If weather forecasts are correct, this coming Saturday is still going to feel like August, even though the calendar begs to differ. Mother Nature seems to be counterpointing our long and chilly spring with an even longer hot and steamy finale. But the world keeps turning and, hot or cool, the days are getting shorter; even if the thermometer doesn’t say so, a quick once-over of the produce tables will tell you…autumn is upon us.
We’ve finished with the sweet corn, and even though there were still some lingering local peaches to be had last week, apples, grapes and pears are at their peaks and will be all the way ’til frost…and sooner or later there will be frost. Winter is coming, Jon Snow.
Even our taste buds are giving us a nudge, watering now at the thoughts of belly-warming soups and stews, hot chocolate and hot toddies, made with some of Frecon’s rich, spicy cider; Mitchell & Mitchell’s dark reds; or one of Eight Oaks distilled apple libations. Listen to your taste buds, people!
Eat your vegetables! The FDA is telling us that healthy eating means that at least half of your dinner plate should be covered with fruits and vegetables…and lucky for you, here at the LFM, we’ve got you covered! Over at Green Zebra the cool weather lettuces we loved last June are back for a Fall reprise. You can’t miss ‘em…right next to those creamy white cauliflower heads. There are still some vine-ripened red and yellow tomatoes to be had, but don’t overlook those big greenies that are coming late to the party. Picked before their first blush, they’re just begging to be tossed in cornmeal, into the pan and onto your plate as that celebrity of southern cuisine…the fried green tomato! Or jarred up in a salty brine…here’s a recipe that takes “pickled” to another level, with a shot of bourbon! hic! No thanksh…I’m drivin’.
And just try walking past Frecon and Fruitwood Farms without picking up at least one of their four or five varieties of apples. Root veggies like beets and turnips, and vitamin-rich potatoes (don’t waste those skins!) make them not only easy, but delicious to eat healthy!
And squash, people! More than just door decor, this lumpy, bumpy, curved or squat specimen of the (nerd alert!) curcurbita family dates back over 10,000 years in the New World. The Narragansett people called them: “green thing eaten raw,” but today we prefer them steamed, baked or roasted, thank you very much. So if you’ve been puzzling this way and that, trying to figure out just what one does with a squash…let us help. You’re welcome!
But do go ahead and buy some extra just for show, to group with the mums you’ll be buying at Bonnie’s Wondergardens….dried over the winter and emptied of seeds, they’ll provide a welcome nest for those early spring arrivals.
We’re excited to announce a new vendor to the LFM! Welcome to Mama Rie’s Kitchen! At this point, I’m just gonna let Mama Rie’s kids do the talkin’: “Mama Rie’s Kitchen is a family-owned catering business. The owners are Keima, Whedai, Yattah, Gardeh and our mom Marie, the head chef, (aka Mama Rie). We serve authentic West African Soul Food. My mother’s wants to nourish the world the same way she nourished us — on soul food the African way!”
This is a Week 2 market. As always, go to our website or FaceBook page for the full schedule of vendors for the week.
In the Music Tent: The Lansdowne Symphony Orchestra’s String Quartet! Our apologies for the scheduling snafu a few weeks ago, but they’re worth the wait… and be sure to stop by the manager’s tent and pick up an LSO brochure. But don’t risk missing the deadline of Oct 17th…subscribe here and now!
Artist of the Week: Cathy Pregmon, with her Beads in the 4th Re-Invention is a perennial favorite at the LFM, featuring one-of-a-kind handcrafted jewelry featuring semiprecious stones and organic materials such as horn, bone, seeds, and nuts.
Upcoming:
Oct. 28 is Community Day and the end of the LFM’s regular season. It’s one of our favorite markets, when the kids can get an early start on their Halloween “trick or treating” at the vendors booths and make a guess at the candy jar. Market Bucks will be had. As for you grown-ups…lose those inhibitions and lose yourself in a disguise. I’ll see you there…but will you see ME???
November 18 from 9 to 1:00 will be our bonus Thanksgiving Market, when all of our vendors will be invited back for one last hurrah.
Then, from December thru April we’ll be here each 3rd Saturday from 10 until noon to satisfy your meat and comestible cravings. And to see all your faces, of course. We miss you already!
Special note to you leaf peepers out there…the recent dry spell had us a little worried, but this week’s rain may have salvaged the foliage season… brought to you in living technicolor! Happy Fall, y’all!
-Terry Baraldi, Happy I landed in Lansdowne