More goodies for the fall…

All of this beautiful Spigarello is coming up right now at our Goodyear farm and will be at the Scottsdale market tomorrow.  Have you tried it yet?  These organic leafy greens are considered to be the parent plants to broccoli rabe.  They never develop into florets like regular broccoli, and while it has a similar flavor, the greens are considered to be a little milder and sweeter, without the bitterness that may come from regular broccoli.  You can prepare it much as you would with kale, using Spigarello in salads, soups or sautéing it for a side dish.

We will also have a beautiful assortment of eggplant with us, with all sorts of colorful variations including Ichiban, Italian Black, Barbarella, Medley and Rosa Bianca.  Eggplant is so easy and versatile to add to dishes.  It goes with everything from a stir fry, to a pasta dish.  The easiest is to simply roast it.  I also learned a trick from a chef once to cook it by putting it whole into hot coals and letting it hang out for awhile.  After about an hour or so, the eggplant has cooked inside its skin, which then easily slips off, after which it can be dressed with a little olive oil, seasonings, parmesan, or whatever you enjoy with it.

And quince have returned to the markets.  Quince always bring a lot of curiosity, but also a little hesitancy, since they are a rarity of sorts.  Quince are not meant to be eaten raw, however once cooked, they are a wonderful dish that we often enjoy on both Thanksgiving and at Christmas.  They are not difficult to prepare, they just need a little time to soften.  Here is Marsha’s recipe below…

Cooked Quince with Raisins
4 quince
1/2 lemon
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
10 whole cloves
1 crystallized or regular piece of ginger (cut into small pieces)
1/2 cup raisins

Rinse off the quince, it isn’t necessary to peel them. If they are too hard to cut through raw, put them in a pot of water and allow them to simmer on low heat covered for 25 minutes to soften them up. Allow them to cool a bit before cutting, and then you can cut into bite size pieces and remove the seeds, like you would with an apple.  Put them in a pot and squeeze half of a lemon over them, and then cut up the juiced lemon half and add the rind to the pot. Add the sugar, cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Cook over a low heat for another 20 minutes or so. When quince are done cooking they turn a pinkish, cranberry color and you can add the raisins if you like.

Just a heads up too – State Route 51 is closed this weekend from 3:00am Saturday to 5:00pm on Sunday.  Keep that in mind when you are traveling to the Uptown Market or the Old Town Scottsdale Market.

See you tomorrow!