This
Saturday, October 5, the Zanesville Farmers Market will be held from
8:00-11:00am. This means that it will
start one hour earlier and also be closed one hour earlier than usual. The time change is happening because the
Y-City Gunfest is also being held at the fairgrounds on Saturday. Although that event doesn’t start until noon,
they would like to have the Farmers Market crowd cleared out before it
begins. Please don’t let this change
discourage you from attending market this weekend. The vendors still count on your support and
the time change is out of our control.
Most of the farmers arrive at market
1 1/2 – 2 hours before market opens to get their booths set up. I am usually running behind, so I am lucky to
get there an hour before the bell rings to set up. Even at that rate, setting up for market on
Saturday should prove to be an interesting task for the vendors. These days it is not really light out until
after 7:00am. I think we will have to
bring lanterns and wear headlamps to start putting things in place.
This really makes you realize just
how short the days are growing as we progress into autumn. I have been increasingly forced to pick
things wearing my headlamp because the sun has set before my work is finished. I try to leave easy tasks like picking bell
peppers for the end of the day in case I am forced to do them after dark.
Along with the shorter and shorter
days, the changing leaves have become a sure sign that fall has arrived in
earnest. Of course, it will be a couple
of more weeks before they are at their peak, but just at the beginning of this week
I really started to notice how many trees are now showing a significant amount
of orange, red, and yellow leaves.
If you read last week’s column, you
may be wondering whether or not I ended up with a case of poison ivy. I am happy to report that I did not. I am running low on bittersweet vines and I
have to wonder if I could possibly be so lucky a second time if I decide to
venture into the woods for more.
The winter squash and pumpkin
displays at market the past couple of weeks have been just beautiful. Other seasonal items now available are fall
greens such as lettuce, arugula, and spinach.
Radishes are thriving as the weather cools down. Other root crops like beets and turnips and
coming back onto the scene as well.
However, don’t count out some of
those main season crops yet. There are
still a lot of eggplant available and even some summer squash and tomatoes are
still hanging in there. Bell peppers and
hot peppers can be found in abundance as well.
This is the time of year when the sweet colored peppers are
plentiful. Take advantage of this bounty
to put some peppers in the freezer for winter dishes. You don’t even need to blanch them, just cut
them up and store in freezer bags.
I don’t check out MarthaStewart.com
very often, but when searching for new recipe ideas for bell peppers, I was
really impressed with the “Seasonal Produce Recipe Guide” posted there. They were easy to browse and all looked very
tasty. It would be a good place to start
if you buy an item at market that you are unsure how to use. Here is a really nice appetizer I found on
that site. It is nice to take to a party
because it is actually better when made up the day before to let the flavors
meld. Serve with pita chips.
Roasted Red Pepper and Walnut Dip
- 3 red bell peppers (about 1 pound)
- One 6-inch pita bread (2 ounces)
- 1 cup water
- 1 small garlic clove
- 4 ounces walnut pieces (about 3/4 cup), toasted, plus more for garnish
- 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika, plus more for garnish (optional)
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Directions: Roast peppers over a gas
burner until blackened all over, turning with tongs as each side is blistered.
(Alternatively, place under a broiler.) Transfer to a bowl, and cover with
plastic wrap; let stand about 15 minutes. Peel, and discard skins, stems, and
seeds. Set peppers aside. Toast pita
bread until crisp and golden. Break into 2-inch pieces; place in a bowl, and
cover with the water. Soak until soft, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a sieve,
and drain well, pressing out excess water. Set aside. Combine garlic and walnut pieces in the bowl
of a food processor; process until fine crumbs form, about 10 seconds. Add
paprika, cumin, and reserved peppers and pita bread; process until smooth, about
10 seconds. Add vinegar, lemon juice, oil, and salt, and season with black
pepper. Pulse until combined. Transfer to a serving bowl; cover with plastic
wrap. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight. Before serving, bring to room
temperature. Drizzle with oil; sprinkle with walnuts or paprika, as desired.
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