Farmers Market and Harvest Moon

Enjoying the fruits of the season and meal planning

Harvest moon - Photo credit: Roadcrusher via Wikimedia from September 26, 2007

Happy Harvest Moon!

"Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant." - Robert Louis Stevenson, Scottish poet and novelist

I’m most comfortable in moderate temps and don’t cook very much in the summer time. I enjoy the longer daylight hours, evenings at the drive-in movie theater, picnics, fairs and festivals of summer; however, the heat is a drag. So I really look forward to the cooler temps of fall along with the dramatic colors of fall foliage. I like hearing the honk of the geese and watching the ducks practice their flight formations. And I especially anticipate my favorite fall foods… Honeycrisp and Jonathon apples, late season rhubarb, beets, and pumpkins.

Kenosha Harbor Market Place - PHOTO CREDIT to Richie D. via Yelp photos

So a gorgeous Saturday morning, with a crisp breeze and nary a cloud in the sky, found my family walking around the local farmers market soaking up all the sights, smells and sounds. The Harborside Market in Kenosha, WI has something for everyone. An abundance of area family farmers offering their produce, prepared food vendors and bakers selling their wares, jewelry and wood craftsmen, soap makers, pet bakeries, and live musicians. Additionally the market takes place in front of the Kenosha Public Museum and the Kenosha Public Library Bookmobile is parked nearby. Truly a feast for all senses. Photos and more details can be found at the Kenosha Harbor Market website; click on the "About us" tab.

Following are my purchases along with my ideas for sharing future recipes. Consider it a Fall Preview...

Apple cider ~ Cider stew, cider spice cake, jams, pork & apple stew

(See  my recipes from a year ago by clicking here for Cider Beef Stew and here for Cider Spice Cake, a variation on a wacky snack cake) 

Honeycrisp apples ~ if I can keep from eating them all up, I’ve got recipes for apple blondies, chewy apple spice cookies, pork & apple stew (with fennel and cabbage to boot) and apple oatmeal. Honeycrisp have super crunch and not overly sweet, despite the name.

 Curly Kale ~

freezing to use in soup, likely ribolitta or minestrone with parmesan rind. Kale holds up like cabbage in soup maintaining its crunch. Lovely blue-green color with dense, springy texture.

 Rhubarb ~

so many recipes I’m thinking of for this ingredient! Bumbleberry pie, cherry rhubarb pie, compote and/or pairing with another fruit for jam… we’ll see how many cups I get after I chop it up. Most of these stalks are speckled pink & green; my favorite is the fuchsia color.

 Heirloom cherry tomatoes ~

teeny tiny in size; so cute and colorful! I wanted to make a tomato jelly with these beauties; however, hubby trumped me to enjoy them raw in salads. Once you've tasted heirloom tomatoes, you will totally get why tomatoes are indeed a fruit. They are a treasure in the garden and for the palate.

 Multi-colored bell peppers ~stuffed pepper soup! with smoked paprika and worchester sauce. My camera didn't do justice to the almost white pepper, which has a splash of a rosy blush on one side. It tastes the same as the green, not as sweet as the red, but such exquisite color.

 Fingerling potatoes ~ along with some equally twisty carrots from the same farm will go in stews, skin on 

 Golden Beets in a bunch ~ thick puree soup paired with sweet potatoes and fall spices. The pinkish and yellow tones on the outer skin look a bit like a nectarine; the inner flesh is pure golden yellow. The earthy smell and taste are the same as the deeper redder varieties.

Beet greens ~ my farm fresh beets came with lively green tops. I rinsed, dried, chopped and froze them. Delicious wilted in a skillet with olive oil, onions, garlic, mustard powder & a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Or use them in soup in place of spinach or chard. Hubby bought
linguinça sausage, so I'm going to use mine in a Portuguese sausage & greens soup.



Now that I've got your tastebuds zinging and hopefully have inspired you to check out your own local farmers markets, I'll close with another poetic quote.

These closing stanzas celebrate the glorious fall –  
Merry Autumn by Paul Laurence Dunbar, an American poet:

"The earth is just so full of fun

  It really can't contain it;

And streams of mirth so freely run

  The heavens seem to rain it."

"Don't talk to me of solemn days

  In autumn's time of splendor,

Because the sun shows fewer rays,

  And these grow slant and slender."

"Why, it's the climax of the year,—

  The highest time of living!—

Till naturally its bursting cheer

  Just melts into thanksgiving."

Please come on back to visit & check in on new recipes. Savor the season!