FRESHFARM Markets News - Union Market, Here we Come!

October 2, 2012

October

It's a month for beer, hot tea, and farmers markets. The foliage is starting to turn and the country air smells of wood smoke. Get outside and enjoy the beautiful weather while it lasts. Bring someone you love to the farmers market, try a food you've never heard of and drink it all in because you know winter's coming soon.

words of the week
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"Bittersweet October! The mellow, messy, leaf-kicking, perfect pause between the opposing miseries of summer and winter."

-Carol Bishop Hipps.

what's at market

Product highlights from the market. For a full calendar of what's in season when, click here.

In Abundance

Apples, Broccoli, Carrots, Chard, Collards,

Kale, Lettuce, Pears

Potatoes, Pumpkins, Specialty Greens,

String Beans, Turnips, Winter Squash.

On Their Way In

Brussels Sprouts, Cauliflower, Cabbage, Kiwis, Parsnips, Quince.

On Their Way Out

Eggplant,

Peppers, Plums, Sweet Corn, Tomatoes.

Veggie of the Week
spaghetti squash

Spaghetti Squash

An anomaly of a vegetable, spaghetti squash, when cooked, has a stringy flesh that eerily resembles spaghetti, and it can be used instead of pasta in many dishes.

Available at: Dupont Circle, Ballston, Bethesda, Silver Spring.

Recipe:

Spicy Spaghetti Squash Noodles and Pork

Fun Fact:

Spaghetti Squash, like all winter squash, contains more beta-caroteen after a short period of storage than it does fresh from the vine. Wine is not the only thing that gets better with age.

featured recipe

Looking for more recipes? Go to our searchable recipe database.

Spicy Winter Squash and Lentil Salad

who's at market

Want to
know which
farmers/producers are at market each

week?

New interactive maps for each market highlight the farmers & producers at market.

Click here to chose a market.

in the news

Do you Know Where Your Food Comes From?

-WTOP @ the Penn Quarter FFM.

After Graduating College, it's Time to Plow, Plant and Harvest.

-The New York Times.

Carnivores Should Make Friends with Their Food.

-The Washington Post, All We Can Eat Blog.

get social with us

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about us

FFM logo

FRESHFARM Markets is the leading voice for farmers markets in the Washington, DC region and is a leader in the local food movement. A 501c3 nonprofit organization, FRESHFARM Markets is dedicated to promoting agriculture in the Chesapeake Bay region through the operation of 10 vibrant producer-only farmers markets and 5 educational programs.

Union Market, Here we Come!

The local food movement is robust. It happens not just at farmers markets, but also at restaurants, corner stores, community gardens and dinner parties. It's driven by a diversity of non-profits, businesses and individuals, and now more than ever the distinctions between these places and entities have started to blur. The recently opened, Union Market, is a great example: farmers sell their products straight from the field, local chefs and restaurants serve delicious food and it is the perfect meeting point for friends, colleagues or strangers.

This Saturday, FRESHFARM Markets will be trying something we've never done before: a pop-up farm stand at Union Market. We'll feature fresh produce and value added products from Spring Valley Farm and Orchard and Toigo Orchards, and we'll accept cash, credit and SNAP (EBT/Food Stamps). Should all go well, we hope that the FRESHFARM Markets Farm Stand will become a regular feature of Union Market, and that we'll carry a variety of products from the many farmers and producers who sell at our markets. If you'd like to see that happen, stop by on Saturday and say "hi." While you're at it, you can stroll through the light, airy halls of Union Market and stop for oysters at Rappahannock Oyster Co, pick up some charcuterie at Red Apron Butchery and grab a hot cup of coffee from Peregrine Espresso. For a full list of food artisans, click here.

15 Years and Still No Bananas.

By Ann Yonkers, FFM Co-Executive Director. A selection from the FRESH Picked blog. Sept. 26, 2012.

"Where are the bananas?" We field that question so often at market it has become our in-house joke. A confused market shopper arrives at our information booth and can't understand why America's favorite fruit isn't part of our offerings. They assume we have simply failed to include this popular fruit in our inventory or wonder why we are not like most of the other markets they patronize. They have no idea we actively choose not to include bananas. They are not aware we only sell what is grown and made in the Chesapeake Bay region.

So when Dupont Circle business owner and market advocate, Sue Landini of Axis Salon was looking for a cheeky way to celebrate FRESHFARM Markets, she created one of her signature windows focusing on this absence - FRESHFARM Markets - Fifteen Years and Still No Bananas (see photo).

At the center of the FRESHFARM mission and our markets is a two-word phrase, producer-only. What does it mean? Why does it matter? And why is it so hard to explain? continue reading...

In the Kitchen with Spaghetti Squash.

By Bettina Stern and Suzanne Simon of Loulies. A selection from the FRESH Picked blog. Sept. 26, 2012.

photo: steamykitchen.com

Early fall is spaghetti squash season. They are often the first of the winter squashes to appear on the vine. The best are small and sweet, as opposed to overly large, with little taste. Unlike summer squashes, this early winter variety can be stored for a very long time before it needs to be used. This gives you plenty of time to decide how to cook it.

We suggest this recipe for Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Garlic, Red Pepper, Parsley and Breadcrumbs that we used at a cooking demonstration recently. Those who love spaghetti squash thought the recipe was delicious and those who had never tried it were surprised by how much they liked it. It is easy to prepare and the combination of ingredients is a perfect compliment. We also love how the cooked interior breaks up into noodle strands - one of the many wonders of nature.