Market Report: Small discoveries
Big flavors in small packages.
Thanks to sponsor Stuart & Branigin for continued support of the Based in Lafayette reporting project.
Now, for our seasonal look at what’s fresh at local farmers markets this time of the year, it’s …
By Carol Bangert / For Based in Lafayette
It was a bright, sunny fall day at the farmers market on Saturday, but my mood was cloudy. “There’s nothing else to write about,” I said to myself. As I wandered the colorful stalls, I started ticking off all the produce I’ve highlighted in Market Report. Tomatoes. Check. Green beans. Check. Summer squash, peppers, radishes. Check, check and check. And then it started to set in: the farmers market days were numbered.
But as it turns out, instead of looking at the big picture, I just needed to think small – and in some cases, tiny.
Unwrapping a surprise
It began at The Weathered Plow, where I stumbled across a box of unusual, papery somethings, and my mood immediately brightened. Were these miniature tomatillos in front of me? The label read “Ground Cherries,” but this didn’t look like any fruit I’d ever seen. The cheerful young woman working at the booth explained that ground cherries grow on a bush and are harvested when they fall to the ground; they are primarily used in pies and jams but also are eaten plain. I bought a box and immediately unwrapped the papery skin from a few of the berries to reveal a beautiful, pale-yellow fruit that resembled a cherry tomato. The taste stopped me in my tracks: somewhere between a pineapple and tomato with hints of vanilla. Well worth the purchase!
The ground cherries can be stored in their paper skins in a cool space but can be refrigerated, as well. They’ll last a few weeks. Not an issue for me: I ate half the box before I came across a few more small wonders. And I mean small!
Cucamelons and spoon tomatoes
At Bear Fruit Farm, I spied cucamelons and spoon tomatoes, two of the most adorable produce you’ll come across at the market. Cucamelons are melons that look like tiny watermelons. They’re crunchy and refreshing, like cucumbers, and are great in salads, pickled or eaten out of hand.
Spoon tomatoes are so small that I’ve convinced myself that crews of field mice are recruited to harvest the tiny red jewels. But don’t let the small size fool you: these little guys pack a concentrated tomato punch. Chad Scott of Bear Fruit Farm recommended using the tomatoes in salads or sautéed with olive oil and served over fresh pasta. (Bear Fruit Farm has an impressive selection of handmade pastas as well.) I took him up on that idea; I cooked the tomatoes with sliced garlic and a few pinches of red pepper flakes and spooned the concoction over fresh spinach pasta. Outstanding.
Both the cucamelons and spoon tomatoes will be happy on the counter for a day but benefit from refrigeration if you’re using them later in the week. They’ll be available at the farmers market for the next few weeks.
Melons and winter squash: The mini versions
Around the corner at Fairstream Farms, Daniel Fagerstrom had a display of Minnesota miniature melons. These mini cantaloupes are the perfect size for snacking or adding to a fruit salad. I cubed a melon and added it to bowl of yogurt topped with pistachios. A simple, sweet breakfast. Store the miniature melons in the fridge – they won’t take up much space.
Nestled next to the mini melons was a lone angel hair spaghetti squash – about the same size as the melons! These are the small version of spaghetti squash, which can grow fairly large, and have a ton of uses. Carb-averse types use spaghetti squash as a pasta replacement, and for good reason. The strands of the cooked squash resemble pasta and are a good vehicle for all types of sauces. I adore pasta, though, so I use spaghetti squash in fall casseroles and soups. This angel hair variety is a tasty alternative and a great way to embark on your spaghetti squash journey if you’re new to it. Store the squash in a cool, dark spot. It will last for several weeks up to a few months, depending on how cool the space is.
Eye-catching peppers
I’ve written about hot peppers, but Kathy Riley-Beck of Wabash & Riley snuck in a few I’d not seen at the market this year. Lemon drop and Kung pao peppers are bright and cheery but still carry some heat. Riley says the lemon drops have a lemony, citrus taste and Kung pao are good in stir fries and other Asian dishes. Both varieties are worth a try if you like hot peppers that don’t blow your head off. Store them in a bag in the fridge and they’ll last about a week.
Market days may be winding down, but these small wonders reminded me that there are plenty of in-season produce adventures left this market season.
Other early-September fruits and vegetables at the market include:
Cabbage
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
Cherries, peaches, plums, apricots (from Michigan and Georgia)
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. From May through October, she’ll scout out in-season produce at the markets and report back on fresh finds and how to use them.
Thanks, again, to sponsor Stuart & Branigin for continued support of the Based in Lafayette reporting project.
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Tips, story ideas? I’m at davebangert1@gmail.com.
Intrepid reporter, as usual you've written about some surprises, but to drop that pasta photo, wowza!
Small Things Considered
That pasta photo is... motivating...