With Thanksgiving just around the corner, we want to celebrate and thank the hard-working farmers who come to the farmers’ market each week. Getting up at dawn, loading trucks with just-picked fresh produce, driving to the market and setting up their stalls, our farmers are dedicated to bringing you the best produce they can grow.
The fall harvest of pumpkins and winter squash, pomegranates and persimmons, Brussels sprouts and fall artichokes, apples and much more fill the farmers’ booths now. What could be better for a Thanksgiving table than roasted acorn or delicata squash (Bautista Ranch, Stockton)? Or roasted Brussels sprouts (J&M Farms, Gilroy) topped with crisp bacon and fresh goat cheese? Or apple cake made with crisp mountain-grown Braeburn apples (Rainbow Orchards, Camino) and chewy raisins and nuts (Fontana Farms, Ceres)?
Pick up some fresh-baked dinner rolls, classic European breads or some delicious cookies from Feel Good Bakery out of Alameda. Add fresh-cut fall flowers from Sunrise Nursery in Watsonville to the dining table, a few fancy decorative gourds from Swank Farms out of Hollister to the front porch, and you’re all set for family and friends.
Don’t forget to check out those farmers who offer Asian specialties like bok choy, Chinese broccoli, kabocha squash and an array of delightfully different greens. Spice up your stuffing with a bit of fresh ginger; or roast a bunch of Chinese broccoli with lemon and a sprinkle of walnuts; or bake a kabocha squash with olive oil for an amazing side dish. Visit FT Fresh out of Stockton for advice on what to use and how to use it. They will be glad to help send you on your way with the knowledge to make a Thanksgiving filled with new and tasty ideas.
Your farmers’ market has everything you need for the Thanksgiving feast. Come down and say thank you to the farmers who bring you their very best each week.
Debra Morris is a promotions coordinator for the Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association and writes the Time Is Ripe column. Contact her at debramorris@pcfma.com.
Recipe: Easy Roasted Chinese Broccoli
ingredients
2 bunches Chinese broccoli
2 tablespoons each soy sauce and hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons olive or sesame oil
1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
1 tablespoons sesame seeds (optional)
instructions
Preheat oven to 400⁰F. Trim broccoli of tough ends. Chop into 3-inch segments if desired. Toss broccoli with soy, hoisin, oil and grated ginger. Place broccoli on a sheet pan lined with foil. Sprinkle with sesame seeds (optional). Roast in the oven for about 20 minutes to a half hour to desired doneness. Serve hot as a side.
— PCFMA staff