So last week in Philadelphia it got down to 40-some degrees at night. I thought we'd retired the air conditioning. It is, after all, halfway through October.
But: Indian summer. This week it's 70. And the farmer's market is an odd mix of seasons, with cucumbers and tomatoes still in fairly full effect, but a massive influx of fall's treasures too. Especially apples, which I wish I'd captured on film.
I always shop at least two places, every week. There's the farmer's market for produce and the regular store for deals. Local plums and Lean Cuisine, fresh garlic chives and frozen corn. I need some of each. The food budget is tight but by shopping smart on the supermarket end of things, I can eke out a few extra dollars for local apples. There are few foods where buying the farmer's market version makes such a difference. For years I never ate apples. Now, I do. The difference is the variety. Honeycrisps. Stayman Winesaps. The occasional Cameo or Macoun. They're expensive, but they're like another food entirely from the mealy, misnamed Golden Delicious over at SuperFresh.
And like I said, I wish I'd captured the apples on film, but I didn't. So instead you get this picture of fall bounty: carrots and turnips and parsnips. Harbingers of the season to come.
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