Pickles, Pears and Pumpkins
One of our vendors with the most seniority and often one of the longest lines, Doc Pickle has quite the panoply of pickled products.
This Patterson, NJ producer has been pickling for over fifty years and still uses some of grandfather’s original recipes. Whatever degree of sour, sweet or spicy you like your cukes, they have your pick and probably a few more to make you pucker. There are also various olive, pepper, relish and other brined veggies choices. Pickled brussels sprouts anyone?
Pears are still plentiful at the market. I love adding them to my salads with some cheese (ask Cooperstown for a recommendation) and toasted nuts. Also substitute them for apples in your favorite recipes. Pears pair well with fresh rosemary or basil in baking or salads...experiment with Arlotta’s herb infused olive oils. Here’s my favorite fruit crisp recipe using pears:
F R U I T C R I S P
4 firm pears, cored and sliced but not peeled
juice from 1/2 lemon
1 tablespoon (Farm Eats) maple syrup or (Madura) honey
1 tablespoon flour or cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Topping:
1/3 cup butter softened or melted (or try equal amount of Arlotta olive oil)
1/3 cup (Farm Eats) maple syrup or (Madura) honey
2/3 cup regular rolled oats
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup chopped nuts or seeds ... pecans, walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, pumpkin or sunflower seeds (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine first five ingredients and place in greased 8x8" baking dish. Combine topping ingredients and sprinkle over fruit mixture. Bake 45 minutes to an hour, until topping browns and fruit mixture bubbles. Serve with a dollop of plain Greek yogurt.
There were sugar pumpkins peeking out Berry Brook’s produce piles last week. Have you ever stuffed and baked a pumpkin?
Remove the top of the pumpkin and scoop out pulp and seeds. Prick the pumpkin interior with a fork. Stuff with your favorite mixture of seasoned grains with or without ground meat...think stuffed peppers.
Place stuffed pumpkin in a shallow baking pan with 1/2 inch water.
Bake the pumpkin in preheated 350 degree oven 1 1/2 hours, or until tender. Add more water to the pan as necessary to avoid sticking.
Welcome fall with a refresh to the current trending accessory. Ztudio Zsa Zsa visits this week with her attractive collection of comfortable and reversible masks. Leah even has Liberty of London and Marimekko fabrics in her assortment. A reminder that masks are required for vendors and shoppers from 9 to 10 a.m. to allow our most vulnerable shoppers, and shoppers with young, non-vaccinated children at home to shop with peace of mind.
