Too Much of a Good Thing?

A fantastic cook and fellow local food fan once told me “This is the time of year when you stuff your vegetables with vegetables and you eat it. And you like it.” Wiser words have never been spoken. Our farmers’ fields are overflowing with peppers, tomatoes, squash, zucchini, eggplant and even chard; all of it ripe and ready to stuff and be stuffed! Need even more ways to combine all the best aspects of summer’s generosity? How about ratatouille? Traditional or Hollywood style. Or, get in touch with your southern roots and whip up a mess of succotash. Everything you need to make a vast variety of veggie vittles is available via The Market right this very minute. Order before it closes tomorrow morning to eat well all week long!

Don’t miss out on these late additions and oft’ overlooked gems:

Delicata Winter Squash from Crimmins Family Farm – Don’t let the name fool you; delicata are more closely related to summer squash than winter, but they still have that rich, butternutty essence. Known as the lazy efficient chef’s winter squash, they cook faster than butternuts and acorns and, best of all, you don’t even have to peel them.

La Lot from Willow Springs – A betel leaf used in Southeast Asian cooking, usually wrapped around spiced ground meat and grilled. There’s no better time than the present to try something new.

Kieffer Pears from Barnhill Orchard – If the weather didn’t tip you off that fall is almost here, you can’t deny it once the pears start flowing. The first of the harvest, these pears are quite crisp and best suited to cooking and canning. As long as your canning tools are still warm from that last batch of tomatoes, why not put away some brandied pears for a fabulous winter treat? {Bonus points for throwing a leaf of Cinnamon Basil from Victory Garden into each jar… and then bringing me one.}

Loofah from Willow Springs – Also known as luffa, Chinese okra or Vietnamese gourd, these fruits are a common ingredient in many traditional Asian cuisines, but only when harvested very young. If allowed to mature, they become fibrous and inedible but very useful for other things. Look for them in the Bath & Beauty category.

Speaking of Bath & Beauty, maybe it’s time to take another look at the non-food products available from our farmers and artisans. We offer everything from the practical (Insect Repellent from Kellogg Valley, Deodorant from Maison Terre) to the decedent (Body Butter from Tammy Sue’s Critters, Solid Perfume from Main St. Apothecary). All brought to you by Arkansas.

-Rebecca Wild

Please be aware that Bluebird Hill Berry Farm will not be able to deliver this week. However, if you ordered products from them there’s still plenty of time to place another order.