fall recipes

Though its still definitely appropriate to don your homes, hearths, and patios with colorful squash and scattered fall decorations, Halloween has come and gone and it might be time to pitch your pumpkins and use up all the guts for some home baked goodies. If you're running behind and still need to pick up an orange beauty, come out to the Mercato next saturday morning and gather your goods from some of our lovely vendors.

Autumn calls us to flavors like allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves. You can make some pretty fantastic pumpkin oatmeal cookies using all farmers market ingredients. Use organic, cooked pumpkin from Schaner's Farm or Suzie's Farm, raisins or dried apricots from Smit Orchards, walnuts from Terra Bella Ranch and a bit of sweet granola from Granola Girl to give them some texture. 

Or perhaps you want to go a little more gourmet and serve something savory AND sweet? How about a pumpkin-inspired bruschetta? Trust us, it's worth it. Combine fresh arugula from Sage Mountain Farm and crumbled goat cheese from Nicolau Farms with fresh squeezed lemon juice and a dash of Phil's honey from the folks at Marion's Olive Oil. Toss together with cooked pumpkin pulp, chopped red onions, a bit of your favorite vinaigrette and spread generously over sliced and toasted french bread from Bread & Cie. Top with roasted pumpkin seeds and a hint of curry and cinnamon. 

Just in the nick of time, when your tongue has has enough of sweet nectarines and tart plums, when the days are shorter and the nights are cooler, Mother Nature just seems to know what we need, doesn't she? 

If you haven't strolled the Little Italy Mercato lately, don't be shocked at the abundance of gorgeous winter squash, bright colored apples, pomegranates, pears, and persimmons lining the streets under our vendor's tents. Not to mention those outrageous red walnuts from Terra Bella Ranch! Try this fanastic fall inspired dish this weekend and cozy up at home with a good movie, some good company, and savor the flavor!

Pick up a couple of delicata squash from Suzie's Farm and some honey crisp apples from Smit Orchards. Half the squash, lengthwise and scoop out the guts, keeping the seeds for later roasting. Rub the inside with a bit of butter or olive oil. Chop the apples into bite size chunks, and nestle them into the belly of the squash. Using butter, sautee garlic and fresh shallots from Schaner Farms and add a bit of fresh sage too, for balance. Then add chopped red walnuts from Terra Bella or raw almonds from Hopkins Ag. Add this mixture to the top of the squash, and bake until tender. Top with fresh Parmesan Reggiano cheese from Taste Cheese and let it get a bit crispy. Enjoy and celebrate the harvest season!

With the recent Autumnal Equinox, summer has officially said her goodbyes and autumn has arrived with darker mornings and cooler nights. More winter crops are sneaking their way into our farmers' booths. But now it is officially time to break out the scarves, rain boots, and even more sunscreen (this is San Diego, remember?). But more importantly start cooking delicious fall recipes. It's time for apples, persimmons, citrus, and yummy winter squash. Kids are back to school and the fruit is ripe for picking. That means apple pie and persimmon puddings, fresh orange anything and all the pumpkin spice you can handle.

Look out this week for sweet and crispy Fuji apples from Smit Orchards and take a bunch home to turn into chunky cinnamon and nutmeg infused apple butter. Or slip on your baking hat and use them a warm, gooey apple pie. Celebrate Rosh Hashana by dipping apple and challah bread slices in honey to hope for a sweet new year. Try Mikolich's new winecountry wildflower honey with a fresh baked loaf of challah from Belen Bakery. You can still enjoy  fresh salads too- mixing together sweet Asian pears from Lone Oak Ranch with mixed greens from Suzie's farm, raw almonds from Hopkins AG, and a fresh stalk of celery from JR Organics. Select a finely pressed olive oil from Marians and drizzle generously. 

Acorn squash, baby butternuts, and even red kabocha squash are peeking into the market too, from JR Organics, Terra Bella Ranch, and Maciel Farms, so don't feel guilty about jumping early on baking yourself some fresh roasted squash soup topped with fresh herbs and sprouted pumpkin seeds from Suzie's to enjoy as the fog rolls in over the city...