Fresh at Winter Farmers Markets This Week

There’s something about a really great loaf of bread that speaks to our stomachs and our souls in wonderful ways.

The texture and flavor of wood-fired oven baked sourdoughs are unparalleled. At area farmers tailgate markets, bakers have some of the best breads around. Farm & Sparrow, Simple Bread, and Crust Never Sleeps all have amazing bread at Asheville City Market throughout the winter.

Bread and cheese are the best pairing. You can break them out as soon as you get home from market while you put away all your other produce that needs cooking and preparing. You can eat it on the run after a long day at work. And, you can serve it to guests throughout the week. Visit Spinning Spider Creamery and Blue Ridge Creamery at Asheville City Market for goat and cow’s cheeses (respectively). At the YMCA Indoor Winter Market in North Asheville, stop by Three Graces Dairy for a range of goat, sheep, and cow’s milk cheeses.

Sandwiches are the quintessential lunch food. And the best breads make the best sandwiches. Sausages or hamburgers made with meat from Dry Ridge Farm at Asheville City Market or Bradley Farms at YMCA Indoor Winter Market South in Fletcher are perfect to go between slices of bread. Microgreens are delicious additions to sandwiches and can be found from Sleight Family Farm at Asheville City Market. And, not to be forgotten: egg sandwiches in the morning are a delight! Grab eggs at Asheville City Market from Hap Mountain Herbal or Fiddler’s Green Farm, as well as other vendors.

If you’re gluten free and all this talk of bread gets you down, in lieu of bread try substituting slices of apple from Creasman Farms at Asheville City Market and the YMCA Indoor Winter Market in North Asheville.

Delicious combinations of meats, cheeses, and veggies between wholesome crusty bread await — just visit a farmers market near you this Saturday!

Find a full list of 2017 winter markets throughout the region on ASAP’S “Winter Farmers Markets” page, at asapconnections.org.

Area farmers tailgate markets take place throughout the region. As always, you can find information about farms, tailgate markets, and farm stands, including locations and hours, by visiting ASAP’s online Local Food Guide at appalachiangrown.org.