolves into fall and we get to enjoy the best of both worlds. Fall officially kicks off next week, ushering in cool mornings, community campfires, and fall food staples like sweet potatoes, squashes, apples, cauliflower, onions, cabbage, and leafy greens. While we eagerly await these arrivals and jump at the chance to get some early fall harvests, we are also tending to preserving the last of the summer crops of which there are still plenty at market.
Over the next couple of months, a wide variety of sweet potatoes will work their way into area markets. These beloved tubers arrive in waves because they need to cure after they’re harvested. Curing builds up their skin to make them keep in storage longer, and it allows for the starch to convert to sugars making them sweeter. Curing involves keeping the sweet potatoes in a warm and humid environment for multiple weeks. Farmers do this before bringing their sweet potatoes to market so that shoppers don’t have to worry about it.
In the meantime, preserving the last of our summer bounty has our kitchens bustling. From pickling and canning, dehydrating and oven-roasting, or freezing for a fast fix, preserving makes your market haul go further and keeps you enjoying local produce year-round. Some of our favorite summer fruits and vegetables that are still plentiful at market and make great candidates for various preservation methods are tomatoes, corn, beets, summer squash, peaches, nectarines, figs, apples, pears, and okra.
We just picked up a delicious technique for preserving okra seeds—pickling for a luscious okra caviar. Around this time of year, okra pods may become overgrown and fibrous, no longer desirable for traditional fresh cooking methods. However, this creates the ripe opportunity for pickling the seeds in a mix of water, vinegar, sugar, salt, and mustard seeds. For a quick addition to dinner, start by boiling a pot of water with mustard seeds for 2 minutes and then strain. In another pot, mix vinegar, water, and spices and bring to a boil. Then, add the okra seeds and mustard seeds, simmering until the brine has thickened slightly. Check seeds for tenderness and cook until they have the firm texture of caviar. Let cool and serve. For a traditional slow-pickling method, mix all of the ingredients in air-tight containers and let sit for a few weeks until the okra seeds reach the desired texture. Sprinkle on to any dish, especially as a garnish for your favorite fish, or serve on fresh bread or croutons for a crowd-pleasing appetizer.
Ask your market farmers about their preferred preservation techniques and favorite recipes! At farmers markets now you’ll also find tomatoes, eggplant, potatoes, beans, summer and winter squash, apples, pears, leafy greens, mushrooms, and much more. Markets are also stocked with farm-fresh eggs, cheese, bread, pastries, drinks, and prepared foods. There are more than 100 farmers tailgate markets throughout the Appalachian Grown region. Find them, as well as farms and other local food businesses, in ASAP’s online Local Food Guide.
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Farm Tour Is This Weekend!
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A few tips and reminders, if you're heading out to the Farm Tour this weekend:
Sustainabillies / Two Trees Farm is no longer on the tour. The road to approach the farm was damaged during Tropical Storm Fred and is not safe.
Map your route and print directions. Cell service & GPS can be spotty on rural roads. Need help? You can find a Google map and driving directions to all the farms.
Pack your gear! That includes rain and sun protection, closed-toed shoes, water bottle, cash, and a cooler for any farm purchases.
Bring a mask. We ask that all visitors wear a mask indoors and recommend them outdoors, especially in groups when social distancing is difficult.
Take pictures! Tag @asapconnections and use the hashtag #asapfarmtour. Submit your favorite photos after the tour to win a pass to Farm Tour 2022. ( Contest details here.)
Leave pets at home! They can pose a danger to livestock.
Don't have your pass yet? Get it now here! All passes must be purchased online; there will be no on-farm cash sales during the tour. |
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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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News about ASAP's Farm Tour was all over the media in advance of the tour this weekend.
Asheville FM talked to ASAP events coordinator Erica Shanks. "The tour is about getting to know not only your food, but getting to know your farmer," she said. Listen here.
Asheville Area Focus on Mix 96.5 talked to ASAP communications manager Sarah Hart about how to plan your Farm Tour weekend. "Basically choose your own adventure and decide which farms you are going to visit" using the descriptions on ASAP's website or in the free printed Farm Tour guide. Listen here.
And, finally, The Mountaineer focused on the farms in Haywood County, talking to farmers Danny Barrett of Ten Acre Garden and Catherine Topel of Smoky Mountain Mangalitsa.
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