Mt. Pleasant Farmers’ Market

What a great season! Seven months of fresh food, friendly farmers, music, free bike clinic, face painting, gorillas, and beautiful weather. This Saturday will be our last day: pick up your turkey, get veggies for the Big Dinner, stock up on meat and vegetables that will freeze well, snag some end-of-season bargains, give well wishes to your favorite vendors, enjoy some FREE hot cider and hot chocolate (bring your own mug or thermos!), get some last minute advice on winterizing your bike, and take a hard look around so you can submit comments and suggestions for an even better market in 2010.

We’ve got some sales this weekend!

• Painted Hand Farm is slashing the price on goat and veal bones to $2/lb. Make your own stock! It’s stupid easy and it makes all your winter soups richer and warmer and healthier. The goat bones are extra meaty and the veal stock makes a lighter, silkier broth than regular old big beef bones. Sandy Miller will be on hand to answer all your questions about stocking up on meat and making stock.
• Panorama is bringing $2/lb bags of toasted bread cubes for stuffing.
• Panorama Bakery is selling sliced deli loaves 3 for $15 - put them in the freezer!
• Discounted cases of that warm weather sparkle locked inside Quaker Valley Orchard’s tomato sauce and strawberry jam.

Noteworthy Event:
What do you think of a Columbia Heights Farmers’ Market over at that fancy new fountain plaza thing?  Not to replace MtPFM, of course, different day. Join the Columbia Heights Community Marketplace Committee on Saturday from 10-12 (I know, right during market) at 3233 14th St NW for a Planning Workshop to give your input! Get more information from CHCommunityMarketplace@gmail.com.

Happenings at market:

• Kathryn Quanbeck and Friends (the tall lovely ladies) are back for one last round of music at market.
• Farmers’ Market Bike Clinic: Air, Oil, Advice, and More. My little brother Alex from San Francisco is volunteering this weekend!  Ask him about riding up hills. We think we know, but we don’t.
• Want to hear about the biggest farmers’ market in the country? Come listen to my little sister Juliet go on and on about her new hometown, Madison, WI. Actually, don’t listen to her, she’s a devil, but pick her brain for GREAT ideas for Thanksgiving dinner.

Seasonal foods:

Tree and Leaf Farm: Baby carrots make a beautiful Thanksgiving table garnish! Roast the baby Bull’s Blood beets and serve with Keswick Bovre on salad. Fingerling potatoes are tender and delicious roasted. Small and elegant cauliflower heads with delicate greens roast beautifully and were the star of last year’s Thanksgiving dinner at my house when my sister roasted them with a single anchovy laid across the top. Tasty and tender broccoli and Brussels sprouts.Winter squash. Savoy cabbage, Blue Wonder cabbage, mixed kale, collards, mixed chard, golden frill mustard greens, red dandelion greens and escarole. Arugula, arugula/cress mix, salad greens, frisee. Italian parsley and rosemary. Haukeri tunips, Hinona Kabu turnips, daikon radishes. 2-fer sale on green Luobo, China Rose, Watermelon, blue Hildebrau, and Red Neck autumn/winter radishes. Mix and match with greens. Sale on hot peppers and sweet green peppers.

Truck Patch Farms: Cauliflower, broccoli, kohlrabi, Brussels sprouts on the stalk and loose, savoy and green cabbages, turnips, radishes, and beets with their greens. Arugula, kale, mesclun. Yukon Gold potatoes, white potatoes, and several colors of sweet potatoes. Stock up on butternut and acorn squash - they make handsome and reassuring mounds in a big basket in your pantry. Green tomatoes and a few red tomatoes from cold storage. Stock up on meat! All cuts of pastured pork and Black Angus grass fed beef. Pastured eggs.

Richfield Farm: Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, turnips, rutabagas, beets, potatoes. Broccoli, green, orange, purple and white cauliflower, and Romesco. Savoy and green cabbage. Swiss chard, collards, kale, toscano kale and tat-soi. Acorn and butternut squash.

Groff’s Content Farm: Family farm raises 100% grass-fed and -finished lamb and beef, pastured Berkshire pork, beautiful pastured eggs and chickens. Pet treats. Try the linguica - a smoked Portuguese sausage that I’ve used in gumbo AND Chinese stir fry, how versatile!

Painted Hand Farm: Naturally-browsed goat meat cuts: chops, roasts and whole heads for Goat Head Soup. Seriously. I promise to try it this winter. Humanely-raised “rose veal”, meaning the young male calves who were destined for a miserable dark CAFO were re-routed to Sandy’s pastures. German-Style Bratwurst links and pork-free sausages.

Keswick Creamery: Raw milk cheeses, blue cheese, feta, ricotta, quark and yogurt, and chocolate pudding.

Quaker Valley Farm: Apple butter. Honeycrisp Applesauce in Apple Strawberry, Apple Apricot, Spiced and No Sugar. Apple cider. Apples, including new this week: Pink Lady. Spaghetti squash and pumpkins. Sweet potatoes and onions. White Kennebec and red Pontiac potatoes are both great mashing potatoes. Tomato sauce, jam, honey, popping corn. Ask about case discounts on jam and tomato sauce to get you through the winter!

Reid Orchard: Pears and at least 20 varieties of apples - ask about apples that’ll store well. Ciders in apple grape, cherry, and pear. Apple butter and sauce. Canned peaches with no sugar added.

