Long time no see, my fellow urban eaters!
So, it’s been a while… and it’s hard to know what to say. But above all the other feelings I have about being absent from market this fall, the one that stands out the most is “I’VE MISSED YOU!” Seriously, it’s been one crazy growing year, and heck, I got married in the midst of it all (which was totally awesome and great, by the way)! But you have no idea how bummed I was to miss out seeing you guys week after week. Your silly antics and encouragement and intentionality in coming religiously to market to buy local and fresh food are so so loved and make me weak with gratitude. So you can bet that when I realized I had enough this week to head to market one last time, I was beyond joyed! I can’t wait share our current bounty (and squeeze your cheeks if you’ll let me)!
Ok, let’s get to the food!
HELLO, SWEET PEPPERS! Where have you been all my life (and by ‘my life’, I mean this growing season)???? New life has been born into the pepper plants this fall to the point they are toppling over with fruit! And these knockout, heirloom babes are gorgeous to boot! Their golds, and deep blood reds and so-dark-purples-they-are-almost-blacks will certainly take any of your autumn comfort food to another level of gourmet (I’m looking at you, Grilled Bread Salad with Sweet Peppers and Onions). Or simply grab a bunch for chopping and freezing for winter soups or stir-frys.
And this pepper boom is not just for the sweeties among us. HOT PEPPERS are also off the charts! We will have four varieties ranging in heat. Our Pasillo Bajio peppers are long dark green to black/brown peppers that are traditionally dried and used in mole sauces. Though you can dry them and use them this way, they are a semi-mild hot pepper when used fresh and can be added liberally to just about anything you think needs a little heat. We have an heirloom Jalapeno pepper that make divine cheesy poppers, though are also great roasted and then frozen for your winter smoky heat needs (we add them to tomato soup). Fish peppers are a little smaller and are known for their hot-and-then-not qualities. They come in several colors, though many of ours have ripened to a cherry red (we love these in salsa). And last, but not least, we will be toting a few SUPER HOT Lightening Peppers that have habanero characteristics! These guys have been grown and developed by a Mennonite farmer in Pennsylvania, and man are these things out there! Be careful with these, because they will simply kick your butt if you add too much. You’ve been warned!
One thing you may have not been expecting are WILD AMERICAN PERSIMMONS that are dropping like crazy all over our property right now! Unlike their more popular Japanese relatives, these sweet fruits our native and grow wild from Kansas to the east coast, and are much smaller and maybe slightly more unattractive. And though many describe them as ugly sacks of pulp(…getting you hungry, aren’t I???), they really pack an exotic and downright delicious flavor, exuding notes of orangesicle and pumpkin pie! The pulp is really where it’s at, and once you squeeze it out (using a food mill works best) it can be turned into pudding (similar to bread pudding), sweet breads, or even pie. I’ll have some for sampling so you can try it out before snagging a pint!
And for those of you who aren’t done with pumpkin season yet, we will be toting a true Scrap Yard specialty! We will have several medium sized PUMPKINS that we are fondly calling Sweet Cheese Pumpkins, and damn are they delicious. Without any help from us, our Long Island Cheese Pumpkins and Sweet Greet Red Squash cross-pollinated last year (thanks, bees!) and grew a bumper crop of their new species of squash from our compost pile! We did plant several heirloom varities this year on purpose, but as of yet, they just aren’t fully ripened (that’s heirlooms for ya!). But frankly, who cares! These new Scrap Yard Specials grew nearly 30 pumpkins from just 4 plants! They have a similar shape to a Long Island Cheese pumpkin with soft-pink skin and subtle ribs, though they are packed full with the nutty-sweet flavor of the dearly beloved Greek Sweet Red squash. Like most pumpkins, they pack in the water, so when you roast them, simply drain it off the pan or strain the pulp in a fine-mesh sieve. I roasted one just this morning, and whew, that was a tasty breakfast! Take one home to try roasted up with other winter veggies, or save it and puree it later for thanksgiving pies, your choice.
And if that wasn’t enough, fall storage CARROTS and the last (and some of the only) HEIRLOOM TOMATOES will join the crew! Our tomatoes had an awful summer, but the fall has treated them a lot better. We’ll have several of my very favorite Dad’s Sunset variety, as well as a few Green Zebras, German Pinks, and a handful of Japanese Black Trifles and Hungarian Hearts. And though the carrots took a while to beef up in our clay soil, they are now fully plump and awaiting your culinary bidding. We will have two varieties, Nantes and Oxheart, both broad-shaped beauts that pack the sugar and the crunch. Grab some for now and some for winter storage.
Well, that sums it up! Let us feed you and yours one last time this fall! Can’t wait to see you there - hugs all around!
All my foodie love,
Farmer Kim
Scrap Yard Urban Farm