Farmers Market

October already, unbelievably. The trees’ leaves will soon show us how to let go—of summer’s green tones and sundrenched bounty. But what replaces it is of equal delight: a panoply of earthy offerings, subtler in their beauty and handsome in shape—from amorphous ginger and whiskered horseradish to strong, sprouting stalks of chard and bok choy; hot peppers and bell peppers intermingled with beets, sweet potatoes and carrots, freshly tugged from the ground.   

The tones of fall delight and surprise us: gourds, winter squash, pumpkins in signature orange—but pale blonde, white and robin’s egg blue, too. Fresh eggs in as many hues, and a bouquet of greens that remind us there’s always something sprouting forth: kale, endive, mustard greens, arugula, cabbage and Brussels sprouts. Persimmons show off in glossy reds and deep oranges, while apples and pears masquerade in gorgeous shades of celadon, deep ruby and pale pink.

And still, there’s more: a bouquet of mushrooms—shiitake, enoki, oyster, and lion’s mane—that bring hearty, umptious flavor to the season’s stews and soups. Alliums aplenty add to the stock, but garlic stacks up at this point in the season. Rooted vegetables like celeriac, sunchokes, and turnips bring bright, layered flavor.

Chicken, Berkshire pork, pasture raised beef, and lamb all belong on your plate—you can get them all in the Shed. Zucchini, beans, eggplant, okra, daikon, and the last of the year’s corn, along with bee pollen, honey (at least until the temperatures drop to around 50°F), vinegar, corn meal, wheat berries, and black walnuts. And don’t forget the mums!

And, even in the midst of such a seasonal pivot, you can still find a beautiful, farm fresh tomato.