A plethora of purples

Purple, the color of royalty, and you will be eating like a king or queen when you shop locally at our market. So much in season now and each week new things crop up!

Case in point, the elderberries we spotted at Caradonna Farms last week. What to do with them? Said to activate the immune system and reduce inflammation, elderberries can be used like other similar small berries, in teas, tonics, preserves, pies and eaten on their own. The ones I tasted had a pleasantly tart flavor and I enjoyed them with yogurt and granola and also added some to my salads. 

 A couple larger purple globes have also made their way to market...grapes and plums. Enjoy varieties of these with Cooperstown Cheese or in your favorite tarts, pies, buckles and crumbles. ‘Don’t feel like baking? You’re always guaranteed to satisfy that sweet tooth with something from Noble Pies, Nutmeg Bakery/Cafe or Wrights Farm

Then there’s that aubergine culinary sponge, the eggplant. Have you tried substituting thin slices of it for noodles in lasagna? Madura Farms had some round ones the size of small pumpkins that begged to be stuffed. Either way, you’re going to want some fresh mozzarella from Joe Tomato to finish it off.

You’ll find purple sprouts among Guoz Garden’s colorful array of micro- greens and purple cabbage on the produce tables and shredded into the creative slaw offerings at Hamov Eh. You’ll also often find purple carrots tucked into the rainbow bunches, purple potatoes, purple peppers, purple string beans, purple kale, purple cauliflower, purple kohlrabi...so many naturally high health-enhancing anti­oxidants. Lastly, don’t forget some purple posies at the Stoneberry Farm stand!