Feel the beet!

Beets are such a divisive veggie! With a strong, earthy flavor, and a tendency to make your kitchen look like a crime scene, they are not for everyone, but those of us who do love them, really love them. And maybe there’s a way to make their mess work for us instead of against us. Titusville Farm worker Morgan told me that she recently threw a bunch of thrift store finds into the wash together, and a red jacket turned her white tank top splotchy. She was thinking of fixing it all with some beets — but beet is a temporary (or, more poetically, a “fugitive”) fabric dye, not a permanent one. How about some pokeweed berry dye instead, Morgan? They’re just coming to the end of season! Fellow Titusville vendor Sarah is an expert forager and can certainly help you identify them.

For a fun project using beets, use food not fabric! Madura Farm and Halal Pastures both have the root veggie in question, so take your pick, and get creative. I’m a huge fan of beet ketchup — use it as a  dip for your sweet potato fries! This recipe calls for red wine vinegar, which you probably have in your kitchen already. Or get experimental and make it with some Agape Premium EVOO balsamic, or even a bit of Doc Pickle brine. Who knows what magic you might stumble upon?

Or try these elegant caramelized beets with orange-saffron yogurt, courtesy of Chef Yotam Ottolenghi and our beloved Greek yogurt purveyors White Moustache. 

True confession: I'd never tasted beef jerky until last week, when I was offered some beef teriyaki jerky from Ryan at R&M Farm. Holy smokes, was it delicious, well exceeding my expectations! Perfect for when you need some protein on the go. 

And speaking of protein, and given the decidedly autumnal chill in the air lately, how about making this cozy and seasonal cider-roasted pork loin with pickled apples and chiles? Get your pastured pork from Letterbox Farm, your chiles from Halal Pastures, your cider from Mead, and your apples from either Mead or Caradonna. I recently asked Lodo, who vends for Caradonna, what his favorite apple under their tent was, because their dizzying variety stumped me and while I could’ve guessed the answer (honey crisps really are that good) it gave him an opportunity to tell me about their latest addition to their panoply of apple options! Try an aptly named Sweet Maia  — it’s a cross between a honey crisp and a Winesap. Delicious on their own, dipped into AYA hummus, or paired with some Forager from Aux Bons Fromages, a nutty and delicious aged cheddar.

Mead Orchards is bringing two new varieties: Macouns and King of the Pippins. Naming apple varieties sounds as fun as naming ice cream flavors. Buy some of each to eat out of hand and do a taste test at home. If you want to bake with your apples consider this recipe for swirled apple tarte tatin. Yes, the knife work is fiddly. Copy the expert, Zoë Francois of ZoëBakes.com, herself, who fully admits to using an Apple Ribbon Slicer. No shame in the baking game! Do what you need to do to achieve greatness.) 

And please give a warm welcome to Hudson Wood Art, joining us from Croton-on-Hudson with their hand-crafted rustic wooden vases. They’re all made from local fallen trees, and each piece is unique. Ditto for the beautiful pottery from Ariella Ceramics, also here this week. (yay!).

So come on by, pick up a classic French crèpe from Escargot Voyageur or a market pie from Dough Nation Pizza and soak in a (finally) dry Sunday while enjoying the sounds of Milton. 

See you Sunday!