Atwater Bread: Organic sourdough and yeasted breads: Peasant Wheat, Caraway Rye, Cranberry Pecan, Kalamata Olive, traditional San Francisco Sourdough, Ciabatta, Country White, Chili Cheddar, French Baguette, Spelt, Sunflower Flax, and more. Brownies, cookies, scones, muffins, and granola.

Panorama Bakery: SALE! Any 3 sliced deli loaves for $15! Multigrain, whole wheat with oats, sourdough, rye. Lightly toasted bread cubes $2/lb for stuffing! Plus baguettes, croissants, pain au chocolat, danishes, sticky buns, apple turnovers, mini ciabattas, hamburger buns, cheese rolls.

Cherry Glen Goat Cheese Company: Last week was their last week at Mt P for the season. They’re at 14th and U this weekend, and Takoma Park Farmers’ Market on Sundays all through the winter!

Please bring your own bags for shopping.

I’m back from New Orleans where the citrus grows on trees and they sell shrimp from the Lake at the farmers’ market. I envied those, but we have better apples! Play Stump-The-Orchardist with Caitlin at Reid Orchard - she’s like a wine pairing expert but for apples. For example, “I want an apple that’s tart, and has a lot of snap, but is still really sweet and will go great with cheddar, but is relatively unknown and has a cute name.” Caitlin will have an answer AND an opinion.

Apples really are seasonal - you’ll be able to get some of your favorite apples like Fuji, Pink Lady and Golden Delicious from Quaker Valley Orchard all winter at their other markets, but now is the time to enjoy the apples you won’t see again ’til next year: Honeycrisp, Gala, Ida Red, York, Mutsu and more.

My Thanksgiving strategy for these last two weeks is to buy what keeps well this week, like potatoes and onions, then get the rest on the last weekend.  You just don’t want to miss out on local potatoes by waiting until the last minute! The Adventures In Shaw blog has a great article on sourcing your dinner locally. These last two weeks are also your chance to stock up on products that will you’ll miss over the winter or can use for holiday gifts next month: apple butter, canned peaches, jams, apple sauce, honey.  All the meat cuts will freeze nicely: ask about the freezer shelf life of different cuts.Happenings at market:

• The weather is going to be GORGEOUS tomorrow. Mid-50s means cute hats and no rain means ride your bike down!
• At 9am we’ll have Banjer Dan back on the scene! And at 11am we’ll have the sweet voice of Annabeth Roeschly.
• Farmers’ Market Bike Clinic: Air, Oil, Advice, and More. Confer with other bikers on what to wear to DC’s first ever Tweed Ride on Sunday at 11am! It is exactly what it sounds like, and it will be beautiful. You still have time to hit the thrift store for a blazer, cardigan, vest AND cap.

Seasonal foods:

Truck Patch Farms: Cauliflower, broccoli, kohlrabi, Brussels sprouts on the stalk and loose, savoy and green cabbages, turnips, radishes, and beets with their greens. Arugula, kale, mesclun. Red and white potatoes, sweet potatoes - orange, white, and an unusual, small, dark orange variety. Winter squash: butternut, acorn and spaghetti. Green tomatoes and a few red tomatoes from cold storage. All cuts of pastured pork - I’ll be stocking up on bacon! Black Angus grass fed beef - the roasts are outstanding and simple. Don’t be scared by big chunks of meat: you can roast them up in a couple hours and serve small portions all week. Even the traditionally tougher cuts make great thinly sliced roast beef to serve with eggs for breakfast or put on sandwiches for work. Pastured eggs. Order in advance at order@truckpatchfarms.com for chickens. Last chance to get your name on the turkeys list! Bryan is raising the standard Broad Breasted White raised on pasture and grubs. Almost any size you want, but small ones are running out fast.

Tree and Leaf Farm: Brussels sprouts, the best broccoli ever grown, small, white cauliflower heads. Gorgeous, long, slender, purple-shouldered, Hinona kabu Japanese turnip is great raw, cooked, or…pickled?? Common in Japan - just put turnips in a bath of 1-to-1 sugar and vinegar, add a pinch of salt, and refrigerate. Comes with lovely tender greens. Hakurei salad turnips, succulent arugula, salad greens with edible flowers. Fingerling potatoes and winter squash. GREENS: escarole, golden frill mustard, chard, kale, collards, and cabbage. ALL the winter radishes. A few more green sweet peppers and hot peppers. Italian parsley. Oak leaf hydrangea leaves make a dramatic bouquet with beautiful large leaves that turn to brilliant shades of red, orange, yellow and burgundy in the Fall.

Quaker Valley Farm: Apple butter. Honeycrisp Applesauce in Apple Strawberry, Apple Apricot, Spiced and No Sugar. Apple cider. Apples. Spaghetti squash and pumpkins. Sweet potatoes and onions. White Kennebec and red Pontiac potatoes are both great mashing potatoes. Tomato sauce, jam, honey. Ask about case discounts on jam and tomato sauce to get you through the winter!

Groff’s Content Farm: Family farm raises 100% grass-fed and -finished lamb and beef, pastured Berkshire pork, beautiful pastured eggs and chickens. Plus tasty pet treats. Pretty sure they’re sold out on turkey orders, but double check in person, maybe there’ll be a cancellation.

Painted Hand Farm: Full line of all naturally-browsed goat meat cuts: whole legs, leg steaks, shoulders, burgers, chops. Humanely-raised “rose veal”, German-Style Bratwurst links and pork-free sausages.

