squash

Look for acorn, butternut, kabocha, globe and all your favorite winter squashes at the North Park Thursday Farmers’ Market from African Sisters Farm, Valdivia Farm, Suzie’s Farm, JR Organics and Rodney Kawano Farms.

The simplest way to cook them is to slice in half, scoop out the seeds (save and toast the seeds for a crunchy snack) and roast the squash in the oven - the smell of baking squash is almost as enjoyable as eating the end product! Drizzle a little honey from Meljess Bees over the squash and add a sprinkle of your favorite flavor from Spice Lady Spices.

Use almonds from Hopkins AG, dry jack from Springhill Cheese Company and kale from your favorite farmer for this delicious salad, or pick up apples at Smit Orchards for this butternut squash soup.

Looks like the weather may turn cool and wet later this week (remember the North Park Market is open rain-or-shine), and if you’re wearing galoshes, it’s time to cook squashes!

There’s no better way to warm up than with winter squash like butternut, delicata and kabocha at the Little Italy Mercato. Find your favorites at Schaner Farm, Gilbert Quintos Farm, JR Organics and more; simply roast them in the oven and drizzle with Mikolich Honey or top with Springhill Cheese Company’s cultured butter.

Stock up at Smit Orchards for this vegan butternut squash and apple bisque, or grab lacinato kale from Vang’s Farm and almonds from Hopkins AG for this hearty, crunchy squash salad.

Try Morocco Gold’s medjool dates and fennel from Suzie’s Farm in this stuffed acorn squash, or use sweet red walnuts from Terra Bella Ranch in this squash, caramelized onion, walnut flatbread. The sweetness of winter squashes means they’re also perfect in desserts like this creme brulee.

What will you do with squash this week?

Find all the fixings for a Thanksgiving feast at the Little Italy Mercato!

Get your green beans from Kawano Farms or JR Organics, pick up potatoes at Polito Farm’s stand, and grab yams from Vang’s Farm or Proios Family Farm. Buy cauliflower from Maciel Farms and make this easy and delicious recipe to make a stunning side dish.

Start shopping for stuffing at Bread & Cie or Belen Bakery, then add oyster mushrooms from Suzie’s Farm, herbs from Shaner Farm, or fresh chestnuts from Smit Orchards. Try this roasted squash recipe with butternut squash from Sage Mountain Farm, honey from Mikolich, apples from Heritage Farms and walnuts from Terra Bella Ranch.

We’re giving thanks for our great local farms!

Find pumpkins and all your favorite winter squashes at the North Park Thursday Farmers’ Market. Is the sincerest squash a kabocha from Suzie’s Farm, an acorn from JR Organics, a butternut from African Sisters’ Farm or a pumpkin from Proios Family Farm?

We love simple roasted squash, dressed up with nothing more than a pat of organic butter from Springhill Cheese Company, but we also like to experiment by mixing mashed, roasted squash with chopped Morocco Gold dates, or topping it with roasted almonds from Hopkins AG, or drizzling with honey from Meljess Bees. Try something unique, like this roasted butternut squash tart!

Try stuffing a squash with spicy chipotle chorizo from Ochoa Family Chorizo, or for a milder but still flavorful dish use 5 year vintage Gouda from Taste Cheese. It’s squash-darned delicious!

Looking to make a baked treat with the abundance fo pumpkins? Try this easy pumpkin bread recipe and savor the flavor of fall! 

October usually brings apples and pears, pomegranates and pumpkins to the North Park Thursday Farmers’ Market (and you will find those things this week!), but the recent heat wave means we’ll also see another wave of warm weather crops that are usually gone by this time of year.

JR Organics and Valdivia Farms are still picking heirloom tomatoes; stretch summer out with this cool tomato and basil salad, using olives from Lisko Imports and crumbling some chevre from Taste Cheese on top. Or welcome winter with a warm bowl of tomato soup! Belen Bakery country French bread and cheddar from Spring Hill Cheese Company will make a tasty grilled cheese to go with that salad!

Kawano Farms and Proios Family Farm have more eggplants and summer squashes, and we spotted sweet and hot peppers at African Sisters’ and Suzie’s Farms.

R&L Farms and Smit Orchards are still harvesting peaches and pluots, and cantaloupe and watermelon are especially sweet right now. Enjoy the extended summer!

The Pacific Beach Tuesday Farmers’ Market is awash with summer squash in many varieties from your favorite local farms. Kids love flying saucer shaped pattypan squash from Kawano Farms; pick up fresh spinach for this kid-friendly stuffed squash recipe. Eight-ball squash from JR Organics are also super stuffers; fill them with a mixture of Nicolau Farms fresh chevre and diced red peppers and onions from Proios Family Farm. Zucchini from Maciel Farm is great for grilling. Slice it in half lengthwise, brush the cut side with Bistro Blends’ Roasted Garlic Chardonnay marinade, then grill and top with grated Peppercorn Dry Jack cheese from Springhill Cheese Company. Stock up on summer squash at the Pacific Beach Tuesday Farmers’ Market!

