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Wow, the last day of August is here! As September transitions us into October and fall weather, thoughts will begin turning toward fall crops. For now, however, summer is still in charge.
Saturday was absolutely beautiful. Tables were filled with tomatoes of all colors, sweet corn, cucumbers, peppers, squash and more.
Stop by this week to load up on goodies for your Labor Day celebrations. Our market offers pork ribs, chops, roasts and steaks as well as all manner of vegetables perfect for grilling or making the freshest salads.
Here is a list of some of the Boyle County Farmers’ Market offerings for this week:
Veggies and fruit: apples; cantaloupe; corn; cucumbers; eggplant; green beans, various types; honeydew melons; okra; onions; patty pan squash; peaches; peppers; potatoes; tomatoes; watermelon; yellow squash; zucchini
Meats: beef; chicken; lamb; pork; goat
Other: Fresh eggs
Baked goods: sourdough breads and rolls; granola; friendship breads
Canned goods: jams and jellies; honey; relish
The Boyle County Farmers Market is located at the Boyle County Fairgrounds in Danville. The market manager is Gary Taylor of Knobview Farms; his number is (859) 332-2539. Hours for the market are 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday, 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday. Application for the 2011 Boyle County Farmers’ Market membership is now closed.
The Boyle County Farmers Market has been approved to accept WIC vouchers this year. We also have EBT and Debit Card capabilities for your convenience.
Available now: Our first cookbook, “FARM FRESH RECIPES from the Boyle County Farmers’ Market.” This collection of our favorite recipes, using fresh fruits, vegetables and meats offered at our market throughout the season, is a keeper.
If you are interested in purchasing a copy, see any of our vendors. The cookbooks retail for $10.75.
From the Farm: While we have been hoping for some rain, my family back on the Eastern Shore of Maryland would love to send us some of theirs. Hurricane Irene came ashore Saturday night. Everyone was on pins and needles, not knowing how bad the damage would be.
As I have mentioned in previous articles, most of my family lives in my hometown of Crisfield, which is below sea level and located at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. Storm surges that push sea water inland are as much of a concern as the wind when hurricanes head that way. Heavy rains, and sea water, combined with heavy winds, uproot trees which in turn take out the power lines.
Thankfully, Irene was not as powerful as predicted by the time it reached them. There was some wind damage, minor flooding and power outages in some areas but my family came through it just fine. Here at the farm, we continue to irrigate as much as we can to keep everything growing. Fall crops are looking pretty good so far.
Pumpkins, cushaws and butternut squash are large enough to peek through the foliage now. Sweet potato plants are finally growing well. We continue to harvest beautiful tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, cucumbers, squash and melons. I hope they continue into fall, as I haven’t put up as many as I would like for us.
This week, we had lots of scalloped squash (also known as cymlings, patty pan, bush squash, etc.). Like other summer squashes, these can get quite large overnight, if you miss some when picking. Most people prefer the smaller, tender skin squash. Others prefer the larger ones which may have thicker skin, but are still quite delicious in a wide variety of recipes.
As Labor Day approaches, I thought it would be a good time to include a few grilled vegetable recipes. Summer squash in particular, interests many people but they aren’t sure how to prepare it. It can be boiled, baked, fried or added to almost any dish as well as grilled. Small to medium size summer squash do not require peeling. Large squash have tougher skin which is left on when grating for breads, frying and when baking or grilling. I usually peel larger squash when I am going to cube it for soups, stews or stir fry dishes.
Scalloped Patty Pan Squash has a mild flavor which mixes well with tomatoes, onions, peppers, mushrooms, cheese and fresh herbs such as basil, rosemary, mint, etc.