Richfield Farm: Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, turnips, rutabagas, and beets in every color. Potatoes. Broccoli, green, orange, purple and white cauliflower, and Romesco. Savoy, green, and red cabbage. Swiss chard, collards, kale, toscano kale, dandelions and tat-soi. Winter squash.

Keswick Creamery: Raw milk cheeses, blue cheese, feta, ricotta, quark and yogurt, and chocolate pudding.

Reid Orchard: Bosc pears. Apples, including the last few Honeyscrip. Ciders in apple grape, cherry, and pear. Apple butter and sauce. Canned peaches with no sugar added.

Atwater Bread: Organic sourdough and yeasted breads: Peasant Wheat, Caraway Rye, Cranberry Pecan, Kalamata Olive, traditional San Francisco Sourdough, Ciabatta, Country White, Chili Cheddar, French Baguette, Spelt, Sunflower Flax, and more. Brownies, cookies, scones, muffins, and granola.

Panorama Bakery: Baguettes, croissants, pain au chocolat, sliced loaves, danishes, sticky buns, apple turnovers. Mini ciabattas.

Cherry Glen Goat Cheese Company: Last chance to buy this wonderful goat cheese. Thanksgiving dinner cheese platter, either for dessert with pears and apples, or as appetizers during the day to tide guests over ’til the Big Meal.  Or glaze baby beets and serve them with goat chevre as one of the million side dishes.

Please bring your own bags for shopping.

I’m in New Orleans this week and thought about substituting the newsletter with a list of what’s in season here! Turns out it’s mostly the same except they’ve got boiled peanuts, citrus, alligator sausage, frog legs and papaya trees too. My daughter Ruby and I followed the Day of the Dead parade along Decatur to the Mississippi River on Monday night and walked with a bicycle coffin pedaled by a top-hatted skeleton boy and his pet rooster - a Bywater Bantam that he’s breeding himself in the city. They’re allowed to do that here.  We also passed a man walking his pet hog one night. The rooster was small, handsome and calm (parade ready!), the ladies are shiny black and lay small blue eggs.

Have fun at market tomorrow with Jess and Jody! See you next week, and then again on our last day, November 21st!

Happenings at market:

• At 9am The Mountaineers are back! And at 11am we’ll have Kathryn Quanbeck and Friends
• Farmers’ Market Bike Clinic: Air, Oil, Advice, and More.

On to the seasonal foods:

Truck Patch Farms: Brussels sprouts, arugula, kale, spinach, mesclun, radishes, a few peppers and tomatoes, red and white potatoes, broccoli, savoy and green cabbage, white cauliflower, winter squash, and green tomatoes. All sausages, all cuts of pastured pork. Black Angus grass fed beef. Eggs. Order in advance at order@truckpatchfarms.comfor chickens. Start placing orders for turkeys now! Bryan is raising the standard Broad Breasted White raised on pasture and grubs for moister, more flavorful meat.  Almost any size you want, but order early to get small ones!

Tree and Leaf Farm: New this week: Brussels sprouts and cauliflower. Hakurei turnips, succulent arugula, salad greens with edible flowers. Beautiful broccoli and fingerling potatoes. Winter squash. Chard, kale, collards, and cabbage. Winter radishes in green, pink, green AND pink, purple, black and Daikon white. Last few sweet peppers and hot peppers are coming out of the fields. Italian parsley and rosemary plants.

Quaker Valley Farm: Honeycrisp Applesauce in Apple Strawberry, Apple Apricot, Spiced and No Sugar. Apple cider. Bosc, and Red and yellow Bartlett pears. Fuji, York, Imperial, Jonagold, Mutsu, Rome Beauty, Honeycrisp, Gala, Gold, and Ida Red apples.Winter squash and pumpkins. Sweet potatoes, onions and potatoes. Tomato sauce, jam, honey, apple butter, eggs, and popping corn.

Groff’s Content Farm: Family farm raises 100% grass-fed and -finished lamb and beef, pastured Berkshire pork, beautiful pastured eggs and chickens. Plus tasty pet treats. Order turkeys for Thanksgiving - they’ll have standard Broad Breasted Bronzes raised on pasture in the 15-25 pound range and several heritage breeds including Narraganset White, Violets, and Bourbon Reds in the 12-20 pound range. Email Julie at jtbolton1958@gmail.com.

Painted Hand Farm: Full line of all naturally-browsed goat meat cuts: whole legs, leg steaks, shoulders, burgers, chops. Humanely-raised “rose veal”, German-Style Bratwurst links and pork-free sausages.

Richfield Farm: Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, turnips, rutabagas, radishes, and red, yellow, and chiogga beets. Potatoes. Broccoli, green, orange, purple and white cauliflower, and Romesco. Savoy, green, and red cabbage. Swiss chard, collards, kale, toscano kale, dandelions and tat-soi. Winter squash.

Keswick Creamery: Raw milk cheeses, blue cheese, feta, ricotta, quark and yogurt, and chocolate pudding.

Reid Orchard: Grapes, apples, ciders in many flavors, including grape, cherry, and pear.

Atwater Bread: Organic sourdough and yeasted breads: Peasant Wheat, Caraway Rye, Cranberry Pecan, Kalamata Olive, traditional San Francisco Sourdough, Ciabatta, Country White, Chili Cheddar, French Baguette, Spelt, Sunflower Flax, and more. Brownies, cookies, scones, muffins, and granola.

Panorama Bakery: Baguettes, croissants, pain au chocolat, sliced loaves, danishes, sticky buns, apple turnovers. Mini ciabattas.

