Farmers Market Watch: September 22nd

Buongiorno - for the past few weeks I've been finding us a new space, and the good news is our next event should be coming up soon. Meanwhile, I've received several requests for a Market Watch, so here we go!

Today is the Autumn Equinox, and at the market we're slowly transitioning into autumnal ingredients: Gravenstein apples, Red Flame grapes and the first pomegranates are showing up on the stands alongside heirloom tomatoes (above), summer squash and sweet peppers. Squash blossoms are ready to be stuffed with goat cheese and a bit of an anchovy and deep fried. Don't forget: you can follow my latest finds on Twitter. Come and say hi.

Here's what else I spotted this week at San Francisco's Heart of the City farmers market:

Bell peppers are at their best in September: vibrant, tangy and sweet, with that distinctive crunch to add texture to your vegetable dishes. Ranging from acid green to flame-red, they can turn your dish from plain and pale to visually arresting. Make yourself peperonata (braised peppers) of orange and red peppers to use as a topping for eggs, in sandwiches, or as a side for grilled meat. Remember to use only the red, yellow, orange or pale green peppers, since their flavor is much more delicate and less invasive than the deep green ones.
Mild peppers recipes from Allrecipes and Epicurious.
Thai chilli recipes from Allrecipes of Epicurious.

Summer squash and zucchini are still in their prime. Try my summer squash risotto cooked in sparkling wine or this rich zucchini bread from Allrecipes.

Thanks to the great weather, apples are a little early this year. I purchased several pounds of Gravensteins last week and made a spiced apple sauce to use with pork or with a dab of orange blossom honey in my oatmeal or warm cereal. You can also use them in a quick fall salad: chop them into bite-sized pieces, dress them with apple-cider vinegar, a little olive oil, some blue cheese and a few toasted walnut pieces, and top with freshly ground black pepper.

The first sweet Red Flame grapes are here. These are ideal roasted as a side to a hearty slice of pumpkin bread or atop a well-seared, juicy duck breast. Here's my recipe for a focaccia with roasted red-flame grapes, complete with roasting instructions.

The first pomegranates are here, but all the ones I bought weren't quite ripe yet. Try before you buy.

Enjoy!
Marco Flavio

Comments

[Vicki Simon]

love that recipe for a quick apple salad! So simple, so nice.