Farmstand To Table

With a long list of items harvesting in fall, eating fresh isn’t just a summer thing

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Wasn’t it just yesterday that you could channel your inner Ina Garten, visit a farmers market, and let the bright offerings displayed on tables and beneath tents inspire your dinner? Insert record scratch: Autumn is arguably an even better time to do plein air shopping – temperatures are generally lower (although, this is New England, afterall) and while the goods may have changed, there is still plenty of vibrant variety to be had. “Fall is one of the best times to shop at the market,” says Leigh Vincola, Farmers Market Program Manager at Farm Fresh Rhode Island. “The cooler days allow for another crop of tender greens as well as the late season crops like winter squash and root vegetables.” Here’s a bunch of our favorite fall things, beyond pumpkins and apples.

Carrots
This sturdy salad standby is always great as a vehicle for dips and hummus, but carrots are also great for soups. Boiled along with a potato or two, mashed and combined with a few cups of stock, and topped with sprigs of dill, you have yourself a comforting dish.

Mushrooms
Considered a “superfood” for their nutritional value and benefits, mushrooms are much more than just a pizza topping or vessel for breadcrumbs. Try them sautéed or roasted in butter or olive oil with a few lemon squeezes and herbs like thyme or rosemary, for a savory side dish.

Radishes
Good ol’ radishes are a cool season crop and should be plentiful all autumn long. Sliced, they make a colorful and crunchy addition to salads, but chopped and sauteed in olive oil, they’re a splendid alternative to home fries.

Green Onions
Call them scallions or spring onions if you’d like, but when chopped, these pretty dark green ribbons add a mild onion flavor, sans tears. Try raw in tuna salad, or cooked with scrambled eggs or tofu.

Turnips
Expand your root repertoire by adding turnips to your dinner rotation. Roast as you would potatoes: peel and chop into cubes; toss with olive oil, add salt and ground pepper; then place on a cookie sheet in an oven preheated to 400 degrees for about thirty minutes. Keep those snipped greens to sauté in olive oil or butter for two side dishes in one veggie!

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