Cherry Glen Goat Cheese Company: Great goat cheese every other week - this weekend they’re at the 14th & U Farmers’ Market.

Please bring your own bags for shopping.

Need an extra excuse to don your Halloween party hat? We’ll start the festivities first thing in the morning on this rare Halloween Farmers’ Market Saturday! Hot apple cider at the manager’s booth to keep your tummy warm - bring your own mug! Prize for Best Non-Pumpkin Jack O’ Lantern! Pumpkin decorating for the wee set. GREAT music! Face painting! Any painters’ tips go straight to fundraising to bring Remote Area Medical to DC - they are a volunteer Corps of doctors, nurses, vets, and pilots who provide free health care, dental care, eye care, and veterinary services to remote and underserved areas.

Meanwhile, the Brussels sprouts are IN! My sister Juliet now of Madison, WI turned me into a lifelong fan of the adorable little cabbages by roasting them with olive oil and salt, and maybe a splash of balsamic vinegar to get a little caramelized crust on ‘em, but seriously, they are naturally sweet when cooked in the oven. Throw all the loose leaves in the roasting pan too, my little brother Alex (6 foot 3 inches little) loves the crispy burnt bits.

Happenings at market:

• At 9am Gabe and Julia will be bringing us that classic MtP market sound with banjo and fiddle.
• Then at 11am, just in time to make your skeleton rattle, Son Cosita Seria from Veracruz, Mexico is back to show us how to really celebrate the Day of the Dead .
• Farmers’ Market Bike Clinic: Air, Oil, Advice, and More. Thanks for all the volunteers and turnout over the last few crummy weekends, I’m so happy to see that the biking doesn’t stop!

Noteworthy Events:

City Blossoms is hosting a Fall produce cooking demo at the Girard Children’s Community Garden in Columbia Heights (near 14th and Girard). This Saturday, October 31 from 10-11:30 with Chef Jamie Forsythe of B Bistro. Check out their gorgeous garden and get some great ideas for what to do with all the harvest bounty at your farmers’ market!

On to the seasonal foods:

Truck Patch Farms: Brussels sprouts, arugula, kale, spinach, mesclun, radishes, tomatoes, a few peppers, red and white potatoes, broccoli, savoy and green cabbage, white cauliflower, winter squash, and green tomatoes. All sausages, all cuts of pastured pork. Black Angus grass fed beef. Eggs. Order in advance at order@truckpatchfarms.com for chickens. Start placing orders for turkeys now! Bryan is raising the standard Broad Breasted but they’re raised on pasture and grubs, not grain stuffed and confined, giving them moister, more flavorful meat.

Tree and Leaf Farm: Perfect Hakurei turnips, succulent arugula, salad greens with edible flowers. Beautiful broccoli and fingerling potatoes. Carnival winter squash. Chard, kale, collards, and cabbage. New winter radish varieties: Green Luobo, China Rose, Purple Hilds Blauer, Watermelon, Black and Daikon. Sweet peppers, hot peppers, green tomatoes. Italian parsley, rosemary plants, dahlias.

Quaker Valley Farm: Try samples of Fredi’s Honeycrisp Applesauce this weekend! Comes in Apple Strawberry, Apple Apricot, Spiced and No Sugar. Delicious apple cider that you can try hot up at the manager’s table. Bosc, and Red and yellow Bartlett pears. Fuji, York, Imperial, Jonagold, Mutsu, Rome Beauty, Honeycrisp, Gala, Gold, and Ida Red apples.Winter squash and pumpkins. Sweet potatoes, onions and potatoes. Tomato sauce, jam, honey, apple butter, eggs, and popping corn.

Groff’s Content Farm: Family farm raises 100% grass-fed and -finished lamb and beef, pastured Berkshire pork, beautiful pastured eggs and chickens. Plus tasty pet treats. Ask about ordering turkeys for Thanksgiving.

Painted Hand Farm: Full line of all naturally-browsed goat meat cuts: whole legs, leg steaks, shoulders, burgers, chops. Humanely-raised “rose veal”, German-Style Bratwurst links and pork-free sausages. See the WaPo article featuring Painted Hand Farm’s Sandy Miller this week!

Richfield Farm: Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, turnips, rutabagas, radishes, and red, yellow, and chiogga beets. Potatoes. Broccoli, green, orange, purple and white cauliflower, and Romesco. Savoy, green, and red cabbage. Swiss chard, collards, kale, toscano kale, dandelions and tat-soi. Maybe some brocolli rabe that self seeded from last year. A few tomatoes and green and red peppers andgreen beans left. Winter squash. Fresh or dried flower bouquets depending on if it rains Friday. Gourds, little pumpkins, Jack o’ Lanterns and ornamental corn.

Keswick Creamery: Raw milk cheeses, blue cheese, feta, ricotta, quark and yogurt, and chocolate pudding.

Cherry Glen Goat Cheese Company: Beautiful goat cheeses - crotins, ricotta, chevre. Ash, Silver, and Chipotle are creamy and rich, Gold is like a wedge of firm brie.

Reid Orchard: Grapes, apples, ciders in many flavors, including grape, cherry, and pear.

Atwater Bread: Organic sourdough and yeasted breads: Peasant Wheat, Caraway Rye, Cranberry Pecan, Kalamata Olive, traditional San Francisco Sourdough, Ciabatta, Country White, Chili Cheddar, French Baguette, Spelt, Sunflower Flax, and more. Brownies, cookies, scones, muffins, and granola.

