Boulder County Farmers Markets
September is here and we had our first nice overcast and refreshingly cool market weekend. No one understands the facilitation of respite from the relentless sun-drenched days of summer like farmers.
The later sunrises and earlier sunsets mean shorter days in the fields for farmers, but luckily for us, the produce is just as plentiful. A spectacular variety is hitting the markets right now, and we can’t get past the colors of the root vegetables in particular. It really has never been easier to eat a rainbow of fruits and vegetables.
What are root vegetables?
Root vegetables are plants where most of the edible part of the plant is grown underground. True roots are the organ of a plant that facilitates the absorption of water and nutrients. Root vegetables that are true roots are turnips, turnips, carrots, and cassava. Some root vegetables are technically a modification of the plant stem, or growths that store nutrients. These include bulbs (onions and fennel), tubers (potatoes and sweet potatoes), and rhizomes (turmeric and ginger).
Luckily, we’re not going to be hosting a quiz on the various differences between root vegetables. You just have to know that they are delicious.
The apples of our eyes
In addition to the deep reds, purples and oranges of autumn’s root vegetables, the bright reds and greens of apples have arrived from the western slopes. Our fruit growers market a wide range of organic apples: Honeycrisp, Zestar, Gala and Cosmic Crisp.
Peaches tend to steal the show when it comes to Colorado fruit season, but we want to remind you that nothing beats a perfectly crisp apple. Apples, perhaps one of the most beloved fruits, are always a treat on their own or baked as a pie.
Apples are more than just a sweet treat, the versatile fruit can also shine in savory dishes. Read on for a warming recipe that brings together a symphony of fall flavors. And to make your life as easy as possible, you can find all the ingredients needed to make this root veg apple hash at our markets in Longmont and Boulder, or by ordering online at bcfm.org.
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Root vegetables and apple hash
INGREDIENTS
2 potatoes
2 turnips (Rough & Ready Farm has a spectacular selection of turnips at the moment.)
4 carrots
2 apples (Try Zestar apples from First Fruits Organic Farm.)
1 onion
olive oil
salt and pepper
Optional: 4 eggs (Croft Family Farm eggs are organic, pasture-raised, and delicious.)
DIRECTIONS
Heat olive oil in a large pan.
Dice potatoes, carrots, onions, beets and apples. The smaller the cubes, the better.
Add onions to the pan, fry for 2 minutes. Add the apples and the remaining vegetables.
Season with salt and pepper and add fresh herbs to taste.
cook for 10-12 minutes,
To make this hash a full meal, after the first 10 minutes of cooking, crack eggs into the pan. Toast for a further 5 minutes for perfectly runny yolks.
