Hats Off to the Farmers

who braved the icy wind Saturday at the New Haven Wooster Square Farmers' Market. We are getting down to the short strokes of farmers' market season here in the Northeast, and were all feeling it yesterday. In two separate booths I observed that little visible drop of cold hanging off vendors' noses. You know the one. When the wind makes your eyes water and your nose run, but you've been out in it so long that you don't bother wiping it away anymore? It was our first good, cold day.

I was rewarded for braving it with the last pickings of the most zealous farmers. Apparently, broccoli does just fine in the ground right up until there are several nights well below freezing, as long as the rows are covered. So I got some hardy broccoli, two kinds of squash, blue and white potatoes, and a bunch of kale from a nice young man who was only too happy to educate me on what's still in the ground and what's in storage at this time of year. He tossed in an extra butternut squash, perhaps just to get me to go away. Another vendor had big, beautiful orange tomatoes, which I imagine matured in her greenhouse, as the tomato plant in our front yard surrendered to the cold weeks ago. There were also a few orange and red peppers, hidden behind the pine boughs, spruce sprigs, and red velvet ribbons of a guy turning his attention to wreaths (bah humbug). I bought some jugs of Connecticut maple syrup (props to Chuck, of J&L Sugar House in Lebanon, who said I could come right to his front door for more after the farmers' market closes for the season. I had been complaining that the only syrup I could find in the grocery store was from Canada. I may also have convinced him to plant celery next year. Check back in August 2008 to find out).

In short, my haul was every bit as good as the middle of July, so thanks to the remaining farmers who stood around in the wind and cold Saturday to allow me to eat local for another couple weeks. I'm sure they would've rather been spending their day like Buddy:
(Yes, this is pure pandering to Chris D'Arpa....)