Pictures of the Day: Onions and Brussel Sprouts

This past Saturday was bittersweet — it was the last day of the Metuchen Farmers Market. I was sad to say good-bye to all the fresh, local produce, but perhaps even more so, the chats with farmers and chance encounters with neighbors as we shop the stands. Oh well, the end of the farmers market means that I have something to look forward to during the cold grey winter months. Only six more months until the market opens again in June….

(By the way, if you want to stay involved with the farmers market during the dormant season, make sure you’ve signed up for the volunteer mailing list. We’ll be meeting during the winter to plan for next year. We want to keep tweaking and growing the market every year, making it an even stronger part of the Metuchen community, and we love to have new people bring fresh energy and ideas!)

Below is a picture of a 10-lb. bag of onions from Whistling Wolf Farm, and a big, beautiful stalk of brussel sprouts from Country Stand Farm. I will think of Farmer Helen every time I chop one of those onions this winter.

And speaking of brussel sprout stalks, did you know you can cook those big floppy leaves at the top of the stalk, in addition to the buds? They are mild and sweet and not too different from collard greens. Whenever I get home from the market, the first thing I do is cut the leaves from the tops of my brussel sprouts, turnips, beets, and radishes, wash them in plenty of clean water, toss them in some olive oil with salt and pepper, and then roast them in the oven or saute them. Yum — true power food!