ASAP's Weekly Farmers Market Report - December 10, 2021

Fresh at Farmers Markets

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Are you a DIY gift maker (or baker)? Or perhaps in need of something special to bring to a holiday gathering? Sweet treats abound this time of year, but don’t overlook the savory and snackable gift. Shopping at farmers tailgate markets can be great inspiration!

Start with a batch of flaky and buttery herb crackers. You can make these with any combination of herbs you find at markets now. We’ve spotted fresh sage and thyme from The AppaLatin Farmstead : [link removed] (North Asheville Tailgate Market : [link removed]) and dried lavender from Lunar Whale Herbs : [link removed] (ASAP Farmers Market : [link removed]). Rosemary, oregano, or chives would also be great. 

To make the crackers, finely dice a tablespoon of herbs, reserving and handful of whole leaves or flowers. Cube 6 1/2 tablespoons of butter and freeze it for 10 minutes. In a food processor, pulse 1 1/4 cups flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, the minced herbs, and the very cold butter. Transfer to a bowl and sprinkle in two tablespoons of ice water. Knead until dough just comes together. Press into a disk, wrap in plastic, and chill for at least 30 minutes. Roll out the dough to between 1/8 and 1/4 inch, depending on how thick you want your crackers. Cut into rounds with a 2-inch biscuit cutter or into squares with a knife and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Top with herb leaves or flowers and lightly press into the dough. (Just-washed herbs with a bit of water still on them will stick best.) Bake at 350 degrees until the crackers start to turn pale gold, about 15-20 minutes. 

Pair your crackers with local cheese and homemade jam. For a sweet-and-savory fall option, try onion jam. Slice about a pound of red or sweet onions. Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a pot and cook onions until deeply golden and caramelized, about 15 minutes. Add herbs or spices if you want, plus half a cup of sugar or other sweetener and half a cup of balsamic or cider vinegar. Keep stirring and cooking over a low heat until jam thickens. Season with salt and let cool. You can preserve onion jam by processing in canning jars in boiling water, or just keep refrigerated. Look for onions from Ten Mile Farm : [link removed] at ASAP Farmers Market or Full Sun Farm : [link removed], Flying Cloud Farm : [link removed], and Gaining Ground Farm : [link removed], all at North Asheville Tailgate Market, among others. 

Options for cheese abound at markets, including vegan cheese from Däre (North and West Asheville : [link removed] markets); pimento cheese in various flavors from Ali Rae Foods (ASAP and Weaverville : [link removed] markets); and local farm cheese from Spinning Spider Creamery : [link removed] (North Asheville and River Arts District : [link removed] markets), Three Graces Dairy : [link removed] (ASAP, North, and West Asheville markets), and Lane in the Wood Creamery (Weaverville Tailgate Market). 

At markets now you can also find winter greens like kale, collards, and mustards as well as lettuce, cauliflower, turnips, radishes, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and mushrooms. Markets are also stocked with farm-fresh eggs, meat, rice, pasta, bread, pastries, drinks, and prepared foods. Find more details about farms and markets throughout the region, including special holiday hours, in ASAP’s online Local Food Guide at appalachiangrown.org : [link removed].

Get in the Local Food Guide!

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Every year, ASAP calls more than 1,400 businesses to update our Local Food Guide and CSA guide so that we get the most accurate information about connecting with local food and farms. You can update your listing yourself online (click login in the upper right of appalachiangrown.org : [link removed]) or over the phone with ASAP staff. The deadline to be included in the print Local Food Guide is Jan. 31 (or Dec. 31 for CSA farms).⁣⁣Have a new farm, restaurant, retail outlet, or other locally sourcing food business that you want to be listed? Go to appalachiangrown.org : [link removed] and click Get in the Guide.⁣ An online listing is completely free.

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

1/4-1/13
2022 Cuba Agroecology Tour with Organic Growers School : [link removed]
 

2/26
ASAP’s Business of Farming Conference : [link removed]

Find more upcoming events (or post your own) at fromhere.org : [link removed].

Local Food &  Farm News

The Mountain Xpress : [link removed] interviewed ASAP founder and co-director Charlie Jackson about the local food movement and ASAP's origins. “It’s hard to remember what it was like 20 years ago, but there was not much that you could buy that was grown locally. When we started promoting the idea of local food, it was pretty new. Asheville’s growth and development and the whole region around food and its connection to farms all developed together."

The Magnolia Network's From the Source TV series with Curate chef Katie Button has featured several farms in the region, including Lee's One Fortune Farm in Marion and Green Heart Orchard in Hot Springs, as well as the Western North Carolina Center for Honeybee Research. “I am particularly excited about the honey episode, which is a tribute to the late Laurey Masterton, a local chef in Asheville who was very influential to me and who passed away from cancer a few years after Cúrate opened," Button told the Mountain Xpress : [link removed]. Episodes are available online : [link removed] with a subscription to the Magnolia Network, but you can sign up for a seven-day free trial.



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

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