Panorama Bakery: Baguettes, croissants, pain au chocolat, sliced loaves, danishes, sticky buns, apple turnovers. The mini ciabattas were perfect for breakfasts this week with egg salad and bacon and a bit of lettuce.

See you in the morning! Please bring your own bags for shopping.

You need a big jug of apple cider to warm on the stove, spiced up with cinnamon sticks and cloves and ginger. You might not believe me, but served with a pat of butter floating on top, it’s extra warming.

Meet local blogger Gansie of Endless Simmer at the market this Saturday!  Ask her about shopping at farmers’ markets in even the worst weather. Plenty of tents to hide out under, very grateful vendors, and come ask at the manager’s table for a spare heat pack for your gloves! Bring your own thermos of hot coffee and look around for something Irish to liven it up.

If it’s not too cold for accordionist fingers, your neighbors Rick and Mara of the Lamont Street Deluxe will play for us at 9am, then Pat Breslin at 11am. The Farmers’ Market Bike Clinic will still be on with Air, Oil, Advice, and More. They’re under a brand new tent with fancy walls!

Cherry Glen Goat Cheese Company: Beautiful goat cheeses - crotins, ricotta, chevre. Ash, Silver, and Chipotle are creamy and rich, Gold is like a wedge of firm brie, that I have to hide from my children. As I discovered in Alexandria last weekend, Cherry Glen cheeses are carried at all the fanciest fromageries.

Quaker Valley Farm: Winter squash and gorgeous, unusual pumpkins. Sweet potatoes. Apple cider. Red and yellow Bartlett pears. Jonagold, Mutsu, Rome Beauty, Honeycrisp, Gala, Gold, and Ida Red apples. Sweet onions and red potatoes. Tomato sauce, apple sauce, jam, honey, apple butter, eggs, and popping corn.

Groff’s Content Farm: Family farm raises 100% grass-fed and -finished lamb and beef, pastured Berkshire pork, beautiful pastured eggs and chickens. Plus tasty pet treats. Sunday after next, October 11th, is Family Fun Day at the farm - ask the girls about it at market!

Painted Hand Farm: Full line of all naturally-browsed goat meat cuts: whole legs, leg steaks, shoulders, burgers, chops.  Sandy’s goat meat is never gamy because they feed on field forbes and not grain. Similar to venison: lean and flavorful. Perfect for slow Fall braises: think crockpot with dried apples or pears, onions, potatoes and turnips. Also, humanely-raised veal, German-Style Bratwurst links and pork-free sausages.

Truck Patch Farms: Stir fry mix, chard, curly kale, arugula, salad mix, and lettuce. Mint, chives, garlic chives, and dill. Hot peppers, tomatoes, summer and zucchini squash. Green beans and broccoli. Black Angus grass fed beef, pastured pork products and eggs. Order in advance at order@truckpatchfarms.com for chickens.

Reid Orchard: Apples: Haralson, Stayman, Ida Red, Nittany, Macoun, Cortland, Fameuse Snow Apple, Honeycrisp, Gala, Golden Supreme, Jonagold, Pinova, Yataka, Northern Spy, Cox Orange Pippin. Cider.

Richfield Farm: Kohlrabi, radishes, red beets and turnips. Potatoes. Broccoli, green, orange, purple and white cauliflower, and Romesco. Savoy, green, and red cabbage. Swiss chard, collards, kale, toscano kale, dandelions and tat-soi. Tomatoes, green and red peppers, eggplants, zucchini and summer squash. Green beans. Flower bouquets. Gourds, little pumpkins, and a few Jack o’ Lantern pumpkins.

Keswick Creamery: Raw milk cheeses, blue cheese, feta, ricotta, quark and yogurt, and chocolate pudding.

Tree and Leaf Farm: Winter squash, fingerling potatoes, salad mix, arugula, collard greens, chard, kale, and Mei Qing bok choi. Broccoli and cabbage. “Watermelon”, daikon and black radishes. Sweet peppers, hot peppers, eggplants, and green tomatoes. Italian parsley, rosemary plants, dahlias and broom corn.

Panorama Bakery: Baguettes, croissants, pain au chocolat, sliced loaves, danishes, sticky buns, apple turnovers. The mini ciabattas were perfect for breakfasts this week with egg salad and bacon and a bit of lettuce.

Atwater Bread: Organic sourdough and yeasted breads: Peasant Wheat, Caraway Rye, Cranberry Pecan, Kalamata Olive, traditional San Francisco Sourdough, Ciabatta, Country White, Chili Cheddar, French Baguette, Spelt, Sunflower Flax, and more. Brownies, cookies, scones, muffins, and granola.

Please bring your own bags for shopping. See you Saturday, rain or shine!

Last night we had Truck Patch Farm Bottom Round Roast Beef with smashed instead of mashed Yukon Gold potatoes - boiled and lightly broken up with butter and salt - didn’t want to lose those tender and pretty skins.  The Roast Beef was easy: rubbed with salt and herbs, cooked at 170 for 2 or 3 hours, sliced very thin. I swear I’m going to try the recipe from Todd Gray of Equinox that was in this month’s Flavor (pick up a brand new free copy at the manager’s table): Roasted Squash and Potato ravioli with ricotta from Keswick Creamery.  The kids specifically requested heart shaped ravioli.

I have never seen my son eat so much as he did last night of roasted Quaker Valley Orchard white sweet potatoes.  They discolor quickly upon peeling - next time I’ll try them unpeeled, but you can also toss them in olive oil right away.  It doesn’t matter anyway once you roast them and they turn a brown caramel sweeter than sugar.  Serve with roasted fingerlings to keep it from tasting too much like dessert!

