market report 10.22.11
My market is one of the only markets in the area that continues beyond September. I mentioned that to a coworker yesterday and he seemed surprised, not that more towns weren’t still holding markets but that mine was. “What do they even have?,” he asked. In addition to this stuff, there were pumpkins and squash and all sorts of leafy greens, tomatoes (yes, still!), mushrooms, broccoli, a dozen varieties of apples, and rutabagas the size of your head. I’m not sure what one does with a rutabaga the size of a human head, which is why I didn’t buy one. (As it turns out, ancient Celts carved scary faces in them and used them as lanterns to ward off evil spirits at Samhain. Duh.)
This week, with carrot greens and leek tops, it was tough to take a photograph that didn’t include at least part of a very portly little cat. She swatted at me when I took the leeks away and followed me to the refrigerator meowing. Which was not nearly as amusing as the time she got her head stuck in a bag of Twizzlers.
I don’t have a picture of that. Here are some leeks and carrots instead.
When Harry Met Salad 
I think we need more photos of the cat!! I wonder what was in the leeks that she needed to ingest? When out trail riding, my horse always knows which “weed” or plant will do him some good. Maybe your leeks-fan is the same!
So glad you posted again. Been looking forward to it! And, yes, the autumn does have quite a surprising array of vegetable offerings. I think I shall have to go and get a rutabaga and figure out what to do with it!!
October 22, 2011 at 1:14 pm
Does your cat eat the leeks? I didn’t know cats were into onion-y veggies. Interesting.
A rutabaga the size of a human head would be hard to pass up. I’d put it in the root cellar just to have around in case of blizzard, zombie apocalypse, or some other event that would prevent a trip to the grocery store. Then I would boil it and mash it with butter.
October 22, 2011 at 9:05 pm
Oh, that cat will eat anything. She spends half her waking hours licking the floor on the off chance that she finds a crumb and the other half following me around in case I decide to have a snack. She is particularly fond of cheese, but yes, you can see in the second photo where she’s chomped off a few of the leek tops.
Next week I’ll get a giant rutabaga! Assuming they didn’t sell out today, of course.
October 22, 2011 at 9:17 pm
What are you planning to make with the leeks? I love your portly cat :)
October 24, 2011 at 6:42 pm
Enjoyed your post. People don’t realize that just because summer ends, markets keep going for awhile! Some even year round. About that rutabaga, you need to buy one next time! Peel it, dice medium sized and saute in butter and olive oil. Season with a bit of salt and pepper. Sublime. Also, Julia Child’s recipe for Braised Duck and Rutabaga is fantastic, no matter the size of said Rutabaga. Check out my post about this dish on my blog! http://www.hamonwry1.com. Until next time,
ENJOY your rutabagas!
Jenni in Philly
November 30, 2011 at 3:45 pm
Kitty probably thought it was grass. I find myself cleaning up regurgitated grass on a semi-predictable basis because of my cat’s obsession with green leafy things to chew on…
May 16, 2012 at 5:00 pm