By Corinne Hansch
Locally grown produce always tastes good, and the fall season does not disappoint when it comes to peak of season produce. Fall offers an amazing array of root veggies, winter squash and pumpkins, onions, garlic, mushrooms, the last of the summer tomatoes and peppers, brassicas, and, of course, a diverse array of greens and herbs. If you didn’t know, brassicas include everything from the mustard family—including broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, brussel sprouts, radish, rutabaga, and kale.
The cool nights mean the local produce gets extra sweet. The cold temperatures cause a chemical reaction in plants to convert starches into sugars that act as a natural antifreeze. There’s really nothing like a fall dug carrot. Kale and collards lose their biting spicy/bitter taste of summer and get almost as sweet as candy.
It’s important to make sure that winter squashes like butternut, or kabocha, have cured for 2-6 weeks. Curing is as simple as letting them sit. The denser the squash, the longer the cure time. Delicata, acorn, and butternuts will be ready about 2 weeks after harvest, while kabocha’s take a good 6 weeks.
We are so blessed in Saratoga to have some epic local vegetable farms who grow for us. Owl Wood, Gomez Veggie Ville, Leaning Birch, Lovin’ Mama, Jacob’s Farm, Burger’s Market Garden, Kokinda, Old World Farm, Saratoga Apple, and Scotch Ridge Farm will be present at the final outdoor market on October 31 at High Rock Park. Growing produce into late October is no small feat, so come out and enjoy the gorgeous and nutrient dense local produce grown within a 50 mile radius of Saratoga Springs.
The trickiest thing is deciding what to eat. Beet salad with arugula and goat cheese? Carrot soup garnished with fresh herbs? Roasted rings of delicata squash topped with toasted pepitas? Pickled purple daikon radishes? Bok choy in ramen?
My recent obsession is this sweet and creamy kale salad with dates. OMG—it’s essentially kale dessert. Pair with a grass fed protein or mushrooms and toasted sourdough for a farmers market dinner. My other obsession – carmelized fennel and shallots.
This is the final week of outdoor markets at High Rock Park in Saratoga Springs! Join us Wednesday, 3–6 PM, and Saturday, 9 AM–1 PM, before the Saratoga Farmers’ Market moves indoors to the Wilton Mall Food Court on Saturday, November 7. The indoor market will be open Saturdays, 9:30 AM–1:30 PM. We hope you’ll join us as we wrap up the outdoor season and continue celebrating local food, farms, and community all winter long! Visit www.saratogafarmersmarket.org to sign up for our weekly newsletter and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