I’m also crazy for risotto this time of year, and it’s the best use for roasted squash after you get sick of the soups! Please let me know your favorite use, because I have a LOT of it in my fridge, and I’m not as savvy about the muffin, bread, pie, and custard options.

Happenings at market:

• This weekend only, the Renaissance Youth Bike Shop will be holding their Bike Adoption Gala Fundraiser at our market!  Dozens of quality refurbished bikes will be available for you to adopt for very reasonable suggested donations.  They’ll have a wide range of mountain bikes, cruisers, ten speeds and more at this fundraiser for an amazing local youth program.  Take a sneak peak at their inventory by visiting “older entries” at www.renaissancebikes.org. Plus, check out their mobile bike shop with fresh mural artwork!
• At 9am Banjer Dan is back with his entertaining set - be sure to ask him for his creepy Halloween songs!
• Then at 11am, Dan Schramm and Friends will ply us with more market tunes.
• Farmers’ Market Bike Clinic: Air, Oil, Advice, and More. Even in the rain, there’ll at least be air and oil!

Noteworthy Events:

DC Food For All is throwing a fundraising party Saturday night, Oct 24th, from 5p-9p at the super awesome Big Bear Cafe in Bloomingdale at 1st and R Sts NW. Plentiful food and drink (the very best coffee in town), music, speakers, networking with other food access geeks! Proceeds will go to support the DC Food Finder (www.dcfoodfinder.org), an interactive map of food resources in DC. RSVP at dcfoodforall@gmail.com.

On to the seasonal foods:

Tree and Leaf Farm: Last week for those lovely Italian turnips - tender and mild in an easy Italian Turnip and Rice Soup. Brussels sprout tops are a fun green to cook with this week. Winter squash, fingerling potatoes, salad mix, arugula, collard greens, chard, kale, and Mei Qing bok choi. Broccoli and cabbage. “Watermelon”, daikon and black radishes. Sweet peppers, hot peppers, eggplants, and green tomatoes. Italian parsley, rosemary plants, dahlias and broom corn.

Quaker Valley Farm: New this week: Bosc pears. Winter squash and gorgeous, flavorful pumpkins. Sweet potatoes. Apple cider. Red and yellow Bartlett pears. New apples are Fuji and York Imperial. Jonagold, Mutsu, Rome Beauty, Honeycrisp, Gala, Gold, and Ida Red apples. Sweet onions and red potatoes. Tomato sauce, apple sauce, jam, honey, apple butter, eggs, and popping corn.

Groff’s Content Farm: Family farm raises 100% grass-fed and -finished lamb and beef, pastured Berkshire pork, beautiful pastured eggs and chickens. Plus tasty pet treats.

Painted Hand Farm: Full line of all naturally-browsed goat meat cuts: whole legs, leg steaks, shoulders, burgers, chops.  Sandy’s goat meat is never gamy because they feed on field forbes and not grain. Similar to venison: lean and flavorful. Perfect for slow Fall braises: think crockpot with dried apples or pears, onions, potatoes and turnips. Also, humanely-raised veal, German-Style Bratwurst links and pork-free sausages. Watch the WaPo for an article on Sandy next Wednesday.

Truck Patch Farms: Hot peppers, stir fry mix, chard, curly kale, arugula, salad mix, and lettuce. Mint, chives, garlic chives, and dill. A very few tomatoes, summer and zucchini squash. Cucumbers and yellow, purple, and green beans. Broccoli. Black Angus grass fed beef, pastured pork products and eggs. Order in advance at order@truckpatchfarms.com for chickens.

Reid Orchard: Concord and indigenous North American Catawba grapes. Wonderful ciders in many flavors! New varieties of apples: deep dark red Black Limbertwigs are described as spicy and aromatic, crisp Pink Lady, and Golden Delicious.

Richfield Farm: Kohlrabi, radishes, red beets and turnips. Potatoes. Broccoli, green, orange, purple and white cauliflower, and Romesco. Savoy, green, and red cabbage. Swiss chard, collards, kale, toscano kale, dandelions and tat-soi. Tomatoes, green and red peppers, eggplants, zucchini and summer squash. Green beans. Flower bouquets. Gourds, little pumpkins, and Jack o’ Lantern pumpkins.

Keswick Creamery: Raw milk cheeses, blue cheese, feta, ricotta, quark and yogurt, and chocolate pudding.

Panorama Bakery: Baguettes, croissants, pain au chocolat, sliced loaves, danishes, sticky buns, apple turnovers. The mini ciabattas were perfect for breakfasts this week with egg salad and bacon and a bit of lettuce.

Atwater Bread: Organic sourdough and yeasted breads: Peasant Wheat, Caraway Rye, Cranberry Pecan, Kalamata Olive, traditional San Francisco Sourdough, Ciabatta, Country White, Chili Cheddar, French Baguette, Spelt, Sunflower Flax, and more. Brownies, cookies, scones, muffins, and granola.

Cherry Glen Goat Cheese Company: Beautiful goat cheeses at 14th&U Farmers’ Market this weekend.

See you in the morning! Please bring your own bags for shopping.

