This is my favorite time of the year, especially for food. The Maryland harvest is in full swing, and our markets are loaded with all kinds of great food. And as Chef Jerry Pellegrino suggests, you’d better take a big basket to market these days.
The farmers say that the next few weeks of early October are going to be the best all year. So much coming in! We did a survey of the Waverly Market to see what’s available.
Let’s start with Liberty Delight farm and their pork sausage. Shane Hughes has got andouille, chorizo, bratwurst and kielbasa, all super fresh and tasty. Perfect for tailgating.
It’s also a good time for cut flowers. Bartenfelder’s has gorgeous Autumn bouquets filled with zinnias, mums’ marigolds and sunflowers.
Our friends at Eden Farms, who are Korean, are showing okra, ginger root, and big old daikon radishes. Perfect for Asian cuisine.
In fact, it’s a great time for veggies in general! You got ‘em all: Brussels sprouts, broccoli, eggplant (in assorted colors), peppers of all kind, cabbage, beets, and heirloom carrots. Not to mention squash, because this is the season of overlap between summer and winter varieties. So, you’re going to see yellow a zucchini squash right next to pattypan, butternut and delicata squash. Which makes us think of all the ways we can stuff them!
Our friends at Martin’s Farm still have abundant fresh herbs, garlic bulbs, and a wide assortment of white, yellow and red onions. And then there’s Billy Caulk, the man with the melons. He’s got watermelons, different kinds of cantaloupe, and a whole mess of pumpkins,
including our favorite for pie making, the Cinderella. We also spotted yellow wax beans, small potatoes, and spicy Thai red peppers.
Our good friend Joan Norman at One Straw Farm is in her glory. Absolutely gorgeous collections of radishes, cauliflowers, turnips and green onions. Everything at her stand looks like it’s been polished.
Next door is Pahl’s Farm selling not only great pork products but varieties of kale and chard along with free range eggs.
Jerry is an apple grower and is always eager to see what new varieties have come on the market. Our good friend Dave Hochheimer of Black Rock Orchard has trotted out such rarities as Rubinette, Rosaloo, Smokehouse, Luda-crisp plus old stand-bys like Gala, Fuji, and honey crisp.
Finally, master grower Cinda Sebastian at Gardner’s Gourmet is boasting mesculen, baby spinach, Lacinato and Redbor kale, and multiple heirloom tomatoes.
So get a move on; it is Maryland’s great season of abundance. Take a big market basket and fill it up!