THE SECRETS ARE IN THE SIDES

Thanksgiving is almost upon us; this Thursday’s North Park Farmers Market is exactly a week before the holiday.  Before we hit the patch of black ice that is Black Friday, latke parties, and tree trimming, sending us skidding into the December Holidays, focus on this celebratory meal. While your farm-fresh Da-Le Ranch turkey may take the lead, this meal’s side dishes take more than a supporting role. Make it yours by serving up some signature sides that are not in your momma’s arsenal.

Savory bread pudding is sure to be a show-stopper and once you have the core bread and pudding, the world is your oyster. Whisk together 6 Paradise Valley Ranch eggs, 2 cups milk, salt and pepper. Throw in a pound of soft Belen bread, cubed, and a half pound of grated gruyere from Taste Cheese; that’s is your blank canvas.  Sauté 1 to 2 pounds of peeled squash from your favorite farmer and a chopped onion, sprinkle with sage from Suzie’s Farm, let cool, toss with the bread mixture and bake at 350 for 55 minutes. Or try it with 2 pounds of sautéed mushrooms from Rodney Kawano Farms mixed with garlic, parsley, and thyme. Try oven roasted tomatoes and garlic or sautéed kale and mushrooms; there’s no end to savory combinations.

Want to lighten up the mashed potatoes? Add some Valdavia farms turnips peeled and boiled for about 10 minutes more than your potatoes.  Drain them, add some Springhill Dairy European butter and mash out any frustrations of your day.

Round out the meal with an antioxidant rich carrot and orange roast. Cut up 2 pounds of JR Organics trimmed carrots and cut an unpeeled orange from John Gilruth or Paradise Valley Ranch into 8 pieces.  Toss it all in 2 tablespoons of Bari olive oil and 2 tablespoons of Meljess Wildflower Honey, some salt and pepper, and roast in a 375 degree oven for 35 minutes.  Serve with a sprinkle of Suzie’s Farm chopped dill. 

First time cooking? Don’t agonize over taking over the Thanksgiving meal reins from someone who’s been doing this meal by rote, just live by this mantra: “The secret is in the sides” and serve to impress!

However you and your clan choose to celebrate Thanksgiving this year, we at the Little Italy Mercato want to make sure you to have the most fresh, beautiful, and nourishing food available to make your day perfect. Whether you're planning to enjoy a very traditional meal, an eclectic potluck smorgasbord to meet all the needs of your community of friends, or whether you don't have a big meal planned at all but choose to revel in the day off from work and enjoy the outdoors with simple snacks and time for reflection- we've got you covered.

Delicious meals are made from delicious parts- so part one of your dinner could be a variety of chutneys, salads, or stuffings. Try this recipe for a savory apple pumpkin chutney, from San Diego food blogger Caron Golden. She uses pumpkin butter from Jackie's Jams, fresh sage leaves and red onions that you can find at Schaner Farms, and sweet pink lady apples from Smit Orchards or Fujis from Lone Oak Ranch. For a seriously satisfying salad- try using cooked wheat berries from Suzie's Farm and combining them with all sorts of fall veggies to complement your dinner. Roasted butternut squash and toasted red walnuts from Terra Bella Ranch with heaps of braised Swiss chard from Maciel Family Farms come together to create a little zip for a savory salad served warm or chilled. Add fresh grated ginger from Vang Farms for a twist or a handful of crumbled goat cheese from Nicolau Farms to blend it all together. And as you devise, shop, and put together your stunning meals, remember to utter thanks and gratitude for all that you will enjoy, have been given, and have to offer…

This past weekend was divine- with intermittent rain and blustery, grey days. It was time to hunker down, stay inside, and enjoy warm food and good company. Comfort food has a different tone though, when you live and work at the farmers' market. Comfort food means fresh pasta and braised greens, or upscaled, locavore-friendly grilled cheese sandwiches, or fresh spiced apple butter and biscuits...

Here are a few ideas for you for the next time you get caught in the rain, or the sunshine, and want a healthy(er) twist on cozy good cookin'.

Spaghetti with Braised Kale
Braise either curly or lacinato (Tuscan black kale), with chopped onions from Suzie's Farm and fresh garlic from Valdivia. Add the greens to a bowl of steamy, hot angel hair pasta from Likso Imports and squeeze a bit of fresh lemon juice with a bit of grated Parmesan Romano cheese from Mary at Taste Cheese.

Escarole and Caramelized Onion Grilled Cheese

You know this. You know how you like it. Be creative with what you can find at the market and make a sandwich that you'll be remembered by. Start with a decent portion of sourdough or your favorite loaf from Belen Bakery. Take home a hefty slab of Spring Hill Goat Cheddar or maybe their dry Pepper Jack cheese, and shred it carefully. Pick out a beautiful specimen of frisee or escarole from Suzie's Farm or JR Organics. Sautee slices of white onion with a bit salt until the onion begins to carmelize. Meanwhile, brush the bread with some olive oil and layer on the onions, escarole, and cheese. Then grill it until its crispy and melty in the pan, add pepper or salt if needed, and serve immediately...

Spiced Apple Butter

Spiced apple butter on warm toast is a treat from heaven. Luckily, Smit Orchards and R& L Farms have you covered for tart Fuji's and sweet Pink Ladies. Or try combining apples and asian pears for more complexity. Cook the apples down with spices like ginger, star anise, cinammon and cardamon. Add lemon and a bit of sugar, mash it all together once its cooked, and you have yourself an excellent addition to any brunch.  

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!