The Jack-o-lanterns are coming next week, but this weekend you can indulge in fancy pants pumpkin prettiness for your porch: imagine a pile of small, orange, nubby Kabocha squashes tumbling down the stairs, an orange Cinderella pumpkin perched like a fairy tale coach with some vines around it (time to yank out all that nasty invasive porcelain berry anyway), the smoky blue Jarrahdale pumpkins and the creamy beige Cheese pumpkins are like nothing anybody else on your block has, and Baby Pan pumpkins look like miniature Jack o Lanterns stretched across the dining room table.  Heck, get creative an add some acorn, butternut, and spaghetti squashes to the picture. But the very best thing is that these are all outstanding eating pumpkins - pull one in from your porch when you get a hankering for roasted pumpkin soup, pumpkin pie, pumpkin custard, or this vegan Thai Pumpkin Curry (if you can’t stand a meal without meat, I think this would be great with chip steak).Happenings at market:

• 9am Crystal Bailey and Rob Greenway with Irish music, then at 11am, Will McKindley-Ward will be strumming your market tunes on guitar.
• Farmers’ Market Bike Clinic: Air, Oil, Advice, and More. Also at 14th&U, Bloomingdale, and H Street!

On to the seasonal foods:

Keswick Creamery: Raw milk cheeses, blue cheese, feta, ricotta, quark and yogurt, and chocolate pudding.

Tree and Leaf Farm: Last week for young, tender ginger! Salad greens with edible nasturtium flowers. Beautiful mild arugula. Collards, kale and chard. Maxibel French filet beans, Romano beans, broccoli and Bianca di Milano turnips. Winter squash.Eggplants, green tomatoes, sweet peppers and hot peppers. White daikon, Nero Tondo black, and Watermelon radishes. Fingerling potatoes, Yukon Gold potatoes, and Colorado Rose potatoes. Purple basil, Italian parsley, rosemary, and sage. Flower bouquets with dahlias, zinnias, celosia and broom corn. Rosemary plants.

Quaker Valley Farm: New this week: Winter squash and PUMPKINS! Sweet potatoes. Apple cider. Red and yellow Bartlett pears. Jonagold, Mutsu, Rome Beauty, Honeycrisp, Ginger Gold, Gala, Gold, and Ida Red apples. Sweet onions and red potatoes. Tomato sauce, apple sauce, jam, honey, apple butter, eggs, and popping corn. Now adopting gently used egg cartons.

Groff’s Content Farm: Family farm raises 100% grass-fed and -finished lamb and beef, pastured Berkshire pork, beautiful pastured eggs and chickens. Plus tasty pet treats. Sunday after next, October 11th, is Family Fun Day at the farm - ask the girls about it at market!

Painted Hand Farm: Full line of all naturally-browsed goat meat cuts: whole legs, leg steaks, shoulders, burgers, chops.  Sandy’s goat meat is never gamy because they feed on field forbes and not grain. Similar to venison: lean and flavorful. Perfect for slow Fall braises: think crockpot with dried apples or pears, onions, potatoes and turnips. Also, humanely-raised veal, German-Style Bratwurst links and pork-free sausages.

Truck Patch Farms: Hot peppers, stir fry mix, chard, curly kale, arugula, salad mix, and lettuce. Mint, chives, garlic chives, and dill. A very few tomatoes, summer and zucchini squash. Cucumbers and yellow, purple, and green beans. Broccoli. Black Angus grass fed beef, pastured pork products and eggs. Order in advance at order@truckpatchfarms.com for chickens.

Reid Orchard: Ask Caitlin all about the different flavors of apples: Haralson, Stayman, Ida Red, Nittany, Macoun, Cortland, Fameuse Snow Apple, Honeycrisp, Gala, Golden Supreme, Jonagold, Pinova, Yataka, Northern Spy, Cox Orange Pippin. Concord grapes and cider.

Richfield Farm: Last week for corn - sweet as sugar! My favorite snack: kohlrabi. Lettuce heads. Potatoes. Green and purple broccoli, green, orange, purple and white cauliflower. Savoy, green, and red cabbage. Swiss chard, collards, kale, toscano kale, dandelions and tat-soi. Tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, zucchini and summer squash. Green and Roma beans. Bouquets. Ornamental corn and maybe some pumpkins!

Panorama Bakery: Baguettes, croissants, pain au chocolat, sliced loaves, danishes, sticky buns, apple turnovers. The mini ciabattas were perfect for breakfasts this week with egg salad and bacon and a bit of lettuce.

Atwater Bread: Organic sourdough and yeasted breads: Peasant Wheat, Caraway Rye, Cranberry Pecan, Kalamata Olive, traditional San Francisco Sourdough, Ciabatta, Country White, Chili Cheddar, French Baguette, Spelt, Sunflower Flax, and more. Brownies, cookies, scones, muffins, and granola.

Cherry Glen Goat Cheese Company: Beautiful goat cheeses at 14th&U Farmers’ Market this weekend.

I’m taking the weekend off from market AND kids to finally indulge my husband in some anniversary bike-ride-dinner-and-movie action. I’ll come back from Restaurant Eve with some creative and indulgent suggestions on Fall produce, since their menu is all seasonal and local. Meanwhile, be nice to Jess and Jody, your market managers this weekend! Please bring your own bags for shopping.

I’m still in that early glow of loving Fall, with not one regret for the passing summer. Woolies and hoodies, long pants and socks, but still gorgeous enough to ride your bike everywhere, preferably loaded down with kids wrapped in oversized down parkas with a hot SWEET POTATO in their mitts.  Now that’s some Autumn talking!  Fire up the oven to 400 and start roasting everything: Quaker Valley Orchard’s sweet potatoes, Tree and Leaf’s Kabocha squash, potatoes, the end of the season’s tomatoes - roasting caramelizes the sugars and makes them all a little sweeter. Tree and Leaf ginger with roasted sweet potatoes is a natural.

