Thankful for Many Things
“Be present in all things and thankful for all things.”
Whoa! I think fall and winter showed up together! Last week's weather brought in chillier temperatures. That brings situations we may not be prepared for. Here in the South, we're used to warmer temperatures for longer, which allows for a sort of neglect or forgetfulness about being winter ready. Like when the heat comes on for the first time on that cold day back in October, and you smelt the burning dust. Or you spent an hour scrambling to find all your cold weather clothes only to find they're musty smelling and should probably be cleaned. Before it gets too cold, it's a good idea to go ahead and get those things taken care of. The CDC recommends you check your carbon monoxide detectors when the time changes and replace batteries then. Make sure your house has the proper ventilation for your heating system. Follow the link for more information. https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/features/winterweather/index.html
Thanksgiving is next week! Make sure you have your smoke detectors in working order as well! We'll all be cooking and sometimes that gets a bit adventurous this time of year. Be sure they have fresh batteries. The US Fire Administration records about 2,300 residential fires a year on Thanksgiving Day alone. https://www.usfa.fema.gov/statistics/reports/fire-causes/snapshot-thanksgiving.html
November starts our holiday season, and we do have holiday hours. I'll post these in the blog posts each week so you can reference them, they'll also be posted to Facebook and Instagram.
Since we are a year round market, we're open year round. We will be in the park every Thursday from 3:30-6:00 pm with the exception of Thanksgiving Day (November 24) and the Thursday between Christmas and New Years (December 29).
We have a vendor spotlight this week!
Rosa Ray's Market Fresh is one of many small businesses that make up our growing market! Here's a bit about her in her own words.
"I'm Keisha Sherman of Rosa Ray's Market Fresh! I am a state licensed producer of jams, jellies & breads. In 2020, I ended a 17 year career as a flight attendant. During this transition to being home more, I rediscovered my love of gardening, cooking and baking, originally instilled in me by my Grandmothers. I use fresh, local and even "backyard grown" ingredients in my products, whenever possible. I am a big advocate for fresh, seasonal, & minimally processed foods, particularly for communities where food apartheid exist. In my spare time, my husband and I enjoy spending time in the garden with our grandchildren, Rosa, Ray and Xuri."
This week we'll have sweet potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, plums, mangoes, apples, oranges, collards, turnips, rutabaga, lemons, cabbage, bell peppers, and broccoli.
This week we’re keeping it simple with the recipe. Sometimes I wonder what to do with a refrigerator of fresh vegetables, because I’m tired and just need something warm and simple. I have a friend who would always say “just throw an egg on it” whenever I had no clue what to do. Hash is a really good complete meal for any time of the day. I know most of the recipes I post are geared towards dinner or lunch, but hash is an anytime food.
Sweet Potato and Greens Hash
olive oil for the pan
1 large sweet potato, peeled and finely diced (no larger than 1/2″ dice)
1/2 small, onion, chopped
2 cups collards or turnips, stemmed and torn or cut into small pieces
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika
dash cayenne pepper (optional)
salt and pepper
2 eggs
1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add your diced sweet potato to the pan. As well as possible, keep the diced sweet potato all in one layer to promote even cooking and browning.
2. After the sweet potato begins to brown, toss in the rest of the ingredients and the spices. Mix well and allow to cook on medium heat, stirring and tossing regularly for about 20-25 minutes or until all the vegetables are cooked. I also covered the pan occasionally, for a few minutes at a time, to allow the steam to help soften the collard greens.
3. Once the veggies are cooked through, add more salt, pepper or spice to taste. Remove from heat. Transfer to a serving dish or take a scoop straight to your plate.
4. Fry up two eggs however you prefer them and place on top of the hash.