In its penultimate week the Midtown Farmers’ Market is still loaded with fresh produce: squash, cabbage, peppers, turnips, cauliflower, broccoli, kale, more squash, leafy greens, onions, potatoes, herbs – even some tomatoes of dubious quality. If the above photo doesn’t quite reflect this variety it says more about me than the current state of the market: I was feeling a little burned out this Saturday morning. For one thing, the crisper drawer in our fridge was still full of produce from last week’s trip and other trips prior. We’re also in the midst of a season whose produce leaves me uninspired. So I consult my resources and wrack my brain to try to figure out some new, creative use for that last butternut squash. I hate to sound spoiled complaining in the face of all this beautiful fall produce, but I don’t feel the same about late October veggies as I do about the late August corn-tomatoes-peppers bonanza.

In spite of my whiny depression, we did manage to pick up a decent haul of produce from the market this Saturday: brussels sprouts, a delicata squash, cauliflower, celery, honey, fingerling potatoes, and a half peck of Haralson apples (pro tip: #2 apples are half price and look the same as #1s in a pie). Martha also picked up a nice crop of CFL light bulbs from the Minnesota Energy Challenge.

Next week is the last week of the farmers’ market. I am determined to not let this week’s malaise creep into the season finale; to that end I have formulated a strategy for almost entirely clearing the crisper drawer by week’s end. Hopefully an empty larder and the threat of winter will put me in the right mindset to BUY BUY BUY.

1 comment | Apples, Brussels Sprouts, Cauliflower, Celery, CFL, Delicata, Fall, Fingerlings, Haralson, Honey, Potatoes, Squash, Whine

This entry was posted by Tom on Sunday, October 25th, 2009 at 8:12 pm and is filed under Farmers Market, Minneapolis. You can subscribe to responses to this entry via RSS.