ASAP's Weekly Farmers Market Report - October 21, 2022

Fresh at Farmers Markets

: [link removed]
 
With temperatures dipping into the thirties this week, it’s time to fully embrace the bounty of hardy, fall produce at farmers markets! While beloved summer crops like tomatoes and peppers will be seeing their last week at markets, you can find a plethora of winter greens, beets, head lettuce, and cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage. 
 

There’s an abundance of hardy winter greens at markets this week, including some of our favorites like kale, spinach, and collards. While there are endless possibilities to use winter greens in your recipes, this creamy kale and butternut squash pasta is a great way to incorporate all kinds of market produce into a warm, autumnal meal. Start by bringing a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil, and cook one pound of penne pasta (or your preferred variety) according to package instructions. Reserve two cups of the cooking liquid, and drain the pasta. Then, bring a medium pot of water to a boil, and add one sliced sweet yellow onion and two cups of peeled and cubed butternut squash. Cook for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until the squash is very soft. Add two cups of chopped kale, and cook for two more minutes, until the kale turns bright green, then drain. Combine the cooked penne pasta and vegetables in a large pot over medium-low heat. Then add half a cup of creamy goat cheese and two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Slowly stir in the two cups of reserved cooking liquid, breaking down the goat cheese and cooked butternut squash. Mix until the sauce is thick and smooth. Combine the sauce with your reserved pasta. Winter squash and greens are widely available at markets.
 

Broccoli is another versatile vegetable that can add some flavor to any meal! Whether you roast it, sauté it, or enjoy it raw, broccoli will always be a staple in the kitchen when it’s in season. If you’d rather enjoy broccoli as your main dish, rather than just an ingredient in a recipe, try making these easy roasted broccoli steaks. Start by trimming two heads of broccoli, then slice from the stem into thick steaks. Toss the broccoli steaks with olive oil and salt, then roast on a preheated baking sheet at 450 degrees for about 15 minutes. While your broccoli cooks, whisk together one fourth of a cup of olive oil, two tablespoons of blood orange juice, one tablespoon of lemon juice, and one teaspoon each of salt and roasted red red pepper flakes. Drizzle your dressing over the roasted broccoli steaks, and top with chopped parsley, thinly sliced red onion, and crumbled feta cheese. You can find broccoli from Gaining Ground Farm : [link removed] and Full Sun Farm : [link removed] both River Arts District : [link removed] and North Asheville : [link removed] markets, as well as Maypop Farm : [link removed] at Asheville City Market : [link removed]. 
 

This roasted beet pesto is a great alternative to a classic basil pesto, and an easy way to add some color to your cooking! Start by washing and scrubbing one medium beet, then peel and cut roughly into cubes. Wrap the chopped beet into foil, making a packet, then place the foil packet on a baking tray and roast in a 375-degree oven for 40-50 minutes. While your beets are baking, roast half a cup of walnuts in a frying pan with one tablespoon of olive oil. Add the roasted beets and walnuts to a food processor or blender, along with three cloves of chopped garlic, half a cup of Parmesan cheese, two tablespoons of lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Pulse several times, then slowly add half a cup of olive oil and blend well. Your roasted beet pesto can be enjoyed with pasta or on sandwiches! Look for beets from Olivette Farm : [link removed] at Asheville City Market.
 

At farmers markets now you’ll also find apples, pears, ginger, turmeric, persimmons, carrots, turnips, radishes, potatoes, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, and much more. Markets are 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 at appalachiangrown.org : [link removed].

Feedback about Double SNAP for Fruits and Vegetables

: [link removed]
In 2022, ASAP continued to support Double SNAP for Fruits and Vegetables : [link removed] at eight markets in Western North Carolina. This program increases access to fresh, local food in our communities while supporting farmers and local food businesses. 
We're looking for feedback from SNAP farmers market shoppers, vendors at markets with Double SNAP, and community members. Please share your impressions about the program in a short (2 to 5 minutes) survey : [link removed]. This feedback helps us improve and sustain the program. All answers will be kept confidential.

Connect with Us

: [link removed] : [link removed] : [link removed] : [link removed] : [link removed] 
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

10/22
October Farm Tour at Hickory Nut Gap Farm : [link removed]
 

10/25
Preparing to Harvest: Skills for Food Systems, Board Development, and Grant Writing : [link removed]
 

11/6
Preserving Meat Workshop : [link removed]
 

11/11
An Appalachian Grown Harvest : [link removed]

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

Local Food &  Farm News

Making plans for the Thanksgiving holidays? The Asheville Citizen Times rounds up : [link removed] options, including local restaurants offering special menus, and a shoutout to ASAP's list of where to find a local turkey to cook yourself. 

"What is the quintessential WNC dish?" asks food writer Gina Smith in a Mountain Xpress column : [link removed]. Among the food experts she talks with is farmer Carolyn Edmundson of Edmundson Produce Farm in Mills River. Beans are what Carolyn suggests for the quintessential WNC dish. “We ate a lot of greasies when I was growing up,” she remembers, specifying that it was a shorter variety than the ones she currently grows. “We grow the long greasies, which are easier for picking.”
 

The restaurant Tall John's is opening in Montford with some local farms represented on the menu, according to the Asheville Citizen Times : [link removed]: "The fall chicories salad is made with grapes and sliced pear and radicchio sourced from local farmer Evan Chender of The Culinary Gardener. It's finished with a creamy pistachio vinaigrette."
 
Another Citizen Times article : [link removed], about the upcoming Food Truck Boot Camp offered by Empowering Mountain Food Systems, cites ASAP's Farm Tour as the inspiration for one farmer to get into the food truck game. “[In 2021] we had people coming back the second day [of the Farm Tour] just for the tacos. We sold out both days,” said Catherine Topel of Smoky Mountain Mangalitsa. “And then this year we had a repeat performance and people came and said, ‘I’ve been waiting for this all year. I’m coming just for the tacos—I want eight.’ We sold out again and sold maybe another 30%. It was a resounding success.”



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

Subscribe to this newsletter:
[link removed]
Unsubscribe [email protected]:
[link removed]
Change your preferences:
[link removed]
Forward to a friend:
[link removed]
Report this email as spam:
[link removed]

This email was sent using MyNewsletterBuilder.com.