Mother’s Day is Sunday and farmers markets are full of treats for the mother figures in your life—or to treat yourself!
Fresh cut, local flowers are bringing a riot of color to markets right now. Look for peonies, ranunculus, poppies, snapdragons, and more. You can find bouquets from Blazing Star Flowers (East Asheville Tailgate Market) Carolina Flowers (Asheville City Market), Full Sun Farm (North and River Arts District markets), Flying Cloud Farm (North Asheville Tailgate Market), and Lee’s One Fortune Farm (East, West, River Arts District, and Asheville City markets), among others. New Roots Market Garden (West and North markets) also has sweet little bouquets of chamomile flowers.
Looking for a floral gift that will last a bit longer? Consider giving flower starts or a flower CSA share for Mother’s Day. Or do both—Blazing Star Flowers has a Seedling Share CSA available. Sign up for a curated selection of starts to grow your own blooms, and get tips directly from the farmer (you can find her at East Asheville Tailgate Market). Other farms offering flower starts at market include B&L Organic (North Asheville Tailgate Market) and Full Sun Farm.
Sweets, of course, always make a lovely token of appreciation. Specialty items, like whimsically shaped macarons from Beeswax and Butter or small-batch popsicles from Buggy Pops, are particularly festive. Beeswax and Butter has rhubarb macarons this week, and will be at East, West, and River Arts District markets. Buggy Pops—with flavors like strawberry lemonade, matcha, and golden milk—can be devoured on the spot at East, North, and West markets or purchased with a freezer bag to save for later. They also have pup pops, for all the dog mamas out there!
You’ll also find plenty of pastries, from croissants to cookies, from vendors like Sweetheart Bakery (North Asheville Tailgate Market), Flat Rock Village Bakery (River Arts District Farmers Market), Simple Bread (Asheville City Market), and High Top Bread Company (East, North, and Weaverville markets).
Strawberries are still picking up speed, so plan to get to market early, especially on Saturdays, to score this treat. You can find strawberries from Lee’s One Fortune Farm, Full Sun Farm, Flying Cloud Farm, Headwaters Market Garden (Asheville City Market), Ivy Creek Family Farm (North and Weaverville markets), and McConnell Farms (North and West markets). You can also pick up strawberry plant starts from Bear Necessities Farm (Asheville City and West markets). There’s still time to get them in the ground for a small crop this season!
Note that North Asheville Tailgate Market is at Salvage Station this Saturday only, as UNC Asheville’s graduation takes place this weekend. Black Mountain Tailgate Market opens for the season this Saturday as well, from 9 a.m. to noon, at 130 Montreat Rd.
At farmers markets now you’ll also find an abundance of veggies, including carrots, turnips, radishes, sweet potatoes, potatoes, mushrooms, and greens like lettuce, kale, spinach, broccoli rabe, and bok choy. Markets are also stocked with a variety of meats, cheese, rice, pasta, bread, drinks, and prepared foods. Find more details about farms and markets throughout the region in ASAP’s online Local Food Guide.
|
|
More Markets Offer Double SNAP for Fruits and Vegetables
|
Two more markets will offer ASAP's Double SNAP for Fruits and Vegetables: River Arts District Farmers Market and Weaverville Tailgate Market.
This program supports access to fresh, healthy food in the community as well as increases sales for farmers and food businesses. As a SNAP customer, you swipe your EBT card for any amount, then receive that amount in SNAP tokens as well as an additional match in Farm Fresh Bucks, which can be used to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables.
Other types of SNAP incentive programs are offered at many other farmers markets throughout the region as well, though details vary by market. You can search for SNAP incentives and markets near you at appalachiangrown.org. |
|
|
ASAP's mission is to help local farms thrive, link farmers to markets and supporters, and build healthy communities through connections to local food.
|
|
|
|
|
The Utopian Seed Project will offer a Trial to Table: Spring Celebration event on May 14 at the Masonic Temple. Farmer-chef Jamie Swofford (Old North Farm) will conduct a purple sweet potato tasting of five different varieties. The event will also feature small plates from chefs Michelle Bailey (Smoky Park Supper Club), Cleophus Hethington (Benne on Eagle) and Erin Hughes (The Admiral/Leo’s House of Thirst). Read more in the Mountain Xpress food news roundup.
Edible Asheville features the Cultivating Community series by Wicked Weed's Cultura. “We can be more than just a restaurant,” says Executive Chef Eric Morris says. “We can be a space that’s welcoming, inclusive, that inspires people, gives people a platform to show off what they can do and also have it be a vehicle that benefits the community.” The series has identified a nonprofit, including ASAP, to benefit for each dinner.
|
|
|
|
|
