Late Fall at the Market

I love this time of year.  The air feels crisp and clean. The outdoors are invigorating, but the indoors so welcoming.  Its a great time to wander around the market and see what's available to bring home and cook up.  As the weather tilts towards frost and freezing temperatures I become ever more pleased by all the markets still have to offer.  Today was our pre-Thanksgiving run.(Although I'm sure Tuesday's or Wednesday's markets will find us searching for those last minute items as well). 

Today I found eggs from Steve and Chris of Aults Family Farm.  I love to shop from them, and today I hit them up for some info. on egg seasonality.  It's much harder to get eggs right now, so I asked if this time of year is a major time for chickens to be molting.  As it turns out now is high time for molting which causes egg production to drop dramatically.  Although they did have eggs, many others have not lately, and the Aults said that right now they may get less than half the number of eggs as they have total chickens.  Adding to the slow down caused by molting are the cold weather, and shorter days.  So greedily I got two dozen eggs so I could feel safely stocked up, and Matt went away happy with some pork chops and a pork belly.

The abundance of beautiful produce other tasty treats is quit frankly uplifting.. Tables are piled with Asian persimmons, jams, pickles, sticky rolls, pumpkins, lettuces of all kinds, radishes, kohlrabi, mustard greens, whipped honey, potatoes, garlic, and apples to name a few.  

 We stocked up with local cider, Blanchards coffee, green bell peppers, broccoli, cabbage, sweet potatoes,  arugula, collard greens, Tuscan kale, crimini and shitake mushrooms, pastured beef, pork, and of course those eggs.  I ran into friends who came in to pick up their per-ordered Turkeys, or hunt out that special Thanksgiving day treat or necessary ingredient.  Thanksgiving is of course this Thursday.  Don't overlook the special markets going on this week!  Tuesday at Byrd House Market, and Wednesday at the West End , St. Steven's, and Lakeside Markets.