This is also the time of year to put up some corn - buy up a bunch of those ears going on sale, shuck ‘em on the back porch straight into the compost pile, cut off the tip if there’s a cute little wriggly guy up there (worms mean no nasty death chemicals were used! and corn worms ARE cute), blanch for a few minutes, then cut the kernels off the cob and throw in a ziploc baggie in the freezer.

Happenings at market:

• 9am Gabe Popkin and Friends are back with that delightful bluegrass sound. If you’ve loved the music this year, give Gabe a hearty handshake - he handled all the booking.  Or if you have suggestions or critiques, let him know! If it’s a critique, butter him up with a scone or an apple first.
• 11am Katherine Lininger with folk/blues/traditional music.
• Farmers’ Market Bike Clinic: Air, Oil, Advice, and More. The success of the Clinic serving MtP neighbors has precipitated the launch of two new FMBCs: 14th&U and H Street will be fixing up bikes this Saturday too. Tell your friends in those neighborhoods! Get a safety check, get trained on a simple tune-up, and volunteer to hang out and talk bikes. Sundays at Bloomingdale FM too.
• After market, I’m going to head over to the outer reaches of NE DC and check out the Neighborhood Farm Initiative open house of their farm by the Fort Totten metro - easy train trip from Columbia Heights!

On to the seasonal foods:

Painted Hand Farm: Full line of all naturally-browsed goat meat cuts: whole legs, leg steaks, shoulders, burgers, chops.  Sandy’s goat meat is never gamy because they feed on field forbes and not grain. Similar to venison: lean and flavorful. Perfect for slow Fall braises: think crockpot with dried apples or pears, onions, potatoes and turnips. Also, humanely-raised veal, German-Style Bratwurst links and pork-free sausages.

Cherry Glen Goat Cheese Company: Beautiful goat cheeses - handmade, artisanal crotins, logs and ricotta - at our market this week!

Keswick Creamery: Raw milk cheeses, blue cheese, feta, ricotta, quark and yogurt, and chocolate pudding.

Panorama Bakery: Baguettes, croissants, pain au chocolat, sliced loaves, danishes, sticky buns, apple turnovers.

Tree and Leaf Farm: Ginger! Romaine lettuce heads, the best salad mix in town adorned with edible flowers. Loads of Maxibel French filet beans, Romano beans, Jumbo bush beans, Asparagus long beans. Broccoli and Bianca di Milano turnips! Curly kale, collards, chard.  Eggplants, winter squash, heirloom tomatoes, pear tomatoes, and green tomatoes. Sweet pepper and hot peppers. The Daikon, Nero Tondo black, and “watermelon” radishes. Mei Qing Choi (baby green pak choi). Fingerling potatoes and Mars red onions. Italian parsley, rosemary, sage, chives, opal basil and garlic. Flower bouquets.

Reid Orchard: New apples this week: Haralson (a probable parent of Honeycrisp), Stayman, Ida Red (great for pie mixes), and Nittany, originating in Pennsylvania. Plus Macoun, Cortland, Fameuse Snow Apple, Honeycrisp, Gala, Golden Supreme, Jonagold, Pinova, Yataka, Northern Spy andthe tartest apple I’ve ever tried: Cox Orange Pippin. Tons of concord grapes…anyone up for making jelly? Plenty of cider! UV-treated (non-pasteurized) apple cider and regular flash pasteurized apple cider, apple-grape, and apple-cherry ciders. Hopefully a few more white peaches. Raspberries and blackberries.

Quaker Valley Farm: Sweet potatoes are in! Red and yellow Bartlett pears, fresh pressed apple cider. Jonagold, Mutsu, Rome Beauty, Honeycrisp, Ginger Gold, Gala, Gold, and Ida Red apples. Sweet onions and red potatoes. My favorite tomato sauce, apple sauce, the best jam in DC (stock up on the strawberry for those whiffs of June you’ll be craving in a couple months), honey, apple butter, eggs, and popping corn. Please let QVO recycle your egg cartons!

Groff’s Content Farm: Family farm raises 100% grass-fed and -finished lamb and beef, pastured Berkshire pork, beautiful pastured eggs and chickens. Plus tasty pet treats. Sunday after next, October 11th, is Family Fun Day at the farm - ask the girls about it at market!

Truck Patch Farms: Hot peppers, stir fry mix, chard, curly kale, arugula, salad mix, and lettuce. Mint, chives, garlic chives, and dill. A very few tomatoes, summer and zucchini squash. Cucumbers and yellow, purple, and green beans. Broccoli. Black Angus grass fed beef, pastured pork products and eggs. Order in advance at order@truckpatchfarms.com for chickens.

Richfield Farm: Green and purple broccoli, green, orange and white cauliflower. Savoy, green, and red cabbage. Swiss chard, collards, kale, toscano kale, dandelions and tat-soi. Pumpkins if there’s room on the truck. Tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, zucchini and summer squash, corn. Shelled lima beans and Roma beans. Bouquets.

Atwater Bread: Organic sourdough and yeasted breads: Peasant Wheat, Caraway Rye, Cranberry Pecan, Kalamata Olive, traditional San Francisco Sourdough, Ciabatta, Country White, Chili Cheddar, French Baguette, Spelt, Sunflower Flax, and more. Brownies, cookies, scones, muffins, and granola.

See you Saturday! Please bring your own bags for shopping.