September 8, 2012 at the Vienna Farmers Market

Vienna Farmers Market Blog September — New Beginning’s/ Harvest Season

The Vienna Farmers Market was voted in the top 20 small farmers markets by you in the whole country, which is great news! There is no place in future years to go but up, thank you for voting and we look forward to raising our standings next year.

Come on by and get your free blood pressure check at the market this Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon, courtesy of the Vienna Volunteer Fire Department, they will be located right back by the Crepes and Donuts, all the better to enjoy a taste treat a chat!

Early autumn is a season for great harvest fare including wonderful pork products, apples in all their glory, carrots, parsnips, cabbages, pumpkins and gourds. In addition it’s the time when the wonderful fall lettuces — that are so flavorful — come into play and sweet potatoes arrive at the market. Some people say that early autumn is a transitional period for food — but at the Vienna Farmers Market we call it time of inspiration and fun. Now is the time when you can take food and create wonderful cakes, pies, breads, jams and preserves — as well as eating the food in its most basic form sliced, diced, juiced or whole.

This is the time to work with the best and freshest ingredients available and you have the least preparation and can get the best results.

Last week I bought a pumpkin for roasting at Westmoreland’s Produce. I asked for assistance and chose a wonderful pie pumpkin. I cleaned it, cut it in half, scooped out the seeds and turned its sides upside down and put them in a glass dish with 1/3 inch of water. I then baked them at 350 degrees for 55 minutes (using a fork to check for tenderness) and removing the skin once cool. The result was a wonderful pumpkin that I can store in the fridge for 5 days and use in a number of ways (just like any squash) for muffins, pies, cakes or custards.