Transitioning to Fall

Parts of the pick up room look like it is fall and parts still look like summer. I welcome the greens back and love to make veggie saute's, combining the last of the summer veggies along with fall's harvest. I participated in a seasonal cooking demo at the Farmer's Market yesterday and we did a combination of local mushrooms, roasted beets, sauteed peppers, kale and Swiss chard - the only seasoning was sea salt and pepper. Food is always appreciated at the Market, but everyone, even a couple that said they are not big veggie eaters, loved it.

I love it when the beets are fresh from the field with their tops on - remember to use the greens - they are nutritious and delicious - if we had the beet greens from the above beets, they would have been added. The greens don't last for as long as the beets in the fridge, so cut them off and store separately.

Since the Swiss chard and other greens are back, remember that Swiss chard is a great alternative to spinach in a lot of dishes. The crop right now is also so mild that I have been adding a few of the smaller leaves to my salads. A lot of people don't like dandelion greens, but I have found if you add them to a veggie stew that includes sweet vegetables such as peppers and beets, it really tames the bitterness of dandelion and other bitter greens. Dandelion is so healthy for you, so it is good to find a way to use it.

The onions and leeks are bountiful - if you don't use your onion share up each week, make sure to check them regularly and use the ones that are starting to get soft first so you don't end up having to throw any of them away.

Enjoy the harvest!