Market Report: A season finale
Winding down a farmers market season with the sweet tastes of autumn: Apples, pears and more
Support for this edition comes from the Tippecanoe County Historical Association, presenting the annual Feast of the Hunters’ Moon, Oct. 11-12 at Historic Fort Ouiatenon. Immerse yourself in 18th century life along the Wabash River, with delicious food, live music, educational demonstrations and fun activities for all ages. Day passes, weekend passes and family passes are on sale now at feastofthehuntersmoon.org.
And now, one last time for the season, it’s …
By Carol Bangert / For Based in Lafayette
In the season’s final Market Report, I’m celebrating something quintessentially fall. I’m not talking pumpkins (to be honest, I’m already over PSLs and pumpkin spiced anything else, for that matter.) I’m talking apples. Yes, apples, the other autumn harvest that is absolutely at peak-season right now. The farmers markets are brimming with myriad apple varieties, all looking for a chance to shine in autumn menus.
I am unapologetically snobbish about the produce that I’ve featured in Market Report – I’ve intentionally focused on produce grown in Tippecanoe County and Indiana, and why not? We are blessed with farms within a short drive that truly mean we are buying local. Apples, however, have been a challenge.
There are several orchards in and around Tippecanoe County if you’re up to do the picking yourself. But my non-scientific survey of vendors who set up at the markets have turned up no locally grown apples (my apologies if I missed you!) but Thistle Byre Farm has a beautiful selection that owner Abby Abbott-Rider procures from a grower across the Indiana border in Michigan. So … Indiana-adjacent apples it is!
Thistle Byre Farms has baskets full of apples including Golden Delicious, Fuji, Jonathan, Cortland and MacIntosh, for starters. Bags of mixed apples and apples for sauces let customers try a nice variety. Abbott-Rider says she uses Cortland, Jonagold, Honey Crisp and Golden Delicious for applesauce, and she adds no sugar when making her sauces, allowing the apples to speak for themselves.
Thistle Byre also has three varieties of grapes, great for jellies, and late summer fruits from Michigan and Georgia.
I eat an apple a day (not because I’m trying to fend off the doctor; I just love them) and Honey Crisp has always been my go-to. However, the Honey Crisp at the grocery stores right now are sub-par, in my opinion, but the apples I’ve seen at the farmers market – Honey Crisp and every other variety – are fresh picked and perfect right now. They’ll be available until the end of the month/market season.
Chestnuts and Asian pears
A few weeks ago, a display of Asian pears and what looked like buckeyes got my attention. Craig Howard of Howard Orchard in Crawfordsville set me straight on the buckeyes — they turned out to be chestnuts, which I’ve never seen in stores and I’ve never used.
Howard scored and peeled a raw chestnut for me to try and … wow! It had a beautiful, earthy taste and a meaty/starchy texture. I was clueless on how to use them; Howard recommends roasting chestnuts (not on an open fire, but I’m sure you could) in the oven or air fryer. They need to be scored first, but after roasting, the shells come off easily. I bought a box, roasted them and have been eating them as a snack. I think they’d make a crunchy topper for a casserole or in squash and pasta dishes. Chestnuts will be at the market until the end of the season, and I’ll be picking up a few boxes to do some experimenting. If you love nuts, chestnuts are a great addition to your arsenal. They can be stored at room temperature for a few days but do better in the fridge for longer periods. They can also be frozen for up to a year.
Howard Orchard also grows beautiful Asian pears, and they are sensational – sweet and crunchy with a hint of honey. They may be my new favorite autumn fruit. The orchard grows Korean giants and sells them in bags for all kinds of culinary uses – swap them for fruit you normally use in crumbles or crisps, in a pie or cobbler. I came across a recipe for an Asian pear pound cake that I definitely will be baking.
Store Asian pears for up to a week at room temperature or for up to three months in the refrigerator.
A word on quince
Fairstream Farms had boxes of quince, a fruit I’ve read about but never seen or tasted. This fruit looks like a yellow/green apple that’s seen better days – a bit lumpy but full of character. Daniel Fagerstrom of Fairstream Farms says quince can be eaten raw, but it’s not recommended. They are best cooked, poached or baked. I bought one and sliced off a piece, expecting a taste similar to a pear or apple or a pear/apple combo. Wrong, wrong and wrong. Raw quince are tart and astringent but not unpleasant. I respect the first person who ever tasted this fruit and decided to give it another chance. I baked up the rest of the fruit with a bit of honey, and the taste mellowed considerably. I’m glad I tried this fall fruit and could see adding quince to a fruit pie or crumble.
Last call, for now
I’d like to close with a big thank you to the many area farmers and growers who patiently answered my (often very ignorant) questions, who shared their vast knowledge and offered helpful hints and suggestions for cooking and storing the produce they grow. Their love for the earth shines through. A shoutout to:
Brittani Atchley, Atchley Farms
Carrie Austin, Austin Acre
Chad Scott, Bear Fruit Farm
Daniel Fagerstrom, Fairstream Farms
James Mundell, Mr. Woody’s Mushrooms
Abby Abbott-Rider, Thistle Byre Farm
Kathy Riley-Beck, Wabash & Riley Honey Company
Thank you for exploring the farmers market with me, starting with the earliest greens and scapes to the high-summer corn, tomatoes and squash and finally to autumn-tinged pumpkins and apples. I’m already counting the days until May.
October fruits and vegetables at the market include:
Cucumbers
Onions (red, yellow, shallots, cipollini)
Garlic
Select greens
Green beans
Herbs
Carrots
Okra
Peppers: Sweet and hot varieties
Potatoes (new and russet)
Eggplant
Zucchini, zucchini blossoms, summer squash and other squash varieties
Tomatoes of all shapes and sizes
Raspberries, blackberries, blueberries
Apples, pears, the last of peaches, nectarines, apricots
Watermelon
Winter squashes and pumpkins
Thanks reading Market Report this season. And thanks for supporting the Based in Lafayette reporting project.
DAYS/HOURS FOR THE MARKETS
West Lafayette Farmers Market: 3:30-7:30 p.m. Wednesdays, through October. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the West Lafayette market. The market is held at Cumberland Park in West Lafayette with more than 50 vendors.
Lafayette Farmers Market: 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Saturdays, through October, on Fifth Street between Columbia Street and mid-block to Ferry Street, and Main Street between Fourth and Sixth streets.
Purdue Farmers Market: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Thursdays, through October. The Purdue Farmers Market is held on the Memorial Mall on Purdue’s campus. This market is a concession-heavy market that allows students, faculty and staff to have lunch options in a unique outdoor setting.
Carol Bangert, editor of Greater Lafayette Magazine, has been a regular at Greater Lafayette farmers markets for more than 20 years. She’s been scouting out in-season produce at the markets and reporting back on fresh finds and how to use them.
Thanks, again, for support of this edition from the Tippecanoe County Historical Association, presenting the annual Feast of the Hunters’ Moon, Oct. 11-12 at Historic Fort Ouiatenon. Day passes, weekend passes and family passes are on sale now at feastofthehuntersmoon.org.
Thank you for supporting Based in Lafayette, an independent, local reporting project. Free and full-ride subscription options are ready for you here.
Tips, story ideas? I’m at davebangert1@gmail.com.
Thanks Carol! It has been nicer to think about melon than The Felon. Time to hibernate.
I have really enjoyed these reports. Thank you!