at the market now • October
Lately, the mornings here begin with me pulling a sweater over my head and shuffling out to start the kettle for something hot to warm me up before I’m fully awake. Autumn is finally here in California, and I love it. There’s magic in this transition, comfort in it, reassurance in the cycle we are all part of. I continue to be inspired by the rich hues at the market, the constant pull inwards that the shorter days and darker nights bring. An invitation to settle back into ourselves, our home, simpler habits. Here’s what we bought this week, and what I plan to cook with it.
what we bought + plan to cook this week
local + seasonal produce and fruit:
- cauliflower: washed, dried, and cut into florets, then stored in a jar in the fridge
- broccoli: washed, dried, and cut into florets, then stored in a jar in the fridge
- small potatoes: for roasting, stored in a wicker basket in the cupboard
- sweet potatoes: for roasting whole, stored in a wicker basket in the cupboard
- pomegranates: for adding to everything, deseeded and stored in a mason jar in the fridge
- concord grapes: for snacking
- red leaf butter lettuce: salads and sammies; stored in a damp kitchen towel in the veg drawer
- apples: for snacking + apple crisp
- carrots: for snacking and adding to salads
- brussels sprouts: for roasting, trimmed tough stems and cut in half, then stored in a jar in the fridge
- acorn squash
- pineapple: for snacking; cut up and stored in the fridge (we will eat today + tomorrow)
bulk additions:
- buckwheat flour: for pancakes and pain d’epices
- tahini: for tahini ranch
- dried shiitakes: for my no bones broth (recipe in my ebook, pg. 114)
- chia seeds, for dark choc chia pudding (a variation on this recipe)
things to make:
- warm chickpea bowls with lemony yogurt and fennel slaw
- roasted cauliflower, broccoli and carrots: This is a great one to batch cook for hands off lunches etc. I will roast 4 whole sweet potatoes at the same time to have on hand for lunches.
- cardamom cacao granola for breakfasts and afternoon snacks
- roasted sweet potato black bean bowls with quick pickled lime onions
- big pot of the best chickpeas: will be chickpea salad sammies for lunch one day + add tuscan kale, lemon slices, fresh chile slices, parsley and rice with the rest of the pot, broth included, for another lunch.
- marinara from the last of our San Marzano garden tomatoes: I cut them up, simmered down with salt and a sprig of basil until fully collapsed, passed through a food mill to remove skins. Transferred to a jar for the fridge. To use, I will heat up a few smashed cloves of garlic and a pinch of chile flakes in olive oil until just beginning to turn golden, then add the tomato sauce, then bubble till heated through.
- roasted acorn squash + brussels: will halve and deseed the squash, add coconut oil and maple syrup in the cavity, maybe cinnamon, definitely salt and thyme, then roast till tender. Partway through, will chuck in the halved Brussels on another pan (tossed with oil, s+p). Pomegranate seeds on the brussels when they come out. Add a grain and/or legume side to complete the meal.
my weekly seasonal farmer’s market haul + what I plan to use it in.